Hong Kong: Crucial training that saves lives

Uniquely trained personnel are saving the lives of victims trapped at high angles or in confined spaces thanks to the Civil Aid Services High-Angle Rescue Training Centre.

The rescue personnel in red uniforms, often observed at scenes of emergencies, belong to the Mountain Search & Rescue Company of the Civil Aid Service. While they are not full-time emergency forces, they are wholeheartedly committed to the distinctive services they deliver.

Indoor training centre

In order to provide the quality training that is required, the Civil Aid Service, together with the Architectural Services Department, turned a workshop that sat idle into the High-Angle Rescue Training Centre that celebrated its opening ceremony last year in May.

Located inside the Civil Aid Service Headquarters in Yau Ma Tei, the centre spares members of the service from bad weather conditions during training. It features various key furnishings for a better learning and training experience.

Fully equipped



Designed with maximum possible ceiling height, the training centre comes equipped with various anchor points to enable those undergoing abseiling training to safely and securely ascend and descend as well as practise using different tools.

The services Operations & Training Officer (Cadet) Tsang Chi-wing noted that most of the emergency duties involve protecting hikers by escorting them from steep mountains to safe places. Their training mainly focuses on descending from height slowly with the use of ropes and other equipment.

So the passageway and height of the second floor of the training centre indeed heightened our understanding of what equipment and techniques can enhance our operational efficiency.

Besides taking height into consideration, rescue operations occasionally involve dealing with narrow spaces. This is why a simulation manhole is on-site as it helps the personnel to exercise carrying out such difficult rescues.

This manhole enables us to try to simulate rescues with other specific equipment in the vertical and confined spaces, which really allows us to accumulate more practical experiences throughout the training.

Hard-earned success

Operations & Training Officer (Tactical Force) Charles Lau, who participated in designing the training centre, recalled struggling with the limited space they have. In the interest of safety, he explained why calculating the structures load capacity was critically important.

Because we have to consider the maximum number of persons that can stay in the training area here.

Mr Lau said the centres design is in conformity with international standards that call for providing a safe and appropriate venue for training.

Diverse training

The Civil Aid Service offers three aspects of rescue training. Such aspects comprise training for newly recruited members, advanced training for the Emergency Rescue Company and training to use complex ropes and stretchers for the Mountain Search & Rescue Company.

All units are eligible to use the high-angle training centre depending on their training schedule.

The Cadet Corps once held an event in the centre to offer youngsters a glimpse of the specialised training the adult members undertake and they plan to do so again in the future.

Hong Kong permanent residents aged 18 or older are eligible to apply for the Civil Aid Service membership.

Newly recruited members must go through 160 hours of training and pass all tests to obtain the Certificate in Auxiliary Forces Basic Training Programme (Civil Defence).

The programme has been recognised under the Qualifications Framework as meeting accreditation standards at Level 3 and those who successfully complete it can become official members of the service.

Official members can then apply to join the Mountain Search & Rescue Company. Once they fulfil requirements, such as weight training, night navigation, high-altitude capability and so forth, they can proudly don the companys red uniform.

This story has been published on: 2023-02-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China launches time-honored brand festival to promote consumption

Xinhua) 09:24, February 05, 2023

QINGDAO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- China launched its 2023 Time-honored Brand Carnival on Saturday in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, amid the country's efforts to promote consumption.

The carnival aims to provide more quality goods of the time-honored brands and create new consumption scenarios for consumers, said Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in a video address at the launch ceremony.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, 28 major activities will be held nationwide on three main themes, namely holiday consumption, live broadcasting and store exploration. The activities will be held both online and offline throughout the year.

Since 2020, the carnival has been held for three consecutive years, driving a total consumption of nearly 40 billion yuan (about 5.94 billion U.S. dollars) in related sectors.

The Central Economic Work Conference, which was held at the end of last year, stated that priority should be given to restoring and expanding consumption. The country has also planned to develop its time-honored brands and distinctive traditional cultural brands, according to a guideline on expanding domestic demand.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
Thieves on or around New Years Day made off with $10,000 worth of tools and a boiler system at a Habitat for Humanity project on Hartfords Capitol Avenue, but through the goodness of the community and a corporate donation, the organization is regaining some of its losses.

Kris McKelvie, director of Home Construction for Habitat for Humanity North Central Connecticut, said its always disappointing when a project is vandalized or suffers a break in and thefts.

It breaks the spirit of the volunteers, he said. This (donations) helps to revive our spirits.

Stanley Black & Decker recently donated a 12-inch miter saw, 8-inch table saw and several battery chargers and batteries amounting to about $2,000 and the community has also stepped up to donate as they work toward replacing the boiler and other items.

Every day the crew works there they notice something else missing, McKelvie said. Donations can be made online at https://hfhncc.org/.

Stanley Black & Decker official Karen Price-Ward said the company is committed to improving the communities where we live and work and being a force for good.

Through our long-standing partnership with Hartford Habitat for Humanity, we were honored to support the veteran homeowner in Hartford following the theft, she said.

Stanley Black & Decker donated thousands of dollars in tools to Habitat for Humanity North Central Connecticut following a theft at a home the organization is helping to renovate.

McKelvie said Hartford police have a detailed list of what was taken and are looking for the items on the street, but otherwise arent likely to find the culprits or recover the items.

Since the theft, security has been heightened at the site, he said.

McKelvie said the theft didnt delay the timeline for finishing the home, which is on schedule for an open house March 30.

The Hartford Police Department was dispatched to 315 Capitol Ave. around 8 a.m. on Jan. 1 for a report from a person who lives in a neighboring building of a potential break-in at the site at around 6 a.m. The neighbor reported that the rear door appeared to be forced open.

Upon arrival, police found the rear door open and the door latch lock and a basement window broken.

McKelvie responded to the home after he was informed of the break-in and told police that over $2,500 worth of tools were stolen, according to police.

McKelvie estimates that damages totaled at least $10,000.

The thieves also broke a stained glass window pane in the front door and cut the locks off the back door and a box truck that the crew was using as a tool trailer.
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Strange Oregon Coast True Crime: Goonies House Vandal Suspect to Dramatic Coast Guard Rescue

Published 02/04/23 at 5:59 PM

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Astoria, Oregon)  For here on out, true crime tales from the Oregon coast will have a long ways to go before they can top this outrageous tale. It's one that went from outright tense drama to serious surrealism in a short time, then took another hard turn and witnessed the beginning of a new hero. There's quite a few off-the-wall twists and turns. (Photo AET1 Kyle Turcotte/U.S Coast Guard, showing the soon-to-be suspect getting rescued)

A British Columbia man living in Astoria for a good year or so had to be rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Friday after hitting treacherous conditions aboard a boat, and then it turns out he was the suspect in an odd case of vandalism at the Goonies House in Astoria earlier in the week. After treatment at an Astoria hospital, he was on the run for awhile until he was again captured in Seaside.

In a way, it all begins on Friday, February 3, as the USCG is out on a training mission just offshore from the mouth of the Columbia River. Conditions were rough, a spokesman said. At 10 a.m., the USCG watchstanders in Astoria received a brief MAYDAY call from a boat somewhere in the area, but the message stopped short of revealing much.



Wild waves outside of Astoria, photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection

The caller was using the VHF marine band on the radio, so eventually crews were able to use triangulation to determine the ship's location. A crew from Station Cape Disappointment on the Washington side of the coast was able to respond, sending out a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew of the Advanced Rescue Helicopter School. Meanwhile, numerous crews that were conducting the training exercises were also diverted to respond, arriving approximately 10:40 a.m. at about six miles off the rivermouth. Video below - you can see the full video at this link

The USCG said they discovered the 35-foot yacht Sandpiper was taking on water. With 20-ft seas and extremely high winds, the situation was clearly urgent.

Crews deployed a first-time rescue swimmer, Advanced Helicopter Rescue School 3rd Class John "Branch" Walton. It's here where the video gets quite amazing. Walton used a winch cable to get out there, but just as he was approaching, a major wave came through and knocked him under water and propelled the distressed mariner off the boat as it capsized.

Walton was under for a few seconds or so, and as he came up he saw the boat was severely damaged, even split in two. He was able to swim out to the man from the boat and rescue him, with both being lifted up into a helicopter.

The survivor was transported to awaiting emergency medical personnel at Air Station Astoria and was in stable condition when transferred from the Coast Guard's care, the USCG said.

He was brought to Columbia Memorial Hospital, according to Astoria Police Department.

This was not only Walton's first life saved, but also his graduation day from the Advanced Rescue Helicopter School. Hours after the incident, the new hero and his classmates had their graduation ceremony.

The USCG soon received a call that 35-year-old Jericho Labonte, from British Columbia, was a suspect in the Sandpiper being stolen just hours before.

Astoria police said Port Security Chief Matt Hansen told them they had seen him allegedly stealing the yacht from the Port of Astoria. The owner, a man out of Warrenton, soon confirmed that with authorities.

Labonte was treated at the hospital as a precaution and then released. The problem was this happened before Astoria police had realized he was the chief suspect in the stolen vessel. Labonte was quickly on the run.

In a truly bizarre twist, Astoria police also figured out Labonte was the suspect seen in a home surveillance video on Wednesday vandalizing the Goonies house, the famous home used as a location for the movie Goonies back in 1985.

On the video, the suspect is seen covering cameras with black tape, but he apparently missed at least one. The suspect then leaves a dead fish on the porch. Reportedly, the man came back for the fish later on  a quirk in this oddball north Oregon coast tale as yet unexplained. See the surveillance video

At about the same time, we received calls from several citizens identifying the rescued victim as Labonte, police said.

Concerned citizens had reported to police seeing Labonte posting video to social media of his Goonies house fish caper. Another local fisherman said the fish was a local one because he had taken Labonte out on a fishing trip earlier on Wednesday.

Labonte was on the run for a couple of hours or so, with Astoria putting out a public notice with a description. He was later picked up by authorities at a Seaside warming center, and he is now lodged in the Northwest Detention Center in Washington State.

Besides this new set of charges on the Oregon coast, Labonte is wanted in B.C. on a long list of charges. He also has a bad reputation on the north coast for stalking and harrasing people.

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Lincoln City's Legends: Headless Man, Glowing Cave, Oregon Coast Shipwrecks / Treasure, Skeleton

Published 02/02/23 at 5:59 PM

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon)  One hotspot on the central Oregon coast has been around a lot longer than people think it has, and with that age comes some fun and funky legends. (Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection: Siletz Bay at night becomes a whole different universe that's kind of eerie, thanks to long exposure times)

Lincoln City as we know it now was founded in 1964, but in fact it was comprised of seven or so little villages combining together  many of which had been around since the late 1800s. Inevitably, wacky legends and even outlandish rumors have come to be, including a shipwreck with a skeleton of a giant, possible buried treasure, another shipwreck with a kind of ectoplasmic existence, a glowing cave and a headless man's ghost.

Stranger still, some of these actually have a basis in fact.

Headless Man In A Tree. This one was just a bit of talk  at least in the '70s and '80s it was. Oregon Coast Beach Connection couldn't find anyone now that had ever heard of this legend. It was repeated to a staff member in the early '90s, a good ten years before this publication existed.

The story goes that sometime before the early '80s a man on a motorcycle was speeding up a dusty rural road, not far from an elementary school. He lost control and was flung at high speed into a tree, which reportedly decapitated him. Purportedly, the head stayed in the tree, jammed between some of its arms.

A lot of children used this route as a short cut to the school, and rumor had it that if you walked past that tree after dark, you might hear the head crying out or moaning.

Oregon Coast Beach Connection could find no newspaper reports talking about such a motorcycle accident in Lincoln City. That doesn't mean such news documentation doesn't exist: we may not have access to the full local archives.



The hidden cave at Roads End. The photo (Oregon Coast Beach Connection) was taken in the '90s. That's how inaccessible this is.

Legend of the Glowing Cave. Way back in the '80s or '90s, some Lincoln City locals would tell visitors about a cave that glows at night  a funny shade of green, the legend goes. This cave was supposedly found at the Roads End area, right around the point that's essentially inaccessible (except when there is an extreme tide).

The tale felt so fantastic no one paid attention to it. Yet it turns to be true: there is indeed a cave around that tiny bend and a really tiny cove of sorts that does include a cave.



Glowing phytoplankton in the Nehalem Bay



Then, it turns out, there is such a thing as glowing sand, which does glow a funky green or bluish color. It's called bioluminescent phytoplankton, a form of the microscopic creature that glows when touched or disturbed. So what locals were trying to tell people is that glowing sand sometimes made it into the cave, and with that structure being so pitch black you were bound to see it, likely even if it wasn't all that bright.

Getting to that cave is a big no-no, especially at night. This is an insanely dangerous spot, even more so at night. Even approaching the end of the Roads End area is a bad idea. It is sometimes accessible if you hike down from God's Thumb.

However, walking on this beach during summer is a good thing, as long as you can see the tides with a flashlight or some other means. This area is completely black at night, and if glowing sand is there it'll be easy to spot.





Mystery Ghost Ship of Siletz Bay. This truly intriguing tale has some truth to it, and beyond that there have been several residents over the decades who've been quite outspoken about seeing the ghost ship itself.

The story goes, periodically a ghost ship  one of the big, masted sailing vessels  appears out of a fog. Then shortly after it disappears back into that fog.

The funny thing is there really is a shipwreck in that deep mud of the bay, now having sunken its way even further into the muck. The Albany Journal wrote about such a wreck way back in 1865, with the brig Blanco run ashore near the mouth of the bay. Its bones became less and less each decade, and finally some 100 years later it was gone altogether.

There were attempts in 1951 and then in the early 2000s to try and identify the ship's remains. The latter expedition used high-tech gear to suss out what was below the goop of the bay, and it came up with mixed results. However, in both years something was found and it was about the right mass and size of the Blanco. There's a lot more to this Oregon coast shipwreck tale.





The Skeleton, Shipwreck and Treasure of Cascade Head. Somewhere in the early '30s began a long and winding story, that may or may not go even farther back.

Legend has it there were ancient stories of a mysterious shipwreck in Three Rox Bay (where Three Rocks is now), including talk of a giant who was briefly known as a god by local natives, along with tales about a ship that crashed here as early as the 1700s. In many ways, this all seems mixed up with the story at Manzanita and the Spanish Galleon there (recently discovered by archaeologists), and, well  no spoilers yet.

It's all very complex, with hints of a treasure buried there, skeletal bones found of a man nearly 8 feet high, a period of media sensations about it all in the '20s and again in the '70s, and all sorts of grisly and gnarly details. There was even talk of a pirate ship, and then there were the endless, hapless treasure hunters. It all makes a great story about the skeleton, treasure and pirate ship of Lincoln City.

However, Oregon Coast Beach Connection uncovered something new that puts a whole new big twist to the tale. More will be published soon.

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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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Rumor Check: Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon NEVER Crossed Over Oregon Coast

Published 02/04/23 at 5:29 PM

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Oregon Coast)  The internet is part evil and dangerous, and part fun and thoroughly informative. But rumors and disinformation are of its dark side, and that's why it needs to be firmly stated that one whopper of a tale including the suspected Chinese spy balloon and this coastline are not true. The floating spy device did not cross over the Oregon coast at any time. (Above: the Chinese balloon caught on camera by the Kansas City office of NWS - see a clearer picture here)

Oregon Coast Beach Connection wishes to quell that rumor quickly. If you run across such a claim, it is not true.

Earlier this week, people in Montana spotted the large, white balloon with the naked eye, with photos showing a large solar power array below it. It was later revealed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as well as the military had been keeping track of it last week since it appeared in Alaska. U.S. officials uniformly agree it is a spy balloon, while China has claimed it is merely a civilian weather research device that was blown off course by west winds.

To avoid further internet misinformation, Oregon Coast Beach Connection will not show the sites responsible for the rumor, except to say they have made nebulous claims that it passed over the Oregon coast and as well as West Virginia. This would, naturally, make no sense as these are on opposite sides of the continent.



Tillicum Beach on Oregon coast, photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection

NOAA does not have the exact path, however it is known to have entered Canadian air space and the Canadian military had been watching it there as well.

Oregon Coast Beach Connection reached out to the National Weather Service (NWS) offices in Portland and Medford  both of which have extensive radar coverage over the Oregon coast and southern Washington coast. They work under the umbrella of NOAA.

It was the Medford office's Brian Nieuwenhuis that returned with the answer if the balloon had come across Oregon's or Washington state's shores.

We are not aware of any reports over Oregon, he told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. NOAA ran a reverse model to see the path the balloon likely took, and it suggests that the balloon passed well to the northeast of us.

Other government agencies agree with the NWS graphic and path, including those in Canada. It shows the balloon first being picked up in Alaska, coming down through the Aleutian Islands, down the west coast of Canada, and into Montana where it was first noticed by residents on Wednesday.

Earlier today, it was photographed by the NWS office in Kansas City. The surveillance balloon is now steadily moving east, according to the Pentagon's Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder. Currently, meteorologists are keeping track of the suspected spy balloon as well as the military. Ryder said it is expected to be in U.S. skies for a few more days.

Ryder said the Biden administration wanted to shoot it down at first, but the president was strongly urged not to because of the potential damage to property below and a danger of falling debris to U.S. residents.

You can see further, deeper coverage at CBS or NBC. MORE OREGON COAST BELOW

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Cape Arago, Coos Bay (courtesy Oregon's Adventure Coast)

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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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Across Connecticut hybrid work set-ups are becoming more common as businesses rebound from the pandemic and state officials seek ways to increase the appeal of the state to workers and companies looking for new locations.

This is true around Greater Hartford, where Julio Concepcion, executive director of the Hartford Chamber of Commerce, has said that offices in downtown Hartford are increasingly going to a hybrid working model where some days are spent in the office.

In another local example, Talcott Financial Group has said it will relocate its Connecticut offices to downtown Hartford from Windsor, moving about 300 employees later this year into One American Row, the iconic Boat Building.

Talcott said it chose to relocate its Talcott Resolution life insurance operations to downtown Hartford after an extensive search, and its decision was partly based on the amenities that the city has to offer.

The lease is a welcome addition to a downtown where vacant office space is rising amid downsizings in the aftermath of the pandemic.

And across Connecticut there are hundreds of workplaces bustling with activity, ideas and entrepreneurship, with workers creating and growing in skill.

Into this exciting time to live and work in Connecticut comes this years Hartford Courant 2023 Top Workplaces recognition program.

Hartford Courant Top Workplaces 2023

For the annual Top Workplaces program, the recognition gives employees credit for what they create, raises the profile of your business or organization and lets prospective employees see that your workplace stands out.

To be a Top Workplace, any organization with 50 or more employees in Hartford, Middlesex, New London, Tolland and Windham counties is eligible to participate. They may be public or private, nonprofit organizations or government agencies.

Workplaces are evaluated by their employees using a 24-question survey. Companies will be surveyed during February through May.

This is the 13th year employee survey company Energage has partnered with the Courant to identify outstanding workplaces in the Greater Hartford area.

For 2022, 61 employers made the winners list. Energage invited 1,299 organizations to participate, and they were eligible provided they had 50 or more employees in the Greater Hartford area. Most of the surveying was done between February and May. Surveys went out to 28,958 employees in the region, and 15,076 responded.

Energage also determines special award winners for some employers who have standout scores in certain areas of the survey, such as leadership, values, direction, communication, meaningfulness and benefits.

Companies have said they used the Top Workplaces designation both to recruit new employees and clients.

Energage, the research partner for the project, conducts Top Workplaces surveys for media in 61 markets and surveyed more than 2 million employees at more than 8,000 organizations in 2022.

Top Workplaces honors great workplaces that operate successfully in the eyes of their employees. The program relies on employee survey feedback.

Top Workplaces allows employers to get a read on what areas they should be celebrating and what areas they should be focusing on, said Eric Rubino, CEO of Energage.

Energage noted the benefits of participation:

Shout out, stand out: Encourage workplace pride. If you work at a great company, give colleagues a morale boost with something to celebrate. And give your employer well-served credit for creating something special.

Assess, reward and improve: The results from the Top Workplaces survey can help assess the health of companies. They validate achievements, reveal problem areas and set a foundation for new goals.

Boost recruiting: Attract and retain the best talent. Employees want to work at companies recognized as leaders that operate by a strong set of values.

Raise the business profile: The Top Workplaces logo on company materials and websites helps spread the word about successful work environments. Customers and business partners will take notice. That awareness can help create new business opportunities, too.

Earn public recognition: Achievements are recognized by the Hartford Courant.

In the current job market, companies need to worry about recruiting, retaining and motivating employees. Its more paramount than ever, Rubino said, that companies be intentional about a culture that prioritizes employee appreciation and recognition.

We really need workplaces that inspire employees, he said. You have to really acknowledge employees genuinely and consistently.

The first nomination deadline is March 10, 2023. Publication of the winners in the Courant will be this fall. Use this link to nominate. https://www.courant.com/nominate. Phone number for nominations: 860-256-4476.
A sign at the Belfast City branch of the Post Office showing an example image of the envelope for the Energy Bills Support Scheme (Northern Ireland) voucher, giving householders 600   PA

All homes in Northern Ireland will have received their 600 energy support payment by the end of the week, a Government department said.

The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said figures from the Post Office this week will show all vouchers to keypad and credit customers, as well as all direct debit payments, will have been received, just three weeks after the roll out of the scheme.

Last month it was confirmed more than half of the energy support vouchers have been redeemed.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Graham Stuart said: Issuing all vouchers and making all direct debit payments in just three weeks is an Herculean effort and I am immensely proud of everyone who has made this happen.

"Households across Northern Ireland are getting the much-needed 600 support for their energy bills and before homes in Great Britain.

Issuing all vouchers and making all direct debit payments in just three weeks is an Herculean effort and I am immensely proud of everyone who has made this happen. Households across Northern Ireland are getting the much-needed 600 support for their energy bills and before homes in Great Britain.

I want to thank the Post Office, Post Masters and energy suppliers for all their hard work in ensuring this vital support got to homes as quickly as it has. It is fantastic to hear most of the vouchers have been redeemed, but for those that havent done so yet, I would urge them to visit their local Post Office as soon as possible so they can benefit from this support.

The Government has confirmed around 500,000 households in Northern Ireland will receive the support payment. The first vouchers started rolling out on January 14.

Once received the vouchers have to be redeemed by March.

The one-off 600 payment includes 400 as part of a UK-wide support scheme and an additional 200 in recognition of Northern Irelands dependence on home heating oil.
Escalation of Shankill feud after UDA HQ is targeted in late night arson blitz

Torching of community office believed to be retaliation for attack on Berlin Bar as loyalist drugs dispute is ratcheted up

Watch: LSCA offices torched as Shankill feud rages on

Allison Morris Belfast Telegraph Sun 5 Feb 2023 at 23:15
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, right, Pope Francis, left, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland the Rt Rev Iain Greenshields meet journalists during an airborne press conference aboard the plane directed to Rome, at the end of his pastoral visit to Congo and South Sudan (Tiziana Fabi/Pool Photo Via AP)   Tiziana Fabi

Pope Francis, the head of the Anglican Communion and the top Presbyterian minister have together denounced the criminalisation of homosexuality and said gay people should be welcomed by their churches.

The three Christian leaders spoke out on LGBTQ rights during an unprecedented joint airborne news conference returning home from South Sudan, where they took part in a three-day ecumenical pilgrimage to try to nudge the young countrys peace process forward.

They were asked about Franciss recent comments to The Associated Press (AP), in which he declared that laws that criminalise gay people were unjust and that being homosexual is not a crime.

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalises homosexuality, 11 of them with the death penalty.

Pope Francis during an airborne press conference aboard the plane directed to Rome, at the end of his pastoral visit to Congo and South Sudan (Tiziana Fabi/Pool Photo Via AP)   Tiziana Fabi

LGBTQ advocates say even where such laws are not applied, they contribute to a climate of harassment, discrimination and violence.

Francis referred his January 24 comments to the AP and repeated that such laws are unjust.

He also repeated previous comments that parents should never throw their gay children out of the house.

To condemn someone like this is a sin, Francis said.

Criminalising people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice.

He added: People with homosexual tendencies are children of God. God loves them. God accompanies them.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, recalled that LGBTQ rights were very much on the current agenda of the Church of England, and said he would quote the popes own words when the issue is discussed at the churchs upcoming General Synod.

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby during the airborne press conference (Tiziana Fabi/Pool Photo Via AP)   Tiziana Fabi

I wish I had spoken as eloquently and clearly as the pope. I entirely agree with every word he said, Mr Welby said.

Recently, the Church of England decided to allow blessings for same-sex civil marriages but said same-sex couples could not marry in its churches.

The Vatican forbids both gay marriage and blessings for same-sex unions.

Mr Welby told reporters that the issue of criminalisation had been taken up at two previous Lambeth Conferences of the broader Anglican Communion, which includes churches in Africa and the Middle East where such anti-gay laws are most common and often enjoy support from conservative bishops.

The broader Lambeth Conference has come out twice opposing criminalisation, but it has not really changed many peoples minds, Mr Welby said.

The Rt Rev Iain Greenshields, the Presbyterian moderator of the Church of Scotland who also participated in the pilgrimage and news conference, offered an observation.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields during the press conference (Tiziana Fabi/Pool Photo Via AP)   Tiziana Fabi

There is nowhere in my reading of the four Gospels where I see Jesus turning anyone away, he said.

There is nowhere in the four Gospels where I see anything other than Jesus expressing love to whomever he meets.

And as Christians, that is the only expression that we can possibly give to any human being, in any circumstance.

The Church of Scotland allows same-sex marriages.

Catholic teaching holds that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.
I cant be in two places at once, says Irish Goodbye actor

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin

BELFAST actor Paddy Jenkins had to turn down the chance of going to the Oscars because the ceremony clashes with a show in Strabane.

Jenkins should have been jetting off to the 95th Academy Awards in Hollywood with the rest of the cast and crew of An Irish Goodbye, which has been nominated in the best short film category.

But the Finaghy man cant make the trip because hes appearing in a Give My Head Peace live show at the Alley Theatre on the same weekend, and nothing can be done to alter the schedules.

Jenkins was philosophical about foregoing the heady heights of Tinseltown for the somewhat less glittering lights of Strabane.

Paddy in An Irish Goodbye

Viewing figures for the Oscars, which will be held on March 12, run into millions, and the Dolby Theatre host venue in Hollywood holds more than 3,000 people, whereas the Alley Theatre has room for just 270.

Im disappointed, but its just one of those things. I cant be in two places at once, said Jenkins, who plays a priest in the black comedy.

The movie, written and directed by Ross White and Tom Berkeley, was filmed in Northern Ireland.

It stars Seamus OHara and James Martin in the roles of two estranged brothers.

Read more Give My Head Peaces Pastor Begbie actor who plays priest in Oscar shortlisted film says award would be heaven sent

Jenkins character, Father OShea, whom he describes as an oddball, oversees the reunion following the death of their mother.

Jenkins character couldnt be further removed from the Protestant cleric, Pastor Begbie, he portrays in Give My Head Peace. He said: I wondered if it might be possible to rearrange the agendas for me to get to Hollywood, but there was no way that I could juggle things.

Paddy as Pastor Begbie in Give My Head Peace

Obviously, I would love to jump on a plane and attend the awards night. Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something every actor and everyone behind the scenes dreams about, but I plan to get myself home to Belfast and watch the Oscars live on the box.

I know the parties are supposed to be something else, but Ill be having an admittedly lower-key gathering of my own in my house.

A lot of friends and family say theyll try to stay up with me through the night to see what happens  there might just be a bottle or two of bubbly on ice  and hopefully the result goes our way.

An Irish Goodbye is one of a record 14 Irish nominations at the Oscars, including four for Colin Farrell, Kerry Condon Barry Keoghan and Brendan Gleeson in Martin McDonaghs The Banshees of Inisherin, and another for Paul Mescal for Aftersun.

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin

James Martin could not hide his excitement about the prospect of heading out to America.

He said: An Oscar could be a nice birthday gift because its actually on my birthday, so the timing is fantastic.

I would love to meet Tom Cruise  Top Gun is a fantastic movie.

I would also love to meet Liam Neeson and Robert De Niro.

While the ceremony may be out of the question for Jenkins, hes hoping that he will be able to attend the Baftas in London later this month, with An Irish Goodbye also up for a short film gong.

Richard E Grant and Alison Hammond will be hosting the ceremony at the Southbank Centre on February 19.
Heartbroken family determined to push for change in the law

Hunter McGleenon's aunt Coleen (left) and mum Nicole (centre) outside court after Sharyar Ali was sentenced for murder

THE aunt of murdered tot Hunter McGleenon has launched a campaign to change the law on child killers to give families more of a voice in the court process.

Coleen McGleenon also wants a mandatory minimum life sentence tariff for monsters who murder children.

The 32-year-old has been working with the Victims Commissioner and local politicians to bring about a change in the law.

Her announcement comes as Hunters mum Nicole and family welcomed news of a date for the court hearing to appeal the unduly lenient sentence handed to Hunters killer Sharyar Ali.

Last October Ali (34) was given 13 years in jail for the brutal murder of the 11-month-old on November 26, 2019.

Hunter McGleenon

The Pakistani national had been in a relationship with Hunters mother, who trusted him to care for her son at their home in Keady while she sat with her dying grandmother, who passed away the next day.

Hunter suffered a horrendous death at Alis hands, with medical reports revealing the baby had sustained 19 head and neck injuries.

For nearly three years, Ali protested his innocence, claiming Hunter had fallen from a sofa.

He changed his plea to guilty just as he was due to stand trial last April.

The DPP agreed with the family that his sentence was unduly lenient and referred it to the Court of Appeal.

Now Hunters heartbroken aunt wants to see a change in the law to prevent child killers having their sentences reduced because of a guilty plea.

Coleen is also asking for new regulations to allow families to have their say in court regardless of the perpetrators plea.

She said: I dont think there should be any more 11th hour confessions. That shouldnt be allowed.

All the hours and weeks and months of police work because they keep denying their guilt, and all the experts time is wasted.

Nicole and I were ready to go into court and give our evidence when we were told he had asked to be rearraigned.

Coleen McGleenon   Stephen Hamilton

Changing his plea meant that we, as a family, did not get a chance to speak in court about what he had done to us.

Our victims statements were given to the judge, but we wanted to be able to read them out and let Ali hear what he had done.

Not being able to read them out meant that we were not able to be heard, and this is something that we feel affects countless families. We had to listen to all the pain and injuries he inflicted on that child, but he didnt have to sit and listen to a single thing he put our family through.

He didnt just murder Hunter; he destroyed all of our lives. I think there could have been some closure if we had have had our day in court and he had to face us and see what he had done.

We deserved that opportunity to tell him how we felt.

Read more Watch: Police share harrowing 999 call from night Hunter McGleenon was murdered along with CCTV showing killer Sharyar Ali gambling instead of looking after baby

As well as campaigning for families to be heard in court, Coleen, who has the full support of Hunters devastated mum Nicole in her campaign, also wants to see a change in the law in relation to sentencing child killers.

She said: We believe that life should mean life for Ali and other child killers.

I am determined to campaign to see that this cant happen again, and we would like to see a minimum life sentence of 20 years for child murderers.

Hunter McGleenon's aunt Coleen (left) and mum Nicole (centre) outside court after Sharyar Ali was sentenced for murder

Coleen is hoping the public will get behind her and sign a petition in support of her campaign to have the law changed.

She explained: If I get 100,000 signatures, the government is compelled to look, so I need people to add their name.

What scares us the most is that Ali will be free one day and might meet another single mum or have his own child, and that doesnt bear thinking about.

The Department of Justice said there were a number of starting points to help determine appropriate tariffs. Mitigating and aggravating factors are also taken into consideration, as is the plea. The Office of the Lady Chief Justice said it did not comment on individual cases.

You can support Coleens petition at www.change.org/p/give-more-rights-to-victims-in-the-ni-court-process?recruiter=1294065438
32-year-old claimed livestream put him in the clear before admitting it was pre-recorded

This is the video gaming session Natalie McNallys boyfriend claimed he was playing at the time police believe the mum-to-be was brutally stabbed to death in her own home.

Stephen McCullaghs alibi was pored over by cops, leading to his re-arrest and a charge of murder.

But the 32-year-old insists he had nothing to do with Natalies killing and was at home on the night of December 18.

The YouTube stream showing him playing the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City while wearing a Santa hat at the top right of the screen is a vital pillar in the prosecution case.

It was heavily referenced during his first appearance in court on Thursday.

A tweet promoting the livestream

The hour-long hearing was told he was initially arrested after finding Natalies body at her home on Silverwood Green in Lurgan on the evening of Monday, December 19.

But he was ruled out as a suspect days later because of the six-hour livestream alibi, which remains on YouTube.

It was streamed at the time when cops believe Ms McNally was stabbed to death.

Police went into detail about why they believe that session was staged and why they had concluded, with the help of experts, that it had been pre-recorded and played out as if it was live.

He spoke throughout, continually, but did not speak to the people who were responding live, said Detective Chief Inspector Neil McGuinness.

He did not interact with anyone at the time and he essentially formed a monologue with his own music and commentary of the game.

We became aware that you could pre-record and stream as if live.

Stephen McCullagh playing videogames during the livestream

The court was told once McCullagh was redesignated as a suspect, an analysis of his computer confirmed that broadcast did not take place on the date in question.

Senior cop Neil McGuinness said he had a written statement from McCullagh, a part-time Belfast Telegraph employee, accepting the livestream was recorded days before.

In that statement, the YouTuber, who has tens of thousands of followers, denied any involvement in his partners murder  insisting he was at home, was drinking and had fallen asleep.

The hearing also heard how close McCullagh had become to Natalies family after her death.

A forensics team at McCullagh's house in Lisburn   Kevin Scott

After he was refused bail and returned to custody, they appealed for privacy to allow them to grieve privately.

Over the past six weeks, we have opened our home and our hearts to the media, politicians, church leaders, campaign groups and the wider public, they said in a statement.

We did so in our determined quest for justice for our Natalie and baby Dean.

We have also used our platform to call for an immediate end to violence against women and girls.

We cannot thank you all enough for your steadfast support that has carried us through.

McCullagh is currently in custody

Parents Noel and Bernie first spoke to Sunday Life about the enormity of their loss  not only of a daughter but also a grandson  just after Christmas.

The bottom has fallen out of our world. I dont see any future any more, said Noel.

Things will never be the same again because she is not here, added Bernie.

Natalie was no fuss, no drama. She just got on with life and that was it.

She would say to me, Would you wise up, mammy? Just get on with it.

She was a private wee person and liked her own space.

But we are from a big family, and she loved being part of it.

She didnt complain about anything. She really wanted to help people. She was a lovely girl, no doubt about it, added Noel.

Natalie McNally who was killed in December

Since losing their daughter, Noel and Bernie have been tireless in their campaign for justice.

I would like Natalies legacy to be... by speaking out, if it saves one woman, it would be worth it, Noel previously told Sunday Life.

We just dont want this coming to someone elses door.

GAA fans will today pay a special tribute to Natalies loved ones in what has been described as a show of solidarity. It will take place during Armaghs clash with Mayo at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh. On the 32nd minute, both sets of supporters will be asked to join in with a minutes applause.

In response to the news, Natalies brother Niall posted on Twitter: This is as important as ever. The fight goes on. Well still be seeing you there.

McCullagh, circled, at rally for Natalie in Lurgan

In an interview in the Irish News, he said: It means the world to us. I remember last year I was organising the tickets for the Armagh-Tyrone game and then I realised I forgot about Natalie.

It completely slipped my mind, but I got her one in the end and we were able to enjoy that day.

It was a great day and we hope for better days ahead. Unfortunately, Natalie wont be there to enjoy them with us. Thats the sad reality of it.

We just hope that we can carry her message with us to Armagh matches in the future. We have plans to do that.

Were getting a flag made with her face on it to bring to every match and help to spread the word.
Predator with 103 convictions beyond rehabilitation as courts urged to extend travel ban over history of Nigeria sex trips

A serial paedophile is facing prison after he admitted possessing yet another stash of sickening child rape images.

John Flynns guilty pleas mean he now has 103 convictions for having photographs of kids being sexually abused.

The 66-year-old predator, who once had a high-flying career as a senior lecturer at the Armagh Planetarium, was freed on bail ahead of being sentenced at Belfast Crown Court next month.

Flynn was caught by police with the haul in June 2017, with forensic analysis on his computers showing he had been compiling the horrific pictures for over 18 months.

The notorious pervert, who has an address at Dufferin Avenue in Bangor, previously served a one-year prison term, and later a two-year suspended jail sentence, for the same offences.

While on the suspended sentence, Flynn had to attend educational courses designed to help him focus on the impact of his crimes.

It was stressed to him that the children being raped in the images he was ogling were real, however, sources who knew him at the time say the paedophile took little interest in their plight.

The fact that John Flynn was back in court last week to plead guilty to another 23 child image offences shows he is beyond rehabilitation, said the insider.

Many of the kids whose naked photos were found on Flynns computer were from Africa. Because of this, and the fact he was a frequent visitor to Nigeria where he married an unsuspecting local woman, the courts imposed a five-year Foreign Travel Order (FTO) on him in 2018.

This prevented the paedophile from making Gary Glitter-style sex trips abroad, however, the order ends in March meaning Flynn is free to hop on a plane again to Africa.

John Flynn was once employed at Armagh Planetarium

Those familiar with the predators long history of offending feel Belfast Crown Court should extend the FTO when it sentences him later this month for his latest crimes against children.

Doing this would protect a lot of kids in Africa, added our source.

Between 2010 and 2016 John Flynn made 14 trips to Nigeria, and this was at a time when he was downloading and sharing images of kids being raped and abused. Flynn was first convicted in 2011 and jailed for one year when he admitted possessing 3,250 horrific child abuse images, some of which depicted toddlers being raped by adults and bondage scenes involving schoolgirls.

He was so addicted to the pictures that he could not stop himself taking one last look minutes before handing his computers to police, having been summoned back to Northern Ireland from Nigeria.

In 2018 Flynn was back before the courts to be handed a two-year suspended jail sentence for possessing more photographs, with many of the victims African.

Allegations against him go back to 1998 when he was acquitted of possessing a similar haul.

It was after this that he quit his job at Armagh Planetarium and stood down as chairman of the Board of Governors of Saints and Scholars Integrated Primary School.

He later found work with Lloyds Register Quality Assurance, for which he travelled the world carrying out business audits for international firms.

Colleagues of Flynn previously told Sunday Life that he boasted about his sex life in Nigeria, revealing: There was something very creepy about him. He used to make boasts about his trips to Port Harcourt in Nigeria and the cheap, easy sex he had access to there.

He also was very outspoken about newspapers. He accused newspapers of ruining peoples lives.
NI miracle man wins race for life and hopes to inspire others with brave cancer journey
While Connecticut leaders believe that a similar incident is unlikely here, the high-profile killing of Tyre Nichols in police custody in Memphis has reignited the debate about officer recruiting and police accountability.

Gov. Ned Lamont, who signed the states police accountability law in July 2020, said that the state police and departments across the state are doing their best to train officers in an atmosphere that would prevent an incident similar to the brutal beating by five Memphis officers after Nichols ran away from police custody.

I hope to God its a lot less likely in Connecticut  that we recruit better, we train better, Lamont told reporters in Hartfords North End. I think our police are as shocked by what happened as all the folks in this room and I. Maybe a lot of this stuff happened over the last 80 years, but you cant do it behind a closed door with the body cams, and I think thats a good thing.

Lamont signed the 71-page accountability law following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in a far-reaching bill that mandated body cameras for all police in Connecticut, banned the use of chokeholds in most cases and created a new independent inspector general to investigate and prosecute deadly use of force by police.

Expanding reasons to decertify officers

The law has expanded the reasons why officers can be decertified  meaning that they can no longer work for any police department in Connecticut. The Police Officer Standards and Training Council, known as POST, can now revoke or suspend a police officers certification for reasons that include discriminatory conduct, racial profiling in violation of state law and excessive use of force.

Previously, certifications could only be revoked after felony convictions or if an officer used a gun in an improper manner that resulted in a death or serious injury. These changes, effective upon the bills passage, also prevent police officers who lose their certification from acquiring licenses to seek work as security guards.

Since Lamont signed the law in July 2020, nine officers have been decertified, according to state records.

Three of those were due to felony convictions that would have been covered under the old law, but six were for misconduct under the new standards. Those included three officers from Norwalk and one each from New Haven, Old Saybrook, and Wallingford. Two of the Norwalk officers pleaded guilty to reduced criminal charges after police said they did not respond to calls from dispatchers and were found later by police supervisors in a hotel room together with their patrol cars nearby in the parking lot.

For years, officers in Connecticut have been decertified after being convicted of crimes. One of the most high-profile was former Bridgeport police chief A.J. Perez, who became a convicted felon for cheating in the process to become police chief and lying to FBI agents in an attempt to conceal the crime. He was sentenced in 2021 to a year and a day in federal prison, and he was released last year.

Under the new rules, the first officer to be decertified under the misconduct provision was a New Haven officer after allegations of improper sexual conduct with two women whom he had encountered during his police work. He was decertified in November 2021 under a more broadly worded law that now covers conduct undermining confidence in law enforcement, which can include issues like racial profiling.

House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford said a Republican bill is seeking more clarity in the language on how officers can lose their jobs.

What the bill is saying is they need to specify the circumstances under which an officers certification is canceled or revoked, Candelora said.

But former state Rep. Michael P. Lawlor, who teaches criminal justice at the University of New Haven and serves on the POST council, said officers still have another chance.

If you are decertified, basically its taking your license away, Lawlor said in an interview. But under the rules, you are eligible to ask to come back in after three years.

Duty to intervene

The Connecticut accountability law also requires a duty to intervene  meaning that officers are required to step in if they see a fellow officer using excessive force and attempt to stop the officer from doing so. Officers who fail to intervene can be prosecuted and punished for the same acts as the officer using excessive force. The videos in Memphis showed that multiple officers did not intervene.

Asked whether more reform is needed in Connecticut, Lamont said, I saw what happened in Memphis. I dont think theres a legal, legislative antidote to that. I think you continue to train and you recruit. Society speaks out, and youre able to hold people accountable, and those body cams are one way you can do that.

Despite complaints by Republicans, Lamont defended the accountability law.

These guys were fired immediately in Memphis, Lamont said. Theyre going to be prosecuted, regardless of state legislation like that. But I think we did the right thing a couple of years ago.

Lawlor, the criminal justice professor, said it was striking that the videos showed that no police supervisor arrived at the scene for an extended period of time. That scenario, he said, would be unlikely in Connecticut.

Almost everything that police do these days is caught on camera, Lawlor said in an interview. The George Floyd situation would not have been noticed in the news were it not for the fact that there was video of the whole thing. The same thing in Memphis, Tennessee. Its the video that has really changed everything, even going back to Rodney King [in Los Angeles in 1991].  Some officers are having a hard time realizing everything is caught on camera.

Former state Rep. Michael P. Lawlor, who now teaches criminal justice at the University of New Haven, is shown here at a press conference in New Haven.

Candelora, who has clashed with Lamont at times, said he agrees with Lamont on some aspects.

All the training in the world cannot prevent intentional criminal acts, Candelora said in an interview. Those situations can happen anywhere in the state or in the country. But the question is: Is there a systemic problem with policing? And Ive never believed it was a systemic problem. Do those incidents of wrongdoing need to be dealt with? Yes. Thats where the Republican proposals differ from the Democrat proposals because we do believe that they have regulated our police force and demoralized them to the point where we no longer have people interested in becoming police officers  and the long-term impact that is going to have on the safety of our citizens is going to be significant.

House Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford is shown here at the state Capitol in Hartford.

Qualified immunity

One of the most controversial aspects of the law is known as qualified immunity as it has become easier for those who believe they have been wronged by police to file lawsuits against officers, departments and towns. Police and their supporters argued the change would lead to costly judgments against individual officers that they would have to cover out of their own pockets. Supporters noted the bill reads that officers would only be held liable for malicious, wanton or willful acts.

House Speaker Matt Ritter and others who voted for the bill note that no lawsuits have been filed on the issue since the change took effect on July 1, 2021.

A pending bill by Republicans would make it easier for police officers to file appeals if lawsuits are brought against them  so that the lawsuit can be dismissed instead of settled.

Police officers cant pursue individuals when a crime is committed, said Candelora, referring to pursuit policies. Theyre always in fear of a lawsuit, and theyre second-guessing their decision-making. Those stressors have led to many people who have either left the police force or have chosen not to go in it.

Under the proposals, we restore an officers ability to pursue a criminal in vehicles when theyre stolen, Candelora said. And allow for police officers to have consent searches, frankly to look for things like stolen firearms when somebody is pulled over in the commission of a crime.

Candelora says that rank-and-file officers are under extreme scrutiny in their jobs.

What occupation do you know that wears a body camera 24-7? Candelora asked. Theyre constantly undergoing physical and mental health testing. Theres a lot of scrutiny in the state of Connecticut for our law enforcement  probably the most of any occupation. I dont know of any occupation that has a higher level of scrutiny. When you add on the rhetoric that youve seen over the years by Democrats toward our cops, its no wonder that we cant get anyone to take these jobs.

Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com
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Tony Dobrowolski's main focus is on business reporting. He came to The Eagle in 1992 after previously working for newspapers in Connecticut and Montreal. He can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6224.
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The new chair of the Australia War Memorial, former Labor leader Kim Beazley, says century-old conflicts between British settlers and Indigenous people must be recognised at the memorial.

Beazley said there would be new displays highlighting what are known as the frontier wars  in which many thousands of Indigenous people were killed  as part of the institutions $500 million upgrade due in 2028.

The Australian War Memorial will depict the frontier wars for the first time.

We have to have the frontier wars depicted in every museum, in all the state museums and the [Australian] Museum, and we have to be prepared  as we go through truth-telling processes  to consult with different Aboriginal nations as to how they want massacres reflected, he said on ABC radio today.

How can we have a history of Australian wars without that? Its a simple question because we [have] long since abandoned the idea that the memorial only depicted events from World War I onwards.

If you do that, which we have ... you have to have frontier wars reflected in it because it is by that means we established ourselves.

There had been confusion about the memorials plans until Beazley spoke about the topic today. His predecessor, former Coalition leader Brendan Nelson, said last year there needed to be better recognition of frontier conflicts after sustained pressure from historians and civil society groups for the memorial to present wars involving settlers.

The memorials council downplayed the scale of its plans to depict frontier wars, and former National Party leader Barnaby Joyce pushed back by saying the memorial should not put itself at the centre of a political debate.
Telangana state Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan. (Twitter/@DrTamilisaiGuv)

HYDERABAD: Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan left for New Delhi on Sunday and met with Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She is likely to meet with Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday to brief him about the latest developments in the state.

The visit triggered speculation in BRS circles that the Centre was considering to transfer Dr Soundararajan to Maharashtra, and post a new Governor for Telangana shortly.

An official press release issued by Raj Bhavan on Sunday stated, "Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has congratulated Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for introducing a futuristic budget for the country. Governor has also submitted future development plans for Puducherry and Telangana to the union finance minister." Dr Soundararajan is also Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
Police investigate fire at Queensland townhouse

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Prime Minister urged Australians to back an Indigenous Voice to Parliament

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Bright Moon Buddhist Society president Vinh Loi Ly said he was heartbroken to be sent photos of the fire from distressed volunteers while at a nearby restaurant celebrating the Lunar New Year. I cant sleep last night, he said. All night, no sleep, just [saying to myself] Why? Why? Why? Everyone is very sad  [the fire] was too quick. The temple on Springvale Road was fully alight when firefighters arrived. According to social media posts, smoke from the fire was spotted from more than 15 kilometres away.

Firefighters declared the blaze under control about 10.35pm on Sunday. Assistant chief fire officer Paul Foster told The Age the fire took hold rapidly because of the volume of timber and soft furnishings inside the temple, which stood six or seven storeys tall in some areas. Its a majestic building, but theres been extensive damage to it. It was a very, very hard job, Foster said. Foster said Fire Rescue Victorias priority on Monday morning was to ascertain the scale of damage to the area where the urns were kept, and hopefully remove them safely from the building.

Its not just a place of worship, its also a place where people gather, and a lot of peoples ashes are here, he said. Were hopeful that the ashes are OK, and if thats the case thats really good, because the community here want the ashes to be safe. Among those anxious to know the fate of the ashes was Phan Nhi, who had the remains of her grandparents stored at the temple. I feel very bad  were worried everythings messed up; that everythings gone, she said.

Hopefully its alright in there, thats what we wish. Mrs Niem, who did not want to provide her first name, said both her parents ashes were in the temple. Im very sad. Most people I know have got family in there. Premier Dan Andrews described the remains as devastating, and said he spoke to Ly on Monday afternoon.

[I] let him know the thoughts of all Victorians are with the temple community, and especially with members with loved ones remains in the temple, Andrews tweeted. Long-time temple visitor Johnny Go, a Springvale resident, arrived at the scene about 8pm  near the time it was reported to authorities. At that stage, he said it appeared the fire was contained to one part of the building. The remains of the Springvale temple on Monday morning. Credit: Chris Hopkins Within half an hour, the whole things ablaze, he said. Lamenting the years of work and fundraising that had gone into building the temple, he predicted it would take a decade to rebuild.

[It was] beautiful  all timber with amazing statues imported from China, he said. Its very surreal [to see it destroyed]; they only recently completed it a couple of years ago. Firefighters put out spot fires at the Buddhist temple in Springvale on Monday morning. Credit: Chris Hopkins Foster said drones were being used on Monday to identify hotspots in the building that might re-ignite, and it was likely firefighters would remain on scene for a couple of days. Ly said hed been at the temple just hours before the fire, leaving about 6pm. He said a cleaner had also been on location but finished her duties just after 7pm.

Ly said he migrated to Australia in 1979 and the Bright Moon society was formed in 1980, spearheaded by a group of devout Buddhists. Loading At first, they used a Springvale garage for chanting and activities, before raising enough money to buy the present site in Springvale South in the early 1990s and eventually building the temple. Members  maybe will donate again, he said. But I am too old  Im in my 70s. Give me 20 years, but its too late. Greater Dandenong councillor Sean OReilly told ABC radio videos of the blaze started emerging online about 8pm on Sunday, and it was saddening to learn the temple had been completely decimated.
The ability of the Indigenous Voice to parliament to lobby ministers and government departments has come into focus as opposition MPs push concerns about the prospect of High Court challenges.

The draft of the constitutional amendment, to be made if the referendum passes, states the Voice would make representations to the parliament and the executive, which includes the cabinet and public servants.

Uluru Dialogue leader and Referendum Working Group member Megan Davis. Credit: Natalie Boog

Leading referendum advocate Professor Megan Davis on Sunday said the Voice to parliaments ability to lobby cabinet ministers and government departments is crucial.

If we dont have a voice to the bureaucracy, then were going to have the status quo, which is public servants making decisions about us from Canberra ... and not really understanding communities themselves. So, thats not a legally fraught issue, she told ABCs Insiders.
Parliament resumes this week with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese aiming for victory on two fronts by promising a better future while dredging up the recent past.

Albanese and his ministers will put new laws on the agenda on issues such as housing affordability  a big theme for the week ahead  while at the same time trying to excoriate the Coalition for scandals during the previous government, such as robo-debt.

Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese are both under pressure as parliament resumes for the year. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has to answer for past failings while ramping up the attack on Labor over the cost of living ahead of the Reserve Banks meeting on Tuesday and the widely-expected decision to increase the cash rate to 3.35 per cent.

This is a late start to the argument over the cost of living. Some of Duttons colleagues believe he made a basic mistake in spending so much of January picking fights over the Indigenous Voice to parliament when he should have been waging war over household costs.
London: Russian President Vladimir Putin promised not to assassinate his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting with the former Israeli prime minister just weeks after his troops invaded last year.

Naftali Bennett, who quit politics last June after his coalition lost its majority, leading to its November election loss, has recounted details from his secret trip to Moscow last year to help broker a peace deal between the two sides.

Then Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennet at a 2021 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Credit: AP

He became the first Western leader to travel to the Kremlin after the invasion and met with Putin for three hours, before flying to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a bid to mediate an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, two countries with long-standing political and cultural ties to Israel.

He gave me two great concessions, Bennett said of his meeting with Putin on March 5, 2022, shortly after Russia began its invasion.
THE STRUGGLE FOR A DECENT POLITICS: On Liberal as an Adjective Author: Michael Walzer

Publisher: Yale University Press Pages: 176 Yale University Press

Price: $30

We seem unable to live without the word liberalism, but cant agree on what it means. Does it describe an ideology  or something fuzzier? If the first, Alexis de Tocqueville in 1840, William Gladstone in 1880 and Franklin D Roosevelt in 1932 would have disagreed violently about what that programme was. One minimal definition, at least as it applies to liberal democracy, is that liberalism seeks to preserve political and economic liberty within a majoritarian framework. Liberals, in Isaiah Berlins language, care more about the negative principle of freedom from restraint than the positive one of forging a more just society.

$30

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Walzer does, in fact, strike a more personal note than usual. He tells us that he wrote The Struggle for a Decent Politics during the pandemic without access to his library. This is an un-bookish book filled with anecdotes from his life as an engage intellectual, a long-time editor of the leftist magazine Dissent, a signer of statements and joiner of marches. The personal narrative helps us locate the author in his own time: At 87, Walzer is much too young to have lived through the brutal sectarian wars of the 1940s and slightly too old for the euphoric and utopian politics of the 1960s. He reached maturity in a calm interval; perhaps his extreme fair-mindedness and gentlemanly calm is generational as well as personal.

If thats so, then a figure like the political philosopher Michael Walzer, a socialist committed to a deep transformation of American society, cannot rightly be called a liberal. But in his new book, Walzer has concluded, as he says in the subtitle, that liberal operates not as a noun  a doctrine  but as an adjective, describing a state of mind common to people who think of themselves as liberals: Open-minded, generous and tolerant.



Thats the idea, anyway, but we live in a world in which the illiberal right  and increasingly the left  no longer accept difference as legitimate. Walzers greatest contribution to the literature of liberalism-in-peril is his acute sensitivity to the tension between liberalism and the urgent demand for change from socialists, feminists and others.

The task Walzer sets himself here is to apply the liberal adjective to the doctrines he has been enmeshed with for the last 60 years: Socialism, nationalism, feminism, communitarianism and so on. He explores the restraints that the liberal outlook imposes on these programmes; his overarching goal is to demonstrate that those restraints do not impede, and in fact ultimately enable, the achievement of the supreme goods of justice, equality, liberty and democracy itself. In the era of kings and tyrants, Walzer notes, losers in the struggle for power were typically exiled or killed; the acceptance of political difference in liberal democracies, allowing the losers to go home and try again later, serves as a mechanism of disaster avoidance. A liberal politics contains difference.



One of the strongest pieces of evidence that liberalism is a set of moral habits rather than a political programme is that its greatest exponents, like Berlin or John Stuart Mill or Benjamin Constant, conduct their arguments with a sense of fairness, an openness to being wrong, an insistence on the scalpel rather than the blunderbuss. So, too, Walzer. In writing about liberal feminism, for example, he notes that he had once regarded attacks on the patriarchal family as misguided; change the society, he thought, and then the family will change too. Then, he writes, he listened to his feminist colleagues and concluded that the subordination of women begins in castles and homes and then extends to the larger society. That is undogmatic liberalism in miniature.

Walzer refuses to accept that liberal is a euphemism for not radical. A liberal socialist, he argues, is not a socialist who has given up on the process of transformation, but rather one who will not accept cruelty and repression as the price to be paid for that transformation. A liberal does not say, as a Leninist would, that we must be prepared to sacrifice this generation for the good of the next. Of course, Walzer writes, real social change requires discipline and even suffering, but these must be voluntary rather than imposed. Liberals insist on a decent politics.



I remain unconvinced by some of Walzers claims. He deprecates calls for participatory democracy as a modern version of Rousseaus deeply illiberal civic republicanism, in which citizens sacrifice their private lives to become full-time participants in public life; that is not at all what its advocates have in mind. And I still wonder if you can be a liberal radical. A temperamental fair-mindedness and a willingness to accept the verdict of majorities with whom one disagrees tend to set one adrift from radical confederates.

But Walzer listened so much and no further, for this feminist claim, he goes on to note, collides with the multicultural respect for difference. These conflicting goods have to be adjudicated in a way that would vex many feminists as well as hard multiculturalists. We must, Walzer writes, distinguish among different degrees of misogyny and different types of state intervention. A liberal feminism would not restrict the right of a Muslim woman to wear a head scarf, as France does; it might, though, prevent her from wearing a face-covering burqa in a setting where she needed to be seen and heard, like school. Making fine distinctions is itself a hallmark of Walzers liberalism.

2023 The New York Times News Service


The Delhi municipal House is set to convene on Monday to elect a mayor for the city after failing to complete the poll in two previous attempts.

As per the DMC Act 1957, the mayor and the deputy mayor are to elected in the very first House that convenes after the civic polls. However, it's been two months since the municipal elections were held, and Delhi is still to get a mayor.

The first two sessions -- held on January 6 and January 24 -- were adjourned by the presiding pfficer without electing a mayor following a ruckus and acrimonious exchanges among the members of the BJP and the AAP.

While the first session of the 250-member House after the December 4 poll went fully in vain, in the second session, the nominated members followed by elected members took oath.

After the oath-taking exercise, the second municipal House was adjourned till the next date by Presiding Officer and BJP councillor Satya Sharma.

While BJP members had walked out of chamber shouting anti-AAP and anti-Arvind Kejriwal slogans, the AAP members held a peaceful protest in the House for nearly five hours.

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Before dispersing from the Civic Centre, senior leaders of AAP, including Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh told reporters after emerging from the House that by "not allowing" the mayoral election to take place, the BJP was "strangulating democracy" and "starting a dangerous tradition".

AAP leader and party MLA Atishi had appealed to Lt Governor V K Saxena to ensure the election for mayor, deputy mayor and six members of the standing committee are held at the earliest.

Later, AAP's mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi had moved Supreme Court on the delay in holding the mayoral election.

Now, the third session of the House is slated for Monday to elect a mayor.

The civic polls were held on December 4 and the counting of votes took place on December 7.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had emerged as a clear winner in the polls, bagging 134 wards and ending the BJP's 15-year rule in the civic body.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 104 wards to finish second, while the Congress won nine seats in the 250-member municipal House which will convene on February 6 for the third time after the 2022 civic polls. BJP's mayoral candidate is Rekha Gupta.

The nominees for the post of deputy mayor are -- Aaley Mohammad Iqbal (AAP) and Kamal Bagri (BJP).

Besides mayor and deputy mayor, six members of the MCD's standing committee are also slated to be elected during the municipal House.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had come into being in April 1958 and its mayor wielded influence and carried a huge prestige till 2012 when the corporation was spilt into three separate civic bodies, each having its own mayor.

But, in 2022, the Centre brought a legislation to unify the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (104 wards), South Delhi Municipal Corporation (104 wards) and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (64 wards) into a single entity, though it had capped the total number of wards at 250, down from 272 wards earlier.

Thus, after the mayoral poll, Delhi will get a mayor for the city as a whole after a gap of 10 years.

This was also the first municipal elections after the redrawing of the wards, the exercise being necessitated after the unification.

The post of mayor in Delhi sees five single-year terms on a rotation basis, with the first year being reserved for women, the second for open category, third for reserved category, and the remaining two also being in the open category.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement to a grant of Rs 5,300 crore for the 'Upper Bhadra' irrigation project in Karnataka has stirred up a fresh controversy over Mhadei diversion issue in Goa.

Opposition in the coastal state has alleged that the particular announcement furthers the cause of (Karnataka) stealing water from neighbouring states and also BJP eyeing to win maximum seats in Karnataka during the Lok Sabha election.

BJP had also invited wrath from the politicians and people from all walks of life after Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a rally in Belagavi on January 28 had said: "Sonia Gandhi during a speech in Goa in 2007 had said that the Congress government will not allow Mhadei water diversion to Karnataka. In 2022, Congress in their manifesto stated that Karnataka will not get a single drop of water from Mhadei. Today, I am here to tell you that the BJP at the Centre has resolved the long dispute between Goa and Karnataka over Mhadei and allowed the diversion of Mhadei to Karnataka to satisfy the thirst of farmers of many districts."

Referring to these remarks, Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai had said, "Amit Shah's remarks on Mhadei diversion is like a 'bomb explosion' on the people of the state."

The Opposition in Goa has been attacking the BJP government since the Central Water Commission granted permission for the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Karnataka for the disputed Kalasa-Bhanduri dam.

Criticising the Central government's announcement in the Budget 2023-24 of Rs 5,300 crore assistance to Karnataka for irrigation purposes, Sardesai has said "it furthers the cause of (Karnataka) stealing water from neighbouring states".

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"Presenting the budget, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced a grant of Rs 5,300 crore for the 'Upper Bhadra' irrigation project in Karnataka. Such financial outlays made for the state are furthering the cause of Karnataka stealing water from neighbouring states including from Krishna basin and Mhadei basin and using it for sugarcane production. I condemn this... it is a gimmick to garner votes," Sardesai, former deputy Chief Minister of Goa, said, referring to the upcoming Assembly elections in the neighbouring state.

"This was done to win (Lok Sabha) seats in Karnataka. The BJP will suffer in Goa for this attitude," he added.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Goa, Manickam Tagore, in his first press conference in the coastal state lambasted on BJP and RSS over the Mhadei issue.

"The BJP and the RSS are playing with sentiments of Goa and Karnataka (on the Mhadei issue). Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should show courage to condemn remarks of Union Home Minister Amit Shah," he said.

"The BJP and the RSS are not sensitive towards Goa's rights, for them what is important is to win elections. They are playing politics with Karnataka and Goa," Tagore asserted.

"Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should show courage to condemn remarks of Amit Shah, who has taken away the rights of people. Congress stands for Goa's welfare and will be with the people. We will fight for the rights of the people," he said.

"Congress has never created rifts between states. We have always dealt with such issues on an emotional level. The BJP is doing this (creating rifts) to increase their seats in Karnataka during the Lok Sabha elections. They are in a panic situation because they are losing seats there," the Congress leader said.

Former Chief of RSS' Goa unit Subhash Velingkar has also criticised the BJP government on the issue.

He said that the remarks of Shah about the Mhadei dispute "is a fact" and the state government "is fooling people over the issue".

"Amit Shah cannot lie. The Goa government is involved in it. The person who is on a responsible chair will not make irresponsible statements. Hence, whatever Amit Shah has said is serious and true," Velingkar said

"Amit Shah has said the truth. The Goa BJP government is a traditional liar. They want to fool the people," he added.

While Goa's Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral has condemned the statement of the Union Home Minister over the Mhadei diversion issue, many of the cabinet ministers and national leaders of the BJP are reluctant to comment on it.

"I condemn the statement made by Home Minister Amit Shah. First of all, when we met him (on January 11), this particular thing (resolving a dispute) was not discussed. We had requested that permission granted by CWC should be withdrawn. We never discussed giving our consent to DPR," Cabral said.

"I don't know how Amit Shah has made this statement when we have not discussed it. Even the Chief Minister never discussed it. I condemn the statement tooth and nail. We are against diverting water out of the Mhadei basin," Cabral said.

However, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav during his visit to Goa on Saturday said that he will study the matter of Mhadei diversion and only then he will comment on it.

Surprisingly, Goa's former Water Resources Minister and BJP leader Dayanand Mandrekar has raised strong objections to the Mhadei diversion issue and has compared the neighbouring state to 'Duryodhan', who had refused to give even a tip of land to his brothers.

"When I was a Minister for five years, we fought to protect the Mhadei river. Many people who were concerned about the issue used to meet me. At that time such 'Dadagiri' (intimidating behaviour of Karnataka) was not there," he said.

Goa and Karnataka are currently battling a dispute over the 'Kalasa-Bhanduri' dam project across the water of the 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 the northern region.

--IANS

sbk/sha
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday said students of agriculture must work for the development of the sector instead of running after jobs.

The governor was addressing students via video-conferencing at the 37th convocation ceremony of Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Agriculture University.

Agriculture students should work for the country's agricultural development instead of just running after jobs, Koshyari said.

"Agriculture education will never go in vain because agriculture is the biggest sector in the country. When all businesses came to a halt during the coronavirus pandemic, the agriculture sector never stopped," the governor said.

Scientists of the university must take their research directly to the farmers, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, vice-chancellor Dr Sharad Gadakh said in the future, one village from each district in the university's jurisdiction will be developed as a model village and agriculture and other development activities will be implemented there.

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A total of 4,327 students along with 30 PHD holders, 23 post-graduate and 1,922 students of graduate courses were part of the convocation ceremony.
Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar was appointed as judge of the Supreme Court on Saturday. (Photo by arrangement)

HYDERABAD: The legal fraternity here expressed happiness at the elevation of Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar as judge of the Supreme Court on Saturday. Laywers recalled that Justice Kumar was a man of many virtues and was always down to earth.

Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar was born on August 14, 1963 at Hyderabad, did his schooling in St Pauls School at Himayatnagar and graduated in commerce from Nizam College. Thereafter, he secured a law degree from Delhi University in 1988 and enrolled as a member of the Bar Council of undivided Andhra Pradesh in August 1988.

He had served as a government pleader in the undivided Andhra Pradesh High Court from 2000-03 and was elevated as judge of the AP High Court in 2008. He was made a permanent High Court judge in 2010. Following bifurcation, Justice Kumar served as a judge of the Telangana High Court.

In October 2019, he was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and later to the Manipur High Court as Chief Justice. His father, late P. Ramachandra Reddy, was a former Advocate General of Andhra Pradesh from 1969 to 1982.

Reacting to the announcement, N. Sridhar Reddy, senior advocate and former government pleader, told Deccan Chronicle, "The day has come when the flag of the Telangana High Court will fly high at the Supreme Court. He is well versed in all branches of law and deserved it."

Sridhar Reddy said that Justice Kumar had won the respect of and accolades from the legal fraternity for his courteous behaviour and conscientious work as a judge in the Telangana High Court. Justice Kumar maintained cordial relations with the Bar and advocates, he said.

"That affection for him gave rise to the unprecedented protests by the bar associations of Telangana and AP, opposing his transfer when he was senior-most judge, to the Punjab and Haryana High Court where he would be 13th in seniority. It is to be recalled that during his farewell day at the Telangana High Court, Justice Sanjay Kumar had said that he would hold the Telangana High Court flag wherever he worked. Now that the day has come," Sridhar Reddy said.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, S. Sreedhar, practising advocate of the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh High Courts, said he felt very happy on coming to know about the elevation of Justice Sanjay Kumar to the Supreme Court. "I have known him from his days as a practicing lawyer. What I observed about him was his dedication to his profession and his upright approach," Sreedhar said.

"Even after his elevation as a judge of the High Court he maintained the same attitude. He was very strict in court etiquette and always used to urge counsel to maintain decorum at any cost. He never showed any parity between seniors and juniors. He used to receive both of them equally," Sreedhar said, adding, "The legal fraternity of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh feel proud upon his elevation as judge of the Supreme Court."
Expressing concern over the law and order situation in Odisha, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said the state government has no clue why an on-duty policeman shot dead health minister Naba Kishore Das.

Talking to reporters, Pradhan said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who also holds the Home portfolio, has not spoken publicly on the killing of the influential minister other than condoling his death.

"No one has a clue why an on-duty policeman shot dead a minister from point blank range with a gun provided by the government. And one week after the incident, the DG is saying 'we have hope in Jagannath'. It shows the law and order situation of the state," he said.

Das, 60, breathed his last on January 29 evening, hours after he was shot by the policeman at Gandhi Chhak in Brajrajnagar area of Jharsuguda district, where he had gone to attend an event.

"There is no clarity on the role of the retired high court judge who has been assigned to monitor the investigation. The retired judge has not been appointed in accordance with the Commission of Inquiry Act, instead the Odisha government wrote to the registrar of the high court, following which he was given the responsibility," said Pradhan, the Union Education Minister.

The high court suggested the state government to engage Justice (Retd) JP Das to supervise and monitor the probe in the matter. The state government announced an inquiry by the crime branch immediately after the murder.

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Pradhan also attacked the government over the allegations of rape against Tirtol BJD MLA Bijay Shankar Das, stating that the high court had to intervene for the police to register the case.

He also hit out at the BJD government over the attack on a sub-collector and his driver in Balasore district allegedly by sand mafias.

"All these incidents prove what kind of government is this. It also proves that law enforcement agencies are not doing their basic duties," he claimed.

Discarding the allegation, senior BJD MLA Shashi Bhushan Behera said the state government was taking steps to maintain law and order situation in the state.

"In all these incidents, the state government is taking steps. The government has never neglected any investigation. Only the opposition can say why it is not satisfied," said Behera, the former finance minister.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday in Nadaun said that the first budget of his government will be "people-centric" and the change will be for all to see in a year.

The government was maintaining financial discipline considering the overall fiscal position of the state and few stringent decisions will have to be taken to bring it back on track, he said.

"Wait for one year, you will find change in the system," Sukhu said addressing people in his home constituency, which he reached five hours ahead of the schedule.

The Chief Minister said the government was committed to work for the welfare of every last man in the state.

He assured the people that there won't be a dearth of funds for the construction of Dr Radhakrishnan Medical College in Hamirpur and it will be equipped with the latest technology to become the model health institution from the state.

The government will open a nursing college in the premises of the medical college, he added.

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Earlier in the day, Sukhu also announced that the Salauni to Deotsidh road will be made double-lane.

He also warned the drug and mining mafias in the state and indicated that a crackdown against them may be in works.

He said the government will ensure that the youths from the state are not cheated in the name of jobs.

The suspension of the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission was a first step in the direction, he added.

Earlier, accompanied by his wife Kamlesh Kumari, he prayed at the Baba Balak Nath temple here and also took part in a havan.

The temple trust led by Deputy Commissioner Debasweta Banik handed over a replica of Baba Balak Nath in the shape of a memento to the Chief Minister, a release issued here said on Sunday.

"I announce to double line the main road from Salauni to Deotsidh," He also announced making a policy soon to regularise the employees working in the trust for 27 years.
Five families were shifted to a school building after their houses developed cracks following an expansion work on a highway in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district.

A resident told reporters that the cracks were developed after cutting activity was carried out by a construction company on the highway as a result of which the hill began to slide down in the Basti area.

It also slid down due to rain, he said.

The station house officer (SHO) and tehsildar evacuated the families and shifted them to a school.

The residents have sought action against the construction company, blaming them for making the area housing 20 to 25 houses insecure.
A G20 meeting in Patna which was earlier slated to take place early March has now been planned to be held in June, according to a senior official.

India assumed the presidency of the influential bloc on December 1. Over 200 meetings are planned to be hosted at 55 locations across the country.

"A meeting of G20 was earlier scheduled to be held in the first week of March. But, the date has now been changed, and it is planned to be held sometime in June," a senior official of the Bihar government told PTI.

The G20 meeting in Patna is to be held on the labour track, and several delegates are expected to take part in it.

Meanwhile, various state government departments and district administration are gearing up for the key event in the Bihar capital, sources said.

The venue for the meeting in Patna has not been decided yet, they said.

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The Bihar art and culture department has been made the nodal agency for the G20 event, and plans are afoot to give the delegates a pleasant experience during their visit to Patna.

"We plan to take the delegates to the old Patna Museum and the modern Bihar Museum for cultural visits, besides the main event. If they wish to go to Nalanda or some other historic sites, we will keep that in consideration too while planning," the official said.

Patna is a historic city that sits on the site of the ancient Pataliputra, the capital of the Mauryan Empire.

From big metros to smaller cities, including those rich in history and scenic beauty such as Hampi and Khajuraho, India has planned to host the G20 meetings at these 55 locations across the country during its year-long presidency.

Top officials of the tourism ministry have said that the idea behind choosing historic cities, among other places, to host meetings is to put a spotlight on heritage sites.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday visited the Thakur Anukul Chandra Ashram in Jharkhand's Deoghar district.

Shah visited the ashram in Deoghar and stayed there for 20 minutes, an ashram official said.

"Had the good fortune to visit Sree Sree Thakur Anukulchandra Ji's Satsang Ashram in Deoghar today. Anukulchandra Ji was not only a philosopher but also a physician, his life was devoted to the welfare of the poor," Shah said in a Twitter post.

An office bearer of the ashram, Prasant Sahoo told PTI, "The Home minister offered his prayer to Sree Sree Thakur and Sree Sree Boroma. He also had a discussion with Aacharyadev Arkadyuti Chakravarty alias Babai Da. He left Ashram at 10.05 am.

After visiting the ashram the Home minister left for Delhi.

On Saturday evening, Shah held a meeting with members of the BJP core committee in the state in a bid to chalk out a strategy for Rajmahal Lok Sabha seat.

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Shah during his public rally in Deoghar on Saturday appealed to people to send a 'Kamal' (lotus) to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Rajmahal constituency in 2024 elections.

BJP had won 12 Lok Sabha seats out of 14 in Jharkhand in 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The party lost two seatsSinghbhum and Rajmahal to Congress and JMM respectively. The saffron party has given special attention to the two seats for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, a party official said.

A party insider said that Shah directed to form booth committees by February 25 with mantra of "Har Booth, 50 Youth" (50 youths in every booth). Shah would also hold meeting for six assembly seats falling under Rajmahal Lok Sabha seat, he said.

On Saturday evening, Shah had also interacted with students of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyapeeth in Deoghar on the occasion of its centenary celebration.

"In order to fulfil the goals set for us by Swamiji in India's education system, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formulated the New Education Policy, which will help us take pride in our language, culture and history, but also help acquire the modern knowledge of the world," he said.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in a "special gesture" briefly joined a meeting here between India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his UK counterpart Tim Barrow and assured his government's full support to deepen bilateral strategic partnership in sectors like trade and defence.

Doval and Barrow met at the UK Cabinet Office, a department responsible for supporting the prime minister.

"A special gesture by PM @rishisunak to join for a while India-UK dialogue between Sir Tim Barrow & Mr Doval at @cabinetofficeuk," the Indian High Commission tweeted on Saturday.

"Deeply value PM's assurance of his Govts full support to deepen strategic partnership in trade, defence, S&T. Look forward to the visit of Sir Tim to India soon," it added.

Doval's trip to London follows his visit to the US where he met America's National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday.
With recovery in international tourism, Kenya is expecting the tourist footfalls from India to cross the pre-pandemic level this year, Kenya Tourism Board has said.

"India is important for us as it is the fifth largest source market in terms of footfalls as well as spending," Kenya Tourism Board acting director - market development, Fiona Ngesa told PTI here.

In 2019, Kenya had hosted 1.22 lakh tourists from India and over 20 lakh overall international travellers, she said adding in 2020, there was a standstill due to the pandemic but thereafter from 2021 there has been a steady rise in visitors footfalls.

In 2021, Kenya hosted 40,000 visitors from India followed by 83,000 in 2022, she said.

"There is a steady increase in footfalls from India and this year we expect the visitor numbers to cross the pre-pandemic level. We are targeting 100 lakh footfalls of overall international travellers by 2027," she added.

The African country's top source markets are North America, Uganda, Tanzania, the UK and India.

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"We are stepping up our marketing activities through road shows in India - Ahmedabad, Bangalore and New Delhi - besides participating in a 3-day Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) in Mumbai," she said.

When asked about the behaviour among tourists after the pandemic, Ngesa said travellers' spending has increased from USD 700 per person to USD 1,600 per person.

"Travellers are now looking for sustainable tourism and connecting with the local communities to experience culture and cuisine. They are spending on adventure and experiential tourism," she stated.

Meanwhile, Kenya, whose target audience is the mid-segment, is focusing on tapping the meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) segment in India. Kenya has convention centres not only in Nairobi, but also in remote areas of the country, giving businesses a wide choice, she said.

"Visitors from India enjoy our safaris and wildlife, but now we want to showcase that we have much more to offer including tranquil and adventure coastline, landscapes all round the year. We are mainly targeting Free independent travellers (FITs), MICE and families," Ngesa said.

Kenya is also planning to collaborate with film production houses to showcase the African nation in their projects to attract travellers attention, she added.

Currently Kenya Airways operates 14 direct flights every week connecting Mumbai and Nairobi.

Besides, Kenya Airways African nation is also connected with India through many other one stop and direct flights, Ngesa added.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said lack of dignity for labour was one of the main reasons behind unemployment in the country, as he urged people to respect all kinds of work irrespective of their nature and asked them to stop running after jobs.

He said that no society in the world can create more than 30 per cent jobs.

"No matter what kind of work people do, it should be respected. Lack of dignity for labour is one of the chief reasons behind unemployment in the society. Whether the work requires physical labour or intellect, whether it requires hard work or soft skills - all should be respected," he said during a public function here. "Everyone runs behind jobs. Government jobs are only around 10 per cent, while other jobs are around 20 per cent. No society in the world can create more than 30 per cent jobs," he said, adding that work that requires hand labour is still not respected. Giving an example, he said a man engaged in washing cups and utensils set up a paan stall with a small corpus of funds. "The paan shop owner went on to generate a wealth of around Rs 28 lakh...But despite that (such examples), our youth keep applying (for jobs) without getting any reply (from the employer)," Bhagwat said. There are many farmers in the country who struggle to get married despite earning very good income through agriculture, he said. The situation in the world is favourable for the country to become 'vishwaguru' (world's mentor). There is no shortage of skill sets in the country, he said, adding, "But we are not going to be like other countries after gaining prominence in the world." "Before the Islamic invasion in the country, other invaders did not disturb our lifestyle, our traditions and our schools of thought. But they (Islamic invaders) had a logical argument. First they defeated us using their might and then suppressed us psychologically," he said. Due to selfishness, we paved the way for invaders to attack us. Selfishness prevailed in our society and we stopped giving importance to other people and their work, Bhagwat said. The untouchability that was prevalent in the society was opposed by seers and renowned people like Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, he added.

"Disturbed by untouchability, Dr Ambedkar quit the Hindu dharma. But he did not embrace any other unwarranted religion and chose the path as shown by Gautam Buddha. His teachings are also very much ingrained in Bharat's line of thinking," the RSS chief said.
BJP leader Prakash Javadekar on Sunday denied the allegations raised by opposition parties, including the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, that non-BJP states were discriminated against in fund allocation, and said critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were "weaving a dismal picture".

He said even though the country has "achieved remarkable progress" in all vital sectors, the Congress and Communists were making "concerted efforts to project India as a loser".

Speaking at the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2023), Javadekar accused the critics of Prime Minister Modi of spreading a false narrative on India's democracy and federalism.

"Those who are peddling in falsehood should remember that lies have no life. You can tell lies, once, twice or thrice. But a lie has no life," Javadekar said.

He said India is a vibrant democracy and all the fundamentals of the system are strong and safe.

"We believe in the prosperity of all. We love and respect each other. Citizens are not discriminated against based on religion... Even as the country has achieved remarkable progress in all vital sectors, including economy, after the BJP came to power in 2014, the Congress and Communists are making concerted efforts to project India as a loser," he said.

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Javadekar said India, which was the 10th largest economy in 2014, is now the fifth biggest in the world.

The former Union minister said there was "no basis whatsoever in the allegation that federalism has come under severe stress and non-BJP states are being discriminated against in devolution of funds".

"The 'Modi critics' are weaving a dismal picture. I don't know what they will do after the 2024 (Lok Sabha) elections. Some have even gone to the extent of suggesting a constitutional amendment to set a single term for the Prime Minister's post. Did they say this during the days of Jawaharlal Nehru or Indira Gandhi?" the BJP leader asked.
Senior Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao on Saturday slammed the central government, saying that Narendra Modi is privatizing all public sectors because he wants to help "big people".

"NDA government came into power but not thinking about the below poverty line and poorer section of this society. They are encouraging big companies like Mukesh Ambani, and Adani and are helping them. Public sector companies were founded after the country's independence and started by Jawaharlal Nehru like ECIL, BHEL and other factories including steel factories. Now after Narendra Modi came to power they are privatizing all public sectors as he wants to help big people. He is not thinking about oppressed people," Rao said while speaking to ANI.

Rao further said that the shareholders are coming down and people are asking in Parliament to put a Joint Parliamentary Committee and urge the Chief Justice to enquire about it.

Hitting out at the government over privatising the Vishakhapatnam steel plant, Rao said, "More than 20 lakh people can get jobs there (steel plant). Vishakhapatnam steel plant should not go to Adani. It should be taken back to the government. Every political party should fight and get back the Vishakhapatnam steel plant to the Government. Adani will not give any reservations in the factory. Finally, they will sell all the land and run away to Gujarat. I am also going to Vishakhapatnam after the 15th. I will meet all the political parties.
Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, speaking to reporters in Nellore, claimed that he went to corporator Vijayabhaskar's house to talk to him. For that, a kidnapping case has been filed against him. (DC)

TIRUPATI: Vedayapalem police have charged Nellore (Rural) MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy and two others with alleged kidnapping of a ruling YSRC corporator and attempting to compel him into resigning from the party.

According to sources, police booked the case on Friday night under crime number 30/2023 under sections 448, 363 read with 34 of the IPC, for trespassing into home and kidnapping M. Vijayabhaskar Reddy, the 22nd Division corporator of Nellore city, with criminal intent.

The ruling party corporator, in his complaint, said Kotamreddy tried to persuade him to leave YSRC and join him. When he refused, the corporator alleged, one of the MLA's followers, along with driver Ankaiah, intimidated and abducted him from Padarupalli area on Friday between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. and took him to the MLA. The corporator stated that he, however, managed to flee and filed a case against the MLA at Vedayapalem police station.

"Kotamreddy, one of his followers M. Murali Krishna Yadav and driver Ankaiah had come to my residence. Driver Ankaiah entered my house and told me to meet the MLA waiting in the car outside. Observing the situation, I called the local police for rescuing me. When they arrived in a few minutes at my residence, the legislator left the place. As I had decided to stay with YSRC, I have been receiving threats from the MLA," corporator Vijayabhaskar told reporters on Saturday.

However, Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, speaking to reporters in Nellore, claimed that he went to corporator Vijayabhaskar's house to talk to him. For that, a kidnapping case has been filed against him. He said that he is not scared of such threats, regardless of the number of cases that may be filed against him.

Meanwhile, an audio tape of a phone call between MLA Kotamreddy and one Borugadda Anil has gone viral on social media. In the audio, Anil warns the MLA to be careful in his public speeches regarding YSRC chief. Anil is heard threatening the MLA that he (Sridhar Reddy) and his brother would be chained to a vehicle and dragged through the streets of Nellore if they continue to criticise the CM and YSRC party leaders.


The Greenfield helicopter factory, spread across 615 acres of land, is planned with a vision to become a one-stop solution for all helicopter requirements of the country. It is Indias largest helicopter manufacturing facility and will initially produce Light Utility Helicopters (LUHs), stated the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Saturday. In 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Hindustan Aeronautics Limiteds (HALs) new helicopter manufacturing facility in Tumakuru, Karnataka. On Monday, Modi will dedicate the factory to the nation.



Initially, this factory will produce around 30 helicopters per year and can be enhanced to 60 and then 90 per year in a phased manner. The first LUH has been flight-tested and is ready for unveiling, said the MoD. The LUH is an indigenously designed, three-tonne, single-engine, multipurpose, utility helicopter.



The factory will be augmented to produce other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) and Indian Multirole Helicopters (IMRHs). It will also be used for maintenance, repair and overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and IMRH (Indian Multi-Role Helicopter) in the future. Potential exports of [a civil version of the LUH] will also be catered to from this factory, said the MoD. In fact, HALs ambition for the Tumakuru plant extends well beyond the LUH to an entire ecosystem of home-grown light helicopters.

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Besides generating employment, the Tumakuru facility will boost the development of surrounding areas through its CSR activities, says the MoD. HAL plans to build more than 1,000 helicopters in the range of 3-15 tonnes, generating business of over Rs 4,00,000 crores over the coming two decades.



While only a dozen LUHs are presently cleared for purchase, the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the army will need 400 light utility helicopters to replace their obsolescent Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. Towards this, New Delhi and Moscow signed an inter-government agreement (IGA) in 2015 to jointly build 200 Kamov-226T light helicopters. Meanwhile, HAL will build and supply 200 LUHs. With facilities like a heli-runway, flight hangar, final assembly hangar, structural assembly hangar, Air Traffic Control and various supporting service facilities, the Tumakuru factory is fully operational. The MoD says it will enable India to design, develop and manufacture its entire requirement of helicopters indigenously, boosting the Prime Ministers vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).



Another helicopter success story came on October 3, 2022, when the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), named Prachanda, was cleared to enter service. The Union Cabinet has approved the procurement of 15 LCHs for Rs 3,887 crore, or about Rs 260 crore each. Beyond this preliminary order, the MoD has projected a requirement for 162 LCHs: 65 for the IAF and 97 for the army. This will bring HAL an income stream of over ~ Rs 42,120 crore. However, India and Russia have sharp disagreements over work-share issues in building the Kamov-226T. If those are not resolved, HAL could end up building all 400 LUHs the military requires. The LUH could also capture sizable export orders.



Since the early-2000s, when HAL began assembling the Sukhoi-30MKI in Nashik, most of its income has come from fighter aircraft. With the Sukhoi-30s delivered, the MoD cleared a ~ Rs 46,898 crore order, in March 2020, for 83 Tejas Mark-1A fighters. Such orders are set to increase the share of helicopters in HALs revenue stream. HALs record revenue, which exceeded ~ Rs 24,000 crore last year, came from the production of 44 helicopters/aircraft, 84 new engines, and the overhauling of 203 aircraft/helicopters and 478 engines.

The Shakti success story

HALs helicopter successes -- the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH); the Dhruv advanced light helicopter (ALH), the Rudra attack helicopter and the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)  all have a common feature: the remarkable Indo-French Shakti engine, which is powerful enough to propel a helicopter to the dizzying heights of the Saltoro Ridge above the Siachen Glacier, where the Indian Army is deployed in posts like Sonam and Bana Top, at altitudes above 20,000 feet.



For the soldiers at these posts, a helicopters arrival could spell the difference between freezing or warmth; casualty evacuation or pulmonary failure  effectively between life or death. Infantrymen at those oxygen-deprived altitudes cannot carry heavy weaponry for long distances. However, a high-altitude attack helicopter can provide them with fire support, using its onboard, 20-millimetre turret gun, 70-millimetre rockets, air-to-air missiles and anti-tank guided missiles.



On July 8, 2022, HAL and Safran created a new joint venture that will develop helicopter engines for Indias future needs.

To enable its light helicopters to operate at those altitudes, HAL and Safran Helicopter Engines together developed the Shakti engine, which powers HALs Dhruv, Rudra and Prachanda helicopters. The Ardiden 1U variant of the Shakti powers the new LUH. HAL says more than 500 Shakti engines have already been produced.
In a momentous order, the SC noted the gaps in the death penalty sentencing framework and sought to address these areas of concern through a Constitution Bench aimed at establishing the components of a real, meaningful, and effective capital sentencing hearing.

Year 2022 represents a significant shift in death penalty adjudication, with the Supreme Court (SC) recognising the need to reconsider the capital sentencing framework for the first time since it was enacted in the Bachan Singh versus State of Punjab in 1980.
The Telangana cabinet on Sunday approved the state budget for the fiscal year 2023-24, which is likely to be presented on February 6.

According to official sources, the Cabinet met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of Rao here before he left for BRS party meeting at Nanded in Maharashtra.

The Assembly session began on February 3 with Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan's address in a joint session of Legislative Assembly and Council.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday condoled the passing away of Pakistan's former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, saying that "once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace" between 2002 and 2007.

Tharoor's social media post condoling Musharraf's demise evoked a sharp response from the BJP which accused the Congress of "Pakistan parasti (worshipping)".

Musharraf passed away on Sunday in a Dubai hospital, according to media reports.

"'Pervez Musharraf, Former Pakistani President, Dies of Rare Disease': once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace 2002-2007," Tharoor said in a tweet.

"I met him annually in those days at the @un &found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP," the former minister of state for external affairs said.

Tagging Tharoor's tweets, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "Pervez Musharraf architect of Kargil, dictator, accused of heinous crimes who considered Taliban & Osama as 'brothers' & 'heroes' who refused to even take back bodies of his own dead soldiers is being hailed by Congress! Are you surprised? Again, Congress ki pak parasti!"



"Once upon a time Musharraf had hailed Rahul Gandhi as a gentleman perhaps that endears Congress to Musharraf??" he said.

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"From 370 to Surgical Strike to doubting Balakote Congress echoed Pak line & hails Musharraf but called our own chief 'Sadak Ka Gunda'..This is Congress!!" Poonawalla said.

In another tweet, the BJP leader shared an old video of Musharraf talking about his son being invited by Rahul Gandhi and Musharraf's wife, brother and son being invited for a lunch by former prime minister Manmohan Singh when they were on a Delhi visit, during his tenure as the Pakistan president.

"Parvez Musharraf who had hailed Osama Bin Laden & Taliban had sung praises of Rahul Gandhi too - called him a gentleman and pledged his support to him!! Perhaps this is the reason why Shashi Tharoor is eulogising the architect of Kargil & a backer of terrorism!! Sigh," Poonawalla said in his tweet, tagging the video.

Musharraf, 79, was suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body, The Express Tribune reported.

Musharraf was born on August 11, 1943 in Delhi.

He assumed the post of Chief Executive after imposing martial law in the country in 1999 and served as the president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008.

In her condolence, former J-K chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said Musharraf was perhaps the only Pakistani general who genuinely tried to address the Kashmir issue.

"Deepest condolences. Perhaps the only Pakistani General who genuinely tried to address the Kashmir issue. He wanted a solution according to wishes of people of J&K & acceptable to India & Pak. Though GOI has reversed all CBMs initiated by him & Vajpayee ji, the ceasefire remains," Mufti tweeted.
In what may be a blessing in disguise for the opposition unity, a host of political parties, including a few regional ones, have thrown their weight behind the Congress to take on the BJP on the Hindenburg-Adani issue.

Keeping their differences aside, even the BRS and AAP attended the Opposition's meeting convened on Friday to work out a strategy to corner the government in Parliament.

Sixteen parties, including INC, DMK, SP, AAP, BRS, SS, RJD, JD(U), CPI(M), CPI, NCP, NC, IUML, KC (Jose Mani), KC (Thomas) and RSP attended the meeting in Leader of Opposition (LOP) Mallikarjun Kharge's chamber in Parliament building. However, the Trinamool Congress, which attended the meeting on Thursday, gave it a miss on Friday.

Hailing the Opposition unity, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said: "The Opposition parties are united in demanding a discussion of the impact on the economy and on the savings of ordinary Indians of the current stock-market crisis. Isn't this what Parliament is for? Why should the Govt stall discussion".

The opposition has demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe (JPC)in the Hindenberg research report on Adani Enterprises.

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Making the same demand, LoP Kharge had said, "We seek a JPC investigation on the issue and will raise the demand inside Parliament."

Though the opposition unity inside the Parliament has taken the BJP by surprise, the same camaraderie is missing outside the House. The entire opposition is reluctant to unite given the ideological differences the regional parties have with Congress. This was evident on the last day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra as only a few party representatives turned up in Srinagar.

Even former party president Rahul Gandhi has accepted that there are differences within the Congress but added the opposition camp is united against the "politics of hate of the RSS and the BJP".

Addressing a press conference here, he said "the Opposition is not allowed to raise the issues in Parliament and the media is not giving space to those issues".

Congress allies RJD and JD(U) too gave skipped the closing ceremony of the yatra blaming the inclement weather in Srinagar, but apparently, two blocks have surfaced in the opposition -- one led by Congress and other by K. Chandrasekhar Rao of BRS whose rally was attended by the SP, CPI(M), and the JD(S). However, the Trinamool Congress's hopes have dimmed, though it has leaped forward after winning Bengal polls.

Pinning hopes on Rahul Gandhi, former Defence Minister A.K. Antony had said that "with the Bharat Jodo Yatra ending in Kashmir a new Rahul has taken birth".

Antony made the observation at a party function and termed the Yatra "unique" in every sense.

"With the yatra coming to a close, I am seeing a new Rahul and this Yatra will come to a close only when the present BJP government is sent packing at the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The yatra has helped Rahul to see an India which has now realised that this is going to be his re-birth," said the former Defence Minister at a party event here.

"The aim of the Congress for the yatra was a unification of the democratic forces," added Antony, who was caught on the backfoot last week when his son Anil Antony slammed the BBC for the documentary on Narendra Modi.

Though the grand-old party is confident of Rahul emerging stronger, still some of the opposition parties are skeptical.

However, the party strategists feel that Rahul Gandhi has emerged as an "undisputed leader" in the opposition camp and the programme has helped his image makeover, though he again stressed the Yatra is for the people, and not for himself or his party.

During his around-3,970 km journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir which started on September 7, Gandhi traversed 12 states and two UTs and tried to touch the emotional chord of the people of the particular areas in that particular state.

He addressed 13 press conferences, held over 100 corner meetings, over 275 planned walking interactions, and more than 100 sittings.

"I did not do the Yatra for myself or Congress, the aim is to stand against an ideology that wants to destroy the foundation of the country," he asserted in Srinagar.

The show of opposition unity, however, was challenged by the BJP which stated that despite all the effort, the opposition did not come together "as no one accepted him".

In its defence, the Congress sources said over a dozen leaders from the opposition parties were scheduled to attend the rally, but couldn't make it because of the closure of Jammu-Srinagar national highway and the disruption of air traffic.

--IANS

miz/shb/
The Uttar Pradesh government has released 1,236 prisoners, who were poor, old and suffering from serious illnesses but had recorded good behaviour in the past one year.

The prisoners were released from different jails of the state before time between January 1, 2022 and January 31, 2023, said the spokesman for UP prison administration and reform services here on Saturday.

According to the government spokesman, at least 196 prisoners, sentenced to jail up to 10 years, were released before time under the 'Amrit Mahotsava' scheme.

He said the 'Amrit Mahotsava' scheme is for those prisoners who have been sentenced to a fixed term and have served at least their half term as well as their behaviour has been up to the mark according to the jail manual.

He said there is a provision to release such prisoners on August 15 2022, January 26, 2023 and August 15, 2023 during the 'Amrit Mahotsava'.

Besides, 1040 prisoners, who were awarded life terms, were released during the same period. Of them, 26 prisoners were released on 'Form A', one prisoner was released on nominal roll while 37 were released on mercy petitions as well as 976 were released under state permanent release policy.

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Under 'Form A', the prisoners awarded life team and have completed at least 14 years of term and fall under criteria of old, suffering from illness and have good behaviour, are released.

The old and seriously ill prisoners are released on nominal roll scheme while prisoners having good behaviour and have completed their at least 14 years of term could be released under state permanent release policy.

Besides, as many as 981 prisoners lodged in the UP jails are likely to be benefited after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the recent Union Budget to provide financial support to people who are unable to afford prison penalties and bail amounts.

Anand Kumar, Director General, UP Prison Administration and Reform Services, said, "As many as 810 prisoners lodged in the UP jails are waiting to get bail. They are behind bars because they did not find a person who can take bail guarantee.

Besides, there are 171 prisoners who do not have money to pay bail amount and are in prison even after completion of the punishment period."

--IANS

amita/dpb


Global media is speculating whether current challenges in the business sector will trip Indias ambitions to be a global economic force. Ive lived long enough to see us face earthquakes, droughts, recessions, wars, terror attacks. All I will say is: never, ever bet against India, said Chairman of Mahindra group, Anand Mahindra. Soon after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans statement that the Indian financial system is robust, corporate leaders said India's economic growth story will continue and no one should bet against the country.



India Inc leaders were reacting to the volatility in the Indian markets following an American short seller report on Adani group which resulted in the Adani group stocks losing over $100 billion of market valuation. Some of the stocks recovered on Friday. Uday Kotak, MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank said he does not see any systemic risk to the Indian financial system from recent events. However, large Indian corporates rely more on global sources for debt and equity finance. This creates challenges and vulnerabilities. Time to further strengthen Indian underwriting and capacity building, he tweeted.



During the weekend, the Reserve Bank of India and the market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, came out with separate statements saying that the financial markets are safe and well-regulated. Several banks including the State Bank of India, Axis Bank and Bank of Baroda said their exposure is within limits and do not see any challenges in servicing the loans. In an interview to Times Now, Sitharaman had said that regulators Sebi and RBI should always be on their toes to keep the equity market stable and indicated that the Adani stock rout following a Hindenburg report was a company specific issue. She said banks and insurance companies are not overexposed to any one company and assured that Indian markets are very well managed by its regulators.

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(With inputs from PTI)


The government is moving India away from a saving economy -- the old Income Tax (IT) regime loaded with tax deduction investments -- to a spending economy by luring people to a new IT regime that is sans any tax savings investments, said chartered accountants.

It is also being said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget 2023-24 proposal of taxing the maturity and surrender amount of non-ULIP policies (purchased after April 1, 2023, if the total premium paid by an individual under such polices is more than Rs 5 lakh in a year, is a step towards the new IT regime.

Presenting her budget on February 1, 2023, Sitharaman said the new IT regime will be the default one but those tax payers wanting to continue with the old one can still do so.

In order to enthuse IT payers to the new regime, Sitharaman increased the rebate limit to Rs 7 lakh from the earlier Rs 5 lakh.

In other words, people with an income up to Rs 7 lakh need not pay any IT. In addition, she also reduced the number of tax slabs, extended the Standard Deduction and reduced the highest surcharge rate.

"The government continues with dual tax rate slabs - Old and New. The Old tax slab regime which promoted savings by allowing tax deduction has now become an unwanted child of the government. A lot of concessions are given to the new child - the new IT regime leaving the old one destitute," S.Jaishankar, a chartered accountant, told IANS.

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"The government has expressly opined that it wants the tax payers to move away from the savings syndrome to consumption syndrome. Only with more consumption the gross domestic product (GDP) grows faster. All along the tax payers were investing in LIC not only for tax deduction but it was also giving financial security to meet the family needs like marriage, education. The government seems to tamper with this basic security," Jaishankar added.

Continuing, he said a government that wants the tax payers to move away from tax deduction mode, should also ensure that an income is not taxed at multiple levels.

Take company dividends for instance, the corporate pays around 27 per cent and the individual pays another 10 or 20 per cent, Jaishankar said.

Experts also pointed out that Indians pay goods and services tax (GST) on almost all the goods/services they consume and in addition there is IT.

"Today tax saving instruments are the ones that provide a sort of social security to individuals in India as the country doesn't have a proper social security net," P.S. Prabhakar, a practicing chartered accountant, told IANS.

The government can even abolish the IT for salaried class as the net revenue from this source after the staff salaries, pensions, will not be great, said a couple of commoners.

"Despite its advantages, the Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) introduced a few years back, it is still not popular. The government is also not serious about it. The investment in SGB is blocked for a minimum of 5 years. The government should have relaxed it to make it more popular. The gold smuggling economy is a parallel economy and thrives on jewel crazy Indians," Jaishankar added.

Queried about the dual tax regime Sitharaman said they would continue to exist.

On the view that the government is moving towards a consumption economy Sitharaman wondered why this narrative is being set up.

"The government's intent is clear - simplifying direct tax. The individuals can stay under the old regime. In the old regime, the tax rate is high and there were deductions. In the new regime, the tax rate is low. There is more money in the people's hands and they can decide where to invest to take care of the family needs," Sitharaman said.

According to her, the investment avenues are still available and the individuals can choose where to invest rather than being directed where to invest by the tax law.

Under the old tax regime, various tax deductions under Section 80 of the IT Act and other Sections were available.

Some of the tax saving measures were life insurance premium, fixed deposits, National Savings Certificate, ELSS, tuition fees for children, housing loan repayment, investment in Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme, contribution to pension fund of insurers, National Pension Scheme, Infrastructure Bonds, Health Insurance Premium and others.

Be that as it may, for people having an income of Rs 7 lakh the tax liability is nil from the next assessment year -- 2024-25. Others have to compute their tax liability under the old -- with tax saving measures -- and the new regime to see which one is advantageous for them.

The new tax rates under the new regime are:

Annual Income: IT Rate

Rs 0-3 lakh Nil

Rs 3-6 lakh 5 per cent

Rs 6-9 lakh 10 per cent

Rs 9-12 lakh 15 per cent

Rs 12-15 lakh 20 per cent

Above Rs 15 lakh 30 per cent

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in)

--IANS

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The Indian banking sector is happy with the Union Budget for 2023-24 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

For the banking sector which is seeing an increased credit offtake in the recent times, is expecting more business due to increased allocation for capital investment and also inflow of cash with the increase in rebate for tax payers under the Income Tax Act which is expected to bring them some low cost funds.

While that is for the bankers, Sitharaman too had announcements for the investors and banking public. She said to improve bank governance and enhance investors' protection, certain amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, the Banking Companies Act and the Reserve Bank of India Act are proposed.

However Sitharaman declined to elaborate on the proposed amendments when queried by the media as the Parliament session is on.

Be that as it may, Sitharaman said the capital investment outlay for FY24 is being increased steeply for the third year in a row by 33 per cent to Rs 10 lakh crore, which would be 3.3 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

"The direct capital investment by the Centre is complemented by the provision made for creation of capital assets through Grants-in-Aid to States. The Effective Capital Expenditure of the Centre is budgeted at Rs 13.7 lakh crore, which will be 4.5 per cent of the GDP," she said.

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Sitharaman added that the newly established Infrastructure Finance Secretariat will assist all stakeholders for more private investment in infrastructure, including railways, roads, urban infrastructure and power, which are predominantly dependent on public resources.

According to A.K. Goel, Chairman, Indian Banks Association (IBA) and Managing Director & CEO, Punjab National Bank, the increased capital expenditure could help in further increasing the demand for bank funds.

"Similarly, setting up of an Agriculture Accelerator Fund for encouraging innovative start-ups in rural areas would help banks to get more information on the agriculture sector, which is one of the main segments where the resources of banks are deployed. Besides, Rs 20 lakh crore in targeted agriculture credit from the banking sector will also help the agri sector immensely," Goel said.

The Finance Minister's announcement to infuse Rs 9,000 crore to revamp the Credit Guarantee Scheme will enable additional collateral-free guaranteed credit of Rs 2 lakh crore for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through the banking sector.

According to CARE Ratings the proposal to allow carry forward of losses on strategic disinvestment, including that of the IDBI Bank, will support the strategic initiatives of the government.

The announcement that the government and its undertakings to return 95 per cent of the forfeited amount relating to bid or performance security in cases of failure by MSMEs to execute contracts during the Covid period will increase the credit profile of the sector, CARE Ratings added.

Sitharaman's announcement on the establishment of a Urban Infrastructure Development Fund managed by the National Housing Bank (NHB) would support lending by banks and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) for infrastructure assets in tier-2/3 urban locations, according to CARE Ratings.

"In the area of green energy, the budget has provided for Rs 35,000 crore for priority capital investment towards energy transition and net zero objectives. There is also a proposal in the budget on green credit programme which will be notified under the Environmental Protection Act which envisages facilitating behavioural change for protecting the environment.

"This could intensify environmentally sustainable and responsive actions by companies, individuals and local bodies. Since banks are also focusing in sustainable financing, this proposal will also help the banks in their initiatives," Goel said.

Initiatives to promote business activities in GIFT IFSC and setting up of the National Financial Information registry are all positives for the banking sector too, Goel added.

According to CARE Ratings the proposal relating to normalisation of taxation on Market Linked Debentures (MLD) will adversely impact fundraising by NBFCs from high net worth individuals (HNI) and family office funds. The proposal is likely to impact bond capital markets at the margin.

The Finance Minister also said the financial sector regulators will be requested to carry out a review of existing regulations.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in)

--IANS

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Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao visits a gurudwara in Nanded before the party's first public meeting outside Telangana, in Maharashtra on Sunday. (Photo by arrangement)

NANDED: In his first public meeting outside Telangana state, BRS national president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday called upon the farmers to enter the electoral fray, asserting that if farmers, who made up more than 42 per cent of the country's population, unite, "we can form a formidable kisan sarkar."

Addressing the large public meeting in Nanded in Maharashtra on Sunday, which borders Telangana and has a sizeable population of Telugu-speaking people. he claimed that if the BRS came to power at the Centre, it would guarantee two years of uninterrupted, high-quality power supply to every part of the nation, and that only a "kisan sarkar" could guarantee irrigation water to every acre and drinking water to every household in the nation.

He told the gathering that the number of people in the agriculture sector rises to 50 per cent of the countrys population when farm labour is taken into consideration, and urged them to set aside caste and religion and fight together for victory in the upcoming elections. Nearly 7,000 people attended the meeting in a small ground next to the gurudwara in Nanded, most of whom had been mobilised from Telugu-speaking surrounding parts of Maharashtra.

Rao claimed that Maharashtra had the highest rate of farmer suicides in the nation and asked why the state, which has abundant natural resources and rivers running through it, had such a high rate. He claimed that this was due to the failure of the successive governments and the lack of political will to alleviate the suffering of the farmers. "Even after 75 years of Independence, many places in the country dont have access to drinking water and also water for irrigation."

Before Telangana was created, he claimed, there were more farmer suicides, but the number had decreased after the formation of the state as a result of the pro-farmer policies of the BRS government.

"This is why the BRS government slogan is "Abki ki Baar, Kisan Sarkar". It is possible to form a government at the Centre, if we unite. If a kisan government is elected both at the state and Centre, farmer suicides will halt. Every person of the nation should reject the flawed Central policies being implemented in the coal, electricity, irrigation, and health sectors in order to achieve this," he asserted.

"No party has given this call so far in the country, but today BRS is saying, 'Ab ki baar, kisan Sarkar'. People have to think about why farmers are in such dire straits in the country. Why does the annadaata have to commit suicide? Cant we provide water for irrigation and free power to the farmer? It can be done but successive governments have not done anything. Farmers cannot just be on farms anymore. They have to become lawmakers to bring in beneficial laws. Only then will a kisan sarkar be possible," the BRS chief said.

"Today, the time has come. 75 years is a long period. Farmers should also be able to write and make rules," he said.

Citing Balka Suman, a student leader became an MP at a young age in Telangana, Rao exhorted the farmers and their leaders to contest in the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections to be held in Maharashtra and become leaders to defend the rights of the common people and of the farming community.

Rao said the country was doing poorly in many areas and even lagging behind neighbouring countries, and blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre for the slow economic growth over the past eight years as well as the previous Congress government for failing to lead the country toward growth.

Regarding the "Make in India" initiative, Rao argued that instead of the Central government establishing local marketplaces and industrial facilities, markets everywhere were swamped with Chinese products. He claimed that in order to change the current system, farmers must take the pen (kalam) and run for office as elected representatives rather than pulling ploughs.

"Farmers should be able to write and make rules," he said. The CM called upon young advocates, intellectuals, academics, balladeers, and women to ponder over the issues confronting the nation and hold discussions to overthrow the current dispensation at the Centre.

Earlier in the day, Rao visited the Gurudwara Sachkhand to offer prayers and garlanded statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Jyotirao Phule and Savitibai Phule, among others at the main venue. MLC K. Kavitha, party leaders Balka Suman, Allola Indrakaran Reddy, Jogu Ramanna, Godam Nagesh and others were present. Two former Adivasi MLAs, Thodasam Raju and Deepak Atram, and sarpanches and ex-sarpanches and some ZPTC members joined the BRS in the presence of Chandrashekar Rao.

The BRS had made massive arrangements in Nanded town for the public rally, which received a good response. The entire meeting area had turned pink with party flags, hoardings, balloons and posters.
The government is targeting to launch the initial public offering (IPO) of clean energy lender IREDA and state-owned engineering consultancy firm WAPCOS in the next fiscal, DIPAM Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey said.

The proceeds from the stake sales would form part of the Budgeted disinvestment kitty of Rs 51,000 crore for the next fiscal.

"IREDA is lined up for Initial public offering (IPO) next fiscal. DRHP for WAPCOS has already been filed," Pandey told PTI.

The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) manages government equity holding in public sector companies.

WAPCOS, an engineering consultancy and construction services firm under the Jal Shakti Ministry, had in September last year filed draft papers with market regulator Sebi for launching an IPO by selling 3.25 crore shares held by the government.

The company's revenue from operations stood at Rs 2,798 crore, while net profit was Rs 69.16 crore in 2021-22.

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The IPO of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) was approved by the Cabinet in 2017. Under the listing proposal, IREDA had planned to issue fresh 13.90 crore shares.

In January last year, the Cabinet approved Rs 1,500 crore equity infusion in IREDA to raise its lending capacity and also create additional employment opportunities.

IREDA, a mini ratna company under the administrative control of MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy), was set up in 1987 to work as a specialised non-banking finance agency for the renewable energy sector.

With more than 35 years of techno-commercial expertise, the company plays a catalytic role in RE project financing, which gives confidence to the FIs/banks to lend in the sector.


One, according to senior government officials, is that as economic activities gather strength, demand will come down. Second, being a demand-driven scheme, the allocation can be stepped up during the year, as regularly done in the past. The officials, according to published reports, also argue the extra allocation for rural housing (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Grameen) and the drinking-water programme is expected to wean away significant chunks of manual casual labour from the scheme because the catchment area for these is almost identical. The lowering of the allocation under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for FY24  by almost 18 per cent over the Budget Estimate for FY23 and nearly 33 per cent over the Revised Estimate for the same fiscal year  hinges on two assumptions.



They also argue that reducing the MGNREGAs allocation and raising the budgetary outlay for rural housing and the Jal Jeevan Mission show the governments intent to weaken legislation that empowers workers, and promotes schemes that leave citizens at the mercy of yearly allocations and targets. But civil-society activists and people working on the field argue that slashing the MGNREGA budget will lead to delays in wage payments, suppression in work demand, and lack of quality assets getting created. Instead of adequately funding the programme, the government has repeatedly resorted to needless technical tinkering, said a statement by the Peoples Action for Employment Guarantee and MGNREGA Sangharsh Morcha.



For FY24, according to them, after accounting for the pending liabilities of FY23, only Rs 50,600 crore will remain for expenditure. Consequently, only 16.64 days of work per active household can be generated for FY24. If we consider 160 million registered (households), the days will further decrease to just 10 days, the statement said. World Bank economists have recommended at least 1.7 per cent of GDP must be allocated for the programme. On the contrary, the allocation for FY24 as a percentage of GDP is around 0.198 per cent, which is the lowest ever in the history of the MGNREGA, the statement said. A look at the Budget Estimates and expenditure on the scheme shows that over the years (since 2015-16 to be precise) expenditure has always bettered the Budget Estimate and has seldom been lower than that. But activists say a good chunk of this expenditure has been on clearing past dues.

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The statement also said in spite of the programme functioning at half its capacity (the average number of days each household has worked has been 40-50 over the past five years), this has had far-reaching impacts. A recent study shows 20-60 per cent of the households in Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra felt the MGNREGA had contributed to the development of their villages and not having to migrate was frequently mentioned as the positive aspect of the programme.



Throughout the past decade, in which the pandemic falls, womens persondays in the MGNREGA continued to be more than half the total. The MGNREGA Sangharsh Morcha also said research had shown assets created under the scheme could be ecologically beneficial to the local community and geography.


Musharraf, who served as the army chief for almost nine years (1999-2008), became the 10th president of Pakistan in 2001 and held the position until early 2008, Dawn reported. Former Pakistan army chief and president Pervez Musharraf passed away on Sunday after a protracted battle with a rare health condition called amyloidosis, local media reported.



His first battlefield experience came during the 1965 Indo-Pak war and he served in the elite Special Services Group (SSG) from 1966-1972. During the 1971 war with India, Musharraf was a company commander of an SSG commando battalion. After 1971, he continued to excel in several military assignments and gained rapid promotions within the army, Dawn reported. He was born in pre-partition Delhi on August 11, 1943. After the partition, his family settled in Karachi where he attended Saint Patrick's School. Later, he joined the Pakistan Military Academy at Kakul and graduated from the institution in 1964. He was subsequently commissioned in the Pakistan Army, Dawn reported.



On October 12, 1999, troops took over the Prime Minister House after Sharif prevented Musharraf from landing at Karachi airport upon his journey back from Sri Lanka. In October 1998, he was appointed the chief of army staff by the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. A year later, he overthrew Sharif's government in a bloodless coup and later became the country's president.

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The 9/11 attacks took place just a few months after Musharraf became the president. He subsequently entered Pakistan into an alliance with the US in the latter's 'war on terror', a decision the former military rule has defended on several occasions. On finding out, Musharraf declared a state of emergency, suspended the Constitution and assumed the role of chief executive. There were no organised protests against the coup within Pakistan but the measure was thoroughly criticised by the international community. In June 2001, Musharraf became the president of Pakistan, Dawn reported.



In January 2004, Musharraf won a confidence vote by both houses of the parliament and the four provincial assemblies by a majority of 56 per cent and was declared elected in a process disputed by his political opponents. Musharraf held a general election in October 2002 during which he allied himself with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement and an alliance of six religious parties called Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. With this election, Musharraf was able to gather the required two-thirds majority to pass the 17th Amendment which helped legitimise the 1999 coup as well as several other measures adopted by him, Dawn reported.



However, the chief justice was again deposed when Musharraf imposed a state of emergency in the country on November 3, 2007. Within 25 days of the emergency in place, Musharraf resigned from his position of army chief, with General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani taking charge. Musharraf, who was still president at the time, finally lifted the emergency on December 15, 2007, Dawn reported. In March 2007, Musharraf suspended the then chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry after the latter refused to resign allegedly over abusing his office. The incident unleashed violent protests by lawyers and civil society activists and Musharraf's handling of the events adversely impacted his position. On June 20, 2007, the Supreme Court reinstated the chief justice and declared Musharraf's suspension of the former as void.



Musharraf was also named in the cases pertaining to Benazir Bhutto's murder, Nawab Akbar Bugti's killing and the 'illegal confinement' of 62 judges after the November 2007 emergency. However, in March 2013, the Sindh High Court granted him protective bail in all three cases, Dawn reported. After giving Musharraf the chance to voluntarily resign, the PPP-led coalition government at the centre - formed after the 2008 general elections - initiated a parliamentary procedure to impeach him. Musharraf initially refused to resign and the coalition began official proceedings for his ouster. He voluntarily left the post before the impeachment could be finalised.
Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered Saturday for a weekly demonstration against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government's proposed judicial overhauls, which opponents say threaten Israel's democratic values.

The protesters marched at two locations in the central coastal city of Tel Aviv, waving flags and chanting slogans against the justice minister. Doctors fighting for the life of democracy, read a banner raised by a doctor at the Tel Aviv protest.

The protest is the fifth against the new government, a coalition of ultra-Orthodox and far-right nationalist parties that took office in December.

The government launched proposals to weaken the Supreme Court by giving parliament the power to overturn court decisions with a simple majority vote. It also wants to give parliament control over the appointment of judges and reduce the independence of legal advisers.

Smaller protests were reported in several Israeli cities.
Dozens of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been freed following a latest prisoner swap, officials from both sides confirmed on Saturday.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President's Office, said in a Telegram post that 116 Ukrainians returned home, whereas Russia's state news agency TASS said that 63 Russian servicemen were released, Xinhua news agency reported.

Yermak also said that Russia returned to Ukraine the bodies of two British voluntary aid workers, and a volunteer soldier from Ukraine's International Legion.

The exchange came after a negotiation brokered by the United Arab Emirates, marking one of the largest prisoner swaps between the conflicting parties since the start of the conflict.

As of early January, more than 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers remained in Russia's captivity.

--IANS

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Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday reiterated diplomatic, political, and moral support to the Kashmiri people until they attained their right to self-determination as per UN resolutions.

Addressing a special session of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) assembly in Muzaffarabad, Sharif said that Pakistan always laid emphasis on a peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as per relevant UN Security Council's resolutions.

He said that East Taimur, Darfur, and other areas of the world were given independence on ethnic grounds but the same is not applied in Kashmir and Palestine.

He was speaking on the occasion of Kashmir Solidarity Day', which was observed in Pakistan to express support to the Kashmiris.

Separately, Prime Minister Sharif in his special message said that the people of Pakistan renew our commitment of our unflinching support to them (Kashmiris) in their just struggle for inalienable right to self-determination.

Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute "will remain a key pillar of Pakistan's foreign policy.

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"We will continue to lend unstinted moral, diplomatic and political support to the Kashmiri people, Bilawal added.

The top brass of the Pakistan Army also paid tribute to the struggle of Kashmiris for their right to self-determination as per UN resolutions.

Solidarity walks were organised in Islamabad, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit and in four provincial capitals. Seminars and other events were also organized to highlight the Kashmir issue and its importance for Pakistan.

India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and shall forever" remain an integral part of the country. It has also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda.

New Delhi has also told Islamabad that issues related to Jammu and Kashmir are its internal matter and the country is capable of solving its own problems.

India has told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.
American Airlines said on Sunday it deplaned a "disruptive" passenger from its flight to JFK Airport in New York from the Indira Gandhi International Airport here allegedly for not adhering to the crew's instructions.

Aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sought a report on the incident, which took place on January 30, a senior DGCA official said.

"On January 30, prior to the departure of American Airlines flight 293 from Delhi (DEL) to New York (JFK), a disruptive customer was removed from the aircraft for failure to follow crew member instructions," the airline said in a statement.

American Airlines also said it has reached out to the customer "to refund the unused portion of their ticket."



"We have sought a report. We are looking into the incident," the senior DGCA official told PTI.


President Joe Biden said he ordered the Pentagon on Wednesday to down the balloon as soon as possible without doing damage to anyone on the ground. The military decided the best window was on Saturday while it was over the Atlantic within US territorial waters. The US shot down an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon off the South Carolina coast on Saturday, injecting new tension into relations with Beijing which called the move an overreaction.



China didnt get advance notice of the plan to shoot down the balloon. US officials communicated to Beijing that theyd reserve the right to take such action, but didnt follow up with more details about the plan once it was decided. China protested the downing and said it reserves the right for any necessary reaction, according to a foreign ministry statement on Sunday. It said the US violated international practices after an accidental incursion of the balloon that was for civilian use.



The balloon, along with another observed transiting Central and South America, had surveillance equipment not usually associated with standard meteorological activities or civilian research as claimed by China, a senior US administration official said on Saturday. They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it, and well have more to report on this a little later, Biden told reporters.

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said China was using the balloon in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States and the US plan to take it down involved closely monitoring its path and intelligence collection activities. News of the balloon entering US airspace led Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone a visit to China to meet with President Xi Jinping and prompted growing calls from Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, to shoot it down. On its way, the balloon passed over Montana, home to intercontinental ballistic missile silos.
The ongoing anti-encroachment drive in Jammu and Kashmir is another attempt to "seize our land and cause massive changes to our demography", the PDP claimed on Sunday, alleging the Centre has "prioritised" evicting people from their homes rather than addressing unemployment, and the safety of Kashmiri Pandits.

In its monthly newsletter, 'Speak Up', released on Sunday, the party said that in the past three years "the only reforms we have received from the Centre are land laws because for GOI (government of India) it will always be about the land".

"Even Ladakhis that were happy with the abrogation (of Article 370) are feeling buyer's remorse as they realize they've been duped by GOI. For over a year now, they have been demanding statehood and special status as per the 6th schedule.

"Prior to the abrogation, Ladakhis had precedence over government jobs and land ownership rights. Their leaders have also finally acknowledged that they were much better off as a part of J-K," the party said.

The Peoples Democratic Party -- led by Mehbooba Mufti -- said the administration's "massive eviction" drive is in full swing with the objective of reclaiming State land by evicting the "so-called encroachers".

"Now, it just so happens that Raj Bhavan and Badami Bagh cantonment fall under the same category. The anti-encroachment drive is another attempt to seize our land and cause a massive changes to our demography. It's ironic that whilst GOI is busy evicting the inhabitants of our lands 2000 sq. km of land in Ladakh has been encroached upon by China, a fact GOI will never concede," it said.

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The party said the brunt of these exercises will be borne by those who have lived here for centuries.

"Not only are people being dispossessed of their land but this will also affect the livelihoods of many, thereby compounding our unemployment which is the highest in the country," it said.

"Instead of addressing pressing issues like the safety of Kashmiri Pandits, staggering unemployment, corruption and the welfare of our people, GOI prioritized evicting people from their land. This is what governance has been reduced to," the newsletter added.

Describing the anti-encroachment drive the "latest addition to GOI's arsenal of weapons to persecute" the people of J-K, the party said having exhausted every tactic to "threaten our people into silence and submission", they are now resorting to evicting people during Chilaikalan, the harshest period of winter.

"BJP's lotus seems to have been replaced by a bulldozer where Kashmir is concerned, a far cry from the insaniyat and jamooriyat that Kashmiris were promised.

"Such measures will further add to the apprehensions of the people about the government's intent to alter our demography by dispossessing the locals and incentivizing outside settlers to take their place. It's no secret that GOI's Kashmir policy emulates the Israeli model in Palestine," the PDP said.

On the recent decision by the Centre to arm village defence committees in Rajouri area of Jammu, the party said it speaks to their "myopic vision" of the Kashmir issue that they cannot see outside the barrel of a gun.

"What seems like a simple solution may very well end up creating communal tensions by driving a wedge between the local communities that have been living in harmony up until now," it said.

On the recently-concluded Congress' Bharat Jodo Yatra, the Mufti-led party said for the first time many years, Kashmiris were not uneasy about a visit from New Delhi.

"Rahul Gandhi's presence evoked an unprecedented response from our people. Ever since the abrogation, no opposition leader has taken the pains to reach out to J-K and after a long time Kashmiris felt a sense of reprieve, brief as it may have been.

"Kashmir was once seen as a ray of hope when the entire sub-continent was engulfed in communal fires. Today Kashmir is looking for that ray of hope, the light at the end of the tunnel," the party said.

"Having witnessed a glimpse of that hope, we are reminded of Desmond Tutu's words 'Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness'," the PDP said.
The Congress on Sunday said that it will ask three questions a day related to Adani issue to the Prime Minister. The Congress said that after Panama Papers leak no action was taken despite assurance from the Prime Minister.

Congress Communication In-charge Jairam Ramesh said on Sunday, "Amid the allegations against the Adani Group, the Modi government has maintained a loud silence which smacks of collusion. Starting today, the Congress party will pose three questions a day to the Prime Minister."

Raising a question before the Prime Minister, Ramesh alleged, "In response to the Panama Papers expose on 4 April 2016, the Ministry of Finance announced that you had personally directed a multi-agency investigative group to monitor financial flows to and from offshore tax havens. Subsequently, at the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China on 5 September 2016, you stated: 'We need to act to eliminate safe havens for economic offenders, track down and unconditionally extradite money launderers and break down the web of complex international regulations and excessive banking secrecy that hide the corrupt and their deeds.' This leads to some questions that you and your government cannot hide from saying "HAHK (Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun)."

"Vinod Adani, the brother of Gautam Adani, was named in the Panama Papers and the Pandora Papers as someone who operates offshore entities in the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands. He is alleged to have engaged in 'brazen stock manipulation' and 'accounting fraud' via 'a vast labyrinth of offshore shell entities'. You have spoken often about your sincerity and 'niyat' in fighting corruption and even subjected the nation to the heavy costs of demonetisation.

"What does the fact that a business entity you are well acquainted with faces serious allegations tell us about the quality and sincerity of your investigations?" he asked.

The Congress leader said, "Over the years you have misused agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to intimidate your political opponents and to punish business houses that do not fall in line with your cronies' financial interests.

Also Read Gautam Adani becomes world's third-richest person, first Asian to do so Adani's ports-to-power conglomerate 'deeply overleveraged': CreditSights Gautam Adani now no longer among world's top 10 richest billionaires Sebi slaps Rs 10 cr penalty on Gautam Thapar for alleged fund diversion NDTV takeover a responsibility, not business opportunity: Gautam Adani Modi, govt cannot hide from questions saying Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun: Cong PM Modi to inaugurate HAL's helicopter factory in Karnataka on Monday BJP govt at Centre fighting with everyone, alleges Delhi CM Kejriwal Gehlot says Khattar's remarks on Rajasthan's OPS 'factually incorrect' Owaisi is second variant of Jinnah: BJP Minority Morcha Prez Jamal Siddiqui

"What action has been taken, if ever, to investigate the serious allegations made over the years against the Adani Group? Is there any hope of a fair and impartial investigation under you?" he said

"How is it possible that one of India's largest business groups, one that has been allowed to build monopolies in airports and seaports, could have escaped serious scrutiny for so long despite persistent allegations? Other business groups have been harassed and raided for much less. Was the Adani Group essential to a dispensation that has profited from 'anti-corruption' rhetoric all of these years?" he asked.

--IANS

miz/dpb
The Congress on Sunday stepped up its attack on the Centre over allegations against the Adani group, alleging that the Modi government's "loud silence" over the issue "smacks of collusion".

Adani group stocks have taken a beating on the bourses after US-based activist short-seller Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share price manipulation at the Gautam Adani-led group.

In a statement, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said that starting Sunday the Congress will pose three questions a day to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.

He said that amid the allegations against the Adani Group, the Modi government has maintained a "loud silence which smacks of collusion".

Ramesh said that in a response to the Panama Papers expose on April 4, 2016, the Ministry of Finance had announced that Modi had personally directed a multi-agency investigative group to monitor financial flows to and from offshore tax havens.

"Subsequently, at the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China on 5 September 2016, you (Modi) stated: 'We need to act to eliminate safe havens for economic offenders, track down and unconditionally extradite money launderers and break down the web of complex international regulations and excessive banking secrecy that hide the corrupt and their deeds'. This leads to some questions that you and your government cannot hide from saying 'HAHK (Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun)',



Posing questions, Ramesh said Vinod Adani, the brother of Gautam Adani, was named in the Panama Papers and the Pandora Papers as someone who operates offshore entities in the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands.

Also Read SC verdict on Karnataka hijab ban today: A look at the timeline of events Restriction only in classroom, not outside, Karnataka to SC on hijab row Situation has not returned to normal: MEA on eastern Ladakh border row Siddaramaiah blames BJP for reaping political benefit out of border row Expected unanimous decision from SC on hijab issue: AIMIM chief Owaisi PM Modi to inaugurate HAL's helicopter factory in Karnataka on Monday BJP govt at Centre fighting with everyone, alleges Delhi CM Kejriwal Gehlot says Khattar's remarks on Rajasthan's OPS 'factually incorrect' Owaisi is second variant of Jinnah: BJP Minority Morcha Prez Jamal Siddiqui BJP MLAs protest outside CM residence over unpaid dues at 12 DU colleges

"He is alleged to have engaged in 'brazen stock manipulation' and 'accounting fraud' via 'a vast labyrinth of offshore shell entities'. You have spoken often about your sincerity and 'niyat' (intention) in fighting corruption and even subjected the nation to the heavy costs of demonetisation," Ramesh said.

"What does the fact that a business entity you are well acquainted with faces serious allegations tell us about the quality and sincerity of your investigations? the Congress general secretary said.

Ramesh alleged that over the years, PM Modi "misused" agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to "intimidate" his political opponents and to "punish" business houses that do not fall in line with his "cronies' financial interests".

What action has been taken, if ever, to investigate the serious allegations made over the years against the Adani Group, he asked.

Ramesh also asked if there was any hope of a fair and impartial investigation in the matter under the prime minister.

"How is it possible that one of India's largest business groups, one that has been allowed to build monopolies in airports and seaports, could have escaped serious scrutiny for so long despite persistent allegations?" Ramesh said.

Other business groups have been harassed and raided for much less, he alleged.

"Was the Adani Group essential to a dispensation that has profited from 'anti-corruption' rhetoric all of these years," Ramesh asked.

Tagging his statement, the Congress leader tweeted, "The eloquent silence of the PM on the Adani MahaMegaScam has forced us to start a series, HAHK-Hum Adanike Hain Kaun. We will be posing 3 questions to the PM daily beginning today." He asked the PM to break his "silence" over the issue.

The Congress also started a Twitter poll on its official Twitter handle, asking people whether the PM will get the allegations of fraud against "his friend Adani" investigated.

The Adani group has dismissed the charges as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements.

The 10 listed Adani group firms have faced a combined erosion of over Rs 8.5 lakh crore in just six trading sessions. Adani Enterprises also had to withdraw a Rs 20,000 crore share sale.

In her statement on the issue, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said on Saturday that India's economic image is not affected due to Adani Group's recent decision to pull out Rs 20,000 crore FPO amid allegations of financial wrongdoings.

The finance minister said there has been an accretion of USD 8 billion to the forex reserves in the last two days alone.

"...our macroeconomic fundamentals or our economy's image, none of which has been affected. Yes, FPOs (follow-on public offers) come in, and FIIs (foreign institutional investors) get out," Sitharaman told reporters here.

The minister said there are "fluctuations" in every market but the accretion over the last few days establishes the fact that the perception of both India and its inherent strengths is intact.
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According to this new information the Russians have known about alien civilizations for several decades, to many this comes as no surprise,...
Police got a call about a shirtless man running up and down Gunbarrel Road. Police spoke with the man, who is known for acting this way.



* * *

An employee at the Mr. Zip Shell gas station, 1905 Gunbarrel Road, told police a man has been hanging around the gas station a lot and they have told him to leave. They said the man will leave, but then comes right back. They said the man will also walk circles around the gas station, making customers uncomfortable. The employee asked to have the man trespassed from the property. Police spoke with the man and informed him he is not allowed on the property again and, if he does come back, he will be arrested for trespassing.

* * *

A woman told police she was on Webb Road when a vehicle behind her pulled up beside her and the driver began to cuss at her. She said she pulled away and the vehicle followed her for a little longer. She told police she was scared and wanted a paper trail in case the person came back.



* * *

A man on Hixson Pike texted 911 asking for police, but did not provide any other details. Police spoke with the man who said he heard noises and wanted police to check the outside of his house. Police did not observe anything suspicious. Police have responded to similar calls from the man in the past. The man thanked police for the assistance.

* * *

A man on Obar Drive told police his neighbor across the street had video at 1:56 a.m. of two dark-colored vehicles turn around in the cul-de-sac and then his vehicle follows them out. The video is dark and at this time there is no other information available.

* * *

A woman told police she was at work and saw a video on her cameras at her home on Ballard Drive of a car showing up at her house. She said that she went home and found that her car had new key marks. There were marks on the rear hatch and the driver's side of her vehicle. She said that she thinks the suspect is a woman who drives a grey Hyundai. She said she believes that woman could be the suspect because her new boyfriend is that woman's old boyfriend. In the video from her residence, there is a grey sedan that pulls up at 8:48 a.m. The vehicle sits there for a minute and then it leaves the cul-de-sac. After the grey vehicle leaves, the woman shows up and notices her vehicle is keyed. She was able to find on Facebook where that woman posted a picture of her vehicle in front of the woman's vehicle. Police were also able to find other neighbors that may have video and they were sent a video request to possibly find the suspect vehicle.

* * *

A woman on Tennessee Avenue told police that someone had busted the passenger side window of her vehicle, a 2008 Jeep Cherokee. She said no items were taken from inside the vehicle, but she wanted to report the damage for her car insurance. There is no suspect information.

* * *

A woman on Pirola Street told police that around 3:50 a.m. her camera surveillance system caught a young male trying to get into her vehicle. She said her vehicle was locked and nothing was taken. In the process trying to get in her vehicle, the suspect dropped a Bank Of America debit card out of his pocket on the ground. The debit card belonged to a man on St. Elmo Avenue and police dropped it by the man's house.


One woman was dead and another in critical condition after an early morning wreck in Cleveland on Sunday.

At approximately 5:05 a.m., the Cleveland Police Department responded to a single vehicle crash on Keith Street near Monterreys Mexican Restaurant. Two female occupants were found to be inside the vehicle.

The driver, Krista Buckner, 24, was flown by Life Force to a Chattanooga hospital. The passenger, Leyasia Woods, 24, was pronounced dead at the crash site.




A curtain was set on fire at Covenant College's Carter Hall on Saturday night, causing the former hotel building to have to be evacuated.

Brad Voyles, Covenant's vice president for Student Development and Dean of Students, said an individual was caught on video surveillance setting the curtain on fire.

He said the person, who is not a student but was described as a local resident, was arrested.

Mr. Voyles said Carter residents were permitted to return to their rooms at approximately 11:30 p.m. after a full inspection by the fire department regarding the suitability of conditions.

He said, "In addition, our facilities staff worked tirelessly for several hours into the early morning to clean and air out the building. However, we would be happy to temporarily relocate to a different residence hall any students who have concerns about air quality."

Mr. Voyles also said, "Through video footage and the cooperation of witnesses, we were able to determine the identity of the suspect in the video setting a curtain on fire. This individual is not a member of the Covenant College community but was known as a local resident. We notified and fully cooperated with local and state authorities who arrived on site to review evidence and took the suspect into custody last night.

"We are thankful for the support of our community and for those who have worked hard to ensure our students' safety."

In an earlier message to members of the Covenant community, Mr. Voyles said, "Some of you may have heard already from your son or daughter that this evening a curtain in Carter Lobby caught fire prompting a quick acting student to pull the fire alarm and alert students to evacuate the building. All students safely exited the building.

"Sprinklers in the lobby contained and extinguished the fire quickly, and the fire department arrived on site to clear the building. We anticipate students being able to return to their rooms tonight, but are currently waiting for the fire department to complete their safety checks.

"There will be clean-up to come as a result of smoke and water damage, but we are grateful for the Lord's protection through the quick response of individuals and the work of fire-suppression systems to quickly put out the fire. Any modifications in food service times/location will be communicated to the student body, but that is not expected at this time.

"Students will be notified as soon as they are allowed to return to their rooms tonight. We are again thankful for the Lord's protection over our students and appreciate your continued prayers as we work through the clean-up process."

Carter Hall is the former Castle in the Clouds hotel that was built in 1928. It underwent extensive renovation in recent years.

Initially all Covenant student housing and classes were in Carter Hall, but a number of other buildings have been constructed on the Jackson Hill campus over a number of years.

It was named Carter Hall after Paul B. Carter, who built the hotel and was a Covenant benefactor.


Facts about Russia-Ukraine conflict: Soldiers freed in Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap

Xinhua) 10:01, February 05, 2023

KIEV/MOSCOW/WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The following are the latest developments in the Ukraine crisis:

Dozens of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been freed following a latest prisoner swap, officials from both sides confirmed on Saturday.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President's Office, said in a Telegram post that 116 Ukrainians returned home, whereas Russia's state news agency TASS said that 63 Russian servicemen were released.

Yermak also said that Russia returned to Ukraine the bodies of two British voluntary aid workers, and a volunteer soldier from Ukraine's International Legion.

- - - -

Moscow is ready to use all kinds of weapons to respond to Ukraine's attack on Russia, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said Saturday.

"Our response can be anything," Medvedev said in response to a corresponding question.

He added that the response would be swift, hard and convincing, in accordance with Russia's doctrinal documents, including the country's state policy on nuclear deterrence.

- - - -

Ukraine and the EU agreed to deepen their relations and cooperation at the 24th Ukraine-EU summit held in Kiev on Friday, according to a joint statement issued following the event.

The statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was published by the Ukrainian presidential press service.

According to the document, Ukraine and the EU reiterated their commitment to further deepening their relationship and promoting Ukraine's further integration with the bloc.

- - - -

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced Friday an additional round of security assistance for Ukraine with a total value of 2.2 billion U.S. dollars.

The latest package was divided into two parts - 425 million dollars through the Presidential Drawdown Authority, and 1.75 billion dollars from the congressionally-approved Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, according to a statement from the Defense Department.

What's particularly noticeable in the materiel are long-range rockets for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS missile launchers that the United States have provided for Ukraine.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
Calvary Bible Church, 4001 Mountain Creek Road, honored Dr. Bill Henry Sunday for 11 years as pastor.

A portrait of Dr. Henry and his wife Jan was unveiled during the morning worship service.

Dr. Henry is the son of the late Dr. Jim Henry, former Chattanooga School Superintendent and City High School principal. Dr. Henry was educated in the Chattanooga Public Schools, attended Tennessee Temple University, served in the United States Army and was headmaster at the Brainerd Baptist School for many years.

Calvary Bible Church was founded in 1969 by the late John and Ruth Lanham, who also operated Lanhams Bible Bookshop for over 40 years. The church is not affiliated with any denomination but has a Presbyterian form of government with deacons, elders and a moderator  pastor.

Services are held Sundays at 11:00 and 6:30 and Wednesday evening Bible Study at 6:30.
Spencer Dutton heads home when 1923 returns with episode 5. The only remaining child of James and Margaret, Spencer now has an obligation to save his familys ranch in Montana. However, it wont be an easy journey home. He and Alexandra have many hardships ahead on their months-long journey from Africa back to the states.

Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton in 1923 | Emerson Miller/Paramount+

Cara Dutton begs Spencer to come home in 1923

In 1923, Spencer Dutton is the youngest and only surviving child of James and Margaret Dutton. His sister Elsa died before he was born, and Banner Creighton killed John in episode 3. Now the fate of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch depends on Spencer coming home.

Three months after Johns death, Spencer receives Caras letter begging him to come home. The midseason trailer for 1923 shows Alex and Spencer sailing to America. Unfortunately, the pair run into trouble on their voyage, and Spencer battles what looks like an approaching shark.

Brandon Sklenar teases his characters heros journey to save the ranch in Montana

1923 will look very different when the series returns with episode 5. In a previous interview with The Hollywood Reporter, John actor James Badge Dale described the shows first three episodes as a kind of prologue that serves to get Spencer home.

Dale added that the scene where Cara shoots a man in the woods is where the story really begins. This is where the story starts, Dale added. With the first scene you see in episode one, thats the beginning of the story.

When 1923 returns, Spencer eventually reunites with his family in Montana. I can say that there is not only a definite shift in the story itself but also in him as a person from this moment forward, Spencer actor Brandon Sklenar told The Hollywood Reporter in a separate interview.

Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton and Julia Schlaepfer as Alexandra in 1923 | Emerson Miller/Paramount+

Its the heros journey, and his calling to go home does propel the story. Its not an easy journey. Its filled with challenges. Spencer and Alex both have a lot to overcome before he can get there. Taylor doesnt make it easy on anybody in writing these shows.

How long will it take for Spencer and Alexandra to travel to America?

1923 included a sneaky time jump, revealing at the end of episode 4 that Spencer doesnt learn of his brothers death until three months later. The series may jump forward in time even more when the show returns.

Alex and Spencers journey to America will likely take somewhere between two and three months, not including the time it takes them to find a ride. While fans will certainly see some of the journeys, probably wont devote multiple episodes to their journey home.

The midseason teaser for 1923 also shows Jacob Dutton walking around with the help of a cane, showing that some time has passed and allowed him to recover.

1923 premieres Sunday, December 18, 2022, on Paramount+.
The beloved show Bonanza remains NBCs longest-running Western and the second-longest-running Western series on U.S. network TV (second only to CBSs Gunsmoke). Bonanza premiered in September 1959 and ended in January 1973. Most shows today are lucky to get a second or third season, so Bonanzas 14 seasons are especially impressive. And the series had a massive fan base back in the day. But one cast member  Lorne Greene  was not subtle about his wishes that Bonanza not last too long. The actor once revealed that although he loved his time on the show, he didnt want it to last forever.

Bonanza had a few claims to fame

The cast of Bonanza | Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Bonanza followed the Cartwright family of ranchers who lived near Lake Tahoe, Nevada, in the mid-1800s. Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) was the patriarch, a three-time widower with a son from each marriage.

The plot in the early seasons concentrated on conflicts among the three half-brothers, who were wildly different. But in later episodes, the focus shifted toward issues related to mining and managing the Cartwright ranch, the Ponderosa.

Bonanza had a few claims to fame, including being the first hourlong Western series filmed in color. Sadly, not all its firsts were positive: In 1972, Dan Blocker, who played Bens middle son, Hoss, died unexpectedly of a pulmonary embolism following gallbladder surgery. The Bonanza writers took the unusual step of referencing the characters death in the storyline, marking the first time a show had done such a thing.

Actor Pernell Roberts, who played Bens oldest son, had left Bonanza several years earlier. Ratings suffered after another sons departure, and NBC canceled the show the following January.

Why didnt Lorne Greene want Bonanza to last too long?

Every actors dream is steady work, so it seems odd that Lorne Greene admitted he didnt want Bonanza to last. But after eight seasons, the actor sat down for a 1967 interview in which he was asked if he wanted the show to last another eight seasons. Surprisingly, Greene said no.

I must be very frank, he replied (via The Bobbie Wygant Archive). I think when you have a long run on any kind of show, you get to the point where there are other things that you feel that you must do before its too late to do any of the things that you have in mind.

Greene added that he had another four years in his contract with NBC and was happy to fulfill it.

Greene had plenty of work aside from Bonanza

#TBT Betty White & Lorne Greene hosting Macy's Parade back in the 60s. BoNANza! pic.twitter.com/W5qTLpEKE7  Paul Poteet Dot Com ?? (@PaulPoteet) November 22, 2018

Of course, the show didnt last another eight seasons, but it continued for another six. When Bonanza went off the air, it didnt mark the end of Lorne Greenes career. He soon joined Ben Murphy in the ABC crime drama Griff and then appeared in the 1977 miniseries Roots. He was also well known for his role as Commander Adama in Battlestar Galactica. And for many years before and during his time on Bonanza, he co-hosted the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC with Betty White.

Lorne Greene died in 1987 at age 72, leaving an impressive legacy. In 2007, TV Guide named Ben Cartwright one of the greatest TV dads of all time.
This scanning electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows rod-shaped Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. U.S. health officials are advising people to stop using the over-the-counter eye drops, EzriCare Artificial Tears, that have been linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday night, Feb. 1, 2023, sent a health alert to physicians, saying the outbreak includes at least 55 people in 12 states. One died.
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As things have been gradually getting back to normal since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, many people have been getting back to traveling. Not just traveling around the United States but internationally as well.

One painstaking process of traveling that has not changed over the years is packing. These days, bringing extra luggage on a plane heading overseas can be extremely expensive. Some airlines charge upwards of $100 per checked bag, so making the most out of your carry-on is a wise decision.

One woman on TikTok recently left for a three-week-long European vacation and was able to fit everything she needed in her carry-on luggage. Thankfully, she shared some of her tips on how she made it work!

Miriam Porter (@thekindtraveler) is a Toronto native and travel enthusiast. She visited multiple countries on her amazing trip to Europe and made sure to document her packing process along the way.

Were noting the advice found in her series of packing tips videos so that you can be prepared for your next adventure!

Miriam prefers a few items that she finds to be essential when it comes to saving space in your luggage.

One of those items is a collection of packing cubes. The cube-shaped bags help keep everything organized and save room in a suitcase.

I was staying in over 10 hotels, so instead of unpacking a whole bag, I would take out a packing cube, says Miriam in one of her videos. One could be for socks, one for tank tops, all different things.

Another clothing-related tip Miriam has is to bring things that are lightweight and easy to wash. She recommends bringing versatile clothing that is great for all kinds of weather and even encourages bringing powdered detergent to wash small things in a hotel sink or shower.

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Over 100 years ago, in 1917, a dancer was arrested and executed in Paris. Although she was known to many audiences as a great scandalous performer, there was so much more to her story than people realized.

Her stage name was Mata Hari. But she was actually born under the name Margaretha Zelle in the Netherlands in 1876.

At 18, she married an officer in the Dutch colonial army. The two of them lived in Malaysia for several years, where she learned about and fell in love with Indian and Asian-inspired dancing.

However, when she left her husband and moved to Paris to be a dancer in the early 1900s, she told audiences she was born in a sacred temple and had been taught the art of sacred Indian dances by a priestess.

This was when she began going by Mata Hari and started putting on exotic performances all around Europe.

After WWI had begun, Margaretha started having relationships with high-ranking military officers. In addition, she did a lot of traveling during the war, which raised suspicions that she was a spy.

In February 1917, Margaretha was arrested for espionage at a hotel in Paris and went to trial. There is evidence that Margaretha worked as a German spy.

Prosecutors claimed that Margaretha was responsible for the deaths of thousands of soldiers because of the information she had passed on as a spy.

Historians say that Margaretha was a scapegoat for the French government, making it easy for everything that had gone wrong to be pinned on her.

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Are you a history buff? Do you love reading old documents and handwritten letters from decades ago? Then you might be the perfect volunteer for the Chicago-based Newberry Librarys transcribing program.

The Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois, gained attention from news outlets in 2017 when they called for volunteers to help them transcribe and translate religious transcripts from the 15th and 19th centuries.

The library created a project titled Religious Change, 1450-1750. For this project, they needed three manuscripts translated as they contained writing that hadnt been seen anywhere else before. So they asked volunteers to go to their Transcribing Faith online portal, sit at a computer, and translate the manuscripts.

The material ended up being pretty fascinating, like one of the texts, The Book of Magical Charms, which contained details about occult arts.

Although the specific Religious Change project has come to a close, the Newberry Library is still accepting help from anyone who would like to translate other historical documents!

If you take a look at their Transcribing Faith webpage, you can find not only the Book of Magical Charms transcript but their Newberry Transcribe website as well.

There, you can scroll through tons of old letters, notes, and records dating all the way back to the 1920s that need to be transcribed.

One of the most excellent parts about this website is that anyone can do it anytime! All you have to do is select a document to work on, look closely at the document in the image viewer, and start transcribing it into a text box.

In addition, users can build upon each others work and create accounts on the website to save their progress.

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The Russian military has disproportionately attacked evangelical Christians and destroyed, damaged, or looted at least 494 religious buildings, theological institutions, and sacred sites in Ukraine since invading the neighboring nation almost a year ago, according to the Kyiv-based Institute for Religious Freedom (IRF).

The independent research institute presented its latest report this week during the third international religious freedom summit in Washington.

The IRF aims to catalog evidence of Russian war crimes against Ukrainian religious communities. The destruction of religious sites is often intentional and happening in tandem with attacks on civilian believers and pastors, said executive director Maksym Vasin.

Russian soldiers have repeatedly threatened to destroy evangelical Christians in Ukraine, calling them American spies, sectarians, and enemies of the Russian Orthodox people, said Valentyn Siniy, rector of the Kherson-based Tavriski Christian Instituteone of scores of damaged sites belonging to evangelical groups.

Russian forces seized the seminarys building as a headquarters, looted it, and then left it destroyed, he said.

One Russian officer told an employee of our institute that evangelical believers like you should be completely destroyed  a simple shooting will be too easy for you. You need to be buried alive, said Siniy, according to the IRF report. In a translated video played during the panel, he elaborated, During a telephone conversation, one of our employees was told, We will bury [Baptist] sectarians like you.

The IRF report found that the scale of destruction of evangelical church prayer houses is immense. It tallied at least 170 damaged evangelical sitesincluding 75 Pentecostal churches, 49 Baptist churches, 24 Seventh-day Adventist churches, and 22 other evangelical churchescomprising a full third of the total, even though evangelicals comprise less than 5 percent of Ukraines population.

Among Orthodox Christians, who comprise about 80 percent, at least 143 damaged buildings belong to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), long affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), while 34 belong to the newer and smaller independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). (The UOCs own tally numbers 300 churches damaged by shelling, including 75 destroyed.)

Image: Institute for Religious Freedom

The IRF also tallied damage at 94 Jehovahs Witness, 29 Catholic, 12 Jewish, 8 Muslim, and 4 Mormon religious sites. The institute expects the pace of destruction to soon increase in eastern and southern Ukraine amid ongoing hostilities.

The IRF report documents targeted shelling, missile attacks, vandalism, and looting of religious buildings as well as the torture and killing of religious leaders and believers of many faiths. In many cases, members of destroyed churches also found that Russian forces burned all of their Ukrainian-language Bibles, books, and tracts.

During his speech, Vasin stated that Russian authorities often target clergy and ordinary believers for speaking Ukrainian, exhibiting Ukrainian identity, or belonging to a different denomination than the Moscow Patriarchate. He hopes that the evidence his institute has collected will encourage international bodies such as the International Criminal Court to investigate and charge Russian authorities not just with the war crime of attacking religious sites but also with crimes against humanity and genocide.

In their entirety, Russian war crimes committed in Ukraine may indicate the existence of a special genocidal intent aimed at destroying the Ukrainian people, which is a distinct crime under international humanitarian law, Vasin said.

Image: Institute for Religious Freedom

The IRF report concludes that examples of mass destruction in Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, and Kharkiv show that Russia would rather eliminate whole cities and destroy Ukraines historical and spiritual heritage than accept the right of the Ukrainian people to self-determination and sovereignty. The report recommends that the US and other nations create an international body to independently investigate war crimes committed in Ukraine, as well as demand access to Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea in order to monitor human rights and religious freedom there.

Pastor Dmitry Bodyu of Word of Life Church in Melitopol, in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region occupied by Russia since March 2022, recounted for summit attendees how he survived Russian captivity. He said the Russian military seized his church building, imprisoned him, and told him he would be killed. The IRF report noted that Bodyu escaped from prison yet local evangelicals continue to face deadly threats. In addition, two Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests have been imprisoned for three months in Melitopol and routinely tortured, he said.

Russian forces have also abducted Ukrainian pastors and tried to enlist them as Russian spies and propagandists, according to the IRF report. From February 24 to July 15, 2022, the institute recorded 20 cases of illegal imprisonment of Ukrainian religious leaders, accompanied by attempted rape, mock executions, deprivation of water, food, and access to a toilet, and threats of violence against family members.

At the end of last year, Ukraine stepped up efforts to retake Melitopol, a vital Russian link to Crimea. The attempt to expel Russian forces from southern Ukraine is expected to be the next major phase of the war and hinges largely on retaking the southeastern city with a pre-war population of 150,000 residents.

Image: Institute for Religious Freedom

At a summit side event focused on Ukraine, panelists including Vasin, Siniy, Igor Bandura, first vice president of the Baptist Union, and Andriy Dudchenko, OCU archpriest and lecturer at Kyiv Orthodox Theological Academy, urged the continuation of military support to Ukraine. Wherever Russia controls Ukrainian territory, all religious organizations come under the control of counterparts loyal to Moscow or they are disbanded or destroyed, panelists said.

The Ukrainian government has moved to restrict the activities of Orthodox churches affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate due to the ROCs support for the Russian invasion and collaboration with the Russian government, said Lauren Homer, president of Law & Liberty International and moderator of the panel.

In December, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky endorsed a draft law calling for members of parliament to make it impossible for religious organizations affiliated with centers of influence in the Russian Federation to operate in Ukraine. If passed, the law could halt the activities of the UOC.

The UOC took steps to distance itself from the Moscow Patriarchate in May, including calling for holy myrrh produced in Ukraine to replace sanctification oil from Moscow in services. Yet this week, Ukrainian officials concluded that the UOC is not autonomous enough (having failed to pursue autocephaly like the OCU) to avoid sanctions.

Zelenskys draft law followed raids by the Ukrainian security service on 350 UOC buildings including the 11th-century Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO site known as the Monastery of the Caves that both Russia and Ukraine claim as their spiritual heritage.

Russias deputy chairman of the security council and advisor to President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, reacted to Zelenskys proposal by calling Ukrainian authorities enemies of Christ and the Orthodox faith in a statement posted on Telegram.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian evangelicals hope for peace and religious freedom for minorities as promised in Ukraines constitution.

People are devastated there [in Melitopol], said Bodyu in recorded testimony from Poland, where he has relocated with his family. We are waiting for the Ukrainian army to take those territories back so we can have our church buildings and our ministry back, and we are praying about this.

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Pope Francis calls on South Sudanese churches not to stay neutral when witness to acts of injustice Catholics walk 9 days to meet the pontiff in Juba

Pope Francis, who is on a three-day peace mission in South Sudan, met with the Catholic leadership, urging churches in the war-torn country not to remain neutral but to speak out against injustice and the abuse of power, as dozens of pilgrims spent nine days walking to reach the capital city of Juba to meet the pontiff.

On his first full day in South Sudan on Saturday, Francis addressed Catholic bishops, priests, and nuns in Jubas St. Theresa Cathedral.

Brothers and sisters, we, too, are called to intercede for our people, to raise our voices against the injustice and the abuses of power that oppress and use violence to suit their own ends, The Guardian quoted Francis as saying.

He said religious leaders cannot remain neutral before the pain caused by acts of injustice.

South Sudan has experienced civil war resulting from ethnic conflicts since 2013, two years after gaining independence from Sudan. Despite a 2018 peace agreement, the situation has not improved.

Let us ask ourselves what it means for us to be ministers of God in a land scarred by war, hatred, violence and poverty, the pope said. How can we exercise our ministry in this land, along the banks of a river (White Nile) bathed in so much innocent blood?

Many citizens of South Sudan see the church as a source of hope as it plays a prominent role in social welfare and in providing a sense of community.

According to the United Nations, there are 2.2 million internally displaced people in South Sudan, with another 2.3 million who have fled the country as refugees.

Francis also met with internally displaced people (IDPs) at Freedom Hall in Juba, Catholic News Agency reported.

You, from all your different ethnic groups, you who have suffered and are still suffering, you who do not want to respond to evil with more evil. You, who choose fraternity and forgiveness, are even now cultivating a better tomorrow, he was quoted as saying. Be seeds of hope, which make it possible for us already to glimpse the tree that one day, hopefully in the near future, will bear fruit.

Sara Beysolow Nyanti, a representative of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, also spoke at the event. She said an estimated 8 million people in the country are expected to experience food insecurity this year.

About 60 Catholic pilgrims completed a nine-day journey on foot to seek the Popes blessings in Juba, BBC reported.

Some women in the group said their faith and love for their country sustained them during their long journey to see the pope. NightRose Falea, a pilgrim, was quoted as saying, When the spirit is with you, you do not get tired.

They spent several hours each day walking and spent the nights at parishes along the way. It was tiring but worth it, another pilgrim, Faith Biel, was quoted as saying.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the head of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields, are accompanying the pope in South Sudan.
No, the Holocaust is not just one of many tragic events of human history

According to a tone-deaf editorial published on Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Kentucky Courier Journal, Jews do not have a monopoly on persecution and atrocities, and Hitler was just one of many dictators. Accordingly, International Holocaust Day is not just a mantra about one Jewish holocaust, but about every genocide, every mass tyranny that is carried out upon any group based on skin color, religion, gender identity and ethnic background. We must not forget, nor suppress, the truths of all those crimes that happened and are still happening.

No wonder that Noam Blum commented on Twitter, Brain addled progressives cannot ever condemn antisemitism without burying it in a mountain of general identity grievance.

On a practical level, this would be like saying after the murder of George Floyd, This is not the time to focus on the issue of police brutality, since brutality occurs in all kinds of settings around the world every day.

Or, when teaching children about the harsh realities of the American slave trade, we say, African Americans do not have a monopoly on being enslaved. Many people from many other backgrounds have been enslaved as well.

Who would tolerate such nonsense?

It is right and fitting to commemorate the singular sufferings of particular people or nations, just as it is right and fitting to commemorate the singular accomplishments of particular people or nations.

This is beyond obvious  unless, rather than celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., we simply remember all those who stood up for justice. Or, rather than celebrate the American Revolution on July 4th, we celebrate all freedom movements in history. Or, rather than remember the Armenian Genocide, we simply remember lots of people who faced ethnic cleansing through history.

Who on earth thinks this way?

But when it comes to the Jews and the Holocaust, how dare we draw specific attention to this horrific event. After all, other innocent people died in World War II, let alone in other wars. And other people have been hated and despised as ethnic and religious minorities. As for Hitler, hes just another run of the mill, dime a dozen bad guy. Nothing special there. Why all the fuss?

The editorial actually claims that For one group, for one person, to claim that the hate and violence towards them is more important than anothers, only encourages more acts of violence against others, including Black people, Asians, Hispanics, Muslims, LGBTQ+, trans-gender and Native Americans. This list is not all-inclusive.

Seriously? If we emphasize the horrors of Jewish suffering under the Holocaust without mentioning all these other groups, this will encourage more violence against them? This is beyond nonsensical.

The reality is that there are three crucial reasons that the Holocaust must be remembered.

First, it is a unique evil among historic world evils, and Hitler was a uniquely evil leader.

How many other historic events involved the intentional mass execution of 6 million people in cold blood, representing two-thirds of Europes 9 million Jews? And how many other historic events involved the murderous, meticulous, and systematic collaboration of several nations?

How many people groups saw the extermination of 90% of their population, as happened in Poland, where Jews had lived for more than 1,000 years and where 3 million out of Polands 3.3 million Jews were slaughtered? And shall I mention that among the 6 million were 1.5 million children and babies?

Second, as monstrous as the Holocaust was, there have been systematic attempts to deny (or, at the least, minimize) its existence, right until this very moment. In certain countries (in particular Islamic or Communist), generations of children have grown up without any real knowledge of the Holocaust, other than it is a Zionist myth or the like.

As for other countries, Holocaust ignorance abounds. A 2019 survey in the UK found that, Five per cent of UK adults do not believe the Holocaust took place and one in 12 believes its scale has been exaggerated, a survey has found.

A 2020 article from the Pew Research Center stated that, Most U.S. adults know what the Holocaust was and approximately when it happened, but fewer than half can correctly answer multiple-choice questions about the number of Jews who were murdered or the way Adolf Hitler came to power, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Even back in 2014, an article in The Atlantic reported that, A new survey suggests that many Asians, Africans, Middle Easterners, young people, Muslims, and Hindus believe that facts about the genocide have been distorted.

And this ignorance exists despite the mountains of photographs, videos, artifacts, and eyewitness accounts, even from eyewitnesses still alive today.

If we do not actively keep the memory of the Holocaust alive, with each passing year, its unspeakable atrocities will be sanitized or erased.

Third, antisemitism is on the rise today, including acts of both verbal and physical violence. As noted on Yahoo News October 28, 2022, an audit by the Anti-Defamation League published this past April found that incidences of antisemitism reached an all-time high in the United States in 2021, with a total of 2,717 incidents of assault, harassment, and vandalism reported. According to the ADL, this was the highest number of incidents reported in over 40 years, averaging out to nearly seven per day. It also marked a 34% increase from 2020.

In countries like France, it was noted already in 2016 that, Jews are leaving France in record numbers amid rising anti-Semitism and fears of more Isis-inspired terror attacks.

And in the ultimate rebuke to the Courier Journal editorial, a Muslim terrorist killed 7 Jews in Jerusalem as they left their synagogue on the very evening of Holocaust Remembrance Day. And, according to the Jerusalem Post, the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist groups praised Fridays attack.

No, the Holocaust is not just one of many tragic events which have taken place in human history, nor does remembering the Holocaust take away from the memory of other tragedies, some of which were also unspeakably evil.

Instead, it is essential that we keep the memory of the Holocaust alive because the unique hatred that inspired it is alive and well and thriving today.
A detransitioner in agony recounts how gender doctors manipulated him into castration, hormones

Warning: This article contains graphic details of chemical and surgical procedures performed on an individual who once identified as transgender. Descriptions also include bodily functions of adult subject matter.

When Marcus Fitz started ejaculating blood it finally occurred to him that just maybe the medical professionals he trusted had been misleading him.

For several years, he said, the doctors he saw enticed him with gender transition surgery and led him to believe that being castrated was a beneficial option that would improve his overall health and well-being.

Fitz, 41, is originally from the Midwest and now resides in California. He is among the rising number of people known as "detransitioners," having identified as transgender for over a decade. Fitz lived a "mostly stealth" life and frequently lied to coworkers, neighbors and new friends about his biological sex.

Now suffering from a host of medical complications as a result of years of hormone treatment, including phantom pain in his groin and bouts of severe depression, he is five years into his detransition journey and is reintegrating with his anatomically male body.

At his request, he is using a pseudonym in this article and other identifying details have been removed for fear of harassment. He believes it's important that people learn about the deceptive practices at gender clinics that push cross-sex hormones and transgender surgeries, which he says have left him psychologically scarred, physically mutilated, and with a severely compromised endocrine system.

To verify Fitz's story, CP corroborated his account with several people he identified who confirmed that the story he shared was truthful. CP also reviewed medical documents and relevant court filings.

Gender confusion early on

Growing up in the culturally conservative Midwest, school was always hard for Fitz, as he was frequently bullied throughout every grade.

"I was not the most masculine boy. I had effeminate traits, was called homophobic slurs  and this was well before the age of developing any sense of sexuality. So I grew up with this idea that gay was bad and not something that I wanted to be," he detailed.

As he matured and became more aware of his sense of self and how he would carry himself, he began to see how homosexuals were mocked and that he was displaying some of those behaviors and stereotypes.

Uncomfortable with his body during adolescence, the pubertal processes were never explained to him. The random erections, nocturnal emissions, and other bodily developments caused extreme self-consciousness, leading him to think he was a pervert, the kind he saw villainized in books and movies.

Fitz was not raised in a religious home, calling his upbringing "secular" but with "good Midwestern rural values." Politically speaking, he has always leaned to the left but considers himself an independent and not an ideological purist.

It was at a public university in the Midwest in the late 1990s and early 2000s where he first heard about transgenderism, recalling a moment when he read an article in the student newspaper written by someone who said he realized that being effeminate made him a woman despite actually being physiologically male. Seizing on this, Fitz thought: This is the answer! I'm not gay, I'm just actually a woman.

Thus, a relocation to the West Coast was in order so he could figure this out in an ostensibly more supportive environment. Upon graduating from college he sold all his belongings, said goodbye to his family and headed to California. Not long after he settled in, he went to a community free clinic in the city where he talked to a clinician who, he would later find out, was not a licensed therapist and was serving in more of an intern role, a student volunteer.

"I spoke to her maybe four times. She was fascinated with me," Fitz said, noting his earliest memories of exploring transition.

Much of what she said during those sessions was along the lines of "discovering your authentic self" as the opposite sex and other transgender jargon Fitz now considers to be nonsense.

She ultimately referred him to a local gender clinic so he could seek medical transition, which he did. After waiting an hour at this new clinic, he had a 15-minute appointment with a registered nurse who immediately affirmed him as the opposite sex. At the end of the appointment she prescribed him hormones.

"If you think you are trans, that means you are trans," Fitz said the nurse told him, adding that those were her exact words.

"Then I was given this piece of paper to sign which had many scary things on it and I was told not to worry about them, that they 'would do everything in our power to prevent them' and that this was basically a formality."

The paper was an informed consent document, which CP reviewed.

Fitz was prescribed estradiol and spironolactone. Estradiol is synthetic estrogen in pill form. Spironolactone is an anti-androgen, a testosterone suppressant, also in pill form.

He started taking the drugs, began dressing in women's clothes part time, and consulted pro-transgender internet resources, which he says contain "all sorts of horrible advice."

Further contributing to the idea that transgenderism was a glamorous pathway was the 2005 film "Transamerica" starring Felicity Huffman, who received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her leading role in the movie. The movie reportedly contains a line saying that after genital surgery "not even a gynecologist would be able to tell the difference, which, Fitz says, is "stupidly untrue."

As Fitz became more serious about becoming trans he realized that there was only one way to go: cut off all ties with family, and change one's name, wardrobe and sex marker on all of his official legal documents.

"There's no alternative. That's just what you do," he told CP, adding that transition is always billed as "medically necessary."

Within the institutions promoting the medicalization of gender, the people staffing the offices have an answer for almost every concern or objection.

When Fitz expressed concerns about the ill effects the hormones might have on his liver, he said he was told: "Well no, don't worry about that. That's why we do blood tests every six months."

The small dose of estrogen he was given was quickly increased. He soon found himself taking six milligrams of estrogen. He was told up front that spironolactone was a diuretic, which concerned him about the potential damage to his bladder, wondering if he was going be incontinent later in life. After he started detransitioning, he was informed that the six milligrams of estrogen he had been prescribed was the legal maximum dose.

The transgender illusion intensifies, the surgery push



"This whole [transgender] thing became kind of intoxicating, socially and physically. It was kind of a thrill. I felt I was treated better. People were smiling at me on the street, holding doors open for me. I was getting all this positive attention," Fitz recalled.

"And estrogen in males, it kind of dulls our senses, mellows us out  and it feels good."

But it also made him a bit of a mess, he admitted.

During his transition years he was unemployed and underemployed a number of times, going on unemployment insurance for a single 18-month period spanning 2008 to 2010.

Every time Fitz went to the clinic for an appointment, the office staff would try to sell him on the idea of surgery, he said, marketing it to him as though it was the next logical and necessary step in his journey.

"Every appointment began with: 'How are your prescriptions and would you like any surgery?'" he said.

"It was like going into a restaurant and the waiter offering you the menu," he said, describing the office staff as reading from a sales script. "It was an up-sale."

Though he didn't have benefits, when Fitz was able to work full time it made him feel successful, that things were at last going to work out after years of struggling.

Being a "free" clinic, the office had a sliding scale program that was government-subsidized.

"I would go in and they would ask: 'What is your income, what are you assets?'" he recalled.

"So if you're making nothing and you have maybe $5,000 in your checking account, you don't have to pay anything  not for the appointment, not for the pills. If you're making $10 or $15 dollars an hour and you have $10,000 in your checking account, then maybe you have to pay $15 dollars as a co-pay. But it was never very expensive at all," he said.

The financial ease with which he was able to acquire the drugs psychologically fed his perception that none of this was a particularly big deal and that this was, in fact, normal medicine.

After one such "up-sale" in the gender clinic in 2011, Fitz said he "broke" and said to them: "You're always asking me about surgery. What have you got? What are you trying to do?"

He was then told about feminizing facial surgery where they would shave down part of his brow, shave down his Adams apple  called a chondrolaryngoplasty  and place implants in his chest and hips. They also offered the full vaginoplasty, where they remove the testicles and invert the penis to resemble a vaginal canal.

"'Or we could just do an orchiectomy,'" he recalled being told. The surgery involves removing the testicles from the scrotum. But they didn't say the word "testicles" when they explained the procedure, he asserted.

"That word was never used. The gender clinic staff always avoided sex-specific biological terms, preferring genderist euphemisms instead. I was told we were 'removing the part that makes testosterone.' I thought they were removing a tiny part of the testes, not the whole of them," he said.

This was appealing to Fitz because he was informed it wouldn't change how he looked, felt, or functioned, and that it would cut down on his dependence on hormones.

"I thought, that sounds great! It's a win-win," he said, thinking this would alleviate his concerns about the wear and tear the hormonal treatment was having on his bladder and liver.

Additionally, the surgery was relatively inexpensive  only $1,000  and would only take 20 minutes to perform. The doctors made it sound as though he would be getting a mole or a tooth removed, as though a tiny piece of his testicles was a bothersome, worthless piece of his anatomy that was harming him, and that the procedure to remove it was perfectly safe and normal.

He agreed to the surgery, though he asked if he should get a second opinion. He recalled being told that he did not need a second opinion and to just get a letter signed off by a urologist.

Fitz called up a urologist and had a consultation with him. The urologist asked him if he was sure he wanted to proceed and if he had spoken with his doctor. The urologist signed off on it and an appointment for surgery was scheduled for six weeks later in November.

In 2015, when he began detransitioning, Fitz looked back at the experience and recalled being amazed at how quickly it all happened.

Asked to describe what the surgery was like, Fitz recounted: "I was told to lie in a bed and my legs were placed in stirrups. They then put you out, cut a little hole in the scrotum, and then fish them out and cut them off."

The surgical procedure was a much bigger deal than what he was led to believe.

On the day of the operation, he took public transit to go to his surgery appointment and was surprised that they made him take off all his clothes and put on a hospital gown and haircap, and lie on an operating table. This was no simple mole removal or tooth extraction, he would soon learn.

As he was wheeled into the operating room and was surrounded by medical staff, surgical equipment and lights, Fitz's fears mounted.

"I started to ask questions like 'what's that?' and 'who is this?'" he said.

No one answered him.

Right before the anesthesia drugs took effect and he became unconscious, as they had already inserted the needle in his arm, he remembered saying, "Stop!"

The surgical aftermath

When he finally came to, he was "looney tunes all day" because of the drugs and he was in an enormous amount of pain. When the bandage dressing came off a few days later he could see that this was a radical change. Contrary to their promises, he was shocked to find that he looked quite different.

"And when I went to my doctor for a follow-up, the doctor was gleeful, celebrating the surgery as a wonderful metamorphosis," Fitz said.

Because his appointments were always relatively short  approximately 15 minutes  he never got to say much.

Fitz described himself during his earlier years as a party kid and a "serial one-night stander," never having had many close long-term relationships. Fueling his thinking that his decision to transition was the right thing to do was the political environment of the day. Radical change was in the air, he remembers sensing at the time. The Occupy Wall Street movement was making noise around the country and the Arab Spring was underway.

"I had this feeling that the world was changing. People were also talking that in 2012 the world was going to end," he said, "a lot of revolution, so let's charge forward. But I was behaving in a short-sighted way."

There were several times he would go to bed with someone and, as a passable woman, his female partner would be surprised to find he had male genitals. Fitz now regrets not being honest about that. He teased men sexually but was afraid of them and never put himself in scenarios where he would be alone with men or slept with men. Sometimes he would engage in prolonged kissing with men, he said.

But after the surgery, sex was all but impossible.

"I didn't hate my genitals, but now they looked strange, weird. My scrotum looked like a deflated balloon, like the weird thing that hangs off a chicken's neck. It's lifeless, an empty sac," he said.

He did not have sex for approximately one year.

"But then I had sex because I wanted to have sex and I discovered that I was ejaculating blood," he said.

On one particular occasion when he was with a woman he became sexually aroused and had a premature ejaculation, and it was bloody.

CP confirmed with an endocrinologist that this is indeed possible after an orchiectomy.

"That scared me, so I went back to my doctor and he said, 'Oh, I don't know. This shouldn't happen, we'll run all kinds of tests," Fitz said.

They ran tests and it took several weeks to get the results. He was then advised to "wait it out," get a different desk chair, and to stop riding his bicycle. Fitz took all of those steps but nothing helped.

As doubts about what he had undergone began to set in, he thought the problem might be that he needed better, more expensive doctors. For that he'd need a higher salary so he decided to learn to code and write software. By the end of 2014, he got hired as a software engineer.

With better health coverage he thought he'd be able to see any doctor he wanted. At his last appointment at the gender clinic, he received a message along the lines of: "Oh, by the way, your last blood test indicated that some of your levels are low and we need you to start taking prescription-level Vitamin D and calcium."

When Fitz asked if this was a temporary prescription he was told that it was not, that it would probably be for the rest of his life. When he pressed the staff further he was told that it was as a result of the surgery.

"The surgery was supposed to make me healthier," he replied, "why would I now need to take prescription vitamins?"

The reason was that he was no longer producing the necessary hormones needed to maintain adequate bone density.

Fitz said he kept asking questions but before he knew it, his 15-minute appointment was over and he had to leave. Increasingly concerned, he starting asking for his medical records and began reviewing them carefully. He also asked for the letter he was asked to get signed from a urologist so he could go forward with the surgery.

The letter said that Fitz was of sound mind and was in good physical health, exceeded the standards of care set forth in the current guidelines from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

For the first time, Fitz looked up the WPATH standards of care which stipulate that before hormonal treatments begin patients are supposed to have had a psychological evaluation. Fitz maintains he never had one. Prior to surgery he was supposed to, according to the guidelines, have two more evaluations. Fitz says he never had those either.

Upon closer review of his medical records, which he shared with CP, he realized that the doctor had taken notes of his thoughts but had never noted any of Fitz's concerns about what the drugs might do to his liver or bladder. Irked by this bias, he began researching his doctor's background and discovered that his doctor was actually a trans-identifying woman who presented as a man.

All these years he thought he had been discussing his distinctly male health issues with a man.

"I felt horribly betrayed," Fitz told CP.

"There's an intimate level of appreciation for your genitals and if you're not even the same sex you can't fully understand that, just as I have no idea what it's like to menstruate or ovulate because, obviously, I can't."

Fitz also discovered that the doctor was a clinical activist, and when she was not working at the gender clinic she was giving slideshow presentations at various meetings with other doctors for more "gate-opening." This doctor called herself a "gate-opener" as opposed to a gatekeeper.

Determined to get some answers, he scheduled yet another appointment.

"This letter is an outright lie," he recounted telling the doctor when he confronted her. "You lied to the surgeon and said I exceeded the standards of care, but the standards of care said I should have talked to three therapists and I haven't talked to any."

Fitz said the doctor responded by telling him that she wanted to ensure he wouldn't be denied the operation because she knew he couldn't afford a therapist and suggested the surgery for his own benefit.

Fitz told CP he now wishes he had a recording of their conversation. He said the doctor then got up and left the room and returned with a signed document.

He said the doctor brandished the consent waiver he signed and reminded him that he was warned about the potential for adverse effects caused by the treatments.

At first, Fitz said he didn't recognize the form because many years had passed since he had last seen it. He then realized it was his informed consent document that he had signed in 2006. The form wasn't included in his medical records when he requested to see them because it had been filed in his administrative record, which he does not have access to.

"So they get you to sign this piece of paper and then they put it away where you can never see it or find it and then they only produce it when you start calling them out," he explained. "It's for their benefit, it's a defense for them."

Suicidal ideation sets in amid devastation

The weight of what had transpired and the years of deception summarily hit Fitz.

Extremely depressed and in agony, he imagined and researched ways to kill himself, wondering how he might cause his death in a relatively painless way.

He thought he might travel to Canada and try to fall asleep in a snow drift or maybe swim out in the Pacific Ocean and drown himself. He sank even deeper into despair and thought he should maybe destroy his entire body, ashamed his family would discover what he had done if his body was ever recovered. Perhaps then the best course was to try and have some kind of contraption crush him under a heavy object, or maybe self-immolate by flying to Hawaii and jumping into a volcano, he remembered thinking.

Fitz also considered taking the leftover pain meds his doctor had prescribed and acquire a gun and kill himself in front of his doctor at the next Pride parade because this doctor always had a booth at the event pushing transgender medicine and surgeries. Maybe offing himself in such fashion could make an "unignorable political point and stun the doctor," he said.

He said he had it all planned out but ultimately balked.

Fitz said he attempted suicide once, opting to jump to his death from the balcony of his high-rise apartment, but it was foiled. His cat was looking like she was going to jump off with him and he didn't want her to die, so he stepped back from the edge.

But then he felt as though suicide was wrong entirely and he should try to channel his anguish in a positive direction and use his painful experience to help other people in similar situations.

Shuffled around to doctors

In the months that followed, he was shuffled around to various doctors, all of whom were either LGBT-identified themselves or sympathetic to transgenderism. None of them helped him, he said. One told him he needed to get some therapy to help him get over his "internalized transphobia."

Exasperated beyond words, he figured he would go revisit the surgeon that performed the orchiectomy years earlier, thinking a follow-up visit might provide more answers.

When Fitz returned to his office, he said the surgeon was surprised to see him and claims he denied any responsibility for the complications he suffered after the operation. According to Fitz, the surgeon got defensive and asked him to leave his office.

Fitz said he didn't budge, recalling that he told the surgeon that he was indeed a big part of his ordeal and that the surgery caused a lot of his misery. The surgeon got up and opened the door, demanded Fitz leave or he would call the police and suggested he call a lawyer.

Fitz went home and started looking for local medical malpractice lawyers, calling dozens of different attorneys, most of whom did not return his phone calls. A few talked to him but refused to work with him and allegedly called him a "bigot" or "transphobe." Others thought his situation was weird and told him they didn't understand the issues and didn't want to get involved because it sounded too risky.

Only one person said he would help him.

"I felt very stuck. If only one in 40 would help me then I must be desperate, I'll do anything my attorney says," Fitz told CP.

As he pursued legal recourse, he also finally found a physician who was willing to help him detransition, a doctor who advised him to get therapy, which he did. Fitz also opened a Twitter account and began tweeting under a pseudonym. He was frequently attacked by transactivists and their left-wing cheerleaders.

As it became clearer he was detransitioning and rejecting a trans identity, many of his local friends started distancing themselves because they either felt outwardly offended or uncomfortable around him and stopped talking with him. These supposed friends considered him a political liability.

Around this time, existential questions were besetting him. "Am I trans? Is anybody trans?" he would wonder. Compounding the confusion was the emergence of news stories about Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce, and Rachel Dolezal, a white woman who worked for the NAACP who claimed to be black.

As transgenderism was being mainstreamed, his peers would excitedly ask him if he was happy to see positive coverage of transgender-identifying persons.

"And I would say: 'Well, actually, no. The whole thing is a fraud and it's starting to fall apart for me and I bet it will for everyone else too,'" he would respond.

Such exchanges were awkward and he found himself not getting invitations to parties and gatherings of friends. Others whom he thought were friends stopped taking his phone calls.

Fitz found the cognitive dissonance staggering that Dolezal was widely mocked and rejected for saying she felt like she was black but Jenner was enthusiastically embraced for saying he felt he was a woman.



The only people who offered him any meaningful help and support at the time were Christians and radical feminists.

"But today, a few short years later, support is more diverse, as more of the general public has become aware of how little sense transgenderism actually makes. I've got support from men and women, gay and straight, left and right," he said.

On Twitter, the only ones who would tweet sympathy were radical feminists. He started learning more about radical feminism, and much of the analysis made a lot of sense to him. Radical feminism, he soon learned, was quite different from third wave liberal feminism, which supports transgender ideology.

Fitz took legal action against one of the doctors who treated him but is not legally permitted to say how it ended. But he was, at the time, satisfied with the conclusion.

The postoperative agony continues

As the months went by in his detransition process, Fitz increasingly found himself wanting to live free from hormones so he stopped taking them. Doctors told him not to do that but he did anyway and he soon got sick. Because of the hormone withdrawal, he started experiencing menopause-like symptoms.

"I was irritated and confused. I was fatigued. I had hot flashes and cold chills. I became easily injured. It was a bad deal," he said.

About a year into his detransition, he received a diagnosis of being medium functional on the autism spectrum, a common comorbidity to gender dysphoria that gender ideologues usually ignore. Fitz maintains that that condition contributed to his struggles to communicate effectively with doctors.

Fitz also had to get a mastectomy. As a result of the estrogen intake he had grown breasts.

After having a prescription drug crash on one particular day, he recounted how the proverbial fog lifted and he took stock of his life, surveying the past near-decade, feeling like it had all been "some weird party-trick."

"I used to look in the mirror and I thought I looked too male and I need to correct that. And now I was looking in the mirror and I looked too female," he said.

He shopped around for various surgeons to remove the excess breast tissue, but some refused him because he was a detransitioner.

Before he could proceed, his surgeon requested he go on testosterone for a year. He found that, as a male, testosterone made him feel healthy and clear-headed and that it helped him sleep.

"I hate that I now have an addiction to chemical testosterone," he said.

"Testosterone is also expensive. And when it's not a government plan that is paying for everything, it's costly. And it's also a controlled substance, much more regulated than estrogen because it's more abused."

Fitz said it is always an administrative hassle when he changes insurance companies.

He thought that once he stopped taking the estrogen the breasts would go away, especially because when he was younger he had gynecomastia  a condition that occurs as a result of an increase in the amount of breast gland tissue in boys or men, caused by a hormonal imbalance  that went away on its own. Unfortunately, his transgender chemically-induced breast growth was there to stay.

Fitz underwent a mastectomy in February 2019.

Fighting back

Fitz has managed to reunite with his family but they do not talk about his transition. To this day, they do not know he had an orchiectomy. He is unsure about what they know of his cross-sex hormone use.

"I don't bring it up and they don't ask questions," he said. "They're aware of some details but not all."

"They were glad to have me back. But I feel really awful for my sister because I abandoned her. She has a few kids. She had a baby when I left, and now she has two boys and one is in high school.

"I feel guilty about that."

Yet as he continued to search for answers, he found some detransitioners online, all of whom lived in California. He eventually got together with a few of them and discussed their transition journeys.

Around that same time, another former transgender presented an opportunity for Fitz and a few others to meet with attorneys from a Christian legal firm to discuss their legal options.

Fitz had never heard of this firm but since other lawyers "didn't give a damn" about him, he was grateful for any legal advisers who might be willing to listen and help.

"I didn't know they were conservative-leaning Christians and when I looked them up it didn't bother me," he told CP.

In the fall of 2017, he and about a dozen other detransitioners went to their headquarters and sat at a table for several hours and shared their stories with them.

"From breakfast to dinner we talked. We talked and the lawyers listened. And it was very nice. Because to that point, no one was listening to us," he said.

After they shared their personal ordeals, they discussed what they might do on a legal front. CP confirmed with another detransitioner that this meeting indeed happened.

Fitz believes lawsuits are the best tool for social change and hopes to be part of a large-scale effort to sue the gender clinics that harmed him and his fellow travelers. Though he took action against his doctor, he also wanted to sue the surgeon who performed the orchiectomy. But as a result of state statute of limitations, he could not.

Many states, including California, have one-year statutes of limitations for legal action to be taken against surgeons for malpractice. Because Fitz didn't attempt to have sex for over a year after his surgery, it was too late for him to realize he had a problem, and his primary care doctor had told him to wait it out and that it would get better on its own.



This is a typical experience of other detransitioners he has spoken to who also regret their surgeries, he noted.

"They'll say 'I want to sue!' And my first question to them is: 'Well, how long has it been?'" Fitz said.

"It often takes up several years to come out of this gaslighting fog of what has happened to us and by then it's far too late."

He believes the laws are written to protect the doctors and their insurers. When lawsuits are filed against doctors, the plaintiffs mostly deal with their insurance companies, he said. Fitz still wants to sue the surgeon who removed his testicles but does not know if that is possible.

"I'd like to sue WPATH for their convoluted, misleading and negligent standards of care. I'd like to sue the Endocrine Society for being complicit. I'd like to sue the California Medical Board. I'd like to join a class-action lawsuit. I don't know how these things can happen," he said.

Other attorneys with whom he has explored this seem interested but often act cagey and only call him when they want to speak with him but never reply to his emails when he wants to communicate with them.

"The other side has decades on us, in terms of setting up the laws in their favor, so it's very tricky," he said. "It all sounds so crazy but that's because it is crazy. When you start to look at it underneath a microscope it really is eugenics, a messed-up situation."

Fitz believes that the transgender movement shares significant overlap with the transhumanist movement, specifically the notion "that your body is just a machine you can take apart and put back together."

In addition to taking part in lawsuits, he wants to organize detransitioners and is interacting with groups and individuals that have gone public with their detransition stories.



CP contacted the Endocrine Society to ask whether the organization was backing any research on or offering any support to detransitioners, and how their guidelines are adhered to in clinical practice, and if they take a position on the promotion of surgery as the best option in light of how it was marketed to Fitz. No one was available to speak and we were referred to their guidelines.

Dealing with regret, fighting for hope

"I wish I would have been taught to accept myself. A lot of this [transgender ideology] is a weird, inside-out head game of discovering your 'true self.' But it really ends up destroying yourself," he said, when asked what would have helped him not go down this route in the first place.

"I wish I had learned that there was nothing wrong with being an effeminate boy, that it didn't make me a woman," he said, adding that same-sex attraction itself is not harmful, and that medical and surgical interventions are not the solution to psychosocial problems or mental illness.

When he sees opposition to transgender medicine, he often encounters outrage about the pathway to sterilization that the combination of chemical puberty suppression and cross-sex hormones creates in gender-nonconforming youth.

While that is a legitimate issue, Fitz implores people not to forget the myriad of medical harms that result from the gruesome surgeries that are not discussed as often.

"I have scars on my genitals now. I am missing some of my genitals. I have phantom pain. I have a chemical dependence on a regulated drug made by a private corporation," Fitz said.

"I feel like I'm pretty much f-----. I wish that I could just go buy some land and farm and leave the world behind. But I can't. Because of all this. It's such an unnecessary mess. It didn't get me anywhere.

"If you're not satisfied with the result of these treatments and surgeries, the medical community will abandon you," he said.

"And nobody will know what to do with you because they refuse to research us and they refuse to publish information on what our needs are," he said of detransitioning people.

What compounded his confusion for so long was the atmosphere of the city, with gay rainbow and trans pink and blue-striped flags flying everywhere as people saunter around in the streets sporting "they/them" pronoun buttons.

Fitz believes he looks a little better after having had the mastectomy though he still experiences numbness in his chest from the operation.

"I've been told I can get testicle implants to look even better but that wouldn't affect how I feel or function. I'd still have the phantom pain because you need the nerves to be communicating with the organ that is missing. I'd still have the sexual disruptions and dependence on pharmaceuticals," he said.

His attorney had to work extra hard to get his sex markers changed back to the original on his legal documents. Detransitioning his identification papers has presented more hurdles than switching them to opposite sex markers.

"I actually had to have a legal battle to restore my birth certificate. Some of the other documents were tricky at some points too," Fitz said.

"I'm willing to talk to anybody who seriously seems interested in caring. I've talked to several journalists. Most of them don't end up publishing. I never know why."

He concluded: "I hope for a medical breakthrough to restore my wrongful amputation, to help me look and feel whole again, and to put pharmaceuticals behind me. I write to researchers working to bioprint regenerated testes in the lab, to let them know people like me exist, and I donate to their efforts. I write to surgeons performing penile transplants, to ask that they explore testicle transplants. And I meditate on restoration by means beyond science, including miracles."
Abortion clinics charge for basic services that pregnancy centers offer for free: report

Pregnancy centers are more likely than abortion facilities to offer supportive services to pregnant women and less likely than abortion clinics to charge them for pregnancy tests or ultrasounds, according to a recent study.

The study, published in the journal Contraception, conducted a nationwide "mystery caller study" to survey 445 pregnancy centers and 445 geographically paired abortion facilities. Michael New, a pro-life researcher, praised the researchers methodology as rigorous.

Data from pregnancy centers and abortion facilities in all 50 states was included in the study, New, an associate scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute, said in a statement emailed to The Christian Post.

It is worth noting that Contraception is not a conservative journal, and most of their articles do not portray pro-life efforts in a positive manner, he said. As such, the fact that a Contraception study found that pregnancy centers offer services that were both faster and less costly to women is powerful evidence of outstanding, life-affirming work done by the approximately 3,000 pregnancy help centers in the United States.

According to the study, 68.5% of pregnancy centers that participated in the survey said they offer same-day appointments, compared to 37.2% of abortion facilities. The study also found that the median wait time for an appointment is zero days at a pregnancy center and one day at abortion facilities.

Ninety-eight percent of pregnancy centers provided women with free pregnancy tests, while only 16.6% of abortion clinics did the same. The median cost for a pregnancy test at an abortion facility was $24 and the median cost for an ultrasound at an abortion facility was $162.50, whereas pro-life pregnancy centers never charged for either service.

Our findings demonstrating that pregnancy confirmation is more accessible at crisis pregnancy centers than at abortion facilities are predicted to be exacerbated in the wake of abortion clinic closures following the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision, the study reads.

The study's analysts claim their research highlights the need for improved funding and support for pregnancy confirmation service delivery in medical settings, including abortion facilities. However, New told CP that the study provides powerful statistical evidence that pro-life pregnancy centers are more helpful to pregnant women than abortion facilities.

According to an analysis released in June by the Charlotte Lozier Institute, since 2016, pregnancy centers have prevented more than 800,000 abortions by providing women with community-based support.

The Christian Post recently reported that a group of mothers visited the office of Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren to show examples of how pro-life pregnancy centers have supported them in response to the senator's claims that pro-life organizations deceive and torture women and should be "shut down."

Warren also introduced the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act, which would require the Federal Trade Commission to penalize pregnancy centers and their employees who would face criminal charges and fines as high as $100,000 or "50 percent of the revenues earned by the ultimate parent entity of a person during the preceding 12-month period."

The mothers who protested outside Warrens office with their babies in tow shared how the Stanton Healthcare clinic helped them navigate their pregnancies. According to a tweet from the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, chief strategy officer for Stanton, the women also extended an invitation for Warren to visit the center.

The effort is part of an initiative launched by Stanton Public Policy Center and the pro-life Purple Sash Revolution the week leading up to the annual March For Life in Washington, D.C.

While the organizations also planned to visit the office of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, to share their stories and also invite her to visit the center, the group of mothers were met with a locked door at the congresswomans office.
Baptist church mourns loss of seminary student, youth director killed in accident

A 30-year-old student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Missouri was killed in a car accident last week. She was a beloved student at the seminary and had served as a youth director at a church in Kansas City, which announced plans for a memorial service on Wednesday.

Caylee Dugger, a student of Master of Theological Studies in Missions and a youth director at First Baptist Church North Kansas City, died in the crash Thursday on Oklahoma Highway 2, Baptist Press reported.

She was traveling to Texas to visit her nephew when the accident occurred, and, as Fox 4 reported, it was a three-vehicle wreck and is being investigated.

The entire seminary community mourns the passing of Caylee Dugger, seminary President Jason Allen said in a statement. She was a delightful young woman, devoted to seeing others come to faith in Christ. Even as we grieve, we grieve not as those without hope. Our hope is in Christ  as was Caylees.

Allens wife, Karen, who is the director of the Midwestern Womens Institute, added, I was deeply saddened to learn this morning of Caylees tragic car wreck. ... To know Caylee was to love Caylee. Her deep passion for the nations was evident, and I know the ladies in Midwestern Womens Institute will greatly miss her, as will I.

Duggers church said in a Facebook post that a memorial to celebrate her life will be held Wednesday at First Baptist Church in her hometown of Joelton, Tennessee.

On the churchs website was a description of Dugger that said: Her love for good coffee, good conversation, and good books is only surpassed by her love for God and His Word. When Caylee isnt sipping coffee and reading her Bible or another book you can find her writing, hiking, paddle boarding, traveling, or simply exploring the city around her. Caylee has worked and traveled extensively.  She hopes to one day return overseas to serve as God leads.

In a blog post last June, Dugger wrote: Im a Christian. Im a follower of Jesus who holds the Bible as the infallible Word of God and who believes that I am saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. The Holy Spirit is at work in my life making me more like Jesus every day (even when I fail and mess up, He is still faithful) and at the end of all things, when Im worshiping the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the only title thats going to matter is Redeemed.
China responds to US shooting down Red Zeppelin as tensions rise

Tensions between the U.S. and China escalated further this weekend with the Chinese foreign ministry expressing extreme displeasure after the U.S. military shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon, nicknamed Red Zeppelin, off the eastern seaboard Saturday, several days after it had flown thousands of miles over the continental U.S.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the balloon was sent to surveil strategic sites in the continental U.S.

A U.S. F-22 fighter jet used an Aim-9X Sidewinder missile on Saturday  four days after news of its existence spread worldwide when a Billings Gazette photographer in Montana took photos of it with a large telephoto lens  to destroy the spy balloon when it was six nautical miles off the southeast coast in U.S. airspace, The New York Times reported.

The tensions have led to the suspension of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkens scheduled trip to Beijing, which would have been the highest-level U.S. visit to China in four years.

Blinken referred to the balloon, roughly the size of three buses, as a violation of U.S. sovereignty on Friday, according to Reuters.

China expressed strong dissatisfaction and protest against the U.S. for attacking what Beijing claimed was a civilian unmanned aircraft, according to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry.

The ministry claimed the balloon entered U.S. territory accidentally due to "force majeure."

China clearly asked the U.S. to handle it properly in a calm, professional and restrained manner. A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense also stated that the balloon will not pose a military or personal threat to ground personnel, the statement reads. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of relevant companies, while reserving the right to make further necessary reaction.

Experts warn that the relationship with China could spiral downward depending on Beijings response.

Its a bit worrisome when nuclear powers start shooting down the surveillance vehicles of the other, although surely the Chinese would have done the same if the situation were reversed, The Wall Street quoted Daniel Russel, a former senior State Department official now with the Asia Society Policy Institute, as saying.

Before the concerns over the spy balloon, U.S. military aircraft had close encounters with Chinese military aircraft in the South China Sea region amid growing tensions over Taiwan.

President Joe Biden said he initially wanted to shoot down the spy balloon when it was spotted above Montana but was warned of the danger to residents on the ground.

Republicans criticized his delayed decision, calling it a display of weakness toward Beijing.

On Wednesday when I was briefed on the balloon, I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down  on Wednesday  as soon as possible, Biden said after landing in Maryland to spend the weekend at Camp David to work on his State of the Union speech. They decided, without doing damage to anyone on the ground, they decided that the best time to do that was as it got over water ... within a 12-mile limit. They successfully took it down and I want to complement our aviators who did it, he added.

However, retired Army General Jack Keane, a former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army, didnt agree with Biden.

Remember, this was approaching the United States over water, Keane told Fox News. It was approaching the Aleutian Islands over water. And we had plenty of opportunity to take it down then. And thats when it should have happened. We had to be tracking it from mainland China across the Pacific Ocean, and we had plenty of warning to put together an operation that we are conducting now on the East Coast that should have been done there.
Satanic Idaho planning Capitol ritual to protest bill criminalizing sex-change surgeries for kids

A proposed bill in the Idaho Legislature that would criminalize the chemical castration and bodily mutilation of children and teens is being opposed by a group of satanists.

Republican state Rep. Bruce Skaug introduced the Vulnerable Child Protection Act on Tuesday that would make the dispensing of experimental puberty blockers and performing sex-change operations on youth  both of which can lead to sterilization  a felony.

If the bill passes both chambers of the state Legislature and is signed into law by Gov. Brad Little, it would mean anyone convicted of performing such procedures could face up to 10 years in prison, according to the draft legislation, which is co-sponsored by Republican state Sen. Lori Den Hartog.

Skaug, a self-described fiscal and social conservative who chairs the Idaho House Judiciary, Rules and Administrative Committee, introduced a similar bill last year, which passed the House before failing in the Senate.

Conservative Christian advocacy group Idaho Family Policy Center is partnering with Skaug on the effort for the second consecutive year.

While the bill "protects children from harmful pharmaceutical and surgical interventions for the purpose of changing the appearance of a child's sex," the legislation would not interfere with any medically necessary treatments, such as for endometriosis, sex development disorders or some types of cancer, according to a fact sheet released by the Idaho Family Policy Center.

The group said in a statement: Five other Republican-led states have enacted laws banning irreversible pharmaceutical and surgical interventions for children struggling with gender dysphoria. Its time for Idaho to follow their lead and make sure we protect vulnerable children in our communities from radical gender ideology.

The bill is still awaiting a hearing and must be voted on before moving forward in the Legislature.

In response to the draft legislation, a satanic group in Boise is announcing plans to hold a so-called gender affirming ritual at the State Capitol building as part of a protest against the bill.

A group calling itself Satanic Idaho is promoting the Hail Yourself: Gender Affirmation Ritual to remind [Idahoans] that not everyone uses religion to condemn, but to accept, according to a flyer on social media.

While the details of the ritual are unclear, a page on The Satanic Temple (TST) website describes such a ritual as a religious practice that is used to dispel any shame or stigma surrounding ones gender identity due to religious discrimination or cultural ignorance.

Idaho is among some 26 states where more than 80 bills have been introduced to limit or criminalize body-disfiguring sex-change surgery and other procedures for minors.

In 2021, Idaho adopted a new law defunding abortion providers and banning them from receiving contracts to teach sex education in public schools, ensuring that no state or local taxpayer dollars are allocated to promote or perform abortion.

House Bill 220, known as the No Public Funds For Abortion Act, defunds outfits such as Planned Parenthood but exempts publicly-funded hospitals and allows Medicaid to be used to pay for abortions.

The measure also bars school districts and public colleges from entering into contracts for abortion organizations to teach sex education and also stops public colleges and universities from providing drugs to end a pregnancy after conception.
12 Christians killed by radical Fulani herdsmen as Nigeria rises among ranks of worst persecutors

ABUJA, Nigeria  After authorities in Nigeria ignored warnings that thousands of cattlemen were arriving in Benue state, suspected herdsmen attacked two villages there and killed 12 Christians, sources said.

Last Saturday, the assailants attacked Ichembe and Mbaigbe villages in Kwande County and wounded dozens of others, besides destroying houses, crops and farms, said Michael Aondohemba, general coordinator of the Turan Peoples Assembly (TUPA).

Before these attackers unleashed their fangs of terror on our hitherto peaceful communities, we had raised early warning alarms on the influx of thousands of herdsmen into the banks areas of River Benue where our communities are located, Aondohemba said. We had called on security agencies to intervene, but no help came, thereby leaving our helpless, poor and innocent people vulnerable.

Area resident Joseph Asawa sent Morning Star News a text message stating that the 12 people killed were Christians.

The 12 Christians were gruesomely massacred by suspected herdsmen, Asawa said. Many other Christians were displaced from the two communities, and theyre currently taking refuge at Jato-Aka town.

Aondohemba of TUPA said that the destruction inflicted on the two villages left no doubt that the assailants were planning further bloodshed in the communities.

We are thoroughly pained that these suspected herdsmen have continued to terrorize our communities despite the alarm raised by Christians in the area, Aondohemba said. We view the renewed onslaught against our communities as a scheme aimed at decimating us and gradually entrenching anarchy in our communities.

He called on the Nigerian government to urgently come to their aid.

Aondohemba identified five of the slain as Tersugh Iorliam, Tersoo Samu, Ngolo Ndera, Ternenge Asaku and Udoji Penda.

Seven other Christians killed have had their corpses evacuated to the mortuary in a hospital in the area, he said.

A member of Nigerias National Assembly, Bob Tyough, said that entire Christian communities were being destroyed by armed herdsmen and other terrorists while the government seemed incapable of curtailing the carnage.

Human life is sacred, and only God who is the supreme Creator has the right to freely take what He gives, Tyough said. It is my belief that those who attack the innocents have no single atom of piety in their heart and therefore should not expect mercy from the supreme Creator.

He called on the government to order security agencies to urgently end attacks, and he decried the surge of such atrocities in Benue state.

I empathize with families of the Christian victims over the death of their loved ones and want them to take solace in the fact that the fallen ones have only gone to rest with their Creator and at the appointed time will surely rise with Jesus Christ on the judgment day, Tyough said.

Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, with 5,014, according to Open Doors 2023 World Watch List report. It also led the world in Christians abducted (4,726), sexually assaulted or harassed, forcibly married or physically or mentally abused, and it had the most homes and businesses attacked for faith-based reasons. As in the previous year, Nigeria had the second-highest number of church attacks and internally displaced people.

In the 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Nigeria jumped to sixth place, its highest ranking ever, from No. 7 the previous year.

Militants from the Fulani, Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and others conduct raids on Christian communities, killing, maiming, raping and kidnapping for ransom or sexual slavery, the WWL report noted. This year has also seen this violence spill over into the Christian-majority south of the nation Nigerias government continues to deny this is religious persecution, so violations of Christians rights are carried out with impunity.

Numbering in the millions across Nigeria and the Sahel, predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani do adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdoms All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief (APPG) noted in a recent report.

They adopt a comparable strategy to Boko Haram and ISWAP and demonstrate a clear intent to target Christians and potent symbols of Christian identity, the APPG report states.

Christian leaders in Nigeria have said they believe herdsmen attacks on Christian communities in Nigerias Middle Belt are inspired by their desire to forcefully take over Christians lands and impose Islam as desertification has made it difficult for them to sustain their herds.
Lawmakers join Evangelical leaders to repent for nation's sins of abortion, LGBT lifestyles

Several members of Congress joined Evangelical leaders at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., Wednesday morning for the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, asking God to forgive the many ways the country has strayed from His will.

The gathering, featuring several Republican lawmakers, was held a day before President Joe Biden, a Democrat, attended the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.

Among the variety of topics addressed at the event was the reversal of Roe V. Wade, in which attendees thanked God and asked for forgiveness for the "murder" of children through the act of abortion over the past decades.

"Father, you have heard our millions of prayers and acted graciously to end the supposed right to kill our own children. For you Lord are good and ready to forgive and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon you. Therefore, I repent for my own sins and those of the Supreme Court and for your Church and for my nation," prayed pro-life lawyer Allan Parker, the president of the nonprofit litigation firm Justice Foundation who represented Norma McCorvey, formerly "Roe" of Roe v. Wade, from 2000 to 2012.

"For we have sinned and are sinning grievously against you in the murder of children," Parker continued in his prayer.

"We have not boldly proclaimed and insisted that the sacred right to life in the Fifth and 14th Amendments of the Constitution includes the life of children and in the womb. In Jesus name, please help us, save us, protect us and defend us, almighty God."

Lisa Washington, the city director of Love Life ministry based in New York City, prayed that she is thankful for God protecting her life from abortion. She thanked God for His grace in forgiving her for her sin of abortion.

"Thank you for keeping my mother from being able, Lord, to abort me. I come before you, Lord, this morning, and I just want to publicly thank you for forgiving me of my own sin of abortion. I thank you Lord for your healing. I thank you for your deliverance," Washington said.

Love Life ministry is a nonprofit organization that mobilizes "the Church to create a culture of love and life where women and men that are faced with unwanted pregnancies can start running to the local church rather than the abortion clinics for real help and hope."

Washington said that she also repents on behalf of other women and men for their pride, selfishness and sexual immorality when it comes to the issue of abortion. She also prayed for forgiveness for the Church for not spreading awareness and providing enough support, pushing women to seek an abortion.

"I do also repent for the killing of 64 million innocent children. Lord, we call them 'a choice,' but you, through the prophet Ezekiel, said: 'they are your children.' Lord forgive us," Washington said. "Father, we want the pleasure of sexual intimacy. But we don't want the responsibility. We say forgive us. You made it clear, Lord, that we are always to choose life, but yet we choose death, Lord. Forgive us."

"Please Lord, forgive your Church. Lord, Forgive our silence," she continued. "Lord, forgive our apathy. God forgive our inaction, when your Word clearly commands us, Lord, to rescue those that are appointed for the slaughter, to save those that are staggering to their death God," Washington added. "Cause us to rise. Mobilize your Church, Lord."

Pastor Jim Domen of California's Church United, who grew up with same-sex attraction, repented publicly for the sin of homosexuality and living a gay life.

Church United is a ministry designed to help church leaders reach prominent leaders in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, California, with annual "Watchmen on the Wall" conferences. Domen, a pastor since 2004 and married to his wife for over 10 years, is the author of a book about his life journey to help those struggling with their choices titled: Not a Mistake: Parents' Hope For Their Gay Son.

"Jesus, I repent for the sin of homosexuality and living a gay lifestyle. I exchanged the truth of sexuality as you created only between a man and a woman for a lie," he prayed. "God, my heart grieves for your Church. Your Church is to bring light and Jesus' truth to a hopeless world. Denominations, churches and pastors have [given into] lies," Domen prayed.

In his prayer, Domen said that "for the first time in history, every branch of the federal government promotes sexuality outside [God's] design for men and women."

"Our government, social media, public education, the medical and pharmaceutical fields are mutilating our children's bodies and lying to kids that they can change their biological sex," he added. "Jesus, let your blood flow across my nation. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Specifically the sins of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality and sex confusion. And set Americans free, in the mighty name of Jesus."

Danielle Vota, also from the Church United ministry, asked God to forgive the sin of bisexuality.

"Father God, I repent of the sin of bisexuality. I rejected your Word and openly mocked your Son Jesus. My itching ears sought after false teachers to encourage my wicked behavior. I learned to call evil good and good evil," Vota prayed.

"I broke your sacred covenant of marriage by practicing an open marriage and a ployamorous lifestyle. And yet, you are so good and merciful because 'there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.'"

Vota prayed for the nation to have the courage to speak God's Word in such a bold manner that "the noise coming from the false teachers is nothing more than a dull murmur."

"Lord, please create a wave across this nation of contrite hearts, humbled hearts that are ready to see the true nature of their sin and our desperate need for a Savior," she added.

Kris Olsen, the founder of "Coming Out Again," added a similar prayer sentiment, asking God for forgiveness for her involvement in the lesbian lifestyle.

"Coming Out Again" "offers a one-to-one discipleship program, phone support, a family support group, and an itinerant speaker on the topic of undesired homosexuality."

"Father, in the name of Jesus, I repent of the sin of female homosexuality in all aspects of my lesbian thinking and behavior. I repent of the idolatry I engaged in of worshiping others and wanting them to worship me. I renounce my rejection of and disdain for God-given feminine gender and attributes," Olsen prayed.

"I renounce my disdain for men and their God-given gender attributes. Forgive my nation for teaching our youth to do the same. Forgive me and all who call themselves followers of Jesus for the deception that I could have a homosexual relationship and that You, oh Holy God, were willing to bless that fallen form of love."

Olsen offered prayers for church denominations that believe that God would bless same-sex unions.

"Father, have mercy on this country. We continue to purposely reject your truth about sexuality and how you've created it, making ourselves to be as God. Forgive us. Help us to turn to you in full repentance and humility that you might restore our natural affections," she concluded.

More prayers were offered throughout the nearly three-hour event. Biblical exhortations were also delivered by Evangelical figures like Anne Graham Lotz, Carter Conlon, Andrew Brunson and Jonathan Cahn to respond to God's call for the nation to repent.

Members of Congress in attendance include House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La.; Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill.; Rep. Rick Allen, R-Ga.; Rep. Brian Babin, R-Texas; Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas; Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala.; and Rep. Tracey Mann, R-Kan.
Mark Houck recalls 'most intimate prayer experience' in FBI custody: 'I was at the foot of Calvary'

Catholic pro-life activist Mark Houck, who spent several hours in detention after a highly publicized early-morning arrest last September, said he had the "most intimate prayer experience" of his life while in custody.

Houck appeared on Steve Bannon's Real America's Voice program "The War Room" Tuesday, one day after a grand jury in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, acquitted him of Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act charges.

In addition to announcing his intent to sue in response to FBI agents and state troopers descending on his house to arrest him at 6:45 a.m. on Sept. 23, Houck detailed the spiritual experience he had while spending nine hours in detention following his apprehension.

Houck's arrest and the indictment was in response to an altercation with an abortion clinic escort near a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia.

Houck told Bannon that upon arriving at the federal building in Philadelphia, he was "shackled at my waist and shackled on my feet."

"They put me in a room, a white room, with just a table in it, and they chained me to a table. That seemed a little extreme," Houck said. "I'm shackled on my feet and my waist for six hours."

The activist, who is president of the Catholic ministry The King's Men, described the time as "the most intimate prayer experience of my life."

"I was at the foot of Calvary," he said. "I was beneath Christ at the cross, and I felt tremendous peace, love and joy."

After Houck lamented his shackling as a "pure act of humiliation" and the United States Marshals' treatment of him as "a convicted felon," he elaborated even further on his spiritual experience.

Houck acknowledged that the shackles around his bare ankles were "put on pretty tightly" to the point where he could "feel the pain of it." He said, "entering into that pain" was "easy for me."

"Being a Catholic Christian man, I just invoked all the saints who I knew were persecuted over the course of their journey, all the martyrs," he said. "I prayed every mystery and decade of the rosary. I prayed every devotional novena I could think of. It was prayer without ceasing; I literally could feel the feathers of my guardian angel. It's the only thing I could do but offer up what I was dealing with for my wife and my children."

Houck said he didn't know what was going to happen to his family or if he'd be reunited with them. But he continued to pray.

"I felt so much peace because I was so intimate, so close to the cross of Christ that I could take the splinters off that cross," Houck said. "I could feel the sweat of my Lord."

Houck said he "felt blessed" and "honored to suffer," saying it was a "great gift in that way."

"I knew as I was dealing with this persecution that I was in the will of God, that I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was in the will of God and that I was right where he wanted me to be," Houck said.

As he spent the day in a dark room, Houck said he was "alone with his thoughts" and "alone with my God."

Bannon likened the behavior of the FBI agents and state troopers who detained Houck to "the Romans that [were] torturing and persecuting first-century Christians."

"Mark Houck was chained like a dog and brought in with all those FBI agents, all those state troopers for one simple reason," Bannon asserted. "He's lived Christianity. He doesn't talk about his religion. He doesn't go to church once a week like most Catholics and most Christians. It is his lived Christianity that brought him to be chained like a dog in that room."

After his release from custody, Houck reunited with his family.

"We embraced and we prayed and hugged and celebrated our reunion," he said.

Houck faced up to 11 years in prison and a fine of up to $350,000 as a result of an encounter that took place outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia on Oct. 13, 2021.

While an indictment handed down by the U.S. Department of Justice contended that Houck "twice assaulted a man because he was a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort," Houck provided a different characterization of what happened. He told Bannon that he "pushed" the Planned Parenthood escort after he continued engaging in conversation with the pro-life activist's then-12-year-old son as they prayed outside the clinic, even after he informed the man that he did not have permission to talk to the child.
After stalking for a long time, a retired Oregon vet slays a former employee's husband, with whom he had a history. The victim was discovered dead in a parking garage on Friday, January 27, at the Hillsboro Intel campus at the victim's workplace.

Retired Oregon Vet Stalks Victim for Years

In Hillsboro, Oregon, the accused identified as Steve Milner, 55, was arrested last Tuesday, January 31, after he murdered Kenneth Fandrich, 56, reported MEAWW.

An examination by the coroner revealed that the victim died from a blunt force trauma to the neck, remarked the wife of Fandrich of 30 years. Milner was kept at the Washington County Jail with charges of second-degree murder, stalking him, and not following a desist stalking order. Police have disclosed that the autopsy pointed to murder, but the cause of death is still being investigated, noted KGW8.

The deceased's wife said Milner was unreasonable and interfered with their lives before the desist order. In an interview with Willamette Week on February 1, she said it was the first time they went out not together. After her spouse did not answer her calls last Friday, she used a phone app to locate his mobile phone. She alerted the authorities and found him dead inside his car with his phone on the passenger seat. She was shocked that Milner carried out his threat.

Vet Kills Husband of Woman He Had an Affair With

Details saying Fandrich had reported to the police that Milner and his wife had an affair when she was working at the Oregon City veterinary hospital a few years back, cited Fox13. It began when she was bailed out of jail by the Milner after a dispute between the couple led to her arrest. However, she did not see the vet since.

Read Also: Blood-Stained Items Found in Idaho Murders Suspect's Home

Fandrich filed a lawsuit in court to stop the man from shadowing him. At one point, the vet attached a GPS device to his vehicle, but the police said it was not illegal. This was verified by the Clackamas County bomb squad, which removed it.

A bit later, before Fandrich's death, Milner followed him to work, prompting the former to report to the police. A Hillsboro policeman got the complaint, intercepted the vet, and issued a stern warning that a jail cell was waiting for him if he won't cease the harassment, but the warning was ignored due to no arrest or getting charged.

Victim Threatened by Murder by the Retired Vet

Before Fandrich died, there was an occasion when he expressed danger for his well-being, saying Milner would turn him to cutlets due to his veterinary background, but the no-stalk order followed weeks later. A year back, the ex-vet violated the order when he placed another GPS tracker on his future victim's truck. The defense of Milner had asked for additional time and cited issues for considering the case.

Fandrich's counsel Michael Fuller, who filed the case for the deceased, stated that with Milner's requests to stall the actions via the court, his client would have gotten civil justice. He added that it might be too late as his client is dead.

A disgruntled retired Oregon vet stalks and slays his victim later on after the police never realized the intent would turn to cold-blooded murder.

Related Article: WSU Freshman Discovered Dead Near Bryan Kohberger House

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Uyghurs detail Chinese prison camp horror stories: From broken legs to 24/7 propaganda

WASHINGTON  Two Uyghurs who fled from China detailed their family members experiences in concentration camps and called on the United States government to take stronger action against the Chinese Communist Party at the third annual International Religious Freedom Summit.

The third annual International Religious Freedom Summit was held on Tuesday and Wednesday. Religious freedom activists, elected officials and survivors of religious persecution from across the globe took to the stage to tell their stories and outline what actions are needed to advance religious freedom in their countries.

Many discussions focused on the plight of Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group primarily residing in the far-western Chinese province of Xinjiang.

Uyghurs are targets of harsh treatment by the Chinese Communist Party, which views the ethnic group as inferior to the dominant Han Chinese. Hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs have found themselves subject to forced labor and torture in the concentration camps to get them to pledge loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party.

Two Uyghurs, who now live in the U.S., attended this year's conference and shared their experiences with persecution in interviews with The Christian Post.

Jewher Ilham, who lives in the District and works at the Worker Rights Consortium, an "independent labor rights monitoring investigative nonprofit organization," hasn't heard from her imprisoned father in six years.

"The last time we heard from him, he was held in Urumchi First Prison, and that was six years ago, in 2017," she said.

In a 2019 interview with CP, Ilham revealed that her father was set to teach at Indiana University in the U.S. in 2013 when Chinese authorities detained him before he could board a flight to the U.S. While Ilham was attempting to board the same flight, Chinese officials let her go, thinking that she would be kicked out of the U.S. because of her visa status. Instead, the U.S. government accepted her as a refugee.

While Ilham hasn't heard from her father in six years and doesn't know if he is alive or dead, she provided an account of what she learned at the beginning of his captivity.

"The first few months actually when he was arrested, we learned that he was denied food twice, each time for 10 days. And so he lost over 40 pounds just within a few months, and all his hair turned gray. When he was first arrested and detained, he was locked up with lots of criminals."

After noting that her father was "beaten inside the prison cell," Ilham shared information she received from a former inmate who was locked up in the same prison as her father but was later released.

According to the former prisoner, Ilham's father "was teaching inside the prison" and was tasked with judging the quality of skits or plays put on by groups of prisoners to determine which one most effectively praises the Chinese government.

The former inmate also informed Ilham that her father "had a small TV in his room that plays Chinese propaganda 24/7 with very loud volume and strong light, the light won't shut off. So he basically lives in an environment where it's 24/7 bright and loud and full of noise of only about praising the Chinese Government, all this propaganda [about] how China's great, how [the] Communist Party is great."

Ilham suggested that the Chinese Communist Party wants to humiliate her father in retaliation for "his criticism over [the] Chinese government's practices in the Uyghur region," which many rights groups contend amounts to genocide."

She stressed that while she wouldn't describe her father as "anti-China," he "definitely criticized the Chinese government's practices before."

Ilham told CP that current and former government officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Vice President Mike Pence, had "all publicly raised [her] father's case several times."

"I also heard that they had raised my father's case in different meetings as well with Chinese delegations, but unfortunately, we haven't seen any positive results just yet," she said.

Like Ilham, Kazzat Altay's father is in prison for criticizing the Chinese government. Altay has resided in the U.S. for nearly two decades after fleeing the country following "harassment by Chinese intelligence."

Altay initially settled in Turkey after leaving China in 2005, moving to the U.S. in 2008. He has resided in McLean, Virginia, located outside Washington, D.C., since 2008. He attended this year's IRF Summit to "speak about Uyghurs and what they're suffering," outlining his experience with persecution in an interview with The Christian Post.

Altay received a message from his father on WeChat in 2018 reading: "son, they're taking me." Altay told CP that "after a few months, I found out he was in a concentration camp," adding, "since China did not give me any information about my dad, I thought he was dead."

Two years later, after Altay became president of the Uyghur American Association, he saw his father appear on Chinese national television. Altay's father identified himself as "the father of [the] President of [the] Uyghur American Association" before assuring his son that "our government is treating me well" and urging him to "stop what you are doing."

His father essentially denounced him on TV, warning him that if he did not abandon his advocacy with the Uyghur American Association, "I don't have a son like you." Altay's father is currently under house arrest, and Chinese officials visit him daily to ensure he has not left home without permission. "He is tracked everywhere he goes."

While Altay has not spoken to his father recently, his brother keeps him updated on his condition.

"He's OK, but unfortunately, while in the camp, they broke his leg, and he is suffering because of that. He can't walk properly. Other than that, I think I'm also happy that he's not killed like many others. Many Uyghurs, many of my colleagues, my friends, their parents are still missing, so at least I know that he's at home right now."

Based on conversations Altay's father had with his brother about his experience in detention, he learned that "at night, he didn't want to get up for the restroom because if he gets up, there's no space for him to sleep." Altay cited this as an example of "how tight that place is" and "how miserable that place is" where "people were taking turns to sleep at night because [there was] not enough space." He also noted that "the restroom was just in the corner, there was no wall, there's no doors."

Altay's father spoke of how prisoners found themselves "sitting on the concrete for 10 hours one day and standing under the sun for five, six hours" another day. Ilham and Altay have other family members who have also ended up in concentration camps at one time or another.

"Two of my uncles were in a reeducation camp for two years. Now, they have been released. Their health condition wasn't that great after they were released. I found out all this information from our Han Chinese friends when they visited my family because I cannot communicate with them very frequently," Ilham explained.

"My cousin has been sentenced to 10 years back in 2017," she added. Ilham's cousin, a nurse named Nuraliya Yalqun, was detained at one of the common checkpoints located throughout the Uyghur region of China after authorities discovered a photo and article about Ilham's father on Yalqun's phone.

She noted that under Chinese law, receiving a phone call from overseas can constitute a crime in addition to "having a photo of your uncle."

Other members of Altay's family also ended up in concentration camps at one time or another, echoing Ilham's assertion that "talking to us itself is a crime." He suggested that they have not talked to him because "they are scared to talk to us."

Ilham says she has faced threats from the Chinese government even though she has lived in the U.S. for nearly a decade. While attending Indiana University, the Uyghur activist "received [an] envelope that had [a] blade in it."

That freaked me out, obviously," she recalled. "Nothing was written in that envelope besides that little blade, just one piece of blade. That was it. It was just put in my mailbox, so it wasn't mailed to my place, so that person definitely knew where I lived and was physically there."

Four years after graduating from Indiana University, Ilham still has "knives hidden in every single room" of her apartment. Residing in Washington, D.C., her advocacy on behalf of Uyghurs serves as a vital part of her full-time job.

"My role is to mainly combat Uyghur forced labor," she explained. Ilham participated in a panel discussion on "corporate accountability" and discussed efforts to discourage American corporations from relying on slave labor by Uyghurs detained in concentration camps to make their products.

Ilham touted the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act as a major success in combating reliance on Uyghur slave labor.

"Since June of 2022, the [United States Customs and Border Protection] has started implementing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which bans all products from the [Uyghur] region from coming into the U.S. since it has [a] high possibility of them being tainted by Uyghur forced labor."

Ilham indicated that she planned to "talk more about why [it is] so important to hold corporations accountable and why [it is] so important for the U.S. to implement this law in a more robust way and how it can help eliminate or at least decrease [the] amount of forced labor-tainted goods in the consumer market."

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Dec. 23, 2021. Ilham identified the bill as one of "multiple attempts by the U.S. government in helping the Uyghur people and in stopping the Chinese government from further persecuting these ethnic groups."

"There [is] also the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act that was passed as well, that was passed before the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act," she added.

While Ilham expressed gratitude for the efforts of Congress and the White House to address the plight of the Uyghurs and her situation specifically, Altay is convinced that the Biden administration can do more.

Contending that the Biden administration has done the "bare minimum" to hold China accountable, he shared his perspective as "a Uyghur looking at the situation."

"I don't think President Biden is doing enough. He's not tough on China. I think he is being soft," Altay asserted. "It's just  I believe that he is hesitant to make China angry."

Altay expressed concern that the U.S. "is not doing well on controlling [the] Chinese agenda in the U.S." He maintained that "in colleges and universities, in think tanks, [and] in tech companies, there [are] lots of people that [are] working for Chinese intelligence." He called on the U.S. government to "pay more attention to this issue."

Altay concluded the interview by insisting that "we need to pass more bills to make sure that doing business with China is not easy."

"We need to [diversify] our supply chain out of China because our dependency is also becoming [a] national security issue for the United States," he proclaimed. Altay felt little optimism that major companies in the U.S. would act morally, stating their purpose as to "maximize shareholder return."

"It's not about humanity; it's not about freedom," he said. "We need to tell them what to do, which I believe is possible through legislation."
American tourist arrested for vandalizing Jesus statue at church in Jerusalem: 'You can't have idols'

An American tourist has been arrested for vandalizing a statue of Jesus Christ at a church in Jerusalem, reportedly due to his belief that the statue constituted idolatry.

A man in his 40s, whose name has not been released to the press, was arrested Thursday after he defaced and broke parts of a statue of Jesus at the Franciscan Church of the Condemnation, a property that includes the Church of the Flagellation.

In a video taken at the church, the man could be heard shouting, "you cant have idols in Jerusalem, this is a holy city," Fox News reported.

According to tradition, the church was built on the space believed to be where Jesus was flogged by the Roman soldiers back in the first century and presented with a cross to carry.

"We take very seriously damage to religious institutions and sites," an Israeli police spokesperson said in a statement. "The police will continue to act against acts of violence and vandalism in the holy places of all religions."

Custodia Terrae Sanctae, a Franciscan organization that oversees the care and protection of Catholic Church holy sites in the Middle East, released a statement denouncing the vandalism.

The vandalism marked the fifth incident within the last month, according to Custodia Terrae Sanctae, which cited examples of recent vandalism that included attacks on a monastery and a local Christian cemetery.

We follow with concern and strongly condemn this growing succession of serious acts of hatred and violence against the Christian community in Israel, added Custodia Terrae Sanctae. It is no coincidence that the legitimization of discrimination and violence in public opinion and in the current Israeli political environment also translates into acts of hatred and violence against the Christian community.

The group went on to call upon the Israeli government to act decisively to guarantee security for all communities, to guarantee the protection of religious minorities and to eradicate religious fanaticism.

Last month, a group of people believed to be radical Jewish Israelis attacked an Armenian restaurant in the Christian quarter of the city, waving Israeli flags and throwing chairs at patrons.

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land denounced the violence leveled against the restaurant, expressing concern over the escalation of violence in the Holy City.

This unprovoked violence instilled fear in the shopkeepers and residents of the Christian quarter as well as visitors, stated the Assembly.

It is only the latest in a series of episodes of religious violence that is affecting the symbols of the Christian community and beyond.
Russia's stake gets high, so deploying the next-gen robot Marker to Eastern Ukraine is an answer to sending more combat robots. Their arrival in the Donbas will signal the start of a significant force to crush all opposing Ukrainian forces.

Russia's Marker Robots as Most Modern Weapon Systems

Last February 2, Dmitry Rogozin, the former Roscosmos Chief and head of the special military advisory group 'Tsar's Wolves,' posted on social media that four of these robotic combatants will be tested by Russia in the Donbas region in the eastern Ukraine district, reported The Eurasian Times.

These robotic weapons, called unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), look like tanks with weapons mounted on a tracked platform that features sensors and firearms, as mentioned by Army recognition. One more system is the drone launching system, with machine guns and anti-tank missiles.

He added experts are trying out algorithms for actual warfare in a swarm of combat robots. A month earlier, these new autonomous systems are indeed scheduled to join the special operations in Ukraine.

Disclosed a quarter of these combat automatons were on schedule. Next is downloading the unit's target images and algorithms, mounted tank killer armament to send Abrams and Leopards rest.

One particular unit of fighting-tracked robots is a shock variant to be sent to Ukraine this February to destroy NATO tanks with a special loadout. After the US and Germany decided to send tanks, the Kremlin decided to pull the stops.

Read Also: Germans React to Sending Leopard Tanks to Ukraine

Now Russian officials a calling for the destruction of western tanks by troops, citing the Moscow Times. One report states that per tank obliterated will have an alleged bounty of 1 million USD or more.

Once the destroyer robots know what the Abrams and Leopards look like in the CPU database, from visible to infrared. It can decide if the target is a western tank or not. He added that it's a vital addition to the robotic system to use its anti-tank weapon efficiently. Though the specs of the tanks will be downgraded for AFU because there is no confidence that Ukrainian tank crews can use them as intended, these downgraded western tanks are still valid tests for Russian combat robots.

Next-Gen Marker Robots To Target Enemies in Ukraine

The Marker UGV, built by the Android technique firm with the Advanced Research Foundation, is as heavy as three tons with the most cutting-edge advanced object identification and autonomous movement systems.

Only a first-generation combat robot will test systems for the second generation when all systems are analyzed, equipped with a drone to be its eyes in the sky, with defensive and offensive weapons to go over terrain in the field. It has a modular multispectral vision system akin to a neural network.

Rogozin mentions the attack UGV defines what target it destroys first, like a human choosing the right target and how to demolish it. Its combat sensors turn 540 degrees with customizable loadout too. It's either a spotter unit or with weapons to attack with.

Though not meant to fight, testing capabilities to see if it can face a western tank too. Russia's new weapon in Eastern Ukraine, called the Marker, is a next-gen robot that might change warfare as the aerial drone did.

Related Article: US Reluctant To Send Abrams Tank to Ukraine

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Russia receives China's Vice FM in a recent state visit to boost trust as the US, and its allies are more antagonistic to them, especially Washington. Ma Zhaoxu spent two days in Russia from Thursday to Friday on the big push to increase bilateral ties, meeting the Russian Foreign Minister and others at the year's start, reported Global Times.

Russia To Boost Trust with Beijing

During the state visit that engaged the diplomacies of the two allies, Vice FM Ma spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with other officials. Both expressed how Chinese and Russian relations were on all levels, from bilateral or overall cooperation to global and regional issues affecting them presently, noted SCMP.

These interactions with Moscow and Beijing are considered a major move of their respective diplomatic departments to enhance bilateral relations further. It was noted by Zhang Hang, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, remarked an outlet last Saturday.

On the New Year, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping sent greeting to each other on December 31.

Both leaders met on December 30 via a video conference, where Xi said that both nations have to amplify their strategic interests more than ever to give their countries more stability. Western emphasis on the Russian Federation and China as challenges to US hegemony that pulls its unwilling allies to confront them.

Read Also: Lui, Yellen Discuss Bilateral Relations Amidst Deteriorating China-US Ties

Recently FM Lavrov congratulated Qin Gang as the Chinese Foreign minister and spoke about developing a working relationship with him on foreign policies their respective governments will pursue. Implicating that close cooperation will be the lynchpin of their successful interaction, citing CGTN.

Chinese Vice FM Says Cooperation with Moscow Is Important

Zhang Hang focused on the strategic guidance of the heads of state and spoke of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination at the start of 2023 for top-level development and more political trust-related issues. Drew more attention to seeing all the fields their nation would gain from international coordination to counter those against them.

Added for it to get off without a hitch, that needed an agreement by their top leaders to maximize the overall benefits of such a two-way relationship. A subject of discussion would be the Ukraine conflict as the highlight of top-level talks for the state visit. Many challenges have arisen that must be dealt with, like how Washington is stoking the war against Moscow by giving military assistance to Ukraine.

The US is crossing a red line by sending bombs with longer ranges to embolden Kyiv to attack Russia itself, angering Putin, mentioned AP News.

Vice FM Ma places it bluntly that the Biden administration pushing the war by giving Ukrainians weapons it won't give before is provocative. It showed the intention of Washington to hold Russia in check, which benefits the US administration. Such moves will heighten the conflict that could lead to catastrophe.

Qin, on his part, states that Beijing will base considerations on the fundamental guidance of Xi on four points for all nations, as opposed to the US divisive action.

Related Article: Chinese Foreign Minister Takes a Swipe at US Allegations Concerning Debt Traps After African Union Snub

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 5)  The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial killings (EJK) will visit the Philippines to capacitate Philippine law enforcement agencies and medical practitioners in the field of forensic pathology, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.

Dr. Morris Tidball-Binz will visit the country from Feb. 6 to Feb. 9, the DOJ said. He is a medical doctor specializing in forensic science, human rights, and humanitarian action.

He was a member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from 2004 to 2020. He helped establish and eventually led the ICRC Forensic Unit. On April 1, 2021, Tidball-Binz was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial summary or arbitrary executions.

Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla clarified in a statement on Sunday that Tidball-Binz is not visiting the country in his capacity as a UN Special Rapporteur but as a forensic pathologist to aid in the examination of wrongful deaths.

He is coming in his capacity as an expert in the field to help capacitate our current doctors. We need more capable doctors in our country to assist our law enforcement agencies in their work, Remulla said. This is an enormous step towards that goal...[His] visit will help us identify the intricacies of wrongful death tragedies.

Remulla invited Tidball-Binz to the Philippines when the two met in Switzerland last November.

READ: PH invites UN special rapporteur on EJKs  Remulla

The forensic expert is set to meet with Remulla, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Chief Moro Virgilio Lazo, Philippine National Police Chief Rodolfo Azurin, and National Bureau of Investigation Director Medardo De Lemos.

His missions and projects have had an immeasurable impact on the countries he has helped, Remulla said, referring to Tidball-Binz capacity building and fact-finding missions held in over 70 nations.

He has provided closure for families of victims of EJK and enforced disappearances. We are hoping for the same when he visits the Philippines, Remulla said.

Tidball-Binz visit comes shortly after inconsistencies were found in the autopsy of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos, an EJK victim of the past administrations bloody drug war.

These inconsistencies include an incomplete police report, a superficial autopsy, and a bullet in Delos Santos' neck that had allegedly gone unreported in previous examinations.

READ: Inconsistencies in Kian Delos Santos autopsy found  forensic expert
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 5)  Alarmed by the rising cases of bullying in the country, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian seeks congressional inquiry on the status and implementation of Republic Act (RA) 10627 or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013.

Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said a comprehensive analysis and gap review of the anti-bullying law is needed to ensure that all schools are implementing procedures such as immediate responses, reporting, fact-finding and documentation, intervention, and disciplinary measures.

Kailangang masugpo natin ang bullying sa ating mga paaralan, lalo nat nagdudulot ito ng pinsala sa kanilang pag-aaral at mental health, he said in a statement on Sunday.

[Translation: We need to stop bullying in our schools because it causes damage to the learning and mental health of students.]

Section 2 of RA 10627 defined bullying as "any severe or repeated use of a written, verbal, physical, and electronic expression done by a student or school employee to a student that is causing fear of physical or emotional harm or damage to property; creating a hostile environment at school for the student; infringing on the rights of the student at school; or materially and substantially disrupting the education process or the orderly operation of a school."

This includes unwanted physical contact, slanderous statements, and cyberbullying.

Any school employee who commits bullying shall be punished by a fine of not less than 50,000 but not more than 100,000, at least six months but not more than one year imprisonment, or both fine and imprisonment.

A report from National Center for Education Statistics in 2019 showed that one out of every five (20.2%) students are being bullied.

It added that students who experience bullying are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, and lower academic achievement.

Gatchalian also cited the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2018 that showed among 15-year-old learners from 79 participating countries, Filipino learners are the most exposed to bullying.

The report also said 65% of students in the country experience bullying at least a few times a month.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 5)  Altai Philippines Mining Corp. (AMPC) on Sunday defended its lawful operations on Sibuyan Island in Romblon, as residents demanded to see the companys permits and licenses.

In a statement, APMC said its operations in the area underwent comprehensive environmental and socio-economic studies and outcome analyses, consultation with regulators and agencies, and engagement with surrounding communities.

Given this, we categorically deny all allegations questioning the legality of our Sibuyan operations, the statement read. Our company has secured all the necessary permits and licenses to lawfully and peacefully conduct our business in the area.

The mining firm also said it reached out to protesters to establish a dialogue but these efforts did not bear fruit.

Rodne Galicha, executive director of the environmental group Living Laudato Si, told CNN Philippines on Saturday that APMC had not reached out to them since they started a human barricade which tried to prevent the companys trucks from loading nickel ore.

APMC said its management was deeply saddened by the recent hostilities and claimed it has exhausted all means to help those who have been hurt.

The human barricade, set up in front of the companys port in Sitio Bato, Brgy. Espana in San Fernando, was dispersed by police on Friday, leaving two persons injured.

Residents also said a barangay official was briefly handcuffed but was released a few minutes later.

READ: 2 hurt in police dispersal of Sibuyan Island human barricade vs alleged illegal mining

APMC said it is conducting mining exploration in the area and planning to export 50,000 metric tons of nickel ore to be tested overseas.

In a multi-sectoral dialogue on Friday, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Mimaropa region said it served APMC three notices of violation after it found that some of the companys activities lacked the necessary permits.

READ: Mining company told to stop operations in Sibuyan Island  environmentalist

Lahat ng ginawa nila ay violation, ibig sabihin iligal na iyon dahil wala pa ngang permiso at walang ECC (environmental compliance certificate) yong kanilang causeway nag-construct na sila at ginamit nila, Galicha earlier told CNN Philippines.

[Translation: There were violations in all their activities and that would mean their operations are illegal. They dont even have a permit and ECC for their causeway project but they already constructed and used it.]

He said they will continue with their barricade until Tuesday.

Pero mas mahaba pa rin dahil ang nais namin ay ma-revoke, mapasawalang-bisa 'yong mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) ng Altai, he said.

[Translation: We want Altais mineral production sharing agreement revoked.]

In 2011, the DENR canceled the company's MPSA to explore resources on Sibuyan Island because of a complaint by then San Fernando Mayor Dindo Rios, saying mining operations will severely endanger the rivers and streams of Sibuyan.

The DENR lifted the cease-and-desist order on APMCs operations in September 2021.

CNN Philippines tried to seek clarifications from APMC but the mining company said it has yet to appoint an official spokesperson.

CNN Philippines correspondent Paige Javier contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 5)  The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has issued a notice of explanation to Altai Philippines Mining Corp. (APMC) for constructing a port on Sibuyan Island in Romblon without the necessary permit.

In a document dated Feb. 3, the PPA said it received letters from San Fernando Mayor Nanette Tansingco and environmental group Bantay Kalikasan ng Sibuyan, expressing concerns about the "alleged illegal construction" of the companys port located in Sitio Bato, Brgy. Espana, San Fernando.

"In this regard, we hereby refer to your end the above-mention manifestations for your information and submit comments on the matter within Five (5) Days from receipt hereof without prejudice to enforcement of existing rules and regulations of this Authority," the letter said.

Speaking to CNN Philippines on Sunday, PPA Batangas Port Manager Joselito Sinocruz said APMC applied for a permit last Jan. 25 but it was still for evaluation.

"Altai applied for PDC (permit to develop and construct) though the port is already existing and therefore punishable by a penalty of 100,000 as per PPA policy," Sinocruz explained.

When asked if the mining company can still use its port, Sinocruz replied: In practice, they can use [it] provided they pay 100% charges for not securing [a] PPA permit.

If APMC will not submit an explanation, Sinocruz said it means the management waives their right to be heard.

"[We] will still evaluate without the side of Altai on the basis of letter request of opposing group to issue a cease-and-desist order," he said. "Daanin lang sa due process para di tayo magkaroon ng technicalities in the future [Lets just observe due process so that there will be no technicalities in the future.]"

It has been 13 days since residents of Sibuyan Island and environmental groups formed a human barricade in front of the companys port, as they demand to see APMCs permits and other licenses.

It prevented the companys mining trucks carrying nickel ore from transporting the raw materials to the port and shipping them for testing overseas. A police dispersal on Friday allowed three trucks to pass through.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Mimaropa region has served APMC three notices of violation, as revealed on Friday during a multi-stakeholder dialogue where company representatives were also present.

READ: Mining company told to stop operations in Sibuyan Island  environmentalist

In one of the notices, DENR-Mimaropa said APMC violated the Water Code of the Philippines and DENR Administrative Order 2004-24 during the "construction of a docking port and the flattening of the proposed roadway by dumping gravel into the water" without an approved foreshore lease agreement.

Rodne Galicha, executive director of the environmental group Living Laudato Si', earlier told CNN Philippines that the human barricade of residents will continue until Tuesday.

In an earlier statement, APMC said it has secured the necessary permits and licenses "to lawfully and peacefully conduct our business in the area."

READ: Mining company denies 'illegal operations' on Sibuyan Island

CNN Philippines tried to obtain an interview with APMC but the mining company said it has yet to appoint an official spokesperson.

CNN Philippines correspondent Paige Javier contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 5)  Another overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Kuwait was injured after falling from a window of her employers house to escape, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) reported.

According to POEAs report dated Jan. 30, Myla Balbag fell from the third floor of her employers house in Hayteen Area.

On Jan. 21, 2023, her female employer caught her doing Tiktok in her room and became furious. They wrestle for the phone and the employer later seized her phone and head set, Welfare Officer Genevieve Ardiente said in a statement on Saturday.

After her employer confronted her, Balbag packed her belongings and tried to escape through the window.

She is currently in a hospital where she is being treated for multiple leg and spine fractures.

The POEA report did not specify what Balbags employer did to her.

Amid speculations that Balbag may have attempted to commit suicide, such an act, according to Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief Arnell Ignacio, is punishable under Kuwaiti law.

Kung ikaw ay mag-a-attempt mag-suicide, ikaw pa rin ay makakasuhan...Bibigyan natin kaagad siya ng lawyer in case this will happen [If you attempt suicide, you will still be charged...We will give her a lawyer right away in case this will happen], Ignacio told CNN Philippines Newsroom Weekend, addressing reports that Balbags employer will file a case of attempted suicide against the OFW.

Ignacio assured her family that the OWWA will intervene to keep it from happening.

Meanwhile, Jullebee Ranara was laid to rest at the Golden Haven Memorial Park in Las Pinas City on Sunday.

Last Jan 21, the burnt body of 35-year-old domestic helper Jullebee Ranara was found in a desert in Kuwait. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said Kuwaiti authorities have confirmed they have arrested the suspect  the son of Ranara's employer. An Arab Times report said autopsy showed that Ranara was pregnant.

READ: DMW vows justice for slain OFW in Kuwait

The Philippine government is not yet considering a suspension on the deployment of OFWs to Kuwait following the death of Ranara in the Gulf state.

DMW Secretary Susan Ople earlier said the agency is looking into forming additional safeguards to ensure the safety of OFWs in Kuwait.

She also said the Department of Foreign Affairs wants to have bilateral talks with the Kuwaiti government rather than imposing a deployment ban.

Kapag nag-impose kasi ng (if you impose a) deployment ban, you are sending a message that Kuwait is not suitable for workers, she said.

We are also considering the needs of the workers who are already there, she added.

READ: DMW not considering Kuwait deployment ban after OFW slay, eyes additional safeguards

Meanwhile, Senator Raffy Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, wants to gradually pull out OFWs in Kuwait and transfer them to places where OFWs are properly compensated and treated with respect, like Guam.

He also pushed for the implementation of a tight screening process and psychiatric examinations for employers in high-risk countries for the protection of OFWs.

READ: Tulfo bats for total deployment ban in Kuwait
(CNN)  China has expressed its "strong dissatisfaction and protest" against Washington's decision to shoot down its balloon, accusing it of "overreacting" and "seriously violating international practice."

US military fighter jets on Saturday shot down the balloon over the Atlantic Ocean in a mission President Joe Biden hailed as a success.

READ: US fighter jets shoot down Chinese spy balloon off East Coast

The United States believes the balloon was involved in espionage, but China has refuted this, insisting it was a civilian research vessel blown off course.

Shortly after the downing of the balloon, China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday morning local time expressing its "strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US's use of force to attack a civilian unmanned aircraft."

"The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure -- it was completely an accident," the Foreign Ministry said.

"China clearly asked the US to handle it properly in a calm, professional and restrained manner. A spokesman for the US Department of Defense also stated that the balloon will not pose a military or personal threat to ground personnel," the statement continued.

"China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of relevant companies, while reserving the right to make further necessary reaction," the ministry added.

US officials have pushed back on China's repeated claims the downed balloon was simply for civilian use and had made its way into American airspace by "accident."

"This was a PRC (People's Republic of China) surveillance balloon. This surveillance balloon purposely traversed the United States and Canada and we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites," a senior US administration official said.

The official said a second balloon, spotted over Central and South America, was "another PRC surveillance balloon" and bore similar technical characteristics to the one that flew over the US.

"Both balloons also carry surveillance equipment not usually associated with standard meteorological activities or civilian research," the official said. "Collection pod equipment and solar panels located on the metal truss suspended below the balloon are a prominent feature of both balloons."

Pentagon officials earlier this week said the balloon posed no "military or physical" threat. The US decided against shooting down the balloon while it remained over land due to the risk of falling debris hurting a civilian and instead waited until it was over the ocean.

The US military will now focus on debris recovery efforts.

The incident is the latest in a series of spying cases and has fueled a diplomatic crisis between Beijing and Washington.

Taiwan weighs in

Meanwhile Taiwan authorities on Sunday said that the Chinese balloon incident "should not be tolerated by the civilized international community."

The self-governed island, which China claims as part of its territory despite never having controlled it, has experience of similar balloons overflying its territory.

"Such actions by the Chinese Communist Party government contravene international law, breach the airspace of other countries, and violate their sovereignty," Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, calling on China's government to "immediately cease conduct of this kind that encroaches on other countries and causes regional instability."

Balloons believed to be used for "meteorological observations" flew over the island In September 2021 and in February 2022, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense.

But it remains unclear if those balloons were the same type as the one downed by US fighter jets on Saturday.

This story was first published on CNN. "China protests after US jets shoot down suspected spy balloon"
(CNN)  The young woman rifles through a fridge of popsicles, pulling out several to show the camera.

"This is milk flavor -- the picture is so cute," she says in English, pointing to the cartoon packaging with a smile. "And this is peach flavor."

After finally selecting an ice cream cone, she bites into it, declaring: "The biscuit is very delicious."

The four-minute video has racked up more than 41,000 views on YouTube, but this is no ordinary vlog. The woman, who calls herself YuMi, lives in North Korea, perhaps the world's most isolated and secretive nation.

Her YouTube channel, created last June, is one of several social media accounts that have popped up across the internet in the past year or two, in which North Korean residents claim to share their everyday lives.

But experts say not all is as it seems in these videos, and that the images contain tell-tale signs that the lives displayed are far from the norm for the impoverished millions under the dictatorship of leader Kim Jong Un.

Instead, they suggest, YuMi and others like are likely related to high-ranking officials and may be part of a propaganda campaign aimed at rebranding the country's international image as a more relatable -- even tourist-friendly -- place than its constant talk about nuclear weapons might suggest.

YuMi's videos "look like a well-prepared play" scripted by the North Korean government, said Park Seong-cheol, a researcher at the Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights.

Tell-tale signs

For decades, North Korea has been comparatively closed off from the rest of the world, with tight restrictions on free expression, free movement and access to information.

Its dismal human rights record has been criticized by the United Nations. Internet use is heavily restricted; even the privileged few who are allowed smartphones can only access a government-run, heavily censored intranet. Foreign materials like books and movies are banned, often with severe punishments for those caught with black market contraband.

This is why YuMi -- who not only has access to a filming device but YouTube -- is no ordinary North Korean, experts say.

"Connecting with the outside world is an impossible thing for a resident," said Ha Seung-hee, a research professor of North Korea studies at Dongguk University.

YuMi is not the only North Korean YouTuber turning heads: an 11-year-old who calls herself Song A made her YouTube debut in April 2022 and has already gained more than 20,000 subscribers.

"My favorite book is 'Harry Potter' written by J. K. Rowling," Song A claims in one video, holding up the first book of the series -- particularly striking given North Korea's typically strict rules forbidding foreign culture especially from Western nations.

The video shows Song A speaking in a British accent and sitting in what looks like an idyllic child's bedroom complete with a globe, bookshelf, a stuffed animal, a framed photo and pink curtains.

Luxuries for 'a special class'

The rosy depictions of daily life in Pyongyang may also give a clue to the social standing and identities of their creators.

YuMi's videos show her visiting an amusement park and an interactive cinema show, fishing in a river, exercising in a well-equipped indoor gym, and visiting a limestone cave where young students wave the North Korean flag in the background.

Song A visits a packed water park, tours a science and technology exhibition center, and films her first day back at school.

Park, the expert, says these representations aren't 100% false -- but they are extremely misleading, and do not represent normal life.

There have been reports of North Korea's wealthy elite, such as senior government officials and their families, having access to luxuries such as air conditioning, scooters and coffee. And the facilities shown in the YouTube videos do exist -- but they're not accessible to most people, and are only granted to "special people in a special class," Park said.

These facilities are also likely not open or operating regularly as the videos imply, he said. "For example, the power supply in North Korea is not smooth enough to operate an amusement park, so I've heard that they would only operate it on the weekends or on a special day like when they film a video," added Park.

North Korea is notorious for frequent blackouts and electricity shortages; only about 26% of the population has access to electricity, according to 2019 estimates from the CIA World Factbook. These blackouts were captured in nighttime satellite images in 2011 and 2014 that showed North Korea cloaked in darkness, almost blending into the dark sea around it -- in sharp contrast to the dazzling lights of neighboring China and South Korea.

The YouTubers' English fluency and access to rare luxuries suggest they are both highly educated and likely related to high-ranking officials, Park said.

Defectors have previously told CNN that some North Koreans learn British English in their English classes. The British Council, a UK-based organization, also ran an English language teacher training program in North Korea, sending teachers there for more than a dozen years before it was halted in 2017.

A new style of propaganda

North Korean propaganda isn't new; previous campaigns have featured Soviet-style posters, videos of marching troops and missile tests, and images of Kim Jong Un on a white horse.

But experts say the YouTube videos, and similar North Korean social media accounts on Chinese platforms like Weibo and Bilibili, illustrate a new strategy: Relatability.

"North Korea is striving to emphasize that Pyongyang is an 'ordinary city,'" Park said, adding that the leadership "is very interested in how the outside world views them."

Ha, the research professor, said North Korea could be trying to portray itself as a "safe country" to encourage greater tourism for its battered economy -- especially after the toll of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While it has not yet reopened its borders to tourists, "the pandemic is going to end at some point, and North Korea has been concentrating on tourism for economic purposes," Ha said.

Before the pandemic, there were limited options for tours in which visitors were shepherded around the country by guides from the Ministry of Tourism. The tours were carefully choreographed, designed to show the country in its best light. Even so, many countries, including the United States, warn their citizens against visiting.

After the pandemic began, "there was talk (in North Korea) about shedding previous forms of propaganda and implementing new forms," Ha said. "After Kim Jong Un ordered (authorities) to be more creative in their propaganda, vlog videos on YouTube began appearing."

A 2019 article in North Korea's state-owned newspaper Rodong Sinmun, citing Kim, declared that the country's propaganda and news channels must "boldly discard the old framework of writing and editing with established conventions and conventional methods."

The YouTubers' use of English may reflect this effort to reach global viewers. Both YuMi and Song A also helpfully include English names for their channels: YuMi also goes by "Olivia Natasha," and Song A by "Sally Parks."

Why YouTube?

North Korea has posted other types of propaganda to YouTube in the past decade -- though its official videos are often taken down by moderators.

In 2017, YouTube took down the state-run North Korean news channel Uriminzokkiri, and the Tonpomail channel controlled by ethnic Koreans in Japan loyal to Pyongyang, saying they violated the platform's terms of services and community guidelines.

Another YouTube channel called Echo of Truth, purportedly run by a North Korean resident called Un A who filmed herself enjoying daily activities in Pyongyang, was taken down in late 2020.

But the closures sparked outcry from some researchers who said the videos provided a valuable insight into North Korea and its leadership, even if they were propaganda.

When CNN requested comment from YouTube on these deleted channels, and those of Song A and YuMi, a spokesperson said the platform "complies with all applicable sanctions and trade compliance laws -- including with respect to content created and uploaded by restricted entities."

"If we find that an account violates our Terms of Service or Community Guidelines, we disable it," the statement said.

Experts said the videos by YuMi and Song A might be an attempt by Pyongyang to reach an audience without attracting the attention of moderators.

And however scripted they might be, they too offered a valuable window into the country, experts said.

"People already know that (the videos) were created for propaganda purposes ... the public is already aware," Ha said. But, she added, "I think there should be proper education and discussion on how we should perceive (such) content instead of just closing the doors."

This story was first published on CNN. "They eat ice cream and read 'Harry Potter,' but these North Korean YouTubers aren't what they seem"
(CNN)  A massive fire broke out after a train derailed Friday night in northeastern Ohio near the Pennsylvania state border, leading officials to issue evacuation and shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents.

No injuries were reported after the derailment in East Palestine, about 15 miles south of Youngstown, Mayor Trent Conaway said during a Friday night news conference.

On Saturday, he issued an emergency proclamation, saying the town had been "threatened" by hazardous materials potentially released in the accident.

The proclamation noted a Norfolk Southern train derailed Friday night.

"As of right now air quality, even one street back is OK," he said. The smell in the air is because of the fire, he said, but there are no concerns about air quality.

The derailed train derailed had more than 100 cars, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

About 50 of them were involved in the derailment  20 of which contained "hazardous materials," NTSB board member Michael Graham said during a Saturday afternoon news conference.

"Four tank cars carrying vinyl chloride were involved in the derailment and were exposed to fire," Graham said.

One car released some of the vinyl chloride through a safety release valve, Graham said. State environmental officials say they have not detected any harmful levels of the chemical in the community.

He added there was still an "active fire scene," and could not estimate when the flames would be put out.

The cause of the derailment was not known Saturday.

Investigators say the train had image and data recorders onboard. It will take four to six weeks for the NTSB to have a preliminary report on the accident, Graham said.

EPA: No harmful levels of compounds in air

No harmful levels of compounds have been detected in the air as of Saturday evening, a spokesperson with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told CNN in an email.

"Ohio EPA will remain on site and air monitors will remain in place as long as necessary," Ohio EPA spokesperson James Lee said in a statement. "Ohio EPA has established containment to help limit any damage to local streams and rivers from water runoff from the firefighting."

The agency will work with local officials and the railroad company to "identify the nature and extent" of any possible contamination and will work to ensure cleanup efforts to protect human health and the environment, Lee said.

A shelter-in-place order issued

Officials issued a shelter-in-place order for the entire town of roughly 5,000 people, while an evacuation order was in effect within a mile of the train crossing at James Street as of early Saturday. Conaway said he did not know when those orders would be lifted.

Two evacuation stations have opened to provide shelter to residents, and the Red Cross has been notified, Conaway said.

Conaway on Saturday called for the "exercise of all necessary emergency authority for protection of lives and the property of the residents of the Village of East Palestine, Ohio."

The proclamation also called on citizens to comply with the emergency measures.

Traci Spratt, the interim manager of the village of East Palestine, said Saturday an evacuation order for a one-mile radius from the incident remained in place "until further notice," and stressed "we need everyone to stay away from the scene."

Spratt also identified the chemical burning as vinyl chloride and said officials were conducting "continuous air monitoring and have found zero health risks."

"The village's drinking water is safe to drink and is being continually monitored," Spratt added.

Photos from the scene showed a large, dense cloud of smoke engulfing flames atop the train. Firefighters from three states, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia responded, according to Conaway.

The Norfolk Southern train departed from Madison, Illinois, and was bound for Conway, Pennsylvania, when it derailed, according to the NTSB.

Norfolk Southern Railway said in a statement it is aware of the derailment and was "coordinating closely" with local first responders while mobilizing their own teams.

"We will share more details as they become available," the statement said.

CNN has reached out to Norfolk Southern for further comment.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Train derailment in northeastern Ohio sparks massive fire."
The Pentagon claims that United States forces shot down the alleged Chinese spy balloon Saturday afternoon off the coast of South Carolina.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement that President Biden on Wednesday had authorized a Chinese spy balloon shot down "as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon's path," NPR reported.

Military commanders had assessed that shooting down the Chinese balloon while over land presented an unreasonable danger to civilians over a large region relative to "the balloon's size and altitude and its surveillance payload," Austin added.

President Joe Biden informed the media on Saturday that he issued the order on Wednesday. He said that American authorities advised him to wait until it reached the safest spot to conduct the Chinese spy balloon shot down.

"They successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it," Biden remarked.

On Saturday, defense officials also disclosed that the balloon had initially entered US territory on January 28, moved to Canadian territory three days later, and then returned to US airspace on January 31. The item was detected in Montana, a state in the US that is home to many highly sensitive nuclear missile bases.

A military source informed reporters that an F-22 jet fighter fired one AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at the high-altitude balloon, which crashed six nautical miles off the US coast at 14:39 EST (19:39 GMT), as per a BBC report.

East Coast Flights Resume

Shortly before the downing, the Federal Aviation Administration said that it had "paused departures from and arrivals at" three East Coast airports in Wilmington, North Carolina, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina to help the Department of Defense in a national security action. These airports resumed flights after 3 p.m.

The coast guard issued a similar warning, saying that military actions "create a considerable concern" to mariners.

Two sources informed on the case said the suspected Chinese spy balloon's remains would be transferred to an FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, for investigation by FBI specialists and intelligence organizations.

This afternoon, a high-ranking military official said that the Pentagon was working with the FBI and other agencies to categorize and analyze the "platform itself."

Read Also: Russia Wants Iran-Made Missiles

Residents of coastal areas near where the Chinese spy balloon shot down in the Atlantic on Saturday have been warned against trying to recover any of the wreckage as a keepsake, according to CNN.

The local administration of Horry County, South Carolina, which contains Myrtle Beach, has warned that pieces of the balloon may wash up on the shore despite the efforts of the United States military to remove the trash from the water.

Authorities in Horry County warned residents not to "touch, move, or remove" any debris in a Facebook post.

The post claimed that tampering with such objects might compromise a federal probe.

Spy Balloon Incident May Increase US-China Tensions

After a suspected Chinese spy balloon crossed US airspace, Blinken announced the postponement of his trip to China, a major new development in US-China relations.

Blinken, who was set to fly to China on Friday evening, told a press conference that the high-altitude Chinese spy balloon over the continental US "established the conditions that undercut the trip's objective," per a pervious HNGN report.

Beijing said the alleged Chinese spy balloon was only meant for scientific purposes and drifted into US airspace by mistake.

Related Article: Philippines To Allow Increased US Military Presence

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In this June 4, 2018, file photo, baker Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, manages his shop in Lakewood. The state of Colorado and Phillips who refuses to make wedding cakes for gay and transgender customers on religious grounds have agreed to end their legal fight.
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MONTANA

Military probing whether cancers linked to nuclear silo work

WASHINGTON  Nine military officers who had worked decades ago at a nuclear missile base in Montana have been diagnosed with blood cancer and there are "indications" the disease may be linked to their service, according to military briefing slides obtained by The Associated Press. One of the officers has died.

All of the officers, known as missileers, were assigned as many as 25 years ago to Malmstrom Air Force Base, home to a vast field of 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile silos. The nine officers were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to a January briefing by U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Daniel Sebeck.

Missileers ride caged elevators deep underground into a small operations bunker encased in a thick wall of concrete and steel. They remain there sometimes for days, ready to turn the launch keys if ordered to by the president.

In the slide presentation, Sebeck said the disproportionate numbers of missileers presenting with cancer, specifically lymphoma" was concerning.

In a statement to the AP, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said that "senior leaders are aware of the concerns raised about the possible association of cancer related to missile combat crew members at Malmstrom AFB."

Stefanek added: "The information in this briefing has been shared with the Department of the Air Force surgeon general and our medical professionals are working to gather data and understand more."

Last year President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act, which greatly expanded the the types of illnesses and toxic exposures that would be considered presumptive  meaning a service member or veterans would not face an uphill battle to convince the government that the injury was tied to their military service in order to received covered care.

UTAH

Governor OKs bill banning gender-affirming health care

SALT LAKE CITY  Utah's Republican governor on Jan. 28 signed a bill that bans youth from receiving gender-affirming health care, a measure that is part of larger nationwide movements.

Gov. Spencer Cox, who had not taken a public position on the transgender care measure, signed it a day after the legislature sent it to his desk. Utah's measure prohibits transgender surgery for youth and disallows hormone treatments for minors who have not yet been diagnosed with gender dysphoria. The state's Republican-dominated Legislature prioritized the ban and considered a first draft of the measure less than 10 days earlier, just days after the legislature opened this year's session.

Cox's approval of the bill comes as lawmakers in at least 18 states consider similar bills targeting health care for young transgender people.

Cox explained in a statement that his decision was based on his belief that it was prudent to pause "these permanent and life-altering treatments for new patients until more and better research can help determine the long-term consequences."

Among the critics is the ACLU of Utah, which on Jan. 27 urged Cox to veto the bill.

In its letter to Cox, the civil rights organization said it was deeply concerned about "the damaging and potentially catastrophic effects this law will have on people's lives and medical care and the grave violations of people's constitutional rights it will cause.

ARIZONA

Executions on hold amid review ordered by governor

PHOENIX  Arizona's attorney general has put a hold on executions in the state until the completion of a review of death penalty protocols ordered by the new governor due to the state's history of mismanaging executions.

The review ordered on Jan. 20 by Gov. Katie Hobbs, Arizona's first Democratic governor since 2009, came as the state's new Democratic attorney general, Kris Mayes, withdrew her Republican predecessor's request for a warrant to execute a convicted killer who initially asked to be executed but later backed out of that request. While Hobbs' order didn't declare a moratorium on the death penalty, Mayes will not seek court orders to execute prisoners while the review is underway, said a Mayes spokesperson Richie Taylor. The review comes just days after the governor appointed Ryan Thornell, a prison official in Maine, as Arizona's new corrections director.

The review will examine, among other things, the state's procurement process for lethal injection drugs and lethal gas, execution procedures, the access of news organizations to executions and the training of staff to carry out executions.

Arizona, which currently has 110 prisoners on death row, carried out three executions last year after a nearly eight-year hiatus that was brought on by criticism that a 2014 execution was botched and because of difficulties obtaining execution drugs.

Arizona is the only state to currently have a working gas chamber.

The last lethal gas execution in the United States was carried out in Arizona more than two decades ago. The state refurbished its gas chamber in late 2020.

All three prisoners executed in Arizona last year declined lethal gas, leading them to be put to death by injection, the default execution method.

NEW MEXICO

Police department revises its use-of-force policies

ALBUQUERQUE  The Albuquerque Police Department has finished revising its use-of-force policies and officers will begin training on the new policies over the next quarter, according to authorities.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that the changes have been approved by the Department of Justice, which is engaged in a settlement agreement to reform the city's police department.

According to the Journal, city leaders anticipate the changes will result in fewer shootings by officers since they should have a better sense of when they can use less-lethal force rather than deadly force.

Less lethal options include stun guns, beanbag shotguns, 40-millimeter impact launchers or canine deployments.

There were 18 shootings by Albuquerque police officers last year and 10 of them were fatal.

The Journal said the police department currently is at 100% primary compliance, 99% secondary compliance and 80% operational compliance with the reforms laid out in the court approved settlement agreement with the DOJ.

Police Chief Harold Medina said "our goal with these changes is to make sure that if de-escalation is not possible, we exhaust every tool available to apprehend offenders, only using a firearm as a last resort."

WYOMING

Crypto bank's Federal Reserve application denied

CHEYENNE  The Federal Reserve Board has denied a Wyoming cryptocurrency bank's application for Federal Reserve System membership, officials announced on Jan. 27, dealing a setback to the crypto industry's attempts to build acceptance in mainstream U.S. banking.

Many in crypto have been looking to Cheyenne-based Custodia Bank's more than 2-year-old application as a bellwether for crypto banking. Approval would have meant access to Federal Reserve services including its electronic payments system.

The rejection adds to doubts about crypto banking's viability, particularly in Wyoming, a state that has sought to become a hub of crypto banking, exchanges and mining.

Custodia's business model and focus on crypto presented "significant safety and soundness risks" for depositors, the Federal Reserve Board said in a statement.

The board also expressed doubt about Custodia's ability to discourage money laundering and terrorism financing through crypto.

Custodia sued the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in Wyoming federal court last year, accusing them of taking an unreasonably long time on its application. In a statement Friday, the company said it was "surprised and disappointed" by the rejection and pledged to continue to litigate the issue.
A cruel couple accused of fatally abusing their young daughter, who died like a holocaust victim, led to getting a life sentence in jail. They had maltreated and badly starved her to malnutrition, which was made worse because they inflicted wounds that led to her death.

Couple Maltreats Daughter to Death

These parents from Ogden, Utah, identified as Brenda Emile and Miller Eric Costello, were arrested by the police for how they inhumanely treated their 3-year-old daughter, according to True Crime Daily.

Based on the reports by KSL-TV, Judge Michael DiReda gave the verdict for the 28-year-old woman and 30-year-old man last Friday. The judge states how the court has seen this kind of depravedness and cruelty, calling it the evilest seen in any case.

The authorities charged both in July of 2017 for the aggravated murder of the young girl, Angelina, who died at three years old. Wanting to avoid execution by the state, they plead guilty to the crime, noted the Standard-Examiner.

Life Sentence for Parents Who Murdered Angelina

On July 6, 2017, Ogden police were summoned to the residence where the unconscious child was, but it was too late, and the victim passed away.

Investigators found out how terrible the maltreatment was at the hands of her parents. Signs of horrible abuse like bruises, contusions, lacerating, burns, open sores, and abrasions were evident all over the girl's body. The parents even inflicted big burns on the torso and some burns on the legs, back, and feet.

Read Also: Skeletal Remains of Girl Discovered in Feces-Filled Basement Along With Her Brother in Dismal Condition

Descriptions of the ordeal suffered by the victim caused by her parents were shocking. The victims' stomach was sunk, with limbs so emancipated no muscles were developed enough, according to the files. Commenting on the condition of the abused girl at death, Ogden Police Officer Sitka Hrabal contrasted the pitiful state of Angelina to that of a concentration camp inmate.

Richard Childress, a detective, reacted with shock at what they did to her, saying the girl looked like she was from a concentration camp, poorly fed and starved to death by her guardian as evil. Angelina was only 13 pounds by the time she died. More revelations by the medical examiner show she was beaten by a blunt object and was not appropriately fed by her guardians.

Trial Showcased the Maltreatment of 3-Year-Old Angelina

During court testimony, Dr. Antoinette Laskey testified and told the court how the young victim had terminal malnutrition at death. The child's nose was shattered and needed surgery. Her parents would pretend to give the girl food and not give it, and they took videos of the abuse. Judge DiReda added that her brother was told to hit his sister and got an okay from his parents.

A psychologist and expert witness Lawrence Beall said in court that the parents' thought Angelina was cursed due to premature birth. In court, DeRida told the co-accused when sentencing was in progress, saying instead of acting like parents to Angelina, who deserved better from them, she was "dehumanized and tortured by monsters."

The cruel couple had harmed and abused their daughter until they killed her and were sentenced to life for their monstrous acts.

Related Article: South Dakota Girl Found Dead in U-Haul Zip-Tied and Beaten to Death

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The Russian MoD had reported a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) missile was defeated by Russia, as local media reported it.

Russian media outlet Ria Novosti mentioned it based on Russia's Ministry of Defense statement regarding the incident. The missile battery used by Russia's armed forces had destroyed the Norwegian-origin air defense system in Krasnoarmeysk, located in the DPR.

Russia MoD Hails Defense Against Western NASAMS

NATO nations' attempt to aid Ukraine prompted Russian missile forces rain missile to destroy specified targets of importance. A new missile attack on the city of Kramatorsk in the east of Ukraine hits targets.

The Kremlin warned the US and its NATO allies not to extend the war by helping the Kyiv regime, which was reeling from immense losses, and told the west to consider the consequences. If the proxy support is not stopped, then all is fair game for destruction, noted Eurasian Times.

Ukrainians are using the NASAMS that was sent last November. It has been used to defend against Russian cruise missiles and suicide drones. Kyiv needs more to stop missile attacks leaving the AFU defenseless. A month earlier Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remarked that the Norwegian anti-air defense would be bought and sent to Ukraine.

The Kremlin slammed Ottawa, saying it only prolongs the war that should be resolved faster if Ukraine surrenders, citing Republic World. Western allies are hyping the addition of the PAC-3 Patriot missile defense system in small batches can stop the mass of ICBMS that will demolish the AFU.

Read Also: HIMARS MLRS System: Gamechanger or Moving Target for Russian Precision Weaponry

Claims by Russian sources that the western defense system was destroyed follow after Raytheon Technologies CEO Greg Hayes is talking defense deals. NATO and Middle East allies are to send their units to Ukraine and get newer systems in exchange.

The shortage of stockpiles led to sending used units of these air defense batteries because it would take a long to build. AFU units have lost tons of NATO-provided arms in attacks by Russian systems. One precondition for them to be sent to Ukraine is to be approved by the Biden White House.

Norwegian-Made Defense Battery Has Stooped the Tochka-U

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin alleges that the west's anti-air defense had a 100% kill rate in Ukraine, capable of stopping most missile attacks. About eight of these batteries should be delivered, but only two have been received by the Ukrainians so far. Norway develops it with US firm Raytheon as short to medium-range defense. Thought to be precise, which led to it protecting airspace over the White House and US Capitol.

Specification of the missile battery is network linked, can detect several targets beyond visual range, and is connected to the integrated air and missile defense system (IAMD), mentioned Air and Space Forces Magazine.

It uses the AIM-120 AMRAAM adapted for ground launching with a 30-kilometer range to hit a target. A second variant can be linked for precise targeting, unlike other systems used by the AFU.

NATO won't admit if the Tochka-U has countered the system. NASAMS, if the Russia MoD alleged is not as touted, means Ukraine will be devasted.

Related Article: Russia Receives New Supplies of Missiles

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The return of Liz Truss, after barely four months in political exile, prompts MPs who are loyal to Rishi Sunak to sink their heads into their hands.

Her little entourage have been going around the Commons, saying that when the Tories lose the next election she would be the best person to rebuild the party, says one Minister, who served in Liz Trusss Government.

Its as if shes plotting for us to lose so that she can promote herself.

Allies of Ms Truss  who this weekend made her first major intervention since leaving No 10 by publishing a 4,000-word essay  insist that this is a deliberate distortion of her actual view.

They say that she has no intention of challenging Mr Sunak, so logically the only chance for her to reclaim the leadership would be if he is ousted as leader  most likely after an election defeat.

Allies of Ms Truss  who this weekend made her first major intervention since leaving No 10 by publishing a 4,000-word essay  insist that there have been deliberate distortions of her actual views

Although he no longer nurses his own dreams of leadership, he is suspected by many colleagues of trying to inveigle Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch into Downing Street

If her enduring ambitions seem surprising given her calamitous 49 days in office, that is to underestimate Ms Trusss astonishing resilience and almost supernatural self-confidence.

Her view, shared by many Tory MPs, is that she deployed the right policies in the wrong way . . . If her plan for tax cuts had been introduced more adroitly, the country would be emerging from the economic doldrums more quickly than under Mr Sunaks more sclerotic, managerial Premiership, which has imposed the highest tax burden on the British people for decades.

She concedes that by piling too many measures into her first Budget, including trying to scrap the 45p tax band, she wrecked her own plans by spooking the markets and bringing the economy to the brink of meltdown.

But she has made clear in meetings with her ideological allies around the globe that she does not trust Mr Sunak and his Chancellor to spearhead a revival.

It is Mr Sunaks unique misfortune to be shadowed by, not one, but two former Prime Ministers nursing grievances about unfinished business.

On Friday, Boris Johnson told his successor in an interview with Nadine Dorries that cutting tax to boost the economy needs to happen, and he has also piled the pressure on Mr Sunak over his decision not to send aircraft to defend Ukraine.

Boris Johnson told his successor in an interview on Friday with Nadine Dorries that cutting tax to boost the economy needs to happen

It is Mr Sunaks unique misfortune to be shadowed by, not one, but two former Prime Ministers nursing grievances about unfinished business

As the clock ticks down to the likely election date in autumn 2024, the Tory Party is pre-emptively fragmenting into multiple ideological blocks, all hoping to operate as the foundation stone for a revivalist leader.

Aside from the brooding ex-PMs and their band of supporters, lurking in the background  as ever  is Michael Gove, the nations pre-eminent political manipulator.

Although he no longer nurses his own dreams of leadership, he is suspected by many colleagues of trying to inveigle Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch into Downing Street by the end of the year if the partys 20-plus poll deficit with Labour has not narrowed.

Mr Gove backed Ms Badenoch  whose anti-woke views and media skills make her popular with the party grassroots  in the summer leadership contest, switching to Mr Sunak only after she was eliminated.

A source said: Gove seems to regard Kemi as his avatar, a more electorally-appealing projection of his politics, and he leads a powerful backroom gang who see her as the emergency lever to pull if the local elections are a total disaster.

Another faction is starting to turn to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, beloved by the Right of the party for her stances on cementing Brexit, cutting immigration and limiting trans rights.

As the Minister responsible for tackling the small boats crisis, her fortunes will hinge on signs of visible progress being made soon to stem the invasion of migrants from Calais.

Meanwhile, the One Nation wing of the party is looking towards Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, who is perceived to hold less trenchant views on issues such as trans rights and has a powerful rags-to-riches back story.

The One Nation wing of the party is looking towards Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, who is perceived to hold less trenchant views on issues including the trans debate

Having started her career aged 16 as an apprentice at a car factory in Kirkby, Merseyside, she has been successful enough to brandish a 10,000 Rolex watch.

Also lurking, even further in the background, are the party grandees meeting each other in Londons most exclusive restaurants to try to plot a path towards the retention of power.

On Thursday, it was former Tory leader William Hague and ex-Chancellor George Osborne sharing their prescriptions for survival at the A table in Scotts, the Mayfair celebrity spot which serves towering seafood platters and was the birthplace of Bonds dry martini.

Hague recently told a Cabinet awayday at Chequers that all is not yet lost for the party, citing how John Major managed to secure a majority against the odds in 1992.

He supports the Prime Ministers refusal to cut taxes, saying: There is no winning position for the Conservatives that does not involve being the most responsible party on the economy . . . Those two truths show what to do with a reflex urge to cut taxes at all costs. Resist it.
Consider if it was the other way around and a US balloon had gone into Chinese airspace. The Beijing regime would not have hesitated in shooting it down.

But for too long, America dithered. And with the West preoccupied with helping Ukraine, the diplomatic stand-off that has ensued between Washington and Beijing comes at a time when there is significantly more choreography occurring between the leaders of China and Russia.

Those two countries are fully aware that, having enjoyed decades of relative peace, the West has become complacent and lost any appetite to defend fledgling democracies such as in Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Libya and Yemen.

Again, it is no coincidence that, ahead of the invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago, Russia began its military build-up not long after America and Nato retreated from Afghanistan.

Together China and Russia are not just openly pioneering a more authoritarian approach to governance, but are also encouraging other countries to follow suit, as they hope to see not just America but the entire West weakened.

Pictured: The suspected spy balloon before it was shot down off the coast in South Carolina, United States

Chinas balloon over Montana should prompt another pivotal moment in history: a realisation that a China/Russia axis is looking ever more likely, and that we in the West are ill-prepared for the looming geo-strategic threats that the next decade will throw at us.

The incident reminds me of what happened in October 1957, when millions of Americans looked to the skies in unprecedented panic after the Soviet Union launched the worlds first satellite.

It lapped the world every 98 minutes, and was assumed to be peering down with sinister aims.

While Vladimir Putin poses the single largest threat to European security as he leverages Russias ability to endure hardship and drag out the Ukraine conflict, Chinas President Xi poses a greater geopolitical challenge as he competes with America for global economic and technological dominance. Since gaining office in 2013, he has expanded the Chinese military force to become the largest in the world and used Covid as an excuse to build the most advanced domestic surveillance system.

He is now starting to flex his muscles. China has taken clusters of rocks deep in international waters south of neighbouring Taiwan and turned them into military fortresses. All illegal under international maritime law  but unimpeded by the West.

This is no time for strategic ambiguity. We need a clear plan to check both Russia and Chinas destabilising agendas. We must accept that they are bent on a mission to see our world splinter into two spheres of dangerously competing influence.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken may cancel a trip to China over a balloon. But we urgently need to craft a strategy which influences Beijings behaviour, rather than one which prompts a reaction each time Xi pushes the envelope further.

Without a coherent approach, the risk of sudden escalation is increasingly likely.

TOBIAS ELLWOOD: Together China and Russia are not just openly pioneering a more authoritarian approach to governance, but are also encouraging other countries to follow suit

TOBIAS ELLWOOD: Chinas balloon over Montana should prompt another pivotal moment in history: a realisation that a China/Russia axis is looking ever more likely

Of course, all of this raises tough questions for the UK, too. We helped design the post-war security architecture, much of which still functions today.

Our actions earned us a permanent seat at the UN Security Council created in 1945. Nearly eight decades later, the world has changed. Can we still look in the mirror and say we deserve this seat? And do we still want it?

If the answer is Yes  which our actions in Ukraine suggest  we must urgently upgrade our foreign policy, defence posture and international statecraft not only to justify our place at the table, but to anticipate what is coming over the horizon.

It may have been just a weather balloon  but the storms it forecasted are not so easily dismissed.
A heartbroken mother is urging women not to miss their smear tests after losing her daughter to cervical cancer, aged 31.

From having no symptoms, Gemma Wills, from Essex, had her life turned upside down in October 2019 when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer after her second ever routine smear, and fought the disease relentlessly for two years.

Now her friends and family want to urge women to be vigilant with their health and not miss any of their routine tests because sometimes the disease has no symptoms.

At the age of 28, Gemma was at home on a four-week break from her job as a Florist and Head of Department on a Superyacht when she went for her routine smear test.

While in the US Gemma had to have her cervix removed. Her parents could not be with her because of Covid-19

She had never experienced any period problems, not even an ache or pain, so was shocked when two weeks later a letter came from the GP requesting to see her again within three months.

Her mother, Jayn Willis, 54, explained that Gemma had returned to work in the US and so they discussed the GP letter over the phone.

Jayn said: 'I told her its probably showing abnormal cells, something that is very common and that I had myself in my early 20s. I told her how I had them treated and was and have been fine since.

'I told her almost all my friends have had them at some point. Its that common, so not to worry too much.

'We discussed her flying home for a few days to have another smear test at our GP surgery as she was worried about having it done in the US. But due to her work schedule she couldnt take the time off to fly home, so she went to see a gynaecologist in Palm Beach.'

Gemma's mother Jayn (pictured left) wants to raise awareness about the fact that cancer can come without symptoms. She wants to encourage women not to miss their smear tests

Gemma Willis (pictured) was diagnosed with cervical cancer when she was 28-years-old. The superyacht florist didn't have any symptoms before her diagnosis

Three more PAP tests, as they call them in the US, and two biopsies later Gemma was diagnosed as being in the early stages of cervical cancer in February 2020.

This was a devastating shock to the family and made even worse by the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic the following month.

Jayn, a freelance fashion assistant, from Essex, flew out to Miami to attend appointments with her daughter and find out exactly what was going on.

She explained: 'Gemma was scheduled to go in for a cone biopsy while I was there, which her doctor assured me would get rid of what was growing on the outside of her cervix.

Gemma was at home in Essex, taking a break from her job, when she went to the doctor for her second routine smear test

'The procedure went well. I stayed with her for a week where we carried on planning and talking about our dreams and plans for the future, and places we wanted to visit together.

'We both love the US and constantly talked about states we wanted to visit and road trips we wanted to do. She was so happy to be based there for work.'

However, two weeks later when Jayn had returned to the UK and Gemma was back at work on the yacht, they had a three-way call with her doctor, who explained that the cancer was more developed than they originally thought, and so they wanted to remove her cervix to stop it spreading.

Yet, the whole world was in lockdown and despite contacting as many people as she could, the embassies and consulates who Jayn needed to talk to were closed and she couldn't make it back to Miami.

'Due to Covid the hospital was on lockdown so Gemma had to go in alone. It was breaking my heart being so far away from her and knowing how scared she was

'All I wanted to do was be there to hold her and tell her she will be alright, and that Id be there right outside when she came out of surgery. But I couldnt, all we could do was talk on FaceTime.'

She had never experienced any period problems, not even an ache or pain, so was shocked when two weeks a letter came from the GP requesting to see her again within three months

Jayn spoke to her daughter's surgeon before the surgery, who said he would call her when it was finished after three hours.

However, he called an hour in to tell Jayn and her husband Martin, 56, that he had removed 23 lymph nodes from Gemma's pelvis area, nine of which had cancer in and that he wanted to perform a radical hysterectomy, for which he needed permission.

Jayn and Martin broke down at this news and finally asked him to do what he thought was best for their daughter.

'Gemma returned to the yacht to recover for 6 weeks before starting chemotherapy then radiotherapy. During this time I was still trying to get over to her but it was becoming more obvious as the days and weeks went on that the lockdown and flight bans werent going to be lifted anytime soon.

Gemma had to go for a pap test in the US, where it was discovered that she had cancer. Her mother flew out to be with her for her first operation

Plans were made for Gemmas treatment to start back up in Miami (the yacht was in Key West at this time). so it meant travelling backwards and forwards or finding accommodation in Miami which would mean her being on her own.

'As you can imagine this was killing me and after four weeks of still not getting anywhere we had had enough, it was obvious I wasnt going to get back over to her so we started planning on getting her home,' Jayn said.

Gemma arrived home at the end of April and referred to the University College Hospital London (UCH).

But when she arrived the family were told that the cancer was now at Stage 4, due to it spreading through her lymph nodes, and before planning her treatment the doctors wanted to remove her ovaries that had been left in place in Miami.

After a few weeks of recovery Gemma began aggressive chemotherapy, she was scheduled in for 8-hour infusions with three different chemotherapies for five months.

Gemma with her family in Vegas. Her mother said how she kept going by discussing all the places in the US that she wanted to visit

Jayn explained: 'They said they were throwing the kitchen sink at her as she was young and generally fit and healthy. They said she would be able to take it, and she did.

'The first day of treatment wasnt great, she was scared, didnt know what to expect or what was going to happen. I felt exactly the same.

'The first visit to a chemo ward is very daunting and scary, theres no privacy. Its an open ward with all the patients either sitting in an arm chair or laying in bed hooked up to their chemo infusions.'

Gemma had decided beforehand that she wanted to try the cold cap to help save her thick long blonde hair from falling out.

Gemma loved her job on superyachts and was determined to get back to it as soon as she could, but her cancer quickly got worse

Jayn said: 'I watched feeling so sick and scared for her and thinking it should be me going through this not her.

'The nurses then talked her through the chemo procedure and hooked her up, within an hour she had gone to sleep, I sat and cried again while watching her breath like she was a new born baby again.

'She woke about an hour later and said she felt fine, she even said the cold cap felt quite pleasant. The nurses couldnt believe she was so chilled with it all.'

After that first treatment Jayn wasnt allowed in with Gemma due to Covid restrictions, they had only let her in the first time because Gemma was so scared.

WHAT IS CERVICAL CANCER Cervical cancer is a cancer that's found anywhere in the cervix.

The cervix is the opening between the vagina and the womb (uterus).

It's part of the reproductive system and is sometimes called the neck of the womb.

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by an infection from certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV).

It can often be prevented by attending cervical screening, which aims to find and treat changes to cells before they turn into cancer.

Cervical cancer usually grows very slowly. How serious it is depends on how big it is, if it has spread and your general health. Symptoms of cervical cancer include: vaginal bleeding that's unusual for you  including bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after the menopause, or having heavier periods than usual

changes to your vaginal discharge

pain during sex

pain in your lower back, between your hip bones (pelvis), or in your lower tummy Source: NHS Advertisement

Jayn said: 'She went in each time with her laptop and course work (she was always doing courses for work or floristry), her packed lunch and blanket, and I would walk the streets for 8 hrs as I didnt want to leave her there completely in case she needed me.'

After five months of chemotherapy Gemma then started intense radiotherapy which targeted three areas, this was scheduled every day for six weeks with one chemo infusion per week.

It was this treatment that floored Gemma, making her feel sick, and as the days went on she got worse.

'She cried every day because she didnt want to go to the hospital. She became so weak we had to pick her up to get her into the car every morning.

'When she came out she was sick all the way home, she would then sleep in between crying from pain and have to do it all over again the next day.

'Every day she begged us not to take her but she got through it and on the 23rd December 2020 she had her last treatment and came home for Christmas.'

The new year brought some good news, with a scan showing NED (no evidence of disease), meaning that Gemma's cancer had 'gone to sleep,' and she could stop treatment for three months.

Gemma began to recover and was hoping to go back to work until, in April, at her three month scan when results came back showing two lesions on her liver.

At this point in time, Jayn's elderly mother became ill and was put on to end of life care.

Jayn had to share her time between taking Gemma to hospital appointments and looking after her plus visiting her mother.

She did this for three weeks until her mother passed away peacefully in her sleep.

Jayn explained: 'The next six months are a blur of losing my mum, Gemmas hospital appointments and stays, various procedures, more chemotherapy and severe and relentless sickness.

'From being the most positive, determined person Gemma was changing. She didnt want to talk to doctors and she didnt want to know what was going on. She told the doctors to only talk to me.'

The cancer was in her liver and spreading aggressively which was causing her problems, and in August the family were told it had spread to her back.

On October 15th 2021 after being admitted to hospital again due to having a fall at home, worsening pain and sickness Gemma had another scan, that found that the cancer was spreading quicker than the second round of chemo was working and it was now in her brain.

Jayn said: 'They had made the decision to stop the chemo because she was so poorly, and told us there was nothing else they could do for her on the NHS.

'The only option left for her was immunotherapy which isnt available on the NHS for cervical cancer, although its available in other countries and here for other cancers.

'It is available privately which her oncologist had told me about a few months before when discussing different options for her other than chemo, but at an extortionate cost.

'Gemmas friends and work colleagues had set up Go Fund Me pages and the money was coming in. We told the doctors we now had the money for it but they said at that time Gemma was too sick to take it.

'They said if they could get her stronger, eating more and keeping it down and walking again they would reconsider in five to six weeks.

When things got worse, Gemma's parents managed to get her back to the UK, where she stared aggressive rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy

'That weekend plans were put into place to move Gemma from the hospital to a local hospice which was only 20 minutes from home and a much better environment for her to be in while rehabilitating and getting stronger for Immunotherapy.'

However, Gemma didnt make it to the hospice. She passed away peacefully in her sleep on the day she was due to be moved on October 21st 2022.

Jayn wants to show people that cancer can happen to anyone. She would have people say to her 'but Gem is so young and fit and healthy', but that didn't matter in the end.

In her memory Jayn has set up The Floating Florista Foundation named after Gemma's work as a florist on superyachts.

On October 15th 2021 after being admitted into hospital again due to having a fall at home, worsening pain and sickness Gemma had another scan, that found that the cancer was spreading quicker than the second round of chemo was working and it was now in her brain

Jayn said: 'I had been thinking about buying a Beach Hut and decorating it in the way I know Gemma would have liked it to be if we had one sooner, and gifting it out to cancer warriors for relaxing respite days.

'We have completely refurbished it and it is now the most perfect hut that Gemma would love, The theme is Palm Beach meets The Beverly Hills Hotel, which are two of her favourite places that we have visited and spent time at together.

'Anyone can hire The Floating Florista Beach Hut for the day and the hire cost will go into the foundation pot,

As well as the Beach Hut the foundation will also be gifting relaxing creative workshop days doing things that Gemma loved to do like floral design, painting and anything arts and crafts related.'

The only option left for Gemma was immunotherapy which isnt available on the NHS for cervical cancer. She was moved to be moved to a hospice but did not make it

Jayn has also set up a pre-loved clothing business and hosts monthly pop ups where people can come along to buy or join her selling unwanted clothes.

She is currently in the process of refurbishing a unit in Epping to open a pre-loved clothing studio.

The Floating Florista Foundation aims to make people aware there aren't always symptoms of cancer and wants to give cancer warriors relaxing respite days.

They have coined the hashtag #doitforgem, to encourage women to have their smear tests when they are due.

Gemma's mother has set up a foundation in her daughter's name, The Floating Florista, to raise awareness about cervical cancer and encourage girls to go to their regular smear tests

Jayn said: 'I want to get across and make awareness that there isnt always symptoms with cervical cancer as in Gemmas case, which makes having smear tests regularly and on time even more important.

'Anyone could have cervical cancer developing but not know about it if their not showing any symptoms, but by having regular smear tests could detect it and potentially save their life.

'Health professionals and Gynea charities always talk about the symptoms that we all know about, but not enough is mentioned about "No symptoms".

'I want to try and change this so whoever talks about symptoms also talks about not having symptoms as well.'

Gemmas story has encouraged women who knew her, knew of her or didnt even know her to have their smear tests done.
The five stages of grief. Can you name them all? In a line-up, perhaps you could point out anger and denial, but the rest would be a bit blurry (like how you could always spot Robbie in Take That, but it was hard to tell Howard and Jason apart).

And yet the five stages of grief theory is hardwired into our culture. Even if the nearest you have got to death is the school rabbit dying on your watch, you will be familiar with the idea that there are distinct emotions you go through after someone dies: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and then acceptance. The appealing concept that grief is a straight line, flowing seamlessly from one emotional state to the other, culminating in an end point, where you are free of its mess and pain.

In 1998, when I was 15, my dad died from pancreatic cancer and I was thrown into the land of grief. A part of me trusted that if I followed the five stages map (of which, even back then, I was aware) I would eventually get out of this hell. I knew there was an exit door  I just had to find it.

Cariad Lloyd speaks through how she handled her grief as a young teenager. She explains how she just felt anger, and missed the other four stages of grief

But something was awry on my grief map. I had pelted headfirst into anger, sparks of fury flickering off me. I was angry at him, at death, at cancer, at everything. I waited for this stage to end but it didnt. I knew that was wrong, you werent meant to feel angry for ever, but I was still full of fire for years after. As I finished school in London, headed to university, tried to become who I was meant to be, I still felt the blaze inside.

I checked my five stages map and saw Id already missed the first stage, denial. My dad had been diagnosed in February and was dead by April. Had denial happened then? When was bargaining? I was stuck inside the anger room, screaming to be let out, which only extended my stay. I felt confused but mostly ashamed; there was a road out of grief, so why couldnt I follow it? My pain was my fault, I concluded. I would never get to the precious land of acceptance.

Years rolled by. I learned to carry my pain as best I could, convinced Id failed my grief exam. I started doing comedy full time, got married, yet even aged 34 and pregnant with my first child, I experienced rage at my loss. I was mad that people could die. I knew that wasnt how grief was meant to work. I was still getting it wrong all these years later.

In 2016 my podcast was born; every comedian I knew had one. I mused that if I did my own, it would be about the thing Id been thinking about for years: death. Who would listen to that? But the idea wouldnt leave me so, with my baby two weeks late and not budging, I began Griefcast. I put four episodes out and assumed it would end there. But as the emails from listeners rolled in, I discovered I wasnt alone in the feeling of doing grief wrong. As I began to talk to more Griefsters (as we call ourselves on the show), including Robert Webb, David Baddiel and Sara Pascoe, the same sad refrain came up again and again. They too felt they hadnt done grief right. How could we all be getting this wrong? Why didnt anyone seem to have reached stage five  acceptance?

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP? This is a question Im asked regularly by people wanting to support someone who is in the depths of grief and the answer is... Show up, be there, but dont try to fix them... Why? Because the truth is you cant make them better, you cant take away their pain  thats all they have left of the person who is gone. It will never go away, but you can make sure they know theyre not alone with it. Stop asking, is there anything I can do? and just do it From picking up the kids from school and helping with admin to emptying the bins and throwing away the old flowers rotting in vases  there are so many practical ways you can be there for someone, dont make them list them for you. Extra marks if you put the kettle on yourself and wash up your mug before you leave, too. And always Remember One of the biggest complaints is how after six months, a year, two years, the world seems to forget that someone died. The birthdays, the Mothers Day/Fathers Day, Christmas or simply those days where everyone is with their loved ones and posting it online. Remember those grieving, put the anniversary into your diary and let them know you havent forgotten them. Advertisement

It was then that I finally delved into the origins of the five grief stages: Elisabeth Kubler-Rosss 1969 book On Death and Dying. The author was a Swiss-born American psychiatrist who worked closely with terminally ill people and was a passionate advocate of the hospice movement. She wrote the book not to help grieving relatives, but rather to help those in the medical profession support their dying patients. Her main wish was that people with a terminal illness be told they were dying; a practice which back then wasnt commonplace. Kubler-Ross believed if patients were informed of their diagnoses, they would go through five distinct stages, the final one being a calm acceptance. It was never meant for those left behind, and that was a revelation that flooded me with profound relief. I wanted to scream: Its not for us! Its for people who are dying. DYING. I wasnt bad at grief; this theory was never intended for me.

You can see, of course, why were still handing out this theory to grievers like extra tissues. Because its a hope  a hope that there will be an end, a desperate want that if you check off all these boxes you wont have to feel like this any more. After I had finished the book, I became zealous in telling everyone it wasnt for us. They could free themselves from a map that would never get them where they wanted to go.

Today, most grief professionals dont use the five stages. Kubler-Ross herself, years later, said the theory had been misinterpreted. Since starting the podcast and writing my book, the most helpful real-life theory I have discovered is the Dual Process Model. Conceived by psychologists Dr Margaret Stroebe and Dr Henk Schut, this is an idea that there are two states in grief you oscillate between: the grieving state, where you cry, wail and snot everywhere, and the restoration state, where you rest from grief, forget, watch telly, even find yourself laughing at something silly. So many of us have felt the sting of guilt at starting to rebuild our lives, when actually the Dual Process Model shows that is how grief works. You put it down, you process it, some days you feel it, some days you need a break. The oscillation is how we learn to live with our grief. Many Griefsters I spoke to felt bad for being in restoration. It was seen as forgetting the person they had lost, rather than a vital strategy for building a life around the terrible pain, a way not to get over grief but to carry on with it by your side.

Now, after six years of Griefcast, nearly 200 episodes with guests including The Rev Richard Coles, Aisling Bea, Adam Buxton, Marian Keyes, Poorna Bell and Stephen Mangan, plus a book based on everything Ive learnt, I have found there is indeed something that links the grieving. It isnt the straight path we take to get over it because we dont get over it, we assimilate it, learn to live with it and, ultimately, be happy coexisting with it. Thats what unites us. The five stages have been a guide for so long, but there are other ways to grieve and none is wrong.

So grieve in whatever way works for you and, however you do it, know that youre not alone.
The identity of the mystery 'older woman' who took Prince Harry's virginity was sensationally revealed last night as Sasha Walpole, 40, spoke out following the Duke of Sussex's reference to the one-night stand in his recent memoir Spare.

Over two decades on from the royal romp, Sasha's husband, Ian, is said to be 'laid back' about the situation, having heard about it early on in their relationship.

'Being exposed in a book is surreal,' she said. 'I'm here in my home in Wiltshire with my husband Ian and my kids and  21 years later  this.'

Sasha had known the Harry since her days as a groom at the future King Charles' Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove.

At just over two years the Prince's senior, she is much younger than most of the women whose names were suggested in the frenzy of speculation about her identity.

Sasha Walpole and her husband Ian pictured in a loved-up 2017 snap on social media. The couple first met in 2001 and wed in 2016

She told her mother Lyn, now 65, and her big sister Jodie Mayhead, 42, an accountant, that she'd had sex with Harry at the time.

Ian, 44, also knew she had slept with the Royal since she had confided in him when their relationship became serious.

However, the global guessing game over the name of Harry's mystery lover meant Sasha has now had to share details of her teenage sex life with her father Tony, 71.

'Dad wouldn't have cared if I had slept with a prince or a frog as long as I was safe and happy,' she says, 'but as a father, he didn't really want to know.

'It's not the kind of thing you want to talk about, even when you are as close as we are. Fortunately he took it as well as my husband, who is very laid back about it.'

But who is Ian, and how long have the pair been together?

Here, FEMAIL takes a look at everything we know about the couple.

Who is Ian Walpole?

According to his social media, Ian lives in Warminster, Wiltshire, and often posts about car drifting - a high-performance cornering technique - understood to be a point of bonding between him and Sasha.

Speaking to The Sun, the mother-of-two revealed that she first mentioned her experience with Harry to Ian while they were out for a drink, and the infamous polo pictures were just emerging.

When did Ian and Sasha get married?

Photos of Ian and Sasha's wedding day - posted on 2016 - feature a colourful assortment of the groom's party in neon chartreuse, and the bride's, in deep purple.

Commenting on a tagged Instagram post from the day, Ian gushed about the beautiful nuptials.

'What a perfect day in every way,' he wrote. 'We couldn't have done it soo well without the help from all the help from our friends and family.'

The gold digger's husband, Ian, is said to be 'laid back' about the situation, having heard about it early on in their relationship

How did they meet?

After foot-and-mouth disease put an end to her hopes of working with horses, Sasha started mixing with a different set of friends whose interest lay in motor sports, not horses. It was then that she met and fell in love with her husband, Ian.

Ian is a professional drift racer, and having begun dating in 2001, the couple got married in 2016 - shirking the traditional white and instead opting for a bright green and purple colour scheme.

They settled in Wiltshire's Wylye Valley and have two daughters, aged five and three.

Who is Sasha Walpole?

Born into a working-class family, Sasha, 40, left school at 15 to pursue work in the equestrian industry.

Her parents scrimped to buy her a naughty dapple grey called Beano and made her a horse box from an old British Telecom Luton van.

At 17, she was hired as an assistant groom at Highgrove, a 15-minute drive from her home in the village of Acton Turville, Gloucestershire.

Her late-night escapade with Prince Harry in July 2001 occurred the day before her 19th birthday, when the royal was 16.

Speaking to The Sun , the mother-of-two revealed that she first mentioned her experience with Harry to Ian while they were out for a drink, and the infamous polo pictures were just emerging

She worked for the royal family from September 1999 until April 2001, when she left the stables to take a stop-gap job in local factory Stretchline, making elastic for bras and underwear.

She was preparing to leave home, having applied for a groom's job in the Sultan of Brunei's stables in the Home Counties - but an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease put an end to that dream.

Sasha was born to mother Lyn and father Tony. Her mother, now 65, was a hotel cleaner while her father, 71, did groundworks.

She has an older sister Jodie Mayhead, 42, who works as an accountant. Both Jodie and Lyn were aware of what happened with between Harry and Sasha, and together the had kept it a closely-guarded secret for 21 years.

Outside of her work at Highgrove, Sasha first met William at a comedy night starring the late Cornish comedian Jethro at the Beaufort Hunt Kennels.

She subsequently made friends with Harry at one of his favourite pubs, The Rattlebone Inn, in the nearby Wiltshire village of Sherston.

They bonded over stories of her escapades on horse Beano.

'He was like a Thelwell pony [the caricatures drawn by cartoonist Normal Thelwell for Punch magazine]. He was so naughty, he ate everything  even the light off his own trailer once,' she laughs.

What happened the night Harry lost his virginity?

Sasha, now a mother of two who drives diggers for a living, had invited Harry, then a 16-year-old Eton schoolboy  not 17 as suggested in Spare  to the pub to celebrate her 19th birthday.

The pair were such close friends that Harry had brought her a stuffed Miss Piggy and a comedy birthday card with a joke about a flatulent whale on the front. He added to that with a tray of ten shots - five each - which saw the pair very drunk by closing time.

As last orders were called, the young prince asked her: 'Should we go for a smoke?' and they crept into an adjacent field to have a cigarette out of sight of his security detail.

The Miss Piggy Toy Harry bought for Sasha for her birthday. The Duke bought it at Thorpe park and gave it to her at her party with a card

The Vine Tree Pub, Norton, Wiltshire where Prince Harry had sex with Sasha in a field, which the Duke sensationally revealed in his bombshell memoir Spare

'He started to kiss me,' she remembers. 'It was passionate, intense. We both knew. It went from a kiss on to the floor pretty quickly.

'It was instant, fiery, wham bam, between two friends. It was sparky because we shouldn't have been doing it. He wasn't 'Prince Harry' to me, this was Harry, my friend, and the situation had got a little bit out of control. It felt naughty, I suppose, in the sense that it shouldn't be happening.

'We didn't set out to do it  it wasn't premeditated and I didn't know he was a virgin. There were no virgin vibes  he seemed to know what he was doing. It was quick, wild, exciting. We were both drunk. It wouldn't have happened if we weren't.'

Sadly the encounter marked the end of Sasha's friendship with Harry. From being regular drinking partners, the pair never texted, spoke or saw each other again.

Sasha added what surprised her most about the inclusion of the anecdote in Spare was how accurate it was.

Where is she now?

Sasha is now a digger driver, and excavates footings for patios and driveways, following in the footsteps of her father.

It was husband Ian who bought her her first digger as a birthday present.

She said: 'Now I drive a one-ton that goes through doorways and a three-ton too. Plus I have two dumpers.'

On Harry's revelations, she says: 'Being exposed in a book is surreal. I'm here in my home in Wiltshire with my husband Ian and my kids and  21 years later  this.'

'I don't think people will be amazed about me and Harry having sex in a field,' she says bluntly, 'but they are usually astonished by a woman driving a digger.'

It says much about the happily married mother-of-two  all of it good  that she has guarded their secret for so many years.

And it says much about the teenage Harry  also good  that he initiated a two-and-a-half-year friendship with a girl from outside the so-called Glosse Posse of wealthy, blue-blooded youngsters who made up his social circle in rural Gloucestershire.
The founder of ride-on children's suitcase brand Trunki is set to pocket 7million in personal profit, after selling his business for a cool 12million - 17 years after the brand was deemed worthless on Dragon's Den.

Rob Law, 45, from Bath, was told his idea for Trunki - ride-on suitcases for children - was 'worthless' by entrepreneur Peter Jones when he appeared on the BBC show in 2006.

Viewers cringed at the time when Ryman and Robert Dyas owner Theo Paphitis pulled at one of the straps of the suitcase Rob had on show and it fell off.

And while the panel told Rob they had no interest in Trunki, he proved them wrong when the business boomed years later.

He's now sold the brand's holding company, Magmatic, to e-commerce company Heroes, for an estimated 12m, and is expected to get 7million from the sale, having retained 60 per cent of the ownership of the business, the Sunday Times reported.

Rob Law, 45, from Bath, was told his idea for Trunki - ride-on suitcases for children - was 'worthless' by entrepreneur Peter Jones when he appeared on the BBC show in 2006. He's now proved them wrong by selling his business for a reported 12million

Law was told Trunki was 'not a business opportunity' when he appeared on the show in 2006.

At the time, he hoped to get 100,000 for a 10 per cent stake in the business, but none of the investors took the bait.

But the businessman was not discouraged, and the publicity generated some buzz around the product, and a renewed interest from retails, including John Lewis.

He went on to develop a series of other travel products for children, including the Boostapak  a car booster seat that doubles up as a backpack, meaning parents on holiday no longer have to pay exorbitant fees to hire one from a car rental company.

In 2013, it was reported Law had sold 2 million trunkies and he sold a stake of the company to the investment fund called BGF, formerly known as the British Growth Fund.

That same year, Magmatic was valued at 13million, making Law a multimillionaire and Dragon's Den most successful rejects at the time.

The show has gathered a record of rejecting businesses that turned out to be massively successful.

Shaun Pulfrey has scored a 70million sum following the sale of Tangle Teezer, the brand which gained global acclaim for helping millions with the woes of knotted hair.

Law was told Trunki was 'not a business opportunity' when he appeared on the Dragon's Den in 2006

It meant at the time of the sale that he had a fortune larger than that of judge Deborah Meaden - who along with Theo Paphitis, Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne and James Caan - all turned him down when he appeared on the BBC series back in 2007

The 59-year-old, from Grimsby, has sold his stake to London-based Mayfair Equity Partners, which recently floated maternity brand Seraphine, worn by Kate Middleton.

Mr Pulfrey told The Times in 2021: 'I'm incredibly excited for the future and the new opportunities it will present for our iconic and much-loved brand, including continuing to bring even more new product innovation, which is the heartbeat of the brand.'

The entrepreneur braved the notoriously high-pressure environment of the Den in a bid to raise 80,000 in exchange for a 15 per cent share in Tangle Teezer.

In 2013, it was reported Law had sold 2 million trunkies he sold a stake of the company to the investment fund called BGF, formerly known as the British Growth Fund

But when it came to putting their hands in their very deep pockets, the Dragons responded unanimously: 'I'm out!'

Mr Jones went so far as to tell Mr Pulfrey his brush scheme was 'hair-brained'; Mr Caan called it 'a waste of time'; and Ms Meaden dismissed his product saying it was like a 'horse brush'.

Ironically, it now makes Mr Pulfrey richer than Ms Meaden, who has an estimated wealth of 40 million.

The Dragon tweeted last year: 'It's good to be wrong when a Biz goes on to make a huge success. Never believe anyone is always right.'

Who are the most successful rejects of Dragons' Den? An unsuccessful pitch does not always mean the end of the road. Indeed so-called rejects have gone on to achieve great success. Like the Playbrush team, some are brave enough to reject the Dragons' offers, believing they deserve more. Other future success stories were simply dismissed out-of-hand. Here, we take a look at the ones that got away... Best friends who rejected Peter Jones Friends who appeared on Dragons' Den had the last laugh after turning down Peter Jones' paltry offer and turning their firm into a multi-million pound business. Jonny Pryn and Alex Somervell were told they were 'about to make a big mistake' by media tycoon Mr Jones, after bravely refusing his offer of 60,000 investment. Appearing on the BBC show earlier this month, the pair turned down Jones' demands for 20 per cent of the business, causing the other dragons to snigger in disbelief. But Mr Pryn, 25, and Mr Somervell, 27, soon proved they had made the right decision, after their company One Third Stories rose in value to 2.6million. The hairbrush entrepreneur who is worth millions He was famously turned down in the Dragons' Den, but Shaun Pulfrey continues to have the last laugh by raking in millions from his Tangle Teezer hairbrush On the show, the Dragons were not impressed with the idea and failed to invest He was famously turned down in the Dragons' Den, but former hairdresser Shaun Pulfrey continues to have the last laugh by raking in millions from his Tangle Teezer hairbrush. Figures filed for his company in March last year showed sales soared by a massive 22 per cent to 28.6 million in the year to March 31, 2016, while pre-tax profits grew from 7.4 million to 8 million. Pulfrey, who remortgaged his home to launch his business, did not take a dividend during the year but was paid 2.7 million in royalty payments. The success of Tangle Teezer  which was described on BBC TV by Dragons including Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden as 'hair-brained', 'a waste of time' and 'like a horse brush'  has been phenomenal with 20 sold every minute globally. The wine pioneer whose idea was snapped up by M&S Deborah Meaden was among the Dragons who dismissed James Nash's concept of a single-serve glass of wine with a plastic tear-off lid, pictured on the show M&S were a fan of the concept and adopted it as part of its Food on the Move section. It has proved hugely popular with commuters and picnicers James Nash first took his Cup-A-Wine idea to BBC's Dragons Den in 2009 only for it to be rejected out of hand. The invention  a single-serve plastic glass of French wine with a tear-off lid  solves the problem of feeling like a glass of wine but not having a glass or a corkscrew. He asked the Dragons - then Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis, Duncan Bannatyne, James Caan and Deborah Meaden - for 250,000 for a 25per cent stake in his business, Wine Innovations Ltd. However, they gave him a torrid grilling and bowed out because they were unconvinced anyone would be interested. Duncan Bannatyne was particularly dismissive, saying: 'People don't want to buy wine in plastic glasses like that with a seal on top. For that reason, I'm out.' But M&S were a fan of the concept and adopted it as part of its Food on the Move section. It has proved hugely popular with commuters and picnicers. Businessman whose bottles are sold around the world Guy Jeremiah originally presented his collapsible water bottle idea to the BBCs five dragons in 2010. All five dismissed the idea, and even by the standards of the notoriously tough show, they gave Mr Jeremiah a grilling. Theo Paphitis even told him hed rather stick pins in his eyes than back his idea. But Mr Jeremiah went on to great success and his invention is available in 16 countries. And if that was not enough to convince the Dragons they had missed a trick, he has also signed a distribution deal with Marks & Spencer. Advertisement

It also makes Tangle Teezer one of the most 'successful failures' in the hit programme's history.

Mr Pulfrey had been nagged by a friend into entering Dragons' Den in 2007. Despite facing five fearsome Dragons he felt confident because he believed that he had a decent idea.

Importantly, he also had a serious business plan having raised 98,000 from his savings from working as a hair salon colourist and by remortgaging his London flat.

He stressed it was not just about the financial investment, it was also the prospect of the extensive fringe benefits of getting a high-profile Dragon on board.

But in the event his bid for backing from the Dragons proved to be unsuccessful.

In 2021, the CEO of Brewdog revealed his plea for investment turned down by Dragons' Den 13 years ago would now be worth 360m - the best deal in the programme's history.

Co-founder James Watt, 38, revealed 'we pitched our hearts out' to the BBC show in 2008 but only got as far as the screen test before he was rejected by producers.

The craft beer company was just two years old at the time, and along with business partner Martin Dickie, he asked for 100,000 for 20 per cent of the business.

But he revealed a recent valuation of the brew company means the Dragons' missed investment would now be worth a staggering 360 million.

Writing on LinkedIn in 2021, he said: 'In 2008 we applied to Dragons' Den & got as far as a screen test and we pitched our hearts out before the producers rejected us.

'They deemed Martin and myself not investment worthy - we were totally crushed.

'Based on our latest BrewDog valuation, that investment would be now worth almost 360m.

'That means the Dragons missed out on by far the best deal in Den history.'

James said their pitch was rejected because it 'was not unique enough, special enough or with enough growth potential to make the grade'.
Authorities reported that the number of Russian soldiers killed in the Russia-Ukraine war exceeded 130,000, as trench fighting reminiscent of World War I continues to rage.

In recent weeks, the Russian troops' death toll in and around Bakhmut in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk area has soared, as a result of trench warfare, close-quarter combat, and intensive use of artillery, according to US authorities, as reported by The Daily Mail.

On February 24, the conflict will reach one year, and Russian losses are rising rapidly. Ukraine news indicated on the 346th day of the conflict, and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that 720 Russian servicemen had been killed the day before, bringing the overall number of Russian military fatalities to 130,599. Since Saturday, over 5,000 Russians have died, and over 10,500 in the last 14 days, as per a report from Miami Herald.

Ukraine news show averages suggest that by the end of this month, the number of Russian casualties might have reached 140,000. Russia lost three tanks, 11 additional artillery units, four drones, and 13 additional vehicle and gasoline tanks on Saturday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that the fighting in the country's east was becoming more intense and that Russia was sending additional forces into the fray amid the Russia-Ukraine war.

War Gets 'Tougher'

After many months of defeats, the Kremlin has been striving for a decisive triumph on the battlefield. Russian soldiers are vying for control of the neighboring key supply line for Ukrainian forces as well as the town of Bakhmut.

Russian forces are also seeking to take Vuhledar, a coal mining city 120 kilometers (75 miles) southwest of Bakhmut in eastern Donetsk.

In his nightly video message, Zelensky remarked that the "situation at the front is tough and is getting tougher, and it's that time again." He also noted that Russia is deploying "more and more" troops to break down Ukraine's defenses, per Reuters.

Read Also: US Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon

Defense Deputy Minister Hanna Malyar reported previously that Russian attacks on Bakhmut and Lyman had been unsuccessful.

Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Ukraine will strive to save the "fortress" city of Bakhmut in the east and asked the West to provide long-range weaponry to assist Kyiv to drive Russian soldiers away from the Donbas area.

Zelensky: Ukraine Will Never Give Up

After a session with EU officials in Kyiv, the Ukrainian president remarked at a press conference, "Nobody will give away Bakhmut." He vowed to continue fighting as long as they could.

"Ukraine would be able to hold Bakhmut and liberate occupied Donbas if it received long-range weapons," Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukrainian opposition to the Russian invasion has centered on the city of Bakhmut, while Moscow has been trying to retake ground in the struggle for the city per Ukraine news reports.

Earlier reports suggested that the US was nearing the completion of a deal to send around 30 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

The Biden administration has started to process the Abrams tanks, but it is not clear when they will reach Ukraine, per HNGN.

According to one of our sources, the United States plans to send several recovery trucks to the battlefield to either assist fix US tanks there or to transport them there for maintenance and repairs amid the Russia Ukraine war.

Related Article: Hungary To Benefit If Russia Wins Ukraine War

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As the cost of living crisis continues to plague thousands across the UK, many are surprised to find historically more pricey supermarkets offering cheaper alternatives.

And one shopper was delighted with Sainsbury's deals - typically considered less affordable for everyday groceries.

Caitlin Rolle, 35, said that while she previously considered it to be on the 'high end' alongside Marks & Spencer or Waitrose, the orange-branded retailer has been great for her.

'They not only price match Aldi, they also have better quality foods.'' the mother-of-six told Manchester Evening News. 'I like the Nectar card savings and on the smart shop you get some great deals on items you regularly buy.'

Looking at the price per the cheapest five-pack of bananas - compared to three other famously 'budget' stores online - MailOnline found that Sainsbury's (71p) matched the price of Aldi's offering (also 71p) and cost less than Morrisons (89p) and Asda (1).

Are the 'posh supermarket's undercutting the budget stores? Caitlin Rolle, 35, from Manchester said that while she previously considered Sainsbury's to be on the 'high end' alongside Marks & Spencer or Waitrose, the orange-branded retailer has been great for her (Pictured: The current price of bananas at four UK supermarkets)

She told the outlet about her strict budgeting rules when buying for her family of eight, all contained in a monthly 350 shop - which usually ends up being around 90 per week.

However, there is also a weekly milk and bread top up if needed. The homemaker caters for her children; five daughters aged between 10 -17 as well as a six-month-old son.

Caitlin praised Sainsbury's 12 breaded ham slices at 1.75 for 300g, which she says it tastier and more affordable than her local Morrison's.

The salami was to her liking as well, with her family using six packs a week, usually in sandwiches.

To save money, the savvy spender tends to cook most dishes from scratch and sticks to a meal plan, explaining that baking snacks at home also saves on unnecessary purchases outside.

The mother-of-six, pictured, sticks to a 90 a week shopping budget to feed her five daughters, one son and her partner

Caitlin praised Sainsbury's 12 breaded ham slices at 1.75 for 300g, which she says it tastier and more affordable than her local Morrison's

Caitlin said she buys a mix of store-branded and branded products, and even buys all the baby products and toiletries from the supermarket.

An Asda spokesperson said: 'Asda is the lowest-priced traditional supermarket and has invested heavily during the last 12 months to keep prices in check for customers, while introducing new money-saving initiatives.

'These include Asda Rewards, which gives customers money off at the tills rather than points, and Just Essentials, a new range of 300 value products designed to help keep households running on the tightest of budgets.'

Aldi have also insisted that claims from some shoppers don't reflect a trend - and that it would be wrong to suggest that customers were fleeing from them to Sainsbury's.

Caitlin said she buys a mix of store-branded and branded products, and even buys all the baby products and toiletries from the supermarket

To save money, the savvy spender tends to cook most dishes from scratch and sticks to a meal plan, explaining that baking snacks at home also saves on unnecessary purchases outside

A spokesperson for the retailer said: 'Week after week, independent price surveys confirm what shoppers know already  that Aldi is the lowest-priced supermarket in the UK.

'Thats why Aldi has been named by Which? as the UKs cheapest supermarket for two years running. In the last three months alone, Aldi attracted an additional 1.3 million customers, as shoppers switch in their droves from every single major UK supermarket, including Sainsburys.'

MailOnline has also reached out to Morrisons for comment.

It comes as Aldi has partnered with popular food waste app Too Good To Go, rolling out the service across all of its 990 stores in the UK.

Shoppers will now be able to snag products approaching their sell-by or use-by dates at less than a third of the price. Stock image used

Shoppers will now be able to snag products approaching their sell-by or use-by dates at less than a third of the price, with 10 worth of food able to purchase at 3.30.

The 'Magic Bags' promise a range of groceries, in a mission to eliminate food waste across the country.

The move comes following a successful trial last year, and customers need only download the Too Good To Go app to participate.

Shoppers can search up an Aldi store near them and reserve a bag collection for a scheduled time slot. The rollout hopes to save a further 4,000 tonnes of food from being wasted annually.

'With the rising cost of living impacting so many, Too Good To Go offers a simple and accessible way for consumers to save money and reduce waste,' the supermarket's Corporate Responsibility Director Liz Fox said.

She praised the partnership for allowing the store to 'cut down on food waste, while also offering customers the opportunity to pick up our food at even lower prices'.

All of the outlet's UK stores will also continue to donate food to local causes for 365 days of the year.

Sophie Trueman, Managing Director of Too Good To Go UK and Ireland, added: 'We're thrilled to be rolling out our partnership with Aldi nationally.

'Having already had fantastic feedback during a successful trial period, I know our Too Good To Go community is going to jump at the chance to save Magic Bags from their local Aldi and prevent even more good food from going to waste.'
Giving birth in your 70s might sound totally preposterous.

But some of the world's leading fertility researchers would politely insist you're wrong.

In fact, they believe we're merely decades away from the once-unthinkable feat becoming much more mainstream.

Septuagenarians claim to have already given birth, most notably India's Erramatti Mangayamma, who reportedly welcomed twins in September 2019 aged 74.

Her success was achieved through IVF, heralded as one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the last century. It allows, in theory, women of any age to give birth  even if they have been rendered technically infertile by the menopause.

The rise of the older mum. Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS)shows the average age of mothers in England and Wales has increased since the 1970s, now reaching 30.9 years as of the latest figures

Alex Polyakov, associate professor at the University of Melbourne Medical School and senior fertility specialist, told MailOnline science may soon unravel a way of extending the female biological clock, allowing women to give birth naturally well into their 50s and beyond.

It means the current Guinness World Record for the oldest natural birth, set in 1997 by Guernsey's Dawn Brooke, who gave birth aged 59 after conceiving through sex, might end up being routine within the next three decades.

Who is the oldest woman to give birth according to official records? Maria del Carmen Bousada Lara, from Barcelona, Spain, gave birth to two twin boys, Christian and Pau, at the age of 66 years and 358 days on December 29, 2006 Maria del Carmen Bousada Lara gained worldwide notoriety when she gave birth to twins aged 66 in December 2006. The former shop worker, who was single, was branded 'selfish and irresponsible' by her own family over her decision to conceive so late in life. She admitted lying about her age in order to receive fertility treatment at a private clinic in Los Angeles, for which she paid a reported 30,000 Ms Carmen Bousada Lara returned to Barcelona where she delivered her sons by caesarean section. She claimed to be feeling healthier than ever and predicted that she would see her children live into adulthood and eventually become a grandmother herself. Ms Carmen Bousada Lara told reporters at the time she believed she would live past 100 as she had 'longevity in her family'. But she died in July 2009 from cancer, having been diagnosed a year after giving birth. Ms Carmen Bousada Lara holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest birth, but several mothers that have not been verified but are thought to be older have had a child since. Erramatti Mangayamma, from India, gave birth to two healthy baby girls in September with her husband of 57 years, Raja Rao, 82, by her side. He died last year. The pensioner, of Andhra Pradesh state, revealed she was inspired to try for a baby after her 55-year-old neighbour conceived. While her age has not yet been verified, if Mangayamma is as old as she claims, it would make her eight years older than Ms Carmen Bousada Lara. Advertisement

Women's fertility is usually considered over when they hit the menopause, with the hallmark hot flushes during late forties and fifties signalling how the body has ran out of eggs.

Yet, by no means does it stop women from being able to get pregnant.

Instead, fertilised donor eggs from younger women can be implanted into their uteruses using in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).

More than 50,000 UK women undergo IVF treatment annually, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), although many may do so for reasons other than the menopause.

In menopausal women, hormones are used to replicate how their body would normally have reacted prior to 'the change'.

One of the most exciting advances in the world of fertility occurred five years ago, inside a Greek fertility clinic.

Two menopausal women, treated at Genesis Athens, became pregnant with their own eggs after receiving injections of their blood.

The technique removed white and red blood cells, leaving only plasma that was abundant in platelets  cells known to help reduce inflammation and repair tissue damage.

Experts at the time reacted to Dr Kostantinos Sfakianoudis' claims cautiously, describing it as 'fabulous' in theory but warning that a host of questions needed answering, including how it worked and whether it was even safe.

Months after the Covid pandemic kicked off, the same clinic claimed that another menopausal woman  a 38-year-old from Dubai  had given birth naturally using their pioneering technique.

Dr Polyakov said: 'This is an interesting concept.

'It is an experimental technique to attempt to improve ovarian function in women with poor ovarian response, usually in the setting of IVF.

'It is early days and the research is just beginning to be undertaken. No one knows how it works or whether it works at all.

'Overall, it is difficult to say at this stage if this technique will prove effective in the long run.

'Extensive research effort is required to determine its safety and effectiveness before it is offered to patients outside appropriately regulated research setting.'

Just 60ml of blood is needed for the rejuvenating procedure  an eighth of the amount the NHS takes from kind-hearted donors.

After being repeatedly 'spun' through a centrifuge to create the powerful platelet-rich plasma (PRP) needed to supposedly kickstart fertility, half is then injected into each ovary.

It is the same method behind Kim Kardashian's infamous 'vampire facial'.

In the reality TV star's case, dermatologists say that proteins found within platelets themselves, known as growth factors, triggers the production of collagen  a type of protein that helps with tissue repair and immunity.

But PRP, as the celebrity-loved treatment is often abbreviated to, isn't just used to get a youthful, glowing face. Studies are beginning to show it can help battle hair loss, as well as creaky knees.

The Greek menopause-busting breakthrough undoubtedly presents one of the most exciting steps in the world of fertility.

Another way in which motherhood over the age of 50 could become more commonplace is by delaying the ageing of eggs.

Israeli researchers last year effectively made eggs from women in their 40s resemble those of twenty-somethings.

Although it would not allow women to give birth once the menopause had hit, it would make them more fertile at an older age, extending their years of peak fertility.

Women are born with all of their eggs but they deteriorate over time, making it more difficult for older eggs to be fertilised. The eggs also dwindle in numbers over time.

Dr Polyakov said: 'Women are born with all the eggs they are ever going to have.

'This pool of eggs is constantly shrinking and by the age of menopause, usually around the age of 50, it is exhausted.

'While the average female in her early 20s has an 80 per cent chance of becoming pregnant naturally within the space of a year, this halves by the age of 40.

'Just a few hundred women in the UK become mothers in their 50s each year.'

Advances in science means the current Guinness World Record for the oldest natural birth, set in 1997 by Guernsey's Dawn Brooke (pictured), who gave birth aged 59 after conceiving through sex, might end up being routine within the next three decades

The number of births per woman hit an all-time low in the first year of the pandemic, with birthrates falling at pace since 2012, when around 730,000 children were born

The slight increase in births last year was driven mainly by women in their 30s, with women aged 35 to 39 (light green) seeing the sharpest increase at around 5 per cent. Women aged 20 and under saw a fall of 16 per cent

He added: 'It is also important to remember that the best eggs  or oocytes  are used first.

'This is because the best quality oocytes only require a small amount of stimulation to be recruited and released.

'As time goes by, increased amounts of ovarian stimulation are required to recruit oocytes in every cycle.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS OF A LATE PREGNANCY? Greater difficulty in initially conceiving a child, with the personal and psychological difficulties that this can cause.

Increased risk of complications for both mother and infant during pregnancy and delivery (although the actual size of the risk may be small).

Greater risk of general maternal health problems, such as high blood pressure, which can contribute to complications.

Higher risk of miscarriage in women above the age of 35.

Higher risk of having twins or triplets, which is itself associated with higher risk of complications.

Increased chance of having a baby with a congenital abnormality, such as Downs syndrome.

Increased risk of pre-eclampsia.

Increased risk of complications during delivery, such as prolonged labour, need for assisted delivery or Caesarean section, or stillbirth. Source: NHS Advertisement

'This is the reason why younger women fall pregnant easier and quicker, compared to older women and it also explains the increased risk of miscarriage in older women.'

Scientists hope that another technique could also see women's eggs stay healthier for longer, extending the age women are fertile for.

A new finding, detailed in a study in Nature, revealed how women's eggs can remain in a 'pristine condition' and avoid 'decades of wear and tear'.

Researchers found that eggs, which survive for up to 50 years before fertilisation, do this by stopping a key metabolic reaction that can damage cells.

Lead author Dr Aida Rodriguez, a developmental biologist at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, said: 'Humans are born with all the supply of egg cells they have in life.

'As humans are also the longest-lived terrestrial mammal, egg cells have to maintain pristine conditions while avoiding decades of wear-and-tear.

'We show this problem is solved by skipping a fundamental metabolic reaction that is also the main source of damage for the cell.

'As a long-term maintenance strategy, it's like putting batteries on standby mode. This represents a brand new paradigm never before seen in animal cells.'

The researchers, who looked at human and frog eggs, found that they shut down complex I  the first step cells take to produce energy. This process prolongs the lifespan of the egg and explains why they can 'maintain cellular fitness' for so long, the team said.

Dr Polyakov envisages a future where women can get pregnant in their 50s and beyond.

He told MailOnline: 'In terms of future direction, I believe that in vitro maturation of oocytes from ovarian tissue will change the whole field of reproductive medicine.

'It will look something like this: a small portion of an ovary can be extracted from a patient in her mid to late 20s. The tissue is then frozen and stored.

'This small amount of ovarian tissue will have thousands of dormant and inactive oocytes in their prime, as described in the Nature paper.

'In case she does not achieve natural pregnancy in her reproductive years, in the future it should be possible to thaw the tissue and in some fashion prompt these dormant oocytes to mature oocyte, which can then be used for IVF and almost unlimited pregnancy attempts.

'A healthy woman in her 50s should have no issues carrying a pregnancy, its getting pregnant that is problematic at this age.'

Although similar technology already exists, the exact one that Dr Polyakov thinks will change the world 'does not'. But he said it is not a 'big stretch to imagine' that it is a 'viable possibility' in the coming years.

Dr Zeynep Gurtin, a lecturer in women's health at University College London, told MailOnline that there is 'no biological reason' why women couldn't carry their own genetic children at any age due to advancements in fertility research.

'We are increasingly hearing about technological developments on the horizon which promise eternal fertility to women,' she said. And women in their seventies are already having successful pregnancies, she noted.

However, Dr Gurtin said: 'In my research experience, most women desire to have children in their late 20s and 30s.

'The majority of those who end up having children later in life have not "postponed" motherhood for career ambitions or a desire to travel the world.

'Rather, they have not been able to have children any earlier because they were not in the right relationship, because they suffered fertility problems and pregnancy loss, or because their social and economic conditions have not supported having and raising a child.'

She added: 'If our desire is to empower women by enabling them to have children when they want to, we would be better off pouring resources into creating adequate maternity leave and childcare provisions, rather than in new technologies that extend fertility.'
You may sleep a little less well tonight once you know you might be sharing your sheets with these tiny critters.

Passed on from pets, picked up in hotel rooms and nesting in your bedding, these annoying bugs can cause itchy bites, eczema and asthma flare-ups and even tapeworm infections.

Here, experts explain exactly what you need to look for and how to get rid of them.

Bedbugs

These small parasitic insects feed on the blood of humans and animals while they sleep.

Bedbugs, fleas and dust mites can be found in homes, if there is an infestation. You are more likely to be bitten by tics, mosquitos and horseflies outside. The images show the difference between the itchy bites. Bedbug bites and flea bites can look similar, bedbug bites usually appear in straight lines along the skin and flea bites can develop in clusters and can also blister. Dust mites can cause allergy flare ups including eczema.

As well as hiding in mattresses, the pesky creatures  which measure just 5mm in length so can be seen by the naked eye  can lurk in clothes, furniture and behind pictures.

Often they resemble the same shape and size as an apple pip.

As larvae, they start off as a white, translucent kind of colour, before morphing into browner shades as adults. After feasting on your blood, they turn a rusty colour.

But the critters are excellent at hiding and their poo, which looks like small brown spots left on your bedding, is an easier way of spotting them.

Spots of blood on your bedding, from squishing the bugs or from their bites, may also be a sign you have bedbugs.

Professor Mary Cameron, a medical entomologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, explained that the pesky critters are really hard to get rid of and infestations are on the rise.

She said: 'People go off on holiday and bring them back.

'You can bring back an infestation to your house from a hotel room, second hand furniture and from transport.'

Getting rid of a bedbug infestation can be expensive, with floorboards needing to be ripped up and multiple treatments of insecticides used in your home.

Professor Cameron said: 'You do not want to bring an infestation into your home with you.

'It can be quite destructive they can hide in cracks and crevasses.

'If you just sprayed your room with insecticide, the chances are the bedbugs hiding away would not be in contact with it. That can cause problems because theyre very tolerant to a whole range of insecticides.'

BEDBUGS: At 0.5cm the insects can be seen by the naked eye. If you have an infestation you can find them hiding in the dark corners of clothing, furniture, behind pictures, loose wallpaper, and tucked away in your mattress.

To prevent bringing the pests back home after going on holiday, Professor Cameron advises giving your hotel room a check over before opening your suitcase.

Check for blood spots on bedding and look in bedside cabinets and the corners of draws for signs of any previous infestation.

If you are unlucky enough to bring back an infestation and get bitten, you can get treatment for the bites from your GP or pharmacist.

The bites appear as red spots on white skin and can look purple on black and brown skin, according to the NHS.

Although the bites can be itchy and painful, they are not thought to cause other health problems and should clear up in about a week.

However, it is recommended to keep the affected area clean and to avoid scratching the bites because this could cause an infection.

A cool, damp cloth can also help soothe the itching and swelling.

Dr Derrick Philips, consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson, said: 'Bedbug bites are not usually dangerous and do not transmit any known diseases.'

He added: 'For severe reactions consider taking antihistamines or consulting your doctor or a pharmacist for a steroid cream.

'If the bites are painful, swollen, and there are signs of golden crusting, they may be infected and will require a course of antibiotics through your GP or pharmacist.

'However, this is uncommon, and, in most cases, bedbug bites will get better on their own within one to two weeks.'

If you do spot bedbugs in your home, the NHS recommends you put the affected bedding on a hot 60 degree wash and tumble dry for 30 minutes. Following that, it should be put in a plastic bag and placed in the freezer for three to four days.

Dust mites

Itchy skin, asthma flare-ups, a runny nose and trouble sleeping may all be signs you have dust mites living in your sheets.

The microscopic creatures thrive in warm, humid environments and feed off dead skin cells, making your bed their perfect home.

Millions of dust mites can live in just one mattress, and they are present in all homes despite normal cleaning.

But at just 0.25mm big, the translucent bugs are too small for the naked eye to see.

These mites are relatively harmless, they do not bite or carry diseases, but for some people the presence of the mites can cause a range of problems.

Many people with dust mite allergies also have eczema and asthma that is triggered by the bugs specifically substances found in the dust mites' faeces.

'Absolutely everyone has dust mites,' Professor Cameron said.

She added: 'The problem is they feed on shed skin scales and in order to do that they produce enzymes which breakdown the shed skin scales.

'It is these enzymes that remain active in their faeces and that causes allergic responses.'

DUST MITES: These tiny critters thrive in warm, humid environments and feed off human skin cells making your bed their perfect home. Millions of dust mites can live in just one mattress, and they are present in most homes, but at just 0.25mm big the tiny white bugs are too small to see without a microscope

However, it is not just that the enzymes trigger skin problems such as eczema, but people with eczema also shed more skin scales, according to Professor Cameron. This means there is more food for them, which can perpetuate the problem.

There are a range of products you can use to help prevent allergies, but some are not that effective.

Professor Cameron recommends using a semi-impermeable mattress encasing to protect your skin from the mites.

She said: 'They have got this very tight weave, so it is supposed to trap the allergens, but it doesnt get rid of the problem.

'You can put it over the mattress, and it contains the problem.

'When you take it off to wash, then you can get a cloud of the allergen coming from it.'

The enzyme which causes the allergy can also stick around for up to six months, so it will take a while before you notice a difference.

Vacuuming the bed and washing your sheet regularly above 60 degrees can also help kill the mites and reduce their numbers, as, just like bedbugs, they are tolerant to lower temperatures.

But not making your bed straight away in the morning could be one of the best ways to help reduce dust mites.

Professor Cameron explains this is because making your bed could just keep the humidity that the dust mites love in.

She said: 'When you get up in the morning, you can try and get rid of that humidity by pulling back your duvet and leaving your window open.'

If you do fall victim to dust mites, Dr Phillips recommends visiting your pharmacist.

He said: 'House dust mite allergies are common in people with eczema and can trigger skin flares.

'Flares of eczema can be managed with regular application of emollients, which lock in moisture and repair the skin barrier.

'For moderate to severe flares, it is best to make an appointment with your doctor or pharmacist and you may require treatment with steroid creams.'

Fleas

The jumpy pests can find their way into your bedding, especially if you allow your pet to sleep on your bed.

To the naked eye at just 2mm-long, these blood-suckers look like small, dark, oval-shaped insects.

The critters can survive for up to two years without feasting on blood, according to Professor Cameron.

Fleas can survive in carpets and soft furnishings and can come out as soon as they sense a new host's breath, warmth or vibrations.

But it doesn't necessarily have to be your own animal that gives you fleas.

Professor Cameron said: 'You can have birds flying down chimneys and dying and fleas jumping off them and into the house.'

She says pet owners should be responsible and treat their pets for fleas regularly to stop them spreading to other households.

The critters are not only hard to spot, but even harder to catch.

But you can check for fleas by leaving a sticky trap on the edges of your room.

FLEAS: You can check for fleas by leaving a sticky trap on the edges of your room. This is because you mostly find them on the edges of carpets as well as on other soft furnishings, such as beds. To the naked eye at 2mm long, these blood suckers look like small, dark, oval shaped insects

Professor Cameron explains this is because you mostly find them on the edges of carpets as well as on other soft furnishings, such as beds.

However, a pest controller is the best way to get rid of the jumpy critters.

Using a 'smoke bomb' or a candle which smokes them out works well, according to Professor Cameron, but you need to leave the house or room while the treatment is used.

The bugs don't just cause your dog or cat to furiously scratch, they also cause itchy bites and can carry diseases in rare cases, including parasites such as tapeworms.

But this risk is low and only happens if you accidently swallow a flea that has ingested a tapeworm, according to the British Pest Control Association.

However, bites are common and cause itchy red lumps that often appear grouped in lines and clusters, in some cases they cause blisters.

If your cat or dog has fleas, you will usually get bites below the ankles and on your forearms due to petting and holding your pet.

Dr Philips explains that although flea bites should go within a week, there are ways of soothing the itch and preventing infection.

He said: Flea bites do not typically require treatment however if the itching is uncomfortable, it can be soothed with calamine lotion or a cooling treatment such as aqueous cream with menthol.

'Some people can develop an itchy lumpy rash called papular urticaria, following flea bites.

'This requires treatment with antihistamines and steroids which can be obtained from your doctor or pharmacist.

'Infected flea bites may also require medical attention and a short course of antibiotics.'

Medics suggest keeping the area clean with soap and water to reduce the chance of infection.
Just 75 Brits have been killed by Covid vaccines, official statistics show.

It equates to roughly one death for every 2million jabs dished out in the UK.

For comparison, experts estimate you have up to a one in 250,000 chance of being hit by an asteroid and dying.

Leading experts told MailOnline the low death toll was proof the life-saving vaccines are incredibly safe.

They also admitted it could be a slight under-count.

Just 75 Brits have been killed by Covid vaccines, official statistics show. It equates to roughly one death for every 2.1million jabs dished out in the UK

But the figure is nowhere near bogus claims currently circulating on social media, which state that the jabs are behind a surge in excess deaths.

One discredited study last week also claimed the Covid vaccines were behind up to 280,000 deaths in the US alone.

Professor Mark Skidmore, the author of that explosive estimate, also claimed that the actual death toll could be closer to the 330,000 mark.

His calculations  based on scaling up answers from fewer than 3,000 people to the US population  were peddled by anti-vaxxers who called for immunisation drives to be urgently suspended.

Some social media users questioned what the toll would be in Britain, which is five times smaller than the US but used the same vaccines.

But Professor Robert Dingwall, who advised the Government on the virus during the pandemic, told MailOnline that any attempts to use a similar calculation to work out any toll for Britain were 'not credible'.

He added: 'All vaccines come with a small risk of a fatal adverse reaction, although they would never be approved if this was not vastly exceeded by their reduction of the risk of dying from the disease.

'There are uncertainties about death certification and what is causing the current wave of excess deaths. These need proper and rigorous investigation.'

However, he added the 'contribution from vaccination is likely to be much nearer to 75'.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which polices the safety of drugs used in Britain, only approved the jabs once it was confident they were safe.

Data on fatalities from Covid jabs are compiled by the statistical bodies of each of the home nations.

Sixty death certificates have mentioned Covid jabs in England and Wales, according to the latest report from the Office for National Statistics.

All but one of those were in England.

Dr Simon Clarke, a cellular microbiologist at the University of Reading, added: 'I find those stats to be far more convincing than the rather wild numbers in the BMC Infectious Diseases paper (by Professor Skidmore).

'The claimed link between jabs and deaths from heart disease has never been demonstrated, neither has there been a plausible explanation of how it might happen.

'As with just about every other medicine, Covid vaccines are not without side effects and nobody has claimed otherwise.

'But the benefits massively outweigh the risks.'

Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, also told MailOnline: 'There's also plenty of evidence highlighting how any risks associated with cardiac events are much higher from a Covid infection than any possible very rare adverse event from vaccination.

'The UK surveillance systems will under-count mild adverse events, such as a sore arm, since they will rarely be reported.

'However, severe adverse events or any deaths are going to be investigated, with causal links established or refuted.

'Thus, we can be confident that the numbers produced by the ONS and MHRA are very likely to be accurate.'

He added: 'The Skidmore paper published in BMC Infectious Diseases is, to be perfectly blunt, crap.

'It's lacking in even basic understanding around how to interpret and use data from the vaccine safety surveillance systems. The numbers are incorrect and the conclusions are wrong.

'From the outside looking in, it's often hard to know if the author is being deliberately mendacious, or if they possess all the scientific knowledge and rigour of a recently-deceased whelk.

'It is astonishing that the journal published it at all, and I note there has been an expression of concern added to the article. There are plenty of grounds to suggest it will be retracted, which would be the right thing to do.'

Earlier this month, MP Andrew Bridgen was also stripped of the whip by disgusted Tories for a tweet comparing the jab campaign to the Holocaust

Mr Bridgen has repeatedly demanded an urgent investigation into Covid vaccine harms, claiming there is a link between the jabs and heart damage, which has led to a spike in heart related deaths. But health chiefs have repeatedly dismissed fears that mRNA jabs are behind any rise in heart problems

In December Mr Bridgen also alleged that someone in a 'prominent leadership role' in the British Heart Foundation (BHF) was 'covering up clear data' which revealed vaccines harm the heart

According to the ONS, in England, 16 deaths recorded were of those aged between 50 to 59  the most in any age category. In Wales, the victim was also within the 50 to 59 age category.

There were 14 deaths among 40 to 49-year-olds and 10 were reported of those aged between 30 and 39.

The youngest victim is thought to be 18-year-old Kasey Turner, who died in February 2021, two weeks after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid jab.

The student paramedic from Barnsley, south Yorkshire was admitted to hospital after experiencing intense headaches. It was later shown to be a cerebral venous thrombosis, an extremely rare complication of the vaccine itself.

The side effect was so rare that it wasn't spotted in the initial trials involving tens of thousands of people before being given the green light in December 2020.

British health chiefs eventually recommended in May that the jab only be offered to over-40s because the potential risks outweighed the benefits.

Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines were favoured for young adults and as boosters.

Latest figures from the National Records of Scotland shows a total of 13 deaths have been linked to the vaccine.

In nine of these deaths, the underlying case of death was attributed to the adverse effects of the Covid jab.

For the further four deaths reported, the vaccine's adverse effects were thought to have played a contributory role.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland reported two deaths linked to adverse effects of the vaccine, according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

All of the data is based on death certificates.

More than 151m Covid vaccines have been dished out in the UK since December 2020, when Margaret Keenan became the first person in the world to get an approved jab.

Vaccines played a crucial role in building the wall of immunity that allowed the UK to turn a corner in the pandemic, leaving lockdowns and restrictions behind.

A 2022 study led by academics at Imperial College London suggests almost 20million lives were saved by Covid vaccines in the first year since countries began rolling out the jabs, the majority in wealthy nations

According to data from the ONS, some 17,381 deaths were registered in England and Wales in the seven days to January 13  2,837 above average for the time of year. This was the highest number of excess deaths since February 2021, when the UK was experiencing its second wave of Covid infections

But prominent critics including MP Andrew Bridgen  who was stripped of the whip last month after branding the roll-out 'the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust'  have demanded an urgent investigation into Covid vaccine harms.

They claim there is a link between the jabs and heart damage, which they believe has led to a spike in heart related deaths.

In December, Mr Bridgen also alleged that someone in a 'prominent leadership role' in the British Heart Foundation was 'covering up clear data' which showed vaccines harm the heart.

But health chiefs have repeatedly dismissed fears that mRNA jabs, the particular subject of anti-vaxx complaints, are behind any rise in heart problems.

Latest official data shows that excess deaths across England have been on the rise since summer but have spiked in recent weeks.

Overall, there were 49,339 deaths in England in December  5,871, or 13.5 per cent, above the five-year average, according to data from the ONS.

Some 17,381 deaths were also registered in England and Wales in the seven days to January 13  2,837 above average for the time of year.

This was the highest number of excess deaths since February 2021, when the UK was experiencing its second wave of Covid infections.

This includes a surge in heart-related deaths.

Experts have blamed the NHS crisis  which has seen record waits for ambulances and in A&E  as well as a brutal wave of flu and the freezing winter temperatures.

Charities have also warned that 'significant and widespread disruption to heart care services' is to blame for excess coronary heart disease-related deaths.

In December, the UK's Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Chris Whitty suggested that fewer patients being prescribed statins and blood pressure meds might have played a role.

Data published last week also shows that the US has suffered nearly 300,000 more deaths than usual since the pandemic began that cannot be attributed to Covid.

But leading experts believe these are also mostly made up of surges in deaths from cancer and heart disease, as well as drug overdoses and firearms.

Globally, Covid vaccines have been credited with saving almost 20million lives during the first year of their existence.

Like with any medication or vaccine, however, the jabs do have risks. The majority are mild, such as a sore arm, flu-like symptoms and headaches.

Some concerns were raised after vaccines were found in extremely rare cases to trigger myocarditis and pericarditis  inflammation of the heart  especially among young people.

But leading heart experts insist the majority of cases are mild and temporary, and that contracting the virus itself can also cause the condition.

So what is the risk of getting myocarditis or pericarditis after the vaccine? How would I know if I had any heart damage? And is the vaccine safe for people with heart conditions or taking heart medications?

We asked two leading experts to put these fears to bed and debunk the biggest heart myths around Covid vaccinations.

Two leading cardiologists, Professor Amitava Banerjee (pictured left) and Dr Martin Lowe (pictured right), debunk the biggest myths around the Covid vaccinations and their effect on heart health

Since 2020 has there been an increase in heart-related deaths?

Yes. A report by the British Heart Foundation in November revealed that there has been just over 30,000 excess deaths involving heart disease in England since the start of the pandemic.

This is, on average, over 230 additional deaths a week above expected.

However, causes of this 'relate to being unable to access care for high blood pressure, heart tests and treatment for heart disease,' according to Dr Martin Lowe, a consultant cardiologist at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London and consultant paediatric cardiologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.

He said the possible effects of Covid on the heart may also be to blame.

Now Covid's threat has been drastically blunted, the virus is no longer thought to be a driving force behind the excess heart disease death rate.

Instead, 'significant and widespread disruption to heart care services'  including rapidly rising ambulance response times and 'unacceptably long waits for diagnosis and treatment of conditions'  is to blame, the BHF warned.

NHS data also shows 2million fewer people were recorded as having controlled hypertension in 2021 compared to the previous year.

Modelling indicates that this reduction in blood pressure control could lead to an estimated 11,190 and 16,702 additional heart attacks and strokes, respectively, over a three year period.

Can the vaccines affect the heart?

In short, yes.

Although it is 'very rare', an increased risk of myocarditis and pericarditis has been found with mRNA Covid vaccines  such as Moderna or Pfizer/BioNtech.

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, while pericarditis is inflammation of the lining around the heart, also known as the pericardium, he added.

But, the majority of cases that occur after vaccination 'are mild with a complete recovery', Dr Lowe said.

Only in 'extremely rare' cases of severe myocarditis do people require hospitalisation and treatment, he added.

'Importantly, most people who get myocarditis or pericarditis have mild disease and the vast majority make a complete recovery, even children,' said Professor Amitava Banerjee, an honorary consultant cardiologist at University College London.

How common is that side effect?

The risk is low. UK data suggests a risk of one case in every 20,000 vaccine doses in most studies', Dr Lowe added.

Those aged 18-29, particularly young men, appear to be at higher risk. And it is most common after the second dose.

But a 2022 review on myocarditis and pericarditis following vaccination, published by the University of Alberta, found there were up to 15 cases recorded per 100,000 young men.

A 2021 review carried out by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also showed that per million second doses of mRNA Covid vaccine administered to men aged 1229, it may trigger between 39 and 47 expected cases of myocarditis.

However, it would also prevent 11,000 Covid infections, 560 hospitalisations, 138 intensive care hospital admissions and six deaths.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) asks doctors to report side effects via its 'Yellow Card' scheme.

According to latest figures shared by UKHSA, as of November 23 the MHRA had received 851 reports of myocarditis and 579 of pericarditis linked to the Pfizer vaccination.

By comparison, there were 241 reports of myocarditis and 226 reports of pericarditis linked to Oxford's AstraZeneca jab and 251 reports of myocarditis and 149 of pericarditis, with Moderna.

'It is important to note that Yellow Card data and similar vaccine surveillance data from other countries cannot be used to compare the safety profile of Covid vaccines as many factors can influence reporting,' UKHSA said.

According to latest figures shared by UKHSA, as of November 23 the MHRA had received 851 reports of myocarditis and 579 of pericarditis linked to the Pfizer vaccination. However, Covid also carries a risk of myocarditis  and one that is far higher than the vaccine, at 1,500 cases per million infections

How would I know if I had myocarditis after the vaccine?

For the majority of people who suffer myocarditis, 'the symptoms are mild', Dr Lowe said.

Symptoms generally appear within three to five days, and usually no more than a week after having the vaccine.

If people experience these symptoms, especially if they do not go away, medical help should be sought.

'Severe chest pain, heart failure symptoms such as breathlessness, and dangerous changes in heart rhythm that cause episodes of collapse are rare, but require urgent assessment and treatment,' Dr Lowe added.

Other symptoms could also include signs of a viral infection such as body aches, fever and a sore throat, Professor Banerjee said.

Cases of myocarditis are only diagnosed after proper assessments by specialists.

Treatment of myocarditis depends on the symptoms experienced, but can include painkillers for the chest pain or medication to calm the inflammation, as well as drinking plenty of fluids and resting.

Do the benefits of vaccination outweigh the potential risks of myocarditis and pericarditis?

'Absolutely yes. Anybody who says otherwise does not understand how to analyse the data,' Professor Banerjee said.

'The risk of heart disease after Covid is much greater than the risk of heart disease after vaccination,' he added.

Among people hospitalised with Covid, around one in 50 people per year will have pericarditis, he said.

Covid also carries a risk of myocarditis  and one that is far higher than the vaccine, at 1,500 cases per million infections.

'Other cardiovascular disease, such as heart failure, is more common and the associated risk is much higher with Covid,' he said.

'Thankfully the vast majority of the these patients have mild heart inflammation only and make a full recovery,' Dr Lowe added.

Some people have reported feeling a faster heartbeat in the days after their Covid vaccine. This can be part of the body's normal immune response to the vaccine and is not normally a cause for concern.

Is the vaccine safe for people with heart conditions and taking heart medications or blood thinners like warfarin, clopidogrel or other antiplatelet drugs?

Yes. People who have heart conditions or who take heart medication such as anti-hypertensives or statins should still get the Covid vaccine, both experts said.

They 'absolutely' agree that the vaccine is 'safe and effective' for people who take blood thinning medication.

It is 'indeed recommended to protect against the effects of Covid infection', Dr Lowe said.

For people with heart diseases, chronic kidney disease or other chronic conditions and those over the age of 70, 'vaccination is especially important', Professor Banerjee added, as their risk of hospital admission from Covid is higher.
Four years later, mother, Hannah Deacon said it's given her family 'a better life'

He became the first person to be prescribed the medication on the NHS in 2018

An 11-year-old boy used to suffer from 500 seizures a month before he became the first first person to get the Class B drug prescribed on the NHS.

Mother-of-two Hannah Deacon, 43, from Kenilworth won her fight for the NHS to prescribe medical cannabis after seeing how well it improved her son's epilepsy symptoms.

In November 2018, Alfie Dingley, now 11, became the first person to receive the prescription after the law changed to allow the prescribing of unlicensed cannabis based medicinal products in certain circumstances.

Four years later, Hannah details how her family has 'a better life' now that 11-year-old Alfie Dingley's health has improved as a result of the drug.

At eight months old Alfie suffered from his first epileptic seizure.

Hannah Deacon, 43, (right) said her family's lives have changed for the better since her son, Alfie, 11, (centre) was prescribed medical cannabis on the NHS for his epilepsy

In 2018, Hannah campaigned to have the laws around prescribing the medicinal drug changed

The family found themselves at loss as doctors could not detect what was causing his seizures - which were putting him in hospital around 50 times a year.

At the age of five, Alfie was diagnosed with PCDH19 - a severe refractory epilepsy condition. Hannah said: We were told by our then neurologist that he may get better with age and theres nothing else we can do.

As the years and his condition progressed, he began having up to 500 violent seizures a month.

Hannah explained to manage his condition hospitals would treat him with steroids and antiepileptics, but they would only keep his seizures at bay for a short while and give him severe side effects.

She said: He was always either having hundreds of seizures or was at home with me as his full-time carer. He was hitting, punching and kicking me, screaming, not sleeping - there was just no quality of life for him.

I just thought at that point well no, Im not going to accept that, Im not going to accept that I just hope for the best and hope he doesnt die.

The 43-year-old added: I needed to know as a mother that I did everything in my power to give him a better life and thats why I went to Google.

After thorough research and speaking to other parents with epileptic children, Hannah raised funds to travel to the Netherlands in 2017, where medical cannabis oil is legal, so that her son could benefit from the controversial treatment.

Before his treatment, he was suffering from 500 seizures a month. Pictured: Alfie and his younger sister, Annie Dingley, 8

At the age of five, Alfie was diagnosed with PCDH19 - a severe refractory epilepsy condition

Hannah said she saw an immediate improvement in Alfie - reducing his 30 seizures a day down to one a month.

But when forced to return home and come off cannabis oil, Alfie's condition immediately deteriorated, which was the motivation for his mother's tireless campaign to get medicinal cannabis prescribed on the NHS.

In 2018, Alfie became the first person to receive an NHS prescription for cannabis. He has recently celebrated two and a half years seizure free since being prescribed medicinal cannabis.

Explaining how her familys life has changed for the better, the mother-of-two said: Since hes been on this medicine, he is going to school every day, hes learning, hes creating relationships with his peers. I get regular updates from the school with how impressed they are.

On the whole his life is very normal which is all weve ever wanted as parents.

As well as improving Alfies day-to-day life, Hannah's has changed drastically too. She explained: It has enabled me to get back to work, to pay my tax, to become someone in society that I want to be.

Alfie has recently celebrated two and a half years seizure free since being prescribed the drug

Since the campaign proved to be a success, Alfie has been living a normal and happy life

Something that is also very close to my heart is helping him, but also to help me have a better life for my family and this medicine has done that.

Since returning to work, she has earned the role as the Executive Director of The Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society and works within the medicinal cannabis sector where she continues to campaign for the use of the drug.

She added: When you have a child with a disability you have no normality in our life - especially a chronic disability like Alfie where hes in hospital all the time.

'My partner and I had no normality in our lives. We werent able to go out and do nice things together.'

Both Hannah and her husband, Drew Dingley, 44, are now able to nurture friendships when they did not previously have the opportunity to.

She said: I think society looks at parent carers and thinks thats your job, youre a mother, but actually none of us go into having children thinking well have a disabled child.

I now feel very lucky to be in a position where my son is well and Im able to be the person in society I want to be.
AI chatbot ChatGPT has sparked fears that artificial intelligence could automate millions of jobs out of existence.

Zak Saidi, creative director and AI Lead of creative agency IZSRI, which already uses AI to automate some writing tasks, says that the impact of AI will be felt across many sectors within the next three years.

He said he already uses ChatGPT to draft written content and other AI tools for attention marketing and detecting social media trends.

ChatGPT has hit 100 million users just two months after launch - by comparison, it took TikTok nine months to reach the milestone - and secured a $10 billion investment from Microsoft.

So which jobs are most likely to be replaced by 'generative AI'? And how soon could it happen?

Copywriters and bloggers

Copywriters and bloggers could soon be out of work because of AI tools such as ChatGPT - but an expert says the most talented human writers will remain sought after (file photo)

Copywriters, bloggers and people who produce online copy could be among the first to fall in the AI revolution, Saidi believes.

He says, 'We work with a lot of copywriters and there is certainly a lot of industry talk around the replacement of content writers by AI technology.

'ChatGPT is free, copywriters aren't  we expect more tech-savvy small businesses to turn to ChatGPT and its AI counterparts when generating more content.'

Buzzfeed announced earlier this year that it would use ChatGPT to generate some online content.

Tech site CNET faced controversy last month after it was revealed that the site had used AI to generate articles. Some of these articles were then found to be riddled with errors.

AI-powered content creation platform Jasper says tens of thousands of clients have already used its software to create adverts, blogs and marketing emails.

But the future isn't quite as bleak for highly skilled copywriters, Saidi said.

'Nothing, we believe, can replace human creativity. In its current form ChatGPT generates highly generic content,' he explained.

'But it's still a huge concern for some copywriters that as this tech develops in its sophistication that at a certain point a lot of businesses will turn to AI to provide their content writing services.'

Retail staff

Artificial intelligence will lead to 'serious job losses' across the retail sector, Saidi believes.

'As we've seen, checkout staff, customer service assistants and personal shoppers are slowly being replaced by AI bots  powered by the exact same kind of artificial learning technology that ChatGPT works off,' he said.

Artificial intelligence company Standard AI acquired self-checkout company Skip this year with a goal to create 'autonomous retail', to 'give retailers immediate relief from their labor challenges', the company said.

Saidi says, 'In some ways, it can be said that AI works to free workers from the more menial tasks, giving them the time to take on more managerial and creative roles.

'But we have to consider that there are only so many managers that can manage retail stores!'

Software engineers and cybersecurity experts

As well as producing convincing text in English, ChatGPT can also write computer code in languages such as Python.

Demonstrations shown off by OpenAI show ChatGPT debugging code in response to prompts.

ChatGPT maker OpenAI also makes a different version, Codex, specifically for writing computer code, which Microsoft uses in its GitHub Copilot.

Saidi says that such technology could have an immediate and wide-ranging impact on developers - and even cybersecurity experts.

'Now, this is where we can start to get a bit concerned, even with applications like ChatGPT still in their rudimentary form,' he continued.

'ChatGPT generates lines of html code without having to think, solving complex errors in sequence of code infinitely faster than a human.

'This, to a certain extent, is throwing the role of supporting software engineers into question.

'Whilst you still do need a human to plan out a software development project, ChatGPT can act as a crucial tool to resolve broken code and build basic applications  a role that would have been previously reserved for junior software engineers.'

OpenAI is currently hiring hundreds of developers to 'train' the AI to improve its coding abilities.

Cybercriminals are already boasting of using tools such as ChatGPT to automate everything from writing malware to creating dark web markets - and Saidi says that AI tools could impact cybersecurity professionals' jobs.

Graphic designers and visual artists

Graphic designers could be replaced with AI tools as well, with tools such as Dall-E creating around 2million new images every day (file photo)

Graphic art tools such as Dall-E, Stable Diffusion and Midjourney could impact the livelihoods of designers, illustrators and visual artists, Saidi says.

Dall-E (also operated by OpenAI) generates 2million images per day, the company announced last year.

Midjourney sparked controversy when it won an art competition at the Colorado State Fair.

Stock image giant Getty Images launched legal proceedings against Stability AI, maker of Stable Diffusion, alleging that it has copied millions of its images.

Saidi says that the ability to produce images cheaply and rapidly will make such technology very tempting for small businesses without the budget to pay for graphic designers, artists or illustrators.

Saidi says, 'It certainly puts the role of graphic designers and illustrators into question. Like ChatGPT, the imagery can be generic and tricky to refine, but with some work and optimization you can whip up some stunning visuals.

'Many still believe, and rightly so, that human creativity will always be at the core of design, with some creatives looking to AI for artistic inspiration, rather than a replacement for their assistant.'

More roles in tech?

As this technology displaces current roles in retail and marketing, Saidi believes it will create new roles in tech companies.

He says, 'We anticipate, and are witnessing the very genesis of, a huge recruitment drive in the tech industry, likely picking up a lot of retail and admin staff that have been displaced by the introduction of AI.'
An Ohio woman is fighting for her life after smoking more than a cartridge of e-cigarette liquid every day for seven years.

Like a growing number of young Americans, Amanda Stelzer, 34, started vaping in 2015 after seeing many of her friends doing so and thinking it would be fun.

She was quickly hooked on the devices and found herself going through around eight cartridges of vape fluid each week - the equivalent of 50 cigarettes a day.

Suddenly in October 2019, she went to urgent care after suffering from breathing problems. Doctors could not figure out what was wrong and sent her to a local hospital. Within the next 24 hours she was on life support.

Chest scans revealed she was suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome - a deadly condition that occurs when a person's lungs become so damaged they fail to provide the rest of the body with enough oxygen.

Amanda Stelzer (pictured), 34, was hospitalized after suffering life-threatening complications from the condition acute respiratory distress syndrome

Ms Stelzer reported smoking eight vape cartridges every week for seven years - or more than one every day.

Repeated studies have warned that vaping can cause severe damage to the lungs and heart, similar to smoking standard cigarettes.

Ms Stelzer, a cashier from Delaware, said: 'I was crying because I was in so much pain. I was so scared.

'The last thing I remember is someone handing me a form and basically saying I needed to sign this if I wanted to live - that was the consent form to be put on life support.'

She was on life support for about eight days, with doctors warning her family she may remain that way for at least three months.

Despite her severe illness, doctors could not figure out what was wrong with Ms Stelzer.

Not until her mother asked a nurse if this could have anything to do with her vaping prompted doctors to scan her chest.

Medical staff then confirmed that her diagnosis directly resulted from her vaping.

After two more weeks in the hospital, she was discharged, but she could not work, see friends and family or be around people using cigarettes and vaping for six months while her lungs healed.

The condition, also known as wet lung, occurs when fluid starts to build up in the elastic air sacs of the lungs. FINE

Because of the fluid, air can not fill the lungs, meaning less oxygen gets distributed across the body.

As a result, the body's organs do not get the vital oxygen they need to function, leading to organ failure or even death.

She was recommended to use nicotine lozenges as her body was still healing and suffering from nicotine withdrawal.

The cashier suffered substantial financial losses and mental health issues after her time in the hospital.

She said: 'I was lucky that owned my car at the time and my insurance covered my treatment, but I still got into a lot of debt.

'It was depressing. I was happy to be alive but I was sad that I couldn't work and I couldn't be around family and friends without a mask.

'It was awkward having to disinfect everything and ask people not to vape or smoke around me anymore.

'I even lost two friends because they refused to quit.'

Amanda now sufferers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to this experience.

However, her health is 'amazing' right now, and she is in the best position she has ever been in - with many supportive friends and family members around her.

Ms Stelzer nearly died from her complications but eventually did recover. She is now to stay away from people who use vapes or cigarettes as even the second-hand smoke can be dangerous. She says that she now suffers from PTSD and has sworn off ever using a vape in her future

She has vowed never to touch a vape again and hopes that her experience will be the wake-up call someone else needs.

Amanda said: 'It seems harmless until it isn't. You never know what can happen - I thought it was no big deal when I started.

'It is dangerous and I don't want someone else to go through what I went through.

'People might not want to see it or hear it but if it helps just one person stop, I'll be happy.'

Use of vapes in the US has reached a crisis point, especially among young people, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns.

A report from the agency found that 2.6million US teens vaped last year.

It's estimated that more than 8million adults also used the devices.

These figures have rapidly risen in recent years as companies like Juul have become major players in the tobacco industry.
There are some takeover rumours that are practically evergreen, with chatter resurfacing whenever the market goes a bit quiet.

One of these involves mining behemoth BHP and retail investor favourite SolGold, which is working on a copper and gold mine in Ecuador.

BHP first invested in SolGold in 2018 and has more than doubled its initial stake, making it one of its biggest shareholders.

Digging deep: BHP first invested in SolGold in 2018 and has more than doubled its initial stake

The City rumour mill reckons a takeover of the South American miner could emerge later this year  though this is the same mill that said it would happen in 2021 and 2022.

But some senior industry bigwigs reckon this is wide of the mark, noting it will take years before SolGold gets its prize project off the ground. The long wait could be enough to put off any possible buyer.

One thing is certain. As long as BHP sits on its investment, the speculation will keep churning.

Britishvolt administration process rumbles on

The administration process for electric car battery start-up Britishvolt rumbles on, weeks after a rescue deal valuing the company at 32 million failed to materialise.

Potential bidders were reported to have until Wednesday to submit bids to rescue the firm, which captured the imagination of politicians and the green tech industry with its plan to build a sprawling battery factory in Northumberland.

Whatever gets signed, it will almost certainly price Britishvolt at a fraction of its 774 million valuation when it raised money in February last year.

But we hear that Britishvolt pressed for an even higher value than that, about 1.5 billion, during an autumn fundraising attempt  just months before it went bust. Yikes.

No deferred bonus at TSB

We recently flagged up that TSB was set to block a deferred bonus to former boss Paul Pester after he presided over a disastrous IT meltdown.

The botched upgrade left millions of customers locked out of their accounts for weeks  and earned the lender the unfortunate moniker of 'Totally Shambolic Bank'.

And lo, buried in the lender's latest accounts is the line that, following the 48.7 million fine slapped on the bank by City regulators, neither Pester  who left with a 1.7 million pay-off  nor anyone else involved in the 2018 systems snafu would get any more money.

You heard it here first

Shot in the arm for UK mining

The UK's fledgling  some might say flailing  mining industry was given a shot in the arm when Galantas Gold snapped up a gold project in Scotland. The AIM-listed group, which until now has focused on Northern Ireland, said it had bought exclusive rights to ferret around the stunning Gairloch Estate in the Highlands from its owners. But it has done little to boost Galantas's share price  which is lower than when the announcement was made and is down by a fifth so far this year.

Contributor: Patrick Tooher
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The numbers are horrifying, but drug overdose death statistics can't fully convey the crisis ravaging America, so DailyMail.com has documented the suffering in some of the worst-affected communities.

There were 107,622 deaths from drug overdoses in the US in 2021, an increase of nearly 15 percent from the year prior, and shocking national trends show few signs of the crisis abating.

Just two milligrams of fentanyl - the amount that fits on the top of a pencil tip - is deadly. Despite successful nationwide stings to bust dealers, authorities admit there's no end in sight for the epidemic.

The animal sedative Xylazine - known as 'tranq' - is now exacerbating the crisis. It's often combined with fentanyl and its horrific effects cause visceral 'flesh-eating' abscesses and addicts to zonk out as they lose feeling in their muscles.

These harrowing pictures lay bare the devastation across the country - as 'zombied' fentanyl and tranq users collapse on needle-littered streets stretching from Washington to Massachusetts, Louisiana to Philadelphia.

SACRAMENTO: Fentanyl users in the dirt in front of the Capitol building in California's capital. According to official data, there were 5,622 fentanyl-related fatal overdoses in California in 2021 - nearly 225 of those were teenagers as young as 15 years old

PHILADELPHIA: Huddled on the edge of the sidewalk, a woman helps inject drugs into a man's arm, aided by a band to find his veins

LOUISIANA: A man is passed out on Bienville Street in New Orleans. Just last April, drug-related deaths in the city rose by one third compared to a year prior, according to a local coroner who blames fentanyl

BOSTON: A man, with needle in hand, is bent over after injecting drugs. He uses a wheelchair to stop himself from collapsing

PORTLAND: One man smokes fentanyl while another slumps next to him. A major issue in Portland is how accessible the drugs are. People can pay as little as $1 for a fentanyl pill, compared to up to $20 a year ago

Deaths caused by fentanyl in the US surged in the 2010s. At the start of the decade, 2,666 Americans died of a fentanyl overdose. This figure shot up to 19,413 by 2016. Covid made the situation worse, with a record 72,484 deaths recorded in 2021

The above graph shows the cumulative annual figure for the number of drug overdose deaths reported in the US by month. It also shows that they are continuing to trend upwards

Seattle, Washington

Washington was ranked third worst in the US for illicit drug use disorder - narrowly beaten by Oregon - and the grip that narcotics like fentanyl have on the addict population in the state seems to be spiraling out of control.

Drug-related deaths in 2021 surpassed 2,000 - a staggering 66 percent increase for Washington compared to two years prior.

The dire situation means that authorities in Seattle have had to warn that people using drugs should assume that 'any drugs bought on the street, online, or from a friend has fentanyl'.

Photos taken by DailyMail.com in the Democrat-led city show struggling individuals bent over and injecting themselves near homeless tent camps and dingy underpasses.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON: A man stares down at the tinfoil in which his fentanyl is burned, before he inhales the smoke through the rollup in his mouth

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON: Images show people bent over, injecting themselves with substances near homeless tent camps. Just last week, officials in Washington state made the terrifying announcement that they have run out of space in morgues and crematoriums as the drug tears through local communities

How addictive is fentanyl? Fentanyl is up to 100 times more potent than morphine, one of the most commonly used pain-reliever in the world. It takes just a small dose of fentanyl to cause an overdose. Just two milligrams - the equivalent of five grains of salt - is enough to cause death. Because it is cut into other popular drugs, many people who die of overdoses do not know they are taking fentanyl. Fentanyl has been partially blamed for America's sharp fall in life-expectancy over the past three years. Advertisement

Heroine used to be the drug of choice among Seattle's downtown population, but since fentanyl's disturbing takeover, locals are increasingly likely to see people bent over and zonked out.

One disheveled man was seen staring down at the tinfoil in which his fentanyl was burned, before he inhaled the smoke through the rollup in his mouth.

Captain Steve Strand, commander of the Seattle Police Department's West Precinct, described his experience watching drug users 'zombied out' in Seattle.

'You can drive down the street and see somebody who has obviously just used fentanyl and can barely stand and is bent over and looks like they're about ready to collapse', he told the Seattle Times.

'And when you come back in the other direction 15 minutes later, they're up and walking around like nothing happened. Then they're back to finding the next one.'

Just last week, officials in Washington state made the terrifying announcement that they have run out of space in morgues and crematoriums as the drug tears through local communities.

According to officials with the King County Medical Examiner's Office, the department is struggling to keep up with the number of incoming bodies as the fentanyl crisis worsens.

Seattle-King County Public Health Director Dr. Faisal Khan said: 'A key indication of just how bad things are at the end of 2022 and likely to get worse [in] 2023, the medical examiner's office is now struggling with the issue of storing bodies because the fentanyl-related death toll continues to climb.'

The issue in Seattle seems to go deeper - as the help that people found in possession of drugs get isn't being properly tracked in any database. The 'cobbled-together' process of trying to reprimand drug users or provide them with treatment is getting harder and harder to enforce, locals say.

In 2021, courts in Seattle scrapped a law making hard-drug possession - including cocaine, meth, and heroin - a felony. Now, the crime is a misdemeanor - and social commentators believe this is a huge reason for Seattle's current issues.

Clutching on to a needle, one man is completely bent over on the streets of Seattle

A man is seen collapsed on the ground in Seattle, Washington, where the help that people found in possession of drugs get isn't being properly tracked

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The drug Xylazine, or 'tranq,' has been found in more than 90 percent of fentanyl samples in Philadelphia. It often causes gashing wounds and abscesses.

So much so that in Philadelphia, emergency rooms have seen skin and soft issue injuries increase four-fold in the last three years.

Philadelphia has become the epicenter for tranq, which has rapidly made its way into the city's drug supply as a cheap and very potent cutting agent.

The component in the illicit drugs causes a sedative effect - turning users into zombies slumping around on the streets of the city. Unlike opioids (fentanyl is a synthetic opioid), tranq overdoses cannot be curtailed with naloxone, the emergency opioid overdose reversal drug.

Shocking images taken by DailyMail.com in the City of Brotherly Love show vulnerable people in a trance-like state, unaware of their limbs, unable to move, and sprawled on the ground.

Unbothered drug users were also seen shooting up - using needles injected into their necks - while casually sitting on benches near McPherson Square Park - aptly known by locals as 'Needle Park.'

PHILADELPHIA: Seemingly using a mirror to direct themselves, one person casually shoots up, injecting a needle into their neck during the daytime

PHILADELPHIA: Blocks and blocks in the Kensington area of the city have been overrun with people tumbling over themselves during the fatal highs

PHILADELPHIA: The streets are covered in little orange needle covers that have been discarded after people have shot up. There was no discretion in sight - with drugs being openly used and passed around in plain view in Philadelphia

Some use jagged shards of mirror to watch where they are injecting, while others get fellow addicts to help send the deadly substances into their skin for them.

The bedraggled, zonked-out locals often sit on the edge of trashed sidewalks, curled up with used needles still in hand.

So-called zombie camps have also formed in Kensington, Philadelphia. Gangs of users, huddled together among odd furniture, tents and makeshift fires, sit and take turns injecting and feeling the effects of tranq-infused fentanyl.

Blocks and blocks in the area have been overrun with people tumbling over themselves during their fatal highs.

PHILADELPHIA: A man, covered in a blanket smoking a pipe, watches a makeshift fire created to keep them warm on the streets in January

PHILADELPHIA: One person completely folds in on themselves after doing drugs on the streets of Philadelphia

Unintentional drug overdose deaths in Philadelphia have increased, reaching a record high in 2021. City officials estimated Philadelphia's 2021 death toll from drug overdoses at 1,250, slightly above the previous peak in 2017. In 2019, about one-third of all fatal opioid overdoses in the city were related to xylazine

PHILADELPHIA: One man injects narcotics into the neck of another in Kensington, Philadelphia. Tranq can increase the chance of fatal overdose - especially when combined with fentanyl - because it intensifies the effects of respiratory depression

PHILADELPHIA: A man injects drugs. Locals often sit on the edge of trashed sidewalks, curled up with used needles in hand

PHILDADELPHIA: One woman uses a shard of mirror to check where she is injecting herself, on the streets of Kensington

The streets of Philly are often covered in little orange needle covers that have been discarded after people have shot up. There is rarely any discretion in sight - as drugs were being openly used and passed around in plain view, pictures reveal.

Tranq can increase the chance of fatal overdose - especially when combined with fentanyl - because it intensifies the effects of respiratory depression.

Joseph Friedman, an addiction researcher at UCLA who researched the current state in Philadelphia, said: 'The drug supply is really a mess right now.

'The number of contaminants is just spiraling out of control, and it's really hard to keep track of. People are not buying what they think they're buying, or they don't know what they're buying.'

Sarah Laurel, founder of outreach organization Savage Sisters, told The Philadelphia Inquirer: 'I've never seen human beings remain in these kinds of conditions.

'They have open, gaping wounds, they can't walk.'

Savage Sisters operates seven recovery houses in South Philadelphia, where those recovering from drug addiction can get a hot shower, food, and have their wounds cleaned.

Xylazine is not approved for human use, and is thought to have initially been added to fentanyl to elongate the high. There is no FDA-approved treatment for xylazine withdrawal.

In Philadelphia - considered to be ground zero for the xylazine crisis - about one-third of all fatal opioid overdoses in 2019 were related to the drug.

PHILADELPHIA: One man is seen passed out, unable to control his limbs, on the street

KENSINGTON, PHILADELPHIA: A man smokes fentanyl in a park. Tranq can increase the chance of fatal overdose when combined with fentanyl because it intensifies the effects of respiratory depression

KENSINGTON, PHILADELPHIA: A woman is seen using a needle on the street. Philadelphia has become the epicenter for xylazine, which has rapidly made its way into the city's drug supply as a cheap and very potent cutting agent

KENSINGTON, PHILADELPHIA: One man, right, holds needles while a second person, left, slumps over - fentanyl and tranq can cause what have been described as 'zombie-like' effects

PHILADELPHIA: Orange tips, which can be seen here on the steps, come from used needles. The epidemic has got worse and worse in Philadelphia

San Francisco and Sacramento, California

Fentanyl has killed thousands of Californians in recent years. According to official data, there were 5,622 fentanyl-related fatal overdoses in 2021 - with nearly 225 of those being teenagers as young as 15 years old.

In January, a senate bill was introduced, requiring all K-12 schools to carry a supply of naloxone on-site in the event of an fentanyl overdose at school. The shocking, but perhaps unsurprising change stems from the rampant counterfeit market in California.

Placer County in Greater Sacramento saw fentanyl deaths increase by 450 percent between 2019 and 2021.

And in 2021, half of those fatalities were victims under the age of 25. Targeting schools with antidotes has therefore become a priority in California.

Announcing the move as part of a $97million spending budget to tackle the opioid and fentanyl crisis, California Governor Gavin Newsom said: 'This is a top priority. There's not a parent out there that doesn't understand the significance of this fentanyl crisis.'

In Sacramento, drug users continue to smoke fentanyl on the streets, in clear view of commuters, families, and children. DailyMail.com pictures show users, armed with pipes and tinfoil, smoking the deadly drugs before curling up on the concrete floor.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: A man stands on a street corner and smokes fentanyl. Placer County in Greater Sacramento saw fentanyl deaths increase by 450 percent between 2019 and 2021

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: Governor Gavin Newsom has said: 'This is a top priority. There's not a parent out there that doesn't understand the significance of this fentanyl crisis'

SACRAMENTO: One man lies on the ground while smoking what is believed to be fentanyl. Placer County in Greater Sacramento saw fentanyl deaths increase by 450 percent between 2019 and 2021

San Francisco's Department of Public Health has had to issue urgent warnings in the past after the city experience a series of fatal overdoses after people were inadvertently exposed to fentanyl while taking cocaine.

And the reality for many locals is that the city has turned 'dystopian' - where drug users are seen bent over, taking narcotics in the middle of the day.

Tech executive Michelle Tandler, 37, recently revealed her experience seeing 'hundreds' of people on the streets 'folded over' after smoking the fatal drug.

Tandler said: 'Last night I went to a bar in downtown San Francisco. It looked like a dystopia. I saw hundreds of people folded over (likely high on Fentanyl), or sitting on the sidewalks smoking.'

Despite the city's efforts, 2022 saw 620 people die from overdoses in San Francisco - 72 percent of which were linked acutely to fentanyl. In 2021, that figure was 640.

CITY HALL, SAN FRANCISCO: A man is seen shooting drugs into his arm. Despite the city's efforts, 2022 saw 620 people die from overdoses in San Francisco - 72 percent of which were linked acutely to fentanyl

Mayor London Breed said at the beginning of the year: 'Fentanyl continues to disrupt and destroy lives in our city and while the overdose numbers have gone down, they still remain far too high.'

San Francisco is trying to curb the drug issues - and this year has vowed to open 70 residential step-down beds to offer recovery-settings for people leaving residential substance use disorder treatment.

In 2022, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, which collaborates with SFDPH in its distribution of the medication, distributed more than 40,000 doses of naloxone alone and reported 5,127 reversals.

The city has also geared up more than 2,000 people in the last year - teaching them how to recognize and respond to an overdose, while more than 40,000 doses of naloxone were given out.

And looking forward, San Francisco promises to open a new crisis stabilization unit to provide short-term, urgent care for substance users in 2024.

However across California, existing law only punishes fentanyl possession for purposes of sale with two to four years in county jail, and trafficking suspects can receive up to a nine-year sentence.

SAN FRANCISCO: Tech executive Michelle Tandler, 37, recently revealed her experience seeing 'hundreds' of people on the streets 'folded over' after smoking the fatal drug

SAN FRANCISCO: One man is seen bent over, as a passerby on a e-scooter looks back at him

Portland, Oregon

Last week, police seized rainbow fentanyl from a Portland motel room as part of a major drug trafficking sting. The suspect is believed to be part of a ring responsible for bringing large amounts of the narcotics into Oregon.

During the raid, police found more than two kilograms of rainbow-colored fentanyl packaged and ready to be given to people on the streets - as well as 393 grams of crystal meth and 49 grams of cocaine.

This discovery is feared to be just the tip of the iceberg. Law enforcement is desperately trying to cut off major illicit distributors of the drug trade coming from Mexico.

But despite the breakthroughs in individual cases, despairing police officers in Portland admit they see 'no end in sight'.

PORTLAND: Three men are seen on the sidewalk in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by drug paraphernalia. Law enforcement is desperately trying to cut off major illicit distributors of the drug trade coming from Mexico

PORTLAND: Clutching a pipe to smoke the deadly drug, a man is seen flopped over next to a suitcase and backpack. Cops in Portland have admitted they see 'no end in sight' for the crisis

PORTLAND: A man smokes fentanyl on the street. The deadly drug is typically crushed, then heated on foil with the vapor inhaled through a tube

PORTLAND: Fentanyl, a highly addictive damaging drug, is causing a crisis on the city's streets. Two people are seen slumped over on the street

PORTLAND: A man on his knees smokes fentanyl on the street. The city is littered with tents, partially concealing people doing drugs before curling over in a trance-like state

One major issue in Portland is how accessible the drugs are becoming. People can pay as little as $1 for a fentanyl pill, compared to a year ago, where dealers would charge up to $20.

Pictures show users zombied-out, bent and drooping over themselves in the middle of the day, while others collapse in building entrances surrounded by paraphernalia.

One Portland man, down on his knees, was seen smoking fentanyl as another held the crushed deadly drug inside a heated tinfoil - before inhaling the vapor through a tube.

Sideways in the city are often littered with tents, partially concealing people smoking and injecting drugs, before they curl over in a trance-like state. Clutching a pipe to smoke the deadly drug, another addict was seen flopped over on himself next to a suitcase and backpack.

Lieutenant Christopher Lindsey of Portland Police, who believes the numbers in his city are only going to climb, said last week that there were 156 overdose deaths in 2022 - compared to 135 in 2021 and 80 in 2020.

He told KATU: 'It has gotten massively worse. Just as an example, a year ago when I was in the position a fentanyl pill would go anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars a pill. A year later people are paying one to two dollars a pill.

'I am worried. I am concerned that it could get worse. I'm not saying that it is going to get worse but if you look at the trend it's been getting worse for a few years now and I don't see any end in sight.'

PORTLAND: Tent cities have popped up on the sidewalks in the city, where addicts often sit to take a hit and 'zombie' out in full view of families and children passing by

PORTLAND: Two people are slumped in the doorway of a building. 'It has gotten massively worse', says Lieutenant Christopher Lindsey of Portland Police

PORTLAND: One man in a wheelchair slumps. People can pay as little as $1 for a fentanyl pill, compared to a year ago, where dealers would charge up to $20

Boston, Massachusetts

In response to the fentanyl endemic, the Boston Attorney General's New England Fentanyl Strike Force was launched in 2016 to specifically target the sources of dangerous distribution on Massachusetts streets.

And since its creation, the Strike Force has arrested more than 580 suspects and seized over 439 kilos of heroin and fentanyl.

In December 2022, Luis Sonier Bautista Moreta, 26, admitted to distributing more than 6,000 fentanyl pills and two kilograms of fentanyl after selling the deadly drugs to an undercover cop during a sting in Dorchester, Boston.

The Strike Force's latest success occurred just last week, after agents took down and charged John Vargas Ordonez. He was found with a stash of 522 grams of fentanyl and $20,000 in cash at his home in Andover, Massachusetts.

The crisis, however, is still rampant on the streets.

BOSTON: Two men, one wearing a balaclava, sit on the street while they prepare needles filled with drugs. Narcotics have been running rampant in the city and authorities are struggling to keep a hold on the crisis

BOSTON: A woman crouches on the sidewalk, with used needles and other drug paraphernalia seen scattered on the floor around her. A special taskforce has made a series of large drugs busts, but the epidemic continues

BOSTON: One Massachusetts man prepares his needle with drugs before shooting up on the street

In the South of Boston, close to Suffolk County, users are seen shooting up with needles in plain sight - in parking lots or in their makeshift camps on the sidewalk.

Disheveled users struggle to keep their bodies upright after taking the potentially fatal hit, and ease the blow by perching on plastic boxes.

One Boston man kept his head in his hands as he stuck a needle into his bloodied forearm, all while using an empty wheelchair to keep himself from crashing to the floor, DailyMail.com pictures reveal.

A group of people, sitting on makeshift plastic boxes as seats, were seen smoking and taking drugs behind a police van in the south of Boston, Massachusetts.

On the intersection of Atkinson Street and Southampton Street, local cleanup teams attempted to evict the tent city and shoed the addicts away in a bid to clean the area.

But they sat still with needles still sticking out of their mouths. Some were unable to move because of the devastating and potentially deadly fentanyl high.

BOSTON: One woman sits with two needles pointing out of her mouth in Boston. The Boston Attorney General's New England Fentanyl Strike Force was launched in 2016 to target the sources of dangerous distribution on Massachusetts streets

BOSTON: Gangs of addicts, who litter the streets with drug paraphernalia, are seen in Boston, near to Suffolk County

BOSTON: One person is seen flopped over, unable to stand after taking drugs on the city's streets

BOSTON: On the intersection of Atkinson Street and Southampton Street, local cleanup teams attempted to evict the tent city and shoed the addicts away

BOSTON: A man holds his head in his hands, while injecting himself with drugs in broad daylight. Scars from nasty gashes cover his bloodied forearm as he closes his eyes

BOSTON: A group of people, sitting on makeshift plastic boxes as seats, smoke and take drugs behind a police van in the south of Boston

New York City

Homelessness and drug abuse is not new in the Big Apple, however in recent months the fentanyl epidemic has seemingly taken over - with people brazenly becoming 'zombies' in daylight.

A group of people were seen on 100th street near Central Park sitting on benches as they smoked the drug.

On the West Coast, a similar picture is painted. Los Angeles' infamous Skid Row, where addicts and drug abusers alike congregated, has been slowly infiltrated with fentanyl.

About a third of the 2,000 homeless deaths in LA between April 2020 and March 2021 were from an overdose.

CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK CITY: A man is seen smoking fentanyl on a bench near Manhattan's famed Central Park. As with other cities, a series of drugs busts have not been able to stop the destruction

One former addict, Jesse Watters, said about the way Los Angeles officials need to help drug users more: 'People need to be incentivized to get sober.

'And right now they're being incentivized to kind of do whatever they want  do fentanyl in the streets, commit crimes to support their habits  and it's just not going to fix anything.'

In October last year, a DEA task force carried out one of the largest fentanyl busts in New York City's history after around 300,000 rainbow fentanyl pills and 22 pounds of the drug in powdered form - with a combined street value of $9million - were seized from an apartment in the Bronx.

Erickson Lorenzo, 30, and Jefry Rodriguez-Pichardo, 32, were arrested during the bust - and cops allegedly found Rodriguez-Pichardo hanging from a third floor window sill with no fire escape beneath him.

A week earlier, 15,000 multi-colored fentanyl pills were discovered hidden in a LEGO box in Manhattan.

Scenes of zombified addicts shooting up or smoking the drug in front of children in NYC parks are increasingly becoming a part of everyday life.

NYC: The US is in the midst of a catastrophic fentanyl epidemic that is causing an eye-watering number of deaths and tearing the fabric of American society apart

Connecticut and New Hampshire

Connecticut's attempts to crack down on its drug problem were evident in September 2022 - when a local was jailed for nearly seven years in New Haven for trafficking hundreds of grams of fentanyl.

Federal prosecutors locked up David Cintron, 26, who was believed to be selling the toxic drugs across the region. When he was arrested he was found flushing the substance down the toilet, reports CTinsider.

Court documents reveal that one of Cintron's clients would allegedly purchase 700 bags of fentanyl every few days. His trade flooded the state's streets with the illegal drug.

CONNECTICUT, OUTSIDE YALE UNIVERSITY: A woman smokes drugs on a park bench on the green across from the university. The state's attempts to crack down on its drug problem have not managed to slow the misery

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Police officers circle around a woman, collapsed on the steps of a building near the snowy streets of Manchester. New Hampshire has targeted fentanyl and methamphetamine use with a DEA initiative called Operation Engage

NEW HAMPSHIRE: A man, wearing blue gloves, is bent over on the streets of Manchester as a passerby attempts to help him. Overdose deaths in the state continue to rise

Earlier this month, the DEA's New Haven Task Force arrested a man suspected of dealing and distributing fentanyl out of his minivan on Elliott Street in New Haven.

Among the quantities of deadly fentanyl, officers found Derrick Brock, 36, with distributional amounts of crack cocaine which authorities believe he sold to people within the city.

Shocking DailyMail.com images now show drug users smoking fentanyl and snorting other narcotic substances on the green outside Yale University - one of the country's most prestigious education centers.

And near the snowy streets of Manchester, New Hampshire, one woman collapsed on the steps of a building was surrounded by police officers attempting to help her. New Hampshire has targeted fentanyl and methamphetamine use with a DEA initiative called Operation Engage, but overdose deaths continue to rise.

CONNECTICUT, OUTSIDE YALE UNIVERSITY: A man uses drugs, snorting substances in broad daylight on the green across from the prestigious university

NEW HAMPSHIRE: The drug Tranq, an animal sedative mixed with fentanyl, turns users into what some have described as a 'zombie' state. These symptoms could be spotted throughout the streets of Manchester, New Hampshire

New Orleans, Louisiana

In recent years, New Orleans has increasingly struggled with drug use on its streets - with the number of deaths in the city linked to narcotics having increased five-fold since 2015.

In April 2022, figures showed that drug related deaths rose by one third compared to a year prior, according to Coroner Dwight McKenna - who pointed the blame at powerful synthetic fentanyl.

Narcotics killed 492 in the city in 2022, when the same figure seven years earlier was just 92.

Of all overdose deaths in New Orleans between 2021 and 2022, a staggering 94 percent were linked to fentanyl - which is now known for being cut into cocaine and other street pills.

NEW ORLEANS: A woman, sitting inside a tent under the I-10, shoots drugs into her veins on her hand. Of all overdose deaths in the city between 2021 and 2022, a staggering 94 percent were linked to fentanyl

NEW ORLEANS: Used needles are seen thrown across the littered sidewalks of the I-10, while drug-users' gashes on their legs and arms illustrate the acute problem the city is battling

McKenna warned that people using street drugs 'is like playing Russian roulette'.

Harrowing images show individuals passed out on the street, with their bloodied and bruised limbs sprawling on the sidewalk of New Orleans' Bienville Street.

People use underpasses and derelict corners of the city to inject themselves in broad daylight - in the clear sight of passersby.

Used needles are seen thrown across the littered sidewalks of the I-10, while drug-users' gashes on their legs and arms illustrate the acute problem the city is battling.

Issues in the Louisiana city have become so rife that just three months ago, Senator Bill Cassidy urged for a new law to charge drug dealers with federal felony murder if they sell fentanyl to someone who then dies from using it.

In New Orleans, the highly addictive drug is often disguised to look like colorful candy - which has been blasted as a 'very disturbing development' in the plight.

Dr. Robert Sigillito, Chief Deputy Coroner for St. Tammany Parish, said: 'That's a very, very disturbing development we've seen over the last month with the arrest of several individuals crossing the borders that have these bags full, of tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of doses of drugs that do, they're colorful, they look like candy.'

'Clearly they are targeting the younger population with these colorful pills.'

Rainbow fentanyl - which are deadly doses but are dressed up to look like Skittles - have become rampant on New Orleans' streets.

Just weeks ago, DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley revealed there were overdoses and drug poisonings being seen in children as young as aged 12.

A tiny ounce on the end of a pencil is enough to kill a person - and the way the drugs are being manufactured now means that a 'casual observer in a nightclub isn't going to be able to tell the difference'.

NEW ORLEANS: A woman does intravenous drugs under I-10 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where fentanyl is often disguised to look like colorful candy

NEW ORLEANS: A man preps a needle with drugs before injecting himself, in broad daylight, on the streets of the city. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy urged for a new law to charge drug dealers with federal felony murder if they sell fentanyl to someone who then dies from using it

NEW ORLEANS: A man smokes marijuana from a pipe in the city's French Quarter
Beyonce reacts after winning the entertainer of the year award in Los Angeles, California, U.S., in this March 30, 2019 file photo. Reuters-Yonhap



As music's elite gather in Los Angeles for the Grammy awards on Sunday, one question is playing on loop: Will Beyonce finally win the coveted Album of the Year prize? The 41-year-old has the most chances at Grammy gold with nine nominations, following the release of "Renaissance," her rich, layered ode to club music.



She is a powerhouse contender for the night's major awards  but the same goes for British balladeer Adele, whose introspective ode to the ugly cry, "30," earned her seven nods.



The face-off has prompted obvious comparisons to 2017, when Adele swept the top prizes at the glitzy music biz gala, shutting out Queen Bey's culture-shaking "Lemonade."



Six years later, Beyonce has continued to make history as the Grammys' winningest woman; with four more victories on Sunday, she could overtake classical conductor Georg Solti for the most victories by any artist.



But when it comes to the big three awards  best album, best record, and best song  Beyonce curiously remains something of an underdog.



She has never won Album of the Year honors and although she has the most Record of the Year nods with eight, she's never won that prize either.



She only scored Song of the Year once, for 2008's "Single Ladies."



But industry watchers including Billboard predict this will finally be Beyonce's year to take home the Grammy for Album of the Year, arguably the night's most prestigious prize.



"I sure hope so, because doesn't she deserve it?" Nile Rodgers, the co-founder of the band Chic who is credited with contributions on "Renaissance," told AFP.



Rodgers, the Supremes, Nirvana and others will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy at Sunday's ceremony.



"She's arguably the most culturally important artist in the world," Merck Mercuriadis, the music publishing mogul who was once Beyonce's manager, chimed in at a pre-Grammy gala.





In this Nov. 20, 2022 file photo, Taylor Swift poses in the press room after winning six awards at the 50th Annual American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. AFP-Yonhap



Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift in the mix



Beyond the Beyonce-Adele rematch, a slew of contemporary superstars including Kendrick Lamar, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift also have strong chances to take home the night's major trophies.



The star-studded 65th annual Grammys, hosted once again by comedian Trevor Noah, will include performances from Styles, Bad Bunny, Lizzo and Mary J. Blige.



Bad Bunny, indisputably the world's biggest commercial artist, has three Grammy chances off his major drop "Un Verano Sin Ti," also an Album of the Year contender.



It's the first time an entirely Spanish-language album has a chance at that coveted award, and it's the first time the Puerto Rican reggaeton megastar has landed a solo nomination in the major Grammy categories.



A Bad Bunny win in that field "would mean a lot to all Spanish-speaking people and our culture because it really says, 'Hey, Spanish music is just as respected as music in English and music really has no barriers," Colombian artist Sebastian Yatra told AFP.



Styles, Lizzo and Doja Cat all figure among the top nominees, while pop juggernaut Swift could win the Song of the Year prize that has evaded her for years.



The superstar  who has been making good on a vow to re-record her first six albums to gain control of her rights to them  has a chance at the award celebrating songwriters for her 10-minute version of "All Too Well."





In this Jan. 28, 2018 file photo, Grammy trophies sit in the press room during the 60th Annual Grammy Awards in New York. AFP-Yonhap
Oregon has become America's first 'death tourism' destination, where terminally ill people from Texas and other states that have outlawed assisted suicide have started travelling to get their hands on a deadly cocktail of drugs to end their lives, DailyMail.com can reveal.

In the liberal bastion Portland, at least one clinic has started receiving out-of-staters who have less than six months to live and meet the other strict requirements of the state's Death with Dignity (DWD) law.

Dr Nicholas Gideonse, the director of End of Life Choices Oregon, recently told a panel that he was advising terminally ill non-residents on travelling to Oregon to end their lives, despite a legal gray area.

Dr Gideonse, an advocate of 'magic mushroom' therapy, said he was helping a Texan man suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease and a hospice patient on the East Coast, but added that there were not yet 'tons of people coming from all over'.

'But for a small number of patients who otherwise qualify or are determined to go through that and who have the energy and the resources  it has started to happen,' he said.

Dr Nicholas Gideonse, an advocate of 'magic mushroom' therapy, has led the charge for Oregon to become the first US state that allows terminally ill non-residents to come and end their lives

Oregon, California and Washington are among the US states with so-called medical aid in dying laws. Here, Robert Fuller, a cancer sufferer, takes a fatal dose of doctor-prescribed drugs in Seattle in 2019

Out-of-state residents must be able to spend at least 15 days in Oregon to process the paperwork, which requires sign-offs from two doctors and witnesses, before administering the fatal dose themselves, says the clinic's website.

Dr Gideonse and the clinic operate in a legal gray zone  the state last year agreed to extend access to doctor-assisted suicide to out-of-staters, but this is not expected to be codified into law until later this year.

But, America's first 'death tourism' destination throws up tough legal questions for family members who may help a loved one reach Oregon from a prohibitionist state. They could face arrest or even be prosecuted in their home state as a result.

For critics, Oregon's nascent 'death tourism' industry, and efforts to create another in Vermont, show how the US is on a slippery slope to following in Canada's footsteps  where lax rules have allowed people with so little as hearing loss to be euthanized.

While US assisted suicide rules are comparatively strict and help some desperately sick people end their agony, critics say they also devalue human life and make deadly drugs a solution for the infirm, disabled and even those who are cash-strapped or feel like a burden.

The End of Life Choices Oregon clinic, in Portland, says on its website that it helps non-resident adults with less than six months to live end their lives on the West Coast

The website of End of Life Choices Oregon explains how the terminally ill living in states that outlaw or do not support assisted suicides can take advantage of a change in Oregon's rule

Jonathan Modie, a spokesman for Oregon Health Authority, said the state stopped enforcing the residency requirement last March, but that he was not aware of any out-of staters travelling to use Oregon's DWD law so far.

Matt Valliere, executive director of the Patients Rights Action Fund, a campaign group, said America's medical aid-in-dying (MAiD) rules were already 'flimsy and easy to circumvent' and that allowing suicide tourism deepened the problems of a flawed system.

Matt Valliere, executive director of the Patients Rights Action Fund, called Oregon a 'Wild West' for assisted suicide

'You end up in this Wild West scenario where people take the drugs back to their home states, and there are a lot more questions than there are answers about what would happen after that,' Valliere said.

Diane Coleman, president of Not Dead Yet, another campaign group, said the clinic and Oregon officials were bypassing laws in other states, where lawmakers had decided against having their own assisted suicide rules.

'Many view these laws as a danger to people with serious illnesses, chronic conditions and significant disabilities in our cost-conscious healthcare system,' Coleman told said.

Oregon became the first US state to allow physician-assisted suicide in 1997, allowing terminally ill adult Oregonians, with less than six months left to live, to ask doctors for a fatal dose of drugs they then administer themselves, typically at home.

In 2021, the most recent year for which data are available, doctors prescribed 383 fatal drug doses and 238 people ended their lives  mostly white people aged 65 and above suffering from cancer or diseases of the brain or heart.

Since Oregon implemented its Death with Dignity (DWD) Act in 1997, the number of doctor-assisted suicides has risen steadily

Oregon's Death with Dignity law has been controversial from the outset. Here, Ellie Jenny (L) and Brock Miller from the disability rights organization Not Dead Yet demonstrate against a physician-assisted suicide in Portland in 2002

Poll Should doctor-assisted suicide be available where you live? Yes No Not sure Should doctor-assisted suicide be available where you live? Yes 2110 votes

No 1764 votes

Not sure 277 votes Now share your opinion





Dr Gideonse in 2021 sued Oregon, challenging the constitutionality of the residency restriction in its DWD law, with support from Compassion & Choices, which leads the US campaign to expand America's MAiD rules.

Oregon health chiefs in 2022 settled the case and agreed to lift the residency rule, but the state's legislature has only begun considering the repeal this session through House Bill 2279, which looks set to pass in the Democrat-led chamber.

Dr Gideonse initially complained that the residency requirement blocked him from signing lethal prescriptions for nearby residents of Washington state, who often cross the Columbia River for doctor's appointments in his city.

In recent weeks, however, it has emerged that Dr Gideonse has also opened up procedures to far-flung non-residents, including those living in states that prohibit suicide assistance, according to his comments as a panelist with The Completed Life Initiative.

After the lawsuit wrapped up, Dr Gideonse has communicated with terminally ill patients from states that prohibit medically-assisted suicides to assess whether they met Oregon's criteria and to advise them on how they could relocate there for hospice care, he said.

'Some of those conversations have become material,' Dr Gideonse added, including the Texan sufferer of Lou Gehrig's disease, an incurable neurodegenerative condition, who was then 'in the process' of coming to a hospice in Portland.

He also described communicating with a terminally sick patient in 'one of the Carolinas,' who was weighing whether to travel to Oregon or Switzerland  which has for decades facilitated assisted suicides for foreigners  to end their life.

Dr Nicholas Gideonse revealed he has started receiving out-of-state assisted suicide patients in Portland as a panelist in an online meeting of The Completed Life Initiative

Dr Gideonse has courted controversy in the past, campaigning to legalize psilocybin, the active ingredient in 'magic mushrooms,' to help treat depression among the terminally ill

Critics highlight Dr Gideonse's ties to Compassion & Choices, which grew out of the 1980s right-to-die movement of the Hemlock Society and Jack Kevorkian  the pathologist and notorious 'Dr Death' who assisted scores of suicides and was ultimately convicted of murder

Dr Gideonse, an associate professor at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), is respected by peers, but has also courted controversy in the past, campaigning to legalize psilocybin, the active ingredient in 'magic mushrooms,' to help treat depression among those with cancer and other mortal conditions.

Critics point to his ties to Compassion & Choices, which grew out of the 1980s right-to-die movement of the Hemlock Society and Jack Kevorkian  the pathologist and notorious 'Dr Death' who assisted scores of suicides and was ultimately convicted of murder.

Dr Gideonse and EOLCOR did not answer requests for comment. OHSU said in a statement that it followed state and federal laws and 'supports patients' rights to seek the care they choose.'

Following the success of last year's lawsuit in Oregon, Compassion & Choices in 2022 launched a similar case seeking to scrap the residency requirement for Vermont's MAiD law.

Supporters of assisted dying say it helps the terminally ill spend less time suffering. Here, Scott Rice, whose wife, Colleen, died using doctor-assisted suicide, speaks in favor of Oregon's process during Supreme Court hearings in 2006

Those who take advantage of medical aid in dying laws typically receive a cocktail of drugs that can be taken as pills or crushed into a paste and ingested via a feeding tube, as Robert Fuller did in 2019

It argues that Lynda Bluestein, 76, a cancer-afflicted resident of Bridgeport, Connecticut, should be able to access MAiD in Vermont, and that Dr Diana Barnard, in Middlebury, Vermont, should be able to prescribe fatal doses to her patients in nearby upstate New York.

Corinne Carey, the New York campaign director for Compassion & Choices, said safeguards in the US remained rigorous enough to ensure that only those needing to end genuine suffering would benefit.

'Every US jurisdiction that has authorized medical aid in dying, starting with Oregon in 1997, has limited this peaceful dying option to mentally capable, terminally ill adults with six months or less to live who can self-ingest the medication,' she said.

'These US laws simply don't compare to euthanasia laws in Canada and other nations that are not limited to mentally capable, terminally ill adults and allow someone other than the dying person to administer the medication.'

Dr Peg Sandeen, the CEO of Death with Dignity, another pro-MAiD campaign group, said the safeguards were strong enough, and that they were working 'towards an America where every patient has this right everywhere.'

'The US model is notable for its reliance on safeguards,' said Dr Sandeen. 'Our model provides an option to those who otherwise have no options left, and protects everyone else.'
Do YOU know those involved? Email james.gant@mailonline.co.uk

Spirit Airlines agents traded blows with unruly passengers as they were boarding a flight in a wild video obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.

The vicious fight erupted at Philadelphia International Airport Monday night when a mom, 39, and her 17-year-old daughter were hit with extra fees because their carry-on luggage was too large.

The shocking footage begins with the two travelers grabbing and clawing at gate agents in the entrance to the jetway as the Fort Lauderdale-bound flight prepares to board.

The younger woman tugs violently on a Spirit staffer's dreadlocks while an airport worker in a high vis jacket slaps her over the back of the head and shouts 'get off, get off.'

Shocking video obtained by DailyMail.com shows a mother, 39, and daughter, 17, trading blows with Spirit airline agents after they were hit with baggage fees at the gate at Philadelphia airport Monday

The footage begins with the two travelers grabbing and clawing at gate agents in the entrance to the jetway as the Fort Lauderdale-bound flight prepares to board

A little boy, believed to be part of the same family, at one point starts hitting a Spirit employee before running away in tears

When the teen finally lets go, the furious agent aims several punches at her face  even while the girl is being restrained.

Several feet away her mom has lost her shirt and shoes in the scrap but she fights on in just her bra as a stunned bystander yells: 'Where the f*** is security'.

At one stage a little boy, believed to be part of the same family, starts hitting a Spirit employee before running away in tears and sinking to his knees.

Just as the brawl appears to fizzle the mom makes a dash towards the counter and grabs a keyboard but is dragged away and punched in the head from behind by one of the Spirit agents.

Her wig is torn off before a uniformed official, either a cop or a security guard, finally shows up and the fighting ends, some two and a half minutes into the video.

A 24-year-old woman was left nursing a cut to her eye but nobody was seriously hurt, the Philly Police Department said in a statement.

Officers spoke to everyone involved but have not made any arrests over the 7:30pm dust-up at E Terminal.

That came as a surprise to a witness to the fighting who told DailyMail.com he was astonished to see such scenes unfold at a busy international airport.

'I was shocked at how violent it was and how long it went on for,' said the fellow passenger, who requested anonymity.

Just as the brawl appears to fizzle the mom makes a dash towards the counter and grabs a keyboard but is dragged away and punched in the head

Her wig is torn off before a uniformed official finally shows up and the fighting ends, some two and a half minutes into the video

A witness to the fighting told DailyMail.com he was astonished to see such scenes unfold at an airport as busy as Philadelphia

'I don't know exactly who started it, but there was a lot of yelling and I turned around to see two Spirit employees fighting a mother and daughter.

'Someone was bleeding. At one stage a child got involved. Regardless of what he did, he's just a kid - he looked distraught.

'If this is the way Spirit Airlines operates, it's really scary.'

The flight was delayed roughly an hour but continued to Florida without further incident.

Staff at ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit  company motto 'We SOAR by serving each other and our Guests, one journey at a time'  have been involved in a series of ugly confrontations in recent years, certainly some of which weren't their fault.

Last August a male agent was caught on video at Dallas Fort Worth airport tackling and punching a young woman who had racially abused and slapped him.

And in November 2021 two flight attendants had to restrain and zip tie a drunk passenger who stormed to the front of a plane mid-flight with her luggage and declared: 'I'm getting off.'

A 2020 flight from Newark to San Juan ended with a mass brawl and a woman being tasered for refusing to wear a mask and passengers trading racist and homophobic insults.

Police said a 24-year-old woman was left nursing a cut to her eye but nobody was seriously hurt, and no arrests have been made yet over the dust-up

A spokesman for the Philadelphia Police department described the latest tussle as an allegation of 'simple assault.'

'On Monday, January 30th, 2023, at approximately 7:29 P.M. police received information that several passengers were pulling apart a 24-year-old female complainant and a 17-year-old female along with her 39-year-old mother during an argument over additional baggage fees,' a statement said.

'At this time, the 17 year old female attempted to access Jetway and was halted by the 24-year-old complainant when she was punched/hair pulled by the 17-year-old female being assisted by her 39-year-old mother.

'The 24-year-old female sustained a minor eyelid laceration. All participants were advised by police in reference to private criminal complaint documentation.'

Spirit Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.
Mike Gonzalez is the Angeles T. Arredondo E Pluribus Unum Senior Fellow at The Heritage Foundation and author of, 'BLM: The Making of a New Marxist Revolution'

Hardcore woke leftists think that if they can alter America's perception of the past, they can control the present, own the future and make a whole lot of money in the process.

Just pay close attention to Nikole Hannah-Jones.

It is pretty hard not to, in fact.

Her 1619 Project is now on Hulu, so you can't avoid seeing advertisements for it when you are looking for reruns of Frasier after a long day.

Or, the ubiquitous Hannah-Jones may be coming to a library near you, one you pay for with your taxes.

Just ask the folks in Fairfax, a leafy Virginia county 20 miles west of America's capital, whose public library has agreed to pay Hannah-Jones $29,350 for a one-hour talk this February 19.

That apparently wasn't enough to afford Hannah-Jones, so the nearby McLean Community Center, also supported through a real estate surcharge, shelled out an additional $6,000. That comes out to $589 per minutepaid by all local taxpayers, whether they believe in her mission or not.

Not bad for a woman whose job it is to make Americans feel really, really shameful about their house, their life, their country, and everything else, because some people they never met, 200 years ago, benefited from a system they recognize as abhorrent: slavery.

Don't just take my word for it. By her own admission, Hannah-Jones plays on white people's sense of guilt.

'I'm not writing to convert Trump supporters. I write to try to get liberal white people to do what they say they believe in. I'm making a moral argument,' she said at the University of Chicago in October 2019. 'My method is guilt.'

Hardcore woke leftists think that if they can alter America's perception of the past, they can control the present, own the future and make a whole lot of money in the process. Just pay close attention to Nikole Hannah-Jones (above, center)

The 1619 Project is devoted to the idea that 1619 is the year of America's real founding, not 1776, when the Founders signed the Declaration of Independence in the middle of some unpleasantness with the Mother Country.

Why 1619? Because in August of that year a pirate ship brought 20 Angolans who were sold near the Jamestown port of Point Comfort, in the English colony of Virginia. That event started the United States, says Hannah-Jones and her defenders, because four centuries on, everything about America still has to do with slavery.

Never mind that, as with all the key claims of the 1619 Project, the story of the 20 Africans has been debunked. Peter Wood, the president of the National Association of Scholars and a man who, unlike Hannah-Jones, has a PhD, in anthropology, says that 'The Africans were treated as indentured servants and soon released.'

Hannah-Jones, writes Wood, 'portrays slavery as starting in Jamestown in 1619 and spreading from there to become the bedrock of American society. That's a false history, a myth.'

Her Hulu series likewise makes exaggerated claims that support her larger narrative that America is an oppressive, racist society.

In the series' first episode, Hannah-Jones goes back to her earlier assertion that the American colonists decided to break free because they feared that Britain was about to liberate the slaves.

When the claim was first made in the opening salvo of the 1619 Project in 2019, when the New York Times devoted an entire issue of its weekly magazine to the effort, historians howled so vociferously that the paper issued what was not quite a correction, but a 'clarification.'

'We recognize that our original language could be read to suggest that protecting slavery was a primary motivation for all of the colonists,' said the paper in March 2020. 'The passage has been changed to make clear that this was a primary motivation for some of the colonists.'

'Some' is such a vague word, making it perfect for Hannah-Jones' purpose. Notice that they didn't opt for the more descriptive phrase, 'a majority of.'

Her Hulu series likewise makes exaggerated claims that support her larger narrative that America is an oppressive, racist society.

Why not? Could it  gasp  not be true?

With her Hulu series, the obviously unchastened Hannah-Jones comes back for another bite at the apple, grasping at a different, tenuous piece of flimsy proof for her slanderous claim.

This is important to her because it obviously makes her point that the nation's Founding Fathers were not paragons of virtue seeking to create a nation devoted to liberty, but scheming, avaricious slave-drivers intent on maintaining their 'white privilege.'

Hannah-Jones can't give up this central deceit because without it her '1619 Project' brand goes under.

She enlists the help of a revisionist history professor at the University of South Carolina, Woody Holton. He dramatically tells Hannah-Jones on camera that Virginia colonists only decided to take up arms because the Perthshire-born governor of the colony, John Murray, the Fourth Earl of Dunmore, promised to free those slaves that fought on the British side.

Again, real historians are baffled. 'The scene is an authoritatively delivered pronouncement set to stunning cinematography, but it's also false history;' writes Phillip Magness, who obtained his Ph.D. in public policy at Virginia's George Mason University.

Dunmore's push to free the slaves couldn't have convinced the Virginia colonists to join the revolution, because they had largely already made up their minds.

Dunmore's 'proclamation' wasn't issued from his governor's mansion, but from aboard the HMS William. He fled there five months earlier because his rebellious subjects were threatening to descend on his home.

His call to free the slaves wasn't the work of some great humanitarian. He was a slave-owner himself. It was the scheme of a desperate royalist stoking chaos.

Unsurprisingly, none of this history gets even a brief mention in Hannah-Jones' show.

Why 1619? Because in August of that year a pirate ship brought 20 Angolans who were sold near the Jamestown port of Point Comfort, in the English colony of Virginia. (Above) Engraving shows the arrival of a Dutch slave ship with a group of African slaves for sale, Jamestown, Virginia, 1619.

'There is no way we were going to steer away from [Lord Dunmore's significance],' Hannah-Jones told an admittedly friendly journalist at the Washington Post, 'because it's correct.'

But even her ally at the Post couldn't avoid the inclusion of a back-bending-to-the-point-of-breaking caveat.

He dutifully noted that Princeton historian Sean Wilentz called this depiction of Dunmore, 'highly misleading.'

So, why embark on this deceptive mission to blemish your country's history and its entire reason for existing?

All these things serve a purposein fact the Left's old purpose, which is massive wealth transfer.

Like Phineas Taylor Barnum (the celebrated 19th century American showman/huckster known to his friends and to history as P.T.) Hannah-Jones obviously thinks that a sucker is born every minute.

Her goal, as she told that University of Chicago audience, is 'reparations,' to be paid to American blacks, by non-blacks.

This is a point she repeated in a massive, 8,500-word essay for the New York Times.

Readers who made it to the end would have read these words: 'If we are to be redeemed, if we are to live up to the magnificent ideals upon which we were founded, we must do what is just. It is time for this country to pay its debt. It is time for reparations.'

Hannah-Jones is in the 'white guilt business' and business is good  the truth be damned.
But then offers nonsense reason why the court is not legal

He complains he is being denied his 'right to law'

A 'sovereign citizen' was dragged out of a courthouse before launching into a bizarre tirade against the legal system.

The burly man struggled to break free as he was escorted out of a courthouse at Ballarat, in Victoria, by at least three people.

The intense altercation was filmed by a bystander showing the man trying to barge back into the courthouse and accusing staff of denying his rights.

'You're denying my right to law,' the man screamed in the video uploaded to Twitter on Saturday.

The man being escorted out of Ballarat Courthouse by three security staff as he claims he is being 'denied' his 'right to law' (pictured)

The man is seen aggressively charging back towards the door of the courthouse before he is stopped by the staff members.

'You - calm down,' a worker told him.

The man ignores the warning and tries to get through the door a second time.

He stands over a smaller female staff member who is blocking the entrance and repeats his claim that she is denying him his right to law.

The reason the man was at the courthouse is unclear.

The staff eventually return inside before the man points to a paper sign near the door, which appears to mention the Court Security Act 1980.

He then uses the piece of legislation in a bizarre attempt to justify his actions.

'The Court Security Act 1980 is why I was defending my rights,' he claimed.

'My rights under law, not legislation. Corporate has nothing to do with law. It is legislation it is a legal 'Act''.

He then points to the signature of a government official at the bottom of the paper.

'It tells you right here, in black and white, because they must tell the truth eventually,' he said.

'Right here it declares Acting Chief Executive Officer, Magistrates Court of Victoria.

'That is not a government position. That is not a lawful government position... that is a corporation.

'I do not stand under the authority of a corporation. I stand under the law of the Commonwealth of Australia.'

Once outside, the man then launches into a bizarre rant about why the law of the court doesn't apply to him

The video echoes similar clips which have been appearing more and more online as so-called 'sovereign citizens' share their strange claims about why they are above the law.

'SovCits' as they are also known, have been on the rise, growing in dark corners of the internet especially during the Covid pandemic.

Dean of Law at Southern Cross University former magistrate David Heilpern said the movement has zero legal basis, news.com.au reported.

'As a magistrate, I dealt with literally hundreds of these people who would come to court and claim all sorts of bizarre rights apply to them,' he said.

'They see themselves as somehow special, and that the laws that apply to everyone else, don't apply to them, because they have this specialised legal knowledge that means that they don't have to comply with the laws. It's utter, complete garbage.'
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A survivor of the Sea World helicopter tragedy has described the terrifying moment two choppers collided and killed four people.

Elmarie Steenberg, a New Zealand tourist, was one of nine passengers who survived the tragic crash on the Gold Coast on January 2.

Vanessa Tadros, 36, British newlyweds Ron Hughes, 65, and wife Diane, 57, and chief pilot Ash Jenkinson, 40, were not so fortunate and died.

Ms Steenberg has opened up on the horrifying moment she felt like she was going to die with her emotional account to be aired on 60 Minutes on Sunday night.

Elmarie Steenberg (right) closed her eyes before the fatal impact of the two choppers colliding. When she opened them the first thing she saw was her friend Marle Swart covered in blood

Ms Steenberg (left) and Ms Swart (right) needed surgery to remove thousands of shards of glass and carbon fibre shattered and that lodged in their skin

She remembered looking down and seeing another helicopter underneath the one carrying her.

Ms Steenberg was riding in the helicopter with her husband Riaan and Kiwi couple Edward and Marle Stewart.

She said she braced herself and prayed to God to 'please help us' before the helicopters collided and a loud explosion followed.

Ms Steenberg hid her face and then opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was blood running from Ms Swart's body.

Then she saw the ocean flash past as their chopper spun madly.

'I was like, "Oh, we are going to die today",' Ms Steenberg said.

Ms Swart and Ms Steenberg suffered gruesome injuries, the worst of anyone in their chopper.

Both needed surgery to remove thousands of shards of glass and shattered carbon fibre that had lodged in their skin.

Their helicopter spun twice and its pilot somehow landed on a sandbank.

But the dread remained when people around her shouted 'It's going to blow'.

Elmarie Steenberg and Marle Swart as they recovered in hospital following the devastating crash

Moments before Kiwi couples the Swarts and the Steenbergs took a chance on a joyride above Sea World in a helicopter. Pictured, Riian Steenberg (front right), Elmarie Steenberg (second from right), Marle Swart (beside Ms Steenberg) and Edward Swart (behind the two women)

Her 10 year old boy Nicholas Tadros survived, but remains in hospital. He was so badly hurt he needed six surgeries in one day and spent several more days on life support.

The other two survivors from the chopper that crashed, Winnie de Silva, 33, and her son Leon, 9, remain in hospital with extensive injuries.

The Steenbergs and the Swarts decided on a whim to visit Sea World, then made another snap decision, to join a five minute helicopter ride above the theme park.

As they were coming into land, another helicopter lifted off close by. It was the passengers who realised the two choppers were about to collide.

Queensland Police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are examining the crash but a final verdict on what caused it isn't expected until 2024.

The operator of both helicopters, Sea World Helicopters  which is not owned by the theme park has suspended flights while investigations take place.
US ships have formed a perimeter off the coast of South Carolina where the Chinese spy balloon was shot down as a salvage vessel won't be at the scene for days.

US officials confirmed that an F-22 Raptor fighter jet took down the balloon with a single AIM-9X sidewinder missile at 2.38pm on Saturday, off the coast of Myrtle beach.

Audio from one of the two deployed jets, using the callsigns FRANK01 and FRANK02, reveals the moment the pilots confirmed the hit, telling the Eastern Air Defense Sector: 'The balloon is completely destroyed.'

A senior military advisor told Fox News that the debris field was about seven-miles wide, with the depth of the waters estimated at 47 feet.

While multiple Navy and Coast Guard vessels are in the area establishing a security and search perimeter, the senior advisor said an official salvage vessel won't arrive until a couple of days.

There is currently no timeline on the recovery of the balloon from the Atlantic Ocean after its presence shocked the nation while it hovered over several nuclear silos before going down.

US Navy and Coast Guard vessels are securing the perimeter off the coast of South Carolina where a fighter jet shot down a Chinese spy balloon (pictured)

First close-up video of the Chinese spy balloon being shot down (music was added by the original author) pic.twitter.com/6pI9an2RKX  BNO News Live (@BNODesk) February 4, 2023

Officials said the first spy balloon that traveled across the US fell six miles off the coast of South Carolina in waters about 47 feet deep. They noted that a proper salvage vessel won't be on the scene for days as the race is on to secure the wreckage

Footage of the jet shooting down the balloon showed the aircraft screaming towards it before firing a missile as stunned locals watched from the coast.

President Joe Biden praised the Top Gun fighter jet pilot who shot it down, telling reporters: 'I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible without doing damage to anyone on the ground.

'They decided that the best time to do that was when it got over water.'

'They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,' the President added as he stepped off Air Force One en route to Camp David at Hagerstown Regional Airport, Maryland.

The Pentagon confirmed: 'The balloon, which was being used by the People's Republic of China in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above US territorial waters.'

Defense officials estimated the balloon was about the size of three buses and that the debris field would be substantial.

Jets were seen flying close to the balloon around 1.30pm after a source revealed that defense officials were planning a shoot down and capture mission

Audio from FRANK01 (Langley AFB F-22) calling, SPASH ONEconfirming to HUNTRESS (Eastern Air Defense Sector EADS) that the #ChineseSpyBallon is completely destroyed off the coast of South Carolina today 

*Big thanks to Brett728 for sharing pics and  for the audio! pic.twitter.com/8tfZeyeNAy  Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) February 5, 2023

Biden (boarding Air Force One this morning in Syracuse, NY) told reporters, 'I told them to shoot it down on Wednesday. They said to me let's wait for the safest place to do it'

PENTAGON'S FULL STATEMENT: This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, US fighter aircraft assigned to the US Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched and belonging to the People's Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in US airspace. The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above US territorial waters. On Wednesday, President Biden gave his authorization to take down the surveillance balloon as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon's path. After careful analysis, US military commanders had determined downing the balloon while over land posed an undue risk to people across a wide area due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload. In accordance with the President's direction, the Department of Defense developed options to take down the balloon safely over our territorial waters, while closely monitoring its path and intelligence collection activities. This action was taken in coordination, and with the full support, of the Canadian government. And we thank Canada for its contribution to the tracking and analysis of the balloon through NORAD as it transited North America. Today's deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Biden and his national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC's unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. Advertisement

Biden first became aware of the balloon last Sunday, January 28, when it was spotted over Alaska. The US military tracked it over Canadian airspace and as it re-entered US territory on Tuesday.

The following day, Biden was given a detailed report on the aircraft and its course, attended by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.

Biden initially wanted to take it down but Milley and Austin argued the risk from falling debris was too great, sources revealed.

Meanwhile, the administration went to the Chinese embassy for an explanation and continued making preparations for Blinken's landmark diplomatic visit.

The administration finally told the public on Thursday after a local Montana paper, the Billings Gazette, published photos of the balloon.

The Biden's administration's attempts to hide the blatant US airspace violation from the public for almost a week and inaction over the threat to national security have infuriated Republicans.

'Communist China's surveillance balloon violates international law and threatens our homeland,' Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island) told The New York Post.

'It's an outrage that the Biden Administration spotted this balloon days ago as it was flying over the Aleutian Islands and did nothing about it,' she said. 'The president has not even made a comment about this unacceptable act of aggression by the CCP.'

The emergence of the spy aircraft comes on the heels of a classified report to Congress which outlined advanced new technology that US adversaries were harnessing to spy on the country.

The report last month mentioned at least two incidents of a rival power conducting aerial surveillance with what appeared to be unknown cutting-edge technology, sources told The New York Times.

Although the report did not single out any country, two US officials familiar with the research named China.

The two sites where the unusual surveillance was detected included a military base in the US and another overseas.

Since 2021, the Pentagon has studied 366 unexplained incidents and determined that 163 were balloons.

A handful of these were advanced surveillance balloons, a US official told the Times.

A US defense official said the balloon is the size of several buses - but doesn't post an immediate threat to Americans. The balloon, pictured over Montana, had been tracked for several days but officials decided not to shoot it down over fears about debris. China claims it is a civilian airship used for meteorological research

The Chinese foreign ministry said it regretted that the balloon had mistakenly entered US airspace, claiming it was a civilian craft

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claims he told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the US was 'an irresponsible act and that (China's) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have'.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: 'In actuality, the US and China have never announced any visit. The US making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that.'

According to Beijing, Wang said China 'has always strictly followed international law, we do not accept any groundless speculation and hype. Faced with unexpected situations, both parties need to keep calm, communicate in a timely manner, avoid misjudgments and manage differences'.

China's foreign ministry said the balloon 'seriously deviated from the scheduled route' and expressed regret that 'the airship strayed into the United States due to force majeure' and claimed it was used for scientific research 'such as meteorology'  something the Pentagon disputed.

The detection of the balloon, which triggered alarm in the White House and the Pentagon, adds to a series of recent controversies that have further strained the tense relationship between China and the United States.

Beijing had urged calm while it established the 'facts' before a statement yesterday morning said the balloon was a weather research device that had 'deviated far from its planned course'.

The Chinese foreign ministry said it regretted that the balloon had mistakenly entered US airspace.
The Prime Minister is going on the front foot in his campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament by accusing his opponents of 'trying to start a culture war'.

In a speech to be delivered on Sunday, Anthony Albanese will urge Australians to support a referendum to enshrine the Voice in Australia's Constitution.

He will appeal to people's 'generosity, sense of fairness and optimism', while saying he is 'open to improvements or alterations' to the proposed changes.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured right with his partner Jodie Haydon) is going on the front foot in his campaign for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (pictured left with his wife Kirilly), recently wrote a letter with 15 questions to Mr Albanese, asking for further clarification on the Voice to Parliament

Australians will vote in a referendum in the second half of this year on whether the constitution should be amended to create an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander body to provide advice to the federal parliament on policies affecting them.

Liberal Opposition leader Peter Dutton recently wrote a letter with 15 questions to Mr Albanese, asking for further clarification on the Voice to Parliament, after attending a referendum working group on Thursday.

'Australians deserve to be informed before voting at a referendum,' a Liberal Party spokesman said.

Mr Albanese will use his speech to claim democracy is under threat, saying Australia must learn from events such as the US Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, and the January 8, 2023 riots in Brazil.

'Democracy can never be taken for granted. It needs to be nourished, protected, cared for, treated with respect,' he will say.

'The Referendum Working Group have already outlined some clear fundamentals,' Mr Albanese will tell the audience at the Chifley Research Centre in Canberra.

'The Voice won't administer funding. It will not deliver programs. It will not have any kind of veto power over decision-making.'

Mr Albanese will address criticism that the proposed clauses are vague by comparing them with Parliament's powers to make laws on the country's defence, as outlined in the Constitution.

'It doesn't spell-out the size of the ADF, or where it should be based or what sort of defence hardware we should have,' he will say.

'And just as well - that section of the Constitution doesn't even mention the air force, for the very good reason that it became law before the first powered flight.'

Anthony Albanese will on Sunday compare some of the opposition to the Voice to the January 6, 2021 riots in Washington DC. Pictured are supporters of former US president Donald Trump in Washington on that day

He will the authors of Australia's Federation understood it was up to the government, parliament and the people to 'deal with the detail and implementation through legislation'.

'The Constitution contains the power and then parliament uses its democratic authority to build the institution and renovate it as needed.

'At this year's referendum - Australians will be voting on the principle.'

His comments come after increasing criticism of the proposal, including calls for specifics to be clarified before a referendum is to be considered.

Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser urged the Federal Government to deal with Mr Dutton's 'reasonable questions' about the Voice.

Pictured are supporters of Brazilian former president Jair Bolsonaro clashing with security forces during an invasion of the Presidential Palace in Brasilia on January 8, 2023. Anthony Albanese will say on Sunday that Australia must learn from what happened in Brazil

Mr Albanese will tell his audience on Sunday that some opponents are pushing 'misinformation' about the Voice online.

'That's an inevitable consequence of trying to achieve change,' he will say.

'There are always those who want to create confusion and provoke division, to try and stall progress.

'But moments of national decision, such as this referendum, are also an opportunity for our people to show their best qualities: their generosity, their sense of fairness, their optimism for the future.

'That's why I'm optimistic for the success of the referendum - because I've always been optimistic about the character of the Australian people.'

A recent poll for Nine newspapers found Australians' support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament has fallen from 53 to 47 per cent.
A former ABC journalist has rubbished the public broadcaster's apology over its 'biased' coverage of the Alice Springs community meeting and reiterated her intention to file a complaint to the media watchdog.

The ABC issued a grovelling apology admitting it provided 'incomplete' coverage of the Save Alice Springs meeting held on Monday.

Some 3,000 terrified residents had turned up to discuss their concerns over the out-of-control youth crime wave spreading throughout their community.

Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, who once worked as a consumer reporter on the ABC and once presented 7.30 in Victoria, slammed her former employer for issuing an apology only after copping backlash for its coverage.

Some 3,000 terrified Alice Springs residents turned up to discuss their concerns over the youth crime wave spreading throughout the community

Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson, an ex-ABC journalist, intends to file a complaint against the public broadcaster to the Australian Communications and Media Authority

'The ABCs belated apology for its shockingly biased reporting of Mondays Alice Springs town meeting, after arrogantly defending its coverage, reflects very poorly on editor in chief, MD David Anderson,' she wrote.

Senator Henderson added that her complaint against the ABC to the Australian Communications and Media Authority would be 'proceeding'.

The senator was not the only person to lambast the ABC for its apology, with many taking to social media to vent.

'They can shove their 'partial apology' where the sun don't shine,' wrote one.

'Moreover, defund the ABC as I am sick of its woke fake news and having to fund it.'

'The @ABCaustralia has backflipped over its controversial Alice Springs coverage by issuing an apology just hours after it was threatened with an official investigation into the matter,' said another.

'How about put a broom through the ABC board. Enough is enough from the bias ABC.'

A third commented: 'The ABC needs to be held to account. They have been reckless in trying to invent a narrative.'

Senator Henderson lambasted the public broadcaster for its 'belated apology' and 'shockingly biased reporting'

Others also took to social media to slam the ABC for its apology and coverage

'ts time to defund the ABC. The $1.3 billion annually can be put to way better use,' another said.

One Twitter user wrote: 'Should be taken off air, national disgrace will never watch again.'

'I'm a recent migrant to Australia. I've never watched the ABC since 2016. I came to realise it's part of their DNA not to report or adequately cover contexts or range of perspectives, if it's against their narrative,' added one man.

'They've a lot of redeeming to do.'

The ABC was accused of bias after interviewing people who slammed the meeting as 'racist'.

ABC Indigenous Affairs correspondent Carly Williams' live cross on TV of the meeting said many people had left the meeting early and that 'a non-indigenous person' had described the meeting as 'a disgusting display of white supremacy'.

The public broadcaster faced the threat of an official investigation over its coverage that was aired on its flagship current affairs show AM and in another TV report.

ABC Indigenous Affairs correspondent Carly Williams' live cross on TV of the meeting said many people had left the meeting early and that 'a non-indigenous person' had described the meeting as 'a disgusting display of white supremacy'

The ABC released a statement on Saturday apologising to its audience for its coverage of the meeting

The ABC released a statement on Saturday apologising to its audience.

'We acknowledge that one report on AM was incomplete, and did not adequately cover the full context of the meeting or the range of perspectives expressed at it,' it read.

'ABC News apologises to audiences for providing an incomplete picture of the event in this instance.'

The public broadcaster went on to say it had 'reportedly accurately' on the views of 'some people who attended the community meeting'.

'However, this report should have included a broader range of perspectives expressed at the meeting and further information about what was discussed, to provide additional context,' the statement read.

'Following this report, ABC News published additional coverage of the issue which included a broader range of perspectives and context.'

The ABC stood behind its journalists saying it had extensively covered the ongoing issues of substance abuse and public violence in the area.

The AM report of the crisis meeting is still available online but comes with an Editor's Note.

Senator Henderson previously filed a complaint about two reports the ABC filed about a crime meeting to the Australian Communications and Media Authority

Senator Henderson previously filed a complaint about two reports the ABC filed about a crime meeting to the ACMA.

She called the report 'monumentally distorted', and slammed ABC management defending the reporting as 'complete and utter rubbish'.

The senator described the broadcaster's coverage as 'rubbish reporting'

'The ABC's senior management and spin doctors have defended this report,' she said.

'There should be a retraction, and an apology, and a review of journalism training standards.'

'I'm asking ACMA to investigate the ABC for a breach of its code of practice.'

Thousands of fed-up residents attended the Save Alice Springs meeting after intense media focus on the town's battle with a crime crisis, amid threats by locals to sue the Northern Territory government for $1.5billion in compensation.

The audience at the town hall meeting was comprised of concerned families, business owners, Indigenous leaders, health and emergency services workers and police.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to the ABC for comment.
Prince Harry could be whisked in and out of Britain for a 48-hour appearance at King Charless Coronation without his wife Meghan, sources said last night.

One working theory, dubbed Harry in a hurry, is that Meghan will remain behind in California to celebrate Archies fourth birthday while Harry flies into make a brief appearance at the event on May 6.

It was reported yesterday that both Harry and Meghan would be invited to the ceremony  but it remains unclear whether they will accept in the wake of Harrys tell-all memoir about Royal infighting.

The report came after the revelation in last weeks Mail on Sunday that the Archbishop of Canterbury had been drawn into discussions about the couples invitation to the 90-minute service.

It was suggested that they might accept the invitation if they were given a prominent pew and an undertaking that Harry would not lose his Royal titles.

One working theory, dubbed Harry in a hurry, is that Meghan will remain behind in California to celebrate Archies fourth birthday while Harry flies in to make a brief appearance

The monarch has cut the guest list for the Coronation to just over 2,000 people, down from the 8,000 who watched Queen Elizabeth being crowned in 1953

Sources close to the organisers say Charless desire to deliver a cut-down and diverse Coronation has proved a nightmare for organisers racing against time to complete the arrangements.

The monarch has cut the guest list for the Coronation to just over 2,000 people, down from the 8,000 who watched Queen Elizabeth being crowned in 1953.

Faiths asked to join in The Government has written to councils and faith groups urging them to throw open the doors of libraries, museums and leisure centres and apply for funding of up to 10,000 to host parties for the Coronation on May 6. Baroness Scott, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Faith and Communities, sent a letter last week to faith leaders, saying: The Government wants to see people across the UK and the Commonwealth come together to celebrate this momentous occasion. The Coronation aims to reflect the modern, diverse, multi-faith United Kingdom and to promote the themes of youth, community, diversity and sustainability. Funding of up to 10,000 is available for events through the National Lottery Awards For All programme. Those organising events need to submit details by mid-February. The Governments direct approach to different faith groups echoes King Charless desire to deliver a diverse Coronation. A Palace spokesman said the Coronation will reflect the monarchs role today and look to the future, while being rooted in traditions and pageantry. Advertisement

However, he has also halved the organisational time from the 16 months it took to prepare for his mothers service.

Government sources say the next few weeks will be crunch time for decisions over how many peers, politicians, diplomats and bishops will be invited. Seventy years ago, they nearly all made the cut.

But the King was advised that the 8,000-strong list was achievable only because a series of temporary structures were added to the abbey.

To do so again would risk damaging the 900-year-old building and take far too long.

The alternative of using the much larger St Pauls Cathedral would be both a break with tradition and an unwanted reminder of Charless marriage to Princess Diana.

Some experts have suggested nearby Westminster Hall could be used as an overflow site, as with some weddings, with guests watching on screens.

A source said cutting the guest list so radically while also making it more diverse is proving to be a total nightmare.

In 1953, the guest list included every member of the aristocracy with a hereditary title  there are currently 807  plus all members of the Privy Council  a total of 741  and every bishop  they now number over 100  as well as heads of state and ambassadors from around the world. Seventy years ago, they all brought their spouses, too.

In addition to the bishops, to match the diversity requirement, space would also have to be found for representatives from other faiths.

One person involved in the planning said: We need Wembley Stadium, not Westminster Abbey.

A source said: It would have made more sense to hold the Coronation in the autumn... but Charles was keen to get on with it.
Two thrones will be made for the King and Queen Consorts coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

The crowning and anointing  the most sacred part of the ceremony  will take place with the monarch sitting in the historic Coronation Chair.

But each monarch also has a Throne Chair  unique to them  for the enthronement part of the ancient ritual, which takes place on a raised dais in Westminster Abbey.

Unlike Prince Philip, Camilla will be crowned alongside the monarch, although she is expected to be seated at a lower level.

The London firm which made the late Queens thrones, White Allom and Company, is no longer in operation. Sources say the royal task could now fall to a team of specialist craftsmen trained through the Princes Foundation.

Each monarch has a Throne Chair  unique to them  for the enthronement part of the ancient ritual

Two new chairs were made for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II  the Chair of Estate and the Throne Chair

It is also expected to carry the Tudor Crown, rather than St Edwards Crown which was featured on the late Queens logo.

Two new chairs were made for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II  the Chair of Estate and the Throne Chair.

The Chair of Estate was used during the Coronation service before the crowning. Made from carved, gilded beechwood, it had a slightly lower back so guests in Westminster Abbey  and those watching on television  could see the monarch more clearly.

Upholstered in crimson silk damask with the Canterbury Rose pattern, it has the EIIR cypher for Queen Elizabeth II embroidered on the back.

A Palace source said: There is always a new throne for a new monarch and this will be no exception.

The King is also expected to abide by tradition and use the Coronation Chair, commissioned in 1296 by King Edward I.

He will be the 27th monarch to be crowned in the chair, believed to be the oldest piece of furniture in the United Kingdom still used for its original purpose.
China strongly opposes U.S. move to shoot down unmanned airship

Xinhua) 10:02, February 05, 2023

BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition towards the U.S. use of force to attack China's civilian unmanned airship, Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sunday in a statement.

The Chinese side has, after verification, repeatedly informed the U.S. side of the civilian nature of the airship and conveyed that its entry into the United States due to force majeure was totally unexpected, the statement said, noting the Chinese side has clearly asked the U.S. side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday when answering a relevant query that the civilian airship is used for research, mainly meteorological purposes. Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course.

According to the statement, the spokesperson of the U.S. Department of Defense also noted the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.

Under such circumstances, the U.S. use of force is a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the company concerned, and reserve the right to make further responses if necessary, said the statement.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
Actress Tati Gabrielle / Courtesy of Sony Pictures



'Kaleidoscope' star talks about her identity, career



By Dong Sun-hwa



Born to a mother of Korean descent and African-American father, actress Tati Gabrielle grew up eating kimchi, a Korean staple made of fermented cabbage, and doing taekwondo, a martial art originating from Korea.



Although her environment was predominantly African American, Gabrielle and her siblings could still get a taste of Korean culture in their everyday lives thanks to their mother. At the age of four, she was adopted by an African American family in Virginia, who was neither able to speak Korean nor familiar with the East Asian country's culture. But she still embraced her roots and instilled a great deal of pride in her children toward their Korean heritage.



"My mom was not able to give us Korean-specific culture and language herself, but she strongly urged us to seek and explore more of our Korean heritage throughout our lives," Gabrielle, the star of the popular Netflix series, "Kaleidoscope" (2023), told The Korea Times.



"And that's exactly what we did. I remember being very proud even as a child to be, not just Asian, but Korean. I remember sitting in the kitchen with my mom drawing the South Korean flag on a huge poster board, making sure I had every elemental symbol right and in the correct position. That same year, we had a global parade at our school, and I wore my mother's hanbok which her adoptive father had bought for her when she was young. I walked that parade beaming with pride."



She has been enthusiastically learning the Korean language as well.



"I started learning to read and write in Korean when I met my first Korean friend in grade 6," the actress recalled. "I have also begun learning to speak and aim to become fluent within the next year."





Actress Tati Gabrielle / Courtesy of Netflix



For Gabrielle, the global ascent of Korean cultural content like K-pop, K-dramas and K-films has been influencing her life on both a personal and professional level. At home, her mother watches Korean dramas and listens to K-pop every day as part of her journey to reconnect with her culture, naturally leading Gabrielle to enjoy them also. The popularity of Korean culture has provided her with more opportunities in her career, too.



"It has opened the doors to opportunities in which I can freely connect with the richness of my culture beyond the home," she explained. "Like with 'Kaleidoscope,' I now have chances to bring my culture into my art effortlessly and without question or confusion. The rising popularity also inches me closer to being able to do projects in Korea as a Korean African American as I have always dreamed of, which was previously unthought-of. And with my platform, I intend to lean more into Korean culture popularity by finding even more ways to tell Korean stories in America and beyond through as many mediums as I can."



"Kaleidoscope" is an eight-part series revolving around a master thief and his team attempting a heist worth $7 billion. In the drama, Gabrielle plays a Korean character named Hannah Kim, a triple agent wearing multiple hats.



"My biggest challenge was trying to find a way to carry all of the knowledge that I knew Hannah had and drop small hints along the way without giving away too much to the audience," she said. "It was a big lesson in subtlety. But I was so excited to finally be playing a character that was my actual ethnicity, Korean and African American. I feel very proud to be able to represent all of the mixed-race Korean kids out there and I hope I did it in a way that makes my ancestors proud."







For those who are not yet so familiar with her name, Gabrielle recommends they watch "Kaleidoscope" first.



"It shows a lot of my range as an actor and I think this type of show will be intriguing to Korean audiences," she said. "And the fact that I play my real ethnicity as Korean American and speak Korean  which was a choice I made myself although it was not originally in the script  will hopefully tell them a little about who I am as a person and what I represent, as well as make them proud that I am doing my best to pay homage to my culture, my ancestors and my country despite not having grown up there."



Gabrielle was only 14 when she first decided to become an actress. She said she did so after taking to the stage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, the largest arts and media festival in the world, established in 1947.



"That was the first time I fully understood the power of storytelling  the way it impacts people and changes the course of someone's life," she said. "I wanted to be able to conjure that sort of magic forever. Since I was young, I have always been very sensitive and emotional, but I struggled to articulate those emotions, I was quiet and shy. In that way, acting has always been a very valuable outlet for me  taking all of the things I feel and putting them into words that have already been written."





A scene from the Netflix series, "Kaleidoscope" / Courtesy of Netflix
Two quick thinking children have been praised for their 'incredible actions' after seeing the alleged abduction of a five-year-old boy and calling police.

Police allege the boy was taken by his stepfather, 37, and a woman, 56, from Witherden Street in Nakara, in Darwin's northern suburbs, on Friday afternoon.

The boy's mother tried to stop the alleged abduction while he was being put into a vehicle, but she fell onto the road.

The Northern Territory Police have praised two quick thinking children for their 'incredible actions' after seeing the alleged abduction of a five-year-old boy. Pictured is a stock photo of NT police officers

The mum was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital and was later reported to be in a stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.

Northern Territory Police said a young boy and girl who saw the incident called 000, passing on details of the alleged abductors' vehicle, including its registration.

This information helped officers from the Sex Crimes Division, Strike Force Trident, Adelaide River, Batchelor and general duties to respond quickly to the incident.

After a manhunt lasting two-and-a-half-hours, the vehicle was stopped on Cox Peninsula Road, south of Darwin.

The five-year-old boy was found safe and was brought back to his family.

The man and woman, who is known to the boy, were arrested at the scene and taken into custody.

NT Police said Detectives from the Child Abuse Task Force had charged them with abduct child under 16 and recklessly endanger serious harm on Sunday.

The boy's mother was injured in the incident and was taken to the Royal Darwin Hospital (pictured)

They were both remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court on Monday.

Detective Senior Sergeant Scott Russell said the quick thinking of the young boy and girl was commendable.

'Not only did they contact police as the (alleged) abduction was unfolding, they also passed on the vehicle's details and registration,' he said.

'This information was vital in allowing our officers to begin tracking the vehicle quickly, resulting in a positive outcome.'
She also wants Meghan to state King Charles and late Queen 'are not racist'

Samantha Markle wants Prince Harry to testify against Meghan under oath

Meghan Markle's sister Samantha is demanding Prince Harry give evidence under oath against his wife as she gears up to take her defamation case back to court.

In legal papers filed in Florida on Friday, Ms Markle has called on the Duke of Sussex to take part in deposition proceedings under oath, The Mirror reports.

The 56-year-old is suing Meghan, 41, for 60,000 in damages, claiming her reputation was left in tatters after her sister spread 'malicious lies' in her 2021 Oprah interview.

Ms Markle is also calling on Meghan to be interviewed on camera a day prior to the deposition, and reportedly wants her to make 38 separate admissions in the case.

Among the admissions, she reportedly wants Meghan to publicly state that both the late Queen Elizabeth and King Charles 'are not racist'.

Meghan Markle's sister Samantha is demanding Prince Harry give evidence under oath against his wife as she gears up to take her defamation case back to court. Pictured together at her graduation in 2008

The 56-year-old is suing Meghan, 41, for 60,000 in damages, claiming her reputation was left in tatters after her sister spread 'malicious lies' in her 2021 Oprah interview

Meghan is understood to want the case dismissed entirely.

Ms Markle, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, claims she's a victim of 'humiliation and hatred' on the back of 'demonstrably false and malicious statements' allegedly made by her sister.

She's also reportedly called on statements from father Thomas Markle, former royal aide Jason Knauf, her daughter Ashleigh Hale and online security expert Christopher Bouzy.

A mediator has been appointed in an attempt to avoid a trial, while Meghan's lawyer Michael J. Kump reportedly stated the demands Ms Markle has made are irrelevant.

Ms Markle reportedly felt slighted by Meghan's recollection of being an 'only child' growing up. When she first expressed anger over the comments, the Duchess of Sussex pointed out she was simply describing her opinion.

The duo share a father but have different mothers.

Her rocky relationship with Meghan exploded into public view after her sister's engagement to Prince Harry was announced in 2017.

She was quoted by journalists as saying 'The Queen would be appalled' and called her a 'ducha**' on Twitter.

Meghan is understood to want the case dismissed entirely

The duo share a father but have different mothers. Pictured: Meghan with her father Thomas Markle

She gave numerous interviews attacking the Duchess but has since backtracked and complimented her.

Ms Markle released a book about her sister titled The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister: A Memoir, Part One.

It lays bare details of the Markles' upbringing, including the rivalry when their father was still married to the actress's mother Doria Ragland.

But Ms Markle also writes of her adoration for Meghan as a baby and described the infant as 'bi-racial, beautiful, and was both the color of a peach, and a rose'.

And recently, Ms Markle appeared on an Australian breakfast news program slamming the royals' six-part Netflix docuseries.

She labelled it a 'flopumentary' that was 'ridiculous' and bordering on 'comedy'.

'It is so much rhetoric at this point, and so many lies have been thrown out there, debunked, and yet still there is this repeated need to push this narrative.'
The leader of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, has issued a statement rejecting President Biden's claim that some bishops were fine using taxpayer funds to carry out abortions, while another bishop has accused him of being a 'fake catholic'.

Broglio said that the stance of Catholic bishops were united in their commitment to preserving life and their efforts to make abortion unacceptable.

He also stated that using taxpayer funds to carrying out abortions would violate the religious beliefs of people and go against their right to life, in accordance with their faith.

'The Catholic bishops of the United States are united in our commitment to life and will continue to work as one body in Christ to make abortion unthinkable,' Archbishop said in a statement.

The leader of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, has issued a statement rejecting President Biden's claim that some bishops were fine using taxpayer funds to carry out abortions, while another bishop has accused him of being a 'fake catholic'

A reporter posed a question to Biden last week for his response to: 'Catholic bishops are demanding that federal tax dollars not fund abortions.' Biden responded, saying, 'No they are not all doing that, nor is the Pope.'

'Taxpayer funding of abortion would force people of good conscience to participate in this grave evil against their will. It would contradict our right to live in accord with the tenets of our faith,' said Archbishop Broglio, who also leads the Archdiocese for the Military Services USA.

Meanwhile, Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, one of the most outspoken conservative bishops, took to Twitter to criticize President Biden's beliefs calling him 'fake.'

It came after a reporter posed a question to Biden last week for his response to: 'Catholic bishops are demanding that federal tax dollars not fund abortions.'

Biden responded, saying, 'No they are not all doing that, nor is the Pope'.

The pope has routinely compared procuring an abortion to 'hiring a hitman.'

Yet, Biden, who favors legalized abortion and who regularly attends Mass and carries a rosary, cited both U.S. Catholic bishops and Pope Francis in defense of federally funded abortions, despite both the bishops' and the pontiff's consistent and vocal opposition to the practice.

Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, one of the most outspoken conservative bishops, took to Twitter to criticize President Biden's beliefs calling him 'fake'

'Mr Biden can't be allowed to twist the words of Pope Francis in this way. I implore the Vatican press office to emphatically clarify that Pope Francis rightly calls abortion murder. It is time to denounce Biden's fake Catholicism,' tweeted Bishop Strickland, pictured above

'Mr Biden can't be allowed to twist the words of Pope Francis in this way. I implore the Vatican press office to emphatically clarify that Pope Francis rightly calls abortion murder. It is time to denounce Biden's fake Catholicism,' tweeted Bishop Strickland.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published a letter last Friday to the House of Representatives and the Senate specifically calling for end of taxpayer funding for abortion services.

'Protecting taxpayers from being forced to pay for abortion in violation of their conscience is a principle that has enjoyed historically broad support among Americans, regardless of their otherwise passionately divided views on the topic. It has also been life-saving,' wrote Diocese of Arlington's Bishop Michael Burbidge, head of the USCCB's Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

Burbidge continued in the letter, 'Rather than funding abortion, Congress can better serve the common good by prioritizing policies that comprehensively assist women, children, and families in need in ways that will not only encourage childbirth but make it easier to welcome and raise a new child.'

Polls show Catholics to be mixed on legal abortion.

In 2019, Pope Francis said that abortion can never be condoned, even when the fetus is gravely sick or likely to die, and urged doctors and priests to support families to carry such pregnancies to term.

In 2019, Pope Francis said that abortion can never be condoned, even when the fetus is gravely sick or likely to die, and urged doctors and priests to support families to carry such pregnancies to term. The Pope is pictured on Saturday

Speaking at the time to a Vatican-sponsored anti-abortion conference, Francis said the opposition to abortion isn't a religious issue but a human one.

'Is it licit to throw away a life to resolve a problem?' he asked. 'Is it licit to hire a hitman to resolve a problem?'

Francis denounced decisions to abort based on prenatal testing, saying a human being is 'never incompatible with life.'

Even those babies destined to die at birth or soon thereafter deserve to receive medical care in the womb, Francis has said, adding that their parents need to be supported so they don't feel isolated and afraid.

While one can argue about using medical resources this way, there is value to it for the parents, he said.

'Taking care of these children helps parents to grieve and not only think of it as a loss, but as a step on a path taken together,' Francis said.

Francis has spoken out strongly against abortion but also has also expressed sympathy for women who have had them and made it easier for them to be absolved of the sin of abortion.
The Ministry of Defence spent 230 million on accommodation and travel over the past three years as top brass enjoyed five-star hotels, documents reveal.

Meanwhile, soldiers and their families endure appalling conditions in military homes.

The taxpayer-funded outlay includes hundreds of senior officers and officials staying in luxury hotels in exotic locations, documents obtained in a Freedom of Information (FoI) request reveal.

These include the Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa in Grand Cayman, set on the Caribbean island's Seven Mile Beach, where rooms cost up to 500 a night.

Two members of staff ran up a 3,000 bill during a three-night stay at the resort.

The Mail on Sunday reported how hundreds of families suffered without heating or hot water in freezing conditions before Christmas, as they awaited repairs (pictured: Single Living Accommodation in North Yorkshire)

A senior officer staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel, Honolulu, spent more than 2,700 during a five-night stay at the resort.

The revelations come amid a continuing scandal over Army housing.

The Mail on Sunday reported how hundreds of families suffered without heating or hot water in freezing conditions before Christmas, as they awaited repairs.

Former military intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram described the spending on five-star hotels as 'gross double standards', adding that the disclosure would undermine morale in the Armed Forces.

Issy Bowman, 55, from Dorset, has had bats living in the water tank of her service home since August.

Mrs Bowman, who has been married to an officer for 34 years, has since been drinking bottled water.

Pinnacle, the company that handles complaints in military homes, told her to contact bat conservationists.

She said: 'It's horrific The thought [of the bats] makes me feel sick.'

Last week a woman with a three-week-old newborn complained she had severe mould in her 'refurbished' military home.

Their plight follows a series of MoS reports which led Ministers to demand daily updates on military housing.

These updates are yet to be released to the public, despite figures showing that one naval base, HMS Sultan, had 357 incidents involving loss of heating or hot water last year.

An MoD spokesman said: 'Expenses are subject to strict controls and staff must prove their stay is needed and value for money.'

A Pinnacle spokeswoman said: 'We are very sorry to hear about the experience of this family', adding: 'Pinnacle does not carry out property repairs.'
British patients are set to take part in a pioneering stem cell trial which experts hope will transform the lives of people with Parkinson's.

Their brains will be infused with millions of the cells in a trial aimed at demonstrating if the technique can slow, stop or even reverse the course of the devastating condition.

Eight patients  four Britons and four Swedes  will have the treatment in the coming weeks at a hospital in Lund, southern Sweden.

Scientists believe the infusion will kick-start production of the vital neurotransmitter dopamine.

Parkinson's patients do not produce enough dopamine, leading to them developing symptoms such as tremors, slow movement and stiff muscles.

Their brains will be infused with millions of the cells in a trial aimed at demonstrating if the technique can slow, stop or even reverse the course of the devastating condition (file image)

Cambridge University neurologist Professor Roger Barker, who also works at the city's Addenbrooke's Hospital, said: 'We want to restore dopamine levels to where they were before the patient was diagnosed with Parkinson's.

'That would give them back normal levels of function.'

The procedure will take several hours, with the cells being infused deep into the base of the brain.

All the cells in this trial were derived from an early-stage IVF embryo donated 12 years ago in Edinburgh for scientific research.

It was used to create a 'cell line' that can be replicated time after time.

Earlier research used cells from aborted foetuses but was deemed too contentious and impractical.

The stem cells for the current trial are grown for 16 days in a laboratory at the Royal Free Hospital in London, in what lead scientist Dr Agnete Kirkeby, of Lund University, described as 'a very delicate process'.

Dr Simon Stott, director of research at the charity Cure Parkinson's, said the trial was 'very exciting'.

He added: 'It will provide a better assessment of the potential for cell transplantation in Parkinson's.'
ITV has axed footage of an explosive interview with Prince Andrew's former girlfriend after she launched a libellous attack on his sex accuser.

Lady Victoria Hervey, who dated Andrew in 1999, provoked outrage after branding Virginia Roberts a 'con-artist' and 'liar' during an inflamatory appearance on Good Morning Britain.

Presenter Susanna Reid was forced to cut the interview short amid a series of attacks on Ms Roberts by Lady Victoria.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the seven-minute exchange has been cut from the online edition of the programme on ITVX.

Ms Roberts, who now uses the married surname Giuffre, claims she was forced to have sex with the Duke of York at the behest of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.

Lady Victoria Hervey, who dated Andrew in 1999, provoked outrage after branding Virginia Roberts a 'con-artist' and 'liar' during an inflamatory appearance on Good Morning Britain

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the seven-minute exchange has been cut from the online edition of the programme on ITVX. Ms Roberts, who now uses the married surname Giuffre (middle), claims she was forced to have sex with the Duke of York (left) at the behest of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell (right)

Andrew has repeatedly and strenuously denied the claims.

Lady Victoria was invited on to GMB on Thursday to discuss whether charity work can rehabilitate his reputation.

But during heated exchanges, Lady Victoria described Ms Roberts, who was sexually abused by Epstein, as a 'liar'.

And in a further attack, Lady Victoria claimed Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in a US jail, was convicted of 'some things she did not do', adding: 'A lot of these girls are liars.'

Ms Reid responded: 'I'm going to bring the interview to an end because you cannot smear victims of sex trafficking who have already been through hell.'

The axeing comes as further proof emerged this weekend that the infamous picture of Prince Andrew with his arm around 17-year-old Ms Roberts is genuine.

Last week, this newspaper revealed a bombshell picture of the back of the original photograph showing a date stamp that proves it was developed at a branch of Walgreens, a US pharmacy chain, on March 13, 2001  three days after it was alleged that Ms Roberts was forced to have sex with Andrew.

Now, an analysis for the MoS by experts at Acume Forensic, a leading digital forensics firm, has found no evidence that the image had been faked.

'After our preliminary assessment of the image, we believe that this is a genuine digital photograph of an original film photograph,' Stephen Cole, technical director at Acume, said last night.
It was long shunned as a vulgar Americanism. But now increasing numbers of British diners are asking for doggy bags so they can take leftover food home.

The trend has even spread to high-end restaurants, including Heston Blumenthals renowned The Fat Duck.

Diners used to be scared of causing a fuss or seeming cheap, but it seems the cost-of-living crisis and campaigns to cut food waste  including this newspapers own  are changing things.

Major chains such as Frankie & Bennys, Wagamama, Pizza Express, Franco Manca and The Real Greek are all encouraging the use of doggy bags.

All of Hestons restaurants, including his three-Michelin-starred The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, are happy to give customers doggy bags.

Diners used to be scared of causing a fuss or seeming cheap, but it seems the cost-of-living crisis and campaigns to cut food waste are changing things

All of Heston Blumenthals restaurants, including his three-Michelin-starred The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, are happy to give customers doggy bags

Bosses at the chefs Perfectionists Cafe, based at Heathrow Airport, said: We often see passengers running to boarding with our doggy bags. A popular takeaway dish of ours is pizza.

A tenth of Britons now use doggy bags more than they did two years ago, a poll for The Mail on Sunday shows.

Overall, more than half of Britons have asked for a doggy bag recently, the survey of 2,000 by Deltapoll found.

Most restaurants will provide doggy bags if they are requested, though very few publicise it.

In Spain, a law set to come into force this year will mean that restaurants must offer doggy bags. This has been the case in France since 2021.

Tessa Clarke, co-founder of Olio  an app which helps households cut down on food waste  said: Leftovers can taste better the next day because the flavours have marinated.

'That is why curry, in particular, tastes twice as good two, three or four days later.

The price you are paying for food is typically 20 per cent more than last year. That makes us all a bit more appreciative of food and we dont want to waste it.

But families tightening their belts are also thinking that the doggy bag will do for lunch the next day, saving a trip to the sandwich shop.

'It is really wallet-wise to ask for a doggy bag.

She said she had seen a real change in the UK surrounding doggy bags.

Going back ten years, and for a while after that, it was embarrassing. Waiters would look at me as if I was some unfortunate thing, rather than seeing that I was trying to cut food waste.

Then two or three years ago I stopped getting that look, as I was no longer the only person asking.

She pointed out that 1kg (2.2 lb) of wasted food has the same carbon footprint as 25kg (55 lb) of plastic bottles going to landfill.

In the US, doggy bags  called to-go boxes  are commonplace.

In fact, they originated there in the 1940s, when pet food was scarce and diners were encouraged to take leftovers home to feed their dogs.

Consumer expert Helen Morrissey, from Hargreaves Lansdown, said: The portions [at restaurants] are usually way too big and the focus on reducing waste means people feel increasingly uncomfortable with consigning their leftovers to the bin.

'The cost-of-living crisis is only going to fuel this trend more.

Frankie & Bennys said that its servers will always ask: Do you want to take any leftovers to go?

The Mail on Sundays War On Food Waste campaign has been calling on households, retailers and restaurants to tackle this hidden environmental disaster since June 2021.
Kanye West's $2.2million Los Angeles ranch looks worse for wear as walls are collapsed and trash is strewn everywhere.

The site, which also served as his Sunday Service headquarters and Donda Academy, was boarded up in September 2020 and seems to have been left to rot following the power couple's divorce, which was finalized in November.

West built partition walls around the main and guest house on the secluded property. Now the walls around the guest house have been taken down, leaving behind a wire fence with trash strewn around.

Parts of the walls around the main building have fallen, leaving gaps in the fencing as the white fabric covering the fence has started to fray.

A 4x4 tank has also been seen on the property near the broken partition, as well as a barbeque smoker.

Kanye West's $2.2million Los Angeles ranch looks worse for wear as walls collapsed and trash is strewn everywhere

West built partition walls around the main and guest house on the secluded property. Now the walls around the guest house have been taken down, leaving behind a wire fence with trash strewn around

The luxurious property was purchased by the hitmaker in 2018 and sits on 1.25 acres

School props, such as drums and trikes, have also been left behind from the Donda Academy days.

West reportedly lived on the property with his then-model girlfriend Irina Shayk as he turned the property into a bachelor pad while his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, 42, has remained in their $60million Calabasas mansion with their four children.

The luxurious property was purchased by the hitmaker in 2018 and sits on 1.25 acres.

Parts of the walls around the main house have fallen, leaving gaps between in the fencing as the white fabric covering the fence has started to fray

A 4x4 tank has also been seen on the property near the broken partition, as well as a barbeque smoker

The property has deteriorated since the power couple's divorce

The property has a 'stunning floor-to-ceiling stacked-stone fireplace, beautiful inlaid hardwood floors, huge vaulted open-beam ceilings, and spacious ground-floor master suite with a walk-in closet and spa-style bath.'

'With two detached guest units, four car garage, huge metal workshop or barn, corral, and plenty of space for pool or vineyard, this property will appeal to the equestrian, aspiring winemaker, and car enthusiast alike.'

There are reportedly two guest houses on the property with six bedroom and seven bathrooms altogether.

The pad is said to be located eight miles away from the home he shared with Kim in the gated community of Hidden Hills.

The site, which also served as his Sunday Service headquarters and Donda Academy, was boarded up in September

West reportedly used the property as a bachelor pad and lived with his then-girlfriend Irina Shayk in it

In the divorce settlement, West agreed to transfer Kardashian the title of a $4.5million home next to where Kardashian lives in Southern California, according to TMZ.

Kardashian will now be the owner of the five-bedroom home, which spans 3,650 square feet. She is expected to tear down the home - which West said he bought to be closer to his kids - as it is in need of multiple renovations.

In addition to the home next door, Kim will retain rights to the $60million estate in Hidden Hills, California, where she lives in with the kids, as well as property in Idaho.

In the pact, West will retain ownership of a $60million Malibu beach home he bought in September 2021; a pair of ranches he owns in Wyoming; 300 acres in Calabasas, California; a home in Belgium; and the Chicago home he grew up in.

West lived in the home after he divorced his wife Kim Kardashian

The property has a homey feel with dark wood and warm lighting
Sir Keir Starmer was last night accused of rank hypocrisy for allowing a comedian who made coconut slurs about leading British Asian Tories to host a major Labour diversity event.

Shazia Mirza was the compere at last weeks Labour gala dinner to celebrate the South Asian community, with Sir Keir and other Labour frontbenchers in attendance.

But the outspoken performer has previously branded ex-Home Secretaries Sajid Javid and Priti Patel coconuts for showing a lack of loyalty to their ethnic communities.

Her invitation to the event in London also came just months after Labour MP Rupa Huq had the party whip withdrawn for describing the then Tory Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as superficially black.

Last night, Tory Party vice-chairman Saqib Bhatti accused Sir Keir of rank hypocrisy and called on him to hand back any money raised by the event.

Shazia Mirza was the compere at last weeks Labour gala dinner to celebrate the South Asian community. Keir Starmer was in attendance

A Labour spokesman said Ms Mirzas comments were inappropriate and offensive. We will be reviewing our due diligence of external speakers at events

He added: Was the very public disciplining of Rupa Huq just for show or does Starmers Labour really believe in eradicating all forms of racism and discrimination?

And after The Mail on Sunday pointed out Ms Mirzas past remarks, Labour was forced into condemning them and promised to review its due diligence on who could speak at party events.

The dinner  held at the Londoner Hotel  was attended by a host of major Labour figures. But the MoS understands that the choice of compere caused raised eyebrows among some.

Four years ago, Ms Mirza, the daughter of Muslim Pakistani immigrants, called Mr Javid, whose parents came from Pakistan, a coconut over his decision to strip Shamima Begum of her British citizenship.

In an article in 2019, Oh, what a rotten bunch of coconuts, she also said Ms Patel was a famous coconut, explaining it was a term used by brown people about other brown people if they are not seen to be helping the cause of brown people.

Ms Mirza admitted that the term could be brazenly racist but said: When I refer to Sajid Javid as a coconut, I am not referring to his skin colour  I am referring to his lack of loyalties and patriotism towards a group of people from the same background.

In 2018, Mr Javid challenged then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to disown racist abuse he was getting from hard-Left activists, who were calling him a coconut and an Uncle Tom  an offensive term for a black person servile to white people.

Last September, Ealing MP Ms Huq was forced to apologise after saying of Mr Kwarteng, superficially he is a black man.

Sir Keir condemned the remarks as racist.

Last night, a Labour spokesman said Ms Mirzas comments were inappropriate and offensive. We will be reviewing our due diligence of external speakers at events.

Ms Mirza was approached for comment last night.
Doctors will soon be able to quickly tell if a patient has Covid, flu or just a common cold using a form of facial recognition technology.

Oxford University scientists have created a way to identify the virus responsible for an illness by capitalising on the fact that each has a characteristic outline.

It involves submerging a patient's mouth swab in a liquid that forms a fluorescent coating around any bugs present.

This liquid is placed under a microscope and scanned. Artificial intelligence (AI) software is then used to study the outlines on the scan and classify the pathogens, giving a highly accurate result in just a few minutes.

Last night Pictura Bio, the firm behind the invention, said it had the potential to revolutionise care for people with a wide variety of ailments  from coughs and colds to urinary tract infections, and even different strains of Covid.

Doctors will soon be able to quickly tell if a patient has Covid, flu or just a common cold using a form of facial recognition technology. Pictured: : The machine prototype by Pictura Bio

Alex Batchelor, its chief executive, also said it would give doctors the ability to tell if a patient was suffering from a bacterial or a viral infection  enabling them to avoid pointlessly prescribing antibiotics if it is was the latter.

Over-prescription of antibiotics results in bacteria evolving to become resistant to them, which has led to more than a million deaths worldwide per year.

In a series of tests run with the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, the firm has proved its invention can distinguish between the different viruses that cause Covid, flu and colds with 97 per cent accuracy. It is now working to miniaturise the technology to produce a desktop device, similar in size to a Nespresso coffee machine, which can give a result in just a minute.

Mr Batchelor said: 'If everything goes to plan, we could have an approved product in about three years.'

Besides GP surgeries and A&E departments, the machines could be placed in high-street pharmacies so patients could get quick, accurate information on what is making them ill while easing pressure on GP surgeries.

People arriving at A&E could similarly be put on exactly the treatment they needed straight away without having to wait hours or even days for blood culture tests.

Co-founder Nicolas Shiaelis, from Oxford University who is an expert on the identification system used, explained that each type of pathogen had a tell-tale outline.

The machines could be placed in high-street pharmacies so patients could get quick, accurate information on what is making them ill (file image)

'It's comparable to facial recognition,' he said. The method is already able to distinguish between two strains of Covid  Wuhan and Delta  and the team hope they will soon be able to test for other types of pathogens.

Many other firms, both in the UK and abroad, are developing quick diagnostic tests for a variety of bugs.

However, Mr Batchelor said theirs was unique in its ability to potentially identify so many at once. He said: 'They all seem to be fishing with specific hooks.

'So if they want to make a flu test, then they go fishing with a flu hook.

'If they want to find out if someone has [the respiratory virus] RSV, they go fishing for RSV.

'Our approach casts a net over everything and we just grab the lot.'
Martin Margiela's "Vanitas" (2019) is on view as part of the former fashion legend's first eponymous solo exhibition held in Korea at the Lotte Museum of Art in southern Seoul. Courtesy of Antwerp City Collection





By Park Han-sol







It has been well over a decade since Martin Margiela, who left an indelible mark on the world of fashion as the founder of French haute couture house Maison Margiela and the creative director of Hermes, left the industry for good in 2009.







The Belgian designer's trademark deconstructed designs made with unorthodox materials turned him into a household name in the 1990s. His choice to stay out of the public eye throughout much of his career  refusing to grant face-to-face interviews or photographs  further grew his image as an intriguing recluse.







It was not until October 2021 that Margiela made his surprising comeback in Paris  not as the iconoclastic fashion designer he once was, but as a visual artist.







And after making stops in Paris and Beijing, his eponymous solo exhibition has landed in Seoul at the Lotte Museum of Art (LMOA) for its third iteration.







Despite the change in his creative identity, Margiela's desire to keep a low profile remains the same.







In fact, the artist chose not to make an appearance during the opening of his three exhibitions. The curatorial team at the LMOA had never even communicated with him in person. Everything was done strictly through emails and photos, they said.







Martin Margiela's "Torso Series" (2018-2022) / Courtesy of the artist and Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp





It's not surprising then that "Martin Margiela," a showcase of some 50 installations, sculptures, collages, paintings and films, is as mysterious and veiled as the creator himself.







Sometimes, that veil is literal, as seen in "Dust Cover." The monumental installation, consisting of brown imitation leather enveloping an indefinable object, is reminiscent of Man Ray's iconic "The Enigma of Isidore Ducasse." By refusing to show what is lying underneath, the piece resists any attempt at clear interpretation.







At other times, such covering becomes figurative, as no clear explanation is provided for subject matter depicted in plain sight. "Torso Series," made up of six silicone sculptures, and "Bodyparts B&W," which are oil pastels painted on a repurposed projector screen, all highlight human body parts as an unidentifiable mass. The mutant forms blur the line between masculinity and femininity, actively steering away from the millennia-old tradition of nude sculptures that aimed to create an aesthetic ideal.







Martin Margiela's "Red Nails" (2019) / Courtesy of the artist and Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp





Some of his works give a slightly more direct hint of his past self as a boundary-pushing icon in the fashion world through their themes  but with an added touch of the uncanny.







"Vanitas" refers to a row of five faceless silicone heads, each one implanted with real human hair of different colors to visualize the inevitable passage of time  from blond to brunette to silver. It's his nod to the Dutch tradition of vanitas which evoked notions of mortality and the fleeting quality of life through still-life depictions of skulls, candles and withering flowers.







"Red Nails," an enlarged set of red fake nails that takes up the entire corner of a room, delves into the constructed norm of beauty and how the sexualization of female bodies has evolved  or devolved  over time. The glossy products that are meant to be seductive, when amplified to a comically large scale, seem to induce a sense of inexplicable disgust for their gross artificiality.







"Martin Margiela" runs through March 26 at the Lotte Museum of Art.


British Gas defied warnings from its regulator five years ago about forcing its way into the homes of struggling customers to install pre-pay meters.

The energy giant is under fire after it emerged last week it had sent debt collectors to break into the homes of vulnerable customers who had fallen behind on bills.

But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Ofgem, the industry watchdog, issued a strongly worded directive in 2018 to British Gas and other suppliers instructing them to install meters by force only as an 'absolute last resort'.

It said it had evidence that energy giants were 'using such tactics too often' and singled out British Gas as one of the worst offenders, forcibly installing meters twice as often as rival firms.

Ofgem director Rob Salter-Church said at the time he would take 'tough action' if British Gas failed to improve.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Ofgem, the industry watchdog, issued a strongly worded directive in 2018 to British Gas and other suppliers instructing them to install meters by force only as an 'absolute last resort'

The energy giant is under fire after it emerged last week it had sent debt collectors to break into the homes of vulnerable customers who had fallen behind on bills (file image)

However, the company ignored Ofgem's clear instructions. Its forced entries peaked in 2018 when more than 80,000 homes were affected.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice obtained by The Mail on Sunday show that the firm, which has nine million customers, is still conducting hundreds of thousands of forced installations.

Last year it installed 20,000 meters by force.

Two other firms, Ovo Energy and Utility Warehouse, were also criticised in the Ofgem report.

'Some suppliers are very frequently using force to recover debt,' Mr Salter-Church said.

'Instead they need to identify struggling customers and support them in paying money back as our rules require.

Installing meters under warrant to recover debt must be an absolute last resort.'

British Gas was last week banned from using such tactics by Ofgem.

An undercover journalist revealed that agents working for Arvato Financial Services  a company used by British Gas to pursue debts  had entered the home of a single parent with young children to install a meter.

One is reported to have said: 'This is the exciting bit. I love this bit.'

Chris O'Shea, chief executive of British Gas owner Centrica, said last week he was 'really sorry'.

He accepted responsibility for the scandal and launched an internal investigation.

Latest Ofgem figures show that the number of complaints against British Gas recently hit their highest level since 2015.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps said he was 'horrified' by the findings. Centrica said: 'Protecting vulnerable customers is an absolute priority.'

Tory MP Alexander Stafford, who is a member of the influential Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, said it was 'disgusting' that British Gas had flouted Ofgem's warnings.

'It's absolutely ridiculous and it says a lot about British Gas and Ofgem,' he said.
Terrorists should not be able to blame their atrocities on mental illness, a review of the Governments counter-extremism programme is expected to say.

The report will argue that tackling extremist ideology ought to take precedence over finding reasons to absolve terrorists of their crimes, it is understood.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman is due to accept its recommendations when it is laid in Parliament this week. The reforms are likely to take effect later this year.

The delayed report  by William Shawcross  is also expected to change Ministers Prevent strategy priority of tackling the ideological causes of terrorism, while guidance for staff will be overhauled.

He will call for a renewed focus on Islamist terrorism and radicalisation to end a false equivalence between that and far-Right extremism, it is understood.

Mr Shawcross is also expected to recommend that there is a focus on anti-semitism by the Prevent programme

Home Secretary Suella Braverman is due to accept the report's recommendations when it is laid in Parliament this week

Sources said that Islamist extremism made up the majority of MI5s caseload and carried the highest risk in terms of attacks and harm.

It could mean that Muslim groups accused of spreading Islamic extremism in the UK face tougher enforcement action and withdrawal of all public funds.

Some Muslim groups blamed for promoting extremism are expected to be named in the report.

Some have benefited from taxpayers money as part of Prevents 40 million fund, which is supposed to support faith and community groups that steer people away from extremism.

Mr Shawcross is also expected to recommend that there is a focus on anti-semitism by the Prevent programme.

The report was held up after Mrs Braverman and Michael Gove reportedly called for a toughening up of the Government response.

Prevent has been criticised for failing to stop some of the worst terror attacks in recent years.

Research has found that seven of the 13 terror attacks in the past six years were carried out by offenders known to the programme.

It is thought that the large number of referrals  some 6,406 last year  are distracting the authorities from identifying major terror threats.

A Whitehall source said: Shawcrosss review is a crucial piece of work in returning Prevent to its original principles of rooting out extremism and stopping people turning into terrorists.

The Home Secretary is fully behind the recommendations and is grateful for Shawcrosss work.

Mistakes have been made in the past but this is about rectifying those and getting back to basics.
Two Manhattan men were arrested for the brutal beating and attempted robbery of the 90-year-old owner of Ray's Candy Store in the East Village.

Luis Peroza, 39, and Gerald Barth, 55, were arrested on Friday over the horrific attack that left Ray Alvarez with a black eye and eating through a straw, the New York Post reports.

Police said Peroza has been charged with assault, noting that he also faces charges for several robberies in February that included Alvarez's store on Avenue A.

Law enforcement sources told the Post that Barth, too, was arrested for other robberies in the East Village.

Police arrested Luis Peroza, 39, (left) and Gerald Barth, 55, (right) in connection to the brutal assault and attempted robbery at the famous Ray's Candy Store in the East Village

Store owner Ray Alvarez, 90, was allegedly assaulted by Peroza with a weapon described as 'a belt with a heavy rock on the end,' leaving the elderly man with a black eye (above)

The attack against Alvarez happened outside the 24-hour candy store early Tuesday morning when a balaclava-clad man entered the establishment and threatened to kill the 90-year-old.

The man left, but came back wielding 'a belt with a heavy rock on the end,' according to investigators.

A blow from the makeshift weapon reportedly left Alvarez, who had been working the overnight shift at the iconic store on Avenue A, on the ground bleeding as the suspect fled down the street.

The attack also saw another Ray's employee who had been working overnight with Alvarez hit in the chest. The pair did not require hospitalizations, and would only call cops the next day.

Police alleged that the man who attacked Alvarez was Peroza, who was caught on security cameras fleeing the scene.

NYPD officials said Peroza has 10 prior arrests going back to 2001, and he was arrested on Friday following multiple robberies in the area.

Along with robberies, Peroza has been previously arrested for assaults, criminal mischief and petit larceny.

Police sources told the Post that Barth also had prior run-ins with the law and was suspected of carrying out other robberies.

Hours after the robbery at Ray's Candy Store, Barth allegedly attacked a 51-year-old on Avenue B, stealing the victim's cell phone after they denied him a cigarette.

Caught on camera fleeing the scene, the suspect - now identified as Peroza by police. Officials said he was also arrested for a string of robberies in the area on Friday

Alvarez, who had been working the overnight shift at the iconic shop he's owned since 1974, was left on the ground bleeding, with the suspect fleeing down the street

Alvarez shelled out $30,000 in the 70s to build his iconic, 24 hour establishment

Born Asghar Ghahraman, Alvarez migrated to the US from the Middle East in the early 70s, just a few years before residents of his native country overthrew the presiding Pahlavi government during the Iranian Revolution.

Initially working as a waiter in Manhattan, Alvarez raised enough funds to buy the store he had dreamed of running in 1974, when New York was struggling through a series of financial crises that nearly culminated in the city's bankruptcy.

Shelling out $30,000 for the space, Alvarez opened up for business later that year, and has continued to man his shop, even sleeping in the back at times, for nearly half a century.

During that span, the Avenue A shop - which was almost forced into foreclosure during the pandemic - has served customers ranging from Madonna to Kim Kardashian, while serving as a call-back to an earlier age when soda shops in New York were especially abundant.

The Avenue A shop - which was almost forced into foreclosure during the pandemic - serves as a call-back to an age when such soda shops on the streets of New York were common

Born Asghar Ghahraman, Alvarez migrated to the US from the Middle East in the early 70s, just a few years before the Iranian Revolution

The business, like many others in the Big Apple, nearly went under during the pandemic, and reportedly struggled to keep up with food and electric costs.

Alvarez, however, refused to raise his prices - which have changed little over the past 49 years - citing how he would never do that to his loyal customers.

New Yorkers would then band together to organize a fundraiser for the senior ahead of his 90th birthday last month, rather than see him forced into retirement.

'We want to help Ray stay in business for as long as he wants until he decides to hang up his apron on his terms,' a description for the fundraiser, titled Ray's 90th B-day Celebration, explained.

It has since raised more than $58,000 - more than half of its $90,000 goal.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay made an 11th-hour appeal to union bosses last night to call off the strikes.

Thousands of ambulance workers and nurses will take to picket lines across England tomorrow.

Nurses will walk out again on Tuesday in what will be the most strike-disrupted week of the winter so far for the Health Service.

Mr Barclay said he had been having constructive talks with unions about what is affordable in terms of pay for the next financial year, adding: I urge them to call off the strikes and come back to the table.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he had been having constructive talks with unions about what is affordable in terms of pay for the next financial year

Royal College of Nursing boss Pat Cullen last night dampened hopes of any breakthrough by accusing ministers of doing 'nothing'

Seven of Englands ten regional ambulance services will be hit by strikes tomorrow.

Mr Barclay said NHS contingency plans are in place but the strikes will undoubtedly have an impact on patients.

Royal College of Nursing boss Pat Cullen last night dampened hopes of any breakthrough by accusing the Government once again of doing nothing to resolve the walkouts.
At least seven Geelong residents have reported encounters

A mystery man has tried to break into houses at nighttime

A serial stalker has been filmed peering into windows and trying to break into family homes in the early hours of the morning.

Home security cameras show frightening footage of what appears to be the same man trying to open front doors in Rippleside, Bell Park and Bell Post Hill in Geelong, west of Melbourne, between January 31 and February 3.

In one video, which was shared to social media on Saturday, the stranger could be seen wearing an Adidas hoodie and tracksuit pants, a wide-brim hat, face mask and gloves.

About seven residents have reported encounters with the offender.

A mystery man has been caught snooping around and tried to gain access to several homes in Geelong

Scott Holbrook, who lives in Rippleside with his wife and two young children and owns a home security company, uploaded CCTV footage of the man walking up to his front door and trying to look inside.

Mr Holbrook told Daily Mail Australia that he was aware of neighbours who had seen the mystery man on their cameras.

'I'm in this industry because we got robbed when we first moved in - a lot of my neighbours had footage of him it was a matter of time before he came up our driveway,' he said.

'I think he's just looking for keys left under mats and scoping the place out. He never goes for cars or anything.'

Mr Holbrook said the man appeared to be 'snooping' and would 'move around quite nonchalant with his hands behind his back'.

'Knowing they have been on your property and you don't know what their intentions are...The invasion of privacy is concerning,' he told the Geelong Advertiser.

Scott Holbrook, who lives in Rippleside with his wife and two young children and owns a home security company, uploaded CCTV footage of the man walking up to his front door

Mr Holbrook said the man appeared to be 'snooping' and would 'move around quite nonchalant with his hands behind his back'

Another resident, who did not want to be identified, said he woke up at 4am on Friday to his dog barking.

The dog's behaviour was unusual, the homeowner said, because she only barks when someone walks past.

The man said the stalker appeared 'calm' and still tried to gain access to his home even when his dog started barking and the sensor light switched on.

He eventually walked away when he was unable to get inside.

At least seven residents in the area have reported encounters with the man who wears an Adidas hoodie and tracksuit pants, a wide-brim hat, face mask and gloves

Victoria Police told Daily Mail Australia that they were looking into the matter.

'Police are aware of several reports of a suspicious person seen in the Rippleside and Bell Post Hill areas between 31 January and 3 February.'

'The investigation remains ongoing.'
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Horrified visitors to an inner-city Australian park have made the disturbing discovery of a decapitated wallaby head impaled on a stick alongside a walking trail.

A local was strolling along the Hobart Rivulet, which runs through the CBD in Tasmania, when they spotted the animal head over the weekend.

It is not known how or when the wallaby died, but there is some decay around the jaw.

A local walker made the stomach churning discovery in the Hobart Rivulet Park on the weekend. The stick appears to be deliberately tied to the tree with vines

The stick appears to have been deliberately tied to the tree in the busy park using vines.

The resident said this was the second shocking incident of animal cruelty they had seen in the park.

'About a year ago I saw another animal strung up in a tree near the Wynyard St entrance, but this is horrific,' they told The Mercury.

The local is calling for CCTV to be installed along the park to increase safety for visitors and discourage similar acts.

RSPCA Tasmania CEO Jan Davis agreed surveillance cameras are needed for the area and called the discovery 'distressing'.

'We want these people to stop being stupid and cruel, and harming defenceless and iconic local animals,' she told the newspaper.

While Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds urged anyone who might have information to contact police.

'The city of Hobart condemns this barbaric, cowardly attack on a harmless native animal,' Ms Reynolds said.

The park runs through the Hobart CBD and is a wallaby and platypus habitat

She said council staff ran conservation programs along the Hobart Rivulet, maintained the area, and that the incident was 'isolated'.

Under Tasmania's Animal Welfare Act anyone found guilty of aggravated animal cruelty can be fined up to $33,600 and jailed for up to five years.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Tasmania Police for comment.
A FedEx cargo airplane attempting to land at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on Saturday morning was seconds from disaster with the flight crew suddenly forced to pull up and abort their landing after a Southwest Airlines plane was also cleared to takeoff from the same runway.

The two planes appeared to come within 75 vertical feet of one another.

The Boeing 767 cargo airplane was several miles from the airport when it was cleared to land, according to the FAA but just before it was about to touch down an air traffic controller also gave the go-ahead for the Southwest Boeing 737 to take off on the exact same stretch of tarmac.

'Shortly before the FedEx aircraft was due to land, the controller cleared Southwest Flight 708 to depart from the same runway,' the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

'The pilot of the FedEx airplane discontinued the landing and initiated a climb out.'

FAA is investigating an aborted landing in Austin, Texas, after a FedEx cargo plane almost landed on a runway on which a Southwest plane was about to takeoff

The FedEx Boeing 767, in orange, had been cleared to land while a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737, in yellow, had also been cleared to depart on the same runway

At one stage, just 75 feet appeared to separate the two aircraft according to FlightRadar24

The NTSB is investigating an incident involving a Southwest 737 and FedEx 767 that occurred today in Austin. Initial ADS-B data show the landing 767 overflying the departing 737. We are processing granular data now. https://t.co/twHCydm5ixhttps://t.co/wZ3Z0xKJem pic.twitter.com/nkKVjshXmf  Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) February 5, 2023

In a tweet Saturday, the National Transportation Safety Board used jargon to downplay the incident describing it as a 'possible runway incursion and overflight involving airplanes from Southwest Airlines and FedEx.'

The incident occurred in poor visibility conditions early on Saturday morning in Austin.

The FAA said FedEx Express Flight 1432, a Boeing 767 cargo plane, which had departed from Memphis, was cleared to land on Runway 18-Left around 6:40am while the aircraft was several miles from the airport.

The Southwest plane had not yet departed when the FedEx plane was approaching the runway.

The altitude of the FedEx plane shows it descending before a sudden and sharp gain in altitude

The FedEx aircraft had to suddenly pull up and managed to climb several hundred feet within seconds as the crew averted catastrophe

The Southwest flight to Cancun, Mexico still continued its takeoff even while the FedEx cargo plane was directly above it.

The Southwest jet was able to depart safely, according to the FAA.

Southwest has so far declined to comment. FedEx said its flight 'safely landed after encountering an event,' but declined to further comment because of the ongoing investigations.

The FAA and NTSB said they are investigating the serious incident.

'FedEx Express Flight 1432 from Memphis, Tennessee to Austin, Texas safely landed after encountering an event just before landing at Austin Bergstrom International Airport this morning,' FedEx said in a statement,

Data from flight tracking websites suggest the two planes came very close indeed. Pictured, the FedEx cargo plane's route which saw it having to abort landing and then circle the airport

The Southwest Airlines plane was already on the runway and about to take off as the FedEx plane was landing

The FedEx cargo plane was coming into land at Austin Bergstrom Airport when it was forced to pull up

Austin Airport said it was 'aware of the Federal Aviation Administration's investigation into the discontinued landing of a flight. We will assist our FAA partners and their investigation as necessary.'

A similar close call was averted at John F. Kennedy International Airport last month after an American Airlines plane crossed a runway while a Delta Airlines' Boeing 737 plane was preparing for takeoff on January 13.

Air traffic controllers noticed a Boeing 777 had crossed from an adjacent taxiway.

The FAA said the Delta Boeing 737 stopped its takeoff roll approximately 1,000 feet before reaching the point where American Airlines Flight 106 had crossed.
A NSW policeman who was meant to help catch the criminals who stole $30,000 from an elderly woman instead ended up trying to rob her himself.

Sonia, 74, who asked for only her first name to be used as she feared being targeted again, was robbed by fraudsters pretending to be NBN workers in May 2021.

They convinced her to transfer $30,000 to them before she then reported the incident to her local police station after realising she was the victim of a crime.

The detective was sent to her home to help recover the money before he then tried to use her credit card and banking details and purchase almost $20,000 worth of goods including electronics and an Apple Watch.

He fronted Liverpool Local Court on Wednesday where his barrister tried to explain his client's behaviour saying he had gone 'off the rails' and fallen into a depression due to the nature of his work.

The detective stole a 74-year-old western Sydney woman's credit card details and tried to buy almost $20,000 worth of goods with it (stock image)

The detective went to her home several times to get the details of what happened, often wearing his full police uniform (stock image)

He was kidnapped, his house was shot at and his cover was blown and made known to criminals on an encrypted messaging app, the court heard.

In June 2021, the detective, who cannot be named, went Sonia's home several times to get the details of what happened, often wearing his full police uniform.

To gain her sympathy, he said he had a brain aneurysm and had not yet told his girlfriend or work.

According to police documents tendered to the court, she trusted him and he told her she 'reminded him of his own grandmother', the Daily Telegraph reported.

When he asked to see her online banking details, credit cards and passwords, Sonia gave them to him, assuming they were needed for his inquiries.

He told Sonia his girlfriend was calling him and she left the room to give him privacy.

However, he did not have a call, and the officer stole Sonia's banking details while she was in another room, the court heard.

He waited a few days before trying to use them, then went on an online shopping spree.

The detective tried to buy close to $20,000 worth of items from JB Hi Fi, Big W and Myer, including iPhones, GoPro cameras and Apple Watches.

But none of the attempted purchases, which took place on July 2 and 3, went through as they were all rejected as suspicious.

The detective used the credit card to go on a shopping spree for high value goods such as Apple Watches (pictured)

Late on the night of July 2, Sonia got a text message from her bank saying there had been unusual activity with her card.

She immediately suspected the detective who had been supposed to be helping her. 'I thought: "You rotten little thing" - and maybe a bit worse,' she said.

Despite the officer's abuse of her trust, Sonia had no choice but to go to the same police station again.

She asked for a private room so she could explain what had happened.

Two weeks later, she got a phone call from a NSW Police internal investigation officer saying they had got the detective who had stolen her details.

In court this week, the now former detective pleaded guilty to stealing Sonia's bank details.

The officer also used the stolen credit card details to try to buy iPhone (stock imaged pictured)

He has also pleaded guilty to illegally looking up details on an internal police system and using his ex-girlfriend's identity to try to get $140,000 of loans in her name.

When he was arrested on August 24, 2021, the detective was charged with 57 offences, which were reduced to the six he pleaded guilty to.

His solicitor Simon Joyner said the former officer is remorseful and was suffering from mental health issues at the time of his crimes.

Barrister Greg James KC told the court that two medical experts had diagnosed his client as suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.

Prosecuting lawyer Kate Kenny said it could not be proven there was a 'causal connection' between the detective's crimes and mental health problems related to his work.

The former officer will face Downing Centre District Court in Sydney on May 12, when he will be sentenced.

More than 18 months after the events, Sonia is still very troubled by what happened and blames herself.

'I can't switch off a feeling that I was stupid in the first place ... I trusted this guy and then he did that,' she said.
He was hit by a motorist driving a Hyundai while crossing

Levi Hanna, 14, had gotten off a school bus near Gympie

A teen boy has died three days after he was struck by a car

A teenage boy has died in hospital three days after he was struck by a car while crossing the road - as his family share a heartwarming tribute.

Levi Hanna, 14, was hit by a Hyundai i30 on Tin Can Bay Rd at Canina, near Gympie, Queensland on Wednesday afternoon.

He had just stepped off a school bus with his younger sister, Scarlett, when he was struck.

Scarlett courageously dropped her bag and rushed onto the road to stop traffic and help her brother.

High school student Levi Hanna (pictured), 14, has died three days after he was struck by a car on Wednesday afternoon while crossing a road at Canina

Levi suffered life-threatening head injuries and was flown to Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane in a critical condition.

Bystanders rushed to help the Year-9 Gympie High student after the accident before paramedics arrived.

The 27-year-old female driver of the Hyundai i30 was said to be 'distraught' after the horrific accident.

Levi's parents, who live 100 metres away from where he was hit, raced to the scene as he was being treated.

The young boy's stepmother Petrina Hanna set up a GoFundMe to initially help cover his costs.

But on Saturday afternoon, she revealed that the family had to make the difficult decision to switch his life support off.

'Levi, our gorgeous baby boy, has already left us in one way, but his heart is still going,' a statement from his family said on Saturday.

'It's not how my warrior boy would want to be so at 7.14pm tonight we are going to let his soul be free, so he can fish forever.'

The boy suffered life-threatening head injuries and was flown to Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane in a critical condition

Levi's devastated family announced that his life support would be switched off on Saturday. They thanked the local community for their support and said 'we are going to let his soul be free, so he can fish forever' in an emotional tribute

'His little sisters know he will go to sleep and become a star in the sky for all of us to look at.'

The heartbreaking statement referenced Levi's love for fishing, as the family thanked the local community for their support.

'I know everyone that loves Levi will do what he would want and go fishing for him because that's what Levi would want.'

'We know now that right when the car hit him, part of him was already gone, the miracle was we all got to say goodbye,' Mrs Hanna said.

The GoFundMe page will now cover Levi's funeral expenses and support his sister, Scarlett.

The page, which has raised more than $20,000, can be found here.
She saw a pod of dolphins and dived into the river

Her name was Stella Berry who went to Shelton College

Teen girl was mauled to death by a shark in Swan River, WA

A girl, 16, who was mauled to death by a shark in front of her friends has been identified as Stella Berry.

The teenager, who was a student at Shenton College in Perth, was relaxing by a rope swing with her friends in the Swan River in North Fremantle, Western Australia, at about 3.30pm on Saturday when she saw a pod of dolphins.

She jumped into the water, but a shark latched on to her leg.

Heroic onlookers, including some people on jet skis, called emergency services and tried to save her life.

However, the schoolgirl had severe leg injuries and died on the scene.

A teenage girl was mauled to death by a shark at Swan River in North Fremantle on Saturday in what eyewitness Joshua Banks described as a 'completely random attack'

The girl is believed to have been swimming with dolphins when she was attacked by the shark

Shenton College principal Michal Morgan said Stella's death had caused 'great sadness, sincere empathy and the deepest regret'.

'I understand and respect that people respond to grief and loss in different ways, and that a loss such as this can trigger a broad range of emotional responses that are not always anticipated or evident,' Mr Morgan told The West.

'I have personally offered, on behalf of the College, our condolences and support to Stella's family during this very sad time.'

Both Ms Berry's parents are teachers.

Perth local, Joshua Banks, 16, was rope swinging with six friends nearby before the gruesome attack unfolded.

'Me and my mates Jacob and Harry saw them - we actually watched them pass through the bridge as we (were) rope swinging,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

'They passed and we saw them get off the jet skis near the beach and jump off and swim to the shore quickly.'

The teen described what he saw as a 'completely random attack' and said he and his friends were left 'shaken' by the event.

'We were completely unaware of this attack and had been swimming and jumping off for about an hour to 45 minutes,' he said.

He added that his friends were 'aware it could've been us' instead.

Witnesses told police that a man bravely dived into the water to pull the teenage girl out, describing him as a 'hero', but paramedics were unable to save her.

Mr Banks was rope swinging with a group of mates close by and saw the teen girl and her friends on jet skis before they jumped into the water

Witnesses told police that a man bravely dived into the water to pull the tragic teen out. However, paramedics were unable to save her

A local girl said she heard people screaming before the man jumped in to try and save her life.

The girl's family and friends were seen in a state of shock near the river after she was pulled out.

Emergency services, including police boats, rushed to the scene near the Fremantle traffic bridge and she was pulled out of the water with severe leg injuries.

Amid a string of reports, WA Police initially thought that she may have been injured by a boat propeller.

A local, who saw the 16-year-old die being mauled by what is believed to be a bull shark, said she heard people screaming before the man jumped in

Stella Berry was a student at Shenton College in Perth (pictured). She died on Saturday afternoon

Fremantle District Acting Inspector Paul Robinson described the incident as 'traumatic'.

'It's an extremely traumatic event for everyone involved and everyone who knew the young girl, so I won't be going into the extent of the injuries.

'It is unusual for a shark to be that far down the river  at this point in time an alert has been put out, a shark warning just to let people know this incident has taken place.

'What we've been advised issues with friends on the river, they were on Jet Skis, there was possibly a pod of dolphins been seen nearby, and the young female jumped in the water to swim nearby the dolphins.'

Police didn't go into details about her injuries and did not confirm what species of shark was involved in the attack.

It is the first fatal shark attack in the Swan River in a century.
This photo, provided by the Mokpo Coast Guard, shows a fishing boat capsized in waters off Korea's southwestern coast, Feb. 5. Yonhap



Korea's Coast Guard rescue crews were searching Sunday for nine people whose boat capsized in waters off Korea's southwestern coast.



It was reported at 11:19 p.m. Saturday that the 24-ton vessel had overturned in waters 16.6 kilometers west of the island of Daebichi, the authorities said. The uninhabited island lies some 20 km from the southwestern county of Sinan.



A total of 12 people, including three foreign nationals, were on board, they said.



Three of the crew were rescued by a nearby boat and were transported to a hospital, the authorities said.



Nine others, however, are still unaccounted for.



Meeting with the families of the missing people in Sinan, Oceans Minister Cho Seung-hwan said they appear to have been on the deck at the time of the accident. Most of those who went missing seem to have been forced to abandon the ship, he added, reversing from an earlier assumption that they were locked inside it.



The minister said the search operation has been expanded to scan a larger area by deploying not only Coast Guard and Navy boats but also nearby fishing boats.





This photo, provided by the Coast Guard, shows a search-and-rescue operation being conducted in waters off Korea's southwestern coast, Feb. 5. Yonhap
A food vendor in Rockland County, just outside of New York City, has apologized after it provided lunch for children at a school celebrating Black History Month that was deemed to be insensitive.

Students at Nyack Middle School were offered chicken and waffles with watermelon for dessert on February 1st, the first day of the month that honors the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history.

The menu is said to have elicited confusion and anger from some students together with their parents who saw the menu as reinforcing negative stereotypes about the African-American community.

'They were asking people if they want watermelon and I remember being confused because it's not in season,' said student Honore Santiago to ABC7.

The school's menu stated that day's meal was to be Philly cheesesteak, broccoli and fresh fruit but students were served chicken, waffles and watermelon

A lunch of chicken and waffles with watermelon for dessert, which a student claimed 'reinforced negative African-American stereotypes'

The school's menu even stated that the day's meal was to be Philly cheesesteak, broccoli and fresh fruit but for some reason the menu was changed at the last minute.

When Santiago got home and told her mother they were both outraged by the message they believe it sends to the school's black students.

'Didn't think the company was capable of making us feel bad...especially the kids my color,' Santiago said.

'If they had served chicken and waffles by itself, I don't know that we would be having this conversation. But the moment you add in the watermelon, that changed the whole complexion, literally,' said Wilbur Aldridge, with the Nyack NAACP to CBS News.

A food vendor issued an apology after the lunch they gave students at Nyack Middle School on the first day of Black History Month was deemed to be insensitive

'They were asking people if they want watermelon and I remember being confused because it's not in season,' said student Honore Santiago, pictured

The school district expressed disappointment with the vendor Aramark's 'lack of cultural sensitivity'.

The school's principal said the menu was changed without the school's knowledge and noted the food items chosen, 'reinforce negative stereotypes concerning the African-American community.'

'The offering of chicken & waffles as an entree with watermelon as a dessert on the first day of Black History Month was inexcusably insensitive and reflected a lack of understanding of our district's vision to address racial bias,' the school wrote in a letter sent home to parents.

'Nyack Public Schools administrators contacted Aramark officials to insist on a mechanism to avoid a repeat of the mistake. The vendor has agreed to plan future menu offerings to align with our values and our longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. We are extremely disappointed by this regrettable situation and apologize to the entire Nyack community for the cultural insensitivity displayed by our food service provider.'

Interim School Superintendent James Montesano, pictured, says he was told by the food provider that the change happened in part because the food director died earlier this year and someone else stepped in

Aramark has explained the menu was not intended as a cultural meal, but rather a mistake that does not align with the company's values.

Interim School Superintendent James Montesano says he was told by the food provider that the change happened in part because the food director died earlier this year and someone else stepped in.

'We apologize for the unintentional insensitivity. While our menu was not intended as a cultural meal, we acknowledge that the timing was inappropriate, and our team should have been more thoughtful in its service. This was a mistake and does not represent the values of our company, and we are committed to doing better in the future.

'We will be partnering with the District so employees who work in the schools participate in training that aligns to the Nyack School District's vision and commitment to equity-driven work. We believe this will provide a good learning opportunity to deepen understanding on the impact of systemic biases and negative stereotypes concerning the African-American Community,' food vendor, Aramark, said in a statement.

Those working for the food company are to undergo training in order to better align with the school district's commitment to diversity and inclusion.

A similar incident occurred in 2018 when the company served ribs, collard greens and Kool-aid during the same Black History Month celebration to students at NYU.

The school district plans to more closely review menus in the future to avoid similar incidents.

The racist stereotype of portraying African-Americans as excessively fond of watermelon began during the late 19th century, shortly after slaves won their freedom during the Civil War, according to The Atlantic.

Watermelon became a staple crop for black farmers after emancipation, with many growing and selling the fruit which slowly turned into a symbol of freedom for the community.

Southern whites, threatened with new agricultural competitors and still reeling from the loss of the war, responded by associating the fruit with racists tropes aimed at the black community.
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) has canceled its annual calendar full of six-pack abs and hunks due to lukewarm sales.

The Calendar of Heroes made its final debut in 2021 after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The FDNY confirmed the cancelation to the New York Daily News (NYDN), saying the drool-worthy calendar wasn't bringing in enough as it was in previous years. Previously, the $16 calendar would generate anything between $150,000 and $250,000 a year for the foundation.

'Unfortunately, the calendar was not a great fundraiser in recent years,' FDNY spokeswoman Amanda Farinacci told the NYDN. 'The sales, and therefore the money brought in for the Foundation, declined significantly.

'[The calendar] was always a fun project, but the Foundation is solely focused on fundraising to support fire and life safety education, and training for FDNY members.'

The FDNY confirmed the cancelation of the Calendar of Heroes, saying the drool-worthy calendar wasn't bringing in enough as it was in previous years

Previously, the $16 calendar would generate anything between $150,000 and $250,000 a year for the foundation

The foundation is separate from the fire department, but it does raise money for equipment and training.

Although fans might be sad to see New York's hottest firefighters not gracing their monthly 2023 calendar, those inside the department aren't that sad to see it go.

'Were not weeping and gnashing our teeth that the calendars not coming out,' an FDNY official told the NYDN.

The once profitable calendar, which debuted in 2003, was a running joke to those brave enough to actually fight fires.

'We would always want to know when the tryouts were,' an official said. 'Wed send our heaviest guys down there and have them try to sign up.'

The Calendar of Heroes made its final debut in 2021 after a two year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic stalling it

More than 100 firefighters would try out yearly, according to the NYDN, for the 12 coveted spots.

In 2014, the calendar added women to the mix and three years later, the foundation split the calendar into two versions: the men and the women's editions. And in 2019, they added animals to the mix.

The last edition was shot right before March 2020, when the world was thrown into Covid chaos and the Big Apple became a ghost town. During that time, firefighters had more emergency calls than ever, leaving them no time to strip for a sexy photo in front of a New York landmark.

In 2014, the calendar added women to the mix and three years later, the foundation split the calendar into two versions: the men and the women's editions

Late last year, just as they would have been gearing up for another photoshoot, the foundation scrapped the calendar entirely and said there's no plans for a 2024 calendar

However, they're not completely opposed to bringing back the calendar if there is demand for it. 'If it does, well be sure to get the word out,' an official said

'We had other things to do at the time,' an official told the NYDN.

Late last year, just as they would have been gearing up for another photoshoot, the foundation scrapped the calendar entirely and said there's no plans for a 2024 calendar.

However, they're not completely opposed to bringing back the calendar if there is demand for it.

'If it does, well be sure to get the word out,' an official told the NYDN.

More than 100 firefighters would try out yearly for the 12 coveted spots

The calendar took a break during the COVID-19 years, as firefighters were dealing with an influx of emergency calls

The calendar first made its debut in 2003 (pictured)

Leslie Silbert, whose cat was once photographed for the calendar, hopes they'll move the hunky men and fit women to social media and make it 'more personal, with short videos instead of just stills.'

'Last month I shared a new Australian calendar online  foxy firefighters posing with different kinds of animals  and people swooned so hard for them. Including me!' she told the NYDN. 'But theres something nicer about doing said swooning for our local fire foxes.'

The foundation is now focusing on its upcoming event 1st Annual FDNY Foundation Climb to SUMMIT, where people will raise money while racing up 1,100 feet to the top of the SUMMIT One Vanderbilt building in Midtown.
Three Chinese spy balloons entered the US during the Trump administration, but they were never shot down or publicly disclosed.

In reporting the latest of the Chinese balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, The US Department of Defense said three other of these crafts 'briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration.'

The revelation startled Mark Esper, the former Secretary of Defense, and comes as Trump and other Republicans claimed he would have shot down the balloon while calling on Joe Biden to resign over the stalled attack on the craft.

One such Republican was US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who tweeted on Saturday: 'I just spoke with our GREAT America First President Trump. He would have never allowed China to fly a spy balloon over our country and our military bases and assets.

'Pres Trump would have shot it down before it entered the US.'

The Department of Defense reported that three Chinese spy balloons entered US airspace during the Trump administration, a revelation that started the former president's own Secretary of Defense. Trump (left) has chastised Joe Biden (right) for not immediately shooting the craft when he first learned about it last week

US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was among the Republicans claiming Trump would have shot down the balloon if he was president

Trump called on the balloon to be taken down and said that when he's back in the White House, he'll use the FBI and Justice Department to hunt down 'Chinese spies'

According to a senior Pentagon official, three balloons made it into the US during the Trump years, but never for as long as the one that recently flew across the country.

The balloon reportedly entered the US last week from Canada, hovering over Montana, which houses nuclear silos, as it made its way southeast before flying off the coast of South Carolina.

Esper told CNN that he was 'surprised' by the Pentagon's statement, saying he was never told about Chinese surveillance balloons entering the US when he served between July 2019 to November 2020.

'I don't ever recall somebody coming into my office or reading anything that the Chinese had a surveillance balloon above the United States,' Esper said, adding that 'I would remember that for sure.'

In total, there were five balloons spotted during Trump's term. At least one flew over portions of Texas, two flew over Florida during the Trump administration with additional sightings near the Pacific Islands of Hawaii and Guam. Three have been seen during Biden's presidency including near Hawaii, the one that was shot down this weekend and another over South America

Biden first became aware of the balloon on January 28, when it was spotted over Alaska. The US military tracked it over Canadian airspace and as it re-entered US territory on Tuesday.

Fearing the debris could hit 'sensitive' areas as it traveled across the country, officials warned the president not to shoot it down until it was flying over the ocean.

US officials confirmed that an F-22 Raptor fighter jet took down the balloon with a single AIM-9X sidewinder missile at 2.38pm on Saturday, off the coast of Myrtle beach.

The delayed response, however, drew ire from GOP officials, blasting Biden for not immediately going through with the order to take down the balloon.

US Rep. Joe Wilson and Sen. Josh Hawley condemned the Biden administration over the balloon incident, with Wilson calling on the president to resign

US. Rep. Joe Wilson, of South Carolina, said both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris should resign because of the fiasco.

'The catastrophic Chinese Spy Balloon spectacle clearly threatened American families from Alaska to my home community in South Carolina and confirms President Biden and Vice President Harris should resign,' Wilson said in a tweet.

'It is irrelevant for American families which party is in power because the first criteria of a leader should be their capability regardless of party, and sadly Biden and Harris are failures,' he added.

US Sen. Josh Hawley had called for a hearing against Biden on the 'major domestic security threat.'

He tweeted: 'The Homeland Security Committee needs to have public hearings NOW on the Chinese spy balloon - how did Biden let this happen.'

Other GOP officials weighed in on the issue and warned that waiting to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon only showed weakness

Sen. Tim Scott echoed his colleagues' outrage, saying that allowing a balloon from the CCP to fly over America 'is the embodiment of weak leadership.'

'Weakness tempts aggressors. Strength stops them,' he tweeted.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn also questioned the decision to shoot down the balloon only after it was made public.

'It makes you wonder, would Biden's Department of Defense have shot it down if the American people hadn't found out,' she tweeted.

Mike Pence, Trump's former vice president, tweeted, 'Shoot down the Chinese spy balloon,' as he then called on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to condemn the surveillance incident at his now-canceled meeting in Beijing.

The GOP officials have not publicly commented on the revelation that such balloons were encountered during the Trump administration.
China is threatening to respond with 'resolute action' which American defense experts say could result in 'further provocations' after the U.S. finally shot down their spy balloon.

Beijing's Foreign Ministry last night slammed the move as a 'clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.'

An F-22 Raptor fighter jet took down the balloon with a single AIM-9X sidewinder missile at 2.38pm on Saturday, off the coast of South Carolina.

Beijing issued a chilling statement saying it 'reserves the right to make further responses if necessary.'

'The Chinese side has, after verification, repeatedly informed the U.S. side of the civilian nature of the airship and conveyed that its entry into the U.S. due to force majeure was totally unexpected,' the Ministry said.

Beijing has warned that America's decision to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon that hovered over U.S. nuclear silos was a 'clear overreaction' and to prepare for 'responses'

Former Trump administration Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson (pictured) warned that Beijing could deploy vessels to interfere with America's retrieval of the surveillance balloon's payload

Defense officials estimated the balloon was about the size of three buses at a height of 120 feet, and that the debris field would be substantial, estimated at seven miles when it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday

'The Chinese side has clearly asked the U.S. side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner,' it added.

'The spokesperson of the U.S. Department of Defense also noted that the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.

'Under such circumstances, the U.S. use of force is a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.

'China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the company concerned, and reserves the right to make further responses if necessary.'

With the U.S. bracing for China's next move, Dr. James Anderson, a former Trump administration Defense official, told Fox News Beijing 'will continue to claim that the United States 'overreacted' in shooting down the spy balloon.'

'Beijing may also engage in further provocations against U.S. interests in the days ahead,' Anderson warned, suggesting China could interfere with the recovery of the debris and its surveillance payload.

'It is possible, though one would certainly hope unlikely, that in the coming days one or more PLA-directed maritime vessels may seek to interfere with the recovery effort of the balloon debris located within U.S. territorial waters,' he told Fox.

'If this were to happen, U.S. warships would be fully justified in providing any such intruders with one-way tickets to the bottom of the ocean.'

As the Navy and Coast Guard work to secure a perimeter around the downed craft, it also emerged overnight that three other Chinese spy balloons had entered U.S. airspace during the Trump administration but the public was never informed and the balloons were never shot down.

Republican leaders, nevertheless, called on Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to resign over the latest incident.

Audio from FRANK01 (Langley AFB F-22) calling, SPASH ONEconfirming to HUNTRESS (Eastern Air Defense Sector EADS) that the #ChineseSpyBallon is completely destroyed off the coast of South Carolina today 

*Big thanks to Brett728 for sharing pics and  for the audio! pic.twitter.com/8tfZeyeNAy  Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) February 5, 2023

An F-22 Raptor fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile to take down a Chinese spy balloon and its payload, which was equipped with cameras, sensors and radars

Jets were seen flying close to the balloon around 1.30pm after a source revealed that defense officials were planning a shoot down and capture mission

Officials said the first spy balloon that traveled across the U.S. fell six miles off the coast of South Carolina in waters about 47 feet deep. They noted that a proper salvage vessel won't be on the scene for days as the race is on to secure the wreckage

Heino Klink, a former deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, agreed that China will likely throw accusations against the U.S. for taking down the balloon.

'They'll claim that it was all completely innocent. That it was a weather balloon,' Klinck told Fox.

'They'll reiterate the statements they've made before. But in essence, as is the norm for them, they'll launch counteraccusations and deny that they were in the wrong.

'It is the norm for them to try to portray themselves as the innocent actor abiding by international law and international standards of conduct, when in fact it's the exact opposite,' he added.

Klink also warned that China could use the incident to try and justify 'incursions into Taiwanese airspace.'

Heino Klink, a former deputy assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, also warned that China could use the incident to justify aggression in Taiwan

China claimed the balloon was a civilian airship used for meteorological research

A senior military advisor told Fox News that the debris field of the downed balloon was about seven-miles wide, with the depth of the waters estimated at 47 feet.

While multiple Navy and Coast Guard vessels are in the area establishing a security and search perimeter, the senior advisor said an official salvage vessel won't arrive until a couple of days.

There is currently no timeline on the recovery of the balloon from the Atlantic Ocean, but officials estimated that it would be done in a short time.

When recovered, the balloon debris will be analyzed in Quantico, Virginia, home of the FBI headquarters.

China has long-claimed that the surveillance balloon was actually a civilian craft that had floated off course.

Their state-owned news outlet, The Xinhua News Agency, accused the U.S. of using the balloon incident as a way to create 'hype' over a Chinese threat.

'The U.S. is being urged to be more sincere in making concrete moves to solve problems with China, instead of making more provocations, analysts said,' Xinhua reported.

Biden (boarding Air Force One this morning in Syracuse, NY) told reporters, 'I told them to shoot it down on Wednesday. They said to me let's wait for the safest place to do it'

Amid the reaction from China and outrage from the U.S. over the balloon, it was revealed three Chinese spy balloons previously entered the U.S. during the Trump administration.

In reporting the latest of the Chinese balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, the US Department of Defense said three other of these crafts 'briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration.'

The revelation startled Mark Esper, the former Secretary of Defense, who told CNN that he was 'surprised' by the Pentagon's statement.

He said he was never told about Chinese surveillance balloons entering the US when he served between July 2019 to November 2020.

'I don't ever recall somebody coming into my office or reading anything that the Chinese had a surveillance balloon above the United States,' Esper said, adding that 'I would remember that for sure.'

Just before the revelation, Republicans had claimed Trump would have shot down Chinese spy balloons while also calling on Joe Biden to resign over the stalled attack on the craft.

US. Rep. Joe Wilson, of South Carolina, said both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris should resign because of the fiasco.

'The catastrophic Chinese Spy Balloon spectacle clearly threatened American families from Alaska to my home community in South Carolina and confirms President Biden and Vice President Harris should resign,' Wilson said in a tweet.

'It is irrelevant for American families which party is in power because the first criteria of a leader should be their capability regardless of party, and sadly Biden and Harris are failures,' he added.

US Sen. Josh Hawley had called for a hearing against Biden on the 'major domestic security threat.'

He tweeted: 'The Homeland Security Committee needs to have public hearings NOW on the Chinese spy balloon - how did Biden let this happen.'

Trump called on the balloon to be taken down and said that when he's back in the White House, he'll use the FBI and Justice Department to hunt down 'Chinese spies'

US Rep. Joe Wilson and Sen. Josh Hawley condemned the Biden administration over the balloon incident, with Wilson calling on the president to resign

PENTAGON'S FULL STATEMENT: This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, US fighter aircraft assigned to the US Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched and belonging to the People's Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in US airspace. The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above US territorial waters. On Wednesday, President Biden gave his authorization to take down the surveillance balloon as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon's path. After careful analysis, US military commanders had determined downing the balloon while over land posed an undue risk to people across a wide area due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload. In accordance with the President's direction, the Department of Defense developed options to take down the balloon safely over our territorial waters, while closely monitoring its path and intelligence collection activities. This action was taken in coordination, and with the full support, of the Canadian government. And we thank Canada for its contribution to the tracking and analysis of the balloon through NORAD as it transited North America. Today's deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Biden and his national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC's unacceptable violation of our sovereignty. Advertisement

Footage of the jet shooting down the balloon showed the aircraft screaming towards it before firing a missile as stunned locals watched from the coast.

President Joe Biden praised the Top Gun fighter jet pilot who shot it down, telling reporters: 'I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible without doing damage to anyone on the ground.

'They decided that the best time to do that was when it got over water.'

'They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,' the President added as he stepped off Air Force One en route to Camp David at Hagerstown Regional Airport, Maryland.

The Pentagon confirmed: 'The balloon, which was being used by the People's Republic of China in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above US territorial waters.'

Defense officials estimated the balloon was about the size of three buses and that the debris field was substantial.

Biden first became aware of the balloon on January 28, when it was spotted over Alaska. The US military tracked it over Canadian airspace and as it re-entered US territory on Tuesday.

The following day, Biden was given a detailed report on the aircraft and its course, attended by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.

Biden initially wanted to take it down but Milley and Austin argued the risk from falling debris was too great, sources revealed.

Meanwhile, the administration went to the Chinese embassy for an explanation and continued making preparations for Blinken's landmark diplomatic visit.

The administration finally told the public on Thursday after a local Montana paper, the Billings Gazette, published photos of the balloon.

The Biden's administration's attempts to hide the blatant US airspace violation from the public for almost a week and inaction over the threat to national security have infuriated Republicans.

'Communist China's surveillance balloon violates international law and threatens our homeland,' Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island) told The New York Post.

'It's an outrage that the Biden Administration spotted this balloon days ago as it was flying over the Aleutian Islands and did nothing about it,' she said. 'The president has not even made a comment about this unacceptable act of aggression by the CCP.'

The emergence of the spy aircraft comes on the heels of a classified report to Congress which outlined advanced new technology that US adversaries were harnessing to spy on the country.

The report last month mentioned at least two incidents of a rival power conducting aerial surveillance with what appeared to be unknown cutting-edge technology, sources told The New York Times.

Although the report did not single out any country, two US officials familiar with the research named China.

The two sites where the unusual surveillance was detected included a military base in the US and another overseas.

Since 2021, the Pentagon has studied 366 unexplained incidents and determined that 163 were balloons.

A handful of these were advanced surveillance balloons, a US official told the Times.

The detection of the balloon, which triggered alarm in the White House and the Pentagon, adds to a series of recent controversies that have further strained the tense relationship between China and the United States.

Beijing had urged calm while it established the 'facts' before a statement yesterday morning said the balloon was a weather research device that had 'deviated far from its planned course'.

The Chinese foreign ministry said it regretted that the balloon had mistakenly entered US airspace.
A man who was fascinated with knives has been jailed for slicing his partner's neck and finger with a machete in a terrifying drug-fuelled act of jealous rage.

Jalal Homsi, 34, was sentenced to five years in Adelaide's District Court over the November 2019 incident where he held a machete at his partner's throat as 'extremely violent'.

Homsi, who was under the influence of meth and fantasy, had earlier begged his partner to buy the machete and bring it to where they were staying in a caravan park in Adelaide's southern suburbs.

Jalal Homsi has been jailed for five and a half years for holding a machete to his partner's neck, cutting her, and slicing her finger

Homsi terrified his partner into fearing she going 'was going to die' during his rage-fuelled attacks

The partner testified that Homsi grew violent and paranoid under the influence of the narcotics and accused her of being unfaithful.

After the woman denied his allegations, Homsi tried to suffocate and strangle her, which may have led to her 'momentarily blacking out'.

Homsi then held the machete blade to the woman's throat, causing a cut and she suffered a further deep gash to her finger by pushing the weapon away.

'She felt like she was going to die,' Judge Timothy Heffernan said according to the Adelaide Advertiser.

'The experience was no doubt humiliating and frightening for her.'

He noted Homsi only had the weapon because he had 'begged' his partner to buy it for him as part of his fascination with knives.

After the machete attack Homsi agreed to accompany the woman to the Westfield Marion shopping mall to buy bandages.

Homsi will have a non-parole period of three years

With the help of staff at a shop the woman seized to opportunity to flee from him.

'That entire sequence of events must have been terrifying for her,' Judge Heffernan said.

In a victim impact statement the woman said within the space of months Homsi had gone from being 'sweet, kind, loving' to 'very controlling'.

'During the course of your relationship, she lost contact with her family, children and friends because of your violent and controlling nature,' Judge Heffernan said.

Homsi was sentenced to five and a half years with a non-parole of three years.

In sentencing Homsi the judge said that although he had taken some steps towards rehabilitation there was still a way to go before he could be considered safe in the community

The sentence took into account a year already spent in jail before the trial and time on bail in home detention.

Despite efforts Homsi had made at rehabilitation, including a letter of apology, Judge Heffernan said he still had a way to go to properly take responsibility for his actions and was 'a danger to the community'.

Homsi spent time in early 2020 on the run and tried to get the woman to drop all charges.

He was arrested in April 2022 and found guilty the following August of unlawfully choking, suffocating or strangling and a charge of attempting to dissuade a witness.
The first images have emerged of Stella Berry, the 16-year-old girl who was fatally mauled by a shark in front of her horrified friends.

She was relaxing by a rope swing with her friends in the Swan River in North Fremantle, at about 3.30pm on Saturday when she saw a pod of dolphins and jumped into the water.

Just moments later, what authorities say was likely a bull shark latched onto her leg.

Despite being pulled to shore by heroic onlookers she died at the scene.

The unimaginable horror has rocked the community and sparked an outpouring of grief across the country - as students at Perth's Shenton College where she attended struggle to cope with the tragedy.

Stella is being remembered as a fun-loving teenager, who loved to make zany videos dancing and miming lyrics with friends, frequently showing off her infectious smile.

She was also a talented athlete and keen hockey player.

Stella Berry (pictured), a 16-year-old schoolgirl, was fatally attacked by a shark after jumping into WA's Swan River on Saturday

Stella liked creating art and was a keen runner who wanted to compete in a marathon

Matt and Sophie Berry, Stella's parents, said they were 'devastated and deeply shocked' by the loss of their 'beautiful' daughter.

'Stella was a vibrant and happy girl with plans of living in Europe after school,' they said.

'She was a caring person and was a dear friend to many, across a variety of schools in the area.

'She had an infectious laugh which we couldn't help laughing at too when we heard it.

'She was a beautiful and loving big sister and the best daughter we could have hoped for.'

Stella's sister on Sunday also posted emotional tribute on social media.

'Thank you for your blessings. She was the best sister I could ever wish for, I would never change a thing about her,' her TikTok post read.

Stella, who was the daughter of two teachers, enjoyed making TikTok videos with her friends and family

On Sunday a number of Stella's friends gathered on the banks of the Swan River near the spot she was attacked, which has been turned into a makeshift memorial site.

Four teens stood arm-in-arm looking out at the water before being joined by two more friends as the intermittent sounds of crying and wailing carried along the river banks.

Friend Lara Connolly said Stella was a gifted runner who wanted to compete in a marathon.

Stella was the 'sweetest and smartest girl that I knew', Laura told the ABC.

'She never did anything wrong to anybody.'

'She was so kind. She loved art. I'd ride my bike to see her sometimes and I'd see her running.'

Friends described Stella (pictured) as the 'sweetest and smartest' girl that they knew and one who 'never did wrong by anybody'

Laura said she and another friend of Stella, Teagan McArthur, had vowed to run a marathon in honour of the 16-year-old.

Shenton College principal Michal Morgan said Stella's death had caused 'great sadness, sincere empathy and the deepest regret'.

'I understand and respect that people respond to grief and loss in different ways, and that a loss such as this can trigger a broad range of emotional responses that are not always anticipated or evident,' Mr Morgan told The West.

'I have personally offered, on behalf of the College, our condolences and support to Stella's family during this very sad time.'

Both Ms Berry's parents are teachers.

Perth local, Joshua Banks, 16, was rope swinging with six friends nearby before the gruesome attack unfolded.

'Me and my mates Jacob and Harry saw them - we actually watched them pass through the bridge as we (were) rope swinging,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

A local, who saw the 16-year-old die being mauled by what is believed to be a bull shark, said she heard people screaming before the man jumped in

Joshua Banks was rope swinging with a group of mates close by and saw the teen girl and her friends on jet skis before they jumped into the water

'They passed and we saw them get off the jet skis near the beach and jump off and swim to the shore quickly.'

The teen described what he saw as a 'completely random attack' and said he and his friends were left 'shaken' by the event.

'We were completely unaware of this attack and had been swimming and jumping off for about an hour to 45 minutes,' he said.

He added that his friends were 'aware it could've been us' instead.

Witnesses told police that a man bravely dived into the water to pull the teenage girl out, describing him as a 'hero', but paramedics were unable to save her.

A local girl said she heard people screaming before the man jumped in to try and save her life.

A teenage girl was mauled to death by a shark at Swan River in North Fremantle on Saturday in what eyewitness Joshua Banks described as a 'completely random attack'

The girl is believed to have been swimming with dolphins when she was attacked by the shark

The girl's family and friends were seen in a state of shock near the river after she was pulled out.

Emergency services, including police boats, rushed to the scene near the Fremantle traffic bridge and she was pulled out of the water with severe leg injuries.

Fremantle District Acting Inspector Paul Robinson described the incident as 'traumatic'.

'It's an extremely traumatic event for everyone involved and everyone who knew the young girl, so I won't be going into the extent of the injuries.

'It is unusual for a shark to be that far down the river  at this point in time an alert has been put out, a shark warning just to let people know this incident has taken place.

'What we've been advised issues with friends on the river, they were on Jet Skis, there was possibly a pod of dolphins been seen nearby, and the young female jumped in the water to swim nearby the dolphins.'

Stella Berry was a student at Shenton College in Perth (pictured). She died on Saturday afternoon

Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan offered his condolences to Stella's family and friends.

'It must be awfully tragic for them, all our thoughts go to them at this point in time,' he said.

'In terms of these events, they're very rare events, but when they happen, it's just awful.'

It is the first fatal shark attack in the Swan River in a century.

'We did a whole range of things in the ocean to improve safety for people, but the river is different,' Mr McGowan said.

'Flying helicopter patrols, it doesn't work, because the river is opaque, it's brown  it's very difficult to find things that work.'

WA Premier Mark McGowan (pictured) has sent his condolences to the family of shark victim Stella Berry

WA Fisheries Minister Don Punch said other measures could be considered.

'Shark barriers is something we're always open to talking to local government about in relation to protected swimming areas,' he said.

The minister said drum lines are not part of shark mitigation strategy.

While authorities are yet to determine the type of shark involved, Mr Punch said he believed it could be a bull shark.

We do know that bull sharks, particularly, do enter estuaries and freshwater river systems, so it is likely that may be the case,' he said.

Fremantle detectives will prepare a report for the coroner.
Survivors of the twin Sea World helicopter disaster have revealed they are still picking pieces of shattered glass and carbon fibre out of their bodies weeks after the horror tragedy.

Two couples - Elmarie Steenberg and husband Riaan, and Edward and Marle Swart - were four of nine passengers who survived the tragic crash on the Gold Coast on January 2.

Speaking to 60 Minutes on Sunday night, an emotional Ms Steenberg said she knew they were 'in serious trouble' when she noticed the second chopper approaching from below.

While mesmerized with the view, she heard over the helicopter radio 'On your left. On your left,' and turned her head thinking 'it was something beautiful'.

'I saw the helicopter underneath me, and I knew we were in serious trouble and I actually said: 'Please, God, help us.' And then I heard the explosion,' she said.

The rotor blades of the ascending Eurocopter EC130s had smashed through the cockpit of their chopper showering them with shrapnel as horrified onlookers at the theme park below watched on in disbelief.

Elmarie Steenberg (right) closed her eyes before the fatal impact of the two choppers colliding

Ms Steenberg and Ms Swart (pictured in hospital after the crash) are still finding shards of glass and carbon fibre in their bodies one month later

Ms Steenberg said she had closed her eyes when the aircrafts collided, and when she opened them she saw her friend Marle had 'blood running from her'.

'When I saw the sea under us I was like, 'Oh, we are going to die today', she said.

Ms Steenberg said at one point she thought she was never going to see her beloved grandson again.

Ms Steenberg and Ms Swart said they were still discovering pieces of shattered glass and carbon fibres lodged in their bodies a month on from the crash.

'That makes [me] feel sad,' she said.

'I just want it out of my body because it reminds [me] of the day.'

Ms Steenberg pictured recovering in hospital after the helicopter crash

Four people died when one of the helicopters plunged into a sandbank after its main rotor detached

The four from Auckland, had been holidaying on the Gold Coast in the lead up to the crash.

Miraculously, the helicopter they were in managed to regain control and landed with all passengers surviving.

But four people died when the other helicopter which plunged into a sandbank.

Vanessa Tadros, 36, British newlyweds Ron Hughes, 65, and wife Diane, 57, and chief pilot Ash Jenkinson, 40 were all killed instantly when the aircraft burst into flames.

Three other passengers on board were rushed to hospital in serious conditions: Vanessa's son Nicholas Tadros, 10, Winnie De Silva, 33, and her son, Leon, 9.

Nicholas Tadros miraculously woke from a coma after more than a week of being on life support at Gold Coast University Hospital.

Leon de Silva was also placed on life support and his mother suffered broken bones. They both remain in hospital.

Nicholas Tadros (pictured) , 10, miraculously woke from his coma for more than a week after being placed on life support Gold Coast University Hospital

Leon de Silva (pictured), 9, was placed on life support in hospital after the collision of the two helicopters. His mother Winnie was also rushed to hospital

Vanessa Tadros was killed instantly when one of the helicopters plummeted into a sandbar

Mr and Mrs Hughes, from Merseyside, married in August 2021 and had been on holiday in Australia visiting Mr Hughes' daughter Jane Manns and his grandchildren.

The surviving couples say pilot Michael James, 52, is a hero for managing to land the aircraft despite being badly cut by the shrapnel.

When asked if he had saved their lives, Ms Steenberg replied: 'I think so'.

The SeaWorld pilot had been working for the theme park for about a year before the the tragedy struck, leaving him bloodied and wounded.

Footage from on the ground captured the incredible moment Mr James gained control of the chopper and guided it safely onto the sand.

For Ms Steenberg however, this was not the end of the nightmare ordeal.

She heard people screaming out that the helicopter was 'going to blow'.

Soon after she remembers being pulled from the wreckage and carried onto the sandbank.

Mr Swart said the frantic scene on the beach following the crash was 'devastating' when they realised many in the other chopper did not survive.

Sea World pilot Michael James (right) has attracted praised for making an emergency despite being cut with shrapnel when the cockpit imploded in on him in the crash

Newly weds Ron and Diane Hughes were two of four people killed in when one helicopter crashed into a sandbar

Pilot Ash Jenkinson was killed when the helicopter he was flying collided with another over the Broadwater

The collision occurred just 20 seconds after the lower aircraft took off when it was about 250ft off the ground.

Witnesses said they saw a cloud of broken glass and debris explode as the two aircraft slammed into each other in mid-air.

SeaWorld Helicopters in the wake of the tragedy expressed its 'shock and deepest sympathy for those involved'.

The operator of both helicopters, SeaWorld Helicopters  which is not owned by the theme park  has since suspended flights while investigations take place.

Queensland Police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau are examining the crash but a final verdict on what caused it isn't expected until 2024.
Pakistan's former president General Pervez Musharraf, who took power in a bloodless coup in 1999 and launched a fight against Islamist extremism, has died at the age of 79.

General Musharraf was a controversial military ruler who led a reluctant Pakistan into aiding the US war in Afghanistan against the same Taliban fighters his nation had previously backed, even as Islamic militants twice targeted him for assassination.

The former special forces commando became president through the last of a string of military coups that hit Pakistan after its founding amid the bloody 1947 partition of India.

He ruled the nuclear-armed state after his 1999 coup through turbulent times, including tensions with India, an atomic proliferation scandal and an Islamic extremist insurgency.

General Pervez Musharraf rose to power in Pakistan in 1999 in a bloodless coup which saw the military take charge

British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf at Chequers in Buckinghamshire

He stepped down in 2008 while facing possible impeachment.

During his time in office he became an unlikely ally of the US and Nato, supporting them in the war against terror, and visited the UK during Tony Blair's premiership.

After stepping down, Musharraf lived in self-imposed exile in Dubai to avoid criminal charges, despite attempting a political comeback in 2012.

His family announced last June that he had been in hospital for weeks while suffering from amyloidosis, an incurable condition that sees proteins build up in the body's organs.

Shazia Siraj, a spokeswoman for the Pakistani consulate in Dubai, confirmed his death and said diplomats were providing support to his family.

'I have confronted death and defied it several times in the past because destiny and fate have always smiled on me,' Gen Musharraf once wrote.

'I only pray that I have more than the proverbial nine lives of a cat.'

Pakistan, a nation which is now home to 220 million people, drew US attention a little under two years after he seized power due to its border with Afghanistan.

After stepping down in 2008, Musharraf lived in self-imposed exile in Dubai to avoid criminal charges

Tony Blair is greeted by Gen Pervez Musharraf ahead of a meeting in Lahore

Al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden launched the September 11 2001 attacks in 2001 from Afghanistan, sheltered by the country's Taliban rulers, and General Musharraf knew what would come next.

'America was sure to react violently, like a wounded bear,' he wrote in his autobiography. 'If the perpetrator turned out to be al Qaida, then that wounded bear would come charging straight toward us.'

By September 12, then-US secretary of state Colin Powell told Musharraf that Pakistan would either be 'with us or against us'.

He said another American official threatened to bomb Pakistan 'back into the Stone Age' if it chose the latter.

Gen Musharraf chose the former. A month later, he stood by then-president George W Bush at the Waldorf Astoria in New York to declare Pakistan's unwavering support to fight with the US against 'terrorism in all its forms wherever it exists'.

Pakistan became a crucial transit point for Nato supplies heading to landlocked Afghanistan  even though Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency had backed the Taliban after they swept into power in Afghanistan in 1994.

Before that, the CIA and others funnelled money and arms through the ISI to Islamic fighters battling the 1980s Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

The US-led invasion of Afghanistan saw Taliban fighters flee over the border into Pakistan, including bin Laden, whom the US killed in 2011 at a compound in Abbottabad.

They regrouped and the offshoot Pakistani Taliban emerged, beginning a years-long insurgency in the mountainous border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The CIA began flying armed drones from Pakistan with Musharraf's blessing, using an air strip built by the founding president of the United Arab Emirates for falconing in Pakistan's Balochistan province.

The programme helped beat back the militants but saw more than 400 strikes in Pakistan alone kill at least 2,366 people, including 245 civilians, according to the Washington-based New America Foundation think tank.

Towards the end of his political career Musharraf was a deeply divisive figure

Anger towards him increased in 2007 with large-scale protests from some of the population against his renewed term in office

Though Pakistan under General Musharraf launched these operations, the militants still thrived as billions of American dollars flowed into the nation. That led to suspicion that still plagues the US relationship with Pakistan.

Militants tried to assassinate the president twice in 2003 by targeting his convoy, first with a bomb planted on a bridge and then with car bombs.

The second attack saw his vehicle lifted into the air by the blast before hitting the ground again. It raced to safety on its rims, with Gen Musharraf pulling a pistol in case he needed to fight his way out.

It was not until his wife Sehba saw the car covered in gore that the scale of the attack dawned on him.

'She is always calm in the face of danger,' he recounted, but then, 'she was screaming uncontrollably, hysterically'.

Born on August 11 1943 in New Delhi, India, Pervez Musharraf was the middle son of a diplomat.

His family joined millions of other Muslims in fleeing westward when predominantly Hindu India and Islamic Pakistan split during independence from Britain in 1947. The partition saw hundreds of thousands of people killed in riots and fighting.

He entered the Pakistani army at 18 and made his career there as Islamabad fought three wars against India. He launched his own attempt at seizing territory in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir in 1999 just before seizing power from prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Mr Sharif had ordered Musharraf's dismissal as the army chief flew home from a visit to Sri Lanka and denied his plane landing rights in Pakistan, even as it ran low on fuel.

On the ground, the army seized control and after he landed Musharraf took charge.

A major scandal emerged under his rule when the world discovered that famed Pakistani nuclear scientist AQ Khan, long associated with the country's atomic bomb, had been selling centrifuge designs and other secrets to countries including Iran, Libya and North Korea, making tens of millions of dollars.

Those designs helped Pyongyang to arm itself with a nuclear weapon, while centrifuges from Mr Khan's designs still spin in Iran amid the collapse of Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.

Musharraf said he suspected Mr Khan but it was not until 2003 when then-CIA director George Tenet showed him detailed plans for a Pakistani centrifuge that the scientist had been selling that he realised the severity of what had happened.

Mr Khan confessed on state television in 2004 and Gen Musharraf pardoned him, although he was confined to house arrest.

Gen Musharraf's domestic support eventually eroded. He held flawed elections in late 2002  only after changing the constitution to give himself sweeping powers to sack the prime minister and parliament. He then reneged on a promise to stand down as army chief by the end of 2004.

Militant anger towards him increased in 2007 when he ordered a raid against the Red Mosque in central Islamabad, which had become a sanctuary for militants opposed to Pakistan's support of the Afghan war. The week-long operation killed more than 100 people.

The incident severely damaged Musharraf's reputation among everyday citizens and earned him the undying hatred of militants who launched a series of punishing attacks.

Fearing the judiciary would block his continued rule, Gen Musharraf fired the chief justice of Pakistan's Supreme Court, triggering mass demonstrations.

Under pressure at home and abroad to restore civilian rule, he stepped down as army chief.

He won another five-year presidential term, but he faced a major crisis after Benazir Bhutto's assassination in December 2007 at a campaign rally as she sought to become prime minister for the third time.

The public suspected Musharraf's hand in the killing, which he denied. A later United Nations report acknowledged the Pakistani Taliban were a main suspect but warned that elements of Pakistan's intelligence services may have been involved.

Musharraf resigned as president in August 2008 after ruling coalition officials threatened to have him impeached for imposing emergency rule and firing judges.

'I hope the nation and the people will forgive my mistakes,' he said in an hour-long televised address.

Afterwards, he lived abroad in Dubai and London, attempting a political comeback in 2012, but Pakistan instead arrested the former general and put him under house arrest.

He faced treason allegations over the Supreme Court debacle and other charges stemming from the Red Mosque raid and Ms Bhutto's assassination.

The image of him being treated as a criminal suspect shocked Pakistan, where military generals have long been considered above the law. Pakistan allowed him to leave the country on bail to Dubai in 2016 for medical treatment and he remained there after facing a later-overturned death sentence.
The house, 47 Christie Miller Road, has been bought through shared ownership

Novichok was sprayed on their front door, they were found slumped on a bench

Sergei Skripal, 71, and his daughter Yulia, 39, were poisoned in Salisbury in 2018

The Salisbury house where a retired Russian spy was poisoned with Novichok has been bought five years after the attack in a shared ownership deal.

Sergei Skripal, 71, and his daughter Yulia, 39, nearly died after Russian agents are believed to have sprayed military-grade chemical Novichok on the front door of their house.

They were both found slumped on a bench in Salisbury city centre in March 2018 following the attack. Police officer Nick Bailey was also seriously ill after searching their house.

Four months later, mother-of-three Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after she found a perfume bottle containing the nerve agent and sprayed it on her wrist.

Her partner Charlie Rowley became seriously ill after finding the bottle.

Sergei Skripal, 71, and his daughter Yulia, 39, (pictured) nearly died after Russian agents are believed to have sprayed military-grade chemical Novichok on the front door of their house

The Salisbury house where a retired Russian spy was poisoned with Novichok has been bought five years after the attack in a shared ownership deal (pictured)

At the time, a distraught Charlie Rowley told the Daily Mail: I think we should line them all up in a firing squad, personally. In an ideal world Id like to get a result, for somebody to get charged.

Neighbours have called for the house to be demolished since the March 2018 attack.

County councillor Phil Alford said officials are in the process of selling 47 Christie Miller Road as a 'shared ownership tenure'.

He said the house is set to be refurbished soon, with work likely to be completed in June - when new residents will move in.

Mr Alford added: 'Were delighted this property in a lovely area will once again become a place that someone can call home.

'The community has been through an awful lot and we hope this closes a difficult chapter for them.'

It is believed the Russian state ordered the attack on Skripal - who was jailed in Russia for spying in MI6 - on March 4 2018.

The suspected assassins  Russian intelligence officers Anatoliy Chepiga and Alexander Mishkin  were caught on CCTV as they travelled from Moscow to the Wiltshire cathedral city.

A third suspect, senior Russian agent Denis Sergeev, was believed to be the on-the-ground commander. All three fled back to Russia after their failed murder attempt.

It took almost exactly a year for Salisbury to finally be declared clear of all traces of the deadly nerve agent. Police say it could have killed thousands.

Following the attack, the Skripals were heavily sedated and given drugs to protect them from the side effects.

Yulia was discharged in the April and Sergei in mid-May.

Following the attack, the Skripals were heavily sedated and given drugs to protect them from the side effects. Yulia was discharged in the April and Sergei in mid-May

He then joined her in hiding but had to be closely monitored by a doctor.

Britain responded to the poisoning of the Skripals by expelling 23 Russian diplomats. The United States expelled 150.

In the weeks after the poisoning, Putin claimed that Mishkin and Chepiga were innocent tourists and denied any Russian involvement.

In 1995, Sergei Skripal, a high-ranking member of Russian Intelligence, became a double-agent working for Britain. After nine years of passing secrets to MI6, he was caught by the Russian authorities and sentenced to 13 years in a penal colony.

Then, in 2010, he was pardoned by President Dmitry Medvedev and sent to the UK as part of a spy-swap deal. Sergei and his wife Liudmila began a new life in Wiltshire.
Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard is seen in Ulsan Metropolitan City. Courtesy of Hyundai Heavy Industries



More than 2,000 foreign workers will be hired by Korean shipyards this month in a measure to help resolve an acute workforce shortage, according to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on Sunday.



The government issued E-7 and E-9 visas for the group in a speedy screening process in January.






Jaw-dropping images of the most beautiful and bellowing stags covered in the golden light of dawn have been captured in Bushy Park, London.

Images show the stags roaming around freely in the park enjoying the warmth of the first rays of the sun on a cold London morning.

There are currently about 320 deer in the park, and their grazing is essential to maintain the high wildlife value of the park's grasslands.

Stags bellow to warn off intruding stags or for the attention of their hinds.

A stag is seen bellowing for attention in the first light of dawn at Bushy Park in west London

'I arrived early in the morning to capture the first of the sunlight and the mist rising,' said Marc

These images were captured by Marc Freebrey, 48, with a Nikon D850, Nikon Prime 500mm lens, f/8, 1/2500 sec, ISO 1000.

'I arrived early in the morning to capture the first of the sunlight and the mist rising,' said Marc.

'You can see and hear the stags roar as they try to attract female attention.'

He added: 'It's thrilling to be in their environment, but you have to be constantly aware of your surroundings and ensure you do not get in the way of stags or mother and calf.

'It was thrilling and scary in equal measures

'People often do not appreciate the effort and dedication required and on this occasion I travelled a total of six hours to get the photos.'

The stag bellows for the attention of the female deer at Bushy Park in West London

Marc said he travelled six hours in total and arrived very early to snap the deep in first light

Red and fallow deer have roamed freely in the park since the land was given to Henry VIII

'It was thrilling and scary in equal measures,' said photographer Marc Freebray, 48

Bushy Park is one of eight Royal Parks in London.

It spans over 1,000 acres and is home to a variety of plants and animals.

The park became a royal park when it was gifted to Henry VIII by his advisor, Cardinal Wolsey.

Red and fallow deer have freely roamed in the park since the land was given to Henry VIII to hunt in.

For safety, it is advised to always stay 50 meters away from the deer at all times.
The identity of the mystery 'older woman' who took Prince Harry's virginity was revealed last night as Sasha Walpole, 40, who has spoken out following the Duke of Sussex's reference to the incident in his recent memoir Spare.

Ms Walpole had known the Prince since her days as a groom at the future King Charles' Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove.

At just over two years the Prince's senior, she is much younger than most of the women whose names were suggested in the frenzy of speculation about her identity.

But just who is the mother-of-two, how did she meet Prince Harry and where is she now? MailOnline has gathered everything you need to know as Ms Walpole steps into the limelight.

Sasha Walpole, 40, is a digger driver and horse-lover from Wiltshire - a world away from Prince Harry's glitzy life in California

Ms Walpole was hired as an assistant groom at Highgrove in 1999, at the age of 17

Who is Sasha Walpole?

Sasha Walpole, 40, is a digger driver and horse-lover from Wiltshire, who lives with her husband and two children in the Wylye Valley.

Born into a working-class family, she left school at 15 to pursue work in the equestrian industry.

Ms Walpole's parents scrimped to buy her a naughty dapple grey called Beano and made her a horse box from an old British Telecom Luton van.

At 17, she was hired as an assistant groom at Highgrove, a 15-minute drive from her home in the village of Acton Turville, Gloucestershire.

Her late-night escapade with Prince Harry in July 2001 occurred the day before her 19th birthday, when the royal was 16.

She worked for the royal family from September 1999 until April 2001, when she left the stables to take a stop-gap job in local factory Stretchline, making elastic for bras and underwear.

She was preparing to leave home, having applied for a groom's job in the Sultan of Brunei's stables in the Home Counties - but an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease put an end to that dream.

Who are Ms Walpole's family?

Ms Walpole was born to mother Lyn and father Tony. Her mother, now 65, was a hotel cleaner while her father, 71, did groundworks.

She has an older sister Jodie Mayhead, 42, who works as an accountant. Both Jodie and Lyn were aware of what happened with between Harry and Sasha, and together the had kept it a closely-guarded secret for 21 years.

After foot-and-mouth disease put an end to her hopes of working with horses, Ms Walpole started mixing with a different set of friends whose interest lay in motor sports, not horses.

It was then that she met and fell in love with her husband, Ian, 44.

Mr Walpole is a professional drift racer, and having begun dating in 2001, the couple got married in 2016 - shirking the traditional white and instead opting for a bright green and purple colour scheme.

They settled in Wiltshire's Wylye Valley and have two daughters, aged five and three.

How did Sasha Walpole meet Prince Harry?

Ms Walpole (left) and Prince Harry (right) were in a group of friends who bonded over horses as teens

Outside of her work at Highgrove, Ms Walpole first met William at a comedy night starring the late Cornish comedian Jethro at the Beaufort Hunt Kennels.

She subsequently made friends with Harry at one of his favourite pubs, The Rattlebone Inn, in the nearby Wiltshire village of Sherston.

They bonded over stories of her escapades on horse Beano.

'He was like a Thelwell pony [the caricatures drawn by cartoonist Normal Thelwell for Punch magazine]. He was so naughty, he ate everything  even the light off his own trailer once,' she laughs.

What was her relationship with the Duke of Sussex?

Ms Walpole was good friends with Prince Harry, part of a Wiltshire group of teens who bonded over a shared love of the world of horses.

After meeting at The Rattlebone Inn, she was soon invited to the princes' space at Highgrove, where then-Prince Charles had granted them a chill-zone.

Ms Walpole fondly recalls boozy nights including games such as Spin the Bottle.

The first time the Prince rang her on the white push-button landline phone wired into the wall at home, it was mother Lyn who answered.

Prince Harry was pictured socialising with some of his friends in June 2001, including Sasha (circled)

A younger Sasha Walpole dressed up for a Polo ball, around the time she was friends with the princes

'Mum said, "Harry's on the phone." Afterwards she asked, "Was that HARRY?". I said, "Yes!" and I remember her saying, "Oh, how funny".'

Soon though, it was such a regular occurrence, she'd be chivvied to hang up on the Royal because other people needed to use the phone.

She described her friendship with the princes: 'Everyone was equal in the world of horses.

'Our group was a very mixed bunch of polo players, grooms, hunt staff and racing people, a cosmopolitan crowd.

'It didnt matter if you were a groom, a Royal or a rider. There was no judgment.

'Harry didnt act like a Prince, there wasn't any snobbery. Honestly, we were just two mates who talked horses.'

What happened on the night Harry lost his virginity?

Sasha, now a mother of two who drives diggers for a living, had invited Harry, then a 16-year-old Eton schoolboy  not 17 as suggested in Spare  to the pub to celebrate her 19th birthday.

The pair were such close friends that Harry had brought her a stuffed Miss Piggy and a comedy birthday card with a joke about a flatulent whale on the front. He added to that with a tray of ten shots - five each - which saw the pair very drunk by closing time.

As last orders were called, the young prince asked her: 'Should we go for a smoke?' and they crept into an adjacent field to have a cigarette out of sight of his security detail.

The Miss Piggy Toy Harry bought for Sasha for her birthday. The Duke bought it at Thorpe park and gave it to her at her party with a card

The Vine Tree Pub, Norton, Wiltshire where Prince Harry had sex with Sasha Walpole in a field, which the Duke sensationally revealed in his bombshell memoir Spare

'He started to kiss me,' she remembers. 'It was passionate, intense. We both knew. It went from a kiss on to the floor pretty quickly.

'It was instant, fiery, wham bam, between two friends. It was sparky because we shouldn't have been doing it. He wasn't 'Prince Harry' to me, this was Harry, my friend, and the situation had got a little bit out of control. It felt naughty, I suppose, in the sense that it shouldn't be happening.

'We didn't set out to do it  it wasn't premeditated and I didn't know he was a virgin. There were no virgin vibes  he seemed to know what he was doing. It was quick, wild, exciting. We were both drunk. It wouldn't have happened if we weren't.'

Sadly the encounter marked the end of Sasha's friendship with Harry. From being regular drinking partners, the pair never texted, spoke or saw each other again.

Ms Walpole added what surprised her most about the inclusion of the anecdote in Spare was how accurate it was.

Where is she now?

Sasha Walpole is now happily married to husband Ian, a drift racer, with two young daughters

Ms Walpole is now a digger driver, and excavates footings for patios and driveways, following in the footsteps of her father.

It was husband Ian who bought her her first digger as a birthday present.

She said: 'Now I drive a one-ton that goes through doorways and a three-ton too. Plus I have two dumpers.'

On Harry's revelations, she says: 'Being exposed in a book is surreal. I'm here in my home in Wiltshire with my husband Ian and my kids and  21 years later  this.'

'I don't think people will be amazed about me and Harry having sex in a field,' she says bluntly, 'but they are usually astonished by a woman driving a digger.'

It says much about the happily married mother-of-two  all of it good  that she has guarded their secret for so many years.

And it says much about the teenage Harry  also good  that he initiated a two-and-a-half-year friendship with a girl from outside the so-called Glosse Posse of wealthy, blue-blooded youngsters who made up his social circle in rural Gloucestershire.
Return train tickets will be scrapped in long-awaited railway reforms, meaning passengers will have to pay for two single trips.

Transport secretary Mark Harper will announce the changes in rolling out 'single-leg pricing' this week after Rishi Sunak gave the proposals the green light.

However, it remains unclear whether having to pay for two single tickets will cost passengers more money when making their journeys, compared to the current system where a return ticket is designed to offer a saving.

The changes come after what is described as rounds of successful trials testing out the new proposed system.

The new reforms will also mean Great British Railways (GBR) is introduced as a new public body.

It was first introduced as a concept by Boris Johnson and Grant Shapps in May, 2021 but progress stalled after it was criticised for being 'nationalisation through a back door'.

Return train tickets will be scrapped for single-leg only as new transport reofrms as set to be announced in Westminster on Tuesday Evening

It is expected that Mark Harper will introduce the Great British Railways as a new public body body despite fears rising of nationalisation

According to the Telegraph fears had grown GBR was a non-starter but it has been revealed by someone who read a draft of his speech that Mr Harper will show 'the idea that GBR is dead, is dead'.

It will be responsible for timetabling and ticketing which are currently managed by the Department for Transport.

There is also a possibility that paper tickets may also be a thing a of the past as Mr Harper is expected to hint at the greater use of ticketing technology.

Mr Harper is expected to make announcement in Westminster on Tuesday evening.

The formed deputy chairman of John Lewis and ex-chief executive of British Airways is expected to attend as he conducted a two-and-a-half year 'root and branch' review of the railways on behalf of the government.

Critics argued that Mr Johnson's interpretation of Mr William's concept could have meant greater state intervention.

Despite the new announcements fears still grow as many believe GBR will throttle the private sector role on the railways.
Armed forces staff being used to help services cover most life-threatening calls

Ambulance union leaders were today accused of putting lives at risk by refusing to help ease the impact of strike action due to start tomorrow.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps lashed out ahead of a walkout by tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance staff in England on Monday in what is expected to be the biggest strike in NHS history.

The nurses are due to strike again on Tuesday while ambulance crews and call handlers will return to the picket lines on Friday.

But Mr Shapps suggested that union leaders were not helping the Army organise cover, leading to a 'postcode lottery when it comes to having a heart attack or a stroke'.

His claim was branded an 'absolute ... utter lie' by Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, who suggested he was 'out of his depth'.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps lashed out ahead of a walkout by tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance staff in England on Monday in what is expected to be the biggest strike in NHS history.

The nurses are due to strike again on Tuesday while ambulance crews and call handlers will return to the picket lines on Friday.

His claim was branded an 'absolute ... utter lie' by Unite general secretary Sharon Graham, who suggested he was 'out of his depth'.

Mr Shapps told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: 'I am concerned that it does, if you have a situation which has been happening so far where you don't have co-operation between the back-up services - typically the Army - and the people who are striking.

'We have seen the situation where the Royal College of Nursing very responsibly before the strikes told the NHS 'This is where we are going to be striking' and they are able to put the emergency cover in place.

'Unfortunately we have been seeing a situation with the ambulance unions where they refuse to provide that information. That leaves the Army, who are driving the back-ups here, in a very difficult position - a postcode lottery when it comes to having a heart attack or a stroke when there is a strike on.

'We cannot have that situation. That is why I am introducing laws for minimum safety levels.'

Health Secretary Steve Barclay made an 11th-hour appeal to union bosses last night to call off the strikes.

Mr Barclay said he had been having constructive talks with unions about what is affordable in terms of pay for the next financial year, adding: I urge them to call off the strikes and come back to the table.

Seven of Englands ten regional ambulance services will be hit by strikes tomorrow.

Mr Barclay said NHS contingency plans are in place but the strikes will undoubtedly have an impact on patients.

Royal College of Nursing boss Pat Cullen last night dampened hopes of any breakthrough by accusing the Government once again of doing nothing to resolve the walkouts.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he had been having constructive talks with unions about what is affordable in terms of pay for the next financial year

Royal College of Nursing boss Pat Cullen last night dampened hopes of any breakthrough by accusing ministers of doing 'nothing'

Meanwhile shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds suggested Labour in power would not be able to offer double-digit pay rises to public sector workers.

Asked if his party would give nurses a 10 per cent pay rise, Mr Reynolds told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday: 'Realistically the top opening offer we probably wouldn't be able to meet that but we would negotiate.

'And fundamentally we have a much more compelling message about those workload problems because we've got that plan to abolish the non-dom rule for the super-rich and therefore use that revenue - over 3 billion - to vastly increase the numbers of doctors, nurses, midwives in the system.

'So that would be part of the negotiation.'
A former British soldier who was left with hearing loss from an explosion during a training exercise has won a 350,000 pay-out from the Ministry of Defence.

Infantryman Vance Bacon-Sharratt, 33, was forced to leave the Mercian Regiment because of his injury.

Medical negligence lawyers have helped the soldier from Nottinghamshire to successfully sue the Ministry of Defence.

He said: 'I have gone through many ups and downs and to this day I still struggle to come to terms with what's happened.

'Despite everything, I'm grateful for the support I've had and wanted to share my story to make others aware of the help available.'

Vance Bacon-Sharratt, diagnosed with hearing loss after an explosion at a firepower demo

The father-of-two was injured while attending a firepower demonstration (FPD) in October 2016.

The demonstrations are opportunities for personnel to practice scenarios, use equipment and kit.

Mr Bacon-Sharratt enlisted in the army in November 2008 but his career ended in March 2018 after the injury in October 2016.

The explosion left him with hearing loss, pain and tinnitus.

Lawyers say the pay-out will allow him to access support and the therapies needed after the MoD denied liability.

'When the explosion happened at the FPD, I felt the effects instantly.

'I couldn't hear properly, but at the same time there was a ringing in my ears.

'I ended up being diagnosed with hearing loss and tinnitus, which explained the discomfort I was experiencing.

'It was extremely difficult to adapt my life around my diagnosis, which is why I felt like I had no option but to leave The Army, even though it was a career I'd always dreamed of.'

He added: 'I'm also determined to move on with my life and not let my hearing loss stop me from living it to the full.'

Vance is now a driving instructor and has a partner, Jemma, and two daughters.

Legal experts secured Vance, pictured, a settlement of 350,000 to help access therapies

Chelsea Towner, the specialist military injury lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Vance, said: 'The last few years have been incredibly difficult for Vance.

'Firstly coming to terms with his diagnosis and then making the tough decision to leave behind a career he loved.

'All employers have a duty of care to protect their employees and through our work, we come across too many people who have sustained injury while serving in The Army.

'Hearing loss and tinnitus are serious health issues, the psychological and physical effects of which should never be downplayed.

'While nothing will make up for what Vance has suffered, we're pleased to have been able to help secure him settlement which will hopefully allow him to move forward with his life as best he can.'

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'The health and wellbeing of our people is always our priority.

'We carefully assess noise levels and provide hearing protection when asking personnel to undertake duties in noisy environments.

'We have reached an out of court settlement with Mr Bacon-Sharratt.

'It would be inappropriate to comment on the terms of the settlement.'

James Barry, pictured here outside the High Court, said he had wanted to join the SBS but was forced to leave the armed forces due to the damage to his hearing

In January 2023, a former Royal Marine sued the Ministry of Defence for 1.5mn after developing tinnitus and hearing loss from wearing 'useless' earplugs during training exercises.

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 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.

Thomas Borley, pictured, 33, was serving as an Armoured Cavalry soldier before his military career was cut short in 2016

In September 2022, a soldier left with hearing loss and tinnitus after being deafened on the firing range was awarded 300,000 from the Ministry of Defence.

Thomas Borley blamed faulty ear defenders on his injury.

He said the payout would help him to find specialist therapies and to retrain and find a new job.

Mr Borley initially made a claim under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and was awarded 6,000.

However, he did not believe this was enough to cover his loss of earnings and pension so he instructed medical negligence lawyers to investigate his case.

The Ministry of Defence denied liability but later agreed a 300,000 out of court settlement.
A fast food customer who mistakenly paid 666.50 for a veggie burger and chips which should have cost 6.50 will get his money back, business owner confirms.

Toby Wilson, 35, from Manchester, unknowingly spent hundreds of pounds on the veggie burger and chips at food truck Efe's Kebab Kitchen on his way home from a night out in York.

He did not spot the additional two sixes added to his bill and he only realised the mistake when he checked his account balance days later to find it had dropped 'significantly'.

When the HR manager amicably approached business owner Ahmed Abdullah about his significant card payment, he initially said the vendor told him to seek a refund through his bank.

But business owner Ahmed Abdullah says he has now agreed to repay Toby back the 660 he mistakenly overspent for his veggie burger and chips meal after confirming that the money had reached his account.

Toby Wilson, 35, from Manchester, unknowingly spent 666.50 on a take away after a night out with friends in December

Ahmed Abdullah, the business owner of Efe's Kebab Kitchen in York, has now agreed to refund the money to Toby

Speaking about his decision, he said: 'I called the card reader company. The payment has been made to my account. They say the customer needs to send me his details, or he can come with his bank card to the business.'

More than a month later, Toby will finally receive his money back after the ordeal.

Toby believed no fraudulent activity has taken place but said the initially 'funny' saga had caused him unending weeks of 'stress'.

He said: 'It's very frustrating. Admittedly, at the start, it was a bit of a funny story. I thought it would be quickly sorted out and the banks would go, 'Yep, it's an error.'

'But the bank is very slow at doing things. They said, 'have you got a receipt?' The human aspect of it is I don't. No one has a receipt for things like that.

'I have a mortgage and bills to pay. It is just very worrying. The point is the money is mine, and it's a significant amount.'

Business owner Ahmed Abdullah told The York Press that he had wanted Toby to talk to his bank for safety reasons, he said: 'I would like them to deal with the bank - it's safer for them and me, and this is the legal way'.

Toby, who grew up in York, said he'd travelled to the city for a friendly gathering just before Christmas last year and had purchased the pricey meal at around 11 pm.

He said: 'I was out on December 23 for a sort of friends reunion. We all live in different parts of the country but go back to York. We do it every year.

'I am a non-drinker. Maybe it would be different if someone was drunk and just stumbled into to get a kebab and got it all wrong. But that's very much not the case.

More than a month later, he claims the pair remain at a stalemate over any possible repayment

'I just ordered a veggie burger and chips, and I looked at my bank balance a couple of days later, and I was like: 'What's going on? It's significantly lower.'

'It was like: 'No way, this can't be real!'

Toby asked a friend in York to visit the kebab van and ask the owner if they would not mind refunding him the extra 660 he'd paid.

However, after the pair began exchanging texts, Toby claims Mr Abdullah did not refuse to send him the money - he instead told him to speak to his bank leading to the stalemate.

Toby said: 'Being a large conglomerate, they have rules to follow and things like that.

'I explained the story to them, and they essentially need him to say 'Yes, it's happened.'

'I've worked in hospitality, so I know how these things work. I know he'd be able to see it in his accounts and what that transaction would relate to.

'It wouldn't relate to anything, because I didn't pay 666.50 for a veggie burger. He would be able to see that.'

Toby remains stunned that he managed to spend hundreds on a burger and chips meal that should have cost him a few pounds in loose change.

He said: 'Sometimes I still look it now and think 'Was it definitely that?' I look at the bank transfer, and it's got the name of his business.

'It's not like it's an incorrect number. It's been paid for by Apple Pay. You can see it goes into his bank account.

He added: 'If it was 50, I might be able to go, 'You know what, just keep it, I'm not bothered with the stress' But it's a lot.'

Mr Abdullah said on Friday he was speaking to his card machine company to see if they could provide proof 666.50 of Toby's money had gone into his account.

He said: 'I'm talking to them to prove that the money is in my account or not. If they prove it, or if they don't prove it, I'm going to tell him.'

The manager of Efe's Kebab Kitchen has acknowledged and apologised for the error.
A grieving couple have been left desperately searching for answers after their daughter died suddenly on a trip to Pakistan with her two children, whose location is still unknown 18 months later.

Kelsey Devlin, 27, died in 2021 after flying to Islamabad with children Zara and Zain, after receiving news that her mother-in-law was dying.

But three weeks later she had died in hospital, leaving parents Judy and Sean Devlin, from Burnley, with no answers - and no idea what has happened to their two young grandchildren, 10 and eight.

Ms Devlin had already been buried by the time her parents found out she had died.

They eventually received a death certificate, but say it contains 'huge inconsistencies' and false medical information.

Kelsey Devlin, 27, died in 2021 after flying to Islamabad with children Zara and Zain, after receiving news that her mother-in-law was dying

The couple now want to exhume her body and get their grandchildren returned to the UK.

Father Sean Devlin, 55, told the Mirror: 'I've lost my little girl and I don't even know where she is buried. That is barbaric. There are so many unanswered questions about how she died  we just want to bring her home.'

Kelsey flew to Pakistan on June 3, 2021, but was in hospital two days later.

Mother-of-ten Judy, 49, described how they were initially told Kelsey was ill with coronavirus, then sepsis, and that she was in a coma.

They were only able to speak to Kelsey once on a video call in which she described feeling as if her insides were 'burning'.

The family heard nothing further until July 1, when Kelsey's ex-partner, who had not accompanied his ex and children to visit his family, messaged sister Chloe and told her she had died during the night.

The only contact the family has had with their grandchildren since was a phone call from Zara, 10, shortly after her mother's death, in which she reportedly told them she had died.

Mr and Mrs Kelvin repeatedly requested Kelsey's death certificate for months, before finally being sent a copy - but it only raised more questions.

The only contact the family has had with their grandchildren since was a phone call from Zara, 10, shortly after her mother's death, in which she reportedly told them she had died

According to the hospital, Kelsey died of sepsis, a stroke and a cardiopulmonary arrest.

But it also listed her as having epilepsy since birth, said she was married and had converted to Islam, the Mirror reports.

Her parents say none of those details are true - Kelsey was unmarried, not epileptic and was not a follower of Islam.

They accept she took part in a non-legally binding marriage ceremony while in Pakistan with her partner, but say she was not legally married.

The death certificate also had the wrong age listed for the 27-year-old.

Her family received a photo of Zara and Zain standing by a grave reported to be their mother's, but have lost all contact with her ex's family.

They held a funeral for Kelsey, without a body, in October, and have appealed to the Foreign Office for help.

Local MPs Antony Higginbotham and Naz Shah have both lobbied the government to get involved in Kelsey's case - but the family have still seen no progress.

According to the hospital, Kelsey died of sepsis, a stroke and a cardiopulmonary arrest, as well as listing her as having epilepsy since birth, was married and had converted to Islam, the Mirror reports

They say that while Kelsey was in hospital they repeatedly called the British Embassy in Pakistan, and were eventually told a member of staff would visit her.

Her parents say that despite this promise, the visit never took place.

Kelsey's sister Chloe told the Mirror: 'Kelsey was the best mum - she was with the kids all the time, they must be lost without her. Her favourite thing was to take them to the park and one of the local inflatable playgrounds.

'We all loved spending time together as one big family. I used to stay over at Kelseys all the time.'

Father Sean added: Kelseys life matters, and I just feel like because we are a family off an estate in Burnley, no one is interested.'

An FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are supporting the family of a British national who sadly died in Pakistan.'
Firefighters are desperately battling a massive blaze that has engulfed a Buddhist temple and threatens to spread further.

Around three dozen fire trucks with 150 firefighters were called to the Bright Moon Buddhist Society Temple in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Springvale South after fire broke out at around 8pm on Sunday.

In social media posts spectators could be heard gasping 'oh my god' as the inferno raged with flames shooting high in the air and a thick smoke billowing from the scene of devastation.

The Bright Moon Buddhist Society Temple in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Springvale South has been engulfed by fire

Much of the Hoa Nghiem Buddhist Temple's main building already appears to have been gutted.

Fire Rescue Victoria has issued a Watch and Act warning for the surrounding areas of Dingley Village, Keysborough, Noble Park and Springvale South.

Residents in those areas are advised to stay inside and close all exterior doors and windows, turn off heating and cooling systems and avoid the area where the fire is while monitoring the situation.

Authorities also pleaded for locals to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles.

Springvale Road has been closed at Springvale South.

Smoke from the fire at the two-storey temple has been spotted as far as 15 kilometres away.

A local resident has speculated that the blaze, which broke out at around 8pm on Sunday, may have been caused by a Chinese New Year celebration candle or firework

The temple is a well known landmark in the southeast and used by many thousands of Buddhist adherents from all over Melbourne.

A resident of a townhouse that backs onto the temple, Joanne Tran, told the Herald Sun she believed the temple was celebrating Lunar New Year at the time the fire broke out.

'They usually have firecrackers and candles, the whole works, maybe something caught on fire from that,' she said.
On Friday, she was convicted of fraud at Canterbury crown Court after a trial

A finance worker has been found guilty of fraud after frittering away her grandmother's savings on fast food and games - before suggesting the OAP was a 'big eater' in a desperate attempt to shift the blame.

Amanda Farr, 47, defrauded 91-year-old Joyce Hutchings out of 24,069 by siphoning her cash into her own account.

She then wasted it on takeaways at JustEat and McDonald's, as well as on websites such as iTunes and the Playstation Store.

Farr claimed the 130 transactions between December 2017 and September 2019 - which also included William Hill bets and an Amsterdam holiday - were consensual and designed to benefit the whole family.

When trying to explain in court where the unaccounted money had gone, Farr pointed the finger at Ms Hutchings, claiming she was a 'big eater' of oriental cuisine.

Amanda Farr, 47, of Whitstable, Kent, defrauded her 91-year-old grandmother Joyce Hutchings out of 24,069 by siphoning her cash into her own account

Farr claimed the financial arrangement was above-board, with much of the money spent on her grandmother who 'liked her food'.

She claimed Ms Hutchings could spend up to 20 a week on sugary treats, 180 sending her pet to 'dog school' and would shell out 35 a time to have the animal walked.

The defendant told jurors during her trial the family who all lived at the same house in Whistable, Kent, pitched money into 'one pot', while she was tasked with managing the purse-strings.

But the former finance worker said she was ill-equipped to manage the outgoings, with their home 'haemorrhaging money' due to repairs and decorating works.

She argued her mother spent large sums of the joint kitty online for high-end items, while her partner made numerous video game purchases that were agreed by the victim.

But at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday, Farr was unanimously convicted by jurors, who saw through her lies about how she used the ill-gotten gains.

At Canterbury Crown Court on Friday, Farr was unanimously convicted by jurors, who saw through her lies about how she used the ill-gotten gains.

The court heard how Farr hid how money was moved between the accounts and even intercepted her grandmother's post and hid it under her bed.

Opening the case, prosecutor Kieran Brand, claimed Farr used a criminal technique dubbed 'layering' in an attempt to hide the money.

After skimming Ms Hutchings' account via online banking, she would rapidly transfer various amounts between her own current and savings account to blur the lines between legally and criminally held cash, Mr Brand said.

He also accused Farr of 'strong-arming' her daughter into providing a false statement to the courts, in a bid to pervert the course of justice.

But jurors unanimously cleared her of the charge on Friday.

Living at the same address was Farr, her mother, the victim, plus the defendant's own daughter and partner, the court heard.

Mr Brand told the court: 'There was no arrangement for you to take over the family finances and there was no discussion with Joyce about what you were doing with her money.'

Farr replied under cross-examination: 'Yes there was.'

Mr Brand added: 'Which is why you were trying to cover your tracks. You were intercepting her and your mother's post, you intercepted the post didn't you?

'You were hiding [the bills] weren't you? Because you were spending money on holidays and gambling. Which is why [the bills] were tucked away under your bed.'

Farr responded: 'No, it wasn't under my bed.'

Farr, who now lives in New Addington, Croydon, south London, will be sentenced on March 23 at the same court pending probation reports.
Rishi Sunak is ready to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights if it is the only way he can stop the flow of small boats carrying migrants across the Channel

The Prime Minister was today reported to be preparing for the extreme move after being told that 65,000 could make the hazardous journey this year, a 50 per cent increase on the record set in 2022.

It comes after he last week vowed to tackle the 'ridiculous' Channel migrant situation.

In an interview to mark his first 100 days in office, the PM told Piers Morgan his blueprint for overhauling the system would see asylum claims heard in 'days or weeks'.

The Sunday Times reported today that he was prepared to pass domestic legislation and then dare the ECHR in Strasbourg - which the UK helped set up - to rule against it. However such a move could set up a major row with Labour and moderate Tories.

Business secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News' Ridge on Sunday today: 'What we cant have is boats arriving here with illegal gangs and gang masters people trafficking people here and to be impotent in return.

'So Rishi is absolutely right to apply the full force of the law to stop this illegal trade in human misery.

The Prime Minister was today reported to be preparing for the extreme move after being told that 65,000 could make the hazardous journey this year, a 50 per cent increase on the record set in 2022.

It comes after he last week vowed to tackle the 'ridiculous' Channel migrant situation.

'And I think he is absolutely right to pursue that and I think hes right to make sure we can change the law, something by the way Labour vote against at every single opportunity, they dont want to stop the small boats and we do.'

Ministers have made stopping the flow of small boats crossing the Channel a top priority, with Tory MPs warning that failure to get a grip will be disastrous at the next election.

They are drawing up plans to block Channel migrants from lodging legal challenges against deportation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already outlined how the Government intends to automatically bar migrants from claiming asylum as part of his pledge to 'stop the boats'.

But extra measures are being drafted to strip back migrants' ability to launch judicial reviews or appeals.

Two separate sets of proposals are being drawn up, the Times reported, which are likely to pit ministers in a major battle with the courts.

The first - and most radical - option would prevent all small boat migrants from submitting a judicial review of their exclusion from the asylum system.

The second proposal would only allow legal challenges to be lodged once the migrant has been removed from the UK, a process known as 'out-of-country appeals'.

Rishi Sunak has vowed to strip Channel migrants arriving in the UK on small boats of their right to take judicial review proceedings to protect them from automatic deportation

The government claims that by removing the option of remaining in the UK for migrants, making the perilous journey across the English Channel would be far less attractive

Proposals are still being finalised by Home Secretary Suella Braverman and the PM, but are likely to be included in a landmark package of measures - possibly later this month.

A government source said: 'The Prime Minister and Home Secretary are working flat out to bring forward the legislation as soon as possible and ensure that it is legally watertight.'

So-called 'out-of-country' appeals, also known as 'non-suspensive' appeals, have been widely used in the asylum system for more than 25 years.

In 1996 legislation set out how asylum applicants from 'safe third countries' could only appeal from abroad against the Home Office's decision to refuse their case.

A wide expansion of the same principle is likely to be opposed by the House of Lords, judges and the human rights industry because it would cover all nationalities who arrive by small boat, even if their home nation is not considered 'safe'.

The Government's Rwanda asylum scheme - if eventually ruled lawful by senior judges later this year - could play a role in the jigsaw of new measures.

For example, Channel arrivals who come from unsafe countries could be sent to Rwanda, and lodge appeals from there.
A Korea Coast Guard helicopter searches for the missing fishermen in waters off the country's southwestern coast, Sunday, after a boat capsized at sea the night before. Courtesy of Coast Guard



President orders maximum effort for search operations



By Jung Min-ho



The Korea Coast Guard and the ROK military have been searching for nine fishermen missing after their boat was capsized late Saturday night in waters off Korea's southwestern coast.



The 24-ton vessel was overturned at around 11:17 p.m. in waters 16.6 kilometers west of Daebichi, an uninhabited island close to the county of Sinan. Since then, three people, including one Indonesian national, have been rescued. Nine others, including two Vietnamese nationals, are still missing.



President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday told top officials of all related government ministries and agencies to maximize efforts to find them, calling for support for victims' families, according to Kim Eun-hye, senior presidential secretary for press affairs.



Some 30 vessels from the Korea Coast Guard and the ROK Navy as well as several maritime patrol aircraft and divers of its Sea Salvage and Rescue Unit (SSU) have been deployed to the area.



At a meeting with the families, Oceans Minister Cho Seung-hwan said most of those missing were believed to be on the ship's deck at the time the vessel capsized.



"Further investigation is needed to find out whether they were instructed by the captain to go out to the deck," Cho said. "We will share the result of the investigation with the families as soon as it comes out."



The cause of the incident is still unclear. The crew members rescued by a cargo ship, which received a help call from the country's Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) in Mokpo, said sea water started gushing into the engine room for an unknown reason before the boat rolled to one side.



Lee Hyung-keun, the captain of the cargo ship, said the survivors were waiting for rescue on the capsized vessel when he arrived at around 12:10 a.m. and they initially appeared to be unable to communicate properly due to hypothermia.





A survivor of the fishing boat incident is taken to an ambulance at a pier in Mokpo, South Jeolla Province, Sunday. Newsis
When Prince Harry lost his virginity to an 'older woman' in a field outside a pub, it marked the end of a close, two-and-a-half year friendship which saw the couple go in radically different directions.

Sasha Walpole, 40, a digger driver from Wiltshire, revealed last night that she was the mystery woman referred to in the Duke of Sussex's memoir Spare - but described a close friendship with the prince which emerged over a shared love of horses.

After a birthday celebration the night before Ms Walpole's nineteenth birthday, the pair had their quick tryst behind the Wiltshire pub before going their separate ways, never speaking again.

Now Ms Walpole has lifted the curtain on her old friend Harry, who she says was 16 at the time, and revealed the secret she has kept for 21 years.

Sasha Walpole, 40, is a digger driver and horse-lover from Wiltshire - a world away from Prince Harry's glitzy life in California

Ms Walpole (left) and Prince Harry (right) were in a group of friends who bonded over horses as teens

Ms Walpole met Prince William before ever coming into contact with his young brother - at a comedy night starring the late Cornish comedian Jethro at the Beaufort Hunt Kennels.

She had recently begun working at Highgrove as an assistant groomer, aged just 17.

She subsequently made friends with Harry at one of his favourite pubs, The Rattlebone Inn, in the nearby Wiltshire village of Sherston.

They bonded over their love of all things equestrian and stories of her escapades on her own horse Beano.

After meeting at The Rattlebone Inn, she was soon invited to the princes' space at Highgrove, where then-Prince Charles had granted them a chill-zone.

Ms Walpole fondly recalls boozy nights including games such as Spin the Bottle.

The first time the Prince rang her on the white push-button landline phone wired into the wall at home, it was mother Lyn who answered.

Prince Harry was pictured socialising with some of his friends in June 2001, including Sasha (circled)

Prince Harry married Meghan Markle and moved to California, a world away from Wiltshire

A younger Sasha Walpole dressed up for a Polo ball, around the time she was friends with the princes

'Mum said, "Harry's on the phone." Afterwards she asked, "Was that HARRY?". I said, "Yes!" and I remember her saying, "Oh, how funny".'

Her close friendship with Harry was born of a common understanding: 'Everyone was equal in the world of horses.

'Our group was a very mixed bunch of polo players, grooms, hunt staff and racing people, a cosmopolitan crowd.

'It didn't matter if you were a groom, a Royal or a rider. There was no judgment.

'Harry didn't act like a Prince, there wasn't any snobbery. Honestly, we were just two mates who talked horses.'

But their friendship came to an abrupt end when a quick cigarette break turned into a romp in a field - and they never spoke again.

Ms Walpole was hired as an assistant groom at Highgrove in 1999, at the age of 17

Sasha Walpole is now happily married to husband Ian, a drift racer, with two young daughters

'He started to kiss me,' she remembers. 'It was passionate, intense. We both knew. It went from a kiss on to the floor pretty quickly.

'It was instant, fiery, wham bam, between two friends. It was sparky because we shouldn't have been doing it. He wasn't 'Prince Harry' to me, this was Harry, my friend, and the situation had got a little bit out of control. It felt naughty, I suppose, in the sense that it shouldn't be happening.

'We didn't set out to do it  it wasn't premeditated and I didn't know he was a virgin. There were no virgin vibes  he seemed to know what he was doing. It was quick, wild, exciting. We were both drunk. It wouldn't have happened if we weren't.'

She recalled seeing him hiding in a phone box as she left the pub for home - and the encounter marked the end of Sasha's friendship with Harry. From being regular drinking partners, the pair never texted, spoke or saw each other again.

After the encounter, Prince Harry returned to Eton to continue his studies, and she was preparing to leave home, having applied for prestigious grooming jobs as part of a plan to pursue a career with horses.

But tragedy struck with the arrival of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK. Her job opportunities vanished, and she decided to instead follow the path of her father, and swap her car for a one-tonne digger instead.

As Prince Harry left school and pursued a career in the army while enjoying the luxuries of royal life, she was digging holes in some of the most rural areas of England.

The Vine Tree Pub, Norton, Wiltshire where Prince Harry had sex with Sasha Walpole in a field, which the Duke sensationally revealed in his bombshell memoir Spare

Ms Walpole is now a mother to two daughters and excavates footings for patios and driveways in her day-to-day life.

While Harry married American actress Meghan Markle, Sasha opted for professional drift racer Ian Walpole, initially meeting him in 2001 before marrying in 2016.

It was Ian who bought her her first digger as a birthday present.

She said: 'Now I drive a one-ton that goes through doorways and a three-ton too. Plus I have two dumpers.'

While she and Mr Walpole moved an hour up the road to settle in Wiltshire, Harry and Meghan moved halfway across the world.

In recent months Prince Harry has been extremely busy with the release of his memoir Spare and Netflix series Harry and Meghan.

His father's coronation is fast approaching, with no sign of the rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the royal family ending.

Meanwhile Ms Walpole, her mother and sister have kept her secret for more than two decades, enjoying a life outside of public scrutiny - until now.

On Harry's revelations, she says: 'Being exposed in a book is surreal. I'm here in my home in Wiltshire with my husband Ian and my kids and  21 years later  this.'

'I don't think people will be amazed about me and Harry having sex in a field,' she says bluntly, 'but they are usually astonished by a woman driving a digger.'

It says much about the happily married mother-of-two  all of it good  that she has guarded their secret for so many years.

And it says much about the teenage Harry  also good  that he initiated a two-and-a-half-year friendship with a girl from outside the so-called Glosse Posse of wealthy, blue-blooded youngsters who made up his social circle in rural Gloucestershire.
Support for Scottish independence and the SNP has plummeted amid a furious row over Nicola Sturgeon's party and its attitude towards trans sex attackers, a new poll suggests.

Support for the country quitting the UK has fallen by six percentage points from 53 per cent to 47 per cent since December, according to a survey carried out in the wake of the Isla Bryson furore.

Backing for the SNP at Holyrood and Westminster has also dropped after the row over Bryston, who was convicted of violent sex attacks on two women while a man called Adam Graham.

Bryson was initially sent to a women's prison on remand before Ms Sturgeon was forced to intervene to send the violent rapist to a male facility.

But she has since struggled to set out her position on trans offenders, including whether they are male or female.

Support for the country quitting the UK has fallen by six percentage points from 53 per cent to 47 per cent since December, according to a survey carried out in the wake of the Isla Bryson furore.

Byron was convicted of violent sex attacks on two women while a man called Adam Graham, transitioned after being arrested.

The YouGov survey of 1,088 Scottish voters shows support for the party dropped from 50 per cent to 44 per cent in the Holyrood constituency vote and from 40 per cent to 36 per cent in the regional list, when compared to the results of the same poll in December.

SNP support at Westminster dropped marginally from 43 per cent to 42 per cent.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she plans to run the next UK election as a 'de-facto referendum' in the hopes of achieving a majority of votes north of the border and securing negotiations on independence.

But the First Minister's approval rating has also suffered in recent months, dropping from a net of 7 per cent in October to -4 per cent.

Bryson, who committed two rapes while she was a man, was initially housed in segregation at Cornton Vale near Stirling - Scotland's only all-female prison - before being moved to the male estate after public and political outcry.

The saga led to Scottish Justice Secretary Keith Brown pausing the movement of transgender prisoners into women's jails if they have a history of violence.

Professor John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, told the Sunday Times: 'While the decline in support for independence is likely to be part of the explanation, it looks as though the battering the Scottish Government has suffered, especially on the issue of transgender prisoners, may also have taken its toll on SNP support.'

The party's depute leader Keith Brown said: 'While we take nothing for granted, this poll suggests that the SNP remains by far the most popular party in Scotland, and Nicola Sturgeon is by far the most popular leader.

'Scotland is an enormously wealthy, resource-rich country - but under Westminster control, we face being part of the worst performing economy in the developed world, with Brexit an unfolding a disaster that is making us all poorer.

'The fact that Keir Starmer's Labour Party is now fully signed up to the Tory hard Brexit - and indeed backs their refusal to respect Scotland's right to determine its own future - shows why independence for Scotland is now essential.

'Independence will mean a proper partnership of equals between Scotland and the rest of the UK instead of ever-tightening Westminster control.'
An engine erupted into flames on a tourist plane carrying 321 people in Thailand as its tyres exploded during takeoff, leading to the pilot abruptly aborting the departure.

In the emergency 309 passengers and 12 crew on a Russian tourist plane in Phuket, Thailand, were offloaded and forced to await a new aircraft.

Dramatic pictures and footage showed the Boeing 767-306ER hit by sudden fire due to an 'engine surge'.

There were reports of a 'loud bang' in the takeoff emergency.

The landing gear also ignited in flames on the same right side of the aircraft as the aircraft aborted its departure, said reports.

The engine of a Russian tourist plane carrying 321 people in Phuket, Thailand, erupted into flames as its tyres exploded during take-off

Passengers captured shocking pictures and footage showing the the Boeing 767-306ER hit by sudden fire due to an 'engine surge'

A suspicion is that Russian airlines are cutting corners with safety and seeking to operate ageing aircraft without proper maintenance following tough Western sanctions over Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

This 26-year-old plane operated by charter company Azur Air was en route from Phuket International Airport to Moscow when it was hit by the drama.

Passengers on board included families of men hiding from Putin's mobilisation decree.

Some had left their men in Thailand - seen as a 'friendly' country by Russia - amid suspicions of a new round of conscription.

Other men were returning to Russia after running out of money, despite the fear they could be mobilised in a feared new forced recruitment drive and sent to the front.

The images and footage shows the frightening twin problems on the plane which had a total of 321 on board.

'Airline technical specialists have already started work to eliminate the malfunctions,' said a statement from the Russian airline.

'Passengers of flight ZF-3604 will be provided with a hotel, hot meals and soft drinks while waiting for departure to Moscow.'

Russian holidaymakers faced delays following the accident on the Azur Air aircraft

Head of the Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport Alexander Neradko said: 'I am confident that it has not become more dangerous to fly - and it has nothing to do with the presence or absence of original spare parts'

Passengers were told they would now fly on Sunday on a replacement aircraft.

'The vacation continues,' one posted.

'At first the takeoff was normal,' a passenger told Izvestia.

'But then there was a surge and I heard the sound of crackling.

'When passengers left the plane, it was clear that the landing gear of the aircraft was damaged.'

One report said the plane had been close to taking off at 120mph when problems arose.

On Wednesday a top Russian aviation official said Western-made airliners - which are not undergoing normal service in Russian currently due to sanctions - can be used until 2030.

'I am confident that it has not become more dangerous to fly - and it has nothing to do with the presence or absence of original spare parts,' said Head of the Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport, Alexander Neradko.

He demanded that people stop describing as 'cannibalisation' for the way planes are being kept flying in Russia by using spare parts from other aircraft.

'It appeared at the behest of those who have never worked in civil aviation and who are unaware of the fact that the practice of interchanging serviceable spare parts from jet to jet has always been widespread, even during the Soviet times,' he claimed.
A Daniel Andrews' press conference went off the rails when he was confronted by a heckler over Covid vaccine mandates.

The disgruntled man on Sunday called the Victorian Premier 'a fraud' during the heated exchange after asking when jab requirements would be dropped for frontline workers.

Mr Andrews was there to brief reporters on Melbourne's annual Midsumma Pride March, held in the beachside suburb of St Kilda to celebrate the LGBTIQ community - but the topic of discussion quickly unravelled.

'When are you going to drop the vaccine mandates for the police and the health sector?' the man asked.

Mr Andrews pointedly avoided making eye contact and said there were vaccine mandates still in place at the national level, although he failed to mention states such as Queensland that now do not require police to be vaccinated.

The man said voluntary organisations such as Life Saving Victoria, the State Emergency Service and the Country Fire Association had dropped vaccine mandate for members and again asked the premier when he would do the same.

Mr Andrews said there 'are some nationally consistent approaches in relation to those who work in sensitive settings, for instance, aged care workers and hospital workers'.

'How long is it going to go for? Another one or two years?' the man tried to interject.

'I am neither here to apologise for saving lives...,' Mr Andrews began.

A Daniel Andrews' press conference went off the rails when he was confronted by a heckler over Covid vaccine mandates

'No, you wouldn't,' the man interrupted.

'No, I won't. You got that right. We can agree on that,' Mr Andrews said while keeping his eyes directed away from the man.

As the man tried to keep interrogating the premier, Mr Andrews told him he wasn't an 'accredited journalist' and wished him 'happy Pride and all the very best' as he continued to talk over the top of the his attempts to interrupt.

'Let me make one thing very clear to you, vaccines work. I am absolutely pro-vaccine,' Mr Andrews said pointing at the man to his right but still looking straight ahead.

Infuriated by the response, the heckler said: 'You are a fraud. That's the stupidest thing you said on election night,' referring to Mr Andrews' victory speech after the November vote where he praised vaccines for bringing Victoria out of its protracted Covid lockdowns.

Mr Andrews was there to brief reporters on Melbourne's annual Midsumma Pride March, held in the beachside suburb of St Kilda to celebrate the LGBTIQ community - but the topic of discussion quickly unravelled

'Others can judge who's being stupid at the moment. Science is important. Science is very important,' Mr Andrews said.

'All the best to you, if you want to abuse me well you've done a bit of that.'

Mr Andrews started to take a question from a journalist but halted suddenly and decided to get the last word on his accuser.

'There was an election held sir and I am very pleased to say that we've re-elected,' Mr Andrews said.

'Part of that, of course, is listening to a broad range of views. You've had your say and you are frankly wrong.'
Chinese state media has accused the US of using the recent incident involving a suspected Chinese spy balloon as a political ploy to enflame tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Beijing mouthpiece the China Daily made the sensational claim in a scathing editorial published Wednesday - one which charged that Joe Biden and his administration have 'overreacted' to the incident, and used it to their benefit.

The piece, titled Paranoia spurs China-bashers to dramatize balloon incident into a Hollywood blockbuster, points to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's planned visit to the country as proof of this supposed ploy, along with its recent cancellation.

Blinken, who was due to depart for Beijing on Friday, said at a press conference that the high-altitude surveillance craft seen flying over the continental United States near South Carolina 'created the conditions that undermine the purpose of the trip.'

Beijing, meanwhile, has issued the following, chilling statement in reply, saying it 'reserves the right to make further responses if necessary.'

Chinese state media has accused the US of using the recent incident involving a suspected Chinese spy balloon as a political ploy to enflame tensions between Washington and Beijing

The piece points to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's planned visit to the country as proof of the supposed ploy, along with its recent cancellation

'China has strongly protested at the shooting down of its meteorological balloon that had strayed into US airspace,' the piece's opening line reads, adding that the aircraft strayed into US airspace 'completely accidentally.'

The article goes on to reiterate Beijing's official stance on the purpose of the South Carolina balloon, which is that it used for meteorological purposes and that its entry into US airspace was unintended.

'A US military fighter jet shot down the balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, a week after it first entered US airspace,' it reads, before referencing the China's Foreign Ministry's official response to the incident.

China on Saturday night slammed Joe Biden's decision to shoot down the aircraft as both a 'clear overreaction' and a 'serious violation of international practice'

Blinken, who was due to depart for Beijing on Friday, said at a press conference that the high-altitude surveillance craft seen flying over the continental United States near South Carolina 'created the conditions that undermine the purpose of the trip'. A second craft confirmed by the Pentagon to be a Chinese spy plane has since been spotted over Latin America

The agency on Saturday night slammed the US' decision to shoot down the aircraft as both a 'clear overreaction' and a 'serious violation of international practice.'

'China clearly asked the US to handle this properly in a calm, professional and restrained manner,' the piece continued. 'The US has insisted on using force, obviously overreacting.'

The article went on to claim that the US 'is using the incident to justify' the postponement of Blinken's planned visit, charging that the balloon is 'an excuse, not the cause of the postponement.'

'The true cause,' the piece alleges, 'lies in US domestic politics.'

In total, there were five balloons spotted during Trump's term. At least one flew over portions of Texas, two flew over Florida during the Trump administration with additional sightings near the Pacific Islands of Hawaii and Guam. Three have been seen during Biden's presidency including near Hawaii, the one that was shot down this weekend and another over South America

The op-ed would go on to paint a picture of supposed inner-turmoil currently transpiring the US, one the Beijing-backed paper charged is brought on by various bipartisan quarrels.

To hit this point home, the Daily cited how Biden issued an order as early as Wednesday to take down the balloon, when it was spotted hovering over states like Montana, but that the US eventually elected to wait to shoot down the suspected spy craft until Saturday when it was over the Atlantic, on the advice of the Pentagon.

'Republican opponents in Congress still argue he failed to act quickly enough,' the op-ed charges. 'That reflects the struggle between the two parties, and how public demonstrations of which party is tougher on China has become part of their feuding.'

An F-22 Raptor fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile to take down a Chinese spy balloon and its payload, which was equipped with cameras, sensors and radars

Jets were seen flying close to the balloon around 1.30pm Saturday after a source revealed that defense officials were planning a shoot down and capture mission

It's this division, the article charges, along with the US' fueling of the prospective animosity, that has prevented the 'world's largest developed country from bettering relations with the world's largest developing country.'

The piece goes on to claim: 'By hyping up the balloon as being "a massive surveillance balloon", US media outlets have provided the excuse for that political animosity toward China to be intensified'.

Meanwhile, it added, 'the two parties are already jockeying for position with their eyes on the presidential election in 2024.

The piece comes on the heels of the Beijing's Foreign Ministry's own disapproving response to Biden's decision to shoot down the balloon - an act its Foreign Ministry deemed a 'clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.'

'The Chinese side has, after verification, repeatedly informed the U.S. side of the civilian nature of the airship and conveyed that its entry into the U.S. due to force majeure was totally unexpected,' the Ministry said.

Defense officials estimated the balloon was about the size of three buses at a height of 120 feet, and that the debris field would be substantial, estimated at seven miles when it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday

Beijing had already warned that America's decision to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon that hovered over U.S. nuclear silos was a 'clear overreaction' and to prepare for 'responses'

'The Chinese side has clearly asked the US side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner,' it added.

'The spokesperson of the U.S. Department of Defense also noted that the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.

'Under such circumstances, the US use of force is a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.

'China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the company concerned, and reserves the right to make further responses if necessary.'

An F-22 Raptor fighter jet took down the balloon with a single AIM-9X sidewinder missile at 2.38pm on Saturday, off the coast of South Carolina.

Audio from FRANK01 (Langley AFB F-22) calling, SPASH ONEconfirming to HUNTRESS (Eastern Air Defense Sector EADS) that the #ChineseSpyBallon is completely destroyed off the coast of South Carolina today 

*Big thanks to Brett728 for sharing pics and  for the audio! pic.twitter.com/8tfZeyeNAy  Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) February 5, 2023

Navy and Coast Guard are now working to secure a perimeter around the downed craft, as it emerged overnight that three other Chinese spy balloons had entered U.S. airspace during the Trump administration but the public was never informed and the balloons were never shot down.

What's more, on Saturday, the Pentagon confirmed that second Chinese 'surveillance balloon' was spotted flying over Latin America. That craft, spotted near the Columbian port city of Cartagena, is currently being investigated.

Republican leaders are now demanding both Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris resign over the latest incident.

David Stillwell, who served as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs under the Trump administration, told DailyMail.com the balloon was likely form of mind game by Beijing ahead of the meeting between Sec. Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

'This demonstrates a common tactic by Beijing to test others before important meetings.'

He noted that in 2007 the Chinese shot an anti-satellite weapon before then-Defense Sec. Robert Gates arrived in the nation. The U.S. didn't cancel, but 'should have,' Stillwell said.

'Beijing loves playing in the gray area. Is this a surveillance operation? Is it a weather balloon? The fact is, it doesn't matter,' Stillwell said.

Both sightings are currently being investigated by the Justice Department.
A black Columbia University professor is accusing the widow of a wealthy banker of 'white supremacy' after she pulled $2.8million worth of funding from a charity they set up together.

Dr Marti Slaten created the Harry T. Burleigh Society in 2017 with her then-student Lynne Foote to honor the musician.

The pair became friends because of their love for African-American music history, with Foote investing $2million into the charity in 2019.

Her donation was intended to set up concerts with Burleigh's music and to help fund up-and-coming black musicians.

Slaten, the executive director, was one of two paid employees and also performed songs at concerts put on by the group.

Dr Marti Slaten, pictured, created the Harry T. Burleigh Society in 2017 with her then-student Lynne Foote with the aim of honoring the musician

Foote's donation of $2million was intended to set up concerts with Burleigh's music and to help fund up-and-coming black musicians

But the two women had a major falling out in 2020, which resulted in Foote stepping down from her role as president of the society in 2021.

She claimed that the group was no longer fundraising or putting on concerts, and made a few suggestions on a new board chairperson who would have 'sole access to the oversight and control of the endowment account'.

However legal documents submitted by Foote show that while she said she was leaving the group she wanted to continue her donations and support of the society.

She moved to Oxford in the UK to continue her historical research, and said in an email that she felt Slaten had implied she was 'power hungry' after the two women's relationship soured.

It is unclear what the two women fell out about, but in an email addressing Slaten's concerns, Foote said she 'humbly learned of the ways my own deeply inculcated white supremacy and racism had manifested itself in our relationship.'

She added: 'Though that was a painful thing to reckon with, I was grateful for the chance to grow in my awareness of how profoundly I'm still shaped by and respond in these oppressive ways.

'And it felt like the 'something' in the air between us was finally understandable to me.'

Foote says was shocked when Slaten setup a new board, with a new director and treasurer and made herself the president.

Her husband Steve Foote, left, died after a battle with cancer in 2019, and was initially also on the board for the charity

It is unclear what the two women fell out about, but in an email addressing Slaten's concerns, Foote said she 'humbly learned of the ways my own deeply inculcated white supremacy and racism had manifested itself in our relationship'

Alonzo Van Wilson, the board's new director, said that Foote is 'not a good leader' and was not in compliance with New York state law for setting up the charity

Slaten is accused of extending her contract for three years, giving herself a 35 per cent raise, to $135,000, with a $1,500 monthly 'personal wellness' expense.

Initially she was paid $88,000 a year for 20 hours of work a week, as well as having an expense account and getting paid childcare.

Foote is claiming that she was caught 'off-guard' when Slaten asked the bank to remove her from the account so she could assume full control of the money  saying she just wanted to resign as president.

She froze the multi-million-dollar account which left several employees without their salary, and brought all society activity to a halt.

Her husband Steve Foote died after a battle with cancer in 2019, and was initially also on the board for the charity.

Following his death, Foote says that she took a step back and also made the move to the UK to continue her research for the charity.

Slaten created a new board, which Foote says are her 'friends' who have 'no experience' for the job  with the court case still rumbling on a year later.

The Columbia University professor ultimately resigned from her position  initially demanding a $600,000 severance payout - which she did not receive.

The Columbia University professor ultimately resigned from her position  initially demanding a $600,000 severance payout - which she did not receive

The pair became friends because of their love for African-American music history, with Foote investing $2million into the charity in 2019. Pictured: Harry T Burleigh

However legal documents submitted by Foote show that while she said she was leaving the group she wanted to continue her donations and support of the society

She received her yearly salary of $135k instead and has completely removed herself from society.

Dan McSwiggan, a lawyer for Foote told the Daily News: 'The Harry T. Burleigh Society was co-founded and funded by Ms. Foote to uphold Mr. Burleigh's legacy by highlighting innovative, Black classical musicianship through public performance and programs.'

'Ms. Foote is proud of how much was accomplished, saddened that the work is no longer being done and remains deeply committed to ensuring that the Society's funds be used in a manner consistent with its mission of uplifting Black art music.'

She also still considers herself a part of the board and wants to work with the group to fulfill the original mission of the society.

Alonzo Van Wilson, the board's new director, said that Foote is 'not a good leader' and was not in compliance with New York state law for setting up the charity.

He said: 'She's tearing down an organization that she supposedly loves. Ms. Foote resigned, but then her attorney said you realize you left all this money on the table.

'So now what really is the issue is she wants to get back on the board because she wants to control the money that she gave.

'But if you donate money to an organization, that's their money. You don't get the money back.'
Iran's supreme leader has pardoned 'tens of thousands' of prisoners, including some arrested in recent anti-government protests, after a deadly state crackdown helped quell the nationwide unrest.

However, the pardon approved by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei came with conditions, according to details announced in state media reports, which said the measure would not apply to any of the numerous dual nationals held in Iran.

State news agency IRNA said those accused of 'corruption on earth' - a capital charge brought against some protesters, four of whom have been executed - would also not be pardoned.

Neither would it apply to those charged with 'spying for foreign agencies' or those 'affiliated with groups hostile to the Islamic Republic', state media reported.

Iran was swept by protests following the death of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in the custody of the country's morality police last September. Iranians from all walks of life took part, marking one of the boldest challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a ceremony called Angels celebration in Tehran

Protestors chant 'Political prisoners must be released' during a march in Iran's southeastern city of Zahedan

According to the HRANA activist news agency, about 20,000 people have been arrested in connection with the protests, which the authorities accused Iran's foreign enemies of fomenting.

Rights groups say over 500 have been killed in the crackdown, including 70 minors. At least four people have been hanged, according to the Iranian judiciary.

In a letter to Khamenei requesting the pardon, judiciary head Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said: 'During recent events, a number of people, especially young people, committed wrong actions and crimes as a result of the indoctrination and propaganda of the enemy.'

Protests have slowed considerably since the hangings began.

'Since the foreign enemies and anti-revolutionary currents' plans have been foiled, many of these youth now regret their actions,' Ejei wrote.

Khamenei approved the pardons in honour of the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution.

It would not apply to those 'facing charges of spying for foreign agencies, having direct contact with foreign agents, committing intentional murder and injury, (and) committing destruction and arson of state property'.

'Naturally, those who do not express regret for their activities and give a written commitment for not repeating those activities, will not be pardoned,' deputy judiciary chief Sadeq Rahimi said.

The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group said this week that at least 100 detained protesters faced possible death sentences.

Amnesty International has criticised Iranian authorities for what it called 'sham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran'.
A Russian propogandist turned fighter-for-hire has been shot in the head in an attack which analysts have hinted may be a warning to the leader of Russias mercenary Wagner group  which is growing in power.

Igor Mangushev, 36, was famed as one of Russias most recognisable TV spin doctors before going into the army using the call name of Bereg.

In the early hours of Saturday, Mangushev was taken to hospital in Stakhanov in Russias eastern Donetsk region with a gunshot wound to the head, The Telegraph reports.

Graphic pictures showing Mangushev lying bloodied on a hospital bed have been shared on social media by his friend Boris Rozhkin, who has described his condition as 'grave'.

Doctors are said to have determined he was shot at close range by someone using a handgun. No further details of the attack are known at present.

Pro-Putin activist Mangushev vowed in his sick rant: 'We'll make a goblet out of your skull'

Russia expert Mark Galeotti said that Mangushevs links with Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of the private military contractor Wagner, are significant and this could be a proxy attack.

Galeotti said: I think we can safely describe this as a hit.

This could be a warning, or taking a pawn off the board, or a sign that Mr Prigozhins more thuggish rivals feel he is weakened enough that they can move.

Mangushev claimed the skull had belonged to an Azov regiment soldier killed in Mariupol

Mangushev provoked revulsion last August, when footage emerged of him apparently waving the skull of a Ukrainian soldier killed in Mariupol on stage.

The twisted ultranationalist said: 'Why can't there be any reconciliation?

'Ukraine must be de-Ukrainized.

'The Russian lands of Novorossiya must be returned back.

'We are not at war with people of blood and flesh. We are at war with an idea  Ukraine as an anti-Russian state.'

Holding the skull, he was quoted by Astra media as saying: 'We're alive and this guy is already dead.

'Let him burn in hell.

'He wasn't lucky. We'll make a goblet out of his skull.'

The Ukraine war veteran's address came at an unconfirmed location at an unknown date

Mangushev is thought to have fought in Ukraine in Russia's invasion, which began in February

The pro-Putin ultranationalist, pictured in a Russian army 'Z' hat, has a 14-year-old daughter

In his Telegram channel, Mangushev openly calls for the killing of civilians.

'We will burn your houses, kill your families, take away your children and raise them Russians,' he posted.

Mangushev is supposedly fighting against Ukraine but is also the head of nationalist movement Light Russia and a creator of a private army ENOT which is said to have links to the FSB.

The performance with a human skull violated at least one article - 244 - of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation: 'Desecration of the bodies of the dead'.

It is also a war crime in international law.

The location and timing of the video's recording was not clear and could not be independently verified.
Donald Trump would beat President Joe Biden by 3 points in a hypothetical head-to-head election, a new poll reveals as most Americans say they don't want a rematch of 2020.

Forty-eight percent of registered voters said in a ABC News/Washington Post poll released Sunday that they would vote for Trump  and 45 percent said they would vote for Biden.

While this falls within the four-point margin of error, it is a flip from September when Biden was beating Trump by two points.

Independent voters, possibly the most important voting bloc in recent national elections, favor Trump by nine percentage points at a 50%-41% split.

Most Americans are not looking forward to a rematch between Trump and Biden in 2024 and want other candidates as their respective nominees instead.

If Biden ran for a second term in 2024, 30 percent of Americans said they would be 'angry', while another 32 percent said that they would be 'dissatisfied but not angry.'

A new poll shows that Americans are not looking forward to the prospects of a 2020 rematch between President Joe Biden (right) and his predecessor Donald Trump (left)

The new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows that the favorability has flipped from September, and Trump would now win by 3 percentage points in a hypothetical head-to-head election against Biden

Only 7 percent of respondents said they would be 'enthusiastic' if Biden won reelection and 29 percent said while they would be 'satisfied', they would not be enthusiastic.

The prospects weren't much better for another Trump presidency.

Thirty-six percent of the 1,003 people polled said they would be 'angry' if he won four more years while 20 percent said they would be 'dissatisfied.'

Meanwhile, the former president did fare better with the positive side of the spectrum than Biden with 17 percent saying they would be enthusiastic for another Trump White House and 26 percent saying they would be satisfied.

Trump was not pleased with the latest poll, responding with ire on his social media website Truth Social on Sunday morning by employing his insulting monikers for two outlets that conducted the poll  'ABC fake news' and the 'Washington compost.'

'For all of my many supporters, and the number is higher than ever before, I am pleased to report that 'our' Poll numbers are Excellent,' Trump insisted in his post.

'Polls are important, but many have proven to be so corrupt, wrong, or incompetent in the past,' he added, 'especially, those of ABC FAKE NEWS/WASHINGTON COMPOST; FOX FAKE NEWS; and NBC FAKE NEWS/GLOBALIST STREET JOURNAL, that they have become somewhat meaningless, just a political weapon. CNN Polls no longer matter in that so few people are watching CNN (and MSDNC) anymore!'

The poll found that among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independent voters, 58 percent would want a different candidate than Biden as their nominee in the 2024 presidential election. On the other side, 31 percent said they support Biden.

When it comes to Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 49 percent said they would prefer a different candidate than Trump to be their nominee versus the 44 percent who want another Trump White House bid.

Both on the Democrat and Republican side, the support for the respective presidents is essentially unchanged since the same poll taken in September.

The poll shows that only 7% of voters are 'enthusiastic' about a Biden reelection bid while 17% feel the same about a second term with Trump

Trump blasted the polling in a tweet Sunday morning, claiming that the major news outlets 'have proven to be so corrupt, wrong or incompetent' that it yields all polling 'somewhat meaningless' and 'just a political weapon'

Respondents said for the most part that they want to see other primary candidates in 2024. Trump-era Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (pictured) will announce her candidacy this month in South Carolina, where she formerly served as governor

There are a slew of Republicans hinting at a run  but it's not clear if any major Democratic candidates will launch a bid against Biden once he announces his reelection efforts. Among potential GOP candidates are South Carolina Senator Tim Scott (left), former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (center) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (right)

While it's unclear whether any Democrats will be bold enough to take on Biden should he announce a reelection bid, which has not yet officially happened, there are several Republicans showing interest in launching a bid against Trump.

So far, Trump is the only major Republican to announce his 2024 candidacy. But his former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, is announcing her bid later this month.

Others are also making visits to early primary contest states like New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina  signaling more impending bids are coming.

This includes the likes of former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, among others.

Many Republicans want to see highly popular Florida Governor Ron DeSantis run for the White House. Trump has made him public enemy No. 1 by launching a series of attack-lines against DeSantis in recent weeks when officially hitting the 2024 campaign trail.
Hamline was criticized over the firing of a professor in January

Among the top schools are Hamline University, Texas A&M and Oregon

A list of worst violators of the first amendment in academia has been published

Minnesota's Hamline University has been named as one of the worst colleges in the United States for free speech after the school fired a professor for showing a 14th-century painting of the prophet Muhammad in a class on Islamic art.

The other schools that made the top ten include transgender swimming star Lia Thomas' University of Pennsylvania, which was cited for trying to silence a professor's anti-immigration and anti-affirmative action comments.

The University of Oregon is included on the list for forcing staff members to 'pledge allegiance' to 'diversity, equity and inclusion.' The prestigious Texas A&M also made the top ten after school officials began taking control of traditionally student-run events on campus.

This is according to a new list published by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a non-profit civil liberties group.

The foundation said of the list: 'Each year, FIRE bestows a special dishonor upon a select group of American colleges that go above and beyond in their efforts to trample expressive freedom.

'These are the schools that stopped at nothing to crush faculty rights, destroy student expression, and leave guest speakers in the dust.'

The full list of troubling institutions: Hamline University, Collin College, Emerson University, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Loyola University New Orleans (NOLA), Texas A&M, Pennsylvania State University, Emporia State University, Tennessee Tech University, and the University of Oregon.

Hamline attracted controversy stemming from an October 2022 incident in which adjunct art instructor Erika Lopez Prater showed the 14th-century painting of the Prophet Muhammad to her students as part of a lesson on Islamic art after warning them beforehand and giving them an opportunity to opt-out.

She has sued the private liberal arts school over Millers decision not to renew her contract.

Lopez Prater said in her lawsuit that she warned her students ahead of time and on the day the images were shown because she knew that many Muslims consider visual depictions of the Prophet Muhammad to be a violation of their faith.

She said the school had subjected her to religious discrimination and defamation and damaged her professional and personal reputation.

Faculty leaders at Hamline University - which dismissed art history instructor Erika Lopez Prater (pictured right) - have overwhelmingly called for the university president Fayneese Miller (pictured left) to resign

Aram Wedatalla complained to the school, claiming she'd been 'blindsided' by the image of the Prophet Muhammad despite Professor Prater giving them multiple warnings that she intended to show it

After the class, Aram Wedatalla - a student who is also the president of the university's Muslim association - complained.

Wedatalla, who spearheaded the campaigning to get Lopez Prater fired, chose to remain online in the class.

Afterward, she and others promptly complained to school officials that the image 'blindsided' her and made her feel marginalized.

While leaders of some local Muslim groups criticized Lopez Prater, the national office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said instructors who analyze images of the Prophet Muhammad for academic purposes are not the same as Islamophobes who show such images to cause offense.'

The faculty of the school has since called on President Fayneese Miller to resign.

In a letter published Wednesday in The Oracle, the student news site at Hamline, the representatives of several student groups said they strongly support President Miller.

'Professional troll' Alex Stein recorded himself mocking a Penn State student protester prior to his appearance alongside Gavin McInnes

Penn State's presence on the list was down by the school's cancellation of a comedy show that included Proud Boys' founder Gavin McInnes and controversial comedian Alex Stein on the bill.

The event was hosted by Uncensored America, a free-speech group based at Penn State. Since the evening was announced, there had been calls from protesters to cancel it. Those calls went unheeded by school officials.

Stein tweeted following the cancelation: 'Penn State Shut Down My Speech on Campus Today! Free Speech Doesnt Exist for Conservatives!'

Stein and McInnes were recorded in a video posted by Penn State's Collegian newspaper hurrying into a waiting car with a police escort.

Stein is the host of Conspiracy Castle on the little-watched BlazeTV. Prior to Monday's events, he was best known for sexually harassing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the steps of the Capitol, telling her that she was his 'favorite big booty Latina.'

Tennessee Tech University and Texas A&M University are both on the list thanks to their actions taken to ban drag shows from taking place on campus.

Some people were infuriated the show occurred in the conservative state of Tennessee while others did not mind

In Tennessee's case, an investigation by school management found that the event was problematic as it was open to minors.

The school's theater team, dubbed Backdoor Playhouse, hosted a Christianity-themed drag show with the star dressed as a Catholic monk before stripping down to a corset and stockings.

While in Texas, the school maintained that its decision not to fund a drag event known as Draggieland as well as forcing the school newspaper to go digital was purely for monetary reasons.

Loyola University in New Orleans is included on the list after threatening the tenure of a professor who was accused of talking about controversial topics in class.

Professor Walter Block was forced to attend diversity training after using the terms 'Oriental' and 'atta girl' in class.

Ilya Shapiro, who due to join Georgetown Law school next week, has been placed on administrative leave over his social media posts made last week about Biden's SCOTUS picks

Shapiro posted on Twitter questioning the qualifications of any black woman that President Joe Biden may nominate to replace Justice Stephen Breyer

In addition to the top ten list, the foundation also gave a lifetime achievement award in censorship to Georgetown University for 'its longstanding commitment to, well, censorship  of everyone from an incoming libertarian lecturer to students campaigning for Bernie Sanders.'

Last year, Georgetown conducted a 122 day-long investigation into the director of constitutional studies Ilya Shapiro's tweet criticizing President Joe Biden.

FIRE was founded in 1999 and campaigns for freedom of speech on college campuses across the country.
Members of the bereaved families who lost loved ones in last year's Itaewon crowd disaster arrange a memorial altar set up the day before in front of Seoul City Hall, Sunday. The city government, which had not approved the installation of the altar, said it will remove the altar on Monday unless it is taken down voluntarily. Yonhap



Deadly crowd crush marks 100th day on Sunday



By Ko Dong-hwan



Politicians, religious leaders, survivors of the Itaewon crowd tragedy and bereaved family members who lost loved ones in the disaster last October gathered at the National Assembly on Sunday to commemorate the 100-day anniversary of the deadly accident.



In a speech to mark the anniversary, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo pledged that lawmakers would work together to prevent future such tragedies.



"I will do my utmost to prevent a tragic incident like the crowd disaster from happening again," he said. "The National Assembly should not let any incidents like this happen again."



Sunday marked the 100th day since the Itaewon crowd disaster that claimed at least 158 lives.



Ten politicians from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and 60 from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) joined the memorial service on Sunday afternoon. Present were the leaders from both parties, including PPP interim leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk and floor leader Rep. Joo Ho-young, as well as DPK President Rep. Lee Jae-myung and floor leader Rep. Park Hong-keun. Representatives of the minor Justice Party and Basic Income Party were also there.



Also present were the bereaved family members, including their official group's leader Lee Jong-chul. Religious representatives from the country's Protestant, Buddhist, Catholic and Won Buddhist circles were also there to offer eulogies.



The party leaders took the stage to urge their fellow politicians in front of the bereaved families to make sure the nation never sees another such tragic event.



"It's regretful that President Yoon Suk Yeol didn't come here today to meet the bereaved families in person," DPK Rep. Lee said at the podium. "The world turned black to the bereaved families but nothing changed at all for the president, the central government and the ruling party. It's up to us the politicians to find out what this country did  or didn't do  that day."





From left in front row, Lee Jong-chul, representative of the civic group of bereaved families of Itaewon crowd disaster, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, Democratic Party of Korea chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung, People Power Party interim leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk and Justice Party leader Lee Jung-mi pray for the victims during a memorial service to mark the 100th day since the tragedy, at the National Assembly, Sunday. Yonhap



The memorial service was held a day after the bereaved families on Saturday clashed with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, as the city authority ordered the families to take down a memorial altar they set up "abruptly" in front of City Hall that day without notifying the city government.



Officials from the city government visited the altar on Saturday night and delivered a written notification urging them to remove the altar by Monday at 1 p.m. In a prior warning sent to the group, the authority said it would forcibly take it down unless the tent is voluntarily removed before the deadline.



The civic group rebuked the officials at the scene, saying they would not take it down and would protect the altar "24 hours." They also demanded Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon step down.



The altar had been set up as part of the group's march from another memorial site near Noksapyeong Station to Gwanghwamun Plaza. The march was held one day ahead of the 100-day anniversary of the tragedy. The altar at Seoul Plaza drew hundreds of visitors lining up to pay tribute to the victims.





Bereaved families who lost loved ones in last year's Itaewon tragedy set up an altar in front of Seoul City Hall, Saturday. The crowd arrived at City Hall after marching north from Noksapyeong Station in Yongsan District toward Gwanghwamun Square. Newsis
Two people have been rushed to hospital after a car crash involving a bus and a car in the middle of the street.

Police were called at 9.33am this morning to reports of a collision involving a car and a bus at the junction of Shirley Road and Lower Addiscombe Road in Croydon.

Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade.

Two people have been rushed to hospital after a car crash involving a bus and a car in the middle of the street

Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade

The drivers of both vehicles were taken to hospital where their injuries were assessed as not life-threatening.

There were no arrests and officers assisted with arranging for the vehicles to be recovered.

A Met Police spokesperson said: 'Police were called at 09:33hrs on Sunday, 5 February, to reports of a collision involving a car and a bus at the junction of Shirley Road and Lower Addiscombe Road in Addiscombe.'

BBC Radio London Travel said that Lower Addiscombe Road is closed between Pagehurst Road and Stroud Green Way as a result.

Buses are being diverted.

This is a breaking news story, more updates to follow...
Mayor Eric Adams pointed the blame at illegal guns in the hands of 'bad people'

The officer was accompanying his brother when the incident unfolded

An off-duty cop, 26, was shot in the head while buying a car in Brooklyn

A 26-year-old NYPD officer was shot in the head while accompanying his brother to buy a car off Facebook Marketplace.

The father of two, who has not been publicly identified, was left in critical condition after the shootout occurred in Brooklyn on Saturday around 7pm.

Officials claimed the social media car advertisement was planned to stage a robbery. When the officer and his brother arrived at the scene, the suspect immediately pulled out his firearm - which the officer followed.

Gunfire was exchanged leading the officer to be critically wounded while the suspect fled the scene.

'We will catch the person responsible for this act,' New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference late Saturday.

An off-duty cop, 26, was shot in the head while buying a car in Brooklyn. The officer was accompanying his brother when the incident unfolded

Mayor Eric Adams pointed the blame at illegal guns in the hands of 'bad people'

The officer's brother was uninjured, but sources told The New York Post he picked up the cop's gun once he collapsed and fired several rounds as the suspect ran off.

'An officer conducting a simple errand and a dangerous person pulled out a firearm,' Adams said.

One witness called 911 after watching the suspect as he fired at someone in the distance.

'I saw a person wearing a black hoodie, black top, and gray sweats shooting like he was ducking in front of a car outside my house,' a resident told The Post. 'It looked like he was shooting back and forth at someone.'

'[He] kept shooting After the last shot, I saw him running towards McDonald's and I looked away.'

The nearby resident didn't know anyone was injured until she saw an ambulance and stretcher.

The cop is a five-year veteran of the NYPD. The New York Police Department wasn't immediately available for an update on the officer's condition or identity as of Sunday morning.

The officer's brother was uninjured, but sources told The New York Post he picked up the cop's gun once he collapsed and fired several rounds as the suspect ran off. Pictured: Investigators at the scene of the crime

One witness called 911 after watching the suspect as he fired at someone in the distance

The nearby resident didn't know anyone was injured until she saw an ambulance and stretcher

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell (above) shared her disappointment that the shooting occurred weeks after another officer was shot in Brooklyn by a teenager

Adams is convinced officers will find the suspect and bashed the number of illegally owned guns in the city.

'As we see so far, and so often in the city, too many illegal guns are in the hands of bad people and doing bad things,' Adams said adding he spoke to the officer heartbroken wife.

The shooting occurred weeks after another officer was shot in Brooklyn by a teenager.

'We are at a hospital once again, awaiting news - This time for an off-duty NYPD officer, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at the news conference. 'This appears to be an attempted robbery.'

On January 17, NYPD officer Paul Lee was shot while in an unmarked car on Prospect Avenue and East 183rd Street.

Lee was with a fellow officer when they approached two teenagers.

The boys instantly ran away from the officers until one of the teenagers turned back and fired six shots - with one landing in the arm of Lee who was in the passenger seat.

Despite being shot, Lee and the other officer, who wasn't injured, ran to chase down the teenagers. The 16-year-old gunman was arrested and Lee was released from the hospital the same day.

Paul Lee, New York police officer, was shot in the arm by a teenager in the Bronx. Lee was shot at 3am on January 17 while in an unmarked police car
Ukraine has alleged that Russia is forcibly enlisting women into its army to replenish numbers for human wave attacks.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement yesterday Russia had this week 'recruited about 50 people from the women's correctional colony in the city of Snizhne in the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region'.

'It is also known that they were sent to the territory of the Russian Federation for training.'

The report said: 'In order to make up for the loss of manpower, the enemy is trying to attract convicted women to participate in the hostilities.'

The Armed Forces of Ukraine previously reported in December that 28 Russian women had been drafted and sent for training to compensate for losses of units in the 1st Army Corps.

Russia does not usually deploy women in combat roles.

President Vladimir Putin (pictured) intends to deploy women in combat roles, intel suggests

'Night Witches': women deployed by Stalin in WWII in the Soviet air force from October 1941

On Friday, the UK's Ministry of Defence reported that Russia was struggling to maintain its supply of convicts and would not be able to rely on 'human wave-style assault' any longer.

A Russian source, likely an insider within mercenary group Wagner Group, shared that as a result of the suicidal tactics of Wagner Group squads, 'losses are growing and progress [slowing] down'.

Wagner Group is a Russian paramilitary organisation, first deployed in the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and now a private extension of the Russian army in Ukraine with close ties to Putin.

Wagner Group and the Russian Army have used battalions staffed with former convicts - promised their freedom for reliable service - since last year.

Experts and insiders have documented Russia's approach of sending wave after wave of prisoners with 'nothing to lose' to advance the frontline.

White House spokesman John Kirby said in January that an estimated 50,000 fighters from Wagner Group were currently in Ukraine, about 40,000 of which are convicts.

The conscription of women to Russia's combined forces would be a new development in the war as Putin looks to build up numbers.

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, said that Russia is preparing for 'maximum escalation' of the war in the coming weeks.

Ukraine anticipates a three-pronged attack from the north, south and east of the country to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the war on 24 February 2023.

Ukraine's top general, Valery Zaluzhny, told The Economist last month that Russia was preparing 200,000 fresh troops for a major spring offensive.

In September last year, Putin ordered a partial mobilisation of troops after months of setbacks to Russia's campaign.

Russia's defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said at the time Russia would draft 300,000 reservists to support its military campaign.

This proved difficult. According to Noyava Gazeta Europe, 261,000 men left Russia between when the partial mobilisation was declared and 26 September.

Russia denied other reports that 700,000 had left.

Struggling to replenish lines, Russia reportedly started conscripting the homeless.

Female graduates of Krasnodar Military Aviation Academy pictured in October 2022

Female grads of Russian aviation school, the first since WWII, pictured in October last year

In October 2022, pictures released by the Russian Ministry of Defence (above) showed female graduates of the Krasnodar Military Aviation Academy.

This was the first time that women had been permitted to fly in the Russian air force since World War II.

Josef Stalin's 'Night Witches' were the all-female military aviators of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment.

They were brought into the war in October 1941 after Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in June.

The 'press ganging' of Russian women to support Russia's penal battalions in 'human wave' attacks has not so far been reported.
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.

Santos flipped the New York seat red and is on track to make history by being sworn in as the first openly gay Republican member of Congress.

The New York Times originally broke the story of Santos' resume embellishments on December 19. They reported that there was no evidence Santos had ever worked at Citigroup and Goldman Sachs and did not attend Baruch College.

Now he is under investigation by both federal and local New York prosecutors, while more accusations about his history surface.

DailyMail.com breaks down the lies Santos has been caught in  so far:

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's 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's 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 Bronx 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 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's 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.

-- by Katelyn Caralle
Women's rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen thanked Nicola Sturgeon for 'waking up Scotland' but tensions flared at the Glasgow rally as activists clashed amid a row over transgender prisoner Isla Bryson.

Kellie-Jay Keen, also known as Posie Parker, attacked the Scottish Government over the case of transgender prisoner Isla Bryson - who raped two women while living as a man called Adam Graham - at the protest organised by Standing for Women.

Activists railed against the SNP's gender recognition reform proposals, which were passed by a majority of MSPs in December but blocked by the UK Government, but tensions rose as counter-protest was staged by pro-reform advocates and dubbed Cabaret Against the Hate Speech.

In one heated encounter between two opposing campaigners, one person with pink and green coloured hair tried to grab a women's rights campaigner's sign and continued screaming at protestors.

Police separated the trans rights activist and the two women who were driving off in the back of a rickshaw, while the person wearing a rainbow flag screamed after them telling them to 'f*** off' while first holding up their middle fingers and then lifting their shirt up to reveal their naked chest.

Standing for Women, led by Kellie-Jay Keen (pictured) also known as Posie Parker, staged a protest in Glasgow today against the Scottish Government's gender recognition reform proposals

Hundreds of campaigners for women's rights gathered in Glasgow today as they railed against the Scottish government's plans for gender self-identification north of the border

Addressing the roaring crowd in George Square today, Keen said: 'From the bottom of my heart, thank you Nicola Sturgeon!

'Nicola Sturgeon said, "oh, it will never happen" and all of us knew it was already happening - and then along came Adam "double rapist" Graham...

'I just want to thank the SNP for waking up Scotland and to all of you Scottish women and some men who have been campaigning about this for the past five years. Thank you to every one of you.'

A large police presence was visible in the city's iconic central square, keeping the large demonstration far apart from a counter rally by trans rights activists.

Attendees waved flags, danced and sang in support of the right to self-identification. Many were in fancy dress and held up their own signs, with slogans such as 'protect trans kids' and 'love is love'.

One counter protester directly took aim at Keen herself, holding a sign that read 'F*** Posie Parker'.

Bryson who Ms Keen mentioned in her speech as 'Adam "double rapist" Graham' was imprisoned in segregation at Cornton Vale women's jail near Stirling upon conviction, before being moved to a male prison after a public outcry.

Critics of the bill say their concerns about women's safety were brought into sharp focus when Sturgeon was forced to remove Bryson from Cornton Vale so soon after her bill.

The issue was compounded days later, when ministers were again forced to intervene to prevent convicted stalker Tiffany Scott, previously known as Andrew Burns, from moving to a female estate.

One women's rights protester held up a banner with pictures of Bryson and Scott, alongside recently released prisoner Katy Dolatowski, with the slogan 'two down - how many more to go? #KeepPrisonsSingleSex'

Many of the activists showed their fury at Nicola's Sturgeon's recent attempts at gender recognition reform in Scotland, which they say tramples on women's rights

Hundreds of campaigners gathered to protest in George Square, far exceeding organisers' expectations

One protester held up a banner with pictures of Bryson and Scott, alongside recently released prisoner Katy Dolatowski, with the slogan 'two down - how many more to go?'

Demonstrators take part in the Let Women Speak rally organised by the group Standing for Women in George Square, Glasgow

The protesters gathered in support of the UK Government's use of a Section 35 order to block Scotland's recent Gender Recognition Reform Bill on the grounds that it will impede the operation of the UK Equality Act

Sings including 'repeal the GRA [Gender Recognition Act]' and 'no men in women's refuges' were also proudly waved by activists

Ms Keen's group has also called for the repeal of the Gender Recognition Act, the current legislation that allows transgender people to obtain a gender recognition certificate the Scottish Government's Bill was attempting to reform.

She told those at the protest: 'In your own lives, you cannot be heard... you feel like you cannot speak,' adding that women have told her 'the state is gaslighting them'.

She added: 'The watershed is finally here.

'From this moment on, we are not afraid, we will not be quiet, we will let women speak.'

On the counter-protest side, a representative from the LGBT charity The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence read aloud the Dylan Thomas poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, telling the crowd: 'Rage against the dying of the light - that's what we have to do here today.

'We do not have to show our rage with insults, we will respect you the more you put us down, we will show you love, because that is what our community is about - showing love, respect and tolerance.

'We will not go gently into that good night, we will be here and we will be dancing.'

It comes as support for Scottish independence and the SNP has plummeted amid a furious row over Nicola Sturgeon's party and its attitude towards trans sex attackers, a new poll suggests.

Among the counter protest, demonstrators waved banners proclaiming 'love is love' and 'Posie Parker, more like Noise Parker'

One attendee painted their face in the colours of the trans flag, with the words 'no hate' on their cheeks

Attendees waved flags, danced and sang in support of the right to self-identification. Many were in fancy dress and held up their own signs, with slogans such as 'protect trans kids' and 'love is love'

The slightly smaller counter-protest was staged by pro-reform advocates and dubbed Cabaret Against the Hate Speech

Support for the country quitting the UK has fallen by six percentage points from 53 per cent to 47 per cent since December, according to a survey carried out in the wake of the Isla Bryson furore.

READ MORE: JK ROWLING ROASTS NICOLA STURGEON'S HANDLING OF RAPIST IN WOMEN'S PRISON JK Rowling (pictured wearing a t-shirt with the message 'Nicola Sturgeon, destroyer of women's rights) Advertisement

Backing for the SNP at Holyrood and Westminster has also dropped after the row over Bryson, who was convicted of violent sex attacks on two women while a man called Adam Graham.

Bryson was initially sent to a women's prison on remand before Ms Sturgeon was forced to intervene to send the violent rapist to a male facility.

But she has since struggled to set out her position on trans offenders, including whether they are male or female.

The YouGov survey of 1,088 Scottish voters shows support for the party dropped from 50 per cent to 44 per cent in the Holyrood constituency vote and from 40 per cent to 36 per cent in the regional list, when compared to the results of the same poll in December.

SNP support at Westminster dropped marginally from 43 per cent to 42 per cent.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she plans to run the next UK election as a 'de-facto referendum' in the hopes of achieving a majority of votes north of the border and securing negotiations on independence.

But the First Minister's approval rating has also suffered in recent months, dropping from a net of 7 per cent in October to -4 per cent.

Bryson, who committed two rapes while she was a man, was initially housed in segregation at Cornton Vale near Stirling - Scotland's only all-female prison - before being moved to the male estate after public and political outcry.

The saga led to Scottish Justice Secretary Keith Brown pausing the movement of transgender prisoners into women's jails if they have a history of violence.

Addressing the roaring crowd in George Square today, Keen said: 'From the bottom of my heart, thank you Nicola Sturgeon!'

Demonstrators take part in the Let Women Speak rally organised by the group Standing for Women in George Square

Support for the country quitting the UK has fallen by six percentage points from 53 per cent to 47 per cent since December, according to a survey carried out in the wake of the Isla Bryson furore.

Byron was convicted of violent sex attacks on two women while a man called Adam Graham, transitioned after being arrested.

Professor John Curtice, of Strathclyde University, told the Sunday Times: 'While the decline in support for independence is likely to be part of the explanation, it looks as though the battering the Scottish Government has suffered, especially on the issue of transgender prisoners, may also have taken its toll on SNP support.'

The party's depute leader Keith Brown said: 'While we take nothing for granted, this poll suggests that the SNP remains by far the most popular party in Scotland, and Nicola Sturgeon is by far the most popular leader.

'Scotland is an enormously wealthy, resource-rich country - but under Westminster control, we face being part of the worst performing economy in the developed world, with Brexit an unfolding a disaster that is making us all poorer.

'The fact that Keir Starmer's Labour Party is now fully signed up to the Tory hard Brexit - and indeed backs their refusal to respect Scotland's right to determine its own future - shows why independence for Scotland is now essential.

'Independence will mean a proper partnership of equals between Scotland and the rest of the UK instead of ever-tightening Westminster control.'
Republican House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner revealed on Sunday that he was offered a Congressional briefing on Donald Trump's handling of classified documents last week - on the same day Americans first learned of a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over the country.

'You can see they want to change the news,' the Ohio Republican told NBC News' Meet The Press.

'There is nothing scheduled on the balloon, but they're scheduling Donald Trump.'

The alleged surveillance device was shot down off the coast of South Carolina by American fighter jets on Saturday after crossing over multiple U.S. states at a low enough altitude to be seen by the naked eye - alarming millions across the country.

Turner said Sunday that he has not yet been made aware of any coming security assessments by the Biden administration for Congress on the incident.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner, a Republican, said there would be a Capitol Hill briefing this week regarding classified documents

He said he has not yet heard about a briefing regarding the Chinese 'spy balloon' recently shot down off the East Coast

EARLIER: Biden administration wants to change the news by scheduling a congressional briefing on security threat from Trump documents this week, says @RepMikeTurner (R-Ohio). #MTP



"There is nothing scheduled on the balloon, but they're scheduling Donald Trump." pic.twitter.com/a2zZe3OuNc  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) February 5, 2023

But officials are coming next week to brief lawmakers on classified files recovered from Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, Turner said, where they had been improperly stored until an August FBI raid.

Additionally, Turner said Biden officials would brief lawmakers on classified documents recovered from former Vice President Mike Pence, as well as from the president himself.

Biden has been found in possession of as many as 30 classified files from his time as vice president and as a senator from Delaware, which were recovered from his Wilmington, Delaware residence and a Washingon, DC think tank where he'd previously kept a private office.

Bipartisan requests for more information came from both sides of the aisle in Congress - and Turner claimed Sunday that they'd all been stonewalled.

It's why the congressman now believes the Biden administration is offering the briefing now to distract from the diplomatic crisis caused by China's 'spy balloon.'

'The Biden administration told the American public that they raided Donald Trump's home because it was a national security risk. But what we found in the intelligence community and the intelligence committee is that the Biden administration had not engaged at all anyone who is in national security on the issue of threats from these documents,' Turner explained.

This map shows the routes of two suspected Chinese spy balloons making their way across the hemisphere

An F-22 Raptor fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile to take down a Chinese spy balloon and its payload, which was equipped with cameras, sensors and radars

'It took Congress to step in and say, "We want a security threat." And then they tried to deny giving the briefing to us from that threat.'

He added, 'What's interesting is that the moment this balloon became public, I got a notice not from the administration that I'm going to get a briefing on this balloon, but they have to rush to Congress now to talk to us about Donald Trump's documents. You can see they want to change the news.'

Turner blasted the Biden administration for 'making no attempt' notify Congress of the balloon before it was first made public, despite it first crossing into North America on January 28.

However, when asked about the alleged Chinese spy balloon incidents that occurred during the previous administration under Donald Trump, Turner did not answer directly - instead pivoting to Biden's perceived lackluster public response.

Defense officials estimated the balloon was about the size of three buses at a height of 120 feet, and that the debris field would be substantial, estimated at seven miles when it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday

'Well, thats what theyre saying now, but I think that the administration needs to come forward because this is not an ability to say that this is a crisis that was handed to them,' Turner said.

'This is a crisis that has developed as a result of this president during his administration, allowing China to do a similar act before, not responding, and then, clearly, in this one not seeing the urgency of what was unfolding.'

He said the Biden administration showed it 'lacked urgency' by allowing the balloon to 'go across our most sensitive sites' before it was finally shot down.

The president told reporters on Saturday that he wanted the balloon shot down on Wednesday, but was cautioned against making the order due to the risk of civilians getting hurt by falling debris.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN on Sunday that it fell within a seven-mile debris field in the Atlantic Ocean.
Footage posted to TikTok shows the ferocious flames engulf part of the eatery

The blaze happened at Caffe Di Milano on Hurst Street in Birmingham last night

Screaming diners fled a restaurant after it erupted into flames 'due to a sparkler in an alcoholic drink'.

Footage posted to TikTok shows terrified diners as flambes blaze through Caffe Di Milano in Birmingham.

West Midlands Fire Service were called to the restaurant, on Hurst Street, at about 11pm, yesterday.

Staff at the Italian restaurant successfully extinguished the flames and the control the sprinklers before two crews arrived at the scene.

Fire crews stopped their interventions at 11.27pm after the premises was 'completely dampened down'.

Footage posted to TikTok shows terrified diners as flambes blaze through Caffe Di Milano in Birmingham

There were no injuries reported and the fire is said to have been caused by a 'sparkler in an alcoholic drink.'

The video on social media shows people rushing to grab their belongings to dart out of the eatery.

Panicked customers yelled as the ferocious flames covered one section of the ceiling.

A member of staff is seen throwing a small bucket of water onto the fire.

People on social media were quick to criticise how little water had been thrown.

One person said: 'Cannot believe she basically threw a cup of water over a blazing 10ft high fire.'

The video on social media shows people rushing to grab their belongings to dart out of the eatery

People on social media were quick to criticise how little water had been thrown by the member of staff

While another commented: 'Cannot believe she basically threw a cup of water over a blazing 10ft high fire.'

Somebody else said: 'Bless her throwing a wine cooler of water at THAT fire.'

A fire service told BirminghamLive that two crews were sent to the scene and that the fire was out on arrival.

They added: 'We made sure it was safe and completed damping down and cutting away of anything that wasn't safe. The stop came at 11.27pm.'
His ambulance was struck by a missile and he 'used his body' to shield others

An ex-Marine who was working as a medic in Ukraine was killed on Thursday

A former US Marine working as a volunteer medic in Ukraine was killed while evacuating civilians from Bakhmut in the east of the country.

Pete Reed, 33, died on February 2 after his ambulance was struck by a missile while he was evacuating people from the besieged city, which has become a focus of Putin's efforts.

It happened as another evacuation team near Reed's came under attack, requiring him to respond and render aid, his wife Alex Potter told the Washington Post.

Reed served two deployments as a Marine rifleman in Afghanistan and started the nonprofit Global Response Medicine with Potter in 2017.

He is one of at least seven Americans to have died in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

Pete Reed, 33, died on February 2 after his ambulance was struck by a missile while he was evacuating people from the besieged city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine

Reed served two deployments as a Marine rifleman in Afghanistan and started the nonprofit Global Response Medicine with his wife in 2017

'My husband Pete Reed was killed yesterday in Bakhmut, Ukraine. He was evacuating civilians and responding to those wounded when his ambulance was shelled,' wrote Potter on social media on Friday.

'He died doing what he was great at, what gave him life, and what he loved, and apparently by saving a team member with his own body,' she added.

His death came just a month after an assignment in Ukraine for Global Outreach Doctors where he was serving as its Ukraine Country Director.

'In January, Pete stepped away from GRM to work with Global Outreach Doctors on their Ukraine mission and was killed while rendering aid,' the NGO said. 'Pete was the bedrock of GRM, serving as Board President for 4 years.'

Reed joined the Marine Corps in September 2007, soon after his 18th birthday. As an infantryman he was deployed twice over the next four years to Afghanistan's Helmand province, the Washington Post reported.

He was based at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and earned a combat action ribbon indicating he came under hostile fire or directly engaged enemy forces. Reed left active duty as a corporal in September 2011 after finishing four years of compulsory service.

According to Global Outreach Doctors his humanitarian career began in 2012 when his home state of New Jersey was struck by Hurricane Sandy.

In 2014 he assisted in the training of 33 Haitian EMTs. After settling temporarily in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, he went to northern Iraq to oversee medical training operations.

Reed's wife Alex Potter (pictured) posted a tribute to her last husband. saying: 'He died doing what he was great at'

As an infantryman in the US Marines Reed was deployed twice to Afghanistan's Helmand province. He earned a combat action ribbon indicating he came under hostile fire or directly engaged enemy forces

Reed treated more than 10,000 trauma patients during the Battle for Mosul, beginning in 2016

Reed married photographer Alex Potter last year. The two founded Global Response Medicine together in 2017

Notably, Reed provided medical aid during the Battle for Mosul, beginning in 2016, and treated more than 10,000 trauma patients. Since 2017, he participated in Global Response Medicine operations in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Poland.

'This is a stark reminder of the perils rescue and aid workers face in conflict zones as they serve citizens caught in the crossfire. Pete was just 33 years old, but lived a life in service of others, first as a decorated US Marine and then in humanitarian aid. GRM will strive to honor his legacy and the selfless service he practiced,' wrote Global Outreach Doctors after his death.

In the ongoing attempts to seize the Bakhmut, Moscow has been throwing thousands of troops at Ukrainian positions in the city.

Although some analysts say Bakhmut has little military significance, it has become the focal point of both Ukrainian resistance and Moscow's efforts to regain momentum after territorial losses.

The battle is therefore more symbolic than practical, and thought to be costing Russia more than 100 troops per day. However, Putin promised the Russian people Donbas would be liberated, and the path to that goal lies in Bakhmut.

Missile remnant is seen after shelling as the Russia-Ukraine War continues, during wintertime in Bakhmut, Ukraine on January 28, 2023

A damaged car and pile of debris are seen as the Russia-Ukraine War continues in Bakhmut, Ukraine on January 28, 2023
A Florida pastor accused of fraudulently obtaining $8.4 million in COVID loads is accused of faking an illness to avoid prison time.

Evan Edwards, 64, has been hospitalized since December when he was arrested alongside his son Josh for allegedly falsifying documents from his business ASLAN International Ministry.

Edwards allegedly took advantage of the pandemic CARES ACT to apply for the loans through the Paycheck Protection Program in 2020. His family planned to use the money to purchase a $3.7 million Disney World Resort home.

The pastor has been examined by a psychiatrist after he failed to participate in a court hearing last year and couldn't properly speak throughout another one, according to NBC.

A judge on January 26 declared him incompetent to appear in court but some speculate Edwards might be faking his illness to avoid trial.

Evan Edwards, 64, has been hospitalized since December when he was arrested alongside his son for allegedly falsifying documents from his business ASLAN International Ministry

Edwards allegedly took advantage of the pandemic CARES ACT to apply for the loans through the Paycheck Protection Program in 2020. His family planned to use the money to purchase a $3.7 million Disney World Resort home

Dr Ryan Hall determined Edwards wasn't unfit to stand trial after 15 minutes. Hall was unable to identify the suspect's medical condition and whether it was mental health related.

Magistrate Judge Leslie Hoffman Price echoed Hall's unclear findings but insisted the pastor suffered from an unspecific illness. He was arrested while in a wheelchair in December.

'I know theres a suggestion of potential malingering on some aspects, but there are medical issues that are completely verifiable,' Price said.

Meanwhile, Defense attorney Brian Phillips urged for a competency hearing in response to Price's question of whether the pastor can communicate.

'In only the most limited fashion, your honor,' Phillips said, adding Edwards's answers were in 'monosyllabic responses or gestures to simple binary questions.'

A hearing to determine whether Edwards will stand in court will occur this month.

The arrest came more than two years after the family - including Edward's wife Mary Jane Evans (second to right) and daughter Joy, 36 (far right) - were stopped by Florida highway patrol trying to flee the country in a Mercedes

Edwards' son Josh can be seen being taken away in December after cops busted him

Business records show ASLAN operated as a family-run nonprofit 'foreign ministry' with father Evan Edwards as chairman and president, son Josh as VP, and daughter Joy as secretary

Prosecutors last month refused to allow Edwards to be treated at home by his family who has been medically trained to care for him, the news outlet reported.

'This is a difficult situation and set of facts, but there is a history of flight, and the family was involved in that - the same family that would be caring for him,' Assistant US Attorney Kara Wick previously said.

Edwards has since been in the hospital as detention centers refuse to accept him since he requires 'intervention at least every hour or two hours' and help with everyday tasks.

A court hearing obtained by the news outlet revealed he also has to be fed through a feeding tube.

Edward's arrest came more than two years after the family - including Edward's wife Mary Jane Evans and daughter Joy, 36 - were stopped by Florida highway patrol trying to flee the country in a Mercedes SUV, according to a federal complaint.

Federal agents found bags of shredded paper in the car and their electric devices in a Faraday bag - a bag designed to protect against data loss.

At the time, they were arrested but released the next day and were understood to have fled to Canada until Evan and his son returned to live in the home independently.

According to a federal court filing in 2020, ASLAN Vice President Joshua Edwards initially applied for a $6.91million loan using documents to paint the church as a successful organization that had $51million in revenue in 2019.

The family's loan was approved in May 2020 for a total of $8.4million, almost two million more than requested.

Secret Service agents investigating the fraudulent activity later found the money was placed into accounts belonging to Joshua, Joy, and Evan, all of which had a mere $100 before the deposit.

In 2020, the US government seized more than $5.6million and $1.8million respectively from two Bank of America accounts.

Investigators also found another $868,250 that had been deposited into a First American Trust FSB account under the First American Title insurance company.

That money was being put towards a $3.71million home in Disney World's Golden Oak resort, prosecutors allege.

The church was reportedly founded in 2005 in Ohio, but later applied to conduct business as a foreign nonprofit organization in Florida in 2018

Further investigation would also show the family's church was not a legitimate organization.

The ASLAN International Ministry was reportedly founded in 2005 in Ohio but later applied to conduct business as a foreign nonprofit organization in Florida in 2018, according to Click Orlando.

Evan Edwards grew up in Edmonton, Canada, according to an investigation by NBC last year that challenged federal authorities for not taking action against the family.

Edward's devout Christianity began in his 20s when his parents could no longer give him money and he would pass all of it onto the church, his cousin told NBC.

For some time the family lived in Turkey, acting as Christian missionaries. Edward has said he distributed more than 500,000 copies of the New Testament during his stint in the majority-Muslim country.

'I have been arrested and harassed by the police and military in Turkey over 50 times,' he said in a 2012 interview with The Christian Post.

'I have jumped over fences, slipped out of side doors, and hid in the most unusual of places. Opposition came in the form of having my book distribution company closed by the government and having to report to the police.'

They returned to Canada around a decade ago and remained there for some time.

It was not until October 2018 that the family bought the three-bedroom home in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, for $332,500.
Multiple former Trump administration officials have also denied this

The Pentagon said on Saturday that at least three such aircraft were spotted above American territory under the Trump administration

Donald Trump called the incident with a suspected Chinese spy balloon being shot down off the US East Coast a 'disgrace' on his Truth Social app

Donald Trump claimed China would have 'never' sent a spy balloon over the United States on his watch despite the Pentagon claiming it happened three times during his administration.

On Saturday, an alleged 'spy balloon' was shot down off the coast of South Carolina by American fighter jets after crossing over multiple U.S. states at a low enough altitude to be seen by the naked eye - alarming millions across the country.

Trump compared the incident and ensuing diplomatic crisis to the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal that his successor, President Joe Biden, presided over in August 2021.

'The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,' the former president wrote on his app Truth Social.

'They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation  and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the heat off the slow moving Biden fools.

Donald Trump denied that suspected Chinese spy balloons flew over the US during his administration

One such suspected surveillance device was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday

'China had too much respect for TRUMP for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!'

The Defense Department said on Saturday that 'Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration.'

And on Sunday, Fox News reported that at least one balloon flew over parts of Texas and Florida while Trump was in office.

Multiple Trump officials aside from the former president have also disputed the Pentagon's assessment and relevant media reports.

'It's not true,' former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe flatly told Fox News on Sunday morning.

'Do you remember during the Trump administration, when photographers on the ground and commercial airline pilots were talking about a spy balloon over the United States that people could look up and see?'

He added, 'I don't remember that either. Because it didn't happen.'

The ex-intelligence official called the balloon that was recently popped 'unprecedented.'

In total, there were five balloons spotted during Trump's term. At least one flew over portions of Texas, two flew over Florida during the Trump administration with additional sightings near the Pacific Islands of Hawaii and Guam. Three have been seen during Biden's presidency including near Hawaii, the one that was shot down this weekend and another over South America

Trump compared the ensuing diplomatic crisis to the fallout over the US military's August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan

'We have never had a circumstance where an adversary has had spy craft over our country our continental United States posing a threat for the better part of a week straight,' Ratcliffe said.

Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told CNN on Friday that he had never seen such an incident under his watch, adding, 'I would remember that for sure.'

Richard Grenell, Trump's former ambassador to Germany, accused the Pentagon of hiding behind anonymous sources.

'Bidens DoD is shamelessly using an anonymous source to say that Chinese balloons flew over the US under Trump - and the Trump team allowed it. It is a lie. We never heard this - ever,' Grenell wrote on Twitter.

'And shame on the DC media activists who continue to allow the Biden team to be so weak by giving them aid & comfort in their lies and weakness.'

GOP Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, a military veteran and a close ally of Trump's in Congress, also suggested that the former president's officials had no idea of any such 'spy balloons' under their tenures.

An F-22 Raptor fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile to take down a Chinese spy balloon and its payload, which was equipped with cameras, sensors and radars

'The Office of the Secretary of Defense has informed my office that several Chinese balloon incidents have happened in the past few years - including over [Florida],' Waltz stated on Twitter.

'And according to several Trump Admin national security officials - they were never informed of these intrusions by the Pentagon.'

Biden told reporters on Saturday that he wanted the balloon shot down last Wednesday, but was cautioned against making the order due to the risk of civilians getting hurt by falling debris.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government blasted the U.S. shooting down the balloon as an 'overreaction.'

'The U.S. used force to attack our civilian unmanned airship, which is an obvious overreaction,' said the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

'We express solemn protest against this move by the US side.'

Beijing warned it 'reserves the right to use necessary means to deal with similar situations.'
Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo, right, and Kim Gi-hyeon applaud without making eye contact during an event held by the ruling People Power Party at Dongdaemun District Office in eastern Seoul, Sunday. Ahn and Kim are in a close race for the March 8 competition to select a new party chairman. Yonhap



Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo claims presidential office is intervening in ruling party's election of new leader



By Kang Hyun-kyung



In politics, yesterday's ally can be today's enemy. A recent tug-of-war between two big-name politicians in the ruling camp is a fresh reminder of the adage.



President Yoon Suk Yeol and Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) successfully teamed up in the March 9 presidential election last year to field a unified candidate from the opposition camp. Now they have been pitted against each other amid the PPP's heated race to select a new chairman.



On Sunday, Rep. Ahn alleged in a social media post that the presidential office is intervening in the ruling party's process to elect a new chairman.



"I urge the PPP's interim committee and the National Election Commission to take necessary measures to stop speculations in media coverage that quoted an unnamed high-ranking official of the presidential office as commenting that a certain candidate has President Yoon's back or not," his social media post reads. "What's happening now is the presidential office's obvious intervention in the election, a serious violation of democracy."



His accusation came as an unnamed official from the presidential office accused Rep. Ahn of becoming a stumbling block to President Yoon's management of state affairs with his self-serving politics.



"From now on, we will consider those who seek political gains by using terms such as 'Yoon haek gwan' destroyers or enemies," an official from the presidential office was quoted as saying.



The term "Yoon haek gwan," which is translated into English as "Yoon's close confidants," has been widely used since last year when the then embattled ruling party leader Lee Jun-seok used it to mock lawmakers loyal to Yoon.



The official said President Yoon feels the expression is disrespectful because it aims to attack or insult him, noting that the president is willing to take constructive criticism about himself or those who are close to him.



The official made the furious reaction days after Rep. Ahn criticized a group of lawmakers close to President Yoon on a YouTube channel.



"I think the well-being of the president has never been in their minds. All they care about is whether they will secure their candidacy to run in the National Assembly elections next year on the PPP's ticket," Ahn said.



He accused fellow lawmaker Rep. Chang Je-won of orchestrating the faction to make the group more exclusive and self-serving rather than working for the greater cause of the party.



Ahn's accusations of the lawmakers close to President Yoon come as he is in a tight leadership race with Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon, who has been pitching himself as a confidant of Yoon.



Kim, a judge-turned-lawmaker, pitched himself as one of the few politicians having President Yoon's ear, stressing his bond with the president.



Public opinion survey results vary. Some recent polls find that Ahn is ahead of Kim within the margin of error. People affiliated with the PPP will cast their ballots to select the party's new chairperson and several other members of the decision-making Supreme Council.



To entice PPP voters, Ahn also stressed his ties with President Yoon, saying his successful integration into the ruling party is owing to his coalition with Yoon and was formed during the presidential election held last year.



"I played a key role in achieving government change, as I dropped my candidacy to support Yoon. The government change will be completed only when the PPP wins next year's National Assembly elections. I think the Yoon-Ahn coalition will be the perfect combination to make that happen," he said.



The presidential office said President Yoon remains neutral and has no particular candidate in mind for the leadership contest.



But Ahn's remark about a Yoon-Ahn coalition is said to have enraged President Yoon. An official from the presidential office said the president is preoccupied with handling a set of grave security and economic issues but has found himself caught up in the ruling party's convention because of Ahn.



Lee Cheol-soon, a professor of political science at Pusan National University, said it is rare for the presidential office or a sitting president to interfere in the internal politics of the ruling party.

"It won't help them because they have nothing to gain," he said.



The clash between Yoon and Ahn, albeit indirectly, sparked speculation about the future of their partnership.



President Yoon won the presidential election last March over his rival Lee Jae-myung with a razor-thin margin. The gap between Yoon and Lee was a mere 0.75 percentage points. The closest race ever enabled political analysts to conclude that, if not for Ahn bowing out, it could have been even more difficult for Yoon to win the presidential election.



Yoon himself acknowledged this, during a dinner with U.S. President Joe Biden after their summit held in Seoul last May 21. Yoon is known to have introduced Ahn to Biden, saying he was the person who helped him to win the presidential election.



The heated competition between Reps. Ahn and Kim in the PPP's leadership race has had a spillover effect on President Yoon's ties with Ahn. Tension mounted last Friday when the presidential office sacked former three-term lawmaker Kim Young-woo from the Presidential Committee of National Cohesion. Kim has been serving as campaign manager for the Ahn Cheol-soo party leadership campaign.



In a press release, the presidential office said Kim's a role in Ahn's campaign makes it difficult for him to maintain neutrality in the party's affairs, and therefore the presidential office decided to dismiss him.



Kim said he respects the presidential office's decision.


Marco Rubio said that the Chinese spy balloon appearance was purposefully planned to appear in U.S. airspace just days ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to China

The top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee claimed that the now infamous spy balloon was a message to the world from Beijing that they do not view the U.S. as a mega-power anymore.

The comments come amid new revelations that another Chinese spy balloon crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii four months ago, and officials told Fox News that at least one other flew over portions of Texas and Florida during former President Donald Trump's time in office.

Trump insisted the reported instance during his presidency did not occur, claiming it's disinformation from Biden.

'This never happened. It would have never happened,' Trump told Fox while claiming Beijing 'respected us greatly' under his leadership.

'It never happened with us under the Trump administration and if it did, we would have shot it down immediately,' Trump said. 'It's disinformation.'

Meanwhile, Republican House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner alleged on Sunday that the Biden team is trying to distract from the balloon ordeal by offering a briefing on the classified documents found at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.

Top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee Marco Rubio claims the Chinese spy balloon was 'a message' that Beijing 'believes internally... that the United States is a once-great superpower that's hollowed out, it's in decline'

Rubio said the Biden administration should have told Americans about the balloon's presence over the U.S. sooner as a new Fox News report reveals that another Chinese spy balloon crashed into the Pacific off the coast of Hawaii four months ago and at least one other flew over parts of Texas and Florida during the Trump years

Trump told Fox that the instance of a Chinese balloon flying over the U.S. during his time in office did not happen and is part of Biden disinformation. 'This never happened. It would have never happened' because Beijing 'respected us greatly'

While agreeing with Blinken canceling his trip to China, Rubio was otherwise critical of the Biden administration's response to the balloon, claiming the president should have immediately addressed the nation on television to inform the public before it was shot down by the U.S. military.

'I don't know why they waited so long to tell people about this,' the Florida senator said during an interview with ABC News' This Week host Jonathan Karl on Sunday morning.

Turner revealed to NBC's Meet the Press that he was offered last week a congressional briefing on Trump's handling of classified documents. The offer came the same day Americans first learned of a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over the country.

'You can see they want to change the news,' the Ohio Republican said.

He added: 'There is nothing scheduled on the balloon, but they're scheduling Donald Trump.'

Rubio, for his part, claimed that the delay in informing Americans of the balloon's existence was viewed by China as positive for their message of the declining power of the U.S. on the world stage.

'When was it spotted? Why was it not brought down sooner over other areas? I'm open-minded to listening to the arguments they make about why it wasn't dealt with sooner,' Rubio said.

U.S. officials said they only waited to strike down the balloon because they wanted to minimize the risk to civilians. They only announced the presence of the vessel after it had already flown down from Alaska.

'This was deliberate. They did this on purpose,' the senator said as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) insists the threatening vessel that consumed U.S. attention this week was just an astray weather balloon.

'They understood that it was going to be spotted, they knew the U.S. government would have to reveal it, that people were gonna see it over the sky,' he continued. 'And the message they were trying to send is what they believe internally, and that is that the United States is a once-great superpower that's hollowed out, it's in decline.'

'The message they're trying to send the world is, 'Look, these guys can't even do anything about a balloon flying over U.S. airspace. How can you possibly count on them if something were to happen in the Indo-Pacific region? How can you count on them if they're not gonna do anything about a balloon over U.S. airspace? How are they going to come to the aid of Taiwan or stand with the Philippines or Japan or India when the Chinese move on their territory?''

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner said President Biden's team is trying to 'change the news' away from the Chinese spy balloon and his document scandal by offering a Capitol Hill briefing this week regarding Trump's classified documents. He said he has not yet heard about a briefing regarding the Chinese 'spy balloon' recently shot down off the East Coast

The Biden White House offered the House Intelligence Committee a briefing on Trump's classified documents in the midst of the Chinese spy balloon scare

Blinken was meant to make a diplomatic trip to China, but canceled the plans after the balloon incident.

'I don't know how you could possibly make that trip happen at this point,' Rubio said, agreeing with the decision to nix the visit.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken (pictured in South Korea on February 3) canceled his upcoming diplomatic visit to Beijing following the Chinese spy balloon ordeal this week

The alleged surveillance device was shot down off the coast of South Carolina by American fighter jets on Saturday after crossing over multiple U.S. states at a low enough altitude to be seen by the naked eye - alarming millions across the country.

Turner said Sunday that he has not yet been made aware of any coming security assessments by the Biden administration for Congress on the incident.

But officials are coming next week to brief lawmakers on classified files recovered from Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, Turner said, where they had been improperly stored until an August FBI raid.

Additionally, Turner said Biden officials would brief lawmakers on classified documents recovered from former Vice President Mike Pence, as well as from the president himself.

Biden has been found in possession of as many as 30 classified files from his time as vice president and as a senator from Delaware, which were recovered from his Wilmington, Delaware residence and a Washington, DC think tank where he'd previously kept a private office.

Bipartisan requests for more information came from both sides of the aisle in Congress - and Turner claimed Sunday that they'd all been stonewalled.

It's why the congressman now believes the Biden administration is offering the briefing now to distract from the diplomatic crisis caused by China's 'spy balloon.'

'The Biden administration told the American public that they raided Donald Trump's home because it was a national security risk. But what we found in the intelligence community and the intelligence committee is that the Biden administration had not engaged at all anyone who is in national security on the issue of threats from these documents,' Turner explained.

This map shows the routes of two suspected Chinese spy balloons making their way across the hemisphere

An F-22 Raptor fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile to take down a Chinese spy balloon and its payload, which was equipped with cameras, sensors and radars

'It took Congress to step in and say, 'We want a security threat.' And then they tried to deny giving the briefing to us from that threat.'

He added, 'What's interesting is that the moment this balloon became public, I got a notice not from the administration that I'm going to get a briefing on this balloon, but they have to rush to Congress now to talk to us about Donald Trump's documents. You can see they want to change the news.'

Turner blasted the Biden administration for 'making no attempt' notify Congress of the balloon before it was first made public, despite it first crossing into North America on January 28.

However, when asked about the alleged Chinese spy balloon incidents that occurred during the previous administration under Donald Trump, Turner did not answer directly - instead pivoting to Biden's perceived lackluster public response.

Defense officials estimated the balloon was about the size of three buses at a height of 120 feet, and that the debris field would be substantial, estimated at seven miles when it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday

'Well, that's what they're saying now, but I think that the administration needs to come forward because this is not an ability to say that this is a crisis that was handed to them,' Turner said.

'This is a crisis that has developed as a result of this president during his administration, allowing China to do a similar act before, not responding, and then, clearly, in this one not seeing the urgency of what was unfolding.'

He said the Biden administration showed it 'lacked urgency' by allowing the balloon to 'go across our most sensitive sites' before it was finally shot down.

The president told reporters on Saturday that he wanted the balloon shot down on Wednesday, but was cautioned against making the order due to the risk of civilians getting hurt by falling debris.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN on Sunday that it fell within a seven-mile debris field in the Atlantic Ocean.
Four migrants, including three children, have died after their boat carrying at least 41 passengers sank in the Aegean Sea, according to Greek coast guards.

The Hellenic Coast Guard said guards were alerted by a person who saw a body floating at sea.

Three vessels and a helicopter, joined by a detachment that went overland, reached the sunken boat and retrieved a woman's body, an unconscious boy and 39 other people, six of whom had made it to the island of Leros.

It was reported that the group included 17 men, 17 women, and six children.

Eight people, six of them minors, were admitted to hospital early in the afternoon, while the rest were taken to a reception camp to be sheltered.

Four migrants, including three children, have died after their boat carrying at least 41 passengers sank in the Aegean Sea near the Greek island of Leros

Three children were of those taken to hospital but later died, the coast guard said.

The migrants, whose nationalities are unknown, had reportedly sailed from Turkey on an inflatable boat, which was found half submerged.

It is thought passengers had experienced gale force winds and heavy rain, according to authorities.

Hospital officials did not respond to inquiries about the health of the migrants admitted to hospital.

Minister of shipping and island policy Ioannis Plakiotakis congratulated the rescuers but accused 'criminal networks of traffickers that operate from Turkey, tolerated by the Turkish authorities' of abandoning the migrants.

He said: 'Unfortunately, we have for yet another time innocent victims who lost their lives because of the criminal stance of human traffickers.'

Leros is close to the Turkish coast. Boats loaded with migrants - many inflatables but also yachts and speedboats - regularly leave Turkey bound for Greece, with some attempting to reach as far as Italy, irrespective of weather conditions.

Along with Spain and Italy, Greece is one of the key entry points into the European Union for refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Most asylum-seekers cross to Greece from neighbouring Turkey.

In October last year ninety-two migrants were found almost naked and bruised after allegedly being forced across the Evros river from Turkey into Greece.

EU border agency Frontex confirmed the arrival of the group in circumstances which the Greek ministry for civil protection said sent out an 'inhuman image.'

'The Frontex officers reported that the migrants were found almost naked and some of them with visible injuries,' said Paulina Bakula, spokeswoman for the organisation.

Meanwhile, in November, Greek authorities recovered twenty bodies of migrants off the island of Evia after a boat sank and in the previous month at least seventeen migrants died after two separate boats sank off Lesvos and Kythera.

The deaths come after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was today reported to be preparing for the extreme move after being told that 65,000 migrants could make the hazardous journey this year, a 50 per cent increase on the record set in 2022.

It comes after he last week vowed to tackle the 'ridiculous' Channel migrant situation.

The Prime Minister was today reported to be preparing for the extreme move after being told that 65,000 could make the hazardous journey this year, a 50 per cent increase on the record set in 2022. File image

In an interview to mark his first 100 days in office, the PM told Piers Morgan his blueprint for overhauling the system would see asylum claims heard in 'days or weeks'.

Ministers have made stopping the flow of small boats crossing the Channel a top priority, with Tory MPs warning that failure to get a grip will be disastrous at the next election.

They are drawing up plans to block Channel migrants from lodging legal challenges against deportation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already outlined how the Government intends to automatically bar migrants from claiming asylum as part of his pledge to 'stop the boats'.

January saw at least 991 people confirmed to have made the perilous journey to reach the southern shores of Great Britain.

This means crossings are broadly keeping pace with this time last year, which saw 1,341 people enter the UK via this route in January 2022.
Mortensen said heard 'screaming and crying' on the night of the murders

A family member of murdered University of Idaho student Ethan Chapin has questioned why the roommate who survived the slayings didn't call the police.

An account believed to belong to Ethan's sister-in-law made several posts online before the arrest affidavit was unsealed for suspected quadruple killer Bryan Kohberger.

The court document detailed how surviving roommate Dylan Mortensen came face to face with a masked man on the night of the murders.

Ethan, 20, his girlfriend Xana Kernodle, 20, and Maddie Mogen, 21, and Kaylee Goncalves, 20, were all killed as they slept in the house on November 13.

His sister-in-law has since revealed that Dylan, who was in the property at the time of the killings along with Bethany Funke, called all of the roommates after she heard 'screaming and crying' coming from their rooms.

Posting in a thread on Reddit, she said: 'D supposedly called all the girls in the house after the crying and screaming stopped and no one answered  and she still didn't call the police.

Ethan, a triplet, was killed while staying at his girlfriend Xana's house on November 13 along with the three roomates

His sister-in-law said that she needed to 'explain herself and her actions' on the night of the killings

'She needs to explain herself and her actions that night.'

When questioned about who did call the police, she added: '911 caller was the friend who went in because D called him to come over because she was scared from what she heard in the night.

'He went to Xana and Ethan's room first, then called 911. Why D or B didn't call the police once is the question.'

The affidavit revealed that Mortensen came face to face with a 'bushy eyebrowed' killer but was spared along with Funke.

Mortensen told police that she heard several scuffles throughout the night and opened her door where she saw a suspect dressed in all black with a mask covering his face and heard one of her housemates say, 'there's someone here'.

She also heard the suspect say, 'it's ok, I'm here to help you' as he wandered the house committing the atrocity.

Police confirmed that a 911 call was made from the phone of one of the surviving roommates at 11:58am who requested help for an unconscious person  though it has not been confirmed who spoke to police.

It has raised the question of why Mortensen didn't contact authorities sooner, with some arguing that she may have been 'frozen' by fear.

A family member of murdered University of Idaho student Ethan Chapin has questioned why the roommate Dylan Mortensen (pictured) who survived the slayings, didn't call the police

Ethan's sister-in-law made several posts online before the arrest affidavit was unsealed for suspected quadruple killer Bryan Kohberger

Many are questioning why it took her so long to raise the alarm, after hearing 'crying' and coming face to face with the killer. Pictured (L-R) Dylan Mortensen, Xana Kernodle, Bethany Funke, Kaylee Goncalves and Maddie Mogen

The court documents show that she opened her bedroom door on several occasions throughout the night

The roommate did not contact authorities for six hours, despite hearing several of her roommates in distress as well as witnessing the killer.

Mortensen told cops she was awoken at around 4am by what sounded like victim Kaylee Goncalves 'playing with her dog' in a third-floor bedroom.

She said she looked out of her room but didn't see anything, looking again on the second occasion when she thought Xana Kernodle was crying.

Mortensen 'stated she opened her door for the third time after she heard the crying and saw a figure clad in black clothing and a mask that covered the person's mouth and nose walking towards her.

After the man moved towards her, she said that she remained in a 'frozen shock phase' as he continued past her  but let her survive.

The online discussion also dissected where the bodies were found, with the relative adding that both Xana and Ethan were found in her room.

Stacy Chapin (left), the mom of Ethan Chapin (right), urged those affected by the tragedy to 'instead look ahead,' as the recently arrested suspect makes his way through the court system

It has raised the question of why Mortensen didn't contact authorities sooner, with some arguing that she may have been 'frozen' by fear

Mortensen, left, called the authorities with Funke at 11.58am the following day - more than six hours after the attacks

Ethans mother has also urged those affected by the tragedy to 'instead look ahead,' as the suspect makes his way through the courts.

Mortensen 'stated she opened her door for the third time after she heard the crying and saw a figure clad in black clothing'

Stacy Chapin said that 'nothing has changed since Kohbergers arrest and that mourners should direct their anger elsewhere.

It comes after sources told NewsNation that Xana fought back against her attacked and repeatedly grabbed the knife used in the attacks.

Sources claim that her fingers were nearly severed from the student trying to fight back, with her father Jeffrey Kernodle giving the same information in November.

He told CBS 5 that autopsy reports showed that his daughter's skin showed 'bruises, torn by the knife.'

The FBI has also been forced to deny losing the suspected quadruple killer just moments after he left his apartment in Pullman, Washington, with his father, Michael, to return home to Pennsylvania.

It comes after sources told NewsNation that Xana (right) fought back against her attacked and repeatedly grabbed the knife used in the attacks

Kaylee and Madison were found on the top floor of the Moscow, Idaho home. College lovers Chapin and Kernodle were found in a second-floor bedroom - while survivors Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke, both Kernodle's housemates, were sleeping on the first floor

Best friends Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, were murdered along with roommate Xana Kernodle and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, both 20 in an off-campus home in Moscow

The pair had just pulled out of the parking lot of his graduate housing before he vanished from the sight of police  before being pulled over twice as he made his way back to the family home.

A Hancock County Sheriff's Department confirmed Kohberger was pulled over by a deputy at around 10.41am on December 15.

Kohberger was pulled over twice within nine minutes while driving along I-70 in December, looking more concerned on the second occasion.

He remains in Latah County Jail awaiting a preliminary hearing in June, and he is expected to plead not guilty to the charges.

Court documents recently revealed that police discovered d a pillow covered in 'blood' in Kohbergers Washington apartment.

Kohberger was pulled over twice within nine minutes while driving along I-70 in December, looking more concerned on the second occasion. He remains in Latah County Jail awaiting a preliminary hearing in June

Court documents show police wanted to see if any hair had been 'transferred' onto Kohberger and then back to his apartment  including that of Kaylee Goncalves' dog Murphy

Kaylee's dog Murphy was spared during the slayings - officers found him alone in her room

A new search warrant, made public on January 17, shows that police found several hair strands, including one suspected animal hair, a black glove, a computer tower and one unnamed item with a collection of 'dark red spots'.

They also hauled away a pillow with a 'reddish/brown stain' on it and the top and bottom of a mattress cover with 'multiple stains'.

Investigators who raided the property back in December also picked up receipts from Walmart and two Marshall's receipts, as well as collecting the contents of his vacuum cleaner.

Authorities initially sealed the search warrant for the murder suspect's Washington home  arguing that releasing the details could 'prematurely' end the investigation.

However, the document has since been unsealed with the approval of Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy, who filed the motion on January 17.

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.

Kohberger was allegedly stalking the students in the weeks leading up to the murders. Pictured is the home where the murders took place, just over eight miles from where he worked as a PhD student and teaching assistant

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.

Murphy was found alive in Kaylee's room by investigators who were called to the scene, and has now been returned to her ex-boyfriend.

The application also stated that the home where the students were murdered had a significant amount of blood from the victims  including 'spatter and castoff blood'.

Investigators believe that it was likely that the killer would have had blood evidence on their body or clothing, and hoped to find trace evidence in Kohberger's apartment.

However, they did not describe the results of any of the testing in the documents, and did not confirm if any hairs found matched the victims or Kaylee's dog.

His offices at Washington State University were also searched, but nothing was seized by officers.
Christian leaders including the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury have denounced anti-gay laws and called for greater LGBT acceptance within the church.

Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the foremost Presbyterian minister in Scotland spoke at an unprecedented airborne press conference.

The three Christian leaders were returning home from South Sudan, where they took part in a three-day ecumenical pilgrimage to try to nudge the young country's peace process forward.

They were asked about Francis's recent comments in which he declared that laws that criminalise gay people were 'unjust' and that 'being homosexual is not a crime'.

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalises homosexuality. In 11 countries, people can be sentenced to the death penalty for being part of the LGBT community.

Pope Francis repeated previous comments that parents should never throw their gay children out of the house in the airborne press conference

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, said he would echo the Pope at an upcoming General Synod

Rt Rev Iain Greenshields said he did not see Jesus turn anyone away in the Bible and implied that the Church should follow his example

LGBTQ advocates say even where such laws are not applied, they contribute to a climate of harassment, discrimination and violence.

Pope Francis referred his January 24 comments and repeated that such laws are 'unjust'.

He also repeated previous comments that parents should never throw their gay children out of the house.

Read more: Pope says people who criminalise same-sex acts are wrong The pope has regularly ruffled feathers with his modern theological views since becoming the Bishop of Rome in 2013 Advertisement

'To condemn someone like this is a sin,' Francis said.

'Criminalising people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice.'

He added: 'People with homosexual tendencies are children of God. God loves them. God accompanies them.'

The pope also accused some of his vocal critics of using the late Pope Benedict XVI's death to score ideological points.

In the days and weeks after his death, Benedict's longtime secretary and some conservative cardinals came out with books, interviews and memos criticising Francis' papacy.

The commentary had the effect of pitting the recently departed former pope, who remained a point of reference for conservatives and traditionalists, against the current pope.

Francis insisted that rumours of differences with Benedict, or that Benedict was bitter about some decisions he had taken, were false and that the two consulted frequently and were in agreement.

'I think Benedict's death was instrumentalised. People wanted to score points for their own side.

'And the people who instrumentalise such a good person, so close to God, I would almost say ... those people don't have ethics, they are people who belong to a party, not to the church.'

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said LGBTQ rights were very much on the current agenda of the Church of England and committed to quoting the pope's own words when the issue is discussed at the church's upcoming General Synod.

'I wish I had spoken as eloquently and clearly as the pope. I entirely agree with every word he said,' Mr Welby said.

Recently, the Church of England decided to allow blessings for same-sex civil marriages but said same-sex couples could not marry in its churches.

The Vatican forbids both gay marriage and blessings for same-sex unions.

Mr Welby told reporters that the issue of criminalisation had been taken up at two previous Lambeth Conferences of the broader Anglican Communion, which includes churches in Africa and the Middle East where such anti-gay laws are most common and often enjoy support from conservative bishops.

The pope also addressed rumours that there had been tension between him and the late Pope Benedict XVI, denying that there was a rift between the pontiffs

The church leaders used their flight from Juba to Rome on Sunday to brief the press on their stance on LGBT rights

The broader Lambeth Conference has come out twice opposing criminalisation, 'but it has not really changed many people's minds', Mr Welby said.

The Rt Rev Iain Greenshields, the Presbyterian moderator of the Church of Scotland, offered further observations.

'There is nowhere in my reading of the four Gospels where I see Jesus turning anyone away,' he said.

'There is nowhere in the four Gospels where I see anything other than Jesus expressing love to whomever he meets,' the reverend explained.

'And as Christians, that is the only expression that we can possibly give to any human being, in any circumstance.'

The Church of Scotland allows same-sex marriages.

Catholic teaching currently holds that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that homosexual acts are 'intrinsically disordered'.
Donald Trump appears to be keeping a close eye on the Sunday news shows today, as evidenced by his swift attack on ex-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for casting doubt on the former president's 2024 prospects.

The former Republican governor and 2016 White House candidate told ABC News' This Week when asked if Trump could beat President Joe Biden in the next race: 'I don't think so.'

Not four hours after the program concluded, Trump took to his Truth Social app to mock his formal presidential rival.

'Sloppy Chris Christie, the failed former Governor of New Jersey, spent almost his entire last year in office campaigning in New Hampshire for the Republican Nomination for President,' the ex-president wrote.

'Much like his term in office, where he left with an Approval Rating of just 9%, his Presidential campaign was a complete disaster.'

Chris Christie poured cold water on Donald Trump's 2024 prospects on Sunday morning when asked about a new poll showing 49 percent of Republicans want someone else to run

Republican 2024 hopefuls havent launched bids against former Pres. Trump yet because no one sees any imperative to do it, @GovChristie tells @JonKarl.



Who wants to be the first in the pool with Donald Trump? https://t.co/iBtEOOQvCn pic.twitter.com/cRbhBRDIvv  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) February 5, 2023

Trump also appeared to blame Christie for his appointment of FBI Director Chris Wray, who the ex-president reportedly sought to fire for failing to be another yes-man in his orbit.

He also claimed Christie's career was only revived by his contract as a talking head with ABC News.

'He endorsed me the following day, later recommended Chris Wray for the FBI (how did that work out?), went down in flames, and then was SALVAGED by ABC FAKE NEWS,' Trump said of Christie.

'I never wanted him!'

Christie turned on Trump in the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riot, and has been a key Republican critic of his and his allies' 2020 election fraud claims.

He's been among several GOP names floated to potentially challenge Trump in 2024.

The ex-president is so far the only declared Republican challenger for the next election, with his former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley expected to announce her campaign later this month.

Christie, whose speeches at key Republican events and his recent memoir have raised their own 2024 rumors, was asked by ABC why more candidates aside from Trump have not gotten into the race.

'Everybody is playing around with the idea of "Will I run, won't I run" and I think the reason it's developing slowly...is nobody sees any imperative to do it,' the ex-governor said.

The former president has been lightening quick to respond to challenges and doubts about his candidacy

He attacked Christie on Truth Social less than four hours after the news show concluded

'Who wants to be first in the pool with Donald Trump, when he has no one else to shoot at?'

He said Trump's 'whole life is about shooting at people.'

'Why do you necessarily want to be the first in the pool to do that?' Christie added.

A new ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Sunday shows Trump narrowly beating Biden in a hypothetical rematch, by a margin of 48 percent to 45.

The three-point difference is within the poll's 3.5 percent margin of error.

However, overall, the survey suggests that Americans are over both Biden and Trump's candidacies.

A 49-percent plurality of likely Republican voters said they want someone other than Trump to be their White House nominee.

Meanwhile, a 58-percent majority of Democratic survey respondents called on Biden to pass his torch to another member of his party in 2024.
The Met's professionalism chief has issued an apology to the victims of rapist officer David Carrick and said he should not have been a police officer.

Assistant Commander Barbara Gray, said in a statement on Sunday that she was 'truly sorry for the harm and devastation' Carrick caused.

She admitted that the police force had let the victims down and said the force was committed to 'root out those who corrupt our integrity'.

Carrick, who admitted more than 70 sex attacks on 12 women over the course of nearly 20 years, will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court tomorrow.

He pleaded guilty to 49 sexual offences last month and will face judges for a two day sentencing hearing this week.

Assistant Commander Barbara Gray, said in a statement on Sunday that she was 'truly sorry for the harm and devastation' caused by Carrick's offences and added that the force had let the victims down

Carrick used his position as a police officer to gain the trust of and intimidate the women he attacked. He is due to be sentenced for his crimes at Southwark Crown Court on Monday

Assistant Commander Barbara Gray said Carrick had admitted to 'the most appalling offences' against women.

She apologised to his victims and said he should never have been a police officer.

READ MORE: Hundreds of people should not have been allowed to be police officers, Inspector says Advertisement

'I am truly sorry for the harm and devastation he has caused them. We let them down and we failed to identify a man in the ranks of the Metropolitan Police Service who carried out the most awful offences.

'He should not have been a police officer.'

The Met said it has invested millions in the Directorate of Professional Standards as well as setting up a dedicated Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offending Investigation Team.

Last month, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said that two or three police officers are expected to appear in court each week to face criminal charges in the coming months as the scandal-hit force attempts to reform.

He told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee on Wednesday that more 'painful stories' will emerge as moves progress to remove hundreds of corrupt officers who are thought to be serving.

After Carrick's guilty plea nearly three weeks ago, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said more disturbing cases involving police officers could be uncovered in the short term.

A new Met Police integrity hotline has received 'tens of calls' a week, leading to new investigations, Sir Mark said, a third of which relate to other forces.

In the wake of Carrick's conviction, around 1,000 previous cases involving Met officers and staff who were accused of sexual offences or domestic violence are being reviewed to make sure they were handled correctly.

This is expected to be completed by the end of March.

Sunday's statement comes after a number of revelations about the failure police forces including the Met to identify Carrick as a serial rapist.

Police were alerted to his behaviour eight times between 2000 and 2021, most of which while he was serving on the force before he was finally caught.

He carried out 85 sex attacks on women who he locked in cupboards, urinated on and forced to clean his house naked, making him one of the UK's worst rapists.

Women said Carrick locked them in a tiny cupboard under the stairs of his Hertfordshire home for 10 hours, controlled what they ate, and cut them off from their family.

Carrick had been a police officer for two years in 2003 when he began his 17-year campaign of serious sexual assault.

Scotland Yard had not taken action against the junior officer in 2002 when an ex-girlfriend reporters him for actual bodily harm.

He was eventually reported to Hertfordshire Constabulary in 2019 following a row with a girlfriend, during which he dragged her out of his house by the neck.

Met Officer David Carrick was revealed to be one of the UK's worst rapists last week. In a bizarre 2011 exchange, he sent pictures of himself holding guns to a wrong number

But the incident was not escalated - with bosses offering 'words of advice - and it wasn't until October 2021 that Carrick was arrested on suspicion of rape.

He was placed on restricted duties but was not suspended.

When the victim withdrew the complaint the Met decided that he had no case to answer.

Carrick was then arrested again in the same month and suspended from police duty.

Reports today indicate that no officers from Scotland Yard will be referred to the independent policing watchdog as a result of the failures.

Despite The Telegraph reporting that three blunders were under investigation, no individual officers are facing disciplinary action.

Last year the Independent Office for Police Conduct asked all forces involved in the case to identify any potential failures.

But the Met have blamed processes and approaches 'in place at the time' rather than the blunders of individual officers.

The head of the Met's 'AC-12', Paul Betts, has gone on to land a top job despite failing to identify Carrick as a serial rapist.

Betts went on to become Assistant Commissioner of City of London Police in January 2022.

The Metropolitan Police statement in full 'It is nearly three weeks since David Carrick entered the last of his guilty pleas. In doing so, he admitted to the most appalling offences against women. 'Tomorrow, he will be in court for the first day of a two-day sentencing hearing. 'More detail will be provided about the cruel and abusive nature of his crimes and about the impact they have had on the tremendously brave women who came forward to provide evidence against him. 'I am truly sorry for the harm and devastation he has caused them. We let them down and we failed to identify a man in the ranks of the Metropolitan Police Service who carried out the most awful offences. 'He should not have been a police officer. 'In the weeks since he pleaded guilty, we have spoken about our genuine and urgent commitment to address the systemic failings that have been identified by our own reviews, by those of His Majesty's Inspectorate and Baroness Casey. 'We are determined to root out those who corrupt our integrity. 'That work is already under way. 'In the coming weeks we will be speaking in more detail about the important progress we have already made and what our next steps will be. 'The next two days, however, are about the victims. 'They have shown such courage in speaking out. 'They truly deserve to have their voices heard and see justice done.' Advertisement

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: 'We have asked the IOPC to review our overall handling of all matters related to David Carrick.

'But as the referral does not relate to the actions of a specific officer or to a specific conduct matter, they may determine that it does not meet the criteria for a referral to them.'

The spokesman added that Carrick's arrest in 2021 had triggered a review of previous reports of violence.

'After Carrick was arrested in 2021, we reviewed the occasions on which he had come to the attention of the police and the actions that had been taken at the time.

'Concerns were raised about the handling of an allegation of harassment and assault in 2002 by officers who have now retired.

'We highlighted these concerns to the IOPC. However, due to the passage of time, they determined that it would not be in the public interest for them to take any further action.'

The force said mistakes made in the last couple of years were due to processes rather than the actions of individual officers.

'The review also identified concerns about the handling of an allegation of assault in 2019 and an arrest on suspicion of rape in July 2021.

'These concerns relate to the processes and approaches in place at the time rather than the actions of any individual officers.

'The matters were referred to the IOPC but as we had not identified any misconduct on the part of a specific officer, the referrals did not meet the acceptance criteria.'

The IOPC said that the forces had confirmed that they had completed reviews and individual officers had not met the threshold to be referred for misconduct.

'However, given the breadth and depth of Carrick's offending, we are assessing all the information provided to us by those forces to satisfy ourselves independently that there are no issues which meet that criteria.

'We will consider any next steps following this assessment.'

The first victim of David Carrick to consent to being publicly named told Sunday People that she hopes he is locked up for the rest of his active life.

Darciane Nunes Da Silva, 43, left Brazil to move to the UK three years ago and was initially taken in by the police officer.

But he turned violent and abusive two months into the relationship, controlling what she ate and treating her as a sex slave. He also threatened to use his position as a policeman to deport her.

Carrick released snakes on to the floor of their home as a 'punishment', she said.

Ms Da Silva is considering joining legal action against the Met and said Carrick deserves 40 years in prison - twice the length of time he terrorised women.
Ukraine's defence minister has expressed confidence that western allies will agree to the country's latest weapons request of warplanes to fight off Russian forces.

Oleksii Reznikov said Ukraine has already received everything from its 'wish list to Santa', except planes.

'There will be planes, too,' Mr Reznikov told a news conference in Kyiv.

'The question is just what kind exactly.... Consider that this mission is already completed.'

So far, Ukraine has won support from Baltic nations and Poland in its quest to obtain western fighter jets.

Oleksii Reznikov (pictured) said Ukraine has already received everything from its 'wish list to Santa', except planes

A wounded local resident stands next to his apartment building damaged by a Russian missile strike in Kharkiv

Ukrainian rescuers work at the site of a damaged residential building following a missile strike in Kharkiv

But several western leaders have expressed concern that providing warplanes could provoke the Kremlin and draw their countries deeper into the conflict, which over the past year has cost tens of thousands of lives and wreaked massive destruction.

Kyiv says such jets are essential to challenging Russia's air superiority and ensuring success in a Russian offensive that Mr Reznikov predicted could begin around the war's one-year anniversary, February 24.

'Not all western weapons will arrive by then, but we have the resources and reserves to help stabilise and sustain the offensive,' Mr Reznikov told reporters.

Since the war began, western leaders have balked at some of Ukraine's requests, such as for longer-range missiles and tanks, only to agree later.

The warplanes are the latest example. Ukraine has relocated its warplanes and concealed air defence assets, hampering Moscow's efforts to gain full control of the skies.

After suffering early losses, the Russian air force has avoided venturing deep into Ukraine's airspace and mostly focused on close frontline support.

German-made tanks are on the way to Ukraine.

Olena, 63, holds her head as people receive humanitarian aid, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, on the outskirts of Bahmut, in Donetsk region

People receive humanitarian aid, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, on the outskirts of Bahmut

Ukrainian army called Tina by the unit, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Bahmut, in Donetsk region

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rides a tank as he visits the Leopard II tanks that are due to be supplied to Ukraine

Mr Reznikov said his forces would begin training on Leopard tanks in Europe on Monday, before their delivery to Ukraine.

So far, Canada, Poland, Germany, Great Britain and the United States have announced they will supply tanks to Ukraine.

The Kremlin has said western countries' supply of increasingly sophisticated and more weapons will only prolong the conflict, and it has characterised Nato as a direct participant.

Mr Reznikov, commenting on the supply of western weapons and the state of the Ukrainian army, took the rhetoric further on Sunday, saying: 'I absolutely boldly claim that we have become a de facto Nato country. We only have a de jure part left.'

Ukraine has applied to join Nato, as have two of Russia's other neighbours, Finland and Sweden.

On the battlefield, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said four people were injured today when a Russian S-300 missile fell near an apartment block in Kharkiv city, and another was hurt when a missile hit a university building.

Video footage showed the building hit was the National Academy for Urban Economy, about 700 metres from the city's central square.

At least four people were injured after two Russian missiles hit apartment blocks in downtown Kharkiv

The statue of architect Alexei Beketov in front of a damaged building of the Kharkiv National University of Urban Economy following a missile strike in Kharkiv

Further damage to the Kharkiv National University of Urban Economy following a Russian missile strike

Meanwhile, heavy fighting continued in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, one of four regions that Russia illegally annexed last year even though its forces do not fully control the area.

Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said five civilians were wounded in rocket attacks during the night in the city of Druzhkivka and that the town of Avdiivka and its outskirts were also fired on.

In the Black Sea port of Odesa, workers laboured to connect temporary generators shipped in to restore electricity.

The city and surrounding area were plunged into darkness over the weekend following a large-scale network failure.

Grid operator Ukrenergo said that the failure involved equipment 'repeatedly repaired' after Russia's savage strikes on Ukraine's energy grid, and that residents should brace themselves for lengthy blackouts.

As of Sunday afternoon, about 280,000 customers - 40% of the customers - remained without power, said prime minister Denis Shmyhal.
The deep-pocketed donor network associated with billionaire Charles Koch and his late brother David has said it will not be backing Donald Trump's next bid for office.

The declaration, made by brass at Americans for Prosperity Action in a memo to staffers Sunday, did not specify which candidate would receive the prospective funding, but vowed it would not be the embattled ex-head of state.

While not mentioning Trump by name, the CEO of the Kochs' main political arm offered a not-so-subtle jab at the former president, who during his tenure often sparred with Koch officials over his administration's trade and immigration policies.

The move, first reported by The Washington Post, comes as the donor group created by the billionaire industrialist brothers elected to sit out the two most recent GOP elections, where Trump, 76, twice surfaced as a frontrunner.

It also creates confusion as to who amongst a still developing field of potential Republican candidates - including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, ex South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and Trump's old running mate Mike Pence - is a clear-cut favorite.

The donor network created by billionaire Charles Koch has said it will not be backing Donald Trump's next bid for office, after abstaining from the last two GOP presidential primaries

While not mentioning Trump by name, the CEO of the Kochs' group seemingly criticized the former head of state in a memo Sunday that announced its new donating intensions

Emily Seidel - head executive of Koch's Americans for Prosperity - wrote that the group seeks to 'turn the page on the past' and 'write a new chapter for our country' with its newly announced political backing.

'The loudest voice in each political party sets the tone for the entire election,' Seidel wrote, before adding, 'In a presidential year, that's the presidential candidate.

'And to write a new chapter for our country,' she continued, we need to turn the page on the past. So. the best thing for the country would be to have a president in 2025 who represents a new chapter.'

Seidel would go on to cite 'the broken politics' and 'toxic situation' she said were major influencers in the grassroots group's choice to back a nameless, non-Trump candidate's prospective bid for president.

The Koch networks flagship group Americans for Prosperity boasts offices in 36 states, as well as millions of grassroots activists - all aligned with the firm's conservative beliefs

'The Republican Party is nominating bad candidates who are advocating for things that go against core American principles,' Seidel wrote, adding, 'And the American people are rejecting them.'

As Democrats continue to push 'more and more extreme policies,' she went on, 'AFP Action is prepared to support a candidate in the Republican presidential primary who can lead our country forward. And who can win.'

The memo added: 'The American people have shown that theyre ready to move on, and so AFP will help them do that.'

Sent to staffers and other political activists Sunday, the correspondence did not offer an exact budget for 2024, but if anything like the hefty donations doled out by the firm in past elections, they could amount in the hundreds of millions of dollars,

The move creates confusion as to who amongst a still developing field of potential Republican candidates - which includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

The Koch networks flagship group, Americans for Prosperity currently boasts offices in 36 states, as well as millions of grassroots activists across the country - all aligned with the firm's conservative beliefs.

The firm was started by Koch, 87, and his late younger brother, who died in 2019 at age 79, in 2004, and has since surfaced as the main branch of one of the most powerful donor network's in the world, thanks to a virtually unlimited reservoir of funds.

With that sprawling network, the Koch brothers - who were collectively worth an estimated $102.4 billion as of 2017 - raised more than $400million for Republican candidates during the 2012 presidential election.

Other potential suitors include former Vice President Pence former Secretary of State Pompeo, who both boast ties to Koch and his elaborate donor's netowrk

Charles and his late brother David Koch, who died in 2012, boast a massive network of libertarian and conservative donors that has funneled millions into their preferred candidates

The group's financial reach is said to rival even the Republican National Committee.

That said, when it comes to to 2024, several Republicans weighing bids could find themselves backed by Koch, with some in past already supported by Koch-backed super PACS, including DeSantis prior to his own GOP primary in 2018.

Other potential suitors include former Vice President Pence, as well as Marc Short, Pences former chief of staff and longtime aide, who once oversaw political operations at the Koch network.

Another prospective candidate us former Secretary of State Pompeo, who found himself backed by Koch-led political committees when he served as a congressman in Wichita - where Koch Industries is headquartered.

Former South Carolina Gov. Haley, meanwhile, also has ties to Koch's elaborate donor network, and has attended the family's donor conclaves in the past.

She, like DeSantis, is expected to announce her bid for the GOP nomination later this month.
Families flooded to Kyiv's ski slopes today as missile strikes have died down in Ukraine's war-torn capital.

With the nation entering its first full winter since Russia's catastrophic invasion last year, many flocked to Protasiv Yar ski resort near to downtown Kyiv.

The complex, which opened to the public on December 8, welcomes around two to three thousand visitors on weekend days, with soldiers sometimes given free access.

Crowds clutching skis and snowboards were snapped queuing up to take on the slopes which are expected to remain open until March 20.

Others were spotted taking selfies and chatting with friends on top of the hill overlooking its battle-scarred surroundings.

Families have flooded to Protasiv Yar ski resort's ski slopes today near to downtown Kyiv as missile strikes have eased in Ukraine's war-torn capital

This escape from the harsh wartime reality comes just after missile strikes have eased in the capital.

Moscow unleashed a wave of attacks on virtually every major Ukrainian city during the last few months, knocking out critical infrastructure and burying civilians under debris.

One of the deadliest strikes occurred in central Dnipro, where a nine-storey apartment block crumbled, killing at least five people and injuring 27.

Damage to critical infrastructure also forced Ukraine into electricity shutdowns so that operators could work on repairs.

Kyiv's citizens were among many others driven to cooking days in advance, wearing extra layers and staying home in the darkness on alert for the next Russian attack.

One person previously told The Daily Mail: 'I'd rather sit here in the cold and darkness than under occupation by Putin.'

Crowds with skis and snowboards were snapped queuing up for the lift to take on the slopes which are expected to remain open until March 20

Others were captured taking selfies and chatting with friends on top of the hill overlooking its battle-scarred surroundings

The winter sport escape from the wartime reality comes just after missile strikes have eased

Last week, Ukraine finally convinced Western leaders to send in dozens of tanks which are hoped to falter Putin's invasion.

Britain was praised for its decisive commitment to send battle Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine amid a complicated diplomatic dance that eventually saw Germany sending Leopard 2 tanks as well.

The Biden administration also sent an entire battalion of 31 M1 Abrams tanks to the frontline.

But today, Ukraine's defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, urged that the nation had received everything from its 'wish list to Santa', except planes.

President Zelensky is seeking newer western fighter jets that can reach speeds of more than 1,200mph to additionally help war efforts.

So far, Ukraine has won support from Baltic nations and Poland in its quest to obtain these western fighter jets.

Building destroyed by a Russian missile attack in the town of Glevakha, Kyiv. Pictured: January 27

But Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said earlier this week that it was 'not currently practical' to send RAF jets from the UK.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'The UK's Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets are extremely sophisticated and take months to learn how to fly. Given that, we believe it is not practical to send those jets into Ukraine.'
Republicans on Capitol Hill are considering bringing a resolution that would condemn President Joe Biden for his handling of the Chinese spy balloon fiasco.

At least two reports confirm that the resolution criticizing inaction could hit the floor as early as Tuesday, which is the same day as Biden will deliver his second State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress.

Biden critics claim that the president did not inform Americans soon enough about the alleged Chinese spy balloon hovering over the U.S. last week. The Chinese Communist Party maintains that the vessel was merely an astray weather balloon.

The balloon's presence wasn't revealed by the White House until after it was shot down by U.S. military and launched much of the public into chaos online speculating and pointing fingers.

Top Republicans in the House and Senate are among those asking questions and accusing Biden of trying to change the conversations.

Republicans are considering introducing a resolution condemning President Joe Biden for his response to the Chinese spy balloon fiasco that could be brought to the floor for a vote as early as Tuesday  the same day as Biden's State of the Union address

The White House did not inform Americans of the Chinese spy balloon hovering over the country until after the U.S. military shot it down. Pictured is the balloon drifting to the ocean after shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina on Saturday, February 4

The balloon ordeal comes amidst rising tensions with Beijing and Washington.

Three Republican aides told NBC News that lawmakers are in the early stages of considering taking up the resolution to condemn the Biden team's response to the alleged spy balloon and particularly their handling of informing Americans.

Another source in GOP leadership told Politico that if lawmakers decide to go forward with the resolution, i t could be brought to the House floor as early as Tuesday.

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Marco Rubio said that the Chinese spy balloon appearance was purposefully planned to appear in U.S. airspace just days ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to China to derail the plans.

The Florida Republican claimed Sunday morning that the now infamous spy balloon was a message to the world from Beijing that they do not view the U.S. as a mega-power anymore.

The comments come amid new revelations that another Chinese spy balloon crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii four months ago, and officials told Fox News that at least one other flew over portions of Texas and Florida during former President Donald Trump's time in office.

Trump insisted the reported instance during his presidency did not occur, claiming it's disinformation from Biden.

'This never happened. It would have never happened,' Trump told Fox while claiming Beijing 'respected us greatly' under his leadership.

'It never happened with us under the Trump administration and if it did, we would have shot it down immediately,' Trump said. 'It's disinformation.'

Meanwhile, Republican House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner alleged on Sunday that the Biden team is trying to distract from the balloon ordeal by offering a briefing on the classified documents found at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.

Top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee Marco Rubio claims the Chinese spy balloon was 'a message' that Beijing 'believes internally... that the United States is a once-great superpower that's hollowed out, it's in decline'

Rubio said the Biden administration should have told Americans about the balloon's presence over the U.S. sooner as a new Fox News report reveals that another Chinese spy balloon crashed into the Pacific off the coast of Hawaii four months ago and at least one other flew over parts of Texas and Florida during the Trump years

Trump told Fox that the instance of a Chinese balloon flying over the U.S. during his time in office did not happen and is part of Biden disinformation. 'This never happened. It would have never happened' because Beijing 'respected us greatly'

While agreeing with Blinken canceling his trip to China, Rubio was otherwise critical of the Biden administration's response to the balloon, claiming the president should have immediately addressed the nation on television to inform the public before it was shot down by the U.S. military.

'I don't know why they waited so long to tell people about this,' the Florida senator said during an interview with ABC News' This Week host Jonathan Karl on Sunday morning.

Turner revealed to NBC's Meet the Press that he was offered last week a congressional briefing on Trump's handling of classified documents. The offer came the same day Americans first learned of a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over the country.

'You can see they want to change the news,' the Ohio Republican said.

He added: 'There is nothing scheduled on the balloon, but they're scheduling Donald Trump.'

Rubio, for his part, claimed that the delay in informing Americans of the balloon's existence was viewed by China as positive for their message of the declining power of the U.S. on the world stage.

'When was it spotted? Why was it not brought down sooner over other areas? I'm open-minded to listening to the arguments they make about why it wasn't dealt with sooner,' Rubio said.

U.S. officials said they only waited to strike down the balloon because they wanted to minimize the risk to civilians. They only announced the presence of the vessel after it had already flown down from Alaska.

'This was deliberate. They did this on purpose,' the senator said as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) insists the threatening vessel that consumed U.S. attention this week was just an astray weather balloon.

'They understood that it was going to be spotted, they knew the U.S. government would have to reveal it, that people were gonna see it over the sky,' he continued. 'And the message they were trying to send is what they believe internally, and that is that the United States is a once-great superpower that's hollowed out, it's in decline.'

'The message they're trying to send the world is, 'Look, these guys can't even do anything about a balloon flying over U.S. airspace. How can you possibly count on them if something were to happen in the Indo-Pacific region? How can you count on them if they're not gonna do anything about a balloon over U.S. airspace? How are they going to come to the aid of Taiwan or stand with the Philippines or Japan or India when the Chinese move on their territory?''

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner said President Biden's team is trying to 'change the news' away from the Chinese spy balloon and his document scandal by offering a Capitol Hill briefing this week regarding Trump's classified documents. He said he has not yet heard about a briefing regarding the Chinese 'spy balloon' recently shot down off the East Coast

The Biden White House offered the House Intelligence Committee a briefing on Trump's classified documents in the midst of the Chinese spy balloon scare

Blinken was meant to make a diplomatic trip to China, but canceled the plans after the balloon incident.

'I don't know how you could possibly make that trip happen at this point,' Rubio said, agreeing with the decision to nix the visit.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken (pictured in South Korea on February 3) canceled his upcoming diplomatic visit to Beijing following the Chinese spy balloon ordeal this week

The alleged surveillance device was shot down off the coast of South Carolina by American fighter jets on Saturday after crossing over multiple U.S. states at a low enough altitude to be seen by the naked eye - alarming millions across the country.

Turner said Sunday that he has not yet been made aware of any coming security assessments by the Biden administration for Congress on the incident.

But officials are coming next week to brief lawmakers on classified files recovered from Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, Turner said, where they had been improperly stored until an August FBI raid.

Additionally, Turner said Biden officials would brief lawmakers on classified documents recovered from former Vice President Mike Pence, as well as from the president himself.

Biden has been found in possession of as many as 30 classified files from his time as vice president and as a senator from Delaware, which were recovered from his Wilmington, Delaware residence and a Washington, DC think tank where he'd previously kept a private office.

Bipartisan requests for more information came from both sides of the aisle in Congress - and Turner claimed Sunday that they'd all been stonewalled.

It's why the congressman now believes the Biden administration is offering the briefing now to distract from the diplomatic crisis caused by China's 'spy balloon.'

'The Biden administration told the American public that they raided Donald Trump's home because it was a national security risk. But what we found in the intelligence community and the intelligence committee is that the Biden administration had not engaged at all anyone who is in national security on the issue of threats from these documents,' Turner explained.

This map shows the routes of two suspected Chinese spy balloons making their way across the hemisphere

An F-22 Raptor fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile to take down a Chinese spy balloon and its payload, which was equipped with cameras, sensors and radars

'It took Congress to step in and say, 'We want a security threat.' And then they tried to deny giving the briefing to us from that threat.'

He added, 'What's interesting is that the moment this balloon became public, I got a notice not from the administration that I'm going to get a briefing on this balloon, but they have to rush to Congress now to talk to us about Donald Trump's documents. You can see they want to change the news.'

Turner blasted the Biden administration for 'making no attempt' notify Congress of the balloon before it was first made public, despite it first crossing into North America on January 28.

However, when asked about the alleged Chinese spy balloon incidents that occurred during the previous administration under Donald Trump, Turner did not answer directly - instead pivoting to Biden's perceived lackluster public response.

Defense officials estimated the balloon was about the size of three buses at a height of 120 feet, and that the debris field would be substantial, estimated at seven miles when it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday

'Well, that's what they're saying now, but I think that the administration needs to come forward because this is not an ability to say that this is a crisis that was handed to them,' Turner said.

'This is a crisis that has developed as a result of this president during his administration, allowing China to do a similar act before, not responding, and then, clearly, in this one not seeing the urgency of what was unfolding.'

He said the Biden administration showed it 'lacked urgency' by allowing the balloon to 'go across our most sensitive sites' before it was finally shot down.

The president told reporters on Saturday that he wanted the balloon shot down on Wednesday, but was cautioned against making the order due to the risk of civilians getting hurt by falling debris.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN on Sunday that it fell within a seven-mile debris field in the Atlantic Ocean.
Indonesian shipyard welders pose with Samsung Heavy Industries employees at Incheon International Airport after their arrival in Korea in this December 2022 file photo. Courtesy of Samsung Heavy Industries



Over 2,000 foreign workers to be deployed at shipyards this month



By Park Jae-hyuk



The government has decided recently to drop the requirement for foreign welders to have at least two years of work experience to qualify for jobs at shipyards in Korea, according to the Korea Offshore & Shipbuilding Association (KOSHIPA), Sunday.



Late last month, the Ministry of Justice informed the association that the requirements for E-7 visas will be temporarily eased until January 2025 for foreign shipyard employees.



In particular, foreign welders will be exempt from submitting employment certificates, if passing skills verification tests at agencies designated by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and if they have earned certifications in flux cored arc welding (FCAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW).






The leaders of the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus said on Sunday that they're working on a 'failsafe option' for the U.S. debt limit, in case talks between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden fall through.

'I think it's irresponsible not to have the conversation, just like it's irresponsible to default on our responsibilities as a country and put the full faith and credit of the United States at risk,' New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer told CNN's State of the Union on Sunday.

Co-head of the caucus, GOP Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, said: 'We cannot allow our country to default under any circumstances.'

House Republicans have been in a stalemate with the White House and Senate Democrats amid urgent warnings from the Treasury that action needs to be taken to raise the debt ceiling.

Failure to do so could send the U.S. careening into default - plunging the global economy into a tailspin.

Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (right) and Josh Gottheimer (left) are the bipartisan co-chairs of the House of Representatives' Problem Solvers Caucus

CNN's @jaketapper asks Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) how they plan to help the House strike a bipartisan deal on the debt ceiling. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/rSKkpCpm5c  CNN (@CNN) February 5, 2023

The House's GOP majority has made clear that it will not move to raise the debt limit unless it was offset with future government spending cuts.

And while they hope a solution can be reached after McCarthy left a meeting at the White House on a seeming high note last week, Fitzpatrick and Gottheimer are also prepared to step in with a plan if the two parties can't agree on adequate cuts to pass a debt limit deal.

'Our hope, of course, is that leadership and the White House are able to work something out,' the Democrat said.

His Republican colleague echoed, 'We're going to let them do their work. We don't want to undermine anybody.'

'But what Josh and our group do together is, we don't negotiate in public. We work everything out,' Fitzpatrick said.

'We have a failsafe option in the backdrop that will be ready to go to make sure that we get this job done.'

The limit is the total amount of monetary debt the federal government is allowed to carry, with which it pays military salaries, social security benefits, and other programs that affect millions of people.

Fitzpatrick claimed that current regulation which sees the debt ceiling regularly raised - and increasingly argued over - by specific monetary amounts 'doesn't make any sense.'

He suggested instead that it be converted to a 'debt-to-GDP ratio.'

They said they'd stand behind House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (pictured) in making a deal with the White House to avert a default

But President Joe Biden has until now maintained that he will not negotiate on spending cuts regarding the debt limit, calling raising the ceiling an 'obligation'

'A number that could be agreed to, have a cure period thereafter,' Fitzpatrick explained.

'And if that cure does not occur, certain guardrails go up on discretionary spending.'

He explained that the U.S. currently has 'a debt-to-GDP ratio that exceeds 100 percent.'

'That's occurred two times in our nation's history, World War II and now,' Fitzpatrick said.

'And that threatens the valuation of our currency and risks our competitiveness with China, and we see how big of a threat that is. So, that's the solution that I would like to advance.'

Ahead of his meeting with McCarthy, Biden maintained that raising the debt ceiling cannot be a point of negotiation because it's an 'obligation' of the U.S. government to do so.

But the Republican leader told reporters afterwards that talks would continue.

'The president and I had a first good meeting - I shared my perspective with him, he shared his,' McCarthy said outside of the White House.

He said there were 'no agreements, no promises, except that we would continue this conversation.'

The White House called their meeting 'frank and straightforward.'
Every poker machine in NSW will be cashless within five years under an ambitious plan to overhaul the gaming industry.

The contentious package passed a snap meeting of state cabinet on Sunday.

With less than seven weeks until the election, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has been under pressure to announce reform to the industry.

The package includes help for small and medium businesses to help them introduce cashless technology with no-interest loans and also a one off grants of $50,000 to pubs and clubs to invest in new income streams such as live music and food.

Every poker machine in NSW will be cashless within five years under an ambitious plan to overhaul the gaming industry.

A team headed by Department of NSW Premier and Cabinet secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter will be appointed to implement a plan to remove cash from pokies between 2024 and 2028.

Gamblers will have self-imposed spending limits, which can be altered and the implementation team will consider daily limits.

No personal data will be collected or retained by the government or pubs and clubs.

Labor has promised to introduce mandatory trials for 500 of the state's 90,000 poker machines.

The premier is expected to announce details of the reform package on Monday.

Problem gambling has become a major issue ahead of the March 25 state election, with political parties under pressure to introduce reforms after a NSW Crime Commission report found billions of dollars in dirty money was being laundered through machines every year.
Some 2,000 people were evacuated from their homes in East Palestine, Ohio

Many cars carried hazardous chemicals and a fire was still burning on Sunday

The derailment of a cargo train triggered the spillage of hazardous chemicals and a huge fire, forcing the evacuation of 2,000 people from their homes in a nearby village in Ohio.

The fireball and release of chemicals, including vinyl chloride, happened after around 50 cars of a 140-car freight train derailed from their tracks at around 9pm on Friday.

No injuries or fatalities were reported after the crash, which left a smoldering tangle of chemicals, smoke and fire. It occurred near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border by the village of East Palestine.

The Norfolk Southern train was transporting cargo from Madison in Illinois to Conway in Pennsylvania when it derailed.

Despite an initial effort to extinguish the blaze, firefighters withdrew from the immediate area on Saturday as fears of toxic gases grew. Cars were still burning on Sunday afternoon, East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick said during a news conference.

The derailment of a cargo train triggered a huge fire and the spillage of hazardous chemicals, forcing the evacuation of 2,000 people from their homes near a village in Ohio

The fireball and release of small amounts of vinyl chloride happened after around 50-cars of a 140-car freight train derailed from their tracks at around 9pm on Friday

'It got to the point where we needed to pull back and let the safety features of the cars themselves handle the situation,' Drabick said.

Unmanned devices were then used protectively while crews tried to determine which cars were still on fire.

'I can't stress enough that if you're in the evacuation zone, you need to leave,' the village mayor Trent Conaway said at the news conference on Sunday. Air quality readings remained safe as of Saturday night.

'Please stay away from East Palestine,' he said. 'Please stay away from the wreck. I don't want to say it's a dangerous situation, but it is still a very volatile situation.'

Conaway said he arrived on the scene about five minutes after the crash.

'There were some small explosions, but it could be stuff in the boxcars. We're not sure. As far as tankers, I don't think any tankers blew up,' he said.

Although firefighters quickly started dowsing the fire in water they soon encountered complications.

'The heat is keeping the fire going, so they're doing the best they can with water, but water is only going to go so far,' Conaway said.

'It's flammable. It's the location. The water, it's cold,' he added. 'The water system on that end of town, it's the end of our system.'

After an initial effort to extinguish the fire on Friday night fire crews pulled back and employed unmanned devices as they tried to locate which cars remained on fire

Ten of the cars that derailed carried hazardous materials, including five with vinyl chloride, said National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham

An evacuation center was set up at East Palestine High School which was being staffed by the American Red Cross

Ten of the cars that derailed carried hazardous materials, including five with vinyl chloride, said National Transportation Safety Board member Michael Graham.

According to Graham the train consisted of 141 load cars, nine were empty, three were locomotives and ten in total contained hazardous material.

Vinyl chloride, a colorless gas, is considered carcinogenic by the US National Cancer Institute and is used to make the white plastic PVC pipes often used in plumbing.

'It's an active fire scene,' said Graham. Low temperatures complicated the clear up efforts, as fire trucks pumping water onto the fire struggled with freezing conditions.

Firefighters wore hazmat suits as they tackled the blaze. Around 2,000 residents, or just less than half of the town's 5,000 population, were asked to evacuate their homes.

Officials asked anyone living within a one-mile radius of the scene to leave and established an evacuation center at East Palestine High School, which was being staffed by the American Red Cross.
He died from his injuries weeks later and his family is searching for answers

David Cottes, 69, was shot by the police after he asked neighbors to call 911

A shocking new video has been released showing the moment police in Florida dragged a gravely wounded elderly man into an elevator after they had shot him in 2022.

The horrifying clip, which was obtained by Local 10, shows Hollywood police officers pulling David Cottes, 69, into the elevators after he asked neighbors to call 911 after he thought a burglary was in process inside of his apartment building.

The incident occurred on February 26, 2022, around 8am. Cottes had his licensed firearm on him when he was shot by the responding officers.

After being shot when officers got to the 14th floor of the Alexandra Towers, Cottes, the president of the condo board, was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a little over three weeks later.

This is the moment that David Cottes, 69, was dragged into an elevator by officers in Hollywood, Florida. The New York-native was shot by the officers

Speaking to Local 10 after viewing the footage, Christina Cottes, the victim's daughter, said: 'He said someone was in his apartment, in his condo, he comes out with his gun licensed to carry and everything.'

She described her father as her 'best friend' while asking: 'Why they would they treat him in such a way or drag him into an elevator, they already have him handcuffed behind his back? He's wounded.'

Christina said that their family was forbidden by police from visiting Cottes at Memorial Regional Hospital prior to his death.

An investigator hired by Cottes' family, Victor Elbeze, said: 'Its been a year waiting for forensic and ballistics (evidence) because they want to see who shot first.'

The incident is still under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

At the time of the incident, neighbors of Cottes' confirmed to Local 10 that the victim was licensed to carry a gun.

A video posted on social media from the time saw a neighbor react with horror when she realized that it was Cottes who was injured.

In the comments section under Cottes' obituary, his next-door neighbors wrote: 'We were shocked to learn of this... We could not even imagine what happened... The Dave we knew was a gentle soul... May his memory be a blessing.'

Cottes, was the president of the condominium association, he asked neighbors to call 911 as he believed a break-in was taking place

Cottes pictured with his daughter, Christina. She described her father as her 'best friend' while asking: 'Why they would they treat him in such a way or drag him into an elevator, they already have him handcuffed behind his back? He's wounded'

Cottes, was a native of the Bronx and was a Navy veteran, he retired in 2014

Cottes was predeceased by his wife Roseanne, here the couple is shown together in 2014

The shooting was described as 'isolated' at the time. All references to the shooting have been deleted from the Hollywood Police Department's Facebook page

On the day of the shooting, the Hollywood Police Department said in a statement that officers shot an armed man in the building but did not specify the identity. The press release said that no officers were harmed during the incident.

The shooting was described as 'isolated' at the time. All references to the shooting have been deleted from the Hollywood Police Department's Facebook page.

The day after the shooting, the Miami Herald reported that the man who was shot by the police was the same man who called 911. The newspaper said in their report that officers 'tended' to the wounded man's injuries before he was taken to the hospital.

According to his obituary, Cottes was a native of the Bronx in New York City, a Navy veteran, and the Director for Consumer Affairs at the New York City Department of Finance.

He retired in 2014 and became dedicated to his dogs, Merlot and Romeo, while also developing an interest in food, traveling, boating, and living a healthy lifestyle. He was survived by his daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The tribute mentions that Cottes was predeceased by his wife, Rosanne.
One of the world's most notorious serial killers today admitted drugging and stealing passports from at least 150 victims, but insisted: 'I didn't murder anyone, and I'll prove it.'

Charles Sobhraj, the 78-year-old Frenchman dubbed 'The Serpent' in the hit BBC TV drama of the same name, was on Sunday speaking for the first time since being released from prison in Nepal.

In a media offensive in Paris, he denied being responsible for a string of killings of mainly western tourists in countries including Thailand and India during the 1970s.

'I've used quite a few stolen passports, but I've never killed anyone, and I'll prove it,' he told Le Monde.

'Right now, I'm running around everywhere trying to get my papers redone.'

French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, responsible for multiple murders in the 1970s across Asia, was freed on December 23 after spending almost 20 years in a Nepali prison

Complaining he did not yet have a card entitling him to free health care, Sobhraj said: 'You have to prove that you've lived in France for three months in a row and, until then, I don't even have a social security number.'

Returning to his crimes in a chilling interview with TF1, Sobhraj described the way he targeted people across South Asia while working as a jewellery salesman.

'I sold rubies, sapphires, emeralds  that was pretty much it,' he said 'I contacted someone. It was always tourists or businessmen.

'And always, if it went well, towards the evening we went for a drink together.

'I put a drug in his glass, a good dose, so he slept by the time he reached his room.

'It was there that I took his things, in general money or other stuff.'

When presented with compelling evidence that he was seen with people who were never seen alive again before their corpses were found mutilated, strangled and burned, Sobhraj simply said: 'I don't remember'.

'No I'm not a murderer. I've never killed anyone,' he repeated.

In a media offensive in Paris, he denied being responsible for a string of killings of mainly western tourists in countries including Thailand and India during the 1970s. Pictured: Charles Sobhraj in 2014

An eight-part TV series depicts Sobhraj drugging victims before murdering them in cold blood  crimes that saw him given multiple life sentences

Asked why he kept getting convicted in court, Sobhraj said: 'The whole world was against me, and I was found guilty.'

Blaming the press and TV for many of his woes, he said: 'I don't know why the media called me The Serpent.

'Perhaps because of my ability to get out of prison. I escaped around 10 times around the world. Perhaps that's why they called me The Serpent.'

Referring to his notorious Kanit House hostel in Bangkok, where he preyed on backpackers, Sobhraj said he had little recollection of those who died.

'I don't remember, OK? Because there were lots of clients who came to my place.

'There were accidental deaths caused by drug overdoses. Autopsies showed this.'

Admitting frequently stealing passports, Sobhraj said: 'I always travelled on a false passport.

'Yes, you could easily change a photo on a passport in those day, it took twenty minutes. 'Even the American passport was very, very easy. I did it at least 150 times.'

Scenes including forging passports are depicted in 'The Serpent', which was aired on the BBC and Netflix, with Sobhraj played by French-Algerian actor Tahar Rahim, and the role of his female accomplice, Marie-Andree Leclerc, taken on by British star Jenna Coleman.

Sobhraj (pictured left) was played by French-Algerian actor Tahar Rahim (right) in the TV series depicting the serial killer

The eight-part TV series depicts Sobhraj drugging victims before murdering them in cold blood  crimes that saw him given multiple life sentences.

Nepal's Supreme Court controversially ordered his release at the end of December because of his age and declining health, after he served 19 years in the Himalayan country.

Sobhraj's latest media appearances have caused an outcry in France.

Michel Jacomet, a 75-year-old retired travel agent who was part of a party of French people drugged by the killer in 1976, said: 'He's a monster with the features of a human being who, even at his age, is still capable of anything.'

Sobhraj was imprisoned in Nepal in 2003 after being convicted of murdering two North American tourists.

He was eventually linked to more than 20 killings, and police first dubbed him 'The Bikini Killer', and then 'The Serpent' because of the way he used numerous fake identities to evade justice.
Authorities linked a skull found in Alaska more than two decades ago to a New York man who went missing in 1976.

Gary Frank Sotherden, then 25, traveled to the Arctic Circle in the mid-70s but never made it out as investigators later determined he died after likely being mauled by a bear.

Gary went to the Porcupine River with his friend the day he went missing. The two planned on splitting up and walking on opposite sides around the river until the water froze over - but Gary never met back with his friend, his brother told The New York Times.

A search party looked rigorously for Gary on foot, in the water, and in the air but were unable to find him. More than two decades later in 1997, a hiker discovered a human skull at the same river Gary was last seen.

At the time, investigators were unable to extract DNA, but the cold case was reopened in April. Officials narrowed down the skull as likely belonging to Gary and reached out to his brother Stephen Sotherden in late December to test his DNA to confirm the match which they said could take up to a year.

On Thursday, Stephen and his family received closure behind the mystery of his brother's disappearance.

Gary Frank Sotherden, then 25, travelled to the Arctic Circle in the mid-70s but never made it out as investigators determined he died after being mauled by a bear

The day he went missing, Gary went to Porcupine River with his friend. The two planned on splitting up and walking in opposite sides around the river until the water froze over - but Gary never met back with his friend

Stephen Sotherden, who described Gary as being a 'free spirit,' searched 45 years for answers about what happened to his brother.

He finally came closer once investigators contacted him last year and used his 23andMe DNA test to confirm the match.

At the time of Gary's disappearance, his brother claimed investigators and search parties were unable to locate Gary despite deploying multiple efforts, including canoeing on the Porcupine River. The Sotherden family even hired their own mountain guide.

'He did find my brothers site,' Stephen told the news outlet. 'He found his broken glasses. He found identification.'

The Sotherden's eventually gave up on the search and concluded that Gary died due to the extreme conditions in Alaska.

To honor Gary, his family added a tombstone in their family cemetery that reads: 'Lost in Alaska in the 1970s.'

Investigators and search parties were unable to locate Gary despite deploying multiple efforts, including canoeing on the Porcupine River. Pictured: the snow covered hills in the Porcupine River

Stephen claimed his family is planning to have a memorial for Gary late spring now that his remains have partially been found.

'Its been hard all the way along, but its nice to at least know what happened,' he said.

Gary was known by his family as a traveler and hunter. He journeyed across the US and Canada after he graduated from high school and eventually ended up in Alaska.

At the time of his death, he worked for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.
Donald Trump Jr poked fun at his father by sharing a meme that depicts him as a giant balloon baby  saying it is 'funny'.

The 45-year-old retweeted the picture of the Trump Baby Blimp after someone joked that it should be flown over Beijing after US authorities shot down China's spy balloon.

On Saturday, an alleged 'spy balloon' was shot down off the coast of South Carolina by American fighter jets after crossing over multiple U.S. states.

Trump Jr previously tweeted that Americans should just be allowed to 'do their thing' and shoot the balloon down themselves.

After the Chinese balloon was felled, he retweeted the picture of his father's likeness as an angry baby  complete with a cell phone.

Donald Jr retweeted the picture of the Trump Baby Blimp after someone joked that it should be flown over Beijing after US authorities shot down China's spy balloon

The 45th president later compared the incident with the spy balloon and ensuing diplomatic crisis to the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal that his successor, President Joe Biden, presided over in August 2021

He captioned the picture of the balloon, which was designed for trolling Trump during a visit to London, with 'not gonna lie. This is funny'.

It's not clear if his father is aware of the picture, or his son's amusement at the baby blimp, as he was previously banned from Twitter.

The balloon took to the skies, above Parliament Square, during protests over Trump's state visit to the UK in June 2018.

It was sent to its final resting place in the Museum of London, which display the 20ft orange effigy as part of its protest collection.

The 45th president later compared the incident with the spy balloon and ensuing diplomatic crisis to the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal that his successor, President Joe Biden, presided over in August 2021.

Writing on his Truth Social app he said: 'The Chinese Balloon situation is a disgrace, just like the Afghanistan horror show, and everything else surrounding the grossly incompetent Biden Administration,' the former president wrote on his app Truth Social.

'They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation  and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the 'heat' off the slow-moving Biden fools.

President Biden told reporters that he wanted the balloon shot down last Wednesday but was cautioned against making the order due to the risk of civilians getting hurt by falling debris.

Trump Jr previously tweeted that Americans should just be allowed to 'do their thing' and shoot the balloon down themselves

The White House did not inform Americans of the Chinese spy balloon hovering over the country until after the U.S. military shot it down

Beijing warned it 'reserves the right to use necessary means to deal with similar situations.'

The Defense Department said on Saturday that 'Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration.'

Former President Trump hit back by saying: 'China had too much respect for 'TRUMP' for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!'

And on Sunday, Fox News reported that at least one balloon flew over parts of Texas and Florida while Trump was in office.

Multiple Trump officials aside from the former president have also disputed the Pentagon's assessment and relevant media reports.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government blasted the U.S. shooting down the balloon as an 'overreaction.'

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said: 'The U.S. used force to attack our civilian unmanned airship, which is an obvious overreaction.

'We express solemn protest against this move by the US side.'

Beijing warned it 'reserves the right to use necessary means to deal with similar situations.'

The balloon took to the skies, above Parliament Square, during protests over Trump's state visit to the UK in June 2018
They will hand over cash to set up a community fund for economic development

Reporter says family apologising for 'role our ancestors played in enslavement'

A BBC correspondent whose ancestors kept slaves in Grenada says her family hopes it is 'setting an example' by apologising and paying reparations.

Laura Trevelyan's aristocratic relatives had more than 1,000 slaves across six sugar plantations on the Caribbean island in the 19th century.

The BBC journalist, based in New York, said her family is apologising 'for the role our ancestors played in enslavement'.

They will now hand over 100,000 to set up a community fund for economic development on the island.

Ms Trevelyan, 54, said seven family members will also travel to Grenada this month to issue a public apology.

Laura Trevelyan said she 'felt ashamed' of her slave-owning ancestors

Trevelyan in action as the anchor of BBC World News America

She told the BBC her ancestors had received about 34,000 in 1834  the year after slavery was abolished in the UK  as compensation for the loss of 'property'.

This equates to about 3million today. She recognised that giving 100,000 almost 200 years later could seem 'inadequate', but said: 'I hope that we're setting an example.'

Ms Trevelyan visited Grenada for a documentary last year and said: 'I felt ashamed, and I also felt that it was my duty. You can't repair the past but you can acknowledge the pain.'

Historian David Olusoga told The Observer: 'While governments stubbornly refuse to engage with growing calls for reparations... there are families, companies, universities, charities and other organisations who are acknowledging their historic links to slavery and empire.'

A portrait of Sir John Trevelyan with his wife Louisa Simon (centre couple) who had more than 1,000 slaves on Grenada

Historian David Olusoga in his BBC television series Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners said governments have stubbornly refused 'to engage with growing calls for reparations'

But Alan Smithers, of the University of Buckingham, said: 'These are times past and it's not a route I think we should be going down.'

He said the reparations offered would be a 'drop in the ocean' and risked 'encouraging greater demands on other countries around the world who engaged in the slave trade'.

A statue of William Gladstone has been removed from outside a church on Merseyside in a row over his links to slavery.

The former prime minister's wealthy father Sir John Gladstone used slaves on his Caribbean sugar plantations.

The Archdiocese of Liverpool said the statue, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church was removed because questions were asked about its 'suitability', but said no decision had been taken on its long-term future.
A former nurse paid 2billion by the Government for PPE gear has been accused of 'riding roughshod' over a quiet village.

Pandemic tycoon Sarah Stoute, 49, had already raised eyebrows by treating herself to a 30million Caribbean holiday villa with vast profits made from 2020 and 2021.

But now neighbours of an equestrian centre she bought for 10million are horrified by her application to erect 411 stables near thatched cottages and a medieval church  double the number put up in Greenwich for the 2012 London Olympics.

Villagers complain that the application was retrospective, with hundreds of stables already installed, fields dug out and even Tarmac-ed over in advance.

They add that show-jumping events on such a scale would wreck life in Keysoe village, Bedfordshire. Foxes, deer and bats are said to have already been scared off. Although Mrs Stoute had offered to fund a village playground as a goodwill gesture, she changed her mind after the parish council opposed her planning application. She has said this is because she didn't want the original offer to be misconstrued. There are also claims she has paid lawyers to send 'bullying' letters threatening opponents, which she denies.

Sarah Stoute, 49, has been accused of 'riding roughshod' over Keysoe village, Bedfordshire

Last night the Bedford borough councillor for Keysoe, Tom Wootton, claimed there was a 'climate of fear', adding that 411 stables was 'too much'. He said: 'There aren't that many even for nationally famous big events.'

A year ago, the Daily Mail revealed that she and husband Richard were 'spending like EuroMillions jackpot winners'.

In 2020 alone their firm Full Support Healthcare was paid more than a tenth of the NHS's 15billion total spend on personal protection equipment. They celebrated by buying not only a 6million mansion in England, but also a 30million villa in the Caribbean. Then in December 2020, the PPE tycoon bought the modest College Farm Equestrian Centre, on 225 acres of rural Bedfordshire  before grandly renaming it Keysoe International.

Neighbours of an equestrian centre she bought for 10million are horrified by her application to erect 411 stables near thatched cottages and a medieval church. Pictured: Shaded area shows where works continue

In November 2021, Mrs Stoute applied to put up 411 'temporary' stables, with many then erected without permission, before being moved as complaints grew to elsewhere on the land. They still remain without permission.

But she argues that the stables, and redeveloped arenas up to 350ft long, are essential for Keysoe to be one of the 'top three equestrian centres in the UK'.

A total of 18 objections from unnamed villagers  versus one supporter  include claims the plan 'rides roughshod over the village'. Mrs Stoute's lawyers claimed in response that she planned to withdraw her stables application  but plans remain with the council. Meanwhile, diggers are still at work, and she has made clear she is yet to decide full plans for what she calls 'the complete redevelopment of the site'.
The digger driver who took Prince Harrys virginity spoke last night of the embarrassment of having to tell her father that she was the older woman described in the dukes explosive memoir.

Sasha Walpole, now 40, laughed with her sister the morning after the five-minute sex session in a pub field in July 2001, and confessed what happened to her mother at the time.

But her father had remained oblivious for 21 years  until the publication of Spare sparked a global guessing game and forced her to tell him.

Harry wrote how a horse-loving older woman treated him not unlike a young stallion and smacked my rump and sent me off to graze after a quick ride. Harry was 16 at the time and Mrs Walpole was celebrating her 19th birthday.

His graphic description of the inglorious episode provoked international intrigue over the mystery lovers identity which saw a number of women rule themselves out.

Sasha Walpole spoke last night of the embarrassment of having to tell her father that she was the older woman described in the dukes explosive memoir

Sasha and Prince Harry pictured as youngsters. Left to right: Emma Lippiatt, Sasha Walpole (nee Alvis), Prince Harry and Lizzie Ward at The Beaufort Polo Club, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire

After their one-night stand, Harry cut contact with Sasha. Pictured: Dressed ready for a Polo ball

Spare became the fastest selling non-fiction book in the UK since records began in 1998, and sold 3.2million copies worldwide in the first week of publication

Former Highgrove groom Mrs Walpole knew that it was only a matter of time until her name leaked and so decided to tell her story to The Mail on Sunday this weekend.

First, she wanted the approval of her mother Lyn Alvis, 63, a hotel cleaner, and her 71-year-old groundworker father, Tony, both of whom she thought knew. But it quickly became apparent that her father had no idea  meaning she was forced to lay bare all the excruciating details to him.

It is something your parents probably should never read, said Mrs Walpole, a mother of two who now drives diggers for a living.

The day after I had sex with Harry I was in the kitchen at home and told my mum, but I didnt give details. I think she was just like, OK. She trusted me, she knew I was on the Pill.

I thought we told Dad too but now I realise he hadnt listened because he didnt want to hear about what his teenage daughter was doing.

The family never spoke about the encounter again until Harry published his infamous description last month.

Shortly after Spare came out, Mrs Walpole phoned her father to get his opinion on giving her version of events to the Press.

I was on the way to Morrisons to do the grocery shopping, she said. At first we were talking about a job and then I said, I just dont know what to do about speaking out. He didnt react. Normally Dad would give his advice. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he just didnt know.

Mrs Walpole had invited the then 16-year-old to her 19th birthday party at The Vine Tree pub (pictured) in the Wiltshire village of Norton in July 2001

Aerial pictures of the Vine tree pub showing the surrounding fields where Sasha says the pair had sex

Sasha Walpole says she almost fell off her sofa when her teenage romp with the prince became headline news - after finding out via a friend on Whatsapp - READ MORE HERE Advertisement

I was thinking, I am sure he knows. The next day I spoke to Mum and said, Does Dad know?. She said, I think so. She spoke to him and he was like, I did not know. He explained that he probably wasnt listening [back in 2001] because he didnt want to know.

It meant Mr Alvis was then forced to read and listen to all the details about his daughter.

Mrs Walpole said last night: It is awkward because of what Harry has written about me slapping his bum, really cringey.

It flared up because of the way Harry has written it. That is why I am in this situation. Harry has put it out there.

If Dad has an opinion on what Harry has done, he wouldnt say it. He wouldnt stew on it, as long as I am OK. My parents concern is for my safety. They just want me to be OK.

Despite being a private couple, Mrs Walpoles parents backed her decision to speak out.

Yesterday she told the Mail how she is relieved the truth is finally out. I dont have to worry any more and I can get back to my life, she said. I want to thank The Mail on Sunday for allowing me to tell my side. Im not ashamed.

Theres no regret. It was a moment of madness and life is about experiences.

I have no idea what Harry thought when he read it. He hasnt contacted me and I dont think he will. Im not the same girl I was back then and hes not the same lad. From my side of things its done and I dont have to live in fear its going to come out.

Mrs Walpole has received hundreds of supportive messages from the public calling her authentic and praising her for taking ownership of the story  away from Prince Harry.

Im so grateful people have understood this is something I had to do, she said. Im so happy.

Mrs Walpole has also been dubbed a dark horse by her shocked friends who had no idea that she had slept with Harry until her revelation.

Sasha (left) and Harry (right) larking about at a charity night in The Vine Tree pub

Harry wrote how a horse-loving older woman treated him not unlike a young stallion and smacked my rump and sent me off to graze after a quick ride

Sasha, now 40, laughed with her sister the morning after the five-minute sex session in a pub field in July 2001, and confessed what happened to her mother at the time

She told how she and the young prince had become friends while she was a groom at the future King Charless Gloucestershire estate, Highgrove. Mrs Walpole had invited the then 16-year-old to her 19th birthday party at The Vine Tree pub in the Wiltshire village of Norton in July 2001.

Harry arrived with a stuffed Miss Piggy and a comedy birthday card with a joke about a flatulent whale on the front.

With her down in the dumps over an ex, Harry cheered her up by buying them ten shots. But when they sneaked out of the pub for a crafty Marlboro Light cigarette, they ended up clambering over a fence to make love in a field.

He started to kiss me, she told The Mail on Sunday. It was passionate, intense. We both knew. It went from a kiss on to the floor pretty quickly.

It was instant, fiery, wham bam, between two friends. It was sparky because we shouldnt have been doing it. He wasnt Prince Harry to me, this was Harry, my friend, and the situation had got a little bit out of control. It felt naughty, I suppose, in the sense that it shouldnt be happening.

We didnt set out to do it  it wasnt premeditated and I didnt know he was a virgin. There were no virgin vibes  he seemed to know what he was doing. It was quick, wild, exciting. We were both drunk. It wouldnt have happened if we werent.

She then returned to the pub while Harry hid in a phone box where his security detail found him.

She rang her sister, Jodie Mayhead, the next day and the two women giggled about it.

The duke and duchess continually rail against Press intrusion and call for greater privacy  but appeared unconcerned about intruding on Mrs Walpoles privacy. Pictured: With Archie, now age three

Prince Harry was often pictured larking around with friends as a teenager, including at the Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire

The shots show Lizzie Ward and Emma Lippiatt, who were also friends of the Prince, messing around at the polo club

Accountant Mrs Mayhead, now 42, said: Sasha said shed slept with Harry in the field behind the pub. And she knew that or did seem to know that hed lost his virginity to her.

We had a giggle about it. She didnt go into detail other than it was drunken. I found it quite funny. It made no difference that it was Harry at all, he was just seen as one of the lads.

At the time Harry and Sasha were close friends who would text each other regularly to meet up.

If the signal was too bad he would call the landline at the familys three-bedroom semi in the Gloucestershire village of Acton Turville, near Badminton.

Laughing, Mrs Walpole said: I remember the first time that Harry rang our landline. Mum answered the phone in the hall and said, Harrys on the phone. Afterwards she asked, Was that Harry, Harry? I said, Yes. I remember her saying, Oh, how funny. But she explained: I wasnt excited to hear from him, it was just a friend phoning. He was Harry to me.

The telephone calls were so frequent that Jodie would tell her sister to get off the phone because she too was waiting for a call.

Mrs Walpole would also head to the second landline in her parents bedroom for privacy. It depended what we were chatting about as to how long we were on, she said. It would be bits and bobs, nothing important, mates banter, horse talk, making plans mostly.

But after their one-night stand, Harry cut contact. Though she does not have any regrets over them drifting apart, she is upset that she was not warned that their liaison would be mentioned.

Mrs Walpole, who has two children with husband Ian, 44, a racing driver, said: I was shocked and feel like he has brought this to my door. I dont understand why he went into such detail.

He could have said he lost his virginity and left it at that. But he described how it happened  in a field behind a pub. Thats fine if youre not the other person involved.

At the time Harry and Sasha were close friends who would text each other regularly to meet up

Picture of the Miss Piggy Toy Harry bought for Sasha for her birthday

But if youre me, then you suddenly feel as if your world is getting a little bit smaller. He has done this to my privacy because I was going to keep my head down and not talk about it. If it wasnt in the book none of this would be happening.

Harry, who now lives in Montecito, California, with his wife Meghan, 41, and their children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, has repeatedly said that he moved to the States to protect his family.

The duke and duchess continually rail against Press intrusion and call for greater privacy  but appeared unconcerned about intruding on Mrs Walpoles privacy.

The mother, who lives in Wiltshire, said: The issue is that people know because they were part of that night or part of our original social circle.

Possibly, Harry could have thought about that before publishing. He could have found me if he had tried.

She added: If Harry contacted me I would say, Lets go for a drink for old times sake. But not in The Vine Tree! We could catch up on the last 21 years. I would like to laugh with him about that mad night.

Last night the landlord of The Vine Tree, Tom, said: We always knew it was Sasha. Shes a very loyal customer so we would never have said anything. This pub is a sanctuary for the Royal Family and their secrets.
By Kim Hyun-bin



LG Group announced a plan to pursue carbon neutrality at the group level, the first time for a major conglomerate in Korea, revealing its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop eco-friendly technologies to reduce net carbon emissions to zero by 2050, Sunday.



LG Group published an "LG Net Zero Special Report" containing specific carbon reduction goals, making LG the first company to specifically disclose a group-level plan to promote carbon neutrality in the form of a report.



LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo
Cancer survival will go from bad to worse unless the Government reverses its decision to scrap a long-term plan dedicated to fighting the disease, leading doctors have warned.

Thousands of lives have been put at risk by merging the existing ten-year scheme into a multi-disease strategy, they say.

In a letter to Health Secretary Steve Barclay, the oncologists have warned that cancer was too complex and too costly to treat without a dedicated national plan.

They argue there is no clinical basis behind the decision and suggest that, without a specific focus, cancer services will be lost in the wilderness for a decade.

Last spring, then-health secretary Sajid Javid promised a war on cancer in a bid to recover services badly hit by the pandemic.

In a letter to Health Secretary Steve Barclay, the oncologists have warned that cancer was too complex and too costly to treat without a dedicated national plan

But Mr Barclay recently announced that the dedicated cancer plan, as well as strategies for mental health and dementia, would be axed in favour of a major conditions strategy.

It will leave England as one of only a handful of countries, including North Korea and Afghanistan, without a dedicated national standalone cancer plan.

Wales and Northern Ireland have their own strategies, and Scotland is due to publish its strategy shortly.

The letter, whose signatories include Professor Karol Sikora, a consultant oncologist and former cancer adviser to the World Health Organisation, notes the already poor cancer survival rates.

It states: If there was one area of healthcare deserving of a dedicated plan it must surely be cancer.

'We already have among the worst cancer survival rates in Western Europe. The loss of a dedicated cancer plan will push our cancer outcomes from bad to worse.

Without a proper road map for improving cancer mortality and survival, our cancer services will be lost in the wilderness for a decade.

It comes as new figures show cancer diagnoses are set to jump by a third by 2040, taking the number of new cases every year to more than half a million.

Cancer Research UK warned that the NHS risks being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new cancer diagnoses unless more is done to tackle preventable causes such as obesity and train more staff.

Chief executive Michelle Mitchell said: A ten-year cancer plan that will prepare cancer services for the future, give people affected by cancer the care they deserve and the resources  people and equipment  the NHS needs, is essential.

The Department of Health said: Cutting NHS waiting times is one of the Prime Ministers key priorities and more patients are being seen and treated for cancer than ever before.

We are determined to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients and we recently announced our major conditions strategy covering six different conditions, including cancer.
Shocked parents have paid tribute to the head of Epsom College after she was found dead alongside her seven-year-old daughter and husband in their home on the school grounds.

Emma Pattison, 45, had only become the first female headteacher of the 42,000-a-year private school five months ago and her body was found along with husband George, 39, and daughter Lettie, seven, after police were called just after 1am yesterday.

Surrey Police said it is confident the tragedy is an 'isolated incident' and there is no third party involvement.

One mother at her former school, who only gave her first name, described how Ms Pattison was 'formidable' and 'turned the school around' during her time there.

The bodies of Emma Pattison, 45, George, 39, and Lettie, seven (pictured together), were discovered by officers at the public school at around 1.10am on Sunday morning

Emma Pattison, 45, was one of three people found dead in the school early on Sunday morning. She had taken over as headteacher of the prestigious college in September

Sheena told BBC News: 'In her time as head teacher, she turned the school around, and she did so many things that enriched the children's lives.

'She was slight but very formidable, she knew all of the pupils by name. She was exactly what you would want from a head teacher.'

Known as an elite rugby school, Epsom College is an award-winning independent day and boarding school that teaches more than 850 boys and girls aged 11 to 18 and charges 42,000-a-year in fees.

Ms Pattison took up her position in September last year, having spent more than six years in the same role at Croydon High School in south London.

The family lived at the heads house with husband George, a chartered accountant who was director of a management consultancy firm called Tanglewood 2016, and daughter Lettie.

A month after she started, she took to Twitter to post pictures in celebration of Epsom College winning Independent School of the Year 2022.

Ms Pattison also told pupils in December that her family had bought a Labrador named Bella to live with them on the grounds of the school.

In a statement last night, a police spokesperson said: 'In the early hours of Sunday morning, Surrey Police was contacted by the South East Coast Ambulance Service to attend a property in the grounds of Epsom College.

'Officers attended at around 1.10am where they, sadly, found the bodies of three people, including a child.

Ms Pattison had been headteacher of the 42,000-a-year school since the beginning of the current school year in September

Emma Pattison and her husband George (front row, right) pictured at a recent school event. The couple were found dead in the headteacher's apartment at Epsom College

Police were called to the school in the early hours of Sunday morning. They are confident that there was no third-party involvement in the deaths of the family

The deaths of Emma Pattison and her husband and child, Lettie, have been referred to the coroner. Police continue to investigate

'We can confirm that the bodies found were Emma Pattison aged 45 years. Head of Epsom College, her daughter Lettie, aged seven years and her husband George aged 39 years.

'The family's next of kins have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

'An investigation is being carried out to establish the circumstances of their deaths. At this stage, police are confident that this is an isolated incident with no third-party involvement.'

Detective Chief Inspector Kimball Edey said: 'On behalf of Surrey Police, my team, and I, I first want to express my sincerest condolences to the friends and family of Emma, Lettie and George, as well as to the students and staff of Epsom College, for their tragic loss.

'I want to give my assurance that we will conduct a thorough investigation into what took place last night and hope to be able to bring some peace in these traumatic circumstances. I would ask that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time.'

Inspector Jon Vale, Epsom and Ewell's Borough Commander, said: 'We're aware that this tragic incident will have caused concern and upset in the local community.

'While this is believed to be an isolated incident, in the coming days, our local officers will remain in the area to offer reassurance to students, parents, teachers, and the local community. I would like to thank the school and the community for their understanding and patience while the investigation continues.'

The three deaths have been reported to the Coroner.

Ms Pattison (pictured) became Epsom College's first female head teacher in September last year

The school's website was updated on Sunday night to list Paul Williams as Acting Headmaster following the death of Ms Pattison

Dr Alastair Wells, chair of the Board of Governors at Epsom College, said: 'Chapel services will take place throughout the morning; Housemasters, housemistresses and the head of lower school will be on hand to offer immediate support and comfort; and we will have additional counsellors on site for any member of the community - pupils and staff - who needs to talk, grieve or be supported.'

He added: 'Emma was a wonderful teacher, but most of all she was a delightful person. In time we will commemorate Emma and her family, in the appropriate way, and in line with the wishes of her family.

'But for now, we ask that we are all given the time, space and respect we need to come to terms with this tragic loss.'

The school website was updated on Sunday evening and now lists Paul Williams as Acting Headmaster.

Ms Pattison graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and English Literature and from the University of Warwick with a PCGE.

Her first teaching role came at Lutterworth College, where she taught French and Spanish from 2002 before teaching the subjects at Caterham School from 2005.

She moved to Guildford High School in 2012, before being appointed head of professional development at St Johns School, Leatherhead, where she was promoted to deputy head in 2013.

Three years later, she took over at Croydon High School, before taking up her role at Epsom College.

The award-winning independent day and boarding school teaches over 850 boys and girls aged 11 to 18.

The private school was described as a 'shining example of all that is best about independent education' at the Boarding Schools Association in October.

Epsom won two awards, scooping the 'Student Wellbeing' award as well as the 'Independent School of the Year' prize.

Ms Pattison described the win as 'an incredible honour' and added: 'We put focus on time, space and heart and spirit to give all the young people in our care everything they need to become the best version of themselves  in the classroom, on the sports field and in any field of interest that lights that spark within them.

'There is so much amazing work to be celebrated in the industry at the moment, so this is a real privilege to be named the best of the best. I am incredibly proud to be Head and we will display this award with real pride.'

Famous alumni of the school include Conservative politician Michael Fallon and broadcaster Jeremy Vine.

In a statement when starting her new role in September, Ms Pattison said: 'I am delighted and honoured to have been appointed Head of Epsom College. It is a school I have long admired, with an enviable reputation, and George and I cant wait to meet the pupils, parents and staff and to become part of this wonderful community.

'It is my aim to ensure that Epsom continues the upward trajectory on which it finds itself thanks to a decade of transformative leadership from Jay Piggot.

'I am grateful to him and his wife Poppy for leaving me with a school of so many talents and strengths, and for making me and my family feel so welcome. It is our intention to make our home and our school equally as welcoming in the months and years to come.'
Ministers were last night facing urgent calls to publish guidance for teachers which would help them block children from changing gender if they believe they are too young.

Tory MPs and campaigners said foot dragging by education officials was potentially failing to protect children from safeguarding risks.

They also accused Whitehall of abandoning teachers who want to delay children from starting on the path to transitioning too young, claiming that staff are left being dictated to by woke activist parents or fellow teachers.

It came after The Mail on Sunday reported that teaching staff have complained that school leaders are stopping them following Government legal advice which means they can refuse to allow a biologically male child to join girls activities or wear girls uniform.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman, then the attorney general, set out the legal position last summer that teachers were under no obligation to accommodate children who questioned their gender on issues from preferred pronouns to use of facilities and competing in sports.

Tory MPs and campaigners said foot dragging by education officials was potentially failing to protect children from safeguarding risks

She said teachers risk breaching their duty of care if they socially transition a child without parental consent or medical advice.

But six months on, the Department for Education (DfE) has failed to issue further guidance, leaving teachers in the dark about their obligations on trans issues. Tory Paul Bristow, a member of the Commons health committee, said: Safeguarding should be the first duty of any school and this guidance should be in place to protect the best interests of children.

Stephanie Davies-Arai, of campaign group Transgender Trend, said: We needed this guidance years ago. Without clear guidance, youve got trans activists dictating policy in schools.

Teachers have been completely abandoned in this area. The DfE has said it will issue the guidance after a consultation considers a wide range of views.

 Transgender women can be excluded from university feminist societies, student union chiefs have admitted. Bristol Students Union had forced the president of feminist group Women Talk Back (WTB) to step down for excluding trans women. But it reversed its stance after WTB took legal action under the Equality Act, and the case was settled out of court.
From the turret of his Panzer tank, Rudolf von Ribbentrop, son of the notorious German foreign minister, peered through the purple pall of the enemys smokescreen.

The deployment of smoke shells was a clear warning that Russian armour was approaching and it wasnt long before they hoved into view.

What I saw left me speechless, he recalled. From beyond the shallow rise about 150-200 yards in front of me appeared 15, then 30, then 40 tanks. Finally there were too many to count. The T-34s were rolling towards us at high speed, carrying mounted infantry.

Soon Von Ribbentrops panzer was engulfed, engaging with enemy tanks as close as ten metres away. Turrets were blown into the air as its high-velocity 75mm armour-piercing shells hit stationary Russian T-34 tanks at point-blank range.

Burning enemy tanks ran into, and over, one another. It was, noted the German, a total inferno of smoke and fire, impacting shells and explosions. T-34s blazed, while the wounded tried to crawl away to the sides. That days fighting on July 12, 1943, was the bloodiest confrontation in the Battle of Kursk, the biggest armoured clash in history.

Red army soldiers and Soviet T-34 tanks on the attack during the battle of Kursk in World War II

A NATO enhanced Forward Presence battle group takes part in Silver Arrow military drill in Adazi, Latvia

Adjectives cant do justice to its scale: The Wehrmacht had deployed no fewer than 518,000 men and 2,500 tanks in a bid to halt the Russian advance around the city of Kursk. Ranged against them was an even more daunting 1.4 million Soviet soldiers and almost 5,000 tanks.

In this, the 80th anniversary year of the battle that decisively pushed the Nazis back from the eastern front, German panzers  in the form of the excellent Leopard IIs  are about to meet a new generation of Russian tanks on the same Ukrainian steppe.

Under huge pressure from his Nato allies, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has donated 14 Leopards to the Ukrainians, and allowed other countries such as Poland to do the same.

Britain and America are also sending modern battle tanks  14 Challenger IIs and 30 Abrams M1s  and by spring, Ukraine could have as many as 200 Western tanks. The Kremlin reviled the move as blatant provocation, promising that Nato tanks will burn like all the rest.

Putin himself recalled the spectre of history. Its unbelievable but true, he said last week. We are once again being threatened by German Leopard tanks with crosses on them. And again they are going to fight Russia on Ukrainian soil.

Undoubtedly, what we are about to witness in the Ukrainian war is a sobering echo of a battlefield clash of the titans that has resounded down the decades.

The rhetoric shows the tactical esteem in which tanks are still held  and how vital they remain for land-based warfare.

In 1943, a similar hope was vested in two new German panzers: the medium Mark V Panther and heavy Mark VI Tiger. The Tiger could penetrate a T-34s armour from a mile away, while its own 4 in armour was thick enough to withstand a T-34s 76mm gun except at very close range.

But the Tiger had weaknesses: it was slow, cumbersome and unreliable, and drank fuel. It was also expensive to produce, and in short supply.

The year had started badly for the Germans with the surrender of General Pauluss Sixth Army at Stalingrad in late January. Further Russian advances culminated in the capture of the city of Kursk in eastern Ukraine on February 8.

Hitler was determined to strike back. Unlike at Stalingrad, however, he did not travel to Ukraine to direct operations personally. Instead, from his famous Wolfs Lair headquarters in East Prussia, he told his senior commanders that one never knew if the Russians might not be near the end of their strength.

Germany delivers its first Leopard tanks to Slovakia, in Bratislava

Polish army train soldiers work on the newly donated Leopard tanks

To test that theory, he ordered a counter-attack to pinch out the huge salient or bulge in the Russian line at Kursk. The plan  codenamed Citadel  was to attack the northern and southern flanks of the bulge, surround the five Russian armies within, and retake Kursk.

If successful, it would rival the most famous double envelopment battle in history  Hannibals victory over a Roman army at Cannae in 216 BC  and restore Germanys position on the Eastern Front by straightening the line and destroying the main concentration of Soviet armies. The Fuhrer, noted his Luftwaffe adjutant, was confident and expected victory.

Unfortunately for Hitler, the Russians had other ideas. Informed by spies that an attack was imminent, they had built five main defensive belts around the salient and Kursk itself, with another three behind.

These consisted of a web of minefields, anti-tank ditches, trenches and machine-gun emplacements, with all artillery pieces and rockets assigned to anti-tank defence. The combined depth of these zones was 25 miles.

At 5am on July 5, the operation opened with a 50-minute German artillery bombardment that fired more shells than the campaigns to conquer Poland and northern France combined.

It was followed by simultaneous attacks on the northern and southern flanks of the salient by the German 9th and 4th Panzer Armies respectively. Spearheading the assault in the north were infantry divisions with assault guns and heavy tanks.

For tank crews, armoured warfare was a hellish experience. There were typically four to five: commander, main gunner, loader, driver and machine gunner who doubled as the radio operator.

In combat, with the hatches sealed, the tank was roasting hot, claustrophobic and very loud  a squeaking washing machine on full spin. The main fear was that in the event of a hit, the vehicle would catch fire  brew up, in military slang  igniting the ammunition, in which case it was a desperate lunge to get out through the top or an escape hatch below. Some crews could be burnt alive.

Infantry, like Raimund Ruffer, a 20-year-old lieutenant of the 78th Assault Division, marched alongside the tanks. He recalled the zip of bullets around him: I could hear them flying past my ears. I expected to be cut down any moment or blown to smithereens by the shells that slammed about. This was not my first action but it felt like it.

Soviet soldiers walk and drive past a burning T-34 medium tank during the Battle of Kursk

Red Army T-34 tanks advancing during the Battle of Prokhorovka in July 1943

As he moved to help a stricken comrade, Ruffer saw a Russian pop up from a camouflaged trench. He dropped to one knee and fired, sending a round hurtling towards a faceless Soviet soldier. Instantly a bullet came back, striking him in the shoulder, shattering the bone and leaving him gasping for air.

The fighting continued for six long days. In the end the 9th Army knocked out 526 Russian tanks and lost just 77 of its own.

But the northern attack failed to break through the extensive Russian defences and, on July 10, the 9th Army commander called a temporary halt to the offensive. It was never resumed because two days later the Russians launched a long-planned counter-offensive, Operation Kutuzov.

The German pincer to the south also faced stiff resistance. But its attacks were spearheaded by Tigers and Panthers that eventually broke through the first two defensive belts.

One Russian tankman, Vladimir Alexeev, recalled a Tiger firing at his T-34 from a distance of 1km: His first shot blew a hole in the side of my tank, the second hit my axle. At a range of half a kilometre I fired at him with a special calibre shell, but it bounced off him like a candle. He fired again at 300 yards, to no effect. As the Tigers gun turned towards him, Alexeev told his driver to reverse at speed and find a hiding place.

On the fifth day of the battle in the south, the leading panzers had advanced 20 miles to the river Psel, the last natural obstacle before Kursk. But mechanical breakdowns  particularly of Panthers whose numbers fell from 200 to 48  meant that II SS Panzer Corps was forging ahead alone.

After a short pause to secure its flanks, the SS panzers continued their drive north-east towards the Ukrainian village of Prokhorovka, setting the scene for the great armoured clash with the Russian 5th Tank Army on July 12.

Rudolf von Ribbentrop led his company of panzers  from the SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Division  down a forward slope until he spotted the first Russian T-34s, trying to get around his left flank. He ordered his tanks to stop and open fire at a range of 800 yards. A number of T-34s burst into flames.

At his back, Von Ribbentrop had 345 panzers and self-propelled guns of the II SS Panzer Corps, as well as German tank ace SS-Untersturmfuhrer Michael Wittmann  who was later killed in Normandy in 1944  whose platoon was about to stop 100 Russian tanks in their tracks.

But pouring forth was an avalanche of twice as many armoured fighting vehicles (mainly T-34s and T-70s) of the Russian 5th Guards Tank Army. Tank after tank! Von Ribbentrop wrote. Wave after wave! It was a simply unimaginable assembly, and it was moving at high speed.

In one of the advancing T-34s was Vasili Bryukhov. It wasnt a battle, he recalled, it was a slaughterhouse of tanks. We crawled back and forth and fired. Everything was burning. An indescribable stench hung in the air over the battlefield. Everything was enveloped in smoke, dust and fire, so it looked as if it was twilight . . . Tanks were burning, trucks were burning.

One SS man described Russian tanks streaming like rats all over the battlefield. They were stopped by a combination of German panzers, anti-tank guns and panzergrenadiers armed with explosive charges.

A T-34 tank drives over a trench with fearful soldiers underneath

My company alone, recalled one of the latter, had destroyed 15 tanks. The Soviet armoured phalanx had been halted. The battlefield was saturated with burning and disabled tanks. Some of the stricken continued to fire on the Tigers, until they too were hit again and destroyed. One Russian commander said, On the black, scorched earth the gutted tanks burnt like torches. It was difficult to establish which side was attacking, which was defending.

When Vasili Bryukhovs tank was hit, he and his crew bailed out and hid in a shell crater. He later got into another tank, but that was also knocked out. He took cover and fired at German infantry and the crews of disabled tanks.

That, he recalled, referencing the village that was to give its name the days battle, was Prokhorovka.

By the end of the day, the surviving Russian tanks had fallen back to their starting position. But they had prevented the Germans from capturing Prokhorovka and, that evening, alarmed by the Allied invasion of Sicily on July 10, Hitler called off the offensive so he could move reinforcements to Italy.

Soviet historians always insisted up to 400 German tanks were lost at Prokhorovka, now one of Russias three sacred battlefields  along with Kulikovo (on which the Mongols were defeated in 1380) and Borodino (where Napoleon was fought to a standstill in 1812).

The annihilation of Hitlers elite panzer force is still cited in Russia today as a great turning point in World War II. In truth, the Germans destroyed many more tanks at Prokhorovka than the Russians.

According to a forthcoming book by British historian Ben Wheatley, The Panzers Of Prokhorovka, the II SS Korps lost just 14 of its 345 panzers and self-propelled guns, or four per cent of the total, on July 12. Russian tank losses were 246 of 663, almost 40 per cent.

The fighting around Kursk rumbled on deep into August. When the eastern front finally receded, accelerating towards the Third Reich, 170,000 German soldiers lay dead, wounded or were missing, an enormous toll dwarfed still by the Soviets 863,000.

And yet, writes Wheatley, the Russians won the battle thanks to their artillery, almost impenetrable anti-tank defences and huge supply of replacement tanks.

Kursk did not destroy Hitlers armoured capability, but it was still a hinge moment: the last major German offensive in the East, and one that ended in failure. Thereafter, faced with a continental war on two fronts, defeat for the Nazis was just a matter of time.

Will history repeat itself in 2023? Once again Russias enemy has the better German-made tanks, while Russia has the numbers. But this time the economic and military might of the West is supporting not Russia but its opponent and that, ultimately, will make the difference.
She began the Second World War as a housewife, but by the end of the conflict, Jane Burrell had served behind enemy lines after being trained by British Intelligence.

Burrell was one of a cast of female spies who helped shape America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and its wartime predecessor organisations.

Their stories are told in a new book, whose author is now campaigning for Burrell to added to the 113 stars that adorn the walls of the CIAs headquarters, and commemorate officers who were killed in action.

Burrell was killed in a plane crash near Paris while on duty in 1948 - becoming the first CIA officer to die on active service - but she is yet to receive any official recognition for her exploits and bravery.

Also featured in Wise Gals: the Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage - by bestselling author Nathalia Holt - are single mother Adelaide Hawkins, Southern debutante Adelaide Hawkins and academic Mary Hutchison.

She began the Second World War as a housewife, but by the end of the conflict, Jane Burrell had served behind enemy lines after being trained by British Intelligence. Above: Burrell in uniform in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1945

Burrell, whose maiden name was Wallis, had been born and raised in the state of Iowa, before she studied abroad in Montreal and Paris and traveled in Germany, Italy and Spain.

After graduating with a degree in French and English literature in 1933, she married husband David, before he was deployed in the US forces.

Determined to play her part in the war, she joined the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) - the forerunner to the CIA - as a junior clerk.

Burrell's initial role was in analysing thousands of photographs of sites in Nazi-occupied Europe to create detailed maps of landscapes where troops would soon be engaged in combat.

The images were also used to identify targets and help officials coordinate strategy.

After Burrell's work helped to lead to what Ms Holt describes as the 'destruction of a Nazi asset', in 1943 she was transferred into X-2 - the OSS's elite unit of spies and communications officers - and sent to Europe.

The task of X-2 was to destroy the network of Axis spies who were trying to hamper the Allies in the war.

Stationed initially in Normandy, in the north of occupied France, Burrell had to try and turn spies to the Allied side.

Her initial target was German spy Carl Eitel, whom she met for the first time after she and another agent picked the lock on the door of his apartment and waited for him to come home.

Burrell was one of a cast of female spies who helped shape America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and its wartime predecessor organisations. Above: Burrell in 1946

Jane Burrell was transferred to London in the summer of 1943. Above: The spy is seen in a London park

Burrell was killed when passenger plane she was in, an Air France Douglas DC-3, crashed in thick fog in Paris. Above: A US Department of State document stating that Burrell was 'on official travel when the accident occurred'

The plot to turn Eitel was known as Operation Double Cross and was carried out in conjunction with MI5 and MI6, the respective domestic and overseas intelligence agencies of the UK.

Working with another X-2 officer, Burrell was able to begin turning Eitel, with the help of a gold ring that he liked the look of.

He divulged the name of an agent for Germany living in France, Juan Frutos, who was described as a young Spaniard.

Burrell and her X-2 colleagues were then able to turn Frutos in the run-up to the famous Normandy landings on June 6, 1944.

To fool the Germans ahead of D-Day, the Allies used lize-size inflatable ships, tanks and aircraft which were deployed in areas surrounding Brest, in the far west of France.

Their network of double agents, including Frutos, were then used to feed misinformation about the false deployment back to Germany.

Frutos also provided key - but false - information to the Germans ahead of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944.

The misdirection meant the Allies were able to reinforce supply lines without being attacked by Nazi U-boats.

Burrell's other exploits included the turning of two enemy spies - George Spitz and Friedrich Schwend - in 1945.

The feat led to a 15th-century castle in the Italian Alps, where the Nazis had been amassing gold to provide a fund for officers to escape to South America in the event of German defeat.

The OSS was dissolved in October 1945 and most of the X-2 officers were not retained.

Burrell was kept on to work for the successor organisation, the Strategic Services Unit.

The SSU was then subsumed into the newly-created Central Intelligence Group in October 1946. Burrell was among the 40 per cent of SSU officers who were retained.

The National Security Act of 1947 then transformed CIG into CIA in September 1947, meaning that Burrell became one of the original members.

Burrell was killed when passenger plane she was in, an Air France Douglas DC-3, crashed in thick fog in Paris.

The plane's pilots had misjudged the location of a band of trees south of the runway.

Burrell was among 16 passengers who were trapped inside burning wreckage and none made it out alive.

In newspaper reports detailing the victims' names and backgrounds, Burrell's record was false.

She was reported to be an American clerk or courier, but was instead the first CIA officer to be killed in the line of service.

Whilst the CIA's Paris station chief wrote to Burrell's family to tell her how much she was valued, she never received any official recognition for her exploits.

Ms Holt tells how her death was 'erased from records and even left of memorials to CIA officers lost in the line of duty'.

Explaining her impact on the CIA, she adds: 'Jane's work had a lasting impact on the future of American intelligence.

Adelaide Hawkins (pictured left with a friend in the 1950s) initially headed up the OSS's cryptanalysis section in the Second World War and was in charge of dozens of officers

Newly divorced Adelaide Hawkins with her three children, Sheila, Eddie, and Don, and dog Mickey, 1947

Eloise Page became the CIA's first female station chief in Athens in the late 1970s. Above: Page at her desk as CIA headquarters

'From her network of agents, a foundation was formed on which all anti- Soviet counterintelligence would be based.

'Her accomplishments, and particularly her errors, had established a system for recruiting and handling spies, the techniques of which would guide the activities of the CIA over the next four decades.'

Adelaide Hawkins initially headed up the OSS's cryptanalysis section in the Second World War and was in charge of dozens of officers.

Like Burrell, she was retained by the newly formed CIA.

In 1969, she was awarded the CIA's 'Certificate of Distinction for outstanding accomplishments in the field of positive intelligence production.'

She was close to Eloise Page, who worked in counterintelligence and helped foster relationships with her British counterparts.

Page was later sent to Europe to lead one of America's first postwar intelligence stations in Europe, in Brussels, the Belgian capital.

She became the CIA's first female station chief in Athens in the late 1970s.

On her retirement in 1987, she had been the highest ranking female officer since 1975.

Mary Hutchison held a PHD in archaeology and was fluent in Greek, Spanish, French and German when she was recruited in 1946.

The final female hero mentioned in Ms Holt's book is Elizabeth Sudmeier, who initially joined the CIA's predecessor, the CIG, as a shorthand stenographer in 1947

In 1962, Ms Sudmeier was awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit for her work, after some male colleagues had raised questions over whether a woman who was not officially listed as an operations officer could receive the award

Adelaide Hawkins receiving the CIA's Certificate of Distinction for outstanding accomplishments in the field of positive intelligence production, 1969

Mary Hutchison held a PHD in archaeology and was fluent in Greek, Spanish, French and German when she was recruited in 1946

She was initially offered the role of a secretary but turned it down, insisting that her talents warranted a more extensive position.

Instead, she was hired initially as a reports officer and carried out vital work in Europe and Japan - but was paid less than her male counterparts.

The final female hero mentioned in Ms Holt's book is Elizabeth Sudmeier, who initially joined the CIA's predecessor, the CIG, as a shorthand stenographer in 1947.

She continued serving when the CIA was formally founded and was posted overseas to the Middle East.

Sudmeier recruited an agent who had access to intelligence on Soviet military hardware, including fighter jets and missiles.

Her station chief commented how she 'never hesitated' to accept the risks of her job.

In 1962, she was awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit for her work, after some male colleagues had raised questions over whether a woman who was not officially listed as an operations officer could receive the award.

Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage, by Nathalia Holt, is published by Icon Books.
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Thankfully, Britons don't have to worry about volcanoes erupting and spewing lava far and wide, because the UK doesn't have any geologically active areas.

But that hasn't always been the case.

In fact, Britain's forgotten volcanic landscape has been revealed in this fascinating interactive tool below, which reveals the 68 volcanoes that once covered the country.

From Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, to Warboys in Cambridgeshire, it shows a map of volcanoes, geothermal springs and volcanic plugs, the latter of which are created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano.

Arthur's Seat might not be a surprise, while there is even an extinct supervolcano at Glen Coe in Scotland which erupted some 420 million years ago, but the village of Warboys certainly grabs the attention.

Hidden secrets: Britain's forgotten volcanic landscape has been revealed in this fascinating interactive tool above, which reveals the 68 volcanoes that once covered the country

Just 81 miles from London, Warboys itself dates back to the Iron Age. But the ground beneath it has a hidden past that is scarcely believable, having once been the epicentre of volcanic activity some 330 million years ago.

Warboys is not the only area of the UK with such history, however.

HOW IS A VOLCANO CREATED? A volcano is created when there is a rupture in the Earth's surface, which causes volcanic ash and magma to spew out of the planet's crust. This crust is made up of rigid tectonic plates which lay on top of a hotter, softer layer in the mantle, and it is were these plates meet that volcanoes are mostly found. About 75 per cent of the Earth's active volcanoes are in the so-called 'Ring of Fire', which is a 25,000-mile (40,000-kilometre) chain of volcanoes and seismically active sites that circle the edges of the Pacific Ocean. Advertisement

Although Britain is now known for being geologically stable and tectonically quiet  having last had a volcanic eruption about 60 million years ago  there was a time when things were very different.

Active regions of volcanism have previously existed across the Lake District, Snowdonia, Northern Ireland, southern and western Scotland and even parts of Dartmoor, as well as in central England and Northumberland.

In fact, many of the UK's mountainous areas were formed through volcanic activity more than 300 million years ago, with the erupting lava cooling to become rock.

Bardon Hill  the highest hill in Leicestershire  is the remains of an extinct volcano, while Brentor Church in Devon sits on a volcanic plug some 1,100 feet above sea level.

Another volcanic plug exists at Southdean Law in the Scottish Borders, along with Dunbowie Dun and Dunoon Castle.

There are also geothermal springs in Bristol, Bath, Worcestershire, and Buxton and Matlock in Derbyshire.

These are produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth.

So where are some of Britain's other volcanoes? MailOnline take a closer look below, while readers can also have a play with Heritage Daily's interactive tool above.

From Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, to Warboys in Cambridgeshire, it shows a map of both volcanoes and volcanic plugs, the latter of which is created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano

Active regions of volcanism have previously existed across the Lake District, Snowdonia, Northern Ireland, southern and western Scotland and even parts of Dartmoor, as well as in central England and Northumberland

The map shows volcanoes, geothermal springs and volcanic plugs, the latter of which are created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano (stock image)

Arthur's Seat

Arthur's Seat  the highest peak in Edinburgh  is a long extinct volcano thought to have first erupted 350million years ago, during the Carboniferous period.

At this time, experts say the British Isles was 'trying to split apart rather like the current East African Rift, but along the Midland Valley of Scotland.

The Seat (pictured) - a long extinct volcano - offers panoramic views over the city and the walking trails are popular with ramblers, joggers and dog owners alike

The Seat offers panoramic views over the city and the walking trails are popular with ramblers, joggers and dog owners alike.

Also in the city is Edinburgh Castle, which sits upon a volcanic plug around 340 million years old.

The cliffs this tourist attraction is built on actually rise up 260 feet (80 metres), forming a formidable natural defence.

Warboys

Sitting beneath clay at a depth of 500 feet, the volcano beneath Warboys has been extinct for about 330 million years.

A team of Cambridge researchers who studied the area in the 1990s came to the conclusion that during the Hercynian period, the volcano would have been active and covered several miles at its base.

But over millions of years, the land surface around it eroded, leaving just the hard diorite core.

During the Jurassic period, this would have sunk beneath a shallow sea and was buried by deposits of sediment and later around 20,000 years ago glacial till, the experts concluded.

Sitting beneath clay at a depth of 500 feet, the volcano beneath Warboys (pictured) has been extinct for about 330 million years

Mount Snowdon

Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales, is actually the remains of an ancient volcano formed 400 to 500 million years ago.

However, since then its form has been worn away.

The caldera is difficult to pinpoint, but the summit lies at the northern edge of the mountain.

For the crater good: Snowdon is actually the remains of an ancient volcano formed 400 to 500 million years ago. This picture shows the summit, which at one point would have been the edge of the caldera

Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis is a volcano that is no more.

This most famous of mounds is all that remains of a Devonian volcano that met a cataclysmic end in the Carboniferous period around 350 million years ago.

It collapsed in on itself creating an explosion comparable to Thera (2nd millennium BC) or Krakatoa (1883).

This most famous of mounds is all that remains of a Devonian volcano. This image shows its volcanic shape very clearly

Giant's Causeway

One of the UKs most photographed tourist destinations, the Giant's Causeway is an eye-popping hexagonal rock formation ranked as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The Causeway formed around 60 million years ago when volcanic explosions deep underground forced molten basalt up to the surface and formed a plateau of lava.

As it cooled and contracted, it coalesced into huge hexagonal basalt columns.

The Causeway formed around 60 million years ago when volcanic explosions deep underground forced molten basalt up to the surface and formed a plateau of lava

Dundee Law

While The Law is fondly known as 'Dundee's Volcano', it is actually a volcanic sill.

This is an underground sideways flow of lava, forced through weaker rock 400 million years ago.

The volcanic rock of Dundee Law was under layers of other rock for millions of years before wild, rain and glaciers cleared the softer rock to expose the hard volcanic rock seen today.

Central to Dundees defences for thousands of years, the 572ft peak was used as Iron Age hillfort and prehistoric graves dating to about 1500 BC have been uncovered on its slopes.

It is the city's most distinctive landmark and an enduring attraction for visitors and locals.

The hill overlooking Dundee is actually an extinct volcano that dates back about 400million years

Cuillin Hills on the Isle of Skye

This rocky mountain range is located on the Isle of Skye and is a favourite of climbers and mountaineers.

They scramble over basalt rock pushed up by volcanic activity that dates back 55 million years.

Also known as the Black Cuillin, the highest point is Sgurr Alasdair at 3,255ft (992m). The sharp peaks, which rise up from the flatness of the surrounding terrain, are the dominating feature of the island and can be seen from every other peninsula on Skye.

This rocky mountain range contains basalt rock pushed up by volcanic activity that dates back 55 million years

Glen Coe caldera

Britain used to be far more dramatic geologically and Glen Coe is evidence of just how extreme matters once were  because it's the remains of a supervolcano.

A very dead supervolcano that erupted 420million years ago, but nevertheless, a whopper.

Professor Emeritus Peter Styles, Professor of Applied and Environmental Geophysics at Keele University, said: 'We can only see the pale shadow of what it must have been like and it would have devastated anything alive, which at that time wasnt that much I suspect.

'We won't get their like again until we have a new reorganisation of the plate boundaries, which is sure to happen but probably not for a few 10s to hundreds of millions of years from now and probably when the Atlantic Ocean decides to close.'

Glen Coe, pictured, is a very dead supervolcano that last erupted about 420million years ago
Discover a fascinating 1950s spellbook at The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle, Cornwall

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Veer away from tourist staples such as the V&A and Natural History Museum and delve into the peculiar museums peppered across Britain.

Specialising in everything from bagpipes to hovercrafts, their archives are little-known but hugely fascinating.

MailOnline Travel spoke with the curators behind some of these institutions, setting out to discover the most weird and wonderful items held within their walls...

THE POSTAL MUSEUM, LONDON

MailOnline Travel spoke with the curators behind the nation's most unusual museums - including London's Postal Museum (above) - in a bid to discover the oddest items held within their archives. This blue Air Mail post box is one of the more unusual items on display at The Postal Museum, according to Senior Curator Corinne Galloway

Pushing the envelope: London's fascinating Postal Museum, which costs 16 to visit

A lesser-known museum in central London, The Postal Museum is a one-stop-shop for all things post-related, telling the story of Britains postal heritage. One of the more peculiar items on display is a blue Air Mail post box, according to Senior Curator Corinne Galloway.

Letters that were to be transported by air, rather than on land or by ship, were placed inside these boxes.

Galloway explains: Air Mail post boxes only existed in the UK for a few years and were introduced in the early 1930s... paper lists of flight times for destinations across the world were displayed. Its distinctive blue colour is based on the Air Mail labels attached to letters at the time.'

The curator notes that these post boxes are a powerful reminder of a time when commercial flight was still young and Air Mail played a new and vital role in connecting the world.

An unusual relic that's part of the Postal Museum is the underground 'Mail Rail', Londons 100-year-old postal railway system

An archive photo of the postal railway. The Postal Museum is a one-stop-shop for all things post-related

Galloway continues: By 1939 they were withdrawn from use as by the late 1930s all mail going abroad went by air, so separate post boxes were no longer needed. While theyre few and far between, its still possible to spot an Air Mail box on the pavements of Britain, Galloway reveals. She says: Air Mail post boxes are rare, there were only ever about 300 and most of these were removed or painted red, but very occasionally you can spot one on the streets. Theres one in Windsor, although its no longer in use.

Another unusual relic that's part of the museum is the underground 'Mail Rail', Londons 100-year-old postal railway. Visitors can climb aboard one of the rail carriages and 'journey back in time through the original tunnels and station platforms'.

The Postal Museum, 15-20 Phoenix Pl, WC1X 0DA, is open from Wednesdays to Sundays. An adult ticket is 16.

THE PEN MUSEUM, BIRMINGHAM

During the Victorian era, the making of steel pen nibs was a significant industry in Birmingham, with the city's Pen Museum shining a light on this manufacturing history. One pen in particular stands out to the museum's Katie Rickett - a 'vaccination pen', circa 1925

The write stuff: Birmingham's Pen Museum (above)

A spotlight is shone on Birmingham's interesting history of pen manufacturing in this unique museum. During the Victorian era, the making of steel pen nibs was a significant industry in the city, with an estimated 8,000 workers producing pens across nearly 130 companies.

However, it's a French-manufactured pen that stands out to the museum's Katie Rickett as a particularly unusual model in the collection. The 'vaccination pen' was made around 1925 to deliver the smallpox vaccine. Rickett says: 'The vaccine was administered by dipping the lancet nib into the vaccine, and then into the patient's arm. Each nib was only used once, and was then ejected from the holder, and a new one [was] inserted for the next vaccination.'

Reactions from visitors vary, but Rickett notes that 'people are most often very grateful that this method is not used to have vaccinations now'. She continues: 'The lancet nib is much larger than the modern hypodermic needle, and would leave a mark where the skin was entered. As the past two years have really brought vaccination into the forefront of people's minds, it is wonderful to be able to display this piece of medical history, so we can really appreciate the great strides made in our scientific knowledge.'

The Pen Museum, Argent Centre, 60 Frederick Street, B1 3HS, is open from Thursday to Sunday. An adult ticket is priced at 7.

THE HOVERCRAFT MUSEUM, LEE-ON-THE-SOLENT, HAMPSHIRE

The Hovercraft Museum is perched by the seaside in the Hampshire town of Lee-on-the-Solent

Above is the world's second-largest hovercraft, named The Princess Anne

The 'Hover Mini', left, was home-built by members of The Hover Club of Great Britain as the result of a pub bet that a Mini car 'couldn't be made to hover'. On the right is one of two hovercrafts from the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day

Perched by the seaside in the Hampshire town of Lee-on-the-Solent, The Hovercraft Museum is a fascinating archive of amphibious vehicles - some of which can be boarded by visitors.

The museum's trustee Alex Wheeler reveals that one of the most unusual items on display is the 'Hover Mini', built by members of The Hover Club of Great Britain as the result of a pub bet that a Mini car 'couldn't be made to hover'.

Elsewhere you'll find two of the hovercrafts from the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day, and the world's second-largest hovercraft - beaten by a hovercraft that's just 60cm (23in) longer and 1.8m (6ft) wider - named The Princess Anne.

The Hovercraft Museum, PO13 9NS, is 8 to enter.

THE MUSEUM OF WITCHCRAFT AND MAGIC, BOSCASTLE, CORNWALL

Opened in 1960, the historic Museum of Witchcraft and Magic was founded by the late warlock Cecil Williamson

Inside you'll find displays that explore British magical practice, occult artwork, wands and crystal balls

The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic reopens for the summer season in April 2023

The 'Book of Shadows' (above) is a 1950s book that contains many spells and rituals that were used by pagan high priest Ralph Harvey and his group the Order of Artemis

Opened in 1960, this historic museum was founded by the late warlock and screenwriter Cecil Williamson.

Inside you'll find displays that explore British magical practice, occult artwork, wands, crystal balls, and a collection of charms used by WWI soldiers that were known as 'trench art'.

Simon Costin, who took over the museum in 2013, says that one of the most notable items on display is the 'Book of Shadows', a 1950s spell-book that was donated by Ralph Harvey, a prominent figure in the Wicca community and a pagan high priest. Costin says that the book contains many spells and rituals which were developed and used by Harvey's group, the Order of Artemis.

The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, located by Boscastle harbour, reopens for the summer season in April 2023, with tickets priced at 7 for adults.

DERWENT PENCIL MUSEUM, KESWICK, THE LAKE DISTRICT

You must step through a replica graphite mine to enter the Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick

Check out one of the largest colour pencils in the world, which measures almost 8m (26ft). Visitors learn about the cottage industry production of pencils and modern day manufacturing

Pencils from WWII that have been crafted with hidden maps and compasses inside them

To enter this quirky Lake District museum, you must step through a replica graphite mine. Visitors learn about the cottage industry production of pencils and modern-day manufacturing, and can check out one of the largest colour pencils in the world, which measures almost 8m (26ft).

However, the standout artefacts in the collection are perhaps pencils from WWII that have been crafted with hidden maps and compasses inside them. The wartime maps, printed on a fine, non-rustling tissue paper and rolled tightly within a hole drilled in the pencil, outline the geography of Germany and the escape routes west to the Netherlands and Belgium and the southern route to Switzerland.

'As far as we know there are only ten sets of our World War II "Secret Map and Compass" pencils left in the world,' the museum says, adding: 'The pencils were issued to Bomber Command Aircrew in the Royal Air Force and were also sent to prisoner of war camps. They were a vital part of the wartime escape network.'

An adult ticket to The Derwent Pencil Museum, Southey Works, Keswick, is priced at 5.75.

THE THURSFORD STEAM ENGINE COLLECTION, NORFOLK

The Thursford Collection is billed as 'the worlds largest collection of steam engines and organs'. Pictured in the background is a highlight of the collection - a 19th-century merry-go-round embellished with carvings of Queen Victoria and her relatives

Pictured on the left is the 'Victory' showman's engine (designed for a travelling funfair), built in 1920. On the right is the Cheshire-built Foden Chain Drive Overtype Tractor Type D, one of the last few steam tractors made. It was manufactured in 1929

This Norfolk attraction, billed as 'the worlds largest collection of steam engines and organs', dates back to the 1970s when it was opened by the late steam enthusiast George Cushing.

Wander through fairground organs, steam traction engines and fairground rides before stopping to watch theatre organist Robert Wolfe play the Wurlitzer, which happens twice a day. A highlight is a 19th-century gondola merry-go-round that's embellished with carvings of Queen Victoria and her relatives.

The Thursford Collection, Thursford, NR21 0AS, is open from April to August.

ANAESTHESIA HERITAGE CENTRE, ASSOCIATION OF ANAESTHETISTS, LONDON

Learn about the 'remarkable story of anaesthesia' at the Anaesthesia Heritage Centre in London

On the left is a 'flagg can' - an improvised inhaler that consists of a tube attached to a tin filled with ether anaesthetic. On the right is a resuscitation set containing various tools for resuscitating the 'apparently drowned'

An electrocardiogram machine that was used to perform a pneumonectomy on King George VI at Buckingham Palace in 1951

This museum, housed within the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, 'tells the remarkable story of anaesthesia' and examines its use from the mid-1800s to the modern age.

Curious items in its collection include an electrocardiogram machine that was used to perform a pneumonectomy (a procedure to remove a lung) on King George VI in a specially converted room at Buckingham Palace in 1951. There's also a 'flagg can' - an improvised inhaler that consists of a tube attached to a tin filled with 'ether' anaesthetic. The museum says that it was 'recommended for military use in the tropics during WWII, where the climate made it impractical to administer ether by the dropper method'.

Another fascinating item is a Royal Humane Society resuscitation set, a box containing various tools for resuscitating the 'apparently drowned'. One of the instruments was used to deliver tobacco smoke up a patients rectum, as it was thought to encourage the heart and lungs to work again. The museum notes that 'this is where the expression to blow smoke up ones backside comes from'.

Admission to the Anaesthesia Heritage Centre, 21 Portland Pl, W1B 1PY, is free.

THE DOG COLLAR MUSEUM, LEEDS CASTLE, KENT

The Dog Collar Museum is housed inside Kent's historic Leeds Castle, which was once the home of Henry VIII's wife Catherine of Aragon

The collection spans five centuries and holds more than 130 rare and valuable dog collars

Ornate gilt collars from the Baroque age and fine 19th-century silver collars are on display. Youll find 16th-century German iron collars with fearsome spikes'

Within the walls of the historic Leeds Castle in Kent - once the home of Henry VIII's wife Catherine of Aragon - youll find a fascinating collection of canine neckwear.

The collection spans five centuries and holds more than 130 rare and valuable dog collars. The museum reveals that the earliest collar in the collection is a Spanish Mastiffs collar from the late 15th century that would have been worn for protection against wolves and bears roaming Europe at the time.

Elsewhere youll find 16th-century German iron collars with fearsome spikes, ornate gilt collars from the Baroque age, fine 19th-century silver collars and 20th-century models that have been crafted from tyres, beads and plastic.

Adult tickets to Leeds Castle and the Dog Collar Museum are 29. Address: Broomfield, Maidstone, ME17 1PL.

HOUSE OF MARBLES, BOVEY TRACEY, DEVON

Devon museum and toy shop House of Marbles, which dates back to 1973, showcases 'marbles from across the ages'

Visitors can watch marbles weave their way through an intricate wall-mounted 'marble run' maze

Pictured left is a set of three hefty marbles at the entrance to the museum. On the right is a giant marble-making machine that was built for House of Marbles in America in 1982

The marble-making machine being installed in the building. It produced the worlds largest machine-made marbles in its day, the museum reveals

This Devon museum and toy shop, which dates back to 1973, showcases 'marbles from across the ages', including early marbles made from materials such as clay and stone.

You can watch marbles weave their way through an intricate wall-mounted maze in the marble run. There are also collectable marbles manufactured by Coca Cola and end of day marbles, which were the very first glass marbles made by glassmakers who would 'gather up the last of the glass they had been working with at the end of their working day and roll it up into balls to take home for their children to play with'.

One particularly unique artefact on display is a giant marble-making machine that was built for House of Marbles in 1982. It produced the worlds largest machine-made marbles in its day, manufacturing a total of 15million marbles before it was retired in 1992. A museum representative said: This is quite a piece of machinery. We are a quirky site, and it is good to be able to preserve the history and heritage of our company by having this on show.'

House of Marbles, The Old Pottery, Pottery Rd, Bovey Tracey, is free to access.

BOOTH MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, BRIGHTON

The Booth Museum's Victorian Parlour, above, is a 'recreation of a traditional gentlemans parlour, full of treasures reflecting the passions and eccentricities of the Victorian collector'

Brighton's Booth Museum of Natural History, founded in 1874, houses an assortment of Victorian taxidermy

'The parlour gives visitors the opportunity to sit in the parlour and imagine life as a Victorian,' the museum reveals

A wealth of Victorian taxidermy - particularly stuffed birds - is housed under the roof of this museum, which was founded in 1874 by naturalist and collector Edward Thomas Booth. This collection is best appreciated in the quirky Victorian parlour room, a 'recreation of a traditional gentlemans parlour, full of treasures reflecting the passions and eccentricities of the Victorian collector'.

The museum says: 'The parlour gives visitors the opportunity to sit in the parlour and imagine life as a Victorian.'

The Booth Museum of Natural History, 194 Dyke Rd, Brighton, is closed on Thursdays and Fridays but open every other day, and admission is free.

MORPETH CHANTRY BAGPIPE MUSEUM, NORTHUMBERLAND

The Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum is housed in a 13th-century Grade I listed building in the town of Morpeth

The bagpipe museum is filled with 120 sets of pipes from across Europe

Keeper of Collections Anne Moore says that the most unusual item exhibited is this set of musette bagpipes, which are suspected of having belonged to a musician at the court of the French King Louis XIV. The musette was created by Lissieu, a lauded French instrument maker who was active in the mid to late 17th century

Above is 'Allegory of Louis XIV, Protector of the Arts and Sciences', a 1670s artwork by Jean Garnier. On a visit to the Palace of Versailles, Moore noticed that the musette in the centre of the painting looked strikingly similar to the musette in the Morpeth museum

Housed in a 13th-century Grade I listed building, the Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum in the town of Morpeth is filled with 120 sets of pipes from across Europe.

Highlights include a tiny set of pipes that was made for Queen Marys Dolls House - the world's most famous doll's house, built in the 1920s - and pipes from the Jacobite rising of 1745.

That said, one particular set of pipes stands out to Keeper of Collections Anne Moore as more unusual than the rest - musette bagpipes that are suspected of having belonged to a musician at the court of the French King Louis XIV.

On a visit to the Palace of Versailles, a certain painting caught Moores eye - 'Allegory of Louis XIV, Protector of the Arts and Sciences', a 1670s artwork by Jean Garnier. She noticed that the musette in the centre of the artwork looked strikingly similar to a musette that had been on display in the museum since 1986. This particular musette - made from ebony with ivory fittings - was created by Lissieu, a lauded French instrument maker who was active in the mid to late 17th century.

While there are 'very striking similarities' between the museum's musette and the one in the painting, Moore says that its impossible to say whether the instrument in the painting is the exact same instrument which is now on display in the museum. However, she says that it's a 'possibility that the artist may not have been working from life, but from drawings, and so changes some of the details slightly.

The Morpeth Chantry Bagpipe Museum, in the centre of Morpeth, is open from Monday to Saturday each week, and admission is free.
Given how fast and convenient Eurostar services are, is there any point in flying from London to Brussels?

Travel experts from The Points Guy UK (TPGUK) set out to discover what sort of competition a plane puts up against a 186mph city-centre-to-city-centre train in a fascinating video race from the Houses of Parliament in London to the European Parliament.

One team member flew on a Brussels Airlines Airbus A320 from Heathrow Airport, the other on a state-of-the-art e320 from St Pancras International.

THE PLANE

Nicky Kelvin, the head of TPGUK, took the plane, paying 208.60 altogether. The breakdown? He paid 2.60 for a Tube train from Westminster to Paddington, 25 for the Heathrow Express service to the airport, 140 for the Heathrow to Brussels flight and 40 for a taxi from Brussels Airport to the European Parliament at Place du Luxembourg.

Nicky Kelvin (above), the head of TPGUK, took the plane in a London-to-Brussels video race between a Brussels Airlines A320 and a Eurostar, paying 208.60 altogether

This is Nicky's seat on the A320, which he describes as comfortable for a short flight

Air we go: Nicky's A320 awaits

He told MailOnline Travel that the upsides of the trip were the incredibly short flight time  often less than 40 minutes  the comfort of the flight, considering how short it was, and that reaching Place du Luxembourg by taxi from the airport was easy.

Any downsides?

Heathrow could be a difficult, inconvenient or expensive departure point to reach for some, he said. And although this journey went smoothly, there is more potential for issues or delays with security, aircraft issue, air traffic control, baggage and immigration.

THE TRAIN

Liam Spencer took the Eurostar, paying 288.60 altogether.

The breakdown? He paid a 2.60 fare on the London Underground from the race start point of Westminster, 276 for a Business Premier ticket on the Eurostar service from St Pancras International to Brussels-Midi, which included priority access and a comprehensive food and beverage offering, and finally a 10 cab from the train station in Brussels to the finish line.

And the verdict? Liam was generally very impressed.

He told MailOnline Travel: My Eurostar ticket included fast-track security, which meant I could head straight through passport check to the lounge. The queue for those with a regular ticket was enormous and I saved at least half an hour thanks to my Business Premier ticket.

Liam Spencer marvels at the 'proper' cutlery used on his Eurostar service to Brussels

Liam is impressed with his Eurostar service, but laments that the Business Premier seat 'doesn't feel noticeably better than an economy one'

Liam tucks into a three-course meal on his Brussels express

Liam paid 276 for a Business Premier Eurostar ticket

The Business Premier Lounge was the perfect place to relax before my journey. I particularly enjoyed the fresh smoothie bar.

And being served a three-course meal on a train was a first for me and it really elevated the luxury feel of my experience. I was served a tasty pumpkin mousse followed by roast chicken and potatoes.

The main downside was a seat that Liam lamented didnt feel noticeably better than an economy one.

Who won? The plane  just.

Click here to see the full video. For more information on travel tips and tricks, sign up to The Points Guy UK.
Pamela Anderson has lashed out at former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison over 'insensitive' comments he made during the actress' visit to Australia in 2019.

The Baywatch star, 55, claims she asked him to campaign for the release of jailed Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, but was left unimpressed by his response.

'After I wrote an open letter to Mr Morrison, he responded cheekily in the press by saying he'd love to meet me if he could bring a few of his buddies along,' she wrote.

Pamela Anderson, 50, (pictured) has lashed out at former Prime Minister Scott Morrison over the 'insensitive' comments he made during her trip to Australia in 2019

The Baywatch star, 55, claims she asked then-Prime Minister ScoMo (pictured) to campaign for the release of jailed Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, but was left unimpressed by his response

She added: 'That didn't go over well. Women were unimpressed with his insensitive remarks, which, by then, had reached the international press.'

Anderson then said the main reason she visited the country in 2019 was to meet Julian's mother Christine so they could work together to campaign for his release from prison.

Assange, 51, is an Australian editor who came to international attention in 2006 when he founded the WikiLeaks website which released classified US government data.

He was later jailed for computer espionage and is currently being held in a supermax prison in London as the United States fights to extradite him to stand trial there.

'After I wrote an open letter to Mr Morrison, he responded cheekily in the press by saying he'd love to meet me if he could bring a few of his buddies along,' she wrote

Pamela is also a political activist who visited Assange in prison and has been campaigning for years to bring 'positive awareness' to his situation.

'I tried to find clever ways to help my friend, to bring attention to Julian's wrongful incarceration,' she wrote in her memoir.

It comes after Pamela, who refused to watch the Pam and Tommy series or read a note written by actress Lily James meant to reassure her about it, released her memoirs and a Netflix documentary telling her side of things on January 31.

In an interview with People, the former Baywatch star said her sons, Brandon, 26, and Dylan, 25, whom she shares with ex-husband Tommy Lee, 60, encouraged her to come forward.

'It's just one girl's story of how I made it through: a small-town girl going to Los Angeles and just going through all the wild and crazy adventures I did and then circling back and going home.'
Married At First Sight's Melissa Rawson has officially left her single days behind with a hens weekend celebration.

The reality star, 33, who will tie the knot with fiance Bryce Ruthven later this month, went all out for her pre-wedding festivities.

Melissa began her day with a 'paint and sip' art class surrounded by her closest girlfriends.

Married At First Sight's Melissa Rawson, 33, has officially left her single days behind with a hens weekend celebration

The mother-of-two and her friends were tasked with painting a portrait of the bride.

Melissa then slipped into a glitzy silver dress and veil as she hit the club with her MAFS co-star Belinda Vickers.

She teamed up her look with a pair of strappy black heels.

The reality star who will tie the knot with fiance Bryce Ruthven later this month, went all out for her pre-wedding festivities

Melissa began her day with a paint and sip art class surrounded by her closest girlfriends

Melissa then slipped into a glitzy silver dress and veil as she hit the club with her MAFS co-star Belinda Vickers and another friend

The pair were seen posing for photos at arrival at Melbourne hotspot Morris Jones restaurant and cocktail bar.

The couple already 'married' in front of the cameras on MAFS, but will tie the knot for real at a ceremony held on the scenic Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

'Our MAFS wedding was absolutely beautiful, but it did not showcase us as a couple because we were strangers,' Melissa told the Herald Sun.

Melissa and Bryce (both pictured) have locked in a mid-February date to get married

She added: 'This time round we get to do our actual wedding the way we want it, we are getting married near a beach, which is definitely us.'

Melissa said their 16-month-old twins sons Levi and Tate will play an important role at the beautiful ceremony.

'We are hoping they are going to be walking and will be walking down the aisle with us,' she said.

The couple have already 'married' in front of the cameras on MAFS but will tie the knot for real at a ceremony held on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria

It comes after the couple told Daily Mail Australia they had been 'shredding' for their upcoming nuptials and had lost a combined total of 18 kilos.

'We're in such a great place now; we're happier and healthier than ever before, the twins are crawling and our wedding is approaching,' Melissa revealed last year.

'It's like a fairy-tale come true after a very stressful time when the boys spent many months in the neonatal ward just after they were born.'

They welcomed their twin boys in October 2021.

Melissa previously revealed there won't be any TV cameras present for their big day.

'I do not want a formal, televised sit-down dinner. You know, media everywhere... no,' she said. I just want to marry the man I love with my nearest and dearest and have a huge party.'
Members of a civic group consisting of residents of Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, chant in front of the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Aug. 8, 2022, to call for the relocation of POSCO Holdings headquarters to the southeastern port city. Newsis



By Park Jae-hyuk



Conflict between POSCO Group and residents of Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province is intensifying once again, since the steelmaking group recently indicated its intention to keep its holding firm's employees in Seoul, even after its planned relocation to the southeastern port city, according to industry officials, Sunday.



Late last month, POSCO Group told local news outlets based in the southeastern region that it will not order POSCO Holdings employees to move to Pohang, although the company is set to fulfill its promise to relocate the holding firm's headquarters by the end of March this year.



The company cited possible setbacks in group-wide investments, management, government relations and public relations.



Even before POSCO Group established its holding firm in January last year, around 2,000 POSCO employees had worked at the POSCO Center building in Seoul.



Among them, some 200 employees who dealt with group-wide affairs were transferred to the holding company, because POSCO Group did not send POSCO employees in Pohang to the group's newly established holding firm in Seoul.



In addition, when POSCO Group signed an agreement in February last year with Pohang's city government and residents there, the talk was of finishing the holding firm's relocation by the end of March. They did not discuss the redeployment of workers in Seoul.



Their agreement was made as Pohang's residents and politicians protested strongly against the group's plan to locate its holding company in Seoul.



In order to fulfill the agreement, POSCO Group said that POSCO Holdings' board of directors will discuss the relocation of its headquarters during its meeting on Feb. 16. According to the group, the holding firm's relocation will be finished in March, once its shareholders vote for the plan during the general meeting on March 17.



POSCO Group also plans to renovate a building on the site of the Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology in Pohang, so as to fulfill its promise to locate its R&D facility's headquarters in the city.



A civic group comprised of Pohang residents, however, urged POSCO Group to send its holding firm's employees to the city, threatening to hold rallies on Feb. 14 in front of the presidential office in Yongsan District and the POSCO Center building in Gangnam District.



The civic group said that around 600 residents will participate in rallies in Seoul that day.


Her grandmother Lady Pamela Hicks was Prince Philip's cousin and lady-in-waiting to the Queen, and Royal model Maddison May Brudenell is certainly not your typical clothes horse.

Having worked for top brands since the age of 16, there were plenty of potential pitfalls to negotiate as she started out.

And she admits her blue-blooded roots definitely helped.

'I was able to lean on my connections and therefore not have to conform so heavily to slightly unhealthy stereotypes,' she tells me at a new exhibition by artists Dan Pearce and Cody Burridge at the posh 99Projects gallery in London.

Now 28, Maddison took time out to have three children with musician Olaoluwa Modupe-Ojo, but is looking forward to a return to modelling.

Her grandmother Lady Pamela Hicks was Prince Philip's cousin and lady-in-waiting to the Queen, and Royal model Maddison May Brudenell (pictured) is certainly not your typical clothes horse

Maddison (pictured) has admitted her blue-blooded roots definitely helped

She is also a bit of a Royal influencer, sharing exclusive videos from the Queen's funeral with her social-media followers.

And Maddison reveals her religious faith served as an anchor during that sad time.

'I think it's something that I shared with Her Majesty, so I'm really glad about that,' she tells me.

No man, no cry, Kirsty Gallacher

Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher (pictured) is on the lookout for love

Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher is on the lookout for love  and says her dream man would be reggae legend Bob Marley.

Kirsty was married to rugby star Paul Sampson from 2010 to 2015 and she has also dated actor Laurence Fox and boxer Johnny Nelson.

'I would love something gorgeous and romantic to occur, and it's going to happen,' said Kirsty, 47, when I bumped into her at Mayfair's Metropolitan Casino.

Not even the annoying condition tinnitus, which means she struggles to sleep, is stopping her search for love.

As Bob would say, every little thing is gonna be all right

Sadie Frost is feeling the pinch

Sadie Frost at Remus Lifestyle Night in Majorca, Spain in August last year

Sadie Frost's 'hippy-go-lucky' fantasy of practising yoga and living out of a car in India has been destroyed after a thief broke into her vehicle and pinched all of her clothes.

Producer and fashion designer Sadie, right, says: 'I am now clothless I have very few clothes anyway and now have none.'

The 57-year-old former wife of Hollywood actor Jude Law was so distraught by the incident that she has offered a reward for the return of the contents.

It's a full moon tonight and no doubt Kate Moss will take advantage of the opportunity to bathe her crystals.

The 49-year-old supermodel uses them as a grounding tool during meditation, saying: 'I love my crystals. I feel they really support me.

'I charge and cleanse them in the moonlight.' It's going to be a long night
He braved the jungle in I'm A Celebrity but don't expect to see Mike Tindall on the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor any time soon.

Zara Phillips's husband has ruled out appearing on the show because of the infamous 'Strictly Curse'.

'I'd probably say no because it's a marriage-wrecker, isn't it? And we don't want that,' he told me, alluding to the number of contestants whose relationships have hit the rocks.

But the I'm A Celebrity creepy-crawlies haven't put Mike, 44, off the idea of hotfooting it with Zara and their children to Australia one day.

'Never say never,' he said at a Rugby Legends dinner last week, adding that the couple, left, are fond of the Aussie lifestyle.

He braved the jungle in I'm A Celebrity but don't expect to see Mike Tindall (left with wife Zara) on the Strictly Come Dancing dancefloor any time soon

Mike Tindall was evicted from 'I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' on November 26 last year

Zara Phillips's husband has ruled out appearing on the show because of the infamous ' Strictly Curse'. Pictured: Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special 2022

Tigerlily's pad

Tigerlily Taylor (left), 28, daughter of Queen drummer Roger Taylor has dated music producer MK (right) for six months

Tigerlily Taylor, daughter of Queen drummer Roger Taylor, has found her happy ever after.

The 28-year-old model has dated music producer MK for six months and tells me at Vanity Fair's EE Bafta party that the next step is to move in together.

I doubt she will have any issue persuading her dad and model mum Debbie Leng.

She says: 'My parents have met him and they've been very supportive.'

Let's hope Tiger and MK are more committed to house-hunting than they were to Dry January.

They couldn't resist a beer as they enjoyed the hot springs on a recent trip to Iceland.

ITV News political editor Robert Peston

ITV News political editor Robert Peston baffled colleagues with an email headed 'Countess' in which he described a 'mirage of Marilyn. Sinewy. Sharp nose. Angular cheekbones'.

He swiftly followed it up with a panicked: 'Ignore! Wrong email account. Sorry.'

Could the cryptic message have been about his next novel?
Former Neighbours star Madeleine West has spoken for the first time about her battle with anorexia, after revealing she was the victim of childhood sexual abuse.

Speaking to Stellar magazine this week, the 42-year-old said the trauma of being abused caused her to become obsessed with looking 'perfect' - a task that was both 'punishing' and never ending.

'For every sexually abused person, what has happened to them will manifest in their life in some self-destructive behaviour,' she told the publication.

Former Neighbours star Madeleine West, 42, has spoken for the first time about her battle with anorexia, after revealing she was the victim of childhood sexual abuse

'They are never, ever to blame. What happened to them is a cross to bear.'

West revealed that in her early teens, not long after the abuse stopped, she developed anorexia as a coping mechanism.

'My autonomy over my body had been snatched away, so to demonstrate I had some control over it I denied that most simple desire: hunger,' West explains.

West revealed that in her early teens, not long after the abuse stopped, she developed anorexia as a coping mechanism

'I just wouldn't eat, then over-exercised. Pain and hunger made me feel something, because I had become accustomed to operating in a state of utter numbness.'

It comes weeks after the mother-of-six claimed she was regularly abused by a 'monster' who lived in the town where she grew up.

She told The Sun of the alleged abuse: 'This monster ruined my life. I've come out the other side, yes a survivor but happy to own the title of victim.

My autonomy over my body had been snatched away, so to demonstrate I had some control over it I denied that most simple desire: hunger,' West explains

'Justice can be achieved. It was never, and never will be, your fault, you are not to blame.'

'I'm now seeking justice. Anyone out there who is posting, watching or hurting a child, your time is up. The wheel is turning.'

She has now launched a new podcast called Predatory to shine the light on the issue of paedophilia along with ex-detective Gary Jubelin.

It comes weeks after the mother-of-six claimed she was regularly abused by a 'monster' who lived in the town where she grew up. Pictured: Madeleine as a child

Madeleine reveals in her podcast's confronting first episode it is extremely difficult for sexual abuse victims to find the courage to speak out.

'You worry people will see you as deficit. The thing I find disturbing is how little I was,' she tells her co-host Gary.

In the first episode Madeleine tearfully reveals she was just five-years-old when the abuse started and it lasted for five years.

She has now launched a new podcast called Predatory to shine the light on the issue of paedophilia along with ex-detective Gary Jubelin (right)

She said: 'I knew from the beginning it wasn't right. I think everyone does. What's so concerning is people keep looking away.'

The actress has now gone public with her story after keeping it a secret for decades so she can help others who are suffering.

She claimed she was sexually abused as a child by a 'monster' and started the true crime podcast to raise awareness of the difficult issue.

The actress has now gone public with her story after keeping it a secret for decades so she can help others who are suffering

Madeleine has told how the alleged abuser lived in the same town as her and that the abuse was regular - sometimes even daily. She revealed no other details of the attack and has not named the alleged abuser.

She told The Sun of the alleged abuse: 'This monster ruined my life. I've come out the other side, yes a survivor but happy to own the title of victim.

'Justice can be achieved. It was never, and never will be, your fault, you are not to blame.'

'I'm now seeking justice. Anyone out there who is posting, watching or hurting a child, your time is up. The wheel is turning.'

The star is also calling for a national public child sex register in Australia and will campaign for changes to laws to fairly compensate victims.

Madeline played Dione 'Dee' Bliss and Andrea Somers on the soap on and off from 2000 to 2020 and also starred in the WWE movie The Condemned in 2007.

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact Lifeline on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
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Kylie Jenner recently returned to her sprawling $36.5million Holmby Hills estate following a trip with pals to Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean.

But the 25-year-old was still in vacation mode Saturday when she offloaded a slideshow of sizzling photos taken during the luxurious getaway on Instagram.

In the snaps, Jenner left little to the imagination while flaunting her hourglass curves in a skimpy rhinestone bikini.

The two-piece had a spliced pink and blue triangle top with lime green thong-style bottoms that had a formation of crystals in the shape of the Chanel logo.

Jenner posed very seductively atop a wooden lounge chair just steps away from a resort-style pool and with a stunning stone gazebo in the distance.

Getaway: Kylie Jenner recently returned to her sprawling $36.5million Holmby Hills estate following a trip with pals to Turks And Caicos in the Caribbean. But the 25-year-old was still in vacation mode Saturday when she offloaded a slideshow of sizzling photos taken during the luxurious getaway

Wow! In the snaps, Jenner left little to the imagination while flaunting her hourglass curves in a skimpy rhinestone bikini

The socialite and entrepreneur laid in a number of provocative positions, from lying on her side to laying down with her back arched.

Her dark hair was swept around her face by the wind while the tiny bikini top pushed up her impressive chest.

She bent forward in another, pushing her impressive derriere out as she rested back on her feet.

Jenner captioned the sultry slideshow, 'daydream.'

The mother-of-two returned from the Caribbean sometime over the weekend but has continued to shows off the trip on Instagram.

Earlier this week, Jenner flashed her toned tummy while modeling a brown bikini top with a sheer top in another Instagram slideshow. She styled her sex upper half with green and pink bikini briefs with a little paisley skirt.

The outfit made the most of her incredible figure - which she showed off days ago on the beach in a black suit - just one year after welcoming her second child, son Aire, with rapper Travis Scott.

The Kylie Cosmetics CEO added funky lime green feathered high heels that matched her Jacquemus boa for an offbeat feel.

She posed for the images on the balcony of her Turks And Caicos vacation home.

Shortly after landing back in LA, Jenner was forced to jump into mom mode as she prepared to celebrate her kids' birthdays this week.

Her daughter Stormi turned five on Wednesday and her baby son Aire turned one on Thursday.

Details: The two-piece had a spliced pink and blue triangle top with lime green thong-style bottoms that had a formation of crystals in the shape of the Chanel logo

Seductive: Jenner posed very seductively atop a wooden lounge chair just steps away from a resort-style pool and with a stunning stone gazebo in the distance

Her dark hair was swept around her face by the wind while the tiny bikini top pushed up her impressive chest

She bent forward in another, pushing her impressive derriere out as she rested back on her feet

Dreamy: Jenner captioned the sultry slideshow, 'daydream'

Jenner held an extravagant joint celebration for her kiddos at her Holmby Hills mansion.

In early January it was reported that the billionaire and rapper Travis Scott - who is the father of Stormi and Aire - decided to call it quits for the second time after the two stars rekindled their romance in 2020.

A source close to the TV personality and the Texas-born rapper, 31, informed Us Weekly: 'Kylie and Travis are off again' and 'were supposed to spend the holidays together'.

The mother-of-two returned from the Caribbean sometime over the weekend but has continued to shows off the trip on Instagram

Vacation vibes: The mother-of-two returned from the Caribbean sometime over the weekend but has continued to shows off the trip on Instagram. Earlier this week, Jenner flashed her toned tummy while modeling a brown bikini top with a sheer top in another Instagram slideshow. She styled her sex upper half with green and pink bikini briefs with a little paisley skirt

She posed for the images on the balcony of her Turks And Caicos vacation home

However, the beauty mogul notably whisked herself away to Aspen for the New Year.

Jenner was joined by her sister Kendall and a few close friends, such as Hailey Bieber and her husband Justin Bieber. 'This has happened so many times before, theyre known to be on again off again. But always remain friends and great co-parents,' the insider added to Us Weekly.

Jenner also brought along her mini-me daughter Stormi on the snowy getaway to ring in 2023.
Martine McCutcheon showed off her incredible figure as she celebrated her son Rafferty's eighth birthday on Saturday.

The actress, 46, cut a stylish in a leather jacket and striped black and white skirt for her son's party.

She added a black hat to her glam look, wearing her raven tresses loose and putting her hands in the air as she prepared for the festivities.

Martine, who shares her son with husband Jack McManus, wrote on the Instagram story: 'Happy birthday to my bubba boy! I think Mummy is excited as you Rafferty!'

The star later posed by a balloon arch, writing: 'Let the celebrations begin!'

Looking good: Martine McCutcheon showed off her incredible figure in a stylish leather jacket and striped skirt as she celebrated her son Rafferty's eighth birthday on Saturday

She added a pair of black sunglasses to her party outfit as she enjoyed the day.

It comes after Martine and Jack surprised a delighted Rafferty with a trip to meet Santa In December.

Taking to Instagram the actress revealed the youngster was shocked after thinking they were 'popping out to get some bits and bobs'.

Martine shared a gorgeous snap of the three as they bundled up from the cold and posed inside a grotto.

Martine wrote: 'When Rafferty Met Santa Well someone was VERY shocked and happy to meet the big man himself!'

'Rafferty thought we were just popping out to get some bits and bobs and it turned out to be a wonderful festive surprise! Rafferty had a good old chat to Father Christmas, explaining that the decorators are at our house at the moment painting etc'.

'So a huge mirror is on his bed and so he cant sleep in his room right now, but NOT to worry, as they will be gone in time for Christmas, so Santa can leave a sack, or a stocking, or something there at the end of his bed (hint, hint ) I wondered where he was leading to!'

She continued: 'And he also said we will keep the chimney clear and leave mince pies, carrots for the reindeer and milk or whiskey!'

Gorgeous: She added a black hat to her glam look, wearing her raven tresses loose and putting her hands in the air as she prepared for the festivities

'We had a look at a gorgeous manger with a nativity scene and we also saw where all the letters to Father Christmas go and it was heart warming to watch Raffertys little face light up. He was so thankful and it made me melt'.

Before adding: 'Everyone was so sweet and watching the kids with their excitement - and their parents feeding off that, was so gorgeous to see. Love really was all around'.

She later took to her Instagram Stories as she and Rafferty relaxed by their lavishly decorated tree.

The youngster wore reindeer ears and appeared to bounce on a space popper with Martine writing: 'My little reindeer is getting so excited now'.

Surprise! Martine and husband Jack surprised a delighted Rafferty with a trip to meet Santa in December, posing for a sweet family snap

It comes after Martine revealed Love Actually saved her from a burnt out period where she felt 'exhausted and unwell'.

The actress had been working non-stop for several years due to her role in EastEnders, leading to the decision to quit showbusiness before landing the Christmas role.

During a new interview with The Mirror, she explained that she had made the decision to quit the business and would come back if she was signed to a large role.

The star had been playing Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders from the age of 17 until 23, and felt the toll of the busy schedule.

She explained: 'It was a relentless schedule of 22 scenes a day, six days a week, alongside my pop career. There was a lot of pressure, a lot of touring and I battled with exhaustion and felt unwell.

Continuing that she decided not to continue, Martine shared: 'I was only 23 and lived on my own  it was scary.

Too much: The star had been playing Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders from the age of 17 until 23, and felt the toll of the busy schedule as she was 'exhausted' and preparing to leave the industry (pictured on EastEnders in 1998)

'I just thought, "I love what I do but I dont love what comes with it, so I called my agent and gave up the industry. I remember thinking, If Im meant to stay in it Ill get a big sign."'

Taking time off, Martine explained that she went to stay with a pal in Spain and 'slept for three days straight'.

But it didn't last long, with director Richard Curtis calling and offering the actress the part to star alongside Hugh Grant in Love Actually just a week later.
Jennifer Coolidge was eye-catching in a bold look while enjoying the Hasty Pudding Parade thrown in her honor on Saturday.

The Emmy-winning actress, 61, sported an animal-print coat and a pink fuzzy hat for the special occasion ahead of receiving an award at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The White Lotus star sat atop a convertible alongside two students in bright, festive attire who later kissed her on her cheeks.

The American Pie alum smiled as the crowd cheered for her before she was presented with the Hasty Pudding Theatricals 2023 Woman of the Year pudding pot.

During the parade, the Golden Globe winner bundled up in two coats - a spotted cape layered atop a cream, double-breasted trench.

Festive: Jennifer Coolidge, 61, was eye-catching in a bold look while enjoying the Hasty Pudding Parade thrown in her honor on Saturday

Cheeky: The White Lotus star sat atop a convertible alongside two students in bright, festive attire who later kissed her on her cheeks

The star of the show stunned in an eye-catching, light pink bucket hat that was lined with faux fur.

Coolidge wore black gloves as she waved and caught presents from the parade goers.

She styled her blonde tresses with loose, casual waves and rocked a glossy pink lip for the special event.

Recently, the star has been getting praise for her performance in the debut and sophomore seasons of the critically-acclaimed HBO series White Lotus.

In the past two years, Coolidge was nominated and won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and two Critics' Choice Awards for Best Supporting Actress in the comedy drama.

Reese Witherspoon, 46, also gave her snaps after recently talking about her Legally Blonde costar in an interview with ET and said she deserved 'every one of those flowers she is receiving right now.'

While teasing a third installment of the franchise, she said at the premiere of her film Your Place Or Mine: 'There would be no Legally Blonde 3 without Jennifer Coolidge.'

'I'm beyond myself about Jennifer Coolidge,' Witherspoon said. 'She deserves every one of those flowers she is receiving right now.'

Bold outfit: The Emmy-winning actress sported an animal-print coat and a pink fuzzy hat for the special occasion ahead of receiving an award at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts .

Layering: During the parade, the Golden Globe winner bundled up in two coats - a spotted cape layered atop a cream, double-breasted trench

'And she's just one of those people who is so naturally gifted and funny and that you can just tell people love her,' she added.

'She gets up there and everybody's like, "I love her," but she's just done a lot of good work in our business for so long that it's really nice to see her getting this incredible moment,' Witherspoon said.

In part one and two of the Legally Blonde film series, Coolidge played Paulette Bonafonte - a manicurist who befriends Witherspoon's Elle Woods.

Bundled up: Coolidge wore black gloves as she waved and caught presents from the parade goers

Star of the show: She stunned in an eye-catching, light pink bucket hat that was lined with faux fur; she styled her blonde tresses with loose, casual waves and rocked a glossy pink lip for the special event

Legally Blonde 3 was given the green light back in May 2020, but Coolidge revealed to ET last October that she had not yet received the call about reprising the character behind the iconic 'bend and snap'.

Although she may not yet have received the call, Mindy Kaling - who is writing the script alongside Dan Goor - revealed that Coolidge will '1,000 percent' return and has already been written into the script.

'[She] is just someone who all writers would kill to write for,' The Office alum, 43, said in April 2022. 'She is so funny.'

Widely praised: Recently, the star has been getting praise for her performance in the debut and sophomore seasons of the critically-acclaimed HBO series White Lotus; in the past two years, Coolidge was nominated and won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and two Critics' Choice Awards for Best Supporting Actress in the comedy drama

Gathering a crowd: Coolidge stood up as a large crowd gathered around her vehicle at the parade

Waving: Coolidge waved to parade goers from atop a convertible with Hasty Pudding members by her side

'She elevates any material and she is just like... She can just do a glance. It is just hilarious,' the mind behind The Sex Lives of College Girls also said. 'And so as a writer, it's the jackpot.'

'Especially in that character - her character Paulette - is so funny and [her and Witherspoon's character's] dynamic is so funny. It's been really great.'

'She [has] a very juicy story in this one. That's all I can say, and by the way, Elle has a very juicy story. The two of them - seeing what they look like now after 20 years - is really fun.

Cheerful: Coolidge cheers with the Harvard students and Hasty Pudding members at the parade

Kicking it: Coolidge does a cancan kick with Harvard students at the Hasty Pudding Parade

Praising her former costar: Reese Witherspoon, 46, also gave her snaps after recently talking about her Legally Blonde costar in an interview with ET and said she deserved 'every one of those flowers she is receiving right now.'
Darren Criss was every bit the doting dad while grabbing lunch in LA with his wife Mia Swier and their adorable daughter Bluesy on Saturday.

The 36-year-old actor carried his nine-month-old baby girl on his shoulders as he and Swier made their way down the sidewalk with a group of pals.

The Glee star kept comfy in a bulky black sweater with a red and yellow design scrawled across its front.He added baggy gray pants to the outfit, and he walked in white sneakers.

Criss' better half cut a stylish figure in groovy flared pants, a black tunic and a bucket hat.

The couple - who wed in 2019 - welcomed Bluesy in April 2022.

Doting dad: Darren Criss was every bit the doting dad while grabbing lunch in LA with his wife Mia Swier and their adorable daughter Bluesy on Saturday. The 36-year-old actor carried his nine-month-old baby girl on his shoulders as he and Swier made their way down the sidewalk with a group of pals

Criss and Mia announced their only child's arrival with a heartfelt Instagram post shared just days after her birth.

'M & D made some sweet music. [music emoji]Bluesy Belle Criss[music emoji] 4/11/22. [blue heart emoji] Out now. [blue heart emoji],' the actor wrote.

The couple also relied on social media when revealing they were expecting back in October 2021.

Criss - who boasts 3.2million followers - shared a video of the pair listening to the child's heartbeat during an ultrasound.

He captioned that clip, 'We've been making music for years. But this time we made a BEAT.'

He and Swier began dating in the early 2010s before tying the knot in 2019.

While many people know Criss from his role as Blaine Anderson and Noah 'Puck' Puckerman from Glee, he's gained more critical acclaim in recent years for portraying spree killer Andrew Cunanan in Netflix's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

Cool: The Glee star kept comfy in a bulky black sweater with a red and yellow design scrawled across its front.He added baggy gray pants to the outfit, and he walked in white sneakers

New addition: The couple - who wed in 2019 - welcomed Bluesy in April 2022

Expecting: The couple used social media to reveal that they were expecting back in October 2021. Criss - who boasts 3.2million followers - shared a video of the pair listening to the child's heartbeat during an ultrasound

Longtime love: He and Swier began dating in the early 2010s before tying the knot in 2019; seen in 2019

The performance garnered Criss an Emmy, as well as a Golden Globe.

Last year, Criss played a lead role in a Broadway production of the David Mamet play American Buffalo.

He starred alongside legendary actor Laurence Fishburne and Academy Award-winner Sam Rockwell.

Criss has also done plenty of voiceover work, with his most recent contribution being to the series Green Eggs and Ham. He was features in six episodes of the Netflix show, which came to an end last year after its second season.
Leonardo DiCaprio's and J.J. Abrams' production companies will work together on the film adaptation of Stephen King's bestseller Billy Summers.

Deadline reported that the two companies, DiCaprio's Appian Way and Abrams' Bad Robot, would be working together on the film which is to be written by Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz who co-wrote Tom Cruise's The Last Samurai together.

Zwick also directed DiCaprio's 2006 film Blood Diamond which garnered the star a Best Actor Oscar nod.

The publication reported that the project was originally going to be a 10-episode miniseries, but it was decided the book would work better as a feature-length film.

Billy Summers does not yet have a release day since Zwick and Herskovitz are currently penning the script.

Working together: Leonardo DiCaprio's and J.J. Abrams' production companies will work together on the film adaptation of Stephen King's bestseller Billy Summers. Deadline reported that the two companies, DiCaprio's Appian Way and Abrams' Bad Robot, would be working together on the film (pictured 2020)

Billy Summers tells the story of a hitman who goes to a small town, waiting to perform his next hit.

The hitman pretends to be an aspiring writer as he holes up in a building across from where his target will soon be.

While he initially believed the job will be like any other, Summers slowly grows wary of his bosses and those concerns are validated as events unfold.

Billy Summers was released in 2021 by the publisher Scribner.

Since the character Billy Summers is an aging hitman looking to retire, DiCaprio could conceivably play him, though no announcement about that has been made.

Abrams' Bad Robot helped produce the series Lisey's Story, Castle Rock and 11.22.63, all of which are based on King's work.

DiCaprio's company Appian Way is behind the upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon which will also star the Titanic actor.

Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese, which takes place after 'members of the Osage tribe in the United States are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s sparking a major F.B.I. investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover,' according to the film's IMDb page.

Being written: Billy Summers does not yet have a release day since Zwick and Herskovitz are currently writing it

Crime story: Billy Summers, written by Stephen King, tells the story of a hitman who goes to a small town, waiting to perform his next hit (pictured 2017)

Upcoming movie: DiCaprio's company Appian Way is behind the upcoming film Killers of the Flower Moon which will also star the Titanic actor (pictured 2021)

DiCaprio is starring alongside Raging Bull star Robert De Niro, Breaking Bad's Jesse Plemons and The Whale star Brendan Fraser.

The movie is based on David Grann's bestselling book of the same name and will come out on AppleTV+.

Leo has several more movies coming out including one in which he will play Theodore Roosevelt and another in which he will play cult leader Jim Jones.
Southern Charm star Olivia Flowers and her devastated family were seen Saturday headed to a South Carolina funeral home for the viewing of her brother Conner.

Conner died on January 30 at the age of just 32 but no cause of death has been made public.

Online tributes poured in for the 'kind and selfless soul,' who was previously arrested for drug offenses and driving under the influence.

Olivia along with her parents Garry and Robin and maternal grandparents Heyward and Barbara comforted each other ahead of his funeral on Sunday.

Tragedy: Southern Charm star Olivia Flowers and her devastated family were seen Saturday headed to a South Carolina funeral home for the viewing of her brother Conner

Dearly departed: News broke earlier this week that Conner had died on January 30 at the age of just 32, but no cause of death has been made public

Mourners were seen gathering together outside the chapel in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, bringing flowers and embracing one another amid the family tragedy.

Olivia could be spotted at one point looking distraught as she sat alone in a gleaming white Mercedes.

Other heartbroken loved ones were seen bundling up into one car and heading off to attend the viewing of Conner's body.

Former Southern Charm star Thomas Ravenel revealed the news of Conner's death in a recent post. Tributes then flowed on an obituary page.

In his tribute, Ravenel said: 'RIP Conner Flowers 2/9/1990-1/30/2023.

You will be terribly missed by those to whom you were so kind and selfless. My sincerest sympathies to your broken-hearted family.'

A Legacy.com obituary page listed J. Henry Stuhr Mount Pleasant Chapel as the funeral home.

The mother of Southern Charm's Taylor Ann Green was among three people to post a tribute on the site.

Details: After the visitation this Saturday, the funeral will take place Sunday in the presence of Conner's bereaved family in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Sorrow: Mourners were seen gathering together outside the chapel, embracing one another amid the family tragedy

On her way: Olivia could be spotted at one point looking distraught as she sat alone in a gleaming white Mercedes

Together: Other heartbroken loved ones were seen bundling up into one car and heading off to attend the viewing of Conner's body

Support: Warm words poured in for Conner's family, including his father Garry (pictured)

Loved ones: Olivia was seen at her mother's side as she surfaced to attend the viewing

In memoriam: Mourners were seen bringing flowers to the function

Announcement: Olivia's former Southern Charm co-star Thomas Ravenel revealed the news of Conner's death in a recent post

Leslie Green wrote on Wednesday: 'Precious Olivia, Robin and Garry... please know how heartbroken we are for your unspeakable loss.

'We are holding you in our hearts and prayers for the peace, comfort and strength of God to carry you through. With much love, Leslie and Rick Green (& all of Taylor Ann's family).'

Another post from Natalie and Jonathan Stewart read: 'We are lifting you all up in our prayers today and in the weeks and months to come.

'Praying for peace and comfort... a peace that surpasses all understanding.

'We love you Olivia and your family and loved ones will all be in our prayers.'

A person named Darla also shared comforting words, writing: 'Grief can be so hard, but our special memories help us cope. Remembering you and your loved one today and always.'

A friend of Conner's named Danny Colucci took to Instagram to share an old photo of them and write: 'Scared to call people brother at this point,' with a broken heart emoji.

Olivia, 30, has yet to speak on her brother's passing but fans have wished her condolences under her latest Instagram post.

The two siblings appeared to share a close relationship, often showing each other brotherly and sisterly affection on social media.

Dignified silence: Olivia, 30, has yet to speak on her brother's passing but fans have wished her condolences under her latest Instagram post

Kindness: Tributes to the family included a post by Natalie and Jonathan Stewart reading: 'We are lifting you all up in our prayers today and in the weeks and months to come'

Exit: The mourners could be glimpsed emerging from the J. Henry Stuhr Inc. funeral home

Close family: Olivia and Conner appeared to share a close relationship, often showing each other brotherly and sisterly affection on social media

Gone too soon: Conner Flowers is said to have passed away on January 30 and a cause of death is not yet clear

Olivia and Conner with their parents Garry and Robin
Olympia Valance has joined the cast of Netflix's hit Australian teen surfing drama Surviving Summer.

The former Neighbours actress, 30, will appear on the popular show's second series, which is currently being filmed in Anglesea, Victoria.

The raven-haired beauty will play a character named Elo on the show, which was one of the top-ten streamed programs on Netflix in over 40 countries following the release of season one.

Olympia Valance (pictured) has signed on to join the cast of Netflix's hit Australian teen surfing drama Surviving Summer

Also joining the show as new cast-members are Black Snow actors Josh MacQueen and Annabel Wolfe.

Surviving Summer focuses on Summer, a rebellious Brooklyn schoolgirl played by Sky Katz, who is sent Down Under to live with family friends in a coastal village where surfing is a way of life.

Olympia took to social media to express her delight at being cast in the show: 'New year, new show, new friends,' she wrote.

Surviving Summer focuses on Summer, a rebellious Brooklyn schoolgirl played by Sky Katz, who is sent Down Under to live with family friends in a coastal village where surfing is a way of life. Pictured: The Cast of surviving Summer

The raven-haired beauty will play a character named Elo on the show

It comes after Olympia's fairytale wedding to AFL star Tom Bellchambers, 33.

The couple wed last June in a picturesque ceremony attended by 250 family and friends in Daylesford, Victoria.

Unfortunately, her famous half-sister Holly Candy, 39, was unable to attend as she caught Covid days before the ceremony.

Olympia married AFL star Tom Bellchambers (right) on June 12 in a picturesque ceremony attended by 250 family and friends in Daylesford, Victoria

Olympia, who rose to fame when she joined Neighbours as Paige Smith in 2014, and Tom got engaged in 2021.

He proposed during a trip to Queensland's Orpheus Island and they celebrated with a beachside picnic.

'Today is a special day. The man of my dreams proposed to me,' Olympia wrote.

Olympia and Thomas began dating in June 2019 after meeting him on the ultra-exclusive celebrity dating app, Raya.
Chinese CDC releases latest COVID-19 figures

Chinadaily.com.cn) 10:17, February 05, 2023

From Jan 27 to Feb 2, medical institutions on the Chinese mainland reported 3,278 deaths in hospitals due to COVID-19, down from 6,364 between Jan 20 to 26, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday.

As of Thursday, 98,742 infected cases have been hospitalized and 7,918 of these are severe cases.

As of Thursday, more than 1.31 billion people have been vaccinated. Among them 241.64 million people are over 60 years old.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
In this photo provided by Brian Branch, a large balloon drifts above the Kingstown, N.C. area, with an airplane and its contrail seen below it. The United States says it is a Chinese spy balloon moving east over America at an altitude of about 18,600 meters, but China insists the balloon is just an errant civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research that went off course due to winds and has only limited "self-steering" capabilities. AP-Yonhap



U.S. military fighter aircraft shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon as it floated off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, drawing to a close a dramatic saga that shone a spotlight on worsening Sino-U.S. relations.



"We successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it," President Joe Biden said.



Biden said he had issued an order on Wednesday to take down the balloon, but the Pentagon had recommended waiting until it could be done over open water to safeguard civilians from debris crashing down to Earth from thousands of feet (meters) above commercial air traffic.



Multiple fighter and refueling aircraft were involved in the mission, but only one  an F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia  took the shot at 2:39 p.m. (1939 GMT), using a single AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile, a senior U.S. military official said.



The balloon was shot down about six nautical miles off the U.S. coast, over relatively shallow water, potentially aiding efforts to recover key elements of the Chinese surveillance equipment among the debris in the coming days, officials said.



The shootdown came shortly after the U.S. government ordered a halt to flights in and out of three South Carolina airports  Wilmington, Myrtle Beach and Charleston  due to what it said at the time was an undisclosed "national security effort." The flights resumed on Saturday afternoon.



The balloon first entered U.S. airspace on Jan. 28 before moving into Canadian airspace on Monday Jan 30. It then re-entered U.S. airspace on Jan. 31, a U.S. defense official said. Once it crossed over U.S. land, it did not return to the open waters, making a shootdown difficult.





U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters after arriving at Hagerstown Regional Airport in Hagerstown, Maryland, Feb. 4. AFP-Yonhap



U.S. officials did not publicly disclose the balloon's presence over the United States until Thursday.



Washington has called it a "clear violation" of U.S. sovereignty and notified Beijing about the shootdown on Saturday, a U.S. official said.






The Block winners Mitch Edwards and Mark Mckie will host the new lifestyle series, Location, Location, Location, according to TV Tonight.

The couple, who have gained a firm following from their time on The Block, will helm the show that will air on Channel Ten.

The show is a revamp of the previous format that aired on the Lifestyle Channel for Foxtel with the pair guiding Aussies to their dream home.

The Block stars Mitch Edwards and Mark Mckie will return to TV to helm a revamp of Location, Location, Location, which will air on Channel Ten later this year. Both pictured

Mitch and Mark said via a joint statement that they want to impart the knowledge that they learned through their own experiences.

'We've learnt a lot from our own experiences of searching, buying, renovating and selling properties,' they said.

'We know how to look through the staging to see what a property is really offering, the good and the bad, and seeing the opportunities that others might not see in an ''ugly duckling'' property that you can transform into a swan!'

The show is a revamp of the previous format that aired on the Lifestyle Channel for Foxtel

The pair finished by saying they are fans of the UK series, with them wanting to add their personal touch to the show.

'It's going to be so much fun sharing our experience and knowledge,' they said.

Mitch and Mark, who won the renovation show in 2021, have already planned to return to TV.

'We know how to look through the staging to see what a property is really offering, the good and the bad, and seeing the opportunities that others might not see in an ''ugly duckling'' property that you can transform into a swan,' the boys said. Both pictured

Speaking to Woman's Day in December, 2021, Mark said: 'We would return in a heartbeat... We keep saying to Scotty Cam that we're just going to turn up.'

Mitch added: 'Even if we don't compete, we'd love to be involved somehow.'

Mitch and Mark pocketed $744,000 on auction day in November 2021, and went on to blast The Block's judges in a blistering radio interview.

They said Darren Palmer, Neale Whitaker and Shaynna Blaze weren't qualified to estimate how much a home will sell for at auction.

They asked for a 'real estate expert' to be hired for the 2022 season.
Keanu Reeves surprised staff at a local Hertfordshire pub when he made an unexpected visit on Saturday afternoon.

The actor, 58, was 'more than happy' to chat with employees at The Robin Hood in Tring, before shaking the hands of two chefs in the kitchen, thanking them for his lunch, and posing with one bartender.

Barmaid Laura Rolfe told Metro: 'He came to the bar and ordered a beer (Seafarers Ale) and just walked over to the corner. He ordered fish and chips and Nat's shepherd's pie.

'When I took the cutlery down, I asked, "Oh is someone else joining you?" but he said, "No, we want to try both." He was with someone else. Presumably a driver or friend, maybe?'

Admitting she uttered an expletive when the 'lovely' Hollywood star walked into the establishment at 12:30pm, she continued: 'One of our cooks was so excited he looked as though he was going to pass out.'

Wow! Keanu Reeves (left) surprised staff at a local Hertfordshire pub when he made an unexpected visit on Saturday afternoon

It is unclear why Keanu is visiting the home county, however back in August, he caused a commotion while staying in Northamptonshire to reportedly film an upcoming Disney+ docuseries.

Not only did he enjoy a boozer dinner at a local pub where he posed with a plethora of starstruck fans, he left a British couple delighted while crashing their wedding.

The John Wick star stunned customers after turning up for dinner 'and a few whiskies' at local pub, The Fox and Hounds in Charwelton, where he happily mingled with punters and posed for photos.

Landlord Danny Ricks said he had to do a 'double take' when the film star entered and sat down at a table with six other people.

The screen star ate a vegetarian Caesar salad for starter followed by a main course of falafel - washed down with 'quite a few double whiskies'.

Danny said: 'It was bizarre. I had to do a double take when he walked in as I couldn't quite believe my eyes. I thought 'that guy looks quite a lot like Keanu Reeves'.

'He sat down with six other TV people, I couldn't really hear what they were discussing but it all about filming and scripts.

'He was just a lovely, down to earth guy and was really nice to everyone. Everything nice you would think about him was all true.

Kind: The actor, 58, was 'more than happy' to chat with employees at The Robin Hood in Tring, before shaking the hands of two chefs in the kitchen (pictured in July 2022)

'He stood and took photos with customers and staff. Nothing was too much for him, he took plenty of time to chat to everybody.

'He had the caesar salad and a falafel dish and he got through quite a few double whiskies as well. He certainly likes his whisky.

'We managed to stay professional until the end of his visit but of course we had to get a picture with him.

'It's not every day you get a Hollywood star walk into your pub. It made everyone's evening. He was such a top bloke and absolutely lovely.'

Shock: Back in August, he caused a commotion while staying in Northamptonshire to reportedly film an upcoming Disney+ docuseries

Fun: The John Wick star was spotted by surprised pub-goers at The Fox and Hounds, Charwelton

Keanu crossed paths with couple Nikki and James Roadnight on their big day because he was staying at their four-star Fawsley Hall Hotel & Spa, where rooms begin at 266-per-night and reach up to 495.

The reception was one to remember as the Matrix star came to celebrate shortly after the the couple said 'I do' when the groom bumped into him at the bar on Monday.

Nikki told Newsweek: 'My husband saw him in the bar area and told him he'd just got married and invited Keanu to come over to say hello and have a drink with us if he wanted to.

'He was very friendly and said he would later on. We didn't know if he would or not but it was cool that my husband had spoken to him!'

She explained that her husband has seen him earlier in the hotel bar area and asked him to join them.

Wedding guests were thrilled as the star took the couple up on their offer, giving them an extra special day.

'He was so kind and friendly and congratulated us on our wedding. He was kind enough to do some pictures and our wedding photographer was able to capture some too! Then he took the time to speak to some of our guests and have more photos done!'
He is the spine-tingling Happy Valley villain who is on the run from the law with a plan to kidnap his son Ryan ahead of the show's grand finale.

But behind the scenes, James Norton appears a much more likeable chap, as he shared a series of fun snaps with the cast and crew from series one.

James, 37, who plays Tommy Lee Royce, showed off a nasty-looking cut in one particularly gruesome snap as he took some time out between scenes.

In another shot the funnyman larked around with two members of the make-up team, posing in just a pair of boxers and a long-sleeved top.

James was showing off his trademark blond hair from the first series, which saw him kidnap and torture Ann Gallagher in a horrifying campaign of assault.

Looking back: James Norton shared a series of fun snaps with the cast and crew from series one of Happy Valley ahead of the show finale

Ha! In another shot the funnyman larked around with two members of the make-up team, posing in just a pair of boxers and a long-sleeved top

The star also shared some pictures of his on-screen son Ryan Clark [Rhys Connah] as a young child actor, pulling some funny expressions in his school uniform.

The father and son duo also posed with a framed series of snaps of them together, in a frame which was decorated with the words 'The Boys'.

The actor said he was sharing some 'Happy Valley love' and asked fans to indulge him as he shared series one pictures.

Sarah Lancashire also featured in the gallery of images, wearing her police uniform while covered in blood after one of her explosive scenes.

Members of the cast also gathered round for a table read ahead of filming to get a feel for the script.

Another throwback to series one was a snap of Sophie Rundle's character Kirsten McAskill, who was run down twice by Tommy with his car.

It comes after Con O'Neill has promised fans that the finale will be sure to please loyal viewers of the drama series.

Larking about: The star also shared some pictures of his on-screen son Ryan Clark [Rhys Connah] as a young child actor, pulling some funny expressions in his school uniform

Aw! The father and son duo also posed with a framed series of snaps of them together, in a frame which was decorated with the words 'The Boys'

All ok officer? Sarah Lancashire also featured in the gallery of images, wearing her police uniform while covered in blood after one of her explosive scenes

Con, 56, who plays Neil Ackroyd, appeared on Thursday's episode of This Morning where he teased details of the episode with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.

He said: 'Viewers are going to enjoy. When I read the script for the last episode it blew my mind. Sally [Wainwright] has written an extraordinary ending.'

Holly then asked if it had been hard for Con and his co-stars to keep the ending under wraps.

He explained: 'It's not a hard secret to keep as we've lived with this show for a long time

Cast: James recalled character Lewis Whippey [Adam Long] (pictured right) who had recently been released from prison in series one

Getting down to it! Members of the cast also gathered round for a table read ahead of filming to get a feel for the script

Ouch! James shared a smiling selfie from a stretcher while covered in fake blood

'The way Sally has brought it home and ended it is extraordinary.'

He added of the popularity of the show in general: 'Isn't it wonderful to have a show not just dropping every episode and to have that tension.

'It's so refreshing that people are that invested.'

A trailer for the final episode of Happy Valley was released this week ahead of the upcoming finale on Sunday.

The 16 second clip teases the final showdown between Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) and Tommy Lee Royce (James) after his daring escape from court before the police sergeant is shown breaking down in tears.

The trailer opens with Tommy's son Ryan (Rhys Connah) being questioned by police about when he last had contact with his dangerous dad.

A series of scenes of the police moving in on Tommy follow as Catherine is heard saying 'he's still out there, he's going to be angry and he's going to be even more desperate and dangerous'.

Keeping warm! James wrapped up in a fur trim jacket while in between takes

Ah! Tommy kidnapped and raped Ann Gallagher [left] during horrific scenes in series one

Nasty end: Another throwback to series one was a snap of Sophie Rundle's character Kirsten McAskill (pictured), who was run down twice by Tommy with his car

Laugh a minute: James appeared far happier off camera away from his role as villainous Tommy

The short clip ends with a bloodied Tommy appearing to hit somebody on the ground and a final shot of Catherine in tears.

Viewers tuned into the breathless penultimate episode of the BBC drama on Sunday evening as Tommy revealed his grand plans.

Tommy escaped at the end of the fourth episode of this series with fans learning in Sunday's fifth instalment that he planned to run off to Marbella, with his son Ryan in tow.

Watching you: In one harrowing image Tommy spied on his son Ryan

Aw: Rhys also took a trip down memory lane as he shared snaps with his on-screen uncle Daniel Cawood [Karl Davies]

Viewers admitted they could barely watch the dramatic episode as everything lined up for a dramatic showdown between Tommy and Sargent Catherine, as he revealed he plans to kill her before jetting off to Spain.

Producers are said to be so desperate to keep the show's climax a secret that they have filmed five different endings.

More than six million viewers are expected to tune in on Sunday to learn how the cat-and-mouse game will be resolved.
Kate Beckinsale looked nothing short of sensational as she shared a slew of sizzling Instagram posts ahead of a pre-Grammy Awards party in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The actress, 49, slipped into a tiny black bodysuit which hugged every inch of her jaw-dropping figure.

She was joined by actress pal Nina Kate, 44, as they posed up a storm before playfully dancing for the camera.

The daring look also boasted a plunging neckline as well as a chunky belt at her svelte waist.

Kate accentuated her long toned legs with polka dot black tights and later modelled a dramatic white ruffled coat.

Hot stuff: Kate Beckinsale, 49, (right) looked nothing short of sensational as she shared a slew of sizzling Instagram posts ahead of a pre-Grammy Awards party in Los Angeles on Saturday (pictured with pal Nina Kate)

The Serendipity actress swept her long brunette locks back in a high ponytail which she tied with an colour-coordinated bow.

Her makeup consisted of smoky eyes, bronze shadow, light pink blush and a nude lip with gloss for a glammed-up touch.

The pals appeared to be having a wonderful time as they mimicked supermodels strutting their stuff in towering heels before enjoying a cheeky boogie.

Nina rocked a black veil over her face and showed off her tattoos in a frilly black top that left her chest and shoulders exposed.

She opted for a heavy layer of black eyeliner and bright red lipstick.

Kate playfully captioned the post: 'So basically we tested ladder proof tights and actually so far so good'.

The event was in honour of Rita Ora, who celebrated 10 Years of Music as she released her first debut album in 2012, kicking off her now decade-long, successful career.

Other attendees included supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio, actress Kristen Stewart and GOT star Maisie Smith.

Sensational: The actress (right) slipped into a tiny black bodysuit which hugged every inch of her jaw-dropping figure

Fashion: Kate also modelled a dramatic white ruffled coat and she accentuated her long toned legs with polka dot black tights

Dancing queens: She was joined by actress pal Nina Kate, 44, as they posed up a storm before playfully dancing for the camera

Fun times: Kate playfully captioned the post: 'So basically we tested ladder proof tights and actually so far so good'

It comes after Kate agreed just how much her daughter Lily Mo Sheen looks like herself admitting that 'she's got something that I don't.'

The 23 year-old - who is the daughter of Hollywood actors Michael Sheen, 53, and Kate - has become known as an actress for her work in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), Everybody's Fine (2009) and Underworld: Evolution (2006).

Speaking about the physical resemblance to her daughter, Kate said: 'I do see it. Yeah, I do. Sometimes I'll send her a text saying, "Get your own face!"

Daring: The daring look also boasted a plunging neckline as well as a chunky belt at her svelte waist

Gorgeous: She swept her long brunette locks back in a high ponytail which she tied with an colour-coordinated bow

Glammed up: The event was in honour of Rita Ora , who celebrated 10 Years of Music as she released her first debut album in 2012, kicking off her now decade-long, successful career

'She's like a better version. She's got something that I don't.

'She looks like this gorgeous Disney animal  she's got these giant eyes . . . I think probably Dad [Michael Sheen] helped with that a bit  but she's very much herself.'

Lily, 24, starred in the quirky film The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent alongside Nicolas Cage last year.

Kate said that Lily was very similar to her in terms of her sense of humour - but ensured 'she's very much her own self'.

Michael and London-born Kate, went their separate ways after seven years together in 2002.

The pair met in 1995 on a touring production of The Seagull and four years later, in 1999, the actress gave birth to their daughter, Lily.
Emily Clarkson has given birth to her first child with her husband Alex Andrew.

The daughter of The Grand Tour Host Jeremy Clarkson, 28, revealed she has welcomed a baby girl named Arlo Rose, who is doing 'really well'.

Emily shared the news with her Instagram followers on Sunday morning, announcing that she had given birth a few days earlier on February 1.

Emily wrote: 'Arlo Rose Andrew 1/2/23. We're all doing really well at home and just loving this time hanging out as a family so will be back online in a little bit xxxxxxx.'

Hours after they first announced the news, Emily's father Jeremy shared a photograph from his first meeting with the newborn.

Alongside the snap, he wrote: 'The happiest a man can be.'

Emily and her husband, who have been together for 10 years and married last year, were flooded with comments of congratulations from her followers.

Her father's Clarkson's Farm co-star Kaleb Cooper was among the first to post a congratulatory message to the couple.

Meanwhile, Jodie Kidd wrote: 'Huge huge congratulations my darling, sending so many love kisses and cuddles, enjoy this precious time.'

Holly Ramsay wrote: 'Congratulations [heart emojis].'

Meanwhile, Laura Adlington said: 'Congratulations!!! So happy for you. Gorgeous name too.'

Emily announced she that she was expecting her first baby in September.

The podcast host shared a black and white clip of herself with her husband as he tenderly touched her blossoming bump while standing in their kitchen.

Aw! Hours after they first announced the news, Emily's father Jeremy shared a photograph from his first meeting with the newborn

Congratulations are in order! Emily announced she was expecting her first baby in September

Family affair: Emily is the eldest child of Jeremy and his ex wife Frances Cain, with her unborn baby set to be his first grandchild (pictured in 2013)

Emily captioned the clip: 'We're so delighted to share that we're expecting a baby girl in early 2023.'

Their adorable dog could be seen jumping up and joining the couple in the sweet video.

The couple were sent many congratulatory messages from Emily's followers, including from former Love Island star Shaughna Phillips, who wrote; 'Congratulations darling!!!!!! Omg best news ever.'

Another person wrote: 'THE FEEL GOOD FRIDAY WEVE BEEN WAITING FOR. You were put on this earth to raise a Queen (amongst everything else).

Someone else shared: 'Cats out the baaaaaag weeeey congratulations to you both.'

Another person posted: 'Omg congratulations this is amazing news xxxxxxxxxxx.'

Emily married her beau Alex in May last year, two years after getting engaged.

Happy couple: The podcast host took to Instagram on Friday to share a black and white clip of herself with her husband Alex Andrew as he tenderly touched her blossoming bump

She took to her Instagram account at the time to reveal the first look at her stunning countryside wedding.

The blogger and author looked beautiful in a vintage inspired high-necked wedding dress by Temperley Bridal that featured intricate beading detail.

The lace back gown showed off a hint of skin as Emily wowed in the show-stopping ensemble.

She completed her classic look with a floor-length lace veil, with her blonde locks scraped back into an elegant pony tail.

Emily announced her engagement to the Dublin-born publicist back in March 2020.

She declared Alex had made her 'the happiest girl in the whole wide world,' while her father also shared the photo, writing: 'Very very happy father.'

Happy news: Emily announced her engaged to Alex back in March 2020. The couple got married in May 2022

Delighted: Jeremy shared his joy at the news, reposting Emily's photo and writing: 'Very very happy father'

She posted a photo of the couple standing in picturesque countryside, beaming as she proudly showed off her diamond ring while cuddled up to her smiling boyfriend.

Emily is the eldest child of Jeremy and his ex wife Frances.

After working as a marketing consultant, she has turned her attentions to writing over the past few years, launching lifestyle blog Pretty Normal Me in 2015, which has featured posts by the likes of Lena Dunham.

In 2017 Emily released her first book called Can I Speak To Someone In Charge?
Sharon Stone turned heads as she arrived at Clive Davis' annual pre-GRAMMY gala in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The Basic Instinct actress, 64, commanded attention in a plunging pink suit as graced the star studded red carpet.

Sharon looked chic in a tailored jacket and trousers - adorned with eye catching tulle ruffles.

The stunner accentuated her age-defying features with a radiant palette of make-up and slicked back her blonde tresses.

She completed the look with a quirky silver necklace and oozed confidence as she posed up a storm for the cameras.

Hot pink: Sharon Stone, 64, turned heads as she arrived at Clive Davis ' annual pre-GRAMMY gala in Los Angeles on Saturday

The Pre-Grammy Gala is one of the final events that take place during Grammy week, which culminates in the biggest night in music.

This year's event is a Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 5 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The biggest night in music will be a star-studded event hosted by Trevor Noah, which will make this his third turn as host for the show.

Presenters for the prestigious awards include actors like Billy Crystal, Dwayne Johnson, and Viola Davis.

Jill Biden and James Corden will also present, alongside artists such as Cardi B, Olivia Rodrigo, and Shania Twain.

Performers for the night include multi-award nominees, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, and Brandi Carlile.

Luke Combs, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith & Kim Petras, Steve Lacy, Stevie Wonder with Smokey Robinson and Chris Stapleton, and DJ Khaled with Fridayy, Jay-Z, John Legend, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross will also hit the stage.

Sensational: The Basic Instinct actress, 64, commanded attention in a plunging pink suit as graced the star studded red carpet

Quirky: Sharon looked chic in a tailored jacket and trousers, adorned with eye catching tulle ruffles

It comes after actress Sharon revealed she has worked with 'a lot of misogynists' in Hollywood who 'told her what do' in a candid new chat.

She also spoke about the megastars she had worked with who had treated her with respect in the interview with Variety, which took place following her surprise cameo on Saturday Night Live January 21, joining Sam Smith on stage.

The Emmy winner who put in a silent, emotive performance said Sam 'trusted' her to come through for them, unlike some people she's worked with over her 40-plus year career.

Commanding attention: The stunner accentuated her age-defying features with a radiant palette of make-up and slicked back her blonde tresses

Famous friends: She grabbed a snap with musician Machine Gun Kelly

She said: 'Ive worked with some of the biggest stars in the business, who will literally talk through my close-up, telling me what they think I should do. Theyre so misogynistic.'

The Oscar nominee was quick to point out that her Casino co-stars Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci were not in that category.

'That is not Robert De Niro. that is not Joe Pesci, that is not those guys,' she explained.

Accessories: She completed the look with a quirky silver necklace and oozed confidence as she posed up a storm for the cameras

Beaming: The Casino actress appeared in great spirits as she walked the red carpet

The veteran actress also described an interaction she had with late George C Scott, with whom she worked on 1999's Gloria.

'He said to me, I want to give you the greatest compliment I could possibly give to someone, honey, and he put his hand on my face and said, Youre the best listener Ive ever worked with except for my wife.'

The astonished star said she was so touched by the compliment, she cried.

Golden girl: She toted her essentials in a gold handbag (pictured with TV journalist Ari Melber)

Pals: She also cuddled up to Gayle King (left) for a cosy snap

Sharon was candid about how her outspokenness may have affected her reputation in Hollywood.

'I am not the most popular actor in town, because people dont want to hear my, as they say, f***ing opinions maybe because of my devotion, maybe because Im just kind of a weirdo. But Im just in it to be present.'

The versatile actress will be seen next in the romantic drama, What About Love with Andy Garcia.
YouTuber PewDiePie has announced he is expecting his first child with Italian wife Marzia Kjellberg.

The Swedish internet personality, 33, who's real name is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, took to all his media channels on Sunday to announce the joyous news 'breaking the internet' with over YouTube 680,000 views in just one hour.

Sharing a video montage entitled 'We're having a baby' with his staggering 111million followers, which included a look at the sweet moment the duo discovered they would be parents.

The footage showed the happy couple, who wed in 2019, reading the positive pregnancy test before sharing a look at their baby's ultrasound scan.

The soon to be parents beamed shared a whole host of quality time together and documenting Marzia's growing bump.

Expecting: YouTuber PewDiePie has announced he is expecting his first child with wife Marzia Kjellberg

Last year PewDiePie was forced to apologise after he was slammed for uploading a video in which he appeared to mock a deaf woman using American Sign Language.

The video maker came under fire after posting his most recent YouTube video to his millions of subscribers.

But he has hit back by saying that he had 'no clue' the woman was deaf and was only making fun of her long nails, adding that it was an 'honest mistake'.

In the video, titled My Dog Cringes at TikToks, PewDiePie is seen playing various clips from the social media app which he then proceeds to make fun of.

One clip, which has now been removed from his video, shows deaf TikToker Scarlet May telling a story in American Sign Language.

After a couple of seconds PewDiePie stops the video and says: 'No, I'm not listening to this.'

He then makes fun of Ms. May's nails before comparing them to his dog's claws.

Ms May responded to his video saying it was 'very weird and very unnecessary'.

Pride: The Swedish internet personality, who's real name is Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, took to all his media channels on Sunday to announce the joyous news 'breaking the internet' in the process

Expecting: Sharing a video montage entitled 'We're having a baby' with his staggering 111 YouTube followers including a look at the moment they discovered they would be parents

Love: The footage showed the happy couple reading the positive pregnancy test before sharing a look at their baby's ultrasound scan

PewDiePie then picks up his dog, Maya, and begins to imitate Ms. May telling a story, using her paws to copy Ms. May's hand movements.

He was slammed by critics on YouTube and Twitter, who reuploaded the clip alongside comments such as: 'Not Pewdiepie making fun of a deaf woman???'

'So why is nobody talking about pewdiepie making fun of a deaf black woman?' one person said, sharing the video.

Another wrote: 'Pewdiepie mocking a deaf tiktok creator for signing in her videos simply because she has long nailsas if the dude couldn't be any worse.'

Beaming: The expectant parents appeared over joyed by the news but didn't say when the baby was due

'Honestly if you still like pewdiepie grow tf up. not only is he racist, he's now apparently mocking a deaf girl on tiktok who is using sign language,' a fourth added.

Ms May, who has 6.2million followers on TikTok, then uploaded a response video in which she says: 'He made a reaction video to my TikTok, making fun of my nails and making fun of my signs with his dog

'So how do I feel? I feel like it was very weird and very unnecessary but at the same time I wasn't surprised, I'm used to it.'

She adds that one of the reasons she uploads videos to TikTok is to show that deaf people can have long nails while using sign language.

Kiss: The soon to be parents beamed shared a whole host of quality time together and documenting Marzia's growing bump

She said: 'But then a big creator comes on here and puts us a million steps back so It's very frustrating.'

However the TikToker then says: 'Maybe he didn't know I was doing sign language, maybe he just didn't like my long nails. That's okay, a lot of people don't like them

'If that was the case he should have just been like ''Oh I do not like her nails'' and skipped the video.

'But instead he chose to stop the video and proceeds to mock me doing sign language which shows he knew I was doing sign.'

She adds: 'If you made a mistake, admit the mistake. You don't just get to mock deaf people who have already been struggling for years

Sorry: Last year PewDiePie was forced to apologise after he was slammed for uploading a video in which he appeared to mock a deaf woman using American Sign Language

'I really tried to give him the benefit of the doubt like maybe he just doesn't know or is really unaware, even though it's 2022 and there's deaf people and sign language all over social media. But the mocking of the sign and the voice like he definitely has to know.'

She finishes by saying 'we all live and learn' and added: 'If he did not know before, he definitely knows now!'

PewDiePie then posted underneath the reuploaded video to explain the situation by saying: 'Hey, just to clear a few things up: I edited out the clip with the girl that has the long nails.

'Had no clue she was deaf, but kinda dumb of me to not realize. Still watching through the clip I only poked fun of her long nails.

'The voice I did for my dog is the same voice I've given her for years. (edit: ..and making my dog's paws move was poking at people always dancing or doing some move on tiktok, which is an ongoing theme in the whole video).

'Anyway honest mistake, my bad.'
Zoe Marshall and her husband Benji Marshall have walked down the aisle for a second time.

The couple, who married 10 years ago, celebrated the anniversary by renewing their vows at home, surrounded by family and friends, on Saturday.

'Yesterday we celebrated our love with an intimate ceremony in our backyard. 10 bloody years of marriage!' the 37-year-old WAG wrote in lengthy Instagram caption.

Zoe Marshall and her husband Benji Marshall have walked down the aisle for a second time. Both pictured

'Since moving in to our new home I was committed to making memories with our loved ones here. I can't express how special this day was,' she went on.

Zoe said that she hired the same band, Suite Az, that played at the couple's wedding for their vow renewal, and that the pair were 'dancing under the moonlight' and laughing 'till our bellies hurt' at the party.

'I had a moment where I sat in that room and truly felt how lucky we are,' she wrote emotionally.

The couple, who married 10 years ago, celebrated the anniversary by renewing their vows at home, surrounded by family and friends, on Saturday. Pictured with their children

'Yesterday we celebrated our love with an intimate ceremony in our backyard. 10 bloody years of marriage!' the 37-year-old WAG wrote in lengthy Instagram caption

'Since moving in to our new home I was committed to making memories with our loved ones here. I can't express how special this day was,' she went on

'After the week from hell, having the people you love around you is all that matters. It felt so much sweeter last night'.

Zoe continued: 'Everything sentimental - our vows on the menus, photos of us over the years, candles for our loved ones who couldn't be with us.

'Beyond special to have our kids be witness something so meaningful,' she added.

'I had a moment where I sat in that room and truly felt how lucky we are,' she wrote emotionally

Zoe said that she hired the same band, Suite Az, that played at the couple's wedding for their vow renewal, and that the pair were 'dancing under the moonlight' and laughing 'till our bellies hurt' at the party

Zoe wore a wedding gown from Sphere Bridal Gallery, before changing into the same custom-made Steven Khalil dress she wore at her wedding 10 years earlier.

She then surprised a giggling Benji by recreating the couple's choregraphed wedding dance.

'His face when he hears the song start This dress 10 years on and this song was our first dance which was choreographed and learnt over six weeks,' she explained.

Zoe wore a wedding gown from Sphere Bridal Gallery

Zoe finished by writing that the ceremony was a great success, and that she 'can recommend and will do again!'

'Corny. Yes. The dress. Yes it fits. But not well enough for my signature dance moves. Mama can still drop it just not in this.

'I could hardly move in it - you can tell from the dancing videos. Terrified it would split,' she wrote.

Zoe finished by writing that the ceremony was a great success.

She later changed into the same custom made Steven Khalil dress she wore at her wedding 10 years earlier

Zoe surprised a giggling Benji by recreating the couple's choregraphed wedding dance

'His face when he hears the song start This dress 10 years on and this song was our first dance which was choreographed and learnt over six weeks,' she explained

In a series of photos shared to Instagram Stories, the couple looked to be having a ball at the casual ceremony.

After walking down the aisle a second time in their backyard, they headed to Boronia Kitchen, a restaurant in Gladesville, NSW, for their reception.

The blogger has been refreshingly honest about her marriage to Benji.

After walking down the aisle a second time in their backyard, they headed to Boronia Kitchen, a restaurant in Gladesville, NSW, for their reception. Pictured with a guest

The TV presenter admitted when she was pregnant with their daughter Ever, one, that they split up three times before getting married in 2013.

The couple, who are also parents to son Benjamin Fox, four, born in 2018, are happier than ever and recently moved into a new $4.75million family home in Sydney.

Benji announced his retirement from rugby league in October 2021 after playing for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Amanda Holden celebrated her birthday with an incredibly star-studded guest list on Saturday night as she hosted a dinner party for her celebrity pals.

The TV and radio star, 51, who turns 52 later this month, gathered her nearest and dearest for a raucous celebration and documented the bash on Instagram.

Amanda was joined by the likes of her Britain's Got Talent co-judge Alesha Dixon and her Heart FM alum Ashley Roberts, as the three women cosied up for a snap.

Amanda was also joined by her close friend, comedian Alan Carr, 46, after filming their road trip series, The Italian Job, together.

The mother of two was gifted a bidet shaped cake by the funnyman which is a joke from the show, and posted a snap of the two of them biting into the iced treat.

Glam girls! Amanda Holden celebrated her birthday with an incredibly star-studded guest list on Saturday night as she hosted a dinner party for her celebrity pals

Other star guests included BGT supremo Simon Cowell and his fiancee Lauren Silverman as the group gathered around for a snap with Kelly Hoppen.

In one sweet snap, Amanda wrapped Kelly in a hug as they posed for a fun photograph beside the restaurant bar.

Posting a video of the moment Alan brought out her bidet cake, Amanda said: 'Last night I celebrated my bday early with gorgeous friends and family.

'@chattyman bought me a BIDET cake. If you've watched Amanda and Alan's Italian job on @bbc and @bbciplayer you will know.'

During the evening, Amanda looked incredible in a strappy black dress with a racy thigh split up the leg, revealing her toned pins.

She was showcasing a golden tan and opted for a full face of glamorous make-up and a bouncy blown out hair style.

Meanwhile, Alesha, 44, cut a chic figure in a pale blue two-piece suit, while her hair was swept back into a sleek, chic bun.

Ashley put on a racy display in a black PVC mini dress with criss-cross detailing across the midriff, teamed with a pair of opaque tights.

Chattyman! Amanda was also joined by her close friend, comedian Alan Carr, 46, after filming their road trip series, The Italian Job, together

Ha! The mother of two was gifted a bidet shaped cake by the funnyman which is a joke from the show, and posted a snap of the two of them biting into the iced treat

Gang: Some of the group piled into the back of a vehicle in another photo, including her eldest daughter Lexi, 17

Some of the group piled into the back of a vehicle in another photo, including her eldest daughter Lexi, 17.

During her Heart FM breakfast show last week, Amanda admitted she has banned her daughter Lexi, 17, from appearing on Love Island.

The TV star declared she doesn't want the model 'anywhere near' the ITV2 dating show, which Jamie went on to describe as 'manipulative'.

The presenter previously admitted her teenager is 'obsessed' with the series , but it doesn't look as though Lexi will be following in the footsteps of Michael Owen's daughter, Gemma, 19, anytime soon.

Good turn out: Amanda and her pals gathered around a long dining table

Smile! Other star guests included BGT supremo Simon Cowell and his fiancee Lauren Silverman as the group gathered around for a snap with Kelly Hoppen

Ashley kicked the conversation off, asking: 'Would you ever let your kids go on Love Island?'

Amanda and Jamie quickly shut down the idea: 'No! Absolutely not.'

Amanda continued: 'No way, my daughters 18 next year. It's just another way of being famous, isn't it really? It's not really about love. It's just about looking hot and just getting involved.

'It's just amazing telly, but it's not really for love so I don't want my daughter anywhere near it'.

Jamie replied: 'You don't go on that show to find love. Do you know what I mean? It's just manipulative'.

Ashley revealed the pair are not the only celebrities to not want their children to appear in the famous villa.

She said: 'Gordon Ramsay feels the same as you. He doesn't watch it actually because he has three daughters doesn't even take the risk that one day they're going to just appear on the show'.

Last summer, when the series aired Amanda said her daughter Lexi is 'obsessed' with the show and she had to put her foot down by telling her 'no'.

'No! Absolutely not': It comes after Amanda admitted during her breakfast show that she has banned her daughter Lexi, 17, from appearing on Love Island (pictured together last month)

She said: 'So this is becoming a bit of an obsession with my teenage daughter at home now.'

'She's never taken one scrap of interest in Love Island and now is all over it,' due to the explosive events.

Amanda continued: 'Which worries me slightly bearing in mind that Michael Owen's daughter is on it, and Im like, "you ain't ever going on it, Alexa!"

Co-host Jamie, teased: 'Oh please, it would be perfect for this show,' as he suggested that the model should take part in the future.

Friends: Guest included Sigrid Silversand (left) and Angela Griffin (right)

Thanks for coming: In one sweet snap, Amanda wrapped Kelly in a hug as they posed for a fun photograph beside the restaurant bar

Ashley shouted: 'Mummy said no', whilst Amanda reiterated: 'Mama said no!'

'Imagine Lexi up in there! My gosh,' Ashley chimed.

'I can imagine it and shes not! Mama said no! She loves me too much, she wont do it,' Amanda hit back.

Amanda has previously revealed that Lexi will finish her education first before she embarks on her burgeoning modelling career.

In March 2022, Amanda announced her eldest daughter has signed with Storm modelling agency as she follows in her mother's showbusiness footsteps.

Girls: Amanda posed for a selfie with interior designer Kelly

BGT: Amanda and her Britain's Got Talent co-star shared a hug

She said: 'Lexi was approached last year and obviously we were waiting until she was 16 to sign anything. It's something she actually wants to do, so I'm taking the lead from her.

'She's a very quiet girl but she knows her own mind. She's very bright and wants to continue her studies.

'There's no pressure and we'll just see what happens. But finishing her education is very much her plan, she'll have our support whatever she decides to do.'

Amanda and her producer husband Chris Hughes also have a younger daughter, Hollie, 11.
This file photo taken on Febr. 10, 1994 shows an aerial view of the then French aircraft carrier "Foch", acompanied by the boat cistern "Meuse" at the Adriatic Sea. AFP-Yonhap



Brazil on Friday sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier, the Navy announced, despite environmental groups claiming the formerly French ship was packed with toxic materials.



The "planned and controlled sinking occurred late in the afternoon" on Friday, some 350 kilometers (220 miles) off the Brazilian coast in the Atlantic Ocean, in an area with an "approximate depth of 5,000 meters (16,000 feet)," the Navy said in a statement.



The decision to scuttle the six-decade-old Sao Paulo, announced Thursday, came after Brazilian authorities had tried in vain to find a port willing to welcome it.



Though defense officials said they would sink the vessel in the "safest area," environmentalists criticized the decision, saying the aircraft carrier contains tons of asbestos, heavy metals and other toxic materials that could leach into the water and pollute the marine food chain.



The Basel Action Network had called on Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva  who took office last month vowing to reverse surging environmental destruction under far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro  to immediately halt the "dangerous" plan.



The group issued a joint statement with Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd on Friday, accusing Brazil of having violated "three international treaties" on the environment by sinking the ship, which the NGOs said could cause "incalculable" damage to marine life and coastal communities.



Other "environmentally responsible measures could have been adopted, but once again, the importance of protecting the oceans, which are vital for the life of the planet, was treated with negligence," said Leandro Ramos, director of programs for Greenpeace Brazil.





This file photo taken on May 8, 2012 shows a view of the Guanabara bay, with the Rio-Niteroi bridge and the smoking funnel of the Sao Paulo aircraft carrier (former French Foch) hidden behind navy buildings, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP-Yonhap
She will soon welcome twins with partner Billy Delbosq.

And Amy Childs spent quality time with five-year-old daughter Polly - who she shares with ex-Bradley Wright - on Sunday at a Gala screening of animated movie Epic Tails in London.

The TOWIE star, 32, covered her blossoming bump in a chic black cape which she layered over a silk beige shirt.

Amy completed the stylish look with black leggings and chunky boots, toting her essentials in a 2,700 Prada bag.

The TV favourite shielded her eyes behind oversized shades while wearing her high-lighted tresses in loose curls.

Expecting: Amy Childs, 32, spent quality time with five-year-old daughter Polly on Sunday at a gala screening of new movie Epic Tails at Vue Leicester Square in London

Amy sported a glam make-up palette and oozed confidence as she posed cradling her baby bump.

Meanwhile Polly looked sweet in a monochrome ruffled dress with graphic rose print which she wore with a matching jacket.

Mother and daughter appeared to be having a wonderful time before heading inside to enjoy the movie.

The animated film tells the story of super-smart mouse Pattie and her feline friend Sam, as they embark upon an exciting adventure through Ancient Greece

The voice cast includes Rob Beckett, Giovanna Fletcher and Josh Widdecombe.

Amy, who is expecting twins - a boy and a girl, revealed recently that she plans to have two baby showers and doesn't plan to stop the celebrations there.

Speaking to OK! she said: 'TOWIE are going to be filming the baby shower. They really want to do it and I thought, you know what, it would be lovely.'

'I've given them all my contacts for things like a beautiful five-tier cake. With this probably being my last baby shower, I thought I'll go all out.'

Style: The TOWIE star covered her blossoming bump in a chic black cape which she layered over a silk beige shirt

Stunner: Michelle Heaton looked gorgeous in shorty black mini dress

Daddy daughter: JLS's JB Gill joined daughter Chiara, four, at the star-studded event

She also admitted that she's still determining when the baby shower's would happen. However, she is looking forward to having it on screen for the rest of her life.

Amy and boyfriend Billy Delbosq, 38, have been an item since October 2021, just two months after the mother-of-two split from her ex-boyfriend Tim following 14 months together.

Amy shares daughter Polly, five, with ex-boyfriend Bradley Wright and is also mum to son Ritchie Jr, two.

Earlier this year she decided to come off contraception. However, the reality TV star didn't expect to conceive so quickly as she discovered she was pregnant just two months later.

Pose: Claire Sweeny, 51, cut a casual figure in a pink sweater alongside son Jaxon, seven

Stylish: Vanessa Feltz, 60, made an appearance after confirming she has split from her partner of 16 years Ben Ofoedu

Pals: Claire cuddled up to pal Vanessa to comfort her during her break up

The couple was even more surprised when Amy later discovered that she would be having twins.

The TV personality also revealed she was rushed to hospital after being unable to feel her twin babies kicking.

She told Instagram followers: 'I will honestly say I didn't feel it kick,' which led to her phoning her midwife and taking the terrifying dash to hospital.

Big names: The film's voice cast includes Rob Beckett, Giovanna Fletcher and Josh Widdecombe

Girls' night: Abbie Quinnen posed for the cameras alongside niece Edie

Leather: Reality star Declan Doyle donned a pair of olive green leather trousers

Speaking to mambaby_uk, Amy, who is already mum to Polly, five, and four-year-old son Richie from previous relationships, admitted: 'I don't get a lot of movement'.

'There were a few people messaging me the other day, when I said 'I have a not a lot of movement', and because I'm getting big there is not a lot of room in there'.

The mum-to-be went on to say: 'I will honestly say I didn't feel it kick, I rang the midwife straight away, of course, I got checked. It was fine'.
Ant McPartlin and his wife Anne Marie Corbett were seen enjoying a sunny stroll with their dogs on Sunday afternoon in a London park.

The TV presenter, 47, wrapped up a in cream fleece as he walked along beside his wife, who was sporting a black padded jacket for their walk.

The outing comes as it was revealed Ant is locked in a fresh custody battle with his ex wife Lisa Armstrong over their chocolate Labrador Hurley.

The couple were out walking with Hurley and their two maltipoos (Maltese and poodle crossbreeds), called Milo and Bumble.

Ant, who was wearing a pair of black trousers with boots and sunglasses, was seen throwing a stick for the dog across the park.

Out and about: Ant McPartlin and his wife Anne Marie Corbett were seen enjoying a sunny stroll with their dogs on Sunday afternoon in a London park

Meanwhile, Anne Marie was stood nearby in her floor length jacket and blue sweatpants, which she teamed with a pair of Nike trainers.

Anne Marie, who married Ant in August 2021, wore her blonde hair in a plait and shielded her eyes from the winter rays in a pair of aviator sunglasses.

The loved-up couple walked arm-in-arm through the park before stopping to chat as Ant played with the dogs in the grassy area.

Ant and Lisa originally agreed to share Hurley after their marriage collapsed five years ago, after buying the dog during their marriage.

It was revealed by The Mail on Sunday's Katie Hind that the arrangement is now being disputed, with Lisa telling her ex she wants Hurley to live with her full-time.

The fact he has two dogs of his own has prompted Lisa to request Hurley lives with her permanently.

It is understood the Saturday Night Takeaway star is refusing to give up shared custody.

Currently, the dog spends half the time living at Ant's 6million mansion in Wimbledon and the other half at Lisa's west London home.

Winter walk: The TV presenter, 47, wrapped up a in cream fleece as he walked along beside his wife, who was sporting a black padded jacket for their walk

Trouble: The outing comes as it was revealed Ant is locked in a fresh custody battle with his ex wife Lisa Armstrong over their chocolate Labrador Hurley

Dressed down: Ant, who was wearing a pair of black trousers with boots and sunglasses, was seen throwing a stick for the dog across the park

The TV presenter's chauffeur is reportedly doing the handover so the exes don't have to see each other.

A source close to Ant said: 'Lisa has asked to have Hurley but Ant is saying no. He has two more dogs now, a new wife and two stepdaughters, but still he wants joint custody.

'It has led to some difficult conversations between Ant and Lisa. It's all very sad. Ant has been able to move on, get remarried and get two more dogs. Lisa has been left to pick up the pieces.'

Playtime: Ant, who was wearing a pair of black trousers with boots and sunglasses, was seen throwing a stick for the dog across the park

Stepping out: The couple were out walking with Hurley and their two maltipoos (Maltese and poodle crossbreeds), called Milo and Bumble

Casual: Meanwhile, Anne Marie was stood nearby in her floor length jacket and blue sweatpants, which she teamed with a pair of Nike trainers

Hurley was adopted by the couple in 2013 while they struggled to conceive a child.

During their divorce battle, Ant is said to have told lawyers: 'She can have anything she wants  except the dog.'

And in an interview at the time he said: 'There's a loyalty and a love and a companionship with Hurley that you can't describe. We still share quite evenly. Hurley's welfare comes first and we both love him very much.'

Meanwhile Lisa is said to refer to Hurley as her 'baby boy'.

The former couple met at a concert in the mid-1990s, when Ant was performing with his on-screen partner Declan Donnelly as PJ & Duncan.

Arrangement: Ant and Lisa originally agreed to share Hurley after their marriage collapsed five years ago, after buying the dog during their marriage

The pair agreed to share the dog after their marriage collapsed five years ago. Pictured: Lisa Armstrong with Hurley

Couple: The loved-up couple walked arm-in-arm through the park before stopping to chat as Ant played with the dogs in the grassy area

Dispute: It was revealed by The Mail on Sunday's Katie Hind that the arrangement is now being disputed, with Lisa telling her ex she wants Hurley to live with her full-time

Sunny day: Anne Marie, who married Ant in August 2021, wore her blonde hair in a plait and shielded her eyes from the winter rays in a pair of aviator sunglasses

Argument: The fact he has two dogs of his own has prompted Lisa to request Hurley lives with her permanently

But in 2018 Ant ended their marriage, shortly after he went to rehab for addiction issues.

Lisa had stood by his side and supported him throughout his troubles. A few months later, he crashed his car head-on into another vehicle in Richmond, South-West London, while over the drink-drive limit.

It later emerged that Ant was in a relationship with Anne-Marie, who had been employed by the married couple as their personal assistant.

In their acrimonious divorce, it was reported that Lisa was given millions although sources say that figure was 'much inflated'.

Make-up artist Lisa who works on Strictly Come Dancing, is now in a relationship with artist James Green.

No way! It is understood the Saturday Night Takeaway star is refusing to give up shared custody

Half and half: Currently, the dog spends half the time living at Ant's 6million mansion in Wimbledon and the other half at Lisa's west London home
Jennifer Hudson delivered a moving tribute to Whitney Houston at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party Saturday night in Los Angeles.

The 41-year-old vocalist sang a rendition of the late star's 1986 song Greatest Love of All at the star-studded event.

The gathering was also attended by Kevin Costner, Whitney's The Bodyguard co-star, who shared thoughtful words about Houston.

He paid homage to both Whitney and Clive as he said onstage to the music producer, 'Neither one of us, in the end, could protect your beloved Whitney.'

Houston passed away of an overdose at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2012 at the age of 48.

Performance: Jennifer Hudson delivered a moving tribute to Whitney Houston at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party Saturday night in Los Angeles

For the occasion, the Chicago-bred entertainer stunned in a sparkly strapless silver gown covered in sequins.

It had a plunging neckline that showed off her ample cleavage and she skipped a necklace, keeping the attention on her dazzling frock.

The mother-of-one wore her dark hair in a fun and flirty bob haircut, complete with an undefined side part.

Jennifer looked beautiful with her face carefully made up to draw attention to her striking features.

She rocked a smokey eye shadow palette and highlighted her brown eyes with black liner and mascara.

Finally, the Respect actress finished the cosmetics presentation with the help of a bold red lipstick.

With diamond studs in her ears, glinting bracelets around her wrists, and a long, sharp manicure, Hudson posed alongside Clive on the red carpet.

The music industry titan, 90, wore a three-piece black suit with a white shirt and lime green tie.

Looking great: For the occasion, the Chicago-bred entertainer stunned in a sparkly strapless silver gown covered in sequins

Costner added while addressing Clive, 'But your fingerprints on her life are clean, my friend. You were a miracle in her life. Thank you for being her bodyguard, Clive. Everyone in this business has a mom, but not everyone has a Clive.'

The Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody musical-drama was released in December with actress Naomi Ackie portraying the icon.

Stanley Tucci stars as Clive Davis and Ashton Sanders as Houston's husband Bobby Brown.

Legendary: With diamond studs in her ears, glinting bracelets around her wrists, and a long, sharp manicure, Hudson posed alongside Clive on the red carpet
Reese Witherspoon revealed that one of her first auditions as a teenager was with Oscar winner Robert De Niro.

The 46-year-old actress appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live Thursday wearing a little black dress where she recalled her audition for the 1991 Martin Scorsese film Cape Fear when she was 14.

'I remember one of the very first auditions I ever had was with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese for a movie called Cape Fear,' said Reese.

The Big Little Lies star added, 'I didn't get it. I'm not in that movie because I got so scared when I walked in the room; I didn't know who Robert De Niro was, so I was standing outside talking to the receptionist, and she was like, "You know he's the most important actor of our time right?"'

This caused the young 14-year-old Reese to get very nervous and forget her lines.

Her first epic fail: Reese revealed that on one of her very first auditions as a teenager, she forgot her lines as she auditioned for Cape Fear opposite Robert De Niro

He remembered that audition: Reese explained that he had to finish the lines for her and when she auditioned for him again ten years later he said, 'I remember you; you're the one who couldn't say the word'

She explained, 'He had to finish the lines for me. And then I auditioned for him ten years later, and I thought, "He's never going to remember that I bricked that audition," and he was like, "I remember you; you're the one who couldn't say the word."'

The Legally Blonde star also revealed that as a teenager, she used to park the Porsche belonging to Denzel Washington as part of a school internship.

'Yeah. Actually, I was an intern on a movie that Denzel Washington starred in called Devil In A Blue Dress,' Reese told Jimmy, 55, referencing the 1995 neo-noir thriller.

Reese said, 'I had to answer the phone. ''Devil in a Blue Dress. Devil in a Blue Dress''. And then whenever Denzel came in, I had to park his Porsche.'

'Really?,' Jimmy asked.

'Which is not a good idea for a 17-year-old kid,' Reese said. 'With a brand new drivers license.'

'I stripped all the gears, terrible,' she added.

Reese said she saw Denzel a few years ago at a wedding.

'He's like, ''I've heard you tell this story about how you used to park my Porsche.'' And I was like, ''Yes, I did.''.

And he was like, ''But, did you know that your costumes on Water For Elephants, who took them in and out of your trailer?'' And I was like, ''No, I have no idea.'' And he's like, ''My daughter'',' said Reese, referencing her 2011 romantic drama.

'That was amazing. Like this full circle,' Reese said.

Reese was on the ABC talk show promoting her upcoming romantic comedy film Your Place Or Mine also starring Ashton Kutcher, 44.

Neo-noir thriller: Denzel is shown in a still from the 1995 neo-noir thriller Devil In A Blue Dress

Romantic comedy: Reese was on the ABC talk show promoting her upcoming romantic comedy film Your Place Or Mine also starring Ashton Kutcher, 44

They play longtime best friends in the film and Reese admitted they did not know each other very well before working together.

Reese said she reached out to Ashton about a month before they started the movie and suggested they get to know each other better since their characters are so close.

They agreed to send each other a daily video sharing something about their lives, but Ashton ended up talking trash about his beloved Chicago Bears with Reese's sons who are fans of the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Your Place Or Mine is scheduled to be released on February 10 by Netflix.
She is yet to confirm rumours that she is pregnant with her second child.

But it didn't stop Ferne McCann having fun on Saturday as she wrapped up warm in a black padded coat and grey tracksuit as she enjoyed a whirlwind trip to Paris for her pal Ellis Ranson's 30th birthday.

The former TOWIE star, 32, kept cosy in the stylish jacket which she teamed with a beige scarf, trackies and comfy boots.

The First Time Mum star kept a low profile as she wheeled her black suitcase around the city.

Posting to her Instagram, the star told her 2.9million followers that the whirlwind one-night trip was 'needed' and left her with a 'huge sense of contentment'.

Comfy: Ferne McCann wrapped up warm in a black padded coat and grey tracksuit as she enjoyed a whirlwind trip to Paris on Saturday for her pal Ellis Ranson's 30th birthday

Opening up, she penned: 'No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. A few months ago I said to Lorri & my close ones I dont know if Im ever going to feel fun again.

'To laugh again and to feel back to my normal self. I just couldnt see past this cloud. Ive realised that it takes time. Time to heal & to let the storm pass, its not going to happen over night.

'Spending quality time with my closest ones in Paris and then returning home to my baby girl & fiance this weekend has left me feeling a huge sense on contentment.

'It was only for one night but it was needed. Oh to laugh againit really is the best remedy.

'So believe me if youre going through the worst time where you cant see a time where you will ever smile again let alone laugh. I promise you this time will pass .'

Ferne looked stunning as she posed for shots in front of the Louvre and gave fans an insight into her time away.

A few days earlier, Ferne wrapped up warm in the same black padded coat and a bright pink beanie as she shared another post on her pal's birthday trip.

She looked like she was having a great time with the group as they caught the Eurostar and visited the Eiffel Tower.

Quick trip: The former TOWIE star, 32, kept cosy in the stylish jacket which she teamed with a beige scarf, trackies and comfy boots

Basic: The First Time Mum star kept a low profile as she wheeled her black suitcase around the city

Ferne dressed perfectly for the chilly weather in the stylish jacket which she teamed with a black and white scarf, leggings and comfy boots.

Ferne added another pop of colour to her look with a fuchsia bag that matched her hat as she flashed the peace sign.

The group also posed for shots in front of the famous landmark and looked like they were having a great time.

She penned in the caption: 'Paris is always a good idea. Celebrating my girls 30th @ellisransonx .

Needed: Posting to her Instagram, the star told her 2.9million followers that the whirlwind one-night trip was 'needed' and left her with a 'huge sense of contentment'

Content: Ferne said: 'Spending quality time with my closest ones in Paris and then returning home to my baby girl & fiance this weekend has left me feeling a huge sense on contentment'

'I have been looking forward to this little trip for ages. Now I'm off to get the steps in, take 100 more pics of the Eiffel Tower & eat croissants with my besties.'

In recent weeks, rumours have been swirling that Ferne is expecting her second child, her first with fiance Lorri Haines.

The First Time Mum star is yet to comment on the reports.

A friend told The Sun last month: 'Ferne is over the moon. From the moment she met Lorri she knew she wanted to marry him and have his kids.

'They're both ready to commit and are looking forward to their future together.'

Good times: Ferne looked stunning as she posed for shots in front of the Louvre and gave fans an insight into her time away

Ferne is said to be expecting a baby with her businessman fiance Lorri, 31, six months after the couple announced their engagement.

Mother-of-one Ferne met her partner during a trip to Dubai just over one year ago and he proposed during a romantic holiday to France in July 2022 after just six months of dating.

Ferne has a daughter Sunday, five, from a previous relationship with jailed acid attacker ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins.

Lorri also has a son the same age as Sunday with his former partner.

Ferne has made no secret of her desire to start a family with her partner of a year, saying she wanted a baby before the couple started planning their wedding.

Stylish: A few days earlier, Ferne wrapped up warm in the same black padded coat and a bright pink beanie as she shared another post on her pal's birthday trip

Speaking in September after announcing her engagement, Ferne told Closer magazine: 'I haven't thought too much about wedding plans, we made the decision that we would like to have another baby first.

'I'd love for Sunday to have a sibling, and extend and grow our family. I really want a baby now, I'm so ready, but every baby is a miracle, and it will happen when it's meant to be.'

Looking to the future, Ferne said she definitely wants to have more children and joked about having as many as 10 kids, adding that she wants to move to the countryside by the time she is 40.

Ferne's first pregnancy with Sunday was marred with controversy after her boyfriend at the time, Arthur Collins, was arrested for orchestrating an acid attack.
Pregnant Made in Chelsea star Ashley James looked incredible as she headed to her baby shower in London on Sunday.

The presenter and DJ, 35, looked radiant as she showed off her baby bump in a tight pink dress.

Ashley teamed the look with an oversized beige coat and boots and appeared in high spirits as she stepped out.

Other guests in attendance included the likes of radio star Kate Shoob.

Ashley's frock featured a bustier-like top and a daring thigh-split.

Bumping along nicely! Pregnant Ashley James stunned as she showed off her baby bump in a tight pink dress as she headed to her baby shower in London on Sunday

Ashley wore her long locks out and over her shoulders in tousled curls and makeup including dewy foundation, a pink lip and winged eye.

She carried a pink box bag in her hands and cradled her baby bump as she stepped out.

The blonde also accessorised with gold layered necklaces.

Ashley held the event at the tea room of Fortnum and Mason and said she slowly warmed up to the idea of having a baby shower.

'I said yes [to a baby shower] because I've realised it's okay to celebrate milestones and actually the biggest thing is that I missed my friends so much in the newborn phase when it's harder to be out and about,' she said.

'So it's a celebration with friends. And how special to have everyone together,' she wrote on her Instagram stories.

Ashley has just returned from a relaxing trip to the Maldives with her family, where she also wore the same dress.

She's expecting a baby girl with boyfriend Tommy Andrews and is already mother to son Alfie, 23 months.

She's glowing: Ashley wore her long locks out and over her shoulders in tousled curls and makeup including dewy foundation, a pink lip and winged eye

'It's okay to celebrate milestones': Ashley held the event at the tea room of Fortnum and Mason and said she slowly warmed up to the idea of having a baby shower

Back on home soil: Ashley has just returned from a relaxing trip to the Maldives with her family, where she also wore the same dress

She captioned some stunning holiday snaps: 'I love her so much already, I think a lot about how I want to raise my daughter. I guess you draw on your own experiences a lot and all the things you wish you'd known, don't you?'.

'Whenever I say I'm having a daughter, people always say 'Good Luck!' because girls are hard work. But I always wonder if they are hard work, or if it's just because we make it harder for them in society.'

'Like people talk about locking up daughters and not letting them date - but that sounds like punishing girls because of boys behaviour. How about we empower them and trust them whilst teaching our sons to be better and to be the kind of men we'd want our daughters to be around'.

Reflecting: She captioned some stunning holiday snaps: 'I love her so much already, I think a lot about how I want to raise my daughter. I guess you draw on your own experiences a lot and all the things you wish you'd known, don't you?'

'Here are some of the things I want to teach her: She can be ANYTHING she wants to be. If she can dream it she can do it. Her sex should never hinder her ambitions'.

'The way her body looks is the least interesting thing about her. The way it moves, the places she goes and the people she hangs out with are the most important things. I know I always need to speak positively about myself around her so she doesn't inherit the insecurities of our generation'.

'To love herself and be full of herself. Instead of teaching her to be meek and mild and not 'love herself too much' I want her to know she is everything. That she never ever has to settle for anyone or anything,' she added in part of her post.
Megan Fox took to Instagram to look back on her Saturday night out at Clive Davis' pre-GRAMMY gala in Los Angeles.

The 36-year-old actress uploaded three stunning snapshots and wrote in the caption, 'off the plane with a broken wrist and a concussion straight to a Grammys party.'

The beauty looked incredible as she wore a strapless red gown and posed against a white backdrop.

The mother-of-three had previously updated fans about her injury on Thursday, February 2.

She appeared on social media with a photo of her arm in a hot pink cast as it rested on white sheets.

Glam girl: Megan Fox took to Instagram to look back on her Saturday night out at Clive Davis' pre-GRAMMY gala in Los Angeles

Fox wrote along with the picture, 'Made a list of 16 reasons why I deserve this,' but didn't give details about what happened.

For the eye-catching Instagram images Megan briefly removed her bright-hued cast as she showed the camera her best angles.

The Jennifer's Body star appeared every bit a vixen as she tantalized with her seductive stare.

Her glossy raven locks were arranged in a side part as one side tumbled over her chest in suave curls.

Styled by Maeve Reilly, Megan donned the Alexis Mabille-designed satin corset dress with confidence.

It had a deep neckline that accentuated the entertainer's ample chest, and cinched at her slim waistline.

The number dipped and gathered at her hips, highlighting her curves as it fell into a modest train.

The actress, who was formerly married to Brian Austin Green, rocked a long white, almond-shaped manicure for the event.

Date night: The 36-year-old actress uploaded three stunning snapshots and wrote in the caption, 'off the plane with a broken wrist and a concussion straight to a Grammys party'; pictured with beau Machine Gun Kelly

The bombshell accessorized with a sparkly, multi-tier necklace made of light-colored stones and diamond earrings.

She hearkened back to old Hollywood glamour as she went with a classic makeup look to complement her ensemble.

Her thick eyebrows were carefully shaped, providing a strong frame for the rest of her visage.

Megan played up her blue eyes with a glowy and shimmering eye shadow palette and fanned eyelashes.

Her love, Grammy-nominated music artist Machine Gun Kelly, 32, joined her in one photo.

He was clad in a black suit with a stud-covered white turtleneck shirt visible underneath his jacket.

Striking: The beauty looked incredible as she wore a strapless red gown and posed against a white backdrop

Fox and Kelly met in May 2020 while shooting the crime thriller film Midnight in the Switchgrass, which also starred Bruce Willis, Emile Hirsch, Luca Haas and Sistine Stallone.

They began dating following her shock split from Green, to whom she was married for ten years.

Megan and MGK became engaged in January 2022, announcing the milestone on social media.

Machine Gun Kelly snagged his first-ever Grammy Award nomination this year for Best Rock Album for his sixth studio album, Mainstream Sellout.
Cate Blanchett looked nothing short of sensational as she won Best Actress for her starring role in Tar at the Critics' Circle Film Award on Sunday.

The Australian actress , 53, cut a stylish figure in a plunging black blazer which boasted dramatic blue silk puff sleeves.

She added a pair of straight legged matching trousers to the number as she posed for a number of snaps.

Cate added inches to her frame in a pair of pointed toe black heels and accessorised with a simple pair of stud earrings.

The Ocean's 8 star swept her short blonde tresses back in a low bun leaving her fringe to cascade to one side in loose waves framing her face.

Incredible: Cate Blanchett looked nothing short of sensational as she attended the London Critics' Circle Film Award at The May Fair Hotel on Sunday

Dressed to impress: The Australian actress , 53, cut a stylish figure in a plunging black blazer which boasted dramatic blue silk puff sleeves

Eye catching: She added a pair of straight legged matching trousers to the number as she posed for a number of snaps

It comes after Cate faced having to take steps to protect great crested newts under eco-friendly plans to power her 5million Victorian mansion with solar energy.

The Oscar-winning actress wants to build a bank of 90 solar panels in a field in the grounds of her remote and secluded 13-acre Sussex estate.

But there are fears that the green energy plan could have a potential adverse effect on wildlife due to the digging of two trenches to connect cables from the panels to a plant room.

The movie star, who played elf leader Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and her playwright husband Andrew Upton have commissioned an ecology report as part of the planning application to install the panels.

The report recommends that they implement a series of steps to mitigate disruption caused by the installation at their home which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and surrounded by ancient woodland near Crowborough, East Sussex.

Bold: Cate simply accessorised the number with a simple pair of stud earrings

43rd annual London Critics Circle Awards - The Winners In Full Film Of The Year Aftersun All the Beauty and the Bloodshed The Banshees of Inisherin Decision to Leave Everything Everywhere All at Once The Fabelmans Living Saint Omer Tar - WINNER Top Gun: Maverick Foreign-Language Film Of The Year Decision to Leave - WINNER (tie) EO The Quiet Girl - WINNER (tie) RRR Saint Omer Documentary Of The Year All That Breathes All the Beauty and the Bloodshed - WINNER Fire of Love Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time Moonage Daydream The Attenborough Award: British/Irish Film Of The Year Aftersun The Banshees of Inisherin - WINNER Living The Quiet Girl The Wonder Director Of The Year Todd Field  Tar - WINNER Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert  Everything Everywhere All at Once Martin McDonagh  The Banshees of Inisherin Park Chan-wook  Decision to Leave Charlotte Wells  Aftersun Screenwriter Of The Year Todd Field  Tar Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert  Everything Everywhere All at Once Martin McDonagh  The Banshees of Inisherin - WINNER Steven Spielberg, Tony Kushner  The Fabelmans Charlotte Wells  Aftersun Actress Of The Year Cate Blanchett  Tar - WINNER Ana de Armas  Blonde Vicky Krieps  Corsage Florence Pugh  The Wonder Michelle Yeoh  Everything Everywhere All at Once Actor Of The Year Austin Butler  Elvis Colin Farrell  The Banshees of Inisherin - WINNER Brendan Fraser  The Whale Paul Mescal  Aftersun Bill Nighy  Living Supporting Actress Of The Year Hong Chau  The Whale Kerry Condon  The Banshees of Inisherin - WINNER Dolly De Leon  Triangle of Sadness Nina Hoss  Tar Guslagie Malanda  Saint Omer Supporting Actor Of The Year Tom Burke  The Wonder Brendan Gleeson  The Banshees of Inisherin Brian Tyree Henry  Causeway Barry Keoghan  The Banshees of Inisherin - WINNER Ke Huy Quan  Everything Everywhere All at Once British/Irish Actress Of The Year (for body of work) Jessie Buckley  Men, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, Women Talking Olivia Colman  Empire of Light, Joyride, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol Florence Pugh  Dont Worry Darling, The Wonder, Puss In Boots, The Last Wish - WINNER Emma Thompson  Good Luck to You Leo Grande, Roald Dahls Matilda the Musical Letitia Wright  Aisha, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Silent Twins British/Irish Actor Of The Year (for body of work) Harris Dickinson  See How They Run, Triangle of Sadness, Where the Crawdads Sing Colin Farrell  After Yang, The Banshees of Inisherin, The Batman, Thirteen Lives Ralph Fiennes  The Forgiven, The Menu Paul Mescal  Aftersun Bill Nighy  Living - WINNER The Philip French Award: Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker Katy Brand  Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Colm Bairead  The Quiet Girl Frances OConnor  Emily Georgia Oakley  Blue Jean Charlotte Wells  Aftersun - WINNER Young British/Irish Performer Kila Lord Cassidy  The Wonder Catherine Clinch  The Quiet Girl Frankie Corio  Aftersun - WINNER Bella Ramsey  Catherine Called Birdy Alisha Weir  Roald Dahls Matilda the Musical British/Irish Short Film Of The Year A Fox in the Night  dir Keeran Anwar Blessie - WINNER Groom  dir Leyla Coll-OReilly Honesty  dir Roxy Rezvany A Letter to Black Men  dir Kiosa Sukami Scale  dir Joseph Pierce Technical Achievement Award Athena  Matias Boucard, cinematography Black Panther: Wakanda Forever  Ruth E Carter, costumes Blonde  Leslie Shatz, sound design Decision to Leave  Kim Ji-yong, cinematography Elvis  Catherine Martin, costumes Everything Everywhere All at Once  Paul Rogers, film editing Guillermo del Toros Pinocchio  Brian Leif Hansen, animation - WINNER RRR  Nick Powell, stunts Tar  Stephen Griffiths, sound design The Wonder  Nina Gold, casting Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film Michelle Yeoh Advertisement

The study by consultants Ecosupport states that the couples seven bedroom villa is in an amber impact zone for great crested newts with a high potential for the protected species.

A pond in the couples grounds next to the proposed site of the panels is said to offer an excellent habitat for the rare newts while six other ponds in the area offer a good or average habitat.

The report also reveals that the area has a potential for badgers and nesting birds, meaning any works that take place have to be sympathetic to them.

Cate and her husband have agreed to apply for a special licence to allow the building work to be carried out with habitat compensation provided by the Newt Conservation Partnership.

It is an offence under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act to intentionally or recklessly disturb, harm or kill great crested newts, or damage, destroy or obstruct their breeding and resting places.

She added inches to her frame in a pair of stylish pointed toe black heels

Looking good: The Ocean's 8 star swept her short blonde tresses back in a low bun leaving her fringe to cascade to one side in loose waves framing her face

Stunning: The Oscar winning actress applied a flawless palette of makeup to accentuate her beauty
Paul Mescal beamed as he posed with Aftersun co-star Frankie Corio and producer Amy Jackson at London Critics' Circle Film Award on Sunday.

The actor, 27, looked dapper in a black suit which he teamed with a crisp white shirt while attending the star studded event held at The May Fair Hotel.

The Normal People star rocked a black silk tie and shiny shoes to complete his smart number.

Paul unfortunately missed out on Actor Of The Year at the awards to Colin Farrell's performance in The Banshees of Inisherin.

However co-star Frankie, 13, took home Young British/Irish Performer beating Kila Lord Cassidy in The Wonder, Catherine Clinch in The Quiet Girl, and Alisha Weir in Roald Dahls Matilda the Musical.

All smiles: Paul Mescal was all smiles as he posed with Aftersun co-star Frankie Corio and producer Amy Jackson at London Critics' Circle Film Award on Sunday

Smart: The actor, 27, looked dapper in a black suit which he teamed with a crisp white shirt while attending the star studded event held at The May Fair Hotel

Dapper: The Normal People star rocked a black silk tie and shiny shoes to complete his smart number

Frankie looked effortlessly chic on the evening donning a black pinstriped blazer and straight trousers.

She added a coordinated waistcoat over a black round neck top as she completed her evening attire with a pair of yellow Converse.

Meanwhile Amy stunned in a black midi dress which boasted red lips printed over it as she added an oversized dark blazer over the top.

The director of Paul's latest film Charlotte Wells won The Philip French Award: Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker.

It comes after Paul was nominated in the Best Actor category for the Oscars which will take place in March.

In a statement after the announcement he said: 'This is truly a special moment for everyone involved in Aftersun. To be recognised by the Academy is such an insane honour and I'm so utterly grateful.

'I want to dedicate this nomination to my two friends Charlotte and Frankie who I love dearly! This is bananas, thank you!'

Paul's younger sister said she felt 'sick with pride' as she shared a photo of the moment her brother discovered he was an Academy Award nominee.

Unlucky: Paul unfortunately missed out on Actor Of The Year at the awards to Colin Farrell's performance in The Banshees of Inisherin

Congrats! However co-star Frankie, 13, who looked effortlessly chic donning a black pinstriped blazer and straight trousers, took home Young British/Irish Performer

Looking good: Frankie (left) added a coordinated waistcoat over a black round neck top as she completed her evening attire with a pair of yellow Converse

The star looked absolutely delighted after receiving the incredible news.

Shortly after the nominations were announced, Paul's emotional sister Nell, 19, shared photos of the moment on her social media channels.

Nell posted a screen grab of a video call between her family as they learned the news together, each looking equally ecstatic.

She then shared an image of just Paul with a beaming smile on his face.

The Normal People actor was sat perched on the side of a sofa, wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, holding his phone in his hand.

Nell also shared a full list of the Best Actor nominees on her Instagram Stories, which of course included her brother's name.

Paul's latest bout of good news comes after he was also nominated for a BAFTA for the same role.

High spirits: Frankie couldn't contain her smile during the evening as she beamed at Paul while posing for snaps

Stunning: Meanwhile Amy (left) stunned in a black midi dress which boasted red lips printed over it as she added an oversized dark blazer over the top

Exciting: It comes after Paul was nominated in the Best Actor category for the Oscars which will take place in March

He picked up a British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 2021 for his role as Connell in Normal People.

Aftersun tells the story of a girl called Sophie, played by Frankie Corio, who is reflecting on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier.

The nominations were announced by Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams ahead of the 95th Academy Awards, which will take place on Sunday March 12.

Paul joins fellow British and Irish nominees Colin Farrell, Bill Nighy and Andrea Riseborough, who have garnered nods in the Best Actor and Actress categories.

The star-studded Oscars ceremony, due to be hosted by US talk show host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel, will take place on March 12 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Rumour has it Julia Morris is set to follow her I'm a Celebrity co-host Dr Chris Brown out the door after he announced his exit from Channel 10 last week.

The 54-year-old comedian apparently has her sights set on joining Chris at the Seven Network, where he just signed a two-year contract worth a reported $1million a year.

I'm a Celeb is Morris's main gig at Ten, and her double act with Brown, 44, is considered an integral part of the show's success, leading industry insiders to believe she may want to join him at Seven.

Rumour has it Julia Morris (right) is set to follow her I'm a Celebrity co-host Dr Chris Brown (left) out the door after he announced his exit from Channel 10 last week

Brown has already committed to this year's season of I'm a Celeb for Ten and won't start work at Seven until the second half of 2023.

In addition to co-hosting I'm a Celebrity, Morris makes occasional appearances on The Project and Have You Been Paying Attention?

She previously hosted Blind Date and Chris & Julia's Sunday Night Takeaway for Ten, but neither show was renewed for a second season.

Daily Mail has contacted Seven and Julia Morris' representatives for comment.

I'm a Celeb is Morris's main gig at Ten, and her double act with Brown is considered an integral part of the show's success, leading insiders to believe she may want to join him at Seven

In addition to co-hosting I'm a Celebrity, Morris makes occasional appearances on The Project and Have You Been Paying Attention?

Brown announced last Tuesday his exit from Channel 10 after 15 years at the network, becoming the latest high-profile star to jump ship as ratings dwindle.

He signed a deal with Seven and will officially join in July to produce 'new projects' for Channel Seven and 7Plus.

Brown first joined Ten in 2008 to host Bondi Vet, which became a surprise ratings hit and was syndicated around the world.

Brown (pictured with Carrie Bickmore) announced last Tuesday his exit from Channel 10 after 15 years at the network, becoming the latest high-profile star to jump ship as ratings dwindle

The factual series was based on his real-life experience as a vet at the Bondi Junction Veterinary Hospital in Sydney's east.

He went on to become a part-time panelist on The Project and also co-hosted I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and The Living Room, which was axed last year.

The move to Seven is a homecoming of sorts for Brown.

Brown first joined Ten in 2008 to host Bondi Vet, which became a surprise ratings hit and was syndicated around the world, including on Animal Planet

He started his TV career in 2003 as a presenter on Harry's Practice on Seven, a role that earned him a Logie nomination for Most Popular New Talent.

The Sydney University graduate never planned to work in the media, but was discovered by a talent scout telling animal stories over a few beers in a pub.

His passion for animals started as a child growing up in Newcastle where his father Graeme was the local vet.

In between working for Seven and Ten, Brown did a stint at Nine hosting segments for Burke's Backyard, and was also a contributor to the Today show.

Brown will join Seven once he has finished his contractual obligations at Ten, including hosting the next season of I'm a Celebrity.

He went on to become a part-time panelist on The Project and also co-hosted I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! and The Living Room, which was axed last year

He said in a statement: 'I'm not entirely sure my old access pass works, but once we get over that hurdle and I'm back from the jungle, I cant wait to sink my teeth into some exciting new projects in the second half of the year and beyond with Seven.'

James Warburton, Seven West Media's managing director and CEO, added: 'We are very pleased to welcome Chris back to Seven. It's been too long.

'Chris is one of the most popular and recognised people on Australian TV, bringing warmth, intelligence and a great sense of humour to everything he does.

'We can't wait to have him on board and to announce the great new content he will star in.'

Brown's move to Seven was referenced on Sunrise last Thursday, with host David Koch saying weatherman Sam Mac had 'lured' his good friend over with promises of lavish expenses.

'It's very exciting to have Chris joining the team. He heard about the per diems we get at Sunrise and was jumping at it. You don't get that at Ten!' he said.

Later, during the hand-over to The Morning Show, Larry Emdur even joked Brown was going to take his job.

Brown (pictured with Seven West Media CEO James Warburton) has signed a deal with Seven and will join the company in July to produce 'new projects' for Channel Seven and 7Plus

Brown is the latest in a string of major departures from Ten, following the exits of The Project hosts Carrie Bickmore, Lisa Wilkinson and Peter Helliar.

Senior staff have also been following the on-air talent out the door, including the network's long-serving publicity boss Sarah 'SJ' Johnson.

Dejected employees said last year the station feels like 'a sinking ship' and the workplace is 'lacking direction and morale' - although network reps insist Ten's parent company Paramount Global is in good financial shape.

Brown will join Seven once he has finished his contractual obligations at Ten, including hosting the next season of I'm a Celebrity with Julia Morris (right)

'There are going to be a lot more resignations to come... Ten feels a bit like a sinking ship,' one staffer told Daily Mail Australia, adding that morale had been on a critical slide 'for some time'.

'It feels kind of rudderless. Like there's not a lot of direction and the network can't seem to figure out exactly what it wants to be.'

Adding to the general discontent is the network's hit-and-miss programming which leans heavily on reality TV formats, another staffer said.

'Some like Survivor and, at a pinch, MasterChef, work but a lot of them don't,' the source said. 'There seems to be so much that bombs.'
A man stands guard at the US Embassy in Beijing, China, Feb. 4. EPA-Yonhap



Beijing on Sunday blasted the Pentagon's decision to shoot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon spotted flying over North America, accusing the United States of "clearly overreacting and seriously violating international practice".



"China expresses strong dissatisfaction and protests against the use of force by the United States to attack the unmanned civilian airship," Beijing's foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that it would "reserve the right to make further necessary responses".



The craft spent several days flying over North America, ratcheting up tensions between Washington and Beijing, before it was brought down by a missile shot from an F-22 jet on Saturday, Pentagon officials said.



US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin called the operation a "deliberate and lawful action" that came in response to China's "unacceptable violation of our sovereignty".



American officials first said on Thursday that they were tracking a large Chinese "surveillance balloon" in US skies.






Bindi Irwin has reflected on the 'true love' between her parents Steve and Terri on the 31st anniversary of the day her late father proposed.

The 24-year-old shared a throwback photo to Instagram on Friday of Steve - known around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter' - hugging his wife and their dog Sui.

The Irwins were clad in their trademark khaki uniforms as they smiled from ear to ear on the grounds of Australia Zoo in Queensland.

Bindi Irwin has reflected on the 'true love' between her parents Steve and Terri (pictured) on the 31st anniversary of the day her late father proposed

Bindi, 24, (pictured) shared a throwback photo to Instagram on Friday of Steve - known around the world as 'the Crocodile Hunter' - hugging his wife and their dog Sui

She captioned the photo: 'Best friends. Soulmates. True love. The most incredible parents. And, of course, Sui.'

Bindi's followers flocked to the comments to share their memories of Steve and Terri's love story, and also spoke of the conservationist's legacy.

One fan wrote: 'Your parents inspired me to be curious about the natural world.' Another said: 'They're the reason I believe in soulmates.'

Terri also posted a photo of herself and Steve inside the Crocoseum at Australia Zoo, and wrote: 'It was 31 years ago today that Steve asked, and I said "Yes!"'

Terri also posted a photo of herself and Steve inside the Crocoseum at Australia Zoo, and wrote: 'It was 31 years ago today that Steve asked, and I said "Yes!"

'We were soulmates, best friends, and worked together on a mission of wildlife conservation. Best of all we had lots of fun!'

Steve died on September 4, 2006, at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef.

Bindi was just eight years old at the time.

Steve died on September 4, 2006, at the age of 44 after being pierced in the chest by a stingray while filming a documentary. Bindi was just eight years old at the time

Following his death, Steve's family, including his daughter Bindi, widow Terri, son Robert and son-in-law Chandler Powell, have continued his conservation work at Australia Zoo.

Bindi spoke about her father's legacy during an interview in 2019.

'He was the greatest wildlife warrior to have ever lived,' she said, adding: 'He dedicated his whole life to protecting wildlife and wild places.

'And I think it's really special that in this day we can all remember that khaki [the colour of the Australia Zoo uniform] is not just a colour, it's an attitude.'

Bindi and her husband Chandler welcomed their daughter Grace Warrior on March 25, 2021, which coincidentally was the couple's first wedding anniversary.
'Hello,' said Sergeant Catherine Cawood, as she crept through her own hallway, instincts on red alert, boots squeaking with tension.

'Hello,' she said, sounding like the pop star Adele, if only Adele were an experienced policewoman who suspected that a bloodstained homicidal maniac was sitting in her kitchen, drinking her whisky and swallowing fistfuls of her painkillers, which is exactly what he was doing.

'Hello,' she said, as she unclipped her Taser and trained it on the terrible figure of Tommy Lee Royce  her nemesis, her own piece of holy hell, the man who had triggered an eruption of pain and death in her family life.

'Hiya,' he replied, as casual as someone who had popped around for a cuppa. No, he didn't want an ambulance, thanks all the same. Or a biscuit. Tommy was here for vengeance.

It says everything about the sheer quality of this series  and Sally Wainwright's exceptional writing  that Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) and Tommy (James Norton) didn't come face to face until 50 minutes into this gripping finale.

'Hello,' said Sergeant Catherine Cawood (pictured), as she crept through her own hallway, instincts on red alert, boots squeaking with tension

'Hello,' she said, as she unclipped her Taser and trained it on the terrible figure of Tommy Lee Royce (pictured)  her nemesis, her own piece of holy hell, the man who had triggered an eruption of pain and death in her family life

It says everything about the sheer quality of this series  and Sally Wainwright's exceptional writing  that Catherine (Sarah Lancashire) and Tommy (James Norton) didn't come face to face until 50 minutes into this gripping finale

And that their epic showdown was not some desperate knockabout throbbing with machismo and squashed noses, but comprised instead of devastating words spoken across a scrubbed pine kitchen table.

There were things that had to be said, and of course Catherine said them.

About her daughter Becky, who Royce had raped and who later killed herself. About Ryan, the misbegotten product of that violent liaison, the grandson Catherine had brought up herself.

She called Royce 'a nasty deluded little toddler brain in a big man's body' and told him 'there is a difference between getting someone pregnant and being a dad'.

Somebody had to! His brutal petulance and emotional immaturity at this  keystones of the true psycho  were terrible to behold. 'You've got it all wrong, you old bitch,' he whined.

Tommy had been leafing through Catherine's photo albums, thrilled to find a spark of humanity in himself when he looked at pictures of Becky and Ryan, the family he made but never had.

In an earlier scene, Catherine had looked at those albums too, her grief undimmed as she came to the empty pages that represented her long-dead daughter's unlived life. So much history between these two, so much hurt. How could it ever heal?

'I have done my best. I'm just tired now,' Catherine said at the start of the finale, laying flowers at Becky's grave on the eve of her retirement from the police force.

Officer 9675 was bowing out, but not before clearing her desk, skipping her leaving party, solving outstanding crimes and tying up every loose end.

It was all very satisfying. So many television series build you up, only to let you down horribly at the end.

Often there comes a point when the demands of drama outwit the limits of the talents on offer, leaving viewers confused by darting shoals of red herring and that final, desperate unbelievable twist in the tale.

Often there comes a point when the demands of drama outwit the limits of the talents on offer, leaving viewers confused by darting shoals of red herring and that final, desperate unbelievable twist in the tale

'Hi there,' he replied, as casual as someone who had popped around for a cuppa. No, he didn't want an ambulance, thanks all the same. Or a biscuit. Tommy (pictured) was here for vengeance

And that their epic showdown was not some desperate knockabout throbbing with machismo and squashed noses, but comprised instead of devastating words spoken across a scrubbed pine kitchen table

Tommy (pictured) had been leafing through Catherine's photo albums, thrilled to find a spark of humanity in himself when he looked at pictures of Becky and Ryan, the family he made but never had.

In an earlier scene, Catherine (pictured) had looked at those albums too, her grief undimmed as she came to the empty pages that represented her long-dead daughter's unlived life. So much history between these two, so much hurt. How could it ever heal?

Like when idiot detective Buckells was laughably unmasked as the villain in the last series of Line Of Duty.

Or when protection officer David Budd emerged from a drain in a suicide vest at the end of Bodyguard.

The last of Killing Eve, the final Game Of Thrones, don't even get me started on The Sopranos. All that time invested, all that concentration, only for the denouement to be as disappointing as a slammed door.

Happy Valley was not like that. Happy Valley did not disappoint.

In fact, Happy Valley provided one of the greatest drama finales ever seen on British television; as moving and unexpected as it was thrilling and thought-provoking, with moments of choking emotion as well as flashes of humour.

'I may have singed one of your crochet blankets,' said Catherine to her sister Clare (Siobhan Finneran) after Tommy self-immolated in her kitchen.

Particularly moving was when she realised that nurture not nature had triumphed and that her investment in Ryan (Rhys Connah) had paid off.

'For all his faults, he's turned out into a happy, well-adjusted, normal kid,' she said, sobbing.

In some of the final scenes, the ever dutiful Sergeant Cawood asked a superior officer what would happen to the two little girls, whose mother had been murdered and whose father, thanks to her efforts, was in jail. 'There is a grandmother,' he said.

There is a grandmother. And thank God for that. In the meantime, Officer 9675 has left the building.

Like she said, she did her best. And do you know something? It was more than enough.

In fact, Happy Valley provided one of the greatest drama finales ever seen on British television; as moving and unexpected as it was thrilling and thought-provoking, with moments of choking emotion as well as flashes of humour
Shannon Noll's niece is looking for 'vengeance' by auditioning for Australian Idol.

Tessa Noll, 24, shocked the judges on Sunday's episode when she revealed she was related to the runner-up from the first season of the talent show.

Her uncle placed second to Guy Sebastian during the 2003 season and went on to have a successful career as a recording artist.

Shannon Noll's niece Tessa is looking for 'vengeance' by auditioning for Australian Idol

To this day, many Aussies are convinced Nollsie was 'robbed' of his victory by Guy - including Nessa, who wants to win the competition for her family.

At the NSW round of auditions, Tessa looked instantly comfortable as she stood in front of judges Kyle Sandilands, Amy Shark, Meghan Trainor and Harry Connick Jr.

After she introduced herself, Kyle's ears pricked up and he asked her, 'Any relation to the famous Shannon Noll?' and Tessa confirmed he was her uncle.

Her uncle Shannon Noll (pictured on stage in 2014) placed second to Guy Sebastian during the 2003 season and went on to have a successful career as a recording artist

Kyle and fellow Aussie judge Amy were surprised by the revelation, but American imports Harry and Meghan had no idea what was going on.

'Who are we talking about?' Meghan asked, before Kyle explained Shannon had an 'amazing career' after coming second in the first season of Idol.

'So I'm here for vengeance,' Tessa said. 'He got robbed of the win; I'm here to win it back.

At the NSW round of auditions, Tessa looked instantly comfortable as she stood in front of judges Kyle Sandilands, Amy Shark, Meghan Trainor and Harry Connick Jr

'All those years ago it got stripped from my family name.'

But Tessa won't be winning the crown for her family, as she received four no's from the judges, which Kyle said was a shame because he would have 'loved another Noll in the competition'.

Although they all agreed she had a nice voice after singing judge Meghan's ballad Like I'm Gonna Lose You, they said the performance fell a little flat.

Tessa sang Meghan Trainor's (pictured) ballad Like I'm Gonna Lose You but received four no's

'What I got was a really great young lady whose got a sweet voice, who is not in the least prepared for the competition,' Harry said.

Amy added: 'I could hear the nerves. I think you might just need to do it like 1,000 more times. It just wasnt the best audition, but you have a beautiful voice.'

Tessa took the rejection well and thanked the judges for the opportunity to audition.
Love Island viewers all said the same thing during Sunday night's show as presenter Maya Jama mixed things up once again.

The host, 28, strutted her stuff into the South African villa as she assisted the girls with the axing of two boys.

As the girls gathered around the smaller fire pit Maya debriefed with them about who they are thinking of saving.

She said: 'Alright girls, you need to decide which two boys to send home, what are we thinking?'

Previously, the presenter has never chatted with any islanders during the series about their thoughts before a huge dumping.

Debrief: Love Island viewers all said the same thing during Sunday night's show as presenter Maya Jama mixed things up once again

'What are you thinking': The host, strutted her stuff into the South African villa as she assisted the girls with the axing of two boys

'ITV using every excuse to give Maya Jama airtime': Previously, the presenter has never chatted with any islanders during the series about their thoughts before a huge dumping

Viewers were left delighted by the new interaction and revealed they loved seeing Maya question the girls as they made their decision.

One wrote: 'ITV using every excuse to give Maya Jama airtime and I would personally like to thank them'.

Another said: 'I agree more Maya Jama screen time'.

While a third added: 'Maya Jama the best thing thats ever happened to #loveisland'.

'Maya sitting with the girls while they make the decision, the producers are giving Maya as much camera time and I LOVE IT,' a fourth said.

Another commented: 'Maya sitting in with the girls deliberations is a nice touch.'

As a third remarked: 'I love that Maya is more involved in this series so far than Laura ever was.'

In the end it was Aaron Waters and Spencer Wilks who said goodbye to the villa on Sunday night as they were voted off after failing to receive enough votes from the public.

'I love that Maya is more involved': Viewers were left delighted by the new interaction and revealed they loved seeing Maya question the girls as they made their decision

Friday night's episode ended on a cliffhanger after it was announced three of the boys were vulnerable, with the girls having to choose two of them to dump from the villa.

And the beginning of Sunday night's episode answered all burning questions - with it revealed that Kai Fagan, 24, was safe.

Kai had recently grown closer with Olivia and shared a kiss with her on Friday's episode.
Its possible that the brand will live on, as the company hopes to sell the iconic Mikesell's brand to another quality snack food manufacturer.

Mikesells: Dayton Chip and Snack Food Shuttering Local Operations after 112+ Years

Sad news from Mikesells this week: the Dayton-based company announced that it has begun to wind down all operations, including manufacturing and distribution, as it prepares to liquidate assets.

An unfortunate end for a company that overcame disaster twice and was ultimately a 20th-century success story. Daniel W. Mikesell opened in 1910 selling dried beef and sausage. Three short years later, the 1913 flood wiped Mikesell out, so he rebuilt. In 1915, a fire destroyed the business, and Mikesell rebuilt again.

The iconic potato chips that became the companys staple were only initially only offered seasonally to be enjoyed at picnics. According to legend, chips were born when a guest returned an order of french fries to the kitchen with a complaint that they were sliced too thick. That prompted the chef to throw potato shavings into hot oil until they were fried to a crisp. The guest was delighted and the crisps were christened Saratoga chips for the place they were invented, Saratoga Springs, NY.

Potato chips caught on as a year-round food, and, eventually, Mikesell purchased new equipment, built a new manufacturing facility, and saw to it that Mikesells chips earned their niche on local grocery store shelves.

As a Dayton native, I grew up a few short miles from where the factory has been since 1955. DW passed away in 1965. Mikesells is still privately owned and prospered under Leslie Mapps leadership for the next 30 years.

Our family has been eating Mikesells chips for as long as I can remember. The signature red twin-pack of non-ridged chips was a staple in our familys kitchen in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

In the beginning, DW insisted chips be fried in 100% peanut oil. He was right, it does make a difference. The Seiberts agree, the chips cooked in peanut oil more often developed the big bubbles that my sister and I would break open and dip into a glass to fill with cola before shoveling them in. Im not sure when Mikesells stopped using peanut oil, though around 2017 they introduced a legacy chip fried in peanut oil.

Mikesells has been a local favorite for more than a century and people who move away from Dayton often order them shipped and/or seek out the chips when they return for a visit.

Several Dayton Style pizzerias offer only Mikesells brand chips including Marians, Cassanos, and Hoagies to name a few. What chips will fill their racks now? Local candy maker, Esther Price collaborated with Mikesells to produce Chocolate Covered Potato Chips in both milk and dark chocolate. Will Esther Price seek out another Ohio chip manufacturer as a partner?

UPDATE: Mikesells found that quality buyer in Zanesville, OH. They evidently didn't want to jinx the deal by announcing before the i's were dotted and t's crossed. Monday, well-known Ohio potato chip producer, Conns Potato Chips Co., announced in a written statement that it has acquired the brand rights to Mikesells, and will produce the chips using the original Mikesells recipes. On Valentine's Day, Conn's proudly displayed the first Mikesell's bag of chips off the line at their Zanesville plant in a Facebook post.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, and European Council President Charles Michel shake hands during the EU-Ukraine summit in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 3. AP-Yonhap



Western allies pledged precision rockets and missile systems to Ukraine on Friday, after President Volodymyr Zelensky called for sophisticated weapons to help retain control of the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut.



The European Union agreed to introduce price caps on Russian petroleum products to try to further limit Russian President Vladimir Putin's war chest by targeting his key exports.



The announcements came shortly after Zelensky told a summit with EU leaders in Kyiv: "No one will surrender Bakhmut. We will fight as long as we can.



"If weapon (deliveries) are accelerated  namely long-range weapons  we will not only not withdraw from Bakhmut, we will begin to de-occupy Donbas," he said of the eastern region of Ukraine.



The United States on Friday announced a new $2.2-billion package of arms and munitions, which the Pentagon said included a new rocket-propelled precision bomb that could nearly double Kyiv's strike range against Russian forces.



The ground-launched small-diameter bombs (GLSDB), which can fly up to 150 kilometers (93 miles), could threaten key Russian supply lines, arms depots and air bases far behind the front lines.



They potentially give Kyiv's forces the ability to strike anywhere in the Russian-occupied Donbas, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as the northern part of occupied Crimea.



However, "the delivery of the GLSDB likely won't be for several months due to contracting, production, and delivery timelines", said Pentagon spokesman Lt Col Garron Garn, declining to say how many would be delivered.



France and Italy will deliver mobile surface-to-air missile systems, the French defense ministry said, in response to an urgent request from Kyiv to help protect "civilian populations and infrastructure from Russian air attacks".



The systems, called MAMBA or SAMP, are a vehicle-mounted battery of medium-range missiles designed to offer protection from airborne threats such as missiles and manned or unmanned aircraft.



Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who had requested the weapons, tweeted his gratitude, saying the systems would "help us save thousands of lives" from Russian attacks.



Kyiv is also asking for fighter jets.



It has already secured promises from the West for deliveries of modern battle tanks and, after months of hesitation, Germany authorized the delivery of Leopard 1 tanks.





A woman carries a bag at a flea market in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 4. AP-Yonhap



Targeting Russian refined oil products



In Brussels, the EU, the Group of Seven industrialized countries and Australia agreed to cap the price of Russian refined oil products to accompany an embargo on ship deliveries of the products that comes into force on Sunday.



Already in December, the EU imposed an embargo on Russian crude oil coming into the bloc by sea and  with its G7 partners  imposed a $60-per-barrel cap on Russian crude exports to other parts of the world.



The new embargo and price caps starting Sunday will target Russian refined oil products such as petrol, diesel and heating fuel arriving on ships.



The Kremlin warned that the measures would destabilize world markets.



European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen estimated this week that the crude oil price cap costs Moscow around 160 million euros ($170 million) daily.





People fill bottle at a new water point supplied by a new well after drilling for three weeks, next to a humanitarian centre in Bakhmut, amid Russia's military invasion on Ukraine, Feb. 3. AFP-Yonhap



'No timeline' on EU membership



At the Kyiv summit, the EU praised Ukraine's "considerable efforts" to start the reforms needed for joining the bloc, but urged it to go further.



Corruption is a key European concern. Ukraine has widened efforts to tackle it, with raids this week on an oligarch with political connections and a former interior minister.



Zelensky, who is pressing for speedy EU accession, suggested Friday that talks could begin this year.



"What exactly did we agree upon today?" Zelensky said in his regular evening address. "There is an understanding that it is possible to start negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union this year."



But the path to joining the EU could take years.



Von der Leyen cautioned that the process was merit-based and there could be "no rigid timelines" on either negotiations or membership.



For now, the EU says it will do more to divert Russia's frozen assets for use compensating Ukraine for damage inflicted since the invasion.



Brussels also plans to roll out a new package of sanctions on the first anniversary of the invasion, February 24.





A fellow soldier mourns at the coffin of Eduard Lobau, a Belarusian volunteer soldier who was killed defending Donetsk region, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 4. AP-Yonhap
The trio was arrested for allegedly planning to carry out terror activities in the city. (Photo: By arrangement)

HYDERABAD: A 39-year-old man, Abdul Zahed, who was previously linked with terror activities, was arrested along with two of his associates for allegedly planning to carry out terror activities in the city.

The police, who were tipped off on his whereabouts, said that Zahed was in contact with conduits of Pakistan ISI and Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT), and conspired to carry out terror attacks, mostly as a lone wolf, in the city. Zahed was arrested along with Mohammed Sameeuddin and Maaz Hasan Farooq in Malakpet, and four hand grenades were recovered from their possession.

According to the police, Zahed had a hand in several past attacks in Hyderabad, particularly the attack on the Hyderabad City Police Commissioner Task Force office at Begumpet in 2005.

The police identified Zaheds contacts as Farhatullah Ghori, Siddique Bin Osman and Abdul Majeed, all natives of Hyderabad, who are in Pakistan and working for the ISI.

They are wanted for recruiting local youth and radicalising them to execute terror attacks, including a blast near the Dilsukhnagar Sai Baba temple in 2002, the Ghatkopar bus blast, and attempting to cause blasts near the Secunderabad Ganesh temple in 2004, apart from the Task Force attack of 2005

The police said that the trio revived their contact with Zahed and financed him to recruit two others to hurl hand grenades at public gatherings in the city.
Finance minister T. Harish Rao will present the Budget to the Assembly today. (Photo: Facebook)

Hyderabad: The state's annual Budget outlay for 202324 is projected to exceed Rs 3 lakh crore with a special emphasis on welfare schemes as the BRS government gets ready for the Assembly elections, which are set for December. Last years budget stood at Rs 2.56 lakh crore.

The state Cabinet, led by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, approved the Budget at a meeting in Pragathi Bhavan on Sunday. All eyes will be on state finance minister T. Harish Rao when he presents the Budget to the Assembly on Monday. It will be simultaneously presented to the Legislative Council by roads and buildings Vemula Prashanth Reddy.

A few of the welfare schemes that will receive higher allocations in the Budget include Aasara pensions, Kalyana Laxmi, Shaadi Mubarak, KCR kits, Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, free power, irrigation projects, Dalit Bandhu, and the sheep distribution programme.

The government is expected to increase allocations for the Rs 1 lakh crop loan waiver scheme and Rs 3 lakh financial assistance for the poor who own plots for construction of houses, which were campaign promises made by the TRS (now BRS) government during the 2018 Assembly elections, which remain unfulfilled.

Since the Centre has placed restrictions on loans (market and off-market borrowings), the state government has decided to rely on its own revenues to fund welfare schemes and development initiatives in the election year. Additionally, the prior fiscal year saw a complete breakdown in the state government's expectations for federal grants.

While the state government had anticipated receiving grants of Rs 40,000 crore from the Centre in 2022-23, it has received less than Rs 10,000 crore thus far, and the 2022-23 fiscal year will end in less than two months. In light of this, the state government has set its sights on mobilising funds through selling government lands, leasing out vacant buildings in the districts after they were shifted to Integrated Collectorate Complexes, as well as by taking initiatives to generate non-tax revenues.
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Chief Justice of Telangana and former Chief Justice of India Justice Uday Umesh Lalit at a seminar in Hyderabad. (DC)

HYDERABAD: Former Chief Justice of India Justice Uday Umesh Lalit, while underlining the importance of forensic science, said that it should be given utmost prominence in all parts of justice to unravel the truth, because science will not lie, circumstances may not but witnesses could.

He was addressing the inaugural session of the first national consultation on effective utilisation of forensic science towards ensuring rule of law, providing inclusive justice, enhancing public trust at Nalsar University of Law of Shamirpet on Saturday.

He expressed concern at the practice of the criminal justice system whereby the accused is arrested and imprisoned as an undertrial, based on the prosecution record without taking into consideration forensic reports.

Explaining a situation, Justice Lalit said a doctor was left to languish in jail for several years under IPC 498-A, after his wife died two years into their marriage, even after the post-mortem confirmed that the woman had succumbed to a hole in her heart.

Pressing for establishments of more forensic labs and getting reports early, Justice Lalit recalled that when he was practicing, only the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) had a DNA analysing facility.

In his virtual keynote address, former CJI Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah highlighted the need for using newer and more resourceful modes of investigation and integration of science and technology. He said that scientific evidence is at the core for ensuring efficient justice. He lamented that the country was very poor when it came to forensic labs, when the requirement was for more of them.

Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Chief Justice of Telangana and Chancellor of Nalsar University of Law, said that the seminar highlighted the significant contribution of forensic science in criminal cases and said that it should be used at every level. To drive home the point, he said earlier there were 200- 300 poaching cases of rhinos every year in Assam. That has now come to near-zero, thanks to reliance on forensic evidence.

In his presidential address, former governor of Tamil Nadu, P.S. Ramamohan Rao said that the country has made good progress in forensic sciences, whose role was significant in both adversarial and inquisitorial systems of adjudication.

Former judges of the Supreme Court Justice M. Jagannadha Rao and Justice P. Venkatrami Reddi and DGP Anjani Kumar also spoke on the occasion.

Meanwhile, Dr Gandhi P.C. Kaza briefed about the 15-year journey of Truth Labs, which collaborated with premier academic institutions, courts and business and financial institutions in India and abroad. He also announced that they were instituting a gold medal for masters courses in forensic sciences at Nalsar Univeristy.

The inaugural session was followed by a technical session featuring eminent panelists on the effective utilisation of forensic science. They emphasized the need to raise public investment in forensic science and for a focused training in the subject.
GVMC commissioner Sri P Raja Babu told the media that people were complaining that the trees were blocking the streetlights. We are only trimming the trees as part of beautification work and not cutting them.'' (Photo: Twitter)

Visakhapatnam: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation authorities, unmindful of the environmental implications, embarked on cutting of trees on the beach road and in some parts of the city as a part of the beautification programme for the ensuing international conferences and summits scheduled for next month.

During the last two days, GVMC personnel started pruning and trimming of trees on the meridian of the beach road and painted them with various enamel colours. In the first phase, trees were cut from Tenneti Park to Sagarnagarnagar area and the road leading to the collectorate.

Worst of all, heavy machinery was deployed on the shore to level sand from Jodugullapalem to Bheemili beach flattening the sand dunes and destroying the natural beauty of the beach all along the 28-km stretch.

Activists have dashed off letters to the chief secretary, the ministry of environment, forests and climate change and other agencies enforcing the Coastal Regulation Zone.

"It is a clear violation of Marine Natural Resources Protection Act which prohibits with the natural supply and movement of the sand and sections of Coastal Regulation Zone, said Jana Sena leader and GVMC corporator P.L.N. Murthy Yadav, who has been waging a war against the government for destruction of green cover in city for the last two years.

Talking to this correspondent, Yadav said the GVMC sanctioned Rs 1.35 crore for levelling sand and Rs 1 crore for painting of trees and other public structures. He said he would launch an agitation against the GVMC activities from Monday.

Another activist said levelling of sand on the beach would destroy nesting ground of Olive Ridley turtles, an endangered species and other rare marine living things. He said he was aghast when he saw young trees being chopped off to make them lamp posts.

A morning walker said he was surprised to learn that the GVMC officials are planning to fix lights on the coconut trees on the beach road. When informed the officials that radiation from the lights would harm the trees, he replied that LED bulbs were harmless.

A former bureaucrat said "the G20 delegates would be shell shocked if they learned that trees were cut for their visit. They would have definitely objected if they were informed earlier", the retired official said.

Defending the pruning of trees, GVMC commissioner told the media that people were complaining that the trees were blocking the streetlights. "We are only trimming the trees as part of beautification work and not cutting them, said Mayor G. Hari Venkata Kumari.
Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan addressing the joint session of the State Legislative Assembly and Council. (Photo by arrangement)

HYDERABAD: Just as it appeared that the strained relations between Raj Bhavan and Pragathi Bhavan had improved following the "mutual agreement" over the Governors address Budget presentation, the BRS government is expected to take up a debate on the Governor withholding approval to seven Bills passed by the legislature since September of last year.

During a Cabinet meeting convened on Sunday at Pragathi Bhavan, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao reportedly discussed the issue of the seven pending Bills and the future course of action. The Cabinet was of the view that if the Governor failed to give approval to the pending Bills by February 8, the government should consider holding a debate in the House on the issue, pass a resolution seeking the Governor's approval for the pending Bills, sources informed.

The Telangana Assembly and the Council on September 14, 2022, passed eight Bills, including one on the constitution of a common recruitment board for making appointments in 15 state universities, of which the Governor is the chancellor. Of the eight, the Governor gave her assent to only one Bill Telangana GST (Amendment) Bill, 2022, seeking inclusion of some more items under the GST.

Seven Bills are awaiting the Governors approval. These include the University of Forestry Bill. Azamabad Industrial Area (Termination and Regulation of Leases) (Amendment) Bill, the Municipal Laws (Amendment) Bill, the Public Employment (Regulation of age of superannuation) (Amendment) Bill, the Telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, the Motor Vehicles Taxation (Amendment) Bill, and Telangana State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Amendments Bill, 2022.

Of the seven Bills, the state government was keen on getting clearance for at least three Bills at the earliest  the ones on universities common recruitment board, municipal laws and private universities.
Upper Bhadra project aims to draw 29.9tmc of Tungabhadra waters. (DC file photo)

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government is set for a legal battle against the Upper Bhadra project undertaken by the Karnataka government. The project aims to draw 29.9tmc of Tungabhadra waters even as the Bachawat Tribunal had not made any such water allocation.

On orders from Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, an SLP (special leave petition) would be filed by AP in the Supreme Court seeking an order to Karnataka to immediately stop the project work and protect the rights of the downstream state of Andhra Pradesh.

AP is worried that if the Upper Bhadra is completed, the Tungabhadra Dam, KC Canal, RDS (Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme), Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar along with the Krishna Delta would face serious problems for drinking water and irrigation purposes.

AP would seek a Supreme Court directive to the central government for revocation of the national status accorded to Upper Bhadra and the technical clearances given by the central water corporation (CWC) to Karnataka, without considering this states objections.

Karnataka took up the Upper Bhadra project in 2015 by using 11.5tmc of water left due to modernization of the Vijayanagar canals, the Tunga and Bhadra dams, the 10tmc allocated by the Brijeshkumar Tribunal (judgment not yet in force) based on 65 percent availability, the 2.4tmc out of the 21tmc allocated to Godavari waters that was diverted from Polavaram to Krishna Delta, and the 6tmc from K-8 and K-9 basins.

Karnataka formulated this project by lifting 17.40tmc from Upper Tunga into the Bhadra project. Some 29.90tmc was taken from there to irrigate 2,25,515 hectares (5,57,259 acres) in Chikmagalur, Chitradurga, Tumkur and Davangere districts.

YSRC leaders say when Karnataka took up the Upper Bhadra project without allocation of water, the then Telugu Desam government led by Chandrababu Naidu remained silent without raising objections. This violated the rights of AP over the Krishna waters, they add.

Further, by March 2019, Karnataka has completed the main canal works to carry water from Bhadra to Vanivilasa reservoir along with the main canals and lifts to flow water from Upper Tunga to the Bhadra project at a cost of Rs 4,830 crore. Karnataka shifted 3.44tmc of water to Vanivilasa reservoir in 2019-20, 6.61tmc in 2020-21 and 6.82tmc in 2021-22 through Upper Bhadra.

Water Resources Department ENC, Narayana Reddy, said the Bachawat Tribunal rejected Karnataka's proposal to allocate 36tmc for the Upper Bhadra project.

The Brijeshkumar tribunal allocated 9tmc to Upper Bhadra on the basis of a 65 per cent availability. But AP filed an SCLP in the Supreme Court against the notifying of the Brijeshkumar Tribunal judgment and to redistribute the Krishna waters to the four states. The Supreme Court also directed the Centre not to notify the Brijeshkumar Tribunal verdict.

Narayana Reddy said there was no water surplus due to the modernisation of Vijayanagara canals as also the Tunga and Bhadra dams. "There is no water surplus in K-8 and K-9 basins as Karnataka is using a lot of water."

He said Upper Bhadra is an illegal project undertaken by Karnataka without allocation of water. As per the orders of chief minister Jagan Reddy, AP would wage a legal battle in the Supreme Court to stop the project.

Water Resources Department principal secretary Shasibhushan Kumar said the Jal Shakti department had itself violated the guidelines by granting national status to Upper Bhadra. Without allocation of water and without taking into account the views of the states in the basin, the CWC gave its technical permission to Upper Bhadra against the norms, he said.

"AP would file an SLP in the Supreme Court seeking an order to the central government to immediately stop the illegal construction of Upper Bhadra and cancel the technical permit and national status," he said.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that it was the BRS's prerogative to not send him an invitation for the inauguration of new Secretariat (File image/Twitter)

Hyderabad: While expressing satisfaction that the new Secretariat was being named after Dr B.R. Ambedkar, which he had suggested, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said that it was the BRSs prerogative to not send him an invitation for its inaugural.

Responding to questions from the media at Darussalam, the party headquarters, Owaisi said he hoped that the state government was restoring the two mosques which were demolished at the site. "Its a massive construction and taller than the Taj Mahal. I am happy that it is being named after Ambedkar, which was my idea. Its their prerogative (to invite whoever they wish)," he said.

On the BRS's planning to hold a public meeting at Nanded in Maharashtra, where the MIM has stakes, on Sunday, Owaisi said that did not have any problem with it. "But those who claim to have the patent rights of being nationalists (BJP) and secular (Congress) should have a problem," Owaisi said. "We have to see what their reaction will be. Now who will be called the B-Team."

While stressing the need for a serious discussion in Parliament on problems facing the nation, Owaisi, the Hyderabad MP, said that if the proceedings went smoothly he would like to speak on various issues including that of the Adani Group.

"If Parliament runs, there will be proper discussion on issues. But the government is saving itself. Modi is escaping and questions are not being asked," he felt.

Owaisi took serious note of the way the Assam government was handling the issue of child marriages and questioned as to who would take care of the wife when the spouse is sent behind bars. Over 2,000 people, including 52 priests and qazis, have been arrested under the Pocso Act and the Child Marriage Act.

Over Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarmas statements regarding the Ram Mandir, Owaisi felt that he should first read the judgment of the Supreme Court which does not mention the existence of any structure at the spot where the mosque existed. "Where does the Supreme Court mention the temple? The judgment was clearly based on faith," he added.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao addresses the party's first public during outside Telangana, Nanded in Maharashtra, on Sunday. By Arrangement

NANDED: BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao promised to increase seats in Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Councils in states and in Parliament by 33 per cent to facilitate the implementation of 33 per cent reservations for women, by undertaking delimitation of constituencies across the country within a year of the BRS coming to power at the Centre.

Addressing a press conference in Nanded in Maharashtra on Sunday, he said the reservations would go a long way for women empowerment. Rao also said he would make revolutionary changes in the existing national policies on electricity, irrigation, drinking water, public sector, manufacturing and coal sectors to provide better services to people and tap available resources for the development of the country.

A BRS government would keep 90 per cent of the power sector under the control of the government to provide free power to farmers and extend power subsidies to weaker sections, Rao said.

Rao lashed out at the successive Congress- and BJP-led governments at the Centre over the last seven decades, accusing them of failing to utilise the abundant natural resources for the benefit of the people. He said it was time for the country to change in various fields to emerge as strong and with a robust economy.

Rao asked why water wars were taking place when there was abundant water in the rivers that was going waste into the sea without proper utilisation due to a lack of vision.

The CM criticised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre for extending support to "crony capitalists" such as Gautam Adani who were weakening public companies like LIC. "Modi is making socialisation of losses and privatisation of profits," he remarked while demanding that the Central government constitute a joint parliamentary committee to probe into the alleged fraud committed by the Adani group.
Braving all the problems created by Opposition parties and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chandrasekhar Rao is taking the state on the right developmental path, she said. (Representational Image/DC)

HYDERABAD: BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha said that Telangana has become a role model for other states, thanks to the humane touch and statesmanship of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Braving all the problems created by Opposition parties and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chandrasekhar Rao is taking the state on the right developmental path, she said.

Participating in the debate on motion of thanks in the Legislative Council for the address of Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan, Kavitha said that Telanganas welfare schemes and developmental programmes have inspired other states. The Delhi and Punjab Chief Ministers had decided to introduce Kanti Velugu programme in their respective states after visiting Telangana, she said.

The per capita income is the yardstick for progress and Telangana state currently is at `3.17 lakh compared to `1.24 crore in 2014, she said.

The infant mortality rate (IMR) and MMR has decreased in Telangana, she said.

Meanwhile, Legislative Council chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy agreed to conduct Kanti Velugu camp in the Council as suggested by Kavitha.

Congress member T. Jeevan Reddy said that the BRS government failed to implement crop loan waiver to farmers because of which they are facing difficulties. V.G. Goud, Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, S. Vani Devi, K. Janardhan Reddy, A. Narsi Reddy and others participated in the debate.
Meanwhile, some Beedi rolling Telugu workers were disappointed that they would not get to meet K. Chandrashekar Rao. (Image By Arrangement)

NANDED: Telugu-speaking people from the bordering villages of Maharashtra attended the BRS meeting in good numbers in Nanded on Sunday. However, there were very few Nanded locals at the meeting.

Meanwhile, some Beedi rolling Telugu workers were disappointed that they would not get to meet K. Chandrashekar Rao.

Venkatalaxmi, a beedi roller from Medak, who has since settled in Nanded, said there are many Telugu speaking families in the town. They all wanted to meet Rao and bring to his notice the problems faced by them. She said that he just went away when they had moved closer to him.

She said they work in the beedi factory of Gopalset and had joined the BRS. She said she had met the Chief Minister when he had visited Medak long back.

However, a group of 10 beedi rollers families, settled in the area for a long time, expressed happiness after attending the BRS meeting.
Pope Francis looks on during a meeting with internally displaced persons at the Freedom Hall in Juba, South Sudan, Feb. 4. AFP-Yonhap



Pope Francis on Saturday urged South Sudan's leaders to restore "dignity" to the millions of their countrymen affected by conflict, renewing a forceful appeal for peace in the strife-torn nation.



On the second day of his visit to South Sudan, a nation that has been at war for around half its existence, Francis heard from children who have spent much of their lives on the run from violence.



The 86-year-old pontiff has been pushing South Sudan's leaders to heal divisions for the sake of a nation traumatized by the legacy of a five-year civil war that left 380,000 people dead.



A ceasefire was struck, but peace has eluded the world's newest nation, and Francis, who tried to broker peace between the rival parties, finds South Sudan beset with violence and despair.



On Saturday, Francis told a gathering in Juba of hundreds of people displaced by conflict that they deserved a better future.



"Sadly, in this war-torn country, being a displaced person or a refugee has become a common and collective experience," he said.



"I want to renew my forceful and heartfelt appeal to end all conflict and to resume the peace process in a serious way, so that violence can end and people can return to living in dignity."



There are 2.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) living in South Sudan, and another two million outside the country.



It is the worst refugee crisis in Africa.



Those displaced in South Sudan live in overcrowded, squalid and underfunded camps under the protection of the United Nations, too fearful to venture out, or with nowhere left to return.





People wait for Pope Francis arrival at John Garang Mausoleum in Juba, South Sudan, Saturday, Feb. 4. AP-Yonhap



'No room for delay'



Francis said there was "no room for further delay" in achieving peace for all in South Sudan, with children being born every day in these camps.



"They have no memory of what it means to have a home; they are losing their connection with their native land, their roots and their traditions," he said, describing them as "the seed of a new South Sudan".



"The future cannot lie in refugee camps," he said to applause. John Wiyual, who has lived at a sprawling IDP camp outside Juba since 2014, said he did not trust government assurances that the country was safe.



"They say there is peace  but there is killing in all states," the 42-year-old told AFP.



"The pope can listen to us. We are citizens, and we need peace."



Around 50,000 people turned up for a joint prayer on Saturday evening by Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, who are also on the trip.



The pope will wrap up his trip on Sunday with a mass expected to be joined by thousands of people at the John Garang mausoleum  built in honor of South Sudan's rebel hero who died in 2005.



At his first event Saturday, the wheelchair-bound pope met South Sudan's religious leaders, who work with the poor and marginalized and are deeply respected in the devout country where 60 percent of its 12 million people are Christian.



Thousands turned out early to wait for the pope in the courtyard of the Cathedral of Saint Therese, many waving flags and ululating as they gave him a jubilant welcome.



"It is the first time to see papa in my country. I feel so privileged," said 36-year-old Adongpiny Harriet, wiping away sweat after she joined an impromptu dance following the pope's blessing.





Faithful cheer as Pope Francis arrives for a meeting with internally displaced persons in the "Freedom Hall" in Juba, South Sudan, Saturday, Feb. 4. AP-Yonhap
TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy would commence his 'Haath Se Haath Jodo' padayatra at Medaram. (File Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: In line with AICCs call to spread the message of Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra to every house, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy would commence his 'Haath Se Haath Jodo' padayatra at Medaram in Mulugu mandal of Warangal district on Monday, after offering prayers to the tribal deities Sammakka and Saralamma at 11 am.

Revanth Reddy would walk 20 to 25 km each day and interact with a cross-section of people along the padayatra route with an objective of covering 60, more than half, of the Assembly constituencies in the state in phases in the next two months.

Party state in-charge Manikrao Thakre would attend the event and while Congress leaders from throughout the state will launch yatras to cover their respective areas.

On the first day, Revanth will walk through 13 villages from Medaram to Palampet. The yatra would see declarations by the Congress at the five key public meetings scheduled over the next two months, in line with Rahul Gandhi's Warangal declaration, PCC working president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud told Deccan Chronicle.

"The focus of the Warangal Declaration was on concerns pertaining to farmers. The party will make several assurances to women, youth, STs, SCs, and BCs," he said.

During the yatra, the party leaders will prepare chargesheets against the BRS MLAs in order to expose the state governments failures in fulfilling promises it made in its manifestos. Further, the PCC president along with CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other senior leaders will be meeting influencers, youth, and women during the yatra to highlight the achievements of the party during its regime as well as expose both the state and Centres flawed policies.

Congress Mulugu MLA Seethakka stated that senior party leaders would start similar yatras from the constituencies while imploring party leaders, cadre, workers, youth, people's organisations, students, and women to actively participate in large numbers in order to make the yatra a grand success. Seethakka met with Mulugu SP Ghouse Alam and urged him to provide security to Revanth Reddy.

On the first day, Revanth Reddy will be covering 13 villages from Medaram to Palampet, including Kothur, Narlapur, Project Nagar, Pasra, Govindaraopet Chalvai, Machapur, Jawaharnagar, Janggalapally, Incharla and Venkatapur. On the second day, he will begin walking at 8 am after offering prayers at Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy temple in Ramappa. He will cover nine villages, Ramanjapur, Chenchu Colony, Narayanagiripalli, Buddaram, Chetarajupalli, Bandarupalli, Keshavapur, Narsapur, and Mulugu.
Apart from the local Sikh community, people belonging to Velama community, mostly hailing from Adilabad district in Telangana who are in good numbers and influential in the bordering areas like Manda Belluri, Bhokar, Kinwat and Dharmabad, are putting their efforts to make the BRS meeting a huge success. DC Image

NANDED (MAHARASHTRA): The Telugu-speaking people who are settled in the bordering areas of Kinwat, Dharmabad and Nanded are showing keen interest in the BRS meeting to be held in Nanded on February 5 in Maharashtra.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Padma, a settler, who along with another woman Manemma residents of Himayatsagar town in Kinwat taluk, came to Nanded to visit their relative at a private hospital here, said they settled in Maharashtra 30 years ago but they hail from Kamareddy area of Telangana.

She said they came to know about KCR through their relatives and media that he did some good things for the poor in Telangana, adding that they would support the BRS as it would be good if a Telugu leader comes to Maharashtra.

Apart from the local Sikh community, people belonging to Velama community, mostly hailing from Adilabad district in Telangana who are in good numbers and influential in the bordering areas like Manda Belluri, Bhokar, Kinwat and Dharmabad, are putting their efforts to make the BRS meeting a huge success.

A Velama leader of Adilabad town, who has relations with KCRs family, said their community was not that big but they were influential in the bordering areas of Maharashtra as some of them were elected to Kinwat municipality while some were running educational institutions in Kinwat.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is readying strategies to mingle with the public under which he would start the Jaganannaku Chebudam programme to receive grievances directly from the public. (Photo: DC)

VIJAYAWADA: The YSR Congress would field its leaders to meet all sections of the society with a view to attracting the masses towards the party.

The ruling party leaders would visit every doorstep of the Muslim / minority communities and as also influential community and religious leaders.

Notably, the Muslim minorities played an important role in the electoral win of the YSRC in the 2019 elections. Further, chief minister Jagan Reddy gave due prominence to the minorities. He has decided to go to the minorities once again, seeking the Muslim communitys cooperation in particular, by explaining his government efforts to ensure their welfare.

The programme is planned under the Target 175-Elections 2024 strategy.

After the success of the Backward Communities (BC) Mahasabha Jai Ho BC that was held in Vijayawada on Dec 7, YSRC chalked out a strategy to conduct similar meetings with SC, ST and minority communities and primarily conducted a preparatory meeting with minorities.

There is a maximum of 16 months time for elections. Hence the CM is readying strategies to mingle with the public under which he would start the Jaganannaku Chebudam programme to receive grievances directly from the public. He is also planning to conduct Rachabanda meetings to interact with the public during his future visits to districts.

Notably, deceased chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy conducted Rachabanda meetings that became popular and Jagan is following the path of his father by holding such meets in the coming days.

As per data, Muslims are a deciding factor with a ten to 20 per cent populations mainly in various assembly segments of Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Palnadu, Bapatla, Prakasam, Nellore, Kadapa, Kurnool, Chittoor . Minority populations are dominant in urban ares  some 32 per cent in Kadapa, 34 per cent in Hindupur, 32 per cent in Nandyal, 29 per cent in Kurnool, 26 per cent in Adoni, 26 per cent in Tadipatri, 25 per cent in Guntakal, 25 per cent in Produttur, 24 per cent in Madanapalle, 23 per cent in Chilakaluripet, 18 per cent in Guntur, 19 per cent in Nellore and 16 per cent to six per cent in other cities and towns.

The YSRC would conduct meetings in the minority- dominant places first and in all districts later with a view to strengthen the partys ties with the minorities in the run-up to the next assembly elections.

Jagan Reddy offered deputy CM post to SB Amzath Basha after formation of the government and continued him in the second cabinet. Further, he offered MLC and other posts to the minorities and now decided to take the government and the YSRC to the doorsteps of the minorities.

The party would conduct meetings with all stakeholders including Ulemas, Imams, Mouzans, Masjid committee members, Madrasa stakeholders, and WAQF board stakeholders. The chief minister himself would participate in several meetings to communicate his message to the minorities.

Senior political analysts said Telugu Desam chief Chandrababu Naidu totally neglected the minorities during his five years of tenure by refusing cabinet berths to them and excluded them from other posts. They stated that before the elections, Naidu offered AP legislative council chairman post to MA Sharif but it did not help the TD. This also led to the TDs humiliating defeat in the 2019 elections, they noted.

They said that sensing change of opinions and attitudes in various social groups for the past three and half years, chief minister Jagan drew a strategy to attract all social groups by explaining his welfare and development initiatives to those groups and this seemed to work well to lessen anti-incumbency.

DCM Amzath Basha, MLCs Md Ruhulla, Ishak Basha, Md Iqbal and other minority leaders said that the top leadership would personally meet and interact with influential stakeholders of the Muslim community and seek support for the YSRC. They said that a massive Minority Mahasabha Jai Ho Muslim inviting all stakeholders/leaders will be held soon.
In this photo provided by Travis Huffstetler Photography, a large balloon drifts above the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of the Carolinas, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. (Travis Huffstetler Photography via AP)

Washington: The United States on Saturday shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon over the Atlantic Ocean as it crossed the continental America after hovering over its skies from Montana to South Carolina.

This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, US fighter aircraft assigned to US Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People's Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in US airspace, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

The balloon, which was being used by the People's Republic of China in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above US territorial waters, he said in a statement.

On Wednesday, President Biden gave his authorisation to take down the surveillance balloon as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon's path, he said.

After careful analysis, US military commanders had determined downing the balloon while over land posed an undue risk to people across a wide area due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload, Austin said.

In accordance with the President's direction, the Department of Defence developed options to take down the balloon safely over its territorial waters, while closely monitoring its path and intelligence collection activities.

This action was taken in coordination, and with the full support, of the Canadian government, said the Defence Secretary.

He thanked Canada for its contribution in tracking and analysing the balloon through NORAD as it transited North America.

Today's deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Biden and his national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC's unacceptable violation of our sovereignty, Austin said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer welcomed the move of shooting down the balloon. I strongly condemn President Xi's brazen incursion into American airspace and I commend President Biden's leadership in taking down the Chinese balloon over water to ensure safety for all Americans. Now we can collect the equipment and analyze the technology used by the Chinese Communist Party, Schumer said.

Allowing a spy balloon from the Communist Party of China to travel across the entire continental United States before contesting its presence is a disastrous projection of weakness by the White House, Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Senator Roger Wicker said.

It is clear that standard protocol for defense of US airspace was ignored. If press reports are correct, the Biden Administration hoped to hide this incident from the American people from the start, he said.

The White House owes Congress and the American people answers about this failure, and I intend to get those answers without delay, Wicker said.
Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf passed away on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, due to prolonged illness. (PTI file Photo/Atul Yadav)

Dubai: Former chief of Army Staff and President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf passed away on Sunday at American Hospital in UAE after a prolonged illness, reported Daily Pakistan.

Musharraf was the tenth president of the South Asian nation after the successful military coup in 1999. He served as the 10th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan (CJCSC) from 1998 to 2001 and the 7th top general from 1998 to 2007.

Local media reports quoting his family members said the former four-star general succumbed to Amyloidosis. He was hospitalized for a couple of weeks due to a complication of his ailment, as per reports.

Musharraf has been living in Dubai since 2016. The former president has been in UAE for the last eight years getting medical treatment.

Earlier, Musharraf expressed his desire to spend the "rest of his life" in his home country, local media reported.

The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the former president wanted to return to Pakistan as soon as possible.
The blood spilled during the 1999 Kargil War, the failure of the 2001 Agra Summit and the near-breakthrough in his regimes back-channel talks with the governments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh  Pakistans former president, General Pervez Musharraf, will be remembered in India for his chequered legacy.

Musharraf, who has breathed his last at Dubai on Sunday, allegedly put out the flicker of hope that people of the sub-continent had seen after Vajpayee had taken a bus ride from Delhi to Lahore in February 1999 and joined his then counterpart M Nawaz Sharif in a historic summit. Just a few weeks after Vajpayee and Sharif had signed the 'Lahore Declaration' committing to avoid competition to build nuclear arsenal and conventional and non-conventional conflicts, Musharraf, then chief of the Pakistan Army, sent his soldiers and the terrorists, who were on the payroll of the deep state he was leading, to occupy the mountain heights along the Line of Control (LoC) between his country and India. The Indian Army responded and the Kargil War ensued.

Also Read | Foes and friends condole Pervez Musharraf's demise

Sharif had later claimed that he had no knowledge about the Pakistan Armys moves that had led to the Kargil Conflict. He had also accused Musharraf of backstabbing him.

But after he deposed Sharif in a bloodless coup and took over as the head of the Government of Pakistan, first as the Chief Executive in October 1999 and then as the President in June 2001, Musharraf managed to project himself as a champion of dialogue between his country and India.

Though his Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) continued to send terrorists across the LoC, particularly to carry out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Musharraf on July 14, 2001 landed in New Delhi with his wife Sehba for a summit with Vajpayee in Agra. The first day of the summit appeared promising, with the Pakistani President discussing with the Prime Minister of India a four-point peace proposal  withdrawal of troops by both sides in phases along the LoC without any changes in the borders of Kashmir, allowing people of J&K to travel freely across the LoC and a degree of self-governance, but not independence, for J&K and a joint authority to oversee matters related to J&K.

The 'Agra Summit', however, collapsed, on the second day itself, particularly due to Musharrafs public grandstanding in a breakfast meeting with editors of the media outlets of India and his refusal to give an adequately convincing assurance to Vajpayee on stopping infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan to India and helping bring down violence in J&K.

Also Read | Timeline of Musharrafs engagements with India during his reign in Pakistan

Though the attack on Parliament of India by terrorists from Pakistan on December 13, 2001 escalated tension, the two sides had a ceasefire agreement on November 26, 2003. Vajpayee and Musharraf met again in Islamabad in January 2004 and the two sides agreed to launch the Composite Dialogue process.

Singh hosted Musharraf in April 2005, when the Pakistani President, who was born at a hospital in Kamla Market in Delhi in August 1942, received a unique gift  his birth certificate. The back-channel talks gathered steam after Singh succeeded Vajpayee and, by 2007, the special envoys of New Delhi and Islamabad, S K Lambah and Tariq Aziz, were close to working out a four-point formula to end the historic rivalry between the two nations. The formula was a modified version of what Musharraf had presented before Vajpayee. Musharraf resigned as President of Pakistan on August 18. Three months later, the November 26-28, 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai by the terrorists, who had sailed from Pakistan to India, ended the possibility of the breakthrough reached in back-channel talks being formalized.
Iraqi activists protested Sunday to demand a law against domestic violence, days after a YouTuber was strangled by her father in a killing that has outraged the conservative country.

Tiba al-Ali, 22, was killed by her father on January 31 in the southern province of Diwaniyah, interior ministry spokesman Saad Maan said on Twitter on Friday.

Maan said there had been an attempt to mediate between the young woman and her relatives to resolve a "family dispute". The father later surrendered to the police and confessed to murdering his daughter.

On Sunday, security forces prevented some 20 activists from demonstrating outside the country's Supreme Judicial Council, and they gathered instead at a road leading to the building, an AFP journalist said.

Some held placards saying "Stop killing women" and "Tiba's killer must be held to account".

"We demand laws to protect women, especially laws against domestic violence," 22-year-old protester Rose Hamid told AFP.

Also Read | Iran opposition leader calls for referendum amid protests

"We came here to protest against Tiba's murder and against all others. Who will be the next victim?"

Another demonstrator, Lina Ali, said: "We will keep mobilising because of rising domestic violence and killings of women."

On the sidelines of Sunday's demonstration, human rights activist Hanaa Edwar was received by a magistrate from the Supreme Judicial Council to whom she presented the protesters' grievances.

Tiba al-Ali had lived in Turkey since 2017 and was visiting Iraq when she was killed, a security official in Diwaniyah told AFP.

In Turkey she had gained a following on YouTube, posting videos of her daily life in which her fiance often appeared.

Recordings have been shared on social media by a friend of Ali, and picked up by activists, reportedly of conversations with the father, angry because she was living in Turkey.

In the recordings, she also accuses her brother of sexual harassment.

AFP could not independently verify the authenticity of the voice recordings.
The Governments legacy Bill is not the way to deal with Northern Irelands past, commissioner for victims and survivors Ian Jeffers has said.

Mr Jeffers also called for a reconciliation process to be brought about on the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

The controversial Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is currently making its way through Parliament.

It has been almost universally opposed by victims groups, political parties and the Irish government over its proposals to provide immunity for people accused of crimes during the Troubles  as long as they co-operate with a new truth recovery body  and stop future court processes.

Days after Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris announced a public inquiry into the 1998 Real IRA atrocity the Omagh bombing, Mr Jeffers paid tribute to the families who had campaigned for it.

But he said it was a sad thing for victims that the Omagh families who campaigned for a public inquiry effectively forced the Government to act by taking a case to the High Court.

In 2021, a High Court judge in Belfast recommended that the UK Government should carry out a human rights-compliant investigation into alleged security failures in the lead-up to the attack.

The announcement by Mr Heaton-Harris last week prompted calls from the families of those killed in the Provisional IRAs bombing of two pubs in Birmingham in 1974 to also grant them a probe.

Mr Jeffers said the Government is looking at the Omagh bomb separately because it happened after the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and does not fall into the period covered by the proposed Bill.

I think there is a concern among the victims groups with the legacy Bill now making its march through Parliament that it will get passed potentially, and they wont have this opportunity to get effectively truth and justice, and thats something we shouldnt deny any of our victims, he told the BBCs Sunday Politics Northern Ireland programme.

This is why the Government has said it will do Omagh because in effect it was after the date of the Good Friday Agreement so it has to be looked at separately, the legacy Bill wouldnt take that.

But the legacy Bill does close the route for justice particularly.

Mr Jeffers said he shares the disappointment and anger of victims at the legacy Bill.

He said from the moment he took up the victims commissioner post last May, he has been campaigning for the Bill to be scrapped.

But the Government has shown that it is determined to push the Bill through, Mr Jeffers said.

It is to some extent listening, it has taken on board some amendments, potentially, time will tell if they actually adopt those amendments to improve what is a terrible Bill.

But we still stand by, along with many other groups, that the Bill should disappear tomorrow, it is not the way to solve the past here.

The Government has had two election manifesto pledges where they would effectively introduce an amnesty for veterans, and that is part of this, without a doubt. Theyd effectively remove the opportunity for prosecution for anybody in a Troubles-related offence, if they exchange information.

Thats something that we fundamentally disagree with.

He added: I think the Government will try and push this through  that will then give us a further challenge of how, if, do we engage, are there legal challenges to be had if people dont get the opportunity for justice, and well have to see how that progresses.

In the middle of this, remember there are victims. Were 25 years into the marking of the Good Friday Agreement and we havent addressed the legacy of the past, and the Bill isnt the way to do that.

This has to be a negotiated thing, it cant be a Bill that is just foisted upon victims and survivors.
A man has been treated in hospital after being stabbed in south Belfast.

Police said they were alerted at around 6.05am on Sunday that the man, who is aged in his 30s, had been attacked.

He suffered stab wounds to his hands, neck and nose. His injuries were described by police as not life-threatening at this stage.

Detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding injuries sustained by a man in the south Belfast area this morning, Sunday 5th February. pic.twitter.com/DQjhXLBkhR  Police South Belfast (@PSNIBelfastS) February 5, 2023

Detectives are investigating the circumstances of the incident.

A police spokesperson said the victim was discovered by a passer-by in the Raphael Street area.

The man, aged in this 30s, was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries, which included stab wounds to his hands, neck and nose. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening at this stage, they said.

Enquiries remain ongoing and we are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and saw anything, or who may have dashcam, CCTV or other video footage. The number to call is 101 quoting reference 470 of 05/02/23.
Then Pakistan Gen. Pervez Musharraf gestures at a news conference, March 23, 2000, in Islamabad. AP-Yonhap



Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has died in Dubai aged 79 after a long illness, the army said Sunday.



Musharraf seized power in a 1999 bloodless coup, ruling as "chief executive" when the 9/11 attacks on the United States took place, before becoming president in 2001.



He was America's chief regional ally during its invasion of neighboring Afghanistan, but resigned in 2008 and was forced into exile after a backlash over his constitutional overreach.



Senior military chiefs "express heartfelt condolences on sad demise of General Pervez Musharraf", a brief statement released by the military's media wing said. "May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to bereaved family."



The four-star general died in hospital in Dubai on Sunday morning, according to media reports and a senior security official who spoke to AFP.



"I can confirm that the late general breathed his last in Dubai this morning ... He is no more," the official, who asked not to be named, told AFP.



In more than seven years in office, Musharraf oversaw a stint of economic growth while dodging at least three assassination attempts.



Musharraf seized the presidential office in 2001, shoring his power up in a 2002 referendum questioned by opponents. But he reneged on promises to quit as army chief until late 2007.



His easygoing charm also failed to mask the blurring of the division between the state and army, and he fell out of favor after trying to sack the chief justice.



After the December 2007 assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, the national mood soured even more and crushing losses suffered by his allies in 2008 elections left him isolated.



Musharraf's plan to return to power in 2013 was dashed when he was disqualified from running in an election won by Nawaz Sharif  the man he deposed in 1999.



In 2016 a travel ban was lifted and Musharraf flew to Dubai to seek medical treatment.



Three years later, he was sentenced to death in absentia for treason, related to his 2007 decision to impose emergency rule. However, a court later nullified the ruling.



Pakistan's President Arif Ali prayed "for eternal rest of the departed soul and courage to the bereaved family to bear this loss", his office said in a statement. (AFP)


Amazon Prime Phones Party is ongoing till February 8, 2023. As the name suggests, the smartphone deals are exclusive to Amazon Prime members. So, if you are one, these are the best phone offers from Xiaomi, Samsung, Realme, and more.

6 best smartphone deals on Amazon Prime Phones Party

1. iQOO 11 5G

iQOO 11 5G comes with a 6.78-inch 2K E6 AMOLED display with 1800 nits peak brightness, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, LPDDR5x RAM, UFS 4.0 storage, 5000mAh battery, 120W fast charging, 50MP primary camera, V2 image signal processing, and Funtouch OS 13 based on Android 13 software.

iQOO 11 deal price on Amazon Prime Phones Party is 54,999. Its MRP is 61,999 in India.

2. Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G

On the front, Xiaomi 12 Pro features a 6.73-inch WQHD+ 120Hz AMOLED screen with Gorilla Glass Victus protection, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ support, and an in-display fingerprint scanner. The phone also brings Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, a 4600mAh battery with 120W high-speed charging, Dolby Atmos-backed quad speakers, a 50MP triple rear camera, and a 32MP selfie shooter.

Xiaomi 12 Pro deal price on Amazon Prime Phones Party is 47,499. Its MRP is 79,999 in India.

3. Oppo F21s Pro 5G

Oppo F21s Pro ships with a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, a unique Dual Orbit Light ring around the camera module, a 64MP triple rear camera setup, a 16MP selfie snapper, a Micro SD card expansion up to 1TB, 5G, and Snapdragon 695 SoC.

Oppo F21s Pro 5G deal price on Amazon Prime Phones Party is 21,499. Its MRP is 31,999 in India.

4. Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G packs in Mediatek Dimensity 920 5G chipset, expandable storage up to 256 GB, a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen, 48MP main camera, 16MP front camera, 5000mAh battery, among other things.

Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G deal price on Amazon Prime Phones Party is 18,049. Its MRP is 25,999 in India.

5. Samsung Galaxy M33 5G

Samsung has equipped the Galaxy M33 with Exynos 1280 SoC, a 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection, a 50MP quad camera setup, a 6000mAh battery, a 3.5mm jack, etc.

Samsung Galaxy M33 deal price on Amazon Prime Phones Party is 15,342. Its MRP is 24,999 in India.

6. Tecno Pop 6 Pro

Tecno Pop 6 Pro has got a 6.56-inch IPS LCD HD+ display, a 5000mAh battery, an 8MP rear camera, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and a MediaTek Helio A22 processor.

Tecno Pop 6 Pro deal price on Amazon Prime Phones Party is 5,999. Its MRP is 7,999 in India.

Heres a recap of all the best smartphone offers on Amazon India during the Prime Phones Party:

iQOO 11 5G at INR 54,999

Xiaomi 12 Pro for INR 47,499

Oppo F21s Pro for INR 21,999 (20-25)

Realme Narzo 50 Pro for INR 18,049 (15-20)

Samsung Galaxy M33 for INR 15,342 (10-15)

Tecno Pop 6 Pro for INR 5,999 (5-10)

Check out the complete list of Amazon Prime Phones Party offers here. You will find phones like iQOO Z6 Lite, Redmi K50i, Redmi 11 Prime 5G, Redmi Note 11, Tecno Spark 9, Oppo A78, and Realme Narzo 50i as well.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
The Ardee Credit Union Schools Quiz, which was held in the Bohemian Centre, Ardee had 18 teams from nine schools participating.

Teams from Ballapousta NS, Collon NS, St. Peters NS Dromiskin, St Peters & Pauls NS Drumconrath, St Mochtas NS Louth Village, Monastery NS Ardee, Newtown NS, Scoil Mhuire na Trocaire NS Ardee and Tallanstown NS took part in the U11 and U13 ILCU 2023 Credit Union quiz.

There was great excitement among the children, teachers and parents, as the Quiz Master Conor Thorne started the quiz with the first question.

Following 60 questions in the U11 competition and 72 questions in the U13 competition, Conor announced the result of the U13 competition with St Peters NS Dromiskin winning, just ahead of the runners-up St Mochtas NS Louth Village.

Conor announced that in the U11 competition, Collon NS and Tallanstown NS had tied on 45 points each, which required a tiebreaker round in order for a winner to be declared.

The tiebreaker resulted in Collon NS winning by 1 point, with Tallanstown NS runners-up.

Both St Peters NS Dromiskin in the U13 competition and Collon NS in the U11 competition, now progress to the Chapter stage of their respective competitions, which take place on the weekend commencing the 3rd of March
Top wedding specialists gathered on Monday, January 30, at The Crowne Plaza Hotel Dublin Airport to celebrate the champions of The 5th Irish Wedding Awards 2023.

The 2023 Awards recognised exceptional specialists and suppliers that go above and beyond to ensure the uniqueness of every wedding. These suppliers are from a variety of industries and they work their hardest to ensure that wow factor is present at every wedding theyre hired for.

This year Drogheda business 'Hand Creations By Caroline' claimed first prize in the Stationery Supplier of the Year category.

From boutiques and cake designers, to jewellery providers and much more, the Awards recognised businesses that meet the needs of their customers offering top services under one roof.

A Spokesperson for The Irish Wedding Awards 2023 said:

The winners represent the industrys gold standard that work tirelessly to meet the demands of the couples and their guests.

The Awards are now in their fifth year and have been established as the leading annual celebration of the wedding industry in Ireland.

These champions are tried and tested specialists that know how to create a stress-free wedding experience, keeping the romance in the air. We would like to congratulate all finalists and winners for their amazing achievements.
Firefighters are seen during a fire in Puren, Araucania region, Chile, Feb. 4. AFP-Yonhap



Dozens of wildfires blazing though Chile caused the government to extend an emergency order to another region on Saturday, as a scorching summer heat wave complicates efforts to control fires that have claimed at least 23 lives so far.



More than 1,100 people have sought refuge in shelters while at least 979 people have been reported injured by the raging fires, according to an official briefing later on Saturday.



The latest emergency order covers the southern region of Araucania, next to the previously declared Biobio and Nuble regions, located near the middle of the South American country's long Pacific coastline.



"Weather conditions have made it very difficult to put out (the fires) that are spreading and the emergency is getting worse," Interior Minister Carolina Toha told reporters at a news conference in the capital Santiago.



"We need to reverse that curve," she added, noting that on Friday 76 more fires had ignited.



Another 16 fires sparked to life on Saturday, according to officials, as local temperatures in the Southern Hemisphere summer exceeded 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Celsius).



The sparsely populated three regions covered by the emergency orders are home to many farms, including where grapes, apples and berries are grown for export, plus extensive tracts of forest land.



Officials told reporters on Saturday that the governments of Spain, the United States, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela have offered help, including planes and firefighters.



On Friday, an emergency-support helicopter in La Araucania crashed, killing its pilot and a mechanic, according to officials.



Authorities reported that 11 of the victims, or nearly half of the casualties reported so far, died in the town of Santa Juana in Biobio, located some 310 miles (500 km) south of Santiago.



Since late last week, helicopters have dropped fire retardant over raging fires as billowing clouds of smoke obstruct roadways. Firefighters and local residents alike are struggling to contain the flames against the backdrop of a hazy orange-tinted sky.





Trees burn as flames and smoke engulf an area near Puren, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 4.AP-Yonhap



The orders allow for the deployment of soldiers and additional resources to deal with the natural disaster.



Some 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres) have been burnt by the fires, according to official data released late on Friday, an area larger than the U.S. city of Philadelphia.



National forestry agency CONAF reported on Saturday that 80 of 231 total wildfires are being actively battled, while 151 of them are under control.



Officials said that over 90 percent of the wildfires have been smothered before they spread beyond 12 acres (5 hectares).



But for those unlucky enough to get caught up in one of the uncontrolled wildfires, immediate evacuation was the only option.



"I left with what I had on," said Carolina Torres, who fled from an approaching fire near the city of Puren, in the region of Araucania.



"I think everyone here did the same thing because the winds shifted and you just had to grab everything right away."



On Friday, President Gabriel Boric cut short his summer vacation and traveled to Nuble and Biobio, pledging to make sure the affected areas receive all necessary support.



Boric also pointed to "signs" that some fires may have been started intentionally, but did not provide any additional details. (Reuters)




CORK student Hannah Conroy is set to take part in the Knorr Professional Student Chef of the Year competition on Thursday next.

The second year Culinary Studies student at Munster Technological University (MTU) is one of 10 student chefs from culinary colleges who will battle it out in the kitchen to win the highly regarded title.

This is a particularly significant year for the contest as it celebrates its 25th anniversary and this year, it takes place at Dundalk Institute of Technology.

Hannah and the other student chefs will be hoping to impress the expert judging panel with their culinary creativity and skills.

They are challenged with preparing and cooking two dishes based on this years theme, classic dishes with a modern makeover.

The students will be judged on their skills, creativity and presentation of their dishes.

Hannah, from Lisgoold near Midleton, grew up on Woodside farm where her family rears pedigree Saddleback pigs. They also have food stalls at Midleton, Mahon Point and Douglas Farmers Markets where they cook and sell the produce from the farm.

Food has been a central point of Hannahs upbringing and she is dedicated to forging a career in the culinary world. Her ethos in cooking is, buying from the local producers, and creating a more sustainable livelihood for everyone.

Unilever Food Solutions executive chef Ireland Audrey Crone said the Student Chef of the Year competition is widely respected within the hospitality sector for its reputation for showcasing the talents of our culinary students. Previous winners have gone on to have very successful careers as well as writing recipe books and presenting television programmes.

Every year, student chefs present dishes that would make the cut menus of many of the worlds top restaurants.

The judges are really looking forward to experiencing what the next generation of Irelands top chefs will serve up, said Ms Crone.
A BANTRY vet is starring in a new six-part RTE series, giving advice to families around the country struggling with pooch problems.

Irish language series Madrai stars Bantry vet Ellen Hegarty, alongside Donegal dog behaviourist Paula Doohan.

Following on from the co-hosts success in 2020 with hit series Peatai, Ellen and Paula are back and helping families with doggie drama  from separation anxiety to lead-pulling, and non-stop barking to furniture-chewing.

A national callout was launched last summer, inviting families finding it hard to cope with their canines to get expert advice from Ellen and Paula.

The pair were inundated with videos and pleas for help from all over the country detailing every type of dog distress.

On a case-by-case basis, Madrais experts observe behaviour, diagnose the cause of the problem, and give advice and recommendations for the dogs and their owners alike.

Tune in to the new series of Madrai on RTE One on Friday nights and on RTE Player.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett / AP-Yonhap



A former Israeli prime minister who served briefly as a mediator at the start of Russia's war with Ukraine says he drew a promise from the Russian president not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart.



Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett emerged as an unlikely intermediary in the war's first weeks, becoming one of the few Western leaders to meet President Vladimir Putin during the war in a snap trip to Moscow last March.



While Bennett's mediation efforts appear to have done little to end the bloodshed that continues until today, his remarks, in an interview posted online late Saturday, shed light on the backroom diplomacy and urgent efforts that were underway to try to bring the conflict to a speedy conclusion in its early days.



In the five-hour interview, which touched on numerous other subjects, Bennett says he asked Putin about whether he intended to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.



"I asked 'what's with this? Are you planning to kill Zelenskyy?' He said 'I won't kill Zelenskyy.' I then said to him 'I have to understand that you're giving me your word that you won't kill Zelenskyy.' He said 'I'm not going to kill Zelenskyy.'''



Bennett said he then called Zelenskyy to inform him of Putin's pledge.



"'Listen, I came out of a meeting, he's not going to kill you.' He asks, 'are you sure?' I said '100% he won't kill you.'"



Bennett said that during his mediation, Putin dropped his vow to seek Ukraine's disarmament and Zelenskyy promised not to join NATO.



There was no immediate response from the Kremlin, which has previously denied Ukrainian claims that Russia intended to assassinate Zelenskyy.



Bennett, a largely untested leader who had served as prime minister for just over six months when the war broke out, unexpectedly thrust himself into international diplomacy after he had positioned Israel into an uncomfortable middle ground between Russia and Ukraine. Israel views its good ties with the Kremlin as strategic in the face of threats from Iran but it aligns itself with Western nations and also seeks to show support for Ukraine.



An observant Jew and little known internationally, he flew to Moscow for his meeting with Putin during the Jewish Sabbath, breaking his religious commitments and putting himself at the forefront of global efforts to halt the war.



But his peacemaking efforts did not appear to take off and his time in power was short-lived. Bennett's government, an ideologically diverse union that sent current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a brief political exile, collapsed in the summer over infighting. Bennett stepped away from politics and is now a private citizen. (AP)


Sunday, February 5, 2023

By Scott Lorenz

Westwind Communications

The social media platform TikTok made its debut in 2016. It allows users to create and share short-form video content and slideshows, ranging anywhere from comedy to life advice to product reviews and much more. Today, the social media platform is available in over 150 countries and has over 1 billion users.

BookTok is a community on TikTok where readers discuss their favorite books, series, and authors. Users can create reviews, share their favorite books, show off their book collections, and even promote their own creations. Authors can learn what their readers love, find new fans, and answer questions from both readers and fellow authors.

#BookTok is an honest and authentic community of readers, authors, and industry professionals who love to talk about and learn about books, writing and all things book related. BookTok is more than just social media word of mouth, its a tight community of book lovers where an author can find out in real-time what readers want to read, says Sheila English, award-winning author of Adam Frankenstein: Dog Fight.

If youre an author, its a good idea to explore BookTok as it can help you grow your audience and share with fans via text and video. It just might give you the type of exposure you need to get published and sell your work, as many users, especially the younger generations, are drawn to organic promotions directly from their source rather than traditional advertising. It gives the readers control over what becomes popular. Users can also form connections with their favorite authors or find books and communities for specific niches.

Publishers and bookstores have also begun to engage with BookTok. Walk into any Barnes and Noble and you will surely see a display with popular BookTok books. The company reported a 14% increase in sales after #booktok launched. Even some shopping websites, such as Books-A-Million and Target, have a category for books that gained popularity through BookTok!

Simon & Schuster marketing and publicity manager Olivia Horrox is quoted in The Guardian, stating, Theres something about the fact that it is under a minute. People who are consuming this content want stuff thats quicker and snappier all the time  you watch a 32-second video and someones like: This book has LGBTQ romance, its really heartbreaking, its speculative fiction. And then the viewers think: Oh, ok, those are all things that Im interested in. Ill go buy it.

For both established authors and new authors, BookTok allows for organic exposure and a chance to build effective connections with your audience.

How to Get Started on BookTok

If you are an author looking to establish yourself on BookTok, follow these steps.

1. Download the App and Create an Account

You can link to Facebook, Twitter, or Gmail and download the app. Once you do, choose a catchy username to sign up.

2. Create Your Profile

Add your picture and a short description that explains the type of author you are and what books you write. Prove that you are authentic and passionate about your books!

3. Follow BookTokers

Go to the home page and follow some BookTokers by searching the hashtag #BookTok. This will ensure the TikTok algorithm displays book-related content in your feed. You can also keep up with current trends by paying attention to who and what is popular.

4. Make Your First Video

Now, the fun part begins! Its time to get noticed by other BookTok users. Hit the + sign at the bottom of the screen, add a sound at the top, and press the red button to record yourself. You can talk about anything related to your books or you as an author. Then, hit next and add the #BookTok hashtag as well as a few others that relate to your genre and target your readers. Additionally, take some time to observe what other authors like you are doing. TikTok thrives on trends, so keeping your content catchy and relevant is key!

As you begin your journey as an author on BookTok, be careful about what kind of engagement you create. You dont want to start arguments with negative reviewers or be too overbearing. Dont force yourself on other users; let them come to you. Remember, BookTok is about the readers!

BookTok may seem daunting at first, but practice makes perfect! Just make more videos, engage with others in the community, and remain enthusiastic about your books!

Successful Authors on BookTok

Here are a few of the many authors who have decided to harness the power of BookTok and found success in doing so.

Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover AKA CoHo is a romance and thriller author that has published more than 20 novels and used BookTok to find loyal fans and readers. As a result of her efforts on BookTok, she gained 1.1 million followers and 14.8 million likes. This helped some of her books, including It Ends With Us earn a spot on the New York Times best seller list. Check out CoHos profile here.

Victoria Aveyard

Victoria Aveyard is best known for her novel series The Red Queen and is a popular content creator on BookTok. She frequently gains fans through her posts on upcoming new books, publishing, and general lifestyle content. Check out Victorias profile here for advice on writing.

Aiden Thomas

Aiden Thomas, who writes folkloric fantasies such as Lost in the Neverwoods and New York Times best seller Cemetery Boys, jumped on the BookTok bandwagon in 2021. He shares promo videos for his book and memes about being a Trans Latinx fantasy writer. Check out his profile here.

Ayana Gray

Ayana Gray used BookTok to promote the launch of her first book, Beasts of Pray. She shares updates that share her enthusiasm for the process and gives other aspiring authors some inspiration. Check out Ayanas profile here.

Jennifer Millikin

Through BookTok, Jennifer Millikin creates teasers for her books, such as Our Finest Hour and The Patriot. in an effort to generate excitement. During each teaser, she pretends to be the main character in the book. Check out Jennifers profile here.

Fiona Lucas

If you go to Fiona Lucas BookTok, youll find videos of her that walk you through her process of publishing her first book, The Last Goodbye. Check out Fionas profile here.

There are hundreds of authors who have found success through BookTok, and reading their stories is sure to inspire anyone to follow in their footsteps. Caseen Gaines, author of Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way, decided to engage with BookTok. My first video [about Black suffragettes, Aug. 18, 2021] had over 3,000 views. Once I got that immediate gratification, I was off to the races, he says.

David Alan Arnold (@davidalanarnold), author of Help From Above, has 1.8 million followers on TikTok. Hes also helicopter cameraman for the Deadliest Catch, Survivor and numerous others shows and newscasts. David started a Facebook Group called How to Grow on TikTok. He offers free advice on the topic. This is a treasure trove of information for authors.

The Bottom Line: If youre looking for a fresh yet effective way to promote your work as an author, you owe it to yourself to explore BookTok.

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether its their first book or their 15th book.

Hes handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Womans World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenzs new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.

Would you like help promoting your book?

If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else? Submit the form below with this information and well get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
Sri Lankas garment exports stood at $5,483.1 million during January-December 2022, which grew by 10.7 per cent over the exports of $4,951.5 million in the same period of the previous year, as per statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Its garment exports dropped by 8.7 per cent in December 2022 due to the slowdown in the world economy.

During the full year of 2022, textile exports from the island nation decreased by 0.5 per cent year-on-year to $353.7 million. The exports of other made-up textile articles stood at $115.2 million during the same period, down 10.1 per cent, according to the central banks report titled External Sector Performance.

Textiles, garment, and other made-up textile articles exports together accounted for 56.87 per cent of all industrial exports from Sri Lanka during the period under review, the report showed. The exports of all textile products totalled $5,952 million in January-December 2022, which was 9.5 per cent higher than the shipment during the same period last year.

Sri Lanka's garment exports stood at $5,483.1 million during January-December 2022, which grew by 10.7 per cent over the exports of $4,951.5 million in the same period of the previous year, as per statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Its garment exports dropped by 8.7 per cent in December 2022 due to the slowdown in the world economy.

In December 2022, all textile products exports from the South Asian nation declined by 9.7 per cent year-on-year to reach $481.5 million. Category-wise, garment exports decreased by 8.7 per cent to $442.6 million, while textile exports fell 23.3 per cent to $29.8 million. The exports of other made-up textile articles were down by 4 per cent to $9.1 million.

On the other hand, imports of textiles and textile articles eased 0.1 per cent to $3,065.2 million, while clothing and accessories imports were down by 2.6 per cent to $215.6 million during January-December 2022.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Bangladeshs new National Logistic Development and Coordination Committee recently met for the first time and decided to formulate a National Logistic Development Policy within a year to ease business and trade and raise investment to achieve national growth targets. Prime ministers principal secretary and Committee chairman M Tofazzel Hossain Miah presided over the meeting.

Miah said five sub-committees would also be formed for this purpose. The committee decided to work on ensuring efficient transportation of goods and services and upgrading the countrys logistic sector at par with global standards, according to Bangladeshi media reports.

Top government officials and representatives of private companies of the export-import sector attended the meeting.

Bangladesh's new National Logistic Development and Coordination Committee recently met for the first time and decided to formulate a National Logistic Development Policy within a year to ease business and trade and raise investment. Prime minister's principal secretary and Committee chairman M Tofazzel Hossain Miah presided over the meeting.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Vietnams industry insiders and policymakers feel the country must start monitoring and issuing carbon certificates to exporters and retailers in response to the European Unions (EU) recently-passed carbon levy. Instead of buying the EU's carbon certificate, domestic businesses could take steps to reduce their own carbon footprints during production, experts feel.

The European Parliaments (EP) EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will "put a fair price on the carbon emitted during the production of carbon-intensive goods that are entering the EU, and to encourage cleaner industrial production in non-EU countries."

The bloc requires exporters to report their commodities' carbon footprints, on which a tax may be levied should carbon emissions during the production of said commodities exceed the EU's carbon regulations.

Vietnam's industry insiders and policymakers feel the country must start monitoring and issuing carbon certificates to exporters and retailers in response to the European Union's (EU) carbon levy. Instead of buying the EU's carbon certificate, domestic businesses could take steps to reduce their own carbon footprints during production, experts feel.

CBAM will hit major Vietnamese exporters and retailers first, especially those dealing with products with higher carbon footprints, giving smaller players some time to prepare, industry experts said.

Some Vietnamese businesses, who had been anticipating the new carbon tax, have already implemented measures to reduce their carbon emissions, according to a report by a Vietnamese media outlet.

Andrew Wyatt, deputy head of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in Vietnam, urged the government to establish policies to monitor and issue carbon certificates to Vietnamese exporters and producers by 2025.

The IUCN, the ministry of natural resources and environment and the ministry of agriculture and rural development have been working closely together in recent years to build policy frameworks related to the global carbon market, he added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with a group of girls who reached the age of puberty in Tehran, Feb. 3. Reuters-Yonhap



Iran's supreme leader on Sunday reportedly ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for "tens of thousands" of people detained amid nationwide anti-government protests shaking the country, acknowledging for the first time the scale of the crackdown.



The decree by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, part of a yearly pardoning the supreme leader does before the anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, comes as authorities have yet to say how many people they detained in the demonstrations. State media offered a list of caveats over the order as well that means those with ties abroad or facing internationally criticized spying charges wouldn't be eligible.



State media reports about the decree offered no explanation for the decision by Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state in Iran. However, prisons and detention facilities already had faced overcrowding in the country after years of protests over economic issues and other matters.



Authorities also did not name any of those who had been pardoned or seen shorter sentences. Instead, state television for instance referred to the demonstrations as being a "foreign-backed riot," rather than homegrown anger over the September death of Masha Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman detained by the country's morality police. Anger also has been spreading over the collapse of the Iranian rial against the U.S. dollar, as well as Tehran arming Russia with bomb-carrying drones in its war on Ukraine.



More than 19,600 people have been arrested during the protests, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that's been tracking the crackdown. At least 527 people have been killed as authorities violently suppressed demonstrations, the group said. Iran hasn't offered a death toll for months. It already has executed at least four people detained amid the protests after internationally criticized trials.



All this comes as Iran's nuclear deal has collapsed and Tehran has enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build "several" atomic bombs if it chooses, the United Nations' top nuclear envoy has said. A shadow war between Iran and Israel has risen out of the chaos, with Tehran blaming Israel for a drone attack on a military workshop in Isfahan last week as well.



Meanwhile, a long-detained opposition leader in Iran is calling for a nationwide referendum about whether to write a new constitution for the Islamic Republic.



Mir Hossein Mousavi's call, posted late Saturday by the opposition Kaleme website, included him saying he didn't believe Iran's current system giving final say to a supreme leader worked any longer. He also called for the formation of a constitutional assembly of "real representatives" to write a new constitution.



It remains unlikely Iran's theocracy will heed the 80-year-old politician's call. He and his wife have been under house arrest for years after his disputed presidential election loss in 2009 led to the widespread Green Movement protests that security forces also put down. However, he himself had supported and served in Iran's theocracy for decades.



In 2019, Mousavi compared Khamenei to the former Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whose rule saw troops gun down demonstrators in an event that led to the Islamic Revolution. (AP)


Edmonton, Alberta, Canada-based Brass Dome Ventures announced the launch of the Brass Fund One venture fund with a mission of investing in early-stage, inventor-led companies that have emerged from local universities.

Current investors in Brass Fund One include business leaders from the Alberta region, who have contributed CAD$1 million to launch the inaugural fund.

The fund intends to provide investments of up to CAD$500k to as many as three eligible companies, thus seeding the Alberta innovation ecosystem with innovative start-ups that provide jobs and enhance the regions economy.

Brass Fund One is focused on investing in companies across a range of industries that have built a strong foundation of intellectual property and demonstrated a clear differentiation from their competition. The funds first portfolio company is a technology start-up that has developed a system for generating high frequency solid-state microprocessor chips that are able to deliver a significantly greater level of power than are available in current microprocessors to fuel the next generation of smart phones and other mobile devices.

Led by Christopher Micetich, CEO, Brass Dome Ventures is a management and business consultancy that collaborates with innovative and visionary companies in the strategic planning and execution of their goals and objectives.

A second fund, Brass Fund Two, is expected to be launched in 2023 that will seek to invest in more established companies that are generating revenues but still require additional capital and business support to take their enterprise to the next stage of their evolution. Entrepreneurs interested in being considered for investment in either Brass Fund One or Two are invited to submit a business plan to Brass Dome Ventures at [email protected]

FinSMEs

04/02/2023
Like every year, Merck Foundation marks World Cancer Day together with Africa First Ladies and Ministries of Health through building cancer care capacity and increasing the limited number of oncologists in their countries by providing 110 Scholarships of One-, two- and three-years fellowship, diploma and Master degree of oncology to African doctors from 25 Countries; Merck Foundation is making history in Africa by training the first African oncologists and first cancer care teams in countries such as The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Central African Republic, Chad, Burundi, Malawi, Niger, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and more.

Like every year, Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, marks World Cancer Day 2023 themed Close the care gap together with African First Ladies through their Cancer Access Program to build professional cancer care capacity in Africa with the aim to increase the limited number of Oncologists and develop the first multidisciplinary cancer care teams across the continent.

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation emphasized, We mark World Cancer Day together with African First Ladies, every day and every year in a very special and unique way, that is by transforming and advancing cancer care in Africa by building professional capacity and improving access to quality and equitable cancer care in the continent. I am proud to share that Merck Foundation together with African First Ladies is successfully increasing the limited number of Oncologists in Africa by providing 110 scholarships to young doctor from 25 countries.

We are making history together by providing this important scholarships for the first oncologists and /or the first cancer care teams in many countries across Africa.

Launched in 2016, the Merck Foundation Cancer Access Program provides One, two- and three-years fellowship, Post Graduate Diploma and Master Degree of oncology for doctors from Africa. The clinical training has been conducted in India, Egypt and Kenya. Moreover, Merck Foundation also started to provide scholarships for 2 years online PG Diploma in Cancer and Clinical Oncology, 1 year online PG Diploma in Medical Oncology and 1 year online PG Diploma in Pain Management from reputed Universities in UK.

As per recent WHO data, every year, Africa records around 1.1 million new cases of cancer, resulting in up to 700,000 deaths. Africa has only 3% of the worlds cancer treatment facilities, with radiotherapy available in just 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, which contributes to poor survival rates.

We are aiming to form Multidisciplinary Oncology Care teams in many countries by providing scholarships of clinical training in Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Pediatrics Oncology, Gynecology Oncology, Breast Oncology, Haemato-Oncology, Orthopaedic Oncology, Palliative Care, Pathology Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Research in Oncology, Surgical Oncology  Genital Urinary System, Advanced Cytopathology Training, Interventional Radiology, Radiation Technician, Laboratory Technician, Oncology Nursing. We are proud that we are making history in Africa through training the first Oncologists and First Cancer Care teams in many countries such as; The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Central African Republic, Chad, and Niger. Merck Foundation is committed to leading Africa to a better future through transforming the landscape of Cancer care in the continent, explained Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej.

Merck Foundation through its Merck Foundation Cancer Access Program has provided 110 scholarships of Oncology to doctors from 25 countries which are: Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central Africa, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, The Gambia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Dr. Iddrisu A. Rashid Timtoni who completed his Master Degree In Medical Oncology at NCI, Cairo University, Merck Foundation Oncology Alumni from Ghana says, Unfortunately, medical oncologists who play a central role and coordinating patient care are very few in Ghana with none in the northern part of the country, and therefore an urgent need to train doctors to fill this gap. Therefore, Merck Foundation program to provide scholarship for master degree in Medical Oncology in Egypt was a successful strategy to address this huge challenge not only in Ghana but in the rest of Africa. Thank you very much Merck Foundation.

Dr. Paul Kamfwa, Gynecologic Oncology Fellow, Merck Foundation Alumni from Zambia adds, I am the first Gynecologic Oncologist in Zambia, thanks to Merck Oncology Fellowship Program. The Fellowship has helped me to receive extensive surgical exposure to gynecological procedures, chemotherapy and learn the new and advanced techniques of radiotherapy. Zambian women will now have a quality and continuity of care since surgery and administering of chemoradiotherapy can be facilitated by the same person in their home country.

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Chinese premier meets UNGA president

Xinhua) 10:19, February 05, 2023

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in Beijing on Friday.

Noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping has said China is committed to multilateralism and safeguarding the international system with the United Nations at its core, Li said China stands ready to work with all parties to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, international law and the basic norms governing international relations.

China will remain committed to the right direction of economic globalization and a multi-polar world, and safeguard world peace and stability, Li added.

He said that, as a founding member of the UN and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China will, as always, actively support and participate in the work of the UN, strengthen coordination and cooperation in such areas as sustainable development, climate change, water resources and UN reform, and jointly address global challenges.

Li said China is the defender and participant of the existing international order, as well as the beneficiary and promoter of global openness.

"No matter how the international landscape may change, China will remain firmly committed to the path of peaceful development, adhere to the basic state policy of reform and opening-up, adhere to the win-win strategy of opening-up, uphold humanity's common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom," Li said, adding that China will develop itself through extensive international exchanges and cooperation, and provide new opportunities for the development of the world.

Korosi said the UN hopes to deepen friendship and cooperation with China to jointly address the political, economic, ecological, water resources and humanitarian crises facing the world today, achieve sustainable development and advance reform based on scientific decision-making mechanisms.

The UN appreciates China's support for the work of the UN and hopes China will continue to play a greater role in various areas, Korosi added.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 3, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa on Friday received a draft preliminary delimitation report from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)  which was amended after submissions from both Parliament and the President himself, as per Constitutional requirement  and is expected to favour the elections management body with his comments, after which the statutory body will compile the final document for gazetting, having either taken the comments into account or disregarded them, it has been learnt.

There were erroneous reports that the document that was handed over to President Mnangagwa was the final delimitation report.

Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet (Presidential Communications) Mr George Charamba told The Sunday Mail yesterday that the President will submit his comments to ZEC after studying the draft preliminary delimitation report, as amended.

Following submission of the preliminary report by the ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission), that action put in train two sets of reactions: One from Parliament (of Zimbabwe) and another one from His Excellency, the President. Both these are by way of feedback to ZECs preliminary delimitation report. Both sets of reactions were given to ZEC, and the first to do so was Parliament of Zimbabwe, through the President, as required by the Constitution. Then the President later sent his own response to the preliminary delimitation report, said Mr Charamba.

Out of those two responses, ZEC then produced a draft preliminary report with the new amendments, which means amendments from Parliament and amendments noted by the President. What the chairlady of ZEC (Justice Priscilla Chigumba) gave the President (on Friday) was the preliminary report, as amended by the reactions from both Parliament and from the President.

ZEC handed over the initial preliminary report to President Mnangagwa on December 26, 2022.

Both the National Assembly and Senate were subsequently summoned last month to debate the report after it was tabled in Parliament.

On January 19, Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda then handed over its comments on the proposed amendments to the delimitation report to President Mnangagwa, who later transmitted it to ZEC as required by the law.

He also submitted his own comments on January 23.

After going through the reactions from both the President and Parliament, ZEC then produced the draft preliminary delimitation report, which was submitted to the former on Friday.

The President, in turn, will go through that preliminary report, as amended. Depending on how he views it, he will then give ZEC his final comment on that draft preliminary report, as amended, added Mr Charamba.

Those would be his final comments on the matter, and ZEC will exercise its Constitutional right to either take them into account or to discard them, because the Constitution gives ZEC the final say on the compilation of what then becomes the final delimitation report. So, the final delimitation report is then what will be given to the President for gazetting.

This is the first delimitation report that would be produced under the new Constitution adopted in 2013. Sunday Mail
Reston, Virginia, Feb. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. (FBLA), the nations largest business career and technical student organization, is celebrating FBLA Week February 5-11 as part of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. FBLA Middle School, High School, and Collegiate members across the country have planned activities to mark each day of the week and raise awareness about the organizations mission of inspiring and preparing community-minded business leaders.

The weeks activities include: a social media spotlight of members across the country (Feb. 5); a live webinar and Q&A with student national officers (Feb. 6); a networking night with members and alumni (Feb. 7); workshops on career preparation (Feb. 8); an adviser thank-you day (Feb. 9); a fundraising competition and financial literacy webinar (Feb. 10); and a spirit day to celebrate FBLAs rebrand and hold a Collegiate State Officer Summit (Feb. 11).

In addition, High School and Collegiate national officers have visits planned with more than 20 members of Congress and the Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education for Career, Technical, and Adult Education Amy Loyd. Students will share the powerful impact FBLA has both in and out of the classroom, including the importance of CTE in furthering academic success, workforce readiness, and community engagement.

Several states and cities across the country also issued official proclamations declaring February 5-11 as FBLA Week.

We are thrilled to celebrate how FBLA is improving the lives of our over 200,000 members, FBLA President & CEO Alexander T. Graham said. From helping them explore careers to learning valuable workplace skills such as problem-solving and time management, FBLA is truly preparing todays students to become tomorrows leaders. As they look to their own futures, our students are also fully engaged with their communities, giving back to those in need and networking with potential employers. We couldnt be prouder of their achievements thanks to the dedicated educators who serve as student advisers, making this success possible.

Sponsors of FBLA Week include BusinessU, Clifton Larson Allen, Country Meats, Equedi, Lead4Change, Mens Wearhouse, and the National Technical Honor Society. More information about FBLA Week can be found on FBLAs website at fbla.org/fblaweek.

Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) education association with active middle school, high school, and college chapters worldwide. Its mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. The association is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.fbla.org.
VANCOUVER, Feb. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After years of work by First Nations, provincial, and federal governments, an action plan for a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Northern Shelf Bioregion has been adopted.

WWF-Canada applauds progress on this Indigenous-led and collaboratively developed effort that will double coverage of MPAs in this 100,000-square-kilometre region, also known as the Great Bear Sea, to 30 per cent and guide the creation of what will become Canadas first-ever planned MPA network.

WWF-Canada looks forward to Canadas swift implementation of priority sites by 2025 and formal designation of these areas as MPAs alongside robust protections and management plans.

The Northern Shelf Bioregion is a place where fin whales, humpbacks and orcas swim past deep fjords, rocky islands and glass sponge reefs; where sea birds forage in coastal estuaries, giant kelp beds and along rocky coastlines; and where wolves and the pale spirit bear roam the seas neighbouring namesake, the Great Bear Rainforest.

The proposed areas identified in the Northern Shelf Bioregion MPA Network Action Plan, when implemented with existing MPAs, will collectively conserve the regions unique wildlife and diverse habitats, rebuild abundance and ecosystem resilience, and deliver positive outcomes for communities across the entire region.

While this is a big step forward, there is a lot of work to be done. The implementation of sites will require formalizing protection measures to limit incompatible activities. With declines in species and ecosystem healthand as the Great Bear Sea braces for increases in shipping and development as well as climate variabilityprotections are needed sooner rather than later.

WWF-Canada hopes to see a similar approach to the establishment of future protected areas and networks that prioritizes both Indigenous governance and stewardship along with systematic conservation planning.

Hussein Alidina, lead specialist for marine conservation at WWF-Canada, says:

The Northern Shelf Bioregion MPA Network Action Plan will lead to the creation of Canadas first systematically planned marine protected area network and is a groundbreaking model for collaborative governance. In a process that is being led and implemented with Indigenous nations, the action plan is an important step in advancing both marine conservation and Indigenous reconciliation. We now need to rapidly shift our attention to implementation of these marine protected areas and do what needs to be done to make them a reality.

For more information on the Great Bear Sea MPA Network: https://wwf.ca/great-bear-sea/

About World Wildlife Fund Canada

WWF-Canada is committed to equitable and effective conservation actions that restore nature, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. We draw on scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance to ensure all our efforts connect to a single goal: a future where wildlife, nature and people thrive. For more information visit wwf.ca.
Highlights



Extension of the CV5 Pegmatite eastwardly by at least 400 m through the first four (4) drill holes of the 2023 drill campaign (CV23-105, 106, 107, and 108) Geological logged, near-continuous 1 , spodumene-bearing pegmatite intersections from the main body (moving eastwardly from CV22-093) ranging from of approximately 54 m to 132 m in width (core length). Drill holes immediately on strike of high-grade Nova Zone.

Step-out drilling westwardly, along strike of CV22-074, to begin shortly.

Spodumene pegmatite has been traced continuously by drilling (at ~50-100 m spacing) over a lateral distance of at least 2.6 km (CV22-074 to CV23-108), remaining open along strike at both ends and to depth along most of its length.

(CV22-074 to CV23-108), remaining open along strike at both ends and to depth along most of its length. Core samples from first three (3) drill holes have arrived at the analytical lab (SGS).

Four (4) core drilling rigs currently active at site with a fifth to be collared shortly.

As of January 30 th , 2023, a total of eight (8) drill holes (~3,400 m) have been completed this year at the CV5 Pegmatite. A minimum of 20,000 m is targeted to be completed over the January through April period.

, 2023, a total of eight (8) drill holes (~3,400 m) have been completed this year at the CV5 Pegmatite.

Blair Way, Company President, CEO and Director, comments: We are off to a great start with drilling at the CV5 Pegmatite in 2023. We are collaring at wide step-outs of 100 m on this first series of holes to the east and have now extended the principal spodumene pegmatite body at least another 400 m (drill hole CV22-093 to CV23-108), based on geological logging of drill core. With four (4) drill rigs now active on site, and earlier than anticipated, we will continue to advance aggressively as we look ahead to an initial mineral resource estimate targeted for the first half of 2023.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia and SYDNEY, Australia, Feb. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (the Company or Patriot) (TSX-V: PMET) (ASX: PMT) (OTCQX: PMETF) (FSE: R9GA) is pleased to provide an update on the 2023 drill campaign currently underway at its wholly owned Corvette Property (the Property), located in the James Bay Region of Quebec. The winter phase of the drill campaign is focused on the CV5 Pegmatite, located approximately 13.5 km south of the regional and allweather Trans-Taiga Road and powerline infrastructure and is currently accessible by winter road.

The Company is pleased to report that the first eight (8) drill holes, as reported herein (CV23-105 through 112) have intersected various widths of spodumene pegmatite, ranging from approximately 8 m to 132 m (core length), and therefore have extended the strike length of the CV5 Pegmatite body an additional 400 m along strike eastwardly (Figures 1 and 2). Based on drill holes completed through January 30th, 2023, the CV5 Pegmatite has now been traced continuously by drilling (at 50-100 m spacing) over a lateral distance of at least 2.6 km (CV22-074 to CV23108), remaining open along strike at both ends and to depth along most of its length.

Drill holes CV23-105 and 106 were collared immediately on strike eastwardly of the high-grade Nova Zone intersected in drill hole CV22093 (52.2 m at 3.34% Li 2 O, including 15.0 m of 5.10% Li 2 O  see news release dated January 30th, 2023), at a distance of approximately 90 m and 200 m, respectively, and returned near-continuous1 pegmatite intersections of approximately 84 and 132 m (core length), respectively. The two holes were collared at the same orientation as CV23-093 and indicate the pegmatite has widened at this location and depth along strike. The pegmatite continued to be intersected in drill holes CV23107 and 108, a further 100 m and 200 m along strike, respectively, with widths of approximately 65 m and 54 m (core length), respectively. The pegmatite remains to be tested further at depth along this 400 m of new strike length. Core assays have not yet been received for any of the holes completed to date in 2023.

The Company intends to continue stepping out along strike eastwardly towards the CV4 Pegmatite cluster, which is now within approximately 2.0 km of the easternmost drill hole reported herein from CV5 (CV23-108) (Figure 2). Additionally, spodumene pegmatite is inferred to be present under cover along this corridor based on a boulder field located approximately 1 km down ice (Figure 2). Based on the angularity and size of the boulders, they are not interpreted to have been sourced from the CV4 Pegmatite cluster and therefore, may indicate a source under the shallow glacial lake, along strike of the current drilling at CV5.

In addition to the step-out drilling of the Nova Zone and primary pegmatite body eastwardly, the Company also intends to continue step-out drilling westwardly from drill hole CV22-074 (16.9 m at 2.00% Li 2 O  see news release dated January 18th, 2023). The mineralized pegmatite is interpreted to continue for at least another 125 m in this direction based on a mineralized outcrop present along strike (Figure 1). It is interpreted that the CV5 Pegmatite may extend under the relatively thin glacial till cover towards the CV13 Pegmatite cluster, situated approximately 4.3 km to the west-southwest, and is anticipated to be drill tested during the 2023 drill campaign.

The primary objectives of the 2023 drill campaign are to further delineate the extent of the CV5 Pegmatite, as well as infill drill to improve the geological model to achieve indicated mineral resource confidence to support a future prefeasibility study. As of January 30th, 2023, a total of eight (8) drill holes (~3,400 m) have been completed this year at the CV5 Pegmatite, with a minimum of 20,000 m targeted to be completed over the January through April period.

Core samples from first three (3) drill holes (CV23-105, 106, 107) have arrived at the analytical lab (SGS) with core processing ongoing at site (Figure 3). Four (4) NQ size core drilling rigs are currently active at site with a fifth expected to collar shortly.

May include minor intervals of non-pegmatite and/or non-spodumene bearing pegmatite. Data for drill holes presented herein are based on a combination of preliminary and detailed geological logs and, therefore, overall is considered to be preliminary in nature as there may be minor variations from the final detailed geological log when completed.

Table 1: Drill hole attributes with logged pegmatite intersections >2 m





A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bf6b0e85-1f4d-4af7-b52a-11baa7d59884





A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06d0a4c9-5252-4d64-9966-b73ee29f6f1a

Figure 1: Drill hole locations through CV23-112 at the CV5 Pegmatite





A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/061882c1-4db4-42c8-98be-9c858cb679c5

Figure 2: CV5 through CV4 pegmatite cluster corridor





A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e28b4b3-7caf-4958-9740-e38d7aea0861

Figure 3: Aerial view of several 2023 drill hole collars (Top); spodumene pegmatite core from 2023 drill campaign being processed at Project (Bottom)

About the CV Lithium Trend

The CV Lithium Trend is an emerging spodumene pegmatite district discovered by the Company in 2017 and spans more than 25-km across the Corvette Property. The core area includes an approximate 2.6 km long spodumene pegmatite (the CV5 Pegmatite) and multiple proximal secondary spodumene pegmatite lenses. This corridor has returned drill intercepts of 156.9 m at 2.12% Li 2 O, including 25.0 m at 5.04% Li 2 O or 5.0 m at 6.36% Li 2 O (CV22083), 159.7 m at 1.65% Li 2 O (CV22-042), 131.2 m at 1.96% Li 2 O (CV22-100), and 52.2 m at 3.34% Li 2 O, including 15.0 m at 5.10% Li 2 O (CV22-093).

To date, six (6) distinct clusters of lithium pegmatite have been discovered across the Property  CV5 Pegmatite and associated lenses, CV4, CV8-12, CV9, CV10, and the recently discovered CV13. Given the proximity of some pegmatite outcrops to each other, as well as the shallow till cover in the area, it is probable that some of the outcrops may reflect a discontinuous surface exposure of a single, larger pegmatite outcrop subsurface. Further, the high number of well-mineralized pegmatites along the trend indicate a strong potential for a series of relatively closely spaced/stacked, sub-parallel, and sizable spodumene-bearing pegmatite bodies, with significant lateral and depth extent, to be present.

Qualified/Competent Person

The information in this news release that relates to exploration results for the Corvette Property is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled by Mr. Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and member in good standing with the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec (Geologist Permit number 1968), and with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (member number 87868). Mr. Smith has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

Mr. Smith is Vice President of Exploration for Patriot Battery Metals Inc. and Nevada Lithium Resources Inc., Vice President of Exploration and Director for Ophir Gold Corp, and a Senior Geologist and Project Manager with Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. Mr. Smith holds common shares and options in the Company.

Mr. Smith has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralization, type of deposit under consideration, and to the activities being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as described by the JORC Code, 2012. Mr. Smith consents to the inclusion in this news release of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

About Patriot Battery Metals Inc.

Patriot Battery Metals Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of mineral properties containing battery, base, and precious metals.

The Companys flagship asset is the 100% owned Corvette Property, located proximal to the Trans-Taiga Road and powerline infrastructural corridor in the James Bay Region of Quebec. The land package hosts significant lithium potential highlighted by the 2.6 km long CV5 spodumene pegmatite with drill intercepts of 156.9 m at 2.12% Li 2 O, including 25.0 m at 5.04% Li 2 O or 5.0 m at 6.36% Li 2 O (CV22083), 159.7 m at 1.65% Li 2 O (CV22-042), 131.2 m at 1.96% Li 2 O (CV22-100), and 52.2 m at 3.34% Li 2 O, including 15.0 m at 5.10% Li 2 O (CV22-093). Additionally, the Property hosts the Golden Gap Trend with grab samples of 3.1 to 108.9 g/t Au from outcrop and 7 m at 10.5 g/t Au in drill hole, and the Maven Trend with 8.15% Cu, 1.33 g/t Au, and 171 g/t Ag in outcrop.

The Company also holds 100% ownership of the Freeman Creek Gold Property in Idaho, USA which hosts two prospective gold prospects - the Gold Dyke Prospect with a 2020 drill hole intersection of 12 m at 4.11 g/t Au and 33.0 g/t Ag, and the Carmen Creek Prospect with surface sample results including 25.5 g/t Au, 159 g/t Ag, and 9.75% Cu.

The Companys other assets include the Pontax Lithium-Gold Property, QC; and the Hidden Lake Lithium Property, NWT, where the Company maintains a 40% interest, as well as several other assets in Canada.

For further information, please contact us at info@patriotbatterymetals.com Tel: +1 (604) 279-8709, or visit www.patriotbatterymetals.com . Please also refer to the Companys continuous disclosure filings, available under its profile at www.sedar.com, for available exploration data.

This news release has been approved by the Board of Directors,

BLAIR WAY

Blair Way, President, CEO, & Director

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as will, may, should, anticipate, expects and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys expectations include the results of further exploration and testing, and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, available at www.sedar.com . The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.

No securities regulatory authority or stock exchange has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Appendix 1  JORC Code 2012 Table 1 information required by ASX Listing Rule 5.7.1

Section 1  Sampling Techniques and Data

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling.

Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used.

Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report.

In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Core sampling protocols met or exceeded industry standard practices.

Core Sampling is guided by lithology as determined during geological logging (i.e., by a geologist). All pegmatite intervals are sampled in their entirety (half-core), regardless if spodumene mineralization is noted or not (in order to ensure an unbiased sampling approach) in addition to ~1-3 m of sampling into the adjacent wallrock (dependent on pegmatite interval length) to bookend the sampled pegmatite.

The minimum individual sample length is 0.3 m and the maximum sample length is 3.0 m. Targeted individual pegmatite sample lengths are 1.0 m.

All drill core is oriented to maximum foliation prior to logging and sampling and is cut with a core saw into half-core pieces, with one half-core collected for assay, and the other half-core remaining in the box for reference. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). NQ size standard core drilling was completed for all holes. Core is not oriented; however, downhole OTV-ATV surveys have been completed on a subset of holes to assess structure. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed.

Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples.

Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. All drill core was geotechnically logged following industry standard practices, and includes total core recovery, fracture recording, ISRM rock strength and weathering, and RQD. Core recovery is very good and typically exceeds 90%. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies.

Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography.

The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Upon receipt at the core shack, all drill core received is pieced together, oriented to maximum foliation, metre marked, geotechnically logged (including structure), alteration logged, geologically logged, and sample logged on an individual sample basis. Core box photos are also collected of all core drilled, regardless of perceived mineralization. Specific gravity measurements are also collected at systematic intervals for all drill core.

These logging practices meet or exceed current industry standard practices and are of appropriate detail to support a mineral resource estimation.

The logging is qualitative by nature, and includes estimates of spodumene grain size, inclusions, and model mineral estimates. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken.

If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry.

For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique.

Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples.

Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling.

Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. N/A, no assay data presented.



Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total.

For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc.

Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. N/A, no assay data presented. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel.

The use of twinned holes.

Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols.

Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Intervals are reviewed and compiled by the VP Exploration and Project Managers prior to disclosure, including a review of the Companys internal QAQC samples if analytical data.

No twinned holes have been completed, as all of the drilling in the area of interest is within the last two years.

Data capture utilizes MX Deposit software whereby core logging data is entered directly into the software for storage, including direct import of laboratory analytical certificates as they are received. The Company employs various on-site and post QAQC protocols to ensure data integrity and accuracy. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation.

Specification of the grid system used.

Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Each drill hole is collar has been surveyed with a handheld GPS, with a more detailed coordinate capture to follow.

The coordinate system used is UTM NAD83 Zone 18.

The Company completed a property-wide LiDAR and orthophoto survey in August 2022, which provides high-quality topographic control.

The quality and accuracy of the topographic controls are considered adequate for advanced stage exploration and development. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results.

Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied.

Whether sample compositing has been applied. Drill hole spacing is dominantly at ~100 m; however, tightens to ~50 m in some places.

Based on the nature of the mineralization and continuity in geological modelling, it is believed that a 100 m spacing will be sufficient to support an inferred mineral resource estimate. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type.

If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. No sampling bias is anticipated based on structure within the mineralized body.

The mineralized body is relatively undeformed and very competent, although likely has some meaningful structural control.

The mineralized body is steeply dipping resulting in oblique angles of intersection with true widths varying based on drill hole angle and orientation of pegmatite at that particular intersection point. i.e. The dip of the mineralized pegmatite body has variations in a vertical sense and along strike, so the true widths are not always apparent until several holes have been drilled in any particular drill-fence. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. N/A, no assay data presented. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. A review of the sample procedures for the Companys 2021 fall drill program (CF21-001 to 004) and 2022 winter drill program (CV22-015 to 034) was completed by an Independent Qualified Person and deemed adequate and acceptable to industry best practices (discussed in an NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Corvette Property, Quebec, Canada, Issue date of June 27th, 2022.) Additionally, the Company continually reviews and evaluates its procedures in order to optimize and ensure compliance at all levels of sample data collection and handling.

Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results

(Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.)
Who needs Blakk Rastas opinion on Bob Marley/Sarkodie collabo? -Kwabena Kwabena

Gifty Owusu-Amoah Showbiz News Feb - 05 - 2023 , 20:40

Highlife artiste, Kwabena Kwabena says people should disregard comments by media personality/musician, Blakk Rasta on his perceived negative opinions of rapper Sarkodies collaboration with Bob Marley on Stir it Up.

Speaking on UTVs United Showbiz yesterday, February 4, the Aso crooner mentioned that Blakk Rastas opinion was not relevant in the scheme of affairs at the moment.

Kwabena Kwabena was responding to a question of the consequences of Blakk Rastas labelling of the collaboration as a desecration of the legacy of the late music icon.

How is Blakk Rasta relevant here? Who wants his opinion? If his views mattered, he would have been consulted before the production and that is why no ones opinion is needed.

What is important now is that, the song is done and everyone should go and listen to it. That should be the focus of the conversation and nothing else, he said.

Read also Alls set for Kwabena Kwabena Love concert

Kwabena Kwabena said that it was quite unfortunate that Ghanaians love to major on irrelevant issues at a time when they should be celebrating victories.

This is quite unfortunate because with what is happening, one may be tempted to ask if any good thing can come out of Ghana. Im saying this because anytime Ghana has something good to boast of, we just denigrate it.

This is not the first time. This negative attitude started from the days of Fuse ODG, Shatta Wale, and many others have suffered same.

For many years, Rocky Dawuni has been getting Grammy nominations but nobody really cared about it until recently when we started having discussions about it, he noted.
Serious wahala for oyiboland

Edmund Smith-Asante Features Feb - 04 - 2023 , 10:47

In the last account, I finally found my lost luggage at the last minute before boarding the flight to Brussels, Belgium, where I would report on the 4th EU-Africa summit that attracted many African and European leaders.

So we had a smooth flight and got to Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union, to cover the summit.

After going through all the security checks I had the opportunity to report on the fourth EU-Africa Summit in Brussels, Belgium, under the theme Investing in People, Prosperity and Peace.

It was attended by about 49 African heads of state and government, including Ghanas then President, John Dramani Mahama, and 29 European Union (EU) heads of government, who discussed peace, trade, security, investment, climate change and migration, among others.

Roll call

High level attendees at the summit included then Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, Cameroonian President, Paul Biya, Head of State of Transition of Central African Republic, Catherine Samba-Panza; President of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Nabil Fahmy, and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Eritrea, Osman Saleh Mohammed.

Arrivals from Europe included the President of Bulgaria, Rosen Assenov Plevneliev; Prime Minister of Finland, Jyrki Katainen, and Greeces Minister of Foreign Affairs, Evangelos Venizelos, among many others.

Leading the two blocks were the President of the European Council, Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, on the one hand and the African Union (AU) President, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mrs Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini Zuma, on the other.

Special guests at the summit included the then United Nations Secretary-General, Ban-Ki Moon, President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka, and the Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, Pim Van Ballekom.

Others were the President of the Pan African Parliament, Mr Bethel Nnae meka Amadi, Vice President of the European Parliament, Mr Miguel Angel Martinez, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy for the European External Action Service, Mrs Catherine Ashton.

Speaking on his arrival at the summit, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said We expect that at the end of the summit the relationship between the EU and Africa would be enhanced  It becomes stronger and stronger in terms of our economic development and also in terms of our commitment to maintain peace and human security in Africa.

Summit

Addressing the 2014 summit, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Nkosazana Clarice Dlamini Zuma, urged Europe to partner Africa in an industrialisation drive so that it could contribute more meaningfully to the worlds economy.

She said while Africas plan of industrialisation  the African Industrial Development Plan  looked at agriculture as one of the drivers, a partnership with Europe would result in a win, win for everyone.

So we need to look at growing and also processing our agricultural products. But because we still have a lot more land than you as our partners here, we can work together so that Africa is food secure but also doesnt only feed Africa but also can contribute to the world, including Europe, she stated.

Africa, she said, was also in dire need of skills development because of its growing young population which needed training in order to contribute to the development of Africa and Europe.

With a growing and young population, Africa needs a skilled revolution, and to scale up investments requires research technology and innovation, she said.

The AU Commission Chairperson also indicated that Africa was looking at transformative policies that would enable it to add value to its material resources, so that we can grow trade in manufactured goods, in addition to the raw materials that we are already exporting.

Paying glowing tribute to the late Nelson Mandela, President of the European Commission, Mr Barosso, said he hoped his commitment to peace, freedom, justice and his wisdom would inspire discussions at the summit.

For his part, the President of the European Council, Mr Van Rompuy, said Europe was committed to helping Africa bring an end to conflicts.

President of the AU, Mr Abdel Aziz, said, We will work tirelessly to find solutions to our problems but we may not have the means to implement and bring about the solutions on our own, hence we will then call upon partners and the global community to support our efforts.

Encounter with EU MP

One of the high points of my visit to Brussels was an interview with the Vice-Chair of the European Parliaments Industry, Research and Energy Committee, Britta Thomsen, who advocated that Africa should develop local solutions for its energy challenges instead of depending on Europe.

During the interview conducted in her office at the European Parliament in Brussels on April 3, 2014, Ms Thomsen, a Danish Social Democrat, stated that Africa needed to advance energy solutions because globally 1.6 billion people did not have access to energy and without access to energy you cant develop anything. You will keep on the same level of very low economic activity.
US shoots down China spy balloon in America

International News Feb - 05 - 2023 , 07:42

The US has shot down a giant Chinese balloon that it says has been spying on key military sites across America.

The Department of Defence confirmed its fighter jets brought down the balloon over US territorial waters.

China's foreign ministry later expressed "strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US's use of force to attack civilian unmanned aircraft".

Footage on US TV networks showed the balloon falling to the sea after a small explosion.

An F-22 jet fighter engaged the high-altitude balloon with one missile - an AIM-9X Sidewinder - and it went down about six nautical miles off the US coast at 14:39 EST (19:39 GMT), a defence official told reporters.

Defence officials told US media the debris landed in 47ft (14m) of water - shallower than they had expected - near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The military is now trying to recover debris which is spread over seven miles (11km). Two naval ships, including one with a heavy crane for recovery, are in the area.

In a Pentagon statement a senior US defence official said that "while we took all necessary steps to protect against the PRC [China] surveillance balloon's collection of sensitive information, the surveillance balloon's overflight of US territory was of intelligence value to us.



"We were able to study and scrutinise the balloon and its equipment, which has been valuable," the official added.

US President Joe Biden had been under pressure to shoot the balloon down since defence officials first announced they were tracking it on Thursday.

After the balloon was shot down, Mr Biden said: "They successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it."



In a statement a few hours later, the Chinese foreign ministry said: "The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure - it was completely an accident."

The discovery of the balloon set off a diplomatic crisis, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken immediately calling off this weekend's trip to China over the "irresponsible act".

The Chinese authorities have denied it is a spying aircraft, and instead said it was a weather ship blown astray.

Reacting to the incident, Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement: "The Chinese Communist Party government's actions that violate international law and violate the airspace and sovereignty of other countries should not be tolerated in a civilised international community."

China considers self-ruled Taiwan a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing's control. President Xi Jinping has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.



But Taiwan sees itself as independent, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.

President Biden first approved the plan to down the balloon on Wednesday, but the Pentagon said it had decided to wait until the object was over water so as not to put people on the ground at undue risk.

Groundwork for the operation was laid when the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly paused all civilian flights at three airports around the South Carolina coast on Saturday afternoon because of a "national security effort".

The coast guard also advised mariners to leave the area due to military operations "that present a significant hazard".

An eyewitness on the coast, Hayley Walsh, told BBC News she saw three fighter jets circling before the missile was fired, then "we heard a huge boom, the house shook".

Credit: BBC
Is Ghana making progress towards universal access to clean water?

Dr Simon Ofori Ametepey Feb - 04 - 2023 , 10:10

According to the United Nations Childrens Fund(UNICEF), there is a strong link between poverty and access to clean water. Poorer people are over 20 times more likely to spend more than 30 minutes collecting water than wealthier people.

Human existence, whether in urban or rural areas, is heavily dependent on water and its availability.

Water remains fundamental to human existence and quality of life, from domestic activities such as cooking, farming, cleaning, and washing to industrial endeavours such as food and medicine production.

Thus, it is incumbent on any government to take adequate steps to make water accessible to its people.

In the past decade, Ghana has made significant progress in providing basic water services nationally. However, quality or clean water access has seen minor to moderate improvements.

Only 36 per cent of the population have access to a safely managed water source, while only 18 per cent have access to at least basic sanitation. Seventy-six per cent of Ghanaian households drink contaminated water with faecal matter.



Regional inequities exist even when a national aggregate shows improvement in clean water supply. Access to water, especially clean water, is very limited in the northern regions compared to the Ashanti, Central and Greater Accra regions.

In 2015, the United Nations (UN) converted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) into 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. Goal six of the SDGs  access to clean water and sanitation for all, ensures that all member countries of the UN prioritise the accessibility of clean water and sanitation facilities to all citizens as a fundamental human right. As such, it is inescapable for the government of Ghana to ensure universal access to clean water for all citizens of Ghana by 2030.

Voluntary National Review

According to Ghana's 2022 Voluntary National Review (VNR) report, which is a comprehensive UN-government progress report on SDGs in Ghana, approximately 92.2 per cent of homes have access to improved drinking water sources in 2021.



This percentage represents a seven per cent increase from 2010. Also, Ghana's 2022 VNR report indicates that a greater proportion of urban households had access to improved drinking water sources and basic drinking water services than rural households. In urban areas, two primary water sources  sachet water and pipe-borne water  are 51.5 and 33.6 per cent respectively.

In rural areas, borehole and tube well water as well as pipe-borne water are 33.6 per cent each. Most of the country's major regions had access to clean water; however, more than one-fifth of the population in four regions, Northern, Oti, Northeast, and Savannah regions, lacked access to clean water sources.

Interventions

Whereas the results from the VNR report indicate a possibility that 100 per cent of the population will have access to safe drinking water by 2025, there is a need to improve water infrastructure in rural areas.

The Ghana 2022 VNR report promises that Ghana is on track to achieve its national objective of providing equitable access to basic drinking water services by 2025.

Although this promise is welcomed, the government must prioritise taking preventive steps to protect clean water sources and corrective measures to repair damaged infrastructure to reduce the 7.8 per cent of people who still lack access to clean water.

These interventions include investments in private water production companies for expansion into remote areas to provide clean drinking water, the extension of pipe-borne water networks to developing and remote areas, and the use of local water resources to establish water treatment plants within these communities.

The government must prioritise providing clean water to the Northern, Oti, Northeast and Savannah regions, as they are the regions that significantly lack access to clean water.

Water pollution

A significant constraint of Ghana's water provision efforts is water pollution, with illegal mining (Galamsey) being the primary cause. Illegal mining activities have destroyed many water sources and continually hamper the achievement of the "clean water for all" goal.

According to the VNR report, despite minor improvements, the freshwater sources continue to be negatively affected by illegal mining, uncontrolled pollution and waste disposal into river bodies.

The government must increase its efforts to prevent illegal mining, uncontrolled pollution and waste disposal in rivers. These steps, among others, include the continued arrest of illegal miners and their financiers, empowering the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Minerals Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor legal mining activities. Water pollution prevention is an emergency measure, primarily because of the limited availability of functioning water filters. The government plans to replace these defective filters, but the costs can run to an estimated $35 million  a significant constraint with the country's economic challenges.

Way forward

Ghana has made significant strides in providing access to water nationally. However, the quality of water supply has seen limited improvements.

The government has made only marginal improvements in providing access to clean water. The situation can be improved with private and state investments in the water production department and strict monitoring of our water basins. The provision of clean water for all is an achievable objective, as demonstrated by the 2022 VNR Report, but it requires greater commitment from all stakeholders, particularly the government.

The government must install a robust illegal mining control system and equip law enforcement and environmental protection institutions to monitor and control freshwater systems.

Also, as clean water is made accessible, the state must not neglect the already deprived Northern, Oti, Northeast, and Savannah regions.

They must continue to provide water to many communities through projects and investigate modern sustainable ways to ensure access to water for other remote communities.

With the measures suggested, I will have high expectations that universal access to clean water for all Ghanaians will be possible by 2030.

God bless our homeland Ghana and make us great and strong.
Ghana's second 'Yellow Card' self-inflicted - Prof. Akpalu

Zadok Kwame Gyesi Feb - 05 - 2023 , 12:11

The Director of the Environment and Natural Resource Research Initiative (ENRRI  EfD Ghana), Professor Wisdom Akpalu, is of the view that Ghana has been flagged with 'Yellow card' for the second time by the European Union because the country did not allow its fisheries laws to work.

For him, it is sad that in spite of the many calls and cautions by the various fisheries experts and civil society organisations for the country to apply its fisheries laws against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing practices, institutions overseeing the sector failed to do so, hence attracting a yellow card.

Prof Akpalu, who is also a Natural Resource Economist was speaking to Graphic Online on the sidelines of a one-day stakeholder engagements on the Emerging issues on capture fisheries management in Ghana held at the School of Research and Graduate Studies (SRGS) at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) on Tuesday, January 31, 2023.

He was of the opinion that if the country's fisheries laws had been strictly applied, Ghana would not have received a second yellow card.

Background

Ghana was on June 2, 2021 issued with a Yellow Card by the European Union (EU). This is because Ghana was identified by the EU as a non-cooperating third party state in fighting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (IUU).

Ghana first received a Yellow Card in 2013 and was lifted in 2015 when the country introduced some reforms in the fisheries sector to tackle the menace.

However, the issues raised by the EU for the second Yellow Card included inadequacies in the area of legal framework to fight IUU; illegal trans-shipment at sea of large quantities of undersized juvenile pelagic species between industrial trawl vessels and canoes on Ghanaian waters; expired Marine Fisheries Management Plan (2015-2019); expired National Plan of Action to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU (NPOA-IUU)-2014-2018; deficiencies in the monitoring, control and surveillance of the fleet; as well as lack of deterrent sanctions imposed on vessels engaging in or supporting IUU fishing activities on Ghanaian waters.

Prof. Akpalu, however, was hopeful that Ghana could easily come out of the yellow card should the country allow its fisheries laws to work without any interventions.

ENRRI  EfD Ghana

The Environment and Natural Resource Research Initiative (ENRRI  EfD Ghana) is one of the 15 centres under the Environment for Development (EfD) Initiative, which contributes to the sustainable management of natural resources through capacity development, policy-relevant research and policy engagement.

EfD Ghana brings together accomplished researchers with varied expertise in environmental economics from Ghana and elsewhere to conduct evidence-based research, and advise government and development partners on policy options for managing the environment and scarce natural resources.
The BMW Group is investing 800 million in Plant San Luis Potosi in Mexico for integration of fully-electric models of NEUE KLASSE and construction of local high-voltage battery assembly.





BMW Group Plant SLP

We are systematically gearing our production network towards electromobility. In Mexico, we are investing 800 million euros in our plant and creating around 1,000 new jobs. The first cars of the NEUE KLASSE will come off the production line at our plant in Debrecen, Hungary, starting in 2025, followed by the main plant in Munich. We will achieve additional volumes by integrating the NEUE KLASSE at Plant San Luis Potosi from 2027 onwards. Milan Nedeljkovic, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Production

Of the 800 million slated for Mexico, 500 million is earmarked for construction of a new assembly center for high-voltage batteries, located on the plant grounds in San Luis Potosi. The new assembly center spans an area of 85,000 m2. More than 500 additional employees will work there, producing next-generation batteries for fully-electric vehicles.

At the plant, which went on-stream in 2019, around 3,000 employees already produce the BMW 3 Series, 2 Series Coupe and the new M2in some cases, exclusively for the global market.

The plant is designed to be highly flexible, ensuring only minor adjustments are needed in the body shop and assembly to incorporate the new vehicle architecture.

A special feature of the NEUE KLASSE is that the high-voltage battery is directly integrated into the vehicle structure. The assembly in San Luis Potosi is therefore being expanded to integrate this new process into operations. A second shift will begin at the plant in April, adding another 500 new jobs. A total of about 1,000 additional employees will then be working at San Luis Potosi.

Plant San Luis Potosi is characterized by its responsible resource management and measures to reduce CO 2 . In such a dry region, conserving water is particularly important. The plant is also home to the BMW Groups first paint shop to operate without producing process wastewater. The water required for the painting process is treated and then reused. In addition, the plant sources only green power, which it generates itself at a more than 70,000 m2 solar power installation on the plant grounds, supplemented by electricity from an external solar farm.

The models of the NEUE KLASSE will use new, round lithium-ion battery cells developed specifically for what will then be the sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology. (Earlier post.) The new battery format will increase energy density by more than 20% and improve charging speed and range by up to 30%.

At the same time, CO 2 emissions from cell production will be reduced by up to 60% as a result of cell suppliers relying on energy from renewable resources and, in the case of the raw materials lithium, cobalt and nickel, using a certain percentage of secondary material, i.e. material already in the cycle.

The company also recently announced an investment of US$1.7 billion in the expansion of its Spartanburg production site in the US. This includes US$1 billion for preparations for production of electric vehicles at the companys US plant and $700 million for construction of a new assembly center for high-voltage batteries in nearby Woodruff. By 2030, the BMW Group aims to build at least six fully-electric models in the US.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched a 110-million (US$133-million) scrappage scheme to support Londoners on lower incomes, disabled Londoners, charities, sole traders and business with 10 or fewer employees to replace or retrofit their old, polluting vehicles in order to be ULEZ compliant.

In November 2022, Mayor Kahn announced the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide. The expansion will come into effect on 29 August 2023 and will operate across all London boroughs up to the existing Low Emission Zone boundary for large and heavy vehicles. (Earlier post.)

Retrofits must be accredited and certified by the EST CVRAS (Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme), supported by Zemo, to meet the requirements of the ULEZ and avoid penalty charges.

To accompany the scrappage scheme, the Mayor and TfL (Transport for London) are also announcing a number of ULEZ support offers from businesses, including additional exclusive offers for successful applicants of the scrappage scheme. This will enable Londoners to benefit from discounts on subscriptions, rentals and purchases of bicycles, e-bikes, cargo bikes, cars and vans from companies including Brompton, Enterprise and Santander Cycles.

Around 94% of vehicles seen driving in inner and central London, and 85% of vehicles seen driving in outer London meet ULEZ standards, meaning the vast majority of drivers will not need to pay. The new scrappage scheme and grace periods will help drivers of the remaining non-compliant vehicles prepare.

Londoners receiving certain means-tested benefits and non-means-tested disability benefits can apply for cash grants of up to 2,000 to scrap their non-compliant cars or motorcycles. As a new feature, successful applicants can choose to receive a higher value package comprising up to two free annual bus and tram passes and a lower cash grant.

Disabled people who want to scrap or retrofit a non-compliant wheelchair accessible vehicle will be able to apply for grants of 5,000 to reflect the higher cost of these vehicles. Disabled people can also apply for a nominated driver who lives at a different address if they do not drive themselves.

Charities, sole traders and business with 10 or fewer employees registered in London can apply to scrap a van (5,000 grant) or a minibus (7,000 grant), retrofit certain vans or minibuses (5,000 grant) or scrap and replace a van or minibus with a fully electric vehicle (7,500 or 9,500 grant respectively).

In addition to the scrappage scheme, the Mayor is providing further support for disabled people, through new and extended grace periods. The two new grace periods provide exemptions until October 2027 for recipients of certain disability benefits (or their nominated driver) and for all wheelchair accessible vehicles and some vehicles with other adaptations. The grace periods are available to all eligible people or a nominated driver regardless of whether they live in London, and they will apply to the current ULEZ zone as well.

The new disabled benefits grace period means that anyone who receives benefits that automatically make them eligible for a blue badge will also qualify for the new grace period. More Londoners currently claim benefits that would make them eligible for this grace period than currently hold a blue badge.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is here and it brings a fast new chipset, a 200MP camera with a new sensor for the Ultra, bigger batteries for the other two and, for some regions at least, new prices.



Samsung Galaxy S23 series infographics

The pricing for most regions was announced on Wednesday, details for India came in the day after. While North America avoided the price hike, the rest of the world did not. But everything is getting more expensive and Samsung compensated the price bump by doubling the base storage for the S23+ and S23 Ultra. Thats fair  or is it?

In case you missed it, check out our hands-on review with the three phones and watch Wills report from the Unpacked event. Now lets drill into the details.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has changed the least on the outside but has the best upgrades on the inside. Yes, were talking about Samsungs first ever 200MP camera. A sibling company made the ISOCELL HP2 sensor just for the Ultra, its different from the HP1 and HP3 weve seen on other phones. The Super Quad Pixel autofocus should be a noticeable improvement over the AF systems on previous 108MP and 200MP phones. Samsung also upgraded the OIS system, so it can now correct angles up to 3.0 (double the 1.5 that the S22 Ultra OIS can manage).

All three phones use the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, which runs its prime core at 3.36GHz (up from 3.2GHz on other Gen 2 phones). The GPU is faster too, though Qualcomm isn't commenting on details (we'll find out through benchmarks, anyway). However, the Ultra is the only one with the option for 12GB of RAM. Considering that phones with 16GB are hardly uncommon, 8GB sounds limiting.

The S23 Ultra makes a bid for the smartphone camera king. Whether it earns the crown is a subject that will have to wait for the reviews. But based on what you have seen so far, will you pre-order an Ultra today (and benefit from some of the early bird perks) or would you rather wait and see? Vote below or using this page.

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The Samsung Galaxy S23+ and its smaller sibling still feature flat displays. We doubt we will hear complaints about that. But they are still FHD+ LTPS panels at a time when QHD+ and LTPO are expected of flagships. We can already hear the complaints.

These two also have less to show in terms of camera upgrades. The new selfie camera has slightly higher 12MP resolution (this is an upgrade for the S23 and S23+, downgrade for the Ultra). Video recording was improved too with support for 8K at 30fps for the rear as well as Super HDR at 60fps for the front cameras. Still no autofocus for the ultra wide camera, though.

The Ultra missed out on a battery upgrade, but the S23 and S23+ got a 200mAh increase. Charging speed for the two larger phones is set at 45W as it was last year. Even though Samsung sells self repair kits for its flagships, it does not believe in pushing the battery hard (and the kits dont include new batteries, anyway).

What do you think  is this the year go for the Plus model or maybe one of the other two models looks better? Vote below or using this page.

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The Samsung Galaxy S23 is the only one stuck with 25W charging. And the only one to have a 128GB storage option (with UFS 3.1 at that, though the real life impact of that is yet to be determined). Despite missing out on several upgrades the small S23 didnt escape the price hike.

Still, there is a good chance that it will outsell its Plus sibling  according to reports, that was the case for the S22 generation and the S23/S23+ have the same advantages and disadvantages relative to each other. Its one of the smallest Android flagships (its about the same size as the Zenfone 9) and its the cheapest of the three.

What about you  are you looking at the pre-order page with your finger over the Buy button? Vote below or using this page.
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(Editors note: This is one in a series of stories from a Jan. 11 to 15 Guam media familiarization tour of Kansais Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Wakayama prefectures, hosted by United Airlines and the Kansai Tourism Bureau. United has a direct 4-hour flight between Guam and Kansai.)

From getting up close and personal with hundreds of free-roaming sacred deer to visiting thousand-year-old Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, there are unique experiences to be had in Japans first permanent capital of Nara.

By train, Nara is about 30 minutes from Osaka and about 45 minutes away from Kyoto.

If youre already in the Kansai region, which is about four hours away from Guam via a direct United Airlines flight, a trip to Nara is worth the journey even if its for only a day.

Experiencing a cluster of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in one compact place is reason enough to visit Nara. This designation means Naras cultural and natural heritage sites have outstanding universal value for all humankind.

The landlocked prefecture is home to some of Japans incredibly preserved cultural, religious and natural treasures  a source of pride for those who call it home and a source of wonder for those who are lucky enough to visit it.

Nara was the nations first permanent capital and seat of the emperor from 710 to 784, before it was moved to Kyoto and then Tokyo.

Prior to that, ancient Japans capital moved to a new location whenever a new emperor ascended to the throne.

Nara is Japan, was how our English-speaking Japanese tour guide, Kachiko Sato, described the prefecture, which has managed to retain the atmosphere of ancient Japan while also having the conveniences of the modern world, from free wi-fi to heaters in the winter.

Oh deer!No visit to Nara is complete without having close encounters with herds of deer  or binadu in CHamoru  wandering around the sprawling Nara Park and beyond.

The unique experience takes the be-one-with-nature mantra to a higher  and divine  level.

The wild deer are considered messengers of the Shinto gods and, therefore, they are sacred. They are designated natural treasures.

You can touch and pet these deer, take selfies with them, cross the street with them, or walk with them until you reach the entrance to the temples or shrines. But youre not supposed to tease or chase any of them.

Dont give them food, except for rice crackers that are available for sale in park stalls. Otherwise, they could get sick.

And no, youre not imagining it when you see some deer bowing to you, because thats a sign that theyre asking to be fed with crackers.

While theyre generally tame, they can be aggressive if you tease them with food so make sure to feed them fast if you have crackers with you.

From time to time, our tour guide Kachiko asked us deer trivia questions and some of the most interesting facts stuck with me.

Who do you think cleans up after the more than 1,300 deer at Nara Park? Its not people with their shovels and rakes, but another kind and a much smaller animal  the dung beetle.

These dung beetles are doing a great job of preventing mounds of deer poop everywhere, considering the massive deer population.

As with the other places I visited in Kansai, Naras cleanliness and the politeness of its people are beyond amazing.

Their sense of pride, discipline and respect for ones surroundings is worth emulating, especially for places that are still struggling to revive their pandemic-hit tourism.

Large Buddha hallNara is home to some of Japans oldest and most significant temples and shrines. The massive Todaiji Temple, also located at Nara Park, houses one of the largest bronze statues of Buddha in the world. Its seated at 15 meters tall.

For more than 1,000 years, Todaiji Temple held the record as the worlds largest wooden building, even though the present reconstruction of 1692 is about 30% smaller than the original temple halls size.

The temple grounds are massive in scale. Two giant ferocious-looking statues guard the old wooden Nandaimon Gate on our way to see the Buddha hall. Multiple deer were hanging around the spot, as if welcoming people to the temple.

In the back of the Buddha hall, theres a pillar with a hole in its base that, we were told, is the same size as the large Buddhas nostril. Our tour guide shared the story about this hole, that anyone who can squeeze through this opening will achieve enlightenment in their next life.

But the hole was closed during our winter visit because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, so nobody in our tour group got to find out whether wed be granted enlightenment later on.

Lantern shrineImagine experiencing and touching something built in the 8th century. That humbling feeling stayed with me as we toured the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Naras oldest and most famous Shinto shrine known for its lanterns.

It is surrounded by a primeval forest and visited by wild deer. Some 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns and postcard-perfect vermillion red torii gates add to the places allure.

All the 3,000 lanterns are lit up during a shrine event in February and August, but for those visiting other times of the year, theres a dark room with lit-up lanterns that could give you a glimpse of what the real lantern festival looks and feels.

As our tour guide pointed out, aristocrats, warriors and ordinary people from hundreds of years ago dedicated these lanterns for family safety, success in business and protection on the battlefield, among many kinds of wishes.

Trees within and surrounding the shrine have lived for hundreds of years. Visitors to the site could see the affectionate care given to a Japanese cedar tree thats allowed to grow from the ground through the roof of a building, instead of it being cut down.

5-story pagodaWhile our Nara tour didnt take us right inside the Kofukuji Temple, we couldnt escape the beauty and the structural magnificence of its five-story pagoda from several vantage points, including from one of the top floors of a multi-story building where we stopped for lunch that day.

It was built more than 1,300 years ago, and remains one of Japans oldest and most famous Buddhist temples. Its five-story pagoda is Japans second tallest wooden pagoda.

Fancy train rideFrom Nara, we took a 45-minute train ride back to Kyoto aboard the Kintetsu Aoniyoshi, a new luxury sightseeing train.

The express train has an eye-catching purple and nostalgic exterior that includes a gold crest at the front of the train.

The interior is impressive, featuring a spacious seating plan and window-facing plush green twin chairs that allow you to relax and enjoy Japans natural beauty throughout the journey.

The chairs on the opposite side of the train face each other but still offer the best views of Japans countryside. There are also semi-private rooms for families and groups.

Kintetsu Aoniyoshi is equipped with free wi-fi connection, features a library space, offers spacious luggage space and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom.

And if you ever get thirsty or hungry, theres a counter to order drinks and snacks.

Indulging in extra comfort aboard the express train is an adventure in itself and a perfect way to wrap up an unforgettable journey into another of Japans cultural heritage powerhouse.
Northern residents could see better access to dialysis services if plans for a 23-bed dialysis center in Yigo come to fruition.

The Village Guam LLC, which already operates several dialysis centers on Guam, is interested in expanding into the islands northernmost village.

The company is owned by Dr. Saied Safabakhsh, also known as Dr. Safe, and has already acquired a piece of property alongside Route 15 for the new facility.

The company recently got the go-ahead from the Yigo Municipal Planning Council to rezone the lot for commercial use.

Unfortunately, there is a big demand for dialysis, Amir Alavi, property manager for The Village, LLC, said during a Wednesday Public Hearing.

No member of the public showed up to testify at the hearing, but Alavi provided a brief on the venture for the Yigo planning council members and the media.

We have approximately 1,000 patients, and theres a growing number. That growing number is mainly because patients from the other islands have to come to Guam, they dont have facilities over there, he said.

Once patients migrate to Guam for dialysis, they generally dont leave, he said.

About half of the estimated dialysis population lives in the islands north, and a quarter, or 250 patients, live in Yigo alone.

Rather than having one large treatment center, The Village is shooting to have smaller units around the island to make the process more convenient, Alavi said.

I dont know if youre familiar with dialysis  its a very difficult process. Its a life-changing treatment for the patient and for the caregivers. It takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of energy. It really affects your life.

Patients usually have to undergo three four-hour sessions a week.

The approximately 14,000-square-foot Yigo facility will be able to service around 130 patients, regardless of their insurance coverage, Alavi said.

Besides dialysis, the unit may also be able to provide other services such as counseling and nutritional services, and have an in-house pharmacy.

Members of the Yigo planning council reconvened on Thursday night and voted without objection to approve the rezoning of the proposed site for the dialysis center, which lies just north of the Guam International Raceway and Perez Acres.

Yigo Mayor Tony Sanchez told the newspaper he had no objections to the dialysis center opening up, as it would be a positive for the community.

The facility would also likely drive property values up in the area and wasnt likely to disrupt the lives of neighboring landowners.

Alavi said the facility is still several years out from opening its doors, as his company has been waiting to get zoning approval before proceeding with the designs and necessary permits.

A sewer connection will also have to be installed, with the nearest access line about 100 feet away.

The area will have to be surveyed for archeological remains, as well as for fruit bats and a rare type of butterfly.

Theres no telling how much the cost will be, with construction still a ways off, but the usual cost for a dialysis unit is between $3 million to $4 million for the building and $2 million to $3 million for the equipment, Alavi said.

Once all thats done, staffing will be another hurdle, with a current shortage of nurses on Guam.
Dave Lotz is a vocal advocate for protecting Guams unique heritage; a knowledgeable and long-time hiking enthusiast and environmental advocate; and critic of inept governments. He has been a resident of Guam since 1970 and retired from the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation, Andersen AFB Environmental Flight and the National Park Service.
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Governor Extend Deadline for Portrait Essay Contest for Students

BOSTON  Governor Maura T. Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll are extending the deadline for their portrait essay contest until 11:59 pm on Feb.10, 2023 to allow time for more students to participate. Submission guidelines and instructions can be found here.

Its a tradition that each new Governor and Lieutenant Governor select a portrait of a former Massachusetts Governor to hang in their offices at the State House. Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll are asking Massachusetts students to research and suggest a former Governor who inspires them and should be featured in their offices. The winners will be invited to the State House to meet with Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for the unveiling of their chosen portraits. "The State House is the peoples house, and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and I want our future leaders to have a voice in the symbols and messages we choose to highlight," said Governor Healey. "This is an exciting opportunity for Massachusetts students to learn more about our states history and determine for themselves what makes a great leader. We cant wait to review the submissions." The contest is open to all Massachusetts students. Essays should be less than 600 words and should answer this question: Which former Massachusetts governor inspires you the most, and why should their portrait hang in the Governor or Lieutenant Governors office? Students should also include at least 1-2 sentences about how they researched their chosen governor. Essays are due on Friday, February 10, 2023, at 11:59 pm. Additional details and submission instructions can be found here.

"Governor Healey and I will be looking at these portraits every day while we are making important decisions that impact the lives of all Massachusetts residents," said Lieutenant Governor Driscoll. "Each time we see the portraits, well be reminded of the lessons we learned from these student essays. We hope that all students will participate in this unique opportunity to shape our states future."
FEMA Awards Over $3.5M to Mass. for COVID-19 Operating Costs

BOSTON  The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending more than $3.5 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for the cost of steps taken to protect its staff and the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $3,534,633 Public Assistance grant will reimburse MASSDOT for the cost of purchasing plexiglass sneeze guard barriers and signage, disinfection supplies, medical supplies, storage, and personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, respirators, and face shields between April 2020 and March 2022.

The department also contracted for services to disinfect facilities and vehicles.

"FEMA is pleased to be able to assist MASSDOT with these costs," said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. "Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and to our success as a nation."

FEMA's Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided more than $1.5 billion in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.
The chowder cookoff is returning to North Adams' Winterfest. The last cookoff was in 2019.

Winterfest Seeking Participants for Chowder Cook-off and Artisan Market

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  North Adams Tourism is bringing back a community favorite  the Chowder Cook-off  for this years Winterfest on Saturday, Feb. 18.

Only two contestants had signed up for cook off when iBerkshires spoke with organizers last week: Italian restaurant Grazie and Clarksburg Elementary School. The cookoff has featured a dozen or more in the past so businesses and organizations are encouraged to participate.

Interested in showing off your chowder recipe? Sign up for the competition by Monday here

Festivalgoers will be able sample these recipes from noon until 2 p.m. at Terra Nova Church's The Green.

In addition to the chowder cook-off, Winterfest hopes to brighten up chilling winter by exploring goods from local vendors and artisans. Some 17 vendors have already signed up and organizers are hoping for 25 to 30 at the time of the event.

Interested in selling your goods at the event? Again, sign up by Monday here

Explore the goods from 10 until 3 in The Green and the concourse at 85 Main.

This free event encourages residents to come downtown and visit small town businesses, the city's events coordinator Lindsay Randall said.

"I think it's integral to the community because there's not a whole lot to do within the winter months. Everyone kind of gets cabin fever. So it's something to do for families or any individual who just wants to get out and do something fun," she said.

Randall hopes that the range of activities and opportunities that the festival offers will also encourage Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students to leave their dorms and explore the area that they will call home for the next four years.

"I think there's a huge need for college students to kind of venture and see things that are happening within towns and kind of give that broader range of experience under their belt to be a part of something bigger," Randall said.

"There are a lot of internship and career opportunities that MCLA presents to their students but just to be a part of something different."

With the cultural venues such as Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and community events the area can provide students opportunities they would not have elsewhere due to its great art culture, Randall said.

Winterfest will include a range of activities for individuals of all ages including winter games, horse-carriage rides, a children's carnival, ice sculpting, and more.

"We are excited for this years Winterfest and would like to thank all of the downtown businesses for getting involved. We are hoping for a strong turnout from city residents and folks from our surrounding towns," Mayor Jennifer Macksey said.

Start the day off by watching ice sculptor's carve sponsored blocks of ice into works of art on the Main street from 9 until 4.

Bring sleds to Colegrove Park and zoom down the snowy hill, stop by First Baptist Church's children's carnival from 11 to 1 and grab a hot cocoa and cookies at MountainOne from 10 until noon.

Northern Berkshire Community Coalition is hosting a snowman toss on Main Street from 10 to noon and will be handing out lists of winter games and activities for families to do at home.

JStar Gymnastics, located at 69 Union St., is be opening its 10,000 square foot gym from noon until 1:30. Residents can use its Olympic-quality equipment for children of all abilities. More information on the gym here

Finally, warm up at the bonfire and have s'mores from noon until 2 on Main Street and take a horse-drawn wagon ride around Main Street from 1 to 3.

Warm up at Moulton's Spectacle Shoppe, where Macksey will be reading to children from 2 to 2:30 p.m

Conclude the day with free skating and rentals at Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Skating Rink from 2 until 4 p.m..
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SINGAPORE, Feb. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KrossLinker, an energy-efficiency-focused deep-tech advanced material startup, is designing and developing the world's most insulating nanomaterial, aerogel, that is low-cost, environmentally friendly, and scalable. Efficient and sustainable solutions for the most demanding insulation applications KrossLinker's first aerogel product, Cryar Aerogel Board, targets the cold-chain industry, where a positive market growth trend is expected. But this industry faces a USD$ 35 billion revenue loss annually due to temperature excursions. A 2020 report indicated that packaging costs account for around 30% of the total spending of pharmaceutical cold chain companies. KrossLinker's Cryar provides an effective solution to combat this billion-dollar loss. Cryar is a first-of-its-kind water-based, eco-friendly Si-Aerogel composite board developed through an energy-efficient process. The nano-porous structure of silica aerogel imparts Cryar with the best-in-class, and reliable thermal insulation performance, making it a safe, compact, and sustainable solution to transport valuable pharma products, including drugs, vaccines, clinical trial samples, and more. KrossLinker has collaborated with several specialty packaging, logistic companies, and hospitals to commercialize and accelerate the adoption of Cryar aerogel shippers. It has been building strategic partnerships with market leaders to co-develop aerogel products to tackle similar problems in vertical markets, such as e-mobility and energy infrastructure. The role of ADB Ventures ADB Ventures has remained one of KrossLinker's key investors and partners since 2022. Qiyong Cao, the Senior Investment Specialist at ADB Ventures, talked about KrossLinker's potential: "KrossLinker's proprietary patented aerogel platform technology (ASPIRE) addresses the lengthy research and development, high capital expenditure, and intensive energy consumption of traditional aerogel manufacturing processes. It allows for a significant disruptive impact, enabling affordable access to one of the best insulation materials for mainstream markets and unlocking tremendous market opportunities." What makes KrossLinker unique? Numerous things make KrossLinker stand out from the crowd. Recognized for Cryar's best-in-class insulation performance, long-term stability of properties, non-toxic, water-based, lightweight, and reusable, KrossLinker is also known for being: * Sustainable in its core * Solutional in energy-saving products * Supportive of a greener supply chain * Suitable for logistics cost reduction * Innovative in product safety KrossLinker's Gayathri Natarajan, PhD., one of the company's founders, said, "The technology we developed from several years of research to produce our silica aerogel addresses all the challenges and major roadblocks of manufacturing aerogel traditionally. With faster production and low energy consumption of the novel drying technology, our aerogel is made at half the production and capital expenditure of traditional aerogel without compromising its performance. We have demonstrated this in our current pilot production line." A talented team of scientists, Dr. Elmira Soghrati, Ph.D., Gayathri Natarajan, Ph.D., and Mahesh Sachithanadam, Ph.D., founded KrossLinker in 2019. Now, a list of top-tier investors, including Seeds Capital, ADB ventures, She1k, Enterprise Singapore, Third Derivative, 500 Global, and Entrepreneur First, supports KrossLinker. KrossLinker has just opened for Series A funding and is looking for strategic investors to participate in scaling up commercial aerogel production for the cold chain industry and expanding R&D to build the best solution for insulation applications. Visit www.krosslinker.com for more information. About KrossLinker KrossLinker is a Singapore-based deep-tech Aerogel Solutions startup that develops energy-efficient thermally insulating nanomaterial, 'aerogel'. KrossLinker's technology has addressed several challenges that hinder traditional aerogel from broader adoption, such as high cost and limited production scalability. With its proprietary low-cost production platform, the company aims to make this world's best insulation material accessible and affordable across mainstream thermal insulation markets, enlivening innovative aerogel solutions for a better world. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/accelerating-energy-efficiency-adoption-deep-tech-startup-krosslinker-develops-a-cost-effective-aerogel-insulation-301736864.html
Former Pakistan President and Army chief Pervez Musharraf passed away on February 5 after a prolonged illness at a hospital in Dubai, Pakistans Geo News reported.

The former military dictator, 79, was reportedly in critical condition at American Hospital in Dubai with no possibility of recovery. There's no official communication if his body will be brought back to Pakistan, though his family has been trying to bring him back home since last year.

File image

His organs were malfunctioning

He was said to be hospitalised due to a complication of his ailment Amyloidosis, a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein builds up in organs and interferes with normal function. Musharraf's organs were malfunctioning because of the ailment.

Musharraf left for Dubai in March 2016 for medical treatment. He was diagnosed with the life-threatening disease in 2018 in the UAE, where he had been living for the last eight years.

Charges against him

Musharraf who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, was charged with high treason and given a death sentence in 2019 for suspending the Constitution. His death sentence was later suspended.

He was declared a fugitive in the assassination case of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007 and the Red Mosque cleric killing case. He had earlier expressed his desire to spend the "rest of his life" in his home country, and wanted to return to Pakistan as soon as possible.

pervez musharraf

Known as architect of the Kargil war

The former President was the tenth president of Pakistan after a successful bloodless military coup in 1999. He served as the 10th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan (CJCSC) from 1998 to 2001 and the 7th top general from 1998 to 2007.

He was known as the architect of the Kargil war, the man who ordered his soldiers to enter India to cut off Leh from Srinagar.

Early life

Born in New Delhi in 1943, Musharraf was four years old when his parents joined the mass exodus by Muslims to the newly-created Pakistan. His father served in the foreign ministry, while his mother was a teacher and the family subscribed to a moderate, tolerant brand of Islam.

pervez-musharraf

He joined the army at the age of 18, and went on to lead an elite commando unit before rising to become its chief. He took power by ousting the then prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who had tried to sack him for green lighting an operation to invade Kashmir, bringing Pakistan and India to the brink of war.

With the support of his Army, and in a bloodless coup, Musharraf appointed himself President of Pakistan in 1999.



For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.
Marketing data and analytics company Kantar has released its Worldpanel ComTech OS Smartphone data uncovering consumer behaviour in the smartphone market.

Apples iOS grew its sales share across all markets in Q4 (September to December 2022) vs the previous year in the European 5 (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Great Britain) (+2ppt) and marked expansion in both Italy (+5ppt) and Spain (+4ppt).

The iOS also grew in the US (+2ppt), Australia, and Japan (both 1+ppt).

Share remained flat in China.

iPhone 14 Pros success evidence that consumers are willing to pay more for Pro variant

Three months of iPhone 14 sales data indicates a strong performance for the Pro variants, outperforming the base models in several markets.

Apples decision to further distinguish the Pro range by keeping features such as the new A16 Bionic processor and Dynamic Island exclusive to the Pro, appears to have paid off.

Encouraging consumers to opt for the pricier device will help drive further value with consumers paying 25% more for the Pro variant.

Android remains the top global OS

Android remains the leading OS across the European 5, boasting a 70% sales share (-2ppt) vs the previous year.

Performance has been equally challenging in the US (-2ppt), Australia (-1ppt) and Japan (-1ppt). Mainland China proves the exception (+1ppt), benefitting from customer migration away from Huaweis Harmony OS.

Google Pixel secures a record global sales quarter

Google secured a record sales quarter across the European 5, US, Australia, and Japan.

Share is highest in Great Britain, securing 18% of all Android device sales. Its efforts and investment in expanding device ranging appears to be paying dividends, according to Kantar.

The recently launched mid-tier A Series is proving especially popular. A compelling trade-in scheme has also contributed to success, one in 10 Pixel buyers state Samsungs budget Galaxy A13 remains top seller in Europe, according to Kantar.

Samsungs budget Galaxy A13 remains top seller in Europe

Samsungs budget Galaxy A13 remains the top selling model across the European 5, reflecting consumers appetite for low-cost devices as wallets continue to be squeezed. The devices successor, the A14, was recently revealed at The Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas and made headlines with the promise of four years of security updates, virtually unheard of for the price.

MWC announcements

MWC 2023 will kick off on 27 February and will welcome a new generation of devices for many of the top manufacturers.

Expect to see key announcements from Xiaomi, HMD Nokia, Honor and Realme. Following on from CES in January, there will likely be a heightened focus on Android satellite connectivity, powerful mid-tier devices and broad display of foldable technology, predicts Kantar.

Samsung unveiled the latest S23 series at their own Galaxy Unpacked last 1 February, again reaffirming its position as the top Android manufacturer.

Weathering challenging profit margins in Q4, it will put a greater emphasis on premium devices in 2023. Foldables also remain a key strategic pillar. As competitors continue to launch and refine their own foldable ranges, the market is poised for an exciting year. Oppos latest foldable, the Find N2, has proven particularly popular among reviewers. Motorola is set to release the latest iteration of the Razr.

While consumers are not stuck for choice, demand remains another question

However, these announcements come at a difficult time. Kantar Worldpanel ComTech interviewed 121,700 panellists about how the rising cost of living was going to affect their spending on their next Smartphone.

Globally, 18% of consumers state that they intend to spend less than they originally planned. More concerningly still, 15% state that they plan on delaying or cancelling their purchase altogether.

Despite the stormy climate, manufacturers can still succeed in enticing consumers to buy.

Technology innovations that appear minimal compared to the previous year are innovative when compared to devices that most consumers own. Remember, many consumers are now opting to keep hold of their device for 4+ years. Manufacturers, retailers, and network providers should look to previous customer behaviour when optimising their strategies.

Increasingly, buyers are turning to promotions, bundles, and trade-in schemes to seek value. Finance is also proving popular, with Buy Now Pay Later services gaining traction in 2022.

In the US, which has the greatest proportion of consumers paying for their phones on finance, PayPals Pay in 4 is the most popular service. Furthermore, refurbished devices are in growth, allowing consumers to own a Flagship device at mid-tier spend. As younger, sustainably lead consumers begin to enter the market, they are set to grow further still.

"Finally, a clear omnichannel strategy is important in the post-Covid world. More consumers are opting to purchase their Smartphone online than before the pandemic, citing lowest price/best value offering and faster delivery. It is integral that traditional brick and mortar retailers bolster their online offering, while enhancing their physical store experience," Kantar suggests.

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 03 February 2023.
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.
Aircraft development fuels emergency rescue missions

(China Daily) 10:31, February 05, 2023

An AG600M aircraft demonstrates its water-dropping function at the 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong province, on Nov 8, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's indigenously-developed aircraft continue to make progress to serve emergency rescue missions and help strengthen the country's emergency rescue capabilities.

China has developed a series of aircraft with air rescue capabilities, including amphibious airplanes, helicopters and large unmanned aerial vehicles, among others.

A vital piece of aeronautical equipment in China's emergency rescue system, the AG600 large amphibious aircraft, has recently entered the airworthiness flight-test phase, according to Aviation Industry Corporation of China, the country's leading plane-maker.

AG600M airplanes, the firefighting model of the AG600 aircraft family, have arrived at the flight-test center in Yanliang district in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.

Code-named Kunlong, or "water dragon" in Chinese, the AG600 aircraft family is being developed to serve emergency rescue missions, such as forest firefighting, maritime search and rescue.

The aircraft will undergo a series of tests this year. It is expected that the firefighting model and emergency rescue model of AG600 aircraft will obtain certification in 2024 and 2025, respectively, the plane-maker said.

A vast country with complex landforms, China has been strengthening its capabilities in the air emergency rescue sector.

China's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) has proposed the improvement of the national emergency management system by strengthening and improving air rescue system options and capabilities.

The Wing Loong large civil UAV family has tapped potential in the rescue and climate fields, by supporting telecommunications restoration for earthquake-hit regions and conducting cloud seeding operations over drought-affected areas.

The Z15, also known as the AC352, obtained certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China last July. It can adapt to various environments and missions, and can play diverse roles such as delivering essential supplies and transporting injured people.

More configurations within this series are expected to be designed for tasks such as firefighting and medical rescue, according to AVIC.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
Today

Thunderstorms likely. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High around 70F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 51F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy. High 77F. Winds light and variable.
Pope Francis on Saturday will meet victims of South Sudan's civil war, a day after delivering an impassioned plea for the country's leaders to recommit to peace for the sake of their long-suffering people.

Francis is making the first papal visit to South Sudan since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011 and then plunged into a brutal ethnic conflict that left the young nation divided and traumatised.

Some 380,000 people died in five years of bloodshed before the civil war formally ended in 2018, with a ceasefire between warring leaders who remain in power today.

But the country remains fragile and violent, and Francis, who tried to broker peace between the rival parties, is visiting South Sudan as it lurches from one crisis to the next.

At his first event Saturday, the wheelchair-bound pope met South Sudan's religious leaders, who work with the poor and marginalised and are deeply respected in the devout country where 60 percent of its 12 million people are Christian.

He said they must "step into the middle of (people's) sufferings and tears," adding that the Church had a duty to be "willing to dirty its hands for people".

Several thousands turned out early to wait for the 86-year-old pontiff in the courtyard of the Cathedral of Saint Therese, many waving national flags and ululating as they gave him a jubilant welcome.

"We came here to receive his blessings. This is all about peace. Pope Francis is not even walking, and he is still coming here to encourage our leaders," said John Makuei, 24.

He said he arrived before dawn, so he did not miss this "historic day".

"I am so so happy," said 36-year-old Adongpiny Harriet, wiping away sweat after she joined an impromptu dance outside the cathedral following the pope's blessing.

"It is the first time to see papa in my country. I feel so privileged."

- 'A new start' -

Later Saturday, the Argentine pontiff will address a group of South Sudanese living in a camp outside Juba who were forced to flee ethnic violence during the war.

They will be brought to the capital for an audience with Francis, who has made the defence of migrants and those on the margins a pillar of his papacy.

Despite a peace deal technically ending the war, conflict still drives people from their homes, and there are some 2.2 million internally displaced people across South Sudan, according to UN data from December.

On Saturday evening, Francis will hold a joint prayer with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, who joined him in the country.

On Friday, Francis delivered a pointed speech to the country's political leaders, warning they must make "a new start" toward reconciliation and end the greed and power struggles tearing the nation apart.

"Future generations will either venerate your names or cancel their memory, based on what you now do," he told an audience that included President Salva Kiir and his rival and deputy Riek Machar, as well as diplomats, religious leaders and traditional kings.

"No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence and mutual recriminations about who is responsible for it, no more leaving your people athirst for peace."

- Prisoners pardoned -

The pope promised in 2019 to travel to South Sudan, when he hosted Kiir and Machar at a Vatican retreat and asked them to respect a hard-fought ceasefire for their people.

In scenes that reverberated in South Sudan, Francis knelt and kissed the feet of two foes whose personal armies had been accused of horrific war crimes.

But four years later, the country remains mired in intractable conflict and lags at the bottom of global rankings on health, poverty and stable governance.

Human rights groups have urged Francis to press South Sudan's leaders to address widespread impunity for abuses and deliver justice for victims of war-era atrocities committed on their watch.

Workneh Gebeyehu, secretary general of the regional grouping IGAD also called in a statement on Twitter on the leaders and people of South Sudan to "heed his call for durable peace & stability".

After his meeting with the pope, Kiir announced in a decree he was pardoning 71 prisoners, including 36 on death row, but gave no other details.

The pope's stop in South Sudan follows a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, another resource-rich country plagued by persistent conflict and also often overlooked by the world.

The visit -- Francis's fifth to Africa -- was initially scheduled for 2022 but had to be postponed because of problems with the pope's knee.

The affliction has made him dependent on a wheelchair and has seen the itinerary pared back in both countries.
Minister of National Defence Anita Anand holds a media availability on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023. The Canadian government says it has sent one of its military planes to Haiti to help the country cope with escalating violence. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
A Toronto police vehicle is shown parked on Yonge Street as rain falls in downtown Toronto on Tuesday Jan. 3, 2023. Toronto police say an alleged hit-and-run that left one man dead in the city's east end is now being treated as a homicide. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives
As the start of Saturdays ice carving inched closer, the crowd at Kenoshas Downtown Veterans Memorial Park grew larger.

Visitors from Kenosha County and beyond flocked to the site on a sunny, 33 degree Saturday and waited as sculptor Max Zuleta from Art Below Zero drew the outline of his design for the citys ice sculpture in the park.

The sculpture for the ninth annual Snow Daze Festival was going to be a dragon holding a City of Kenosha Snow Daze ice block  perfect for this years theme of Enchanted Ice Kingdom.

The ice sculpture demonstration was just one of many avenues of fun for visitors on Saturday. Dozens of Downtown businesses featured their own ice sculptures for patrons to view and enjoy, along with individual specials.

The citys free ice rink was up and running for visitors who wanted to glide on ice instead of taking pictures of it.

Im glad to see so many people come out and enjoy the event, said Kris Kochman, Kenoshas community relations liaison. And its good to see people out enjoying the free ice rink.

Patrons from across southeast Wisconsin and Illinois came to stroll through Downtown and enjoy the festivities.

Carole Turbitt, of Twin Lakes, admired the ice sculptures on Sixth Avenue with Jane Paley, of Pleasant Prairie. Both were enjoying their first Snow Daze Festival.

Its a beautiful day for an excursion, said Paley, an Illinois native. Kenosha has such neat things to do to get people out.

And what beautiful handywork, Turbitt, a Kenosha native, added.

Saturday was also Wendy Sobeckis first time at the Snow Daze Festival.

Its pretty neat, Sobecki, of Zion, Ill., said. I think its something fun to do.

Jerrie Koch, of Kenosha, also went for the first time after one of her sons found the event online while searching for something to do on Saturday.

We are looking forward to the ice carving demonstration, Koch said. Its nice to be able to do something in the city, and you dont always have to spend money to have fun.

For some in attendance, this year was not the first time seeing the magnificent sculptures lining the streets of Downtown Kenosha.

This is our second year, said Stephanie Shredl, of Franksville. We just like walking around Downtown.

Her daughter, Luna, 4, added that she likes to look at the sculptures.

Kenosha puts on great stuff to do, Shredl said.

Kochman said the other benefit to the outdoor fun is the opportunity for people to explore the businesses, such as the free hot cocoa bar at the Jockey Outlet Store, 5500 6th Ave.

Thats why we do it, Kochman said. To encourage people to see the Downtown businesses.
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Let me tell you that being a doctor in the family can be a tricky business! On the one hand, youre the go-to person for all things medical, so youre never short on people to talk to at family gatherings. On the other hand, youre also the go-to person for all things medical, so youre never short on people to talk to at family gatherings. That can get old very quickly.

I have found that one of the biggest challenges of being the doctor in the family is the constant expectation that youre on call 24/7. Forget about taking a day off; your nieces and nephews will still expect you to diagnose their runny noses over FaceTime. And lets not forget about your parents, who will ask for your professional opinion on every single health supplement theyre considering taking  even if they end up not listening to you, anyways, as you are only their son, after all. It is not like you are truly a doctor, right?

An additional challenge of being the doctor in the family is the potential for ethical and professional issues. Treating a family member can put a physician in a difficult position, as there may be conflicts of interest or questions about the physicians objectivity. Moreover, treating a family member could also put the physician at risk of disciplinary action by the state or province medical board, depending on where you live. In Quebec, believe it or not, doctors get suspended for months (lose their license, income, and right to practice) for the crime of treating a sister for something as benign as a UTI or prescribing an anti-inflammatory to an uncle for lower back pain.

Limited access for these people to a doctor is due to a failed Canadian universal health care system.

This could happen if the physician fails to obtain informed consent, if the physicians judgment is impaired by their relationship with the patient (read any family member, colleague, or friend) or if the physician violates any other professional standard of care.

Be warned! Physicians must be aware of the ethical implications of treating family members and be familiar with the guidelines and regulations their local medical boards set forth.

Another downside is the emotional toll that comes with the job. As a physician, you often face difficult cases and heartbreaking situations. But as the doctor in the family, youre also expected to have all the answers and be the rock for your loved ones. You cant be in doubt. You cant not know. You cant be emotional about what is happening to one of your loved ones (or relatives, sometimes, they are the same people).

It can be a tough balance, and sometimes its hard to separate the emotional impact of the job from your personal life.

Privacy and boundaries can also be problematic, as family members may feel comfortable discussing personal medical information or asking for medical favors. Its a tricky situation, especially when youre trying to balance being a good doctor with being a good family member.

And lets not forget about the financial implications. As the doctor in the family, youre expected to provide top-notch medical care at a discounted rate (friends and family). Good luck trying to explain to your parents that a house call doesnt come cheap.

Finally, isolation and disconnection can come with being the doctor in the family. You may have to keep certain information confidential, making it difficult to discuss certain issues with family members or make them feel excluded from certain aspects of your life. At least youll have plenty of medical jargon to throw around at family gatherings to make yourself sound important. It might feed your ego for a while.

Being the doctor in the family can be a real roller coaster ride. But despite the challenges, its an honor and a privilege to be able to help and care for your loved ones. Just remember to set boundaries, take care of yourself, and always have a good sense of humor.

Jean Paul Brutus is a hand surgeon.
Kilkenny has deservedly garnered a reputation for being a city and county that is catering well for the needs of its ageing population.

It is recognised as an Age Friendly City and even has its own Age Friendly ambassador, Nickey Brennan who has made a trojan contribution to the local community by raising awareness around how simple actions can enhance the lives of us all as we grow older.

Kilkenny was named Irelands first Age Friendly city and this is a badge that is worn with pride.

Last year a stunning documentary was created to showcase the work that is being done to enhance the lives of the older members of our community through active engagement with relevant stakeholders as well as leading out on innovative initiatives, including the Memory Matters Project.

Kilkenny Age Friendly started back in 2010. This documentary was made two years later than expected due to Covid 19. It is now available to watch online and we would encourage people to watch it and to see the various initiatives that are taking place, said Nickey who worked alongside Paul Collins of Ballywire Media on the production.

We wanted to document all the work that had been done in this area over the past ten years and to make people aware of what is happening in the community, he said adding that the Older Peoples Council, with Michael Delahunty as chairperson have also made a massive contribution to the Kilkenny Age Friendly initiative and have published a book, which showcases the work that has been carried out over the past decade and illustrates an important part of social history through words and photographs.

Nickey secured professional help to make the documentary as the project was a new territory and following funding from Kilkenny Leader Partnership and Kilkenny Age Friendly and a tender process Ballywire Media was selected.

Work began with Nickey working on content and Paul Collins on filming and the project was completed at the end of 2022.

Well known thespian Ger Cody is the narrator on the documentary which is insightful, informative and visually striking.

The narrator tells the viewer that since 2009 many people have helped to develop Kilkenny as an Age Friendly city and county and the documentary celebrates key milestones on the journey to achieve that status.

The Kilkenny Age Friendly County initiative was formally launched by the veteran actress, the late Maureen OHara in 2010.

The Kilkenny Older Peoples Council was established in the same year and is comprised from individuals from Kilkenny and it meets regularly to review and consider matters of relevance to its members and to prepare submissions to appropriate authorities if necessary.

Kilkenny has enjoyed many firsts in relations to its Age Friendly status. As well as being the first city in Ireland to achieve this, the Ormonde Hotel was the first Age Friendly hotel, St Lukes Hospital the first Age Friendly hospital in Ireland and McDonagh Railway Station is the first Age Friendly railway station in Ireland alongside its neighbour MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre which is Irelands first Age Friendly shopping centre.

McDonagh Train Station has made improvements to make it more accessible for older citizens including more accessible parking spaces, tactile paving and a pedestrian crossing. The county also boasts a number of Age Friendly Towns in Thomastown, Callan and Kilkenny City where a specific programme of work has enhanced the social and built environment for the ageing demographic.

An Age Friendly Business Recognition programme is embedded with the Chamber of Commerce, with members undertaking training and listening to older customers to better meet their needs.

Superintendent Anthony Farrell of Thomastown Garda Station, who has had a long association with the Kilkenny Age Friendly Alliance also features and describes how gardai engage positively with older people through community policing. The documentary is superb and is a must watch for all.

To view click here: Kilkenny Age Friendly Documentary
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Thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain. A few storms may be severe. Low 49F. SSW winds shifting to NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
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Shahdol (Madhya Pradesh) [India], February 5 (ANI): A 3-month-old girl, who was allegedly branded 24 times by a hot iron rod in the name of treatment in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol, died on Saturday night, an official said.

Shahdol Collector Vandana Vaidya said the police were taking necessary action in the matter.

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"As soon as the incident was reported, I got in touch with the doctors. They said that the reason for her death was acute pneumonia. Such malpractices have been reported in Shahdol for a long time. The admnistration has been making every possible effort to put an end to such malpractices. However, despite such efforts, some incidents do take place. We will ensure that such incidents are not repeated," the Collector told ANI.

Earlier, the Collector said holding more awareness campaigns was the only way to prevent such incidents.

Also Read | Delhi LG VK Saxena Withholding Appointment of 244 School Principals On Flimsy Grounds, Says Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

Further investigation in the matter was underway.

Meanwhile, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson, Priyank Kanoongo said he had taken note of the incident and a notice was being issued to the local administration to ensure strict action in the matter.

"We have been receiving complaints from MP that a child was branded with a hot iron rod in the name of treatment. The Commission has zero tolerance such practices and takes strict action against them. We are issuing a notice (to the local administraton) and will ensure that strict action is taken against the guilty," Kanoongo told ANI. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], February 5 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party Councillors have written a letter to McD's Presiding Officer demanding the debarment of nominated councillors from voting in the election of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee, which is to be held on Monday.

The letter reads, "We are the elected Councillors to MCD winning on the symbol of Aam Aadmi Party. On 06.02.2023, the election of Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Standing Committee member shall take place as per the direction of the Competent Authority."

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In this letter written to the presiding officer, the councillors have also mentioned the provisions of the law and the Constitution.

They wrote, "This is to reiterate that as per Article 243 R of the Constitution of India and as given in the Proviso to Section 3 (b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, the nominated members (Alderman) are not entitled to vote in the above-mentioned elections."

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"Article 243 R Constitution of India says; The Legislature of a State may, by law, provide (a) for the representation in a Municipality of (i) persons having special knowledge or experience in Municipal administration. Provided that the persons referred to in paragraph (i) shall not have the right to vote in the meetings of the Municipality. Section 3(b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 Proviso to Section 3(b)(i) of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 states that "... the persons nominated under this-clause shall not have the right to vote in the meetings of the Corporation," the letter mentioned.

The letter further reads, "It is, therefore, the bounden duty of the Protem Speaker of MCD to respect the law of the land Constitution of India and ensure that these laws debarring the nominated members from voting are implemented in letter and spirits in the ensuing election to the post of Mayor, Dy Mayor and Standing Committee of the MCD."

"So far as the events leading to this proposed election, the actions of the BJP Councillors clearly show their ill intention to influence and manipulate the election of Mayor/ Deputy Mayor/ Standing Committee Members of MCD. This is unacceptable to AAP and by extension to the voters of Delhi which had rejected BJP in the last MCD election," it added.

"We, therefore, humbly request that under no circumstance, the nominated members (Alderman) be allowed to vote in the upcoming elections of Mayor, Dy Mayor and Standing Committee. Any attempt on the part of the nominated councillors (Alderman) to vote in the above election will be a direct affront and insult to the mandate of the people of Delhi which had sent the Aam Aadmi Party with a majority to the MCD in the 2022 elections," the letter concluded.

On February 6, the election of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and 6 Standing Committee members will be held. Earlier, a meeting of the House was called for the election on January 6 and 24, but the election could not be held due to the uproar.

The municipal elections in Delhi were held on 4 December and the results were announced on 7 December, in which the Aam Aadmi Party won a maximum of 134 seats out of 250. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Lucknow, Feb 5 (PTI) Four persons, including an Indian Army soldier posted in Nagaland and a former armyman, have been arrested for allegedly duping job seekers with the promise of getting them recruited in the armed forces, the Uttar Pradesh police said Sunday.

The arrests were made on Saturday in a joint operation of the Uttar Pradesh police's Special Task Force (STF) and Military Intelligence.

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Officials claimed that members of the gang used to pose as Army officers to deceive the aspirants.

The Uttar Pradesh STF, in a statement, said, "Four members of a gang posing as Army officers, who were duping the aspirants by taking money to get them recruited in the Army, have been arrested in Lucknow on February 4."

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Those arrested have been identified as Amit Kumar Singh, a former armyman and resident of Ghazipur district, Unnao resident Shubham Patel, Rambaran Singh, a resident of Firozabad and a soldier in the Army posted in Nagaland, and Dinesh Kumar Yadav, a resident of Etawah, the STF said in the statement.

A badge of a Lieutenant Colonel and several documents of job aspirants, two ATM cards, six mobile phones and two vehicles were among things seized from the gang, the STF 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], February 5 (ANI): The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)'s OBC Morcha President K Laxman on Sunday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government in Delhi of cheating the OBC community and depriving them of their rights.

Laxman said that the backward community residing in the national capital after 1993 have not received their cast certificates and accused the government of cheating them.

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"The people of OBC community have been demanding and protesting against the Kejriwal-led Delhi government. They (AAP leaders) are depriving the community of their rights in Delhi," said Laxman.

Speaking to ANI, Laxman said that the people from OBC community, who migrated to the national capital after 1993, have not received certificates.

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"Delhi is the capital of the country. Over 1.5 crore OBC people from various states like Uttar Pradesh, Madya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar has settled in Delhi for about 25-30 years but only those residing here before 1993 are getting OBC certificates," he claimed.

He said that while the backward status has been given in the central list, not providing them with the certificate will deprive them of their rights and central schemes.

The BJP leader also accused Chief Minister Kejriwal of not fulfilling its election manifesto of abolishing the Residence Certificate act of 1993 despite the central government's order of asking the state governments of amending acts for the benefit of the backward classes. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Shahdol, Feb 5 (PTI) Shahdol district in Madhya Pradesh has reported its second child death allegedly due to branding with a hot iron as part of a woman faith healer's traditional method to cure ailments, officials said on Sunday.

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A 3-month-old girl who was admitted in the government-run medical college here on Wednesday and shifted to a private facility for treatment after being branded 20 times with a hot iron, died late Saturday night, Chief Medical and Health Officer RK Pandey said.

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The child has been identified as Shubhi Kol, daughter of Suraj Kol, a resident of Samatpur village under Sinhpur police station limits, he added.

On Friday, the body of a two-and-half-month-old girl was exhumed after dying in similar circumstances.

The infant's mother, a resident of Kathotia village in Sinhpur, had told authorities the child was unwell and she took her to a woman faith healer who branded her more than 50 times with a hot iron.

The child died in Shahdol Medical College on Wednesday, officials had earlier said.

On Sunday, officials said the services of two ASHA workers and a supervisor were terminated in the wake of these two incidents, while the faith healer has been booked.

A case has been registered against the 40-year-old woman faith healer under Indian Penal Code and Drugs and Magic Remedies Act provisions but she is yet to be arrested, Sinhpur police station in charge MP Ahirwar said.

Meanwhile, district collector Vandana Vaidya said awareness was being created against the tradition of getting children branded with hot iron to cure ailments.

The post mortem report of the child whose body was exhumed on Friday will be available in seven days, she added.

(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, February 5: Saluting Sant Ravidas ji on his birth anniversary, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday urged to protect the values of humanity, mutual brotherhood and equality in line with the lessons taught by the saint.

Sant Ravidas belonged to the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century and his hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Ravidas Jayanti 2023 Wishes: PM Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu Extend Greetings to People on Birth Anniversary of the Revered Sant.

Priyanka Gandhi Pays Tribute to Sant Ravidas on His Birth Anniversary:

         ,                               ;         pic.twitter.com/E81oswhUAt  Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) February 5, 2023

"Saint Shiromani Shri Guru Ravidas Ji taught the lesson of the true religion - of humanity, mutual brotherhood and equality to society. These values strengthened the foundation of our constitution," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in a tweet on Sunday.

"Saluting Shri Ravidas ji on his birth anniversary today; Let us pledge to protect these values," she added. Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day of the Magh month as per the Hindu calendar. On Saturday, President Droupadi Murmu also greeted the people on the eve of Sant Guru Ravidas's birth anniversary. Guru Ravidas Jayanti 2023 Wishes: President Droupadi Murmu, PM Narendra Modi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Other Leaders Extend Greetings to People on Birth Anniversary of the Revered Sant.

"I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidasji," the President said in her message. She further said that Sant Ravidas worked for the upliftment of the downtrodden.

(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], February 5 (ANI): A restaurant owner was arrested for allegedly serving liquor and hookah at his outlet in Delhi's Pitampura area without licence, the police said on Sunday.

The owner, identified as Deepak Seth, was arrested after he failed to produce a valid licence.

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A total of 28 bottles of liquor were also seized by the police from there.

According to police, 19 bottles of premium-brand of liquor were seized. Out of them, 13 bottles were found for sale in Haryana only, and 6 bottles and 9 bottles of beer for sale in Delhi. Apart from this, 3 hookah sets were also recovered.

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Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Outer Harendra Kumar Singh, said, "A secret information was received on Saturday regarding an illegal bar and restaurant with the name of 'The DROOTS' situated in Pitampura."

On receiving the information a dedicated team of Special Staff was constituted.

According to police, at about 10:15 pm, a raid was conducted at the restro-bar situated in the DDA Complex, Pitampura.

The bar was full of the crowd and liquor was served on the tables, when the police arrived.

After the raids, a case under Sections 33/38 Delhi Excise Act at Police Station Rani Bagh was registered and an investigation into the matter was taken up by the police.

According to the police, the accused Deepak Seth admitted his offence and disclosed that he used to arrange the illegal liquor on the eve of weekends. He also confessed that he arranged illegal liquor and hookah and served it at his restro-bar to earn more profit. (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, Feb 5 (PTI) Delhi LG VK Saxena has directed officials to develop a food Street around the Salimgarh Fort and to connect the Qutub Minar with Mehrauli Archeological Park to convert the area into a heritage walk, officials said on Sunday.

Saxena had on Saturday visited several locations in the national capital to review the repair and revamp work underway for the G20 summit, scheduled to be held here in September.

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The LG directed the land and road owning agencies to ensure that the green spaces on the Outer Ring Road along Yamuna are spruced up and made encroachment-free.

On February 2, Saxena had chaired a high level committee meeting to take stock of the ongoing works.

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Saxena began his inspection visits from ISBT, Hanuman Mandir, Salimgarh Fort, Red Fort, Outer Ring Road along Yamuna and the Samadhi stretch, and proceeded to south Delhi.

Walking on foot, he instructed the officials to have areas around Hanuman Mandir and under the Hanuman Setu flyover cleaned and decongested, officials said.

The ASI was asked to deep clean and repair the walls of the Salimgarh fort and also repair the bridge connecting it to the Red Fort. Railways too was asked to repair and revamp the overbridge next to Salimgarh Fort.

He discussed the possibility of setting up a food street with the officials accompanying him, and gave instructions on the spot to got ahead with it, they added.

At ITPO complex on Mathura Road and Bhairon Marg, where the summit meeting is expected to be held, the LG reviewed the steps being taken by the Traffic Police and the PWD to ensure seamless exit and entry to the complex from India Gate and Bhagwan Das road.

Saxena directed the cleaning of an open drain adjacent tol the Old Fort and also reviewed the repairing of the lighting arrangements being done by the ASI.

While walking through the Qutub Institutional Area, Qutub Minar, and the Mehrauli Archeological Park, he expressed his unhappiness at the congestion in the area and uncleanliness on roads, footpaths, and pavements, officials said.

At the roundabout on the approach road to Qutub Minar, LG asked the Traffic Police to immediately explore the possibility of making the stretch 'one way' to congest the area.

The Mehrauli Archeological Park and the Qutub Minar Complex were decided to be connected to develop the entire area into a heritage walk. A 'baoli' in the area which has become nonexistent with silt and garbage deposited into it too was instructed to be cleaned and revived.

The Archaeological Survey of India along with the Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation under DDA will work together to implement the suggestions made by the LG.

They will also ensure the cleaning, repair and facelift of the historic Quli Khan Mazaar and the Jamali Kamali Mosque in the Qutub Complex, officials said.

Saxena also visited the areas surrounding Hyatt Hotel on Ring Road, Leela Hotel on Africa Avenue, Taj Hotel on SP Marg and Dilli Haat-INA Market to take stock of the makeover and refurbishing works being undertaken there.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kozhikode (Kerala) [India], February 5, (ANI): Kozhikode police arrested a Nigerian citizen for trafficking drugs to Kerala from Bengaluru and seized 55 grams of MDMA.

The police said that the man named Charles Diffodile was trafficking banned drugs to Kerala from Bengaluru. They seized 55 grams of MDMA. He was distributing narcotics for various reasons in Kerala, police added.

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Police were investigating a case which gave them the lead to arrest Charles from Bengaluru, Karnataka.

"He was distributing narcotics to many areas inside Kerala. Police were investigating a drug case which led to the arrest of Charles from Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was on bail after another narcotic case," police said. (ANI)

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: Mathura Authority Cuts Electricity of Shahi Idgah Mosque Over Illegal Connection.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Thiruvananthapuram, February 5: Launching a massive crackdown on anti-social elements, Kerala police on Sunday arrested more than 2,500 people across the state. Police, in a statement, said 2,507 persons were arrested across the state as part of its initiative to curb anti-social activities in Kerala. Fuel Prices to Reduce in Kerala As Pinarayi Vijayan Government Likely To Halve Cess on Petrol and Diesel by Rs 1.

The arrests were made after raiding 3,501 places since February 4 and registered a total of 1,673 cases, the State Police Chief's Office said. Thiruvananthapuram recorded the maximum number of arrests with 333 but the most number of cases were registered in Kannur district -- 257.

The action came after a rise in anti-social activities being reported in the state.

Thrissur recorded 301 arrests followed by Kozhikode and Kannur with 272 and 271 cases, respectively. Following Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur registered 239 and 214 cases, respectively.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kohima (Nagaland) [India], February 5 (ANI): Ahead of the state Assembly polls, Nagaland Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the politics in the northeastern state is totally based on money power.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Northeast in-charge Rajesh Sharma said that the AAP will be contesting in the Nagaland General election, and the party have been approached by many intending candidates.

Also Read | RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Says 'Priests Created Castes and Sects, Everyone Equal Before God' (Watch Video).

"Politics in Nagaland is based on money power. It is a huge game of money and the Aam Aadmi Party never encourages such kind of politics," he said.

Speaking to ANI, Rajesh Sharma said that the AAP vision for Nagaland is to eradicate corruption from the system of politics, and from governance, lamenting that the basic issues of the people have not been addressed for the last 75 years in the country.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: Mathura Authority Cuts Electricity of Shahi Idgah Mosque Over Illegal Connection.

Stating that Nagaland has problems like lack of schools, proper roads and hospitals and people are suffering, Sharma opined that the Aam Aadmi Party is committed to addressing these issues, and will deliver the change the party has created in Delhi and Punjab.

Sharma said who wants a change in Nagaland should join the party for the development of the school, education, health and roads in the state.

Nagaland AAP president Asu Keyho stated that the party has a serious view to give new hope and vision for the state of Nagaland.

"Change have to come from the people, and if the change has to come, we have to select appropriate candidates who have distinguished character and who is in a position to deliver," Keyho said. He said the Kejriwal model of development will be made in Nagaland if AAP comes to power in the state.

Voting for Assembly elections in Nagaland will be held in a single phase on February 27. The results will be declared on March 2.

In Nagaland, BJP will contest the polls in alliance with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP). The party will be contesting on 20 seats out of 60 seats.

The ruling NDPP also declared its candidates in Nagaland. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio will be contesting from Northern Angami-II assembly seat. (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, Feb 5 (PTI) A plea seeking a review of the judgement that upheld the Centre's 2016 decision to demonetise Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes was filed in the Supreme Court on Sunday.

A five-judge Constitution bench, in a 4:1 majority verdict, on January 2 had given its stamp of approval, saying the decision-making process was neither flawed nor hasty.

Also Read | Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Dedicates 16 Public Sand Mining Sites to People of State.

The review plea was filed by lawyer ML Sharma, one of the 58 petitioners who had moved the top court challenging the demonetisation exercise announced on November 8, 2016.

Sharma, in his review plea, contended that the bench did not consider his written arguments in its verdict on the batch of pleas which led to serious injustice and miscarriage of justice.

Also Read | New Delhi Municipal Council to Organize G-20 Food Festival on February 11 and 12 at Talkatora Stadium.

It is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that ... may be pleased to: (i) Review the Judgment..., it said.

Observing that the scope of judicial review in matters of economic policy is "narrower", a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice S A Nazeer, since retired, had said there has to be great restraint in matters of economic policy and the court will not interfere with any opinion formed by the government if it is based on the relevant facts and circumstances or on expert advice.

Justice B V Nagarathna, however, had dissented and said the demonetisation of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes was "vitiated and unlawful".

The top court's judgment came on a batch of 58 petitions including the one filed by lead petitioner Vivek Narayan Sharma challenging the demonetisation exercise.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru, Feb 5 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Karnataka on Monday to inaugurate 'India Energy Week 2023' in Bengaluru, during which he will launch E20 fuel, a blend of 20 per cent ethanol with petrol, and dedicate to the nation the HAL's helicopter factory in Tumakuru.

Also Read | Chinese Apps Ban: Centre Bans 138 Betting and 94 Lending Apps Having Links With China.

He will also lay the foundation stone of various development initiatives during the visit. This will be Modi's third visit to the poll-bound state in less than a month.

Also Read | Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Dedicates 16 Public Sand Mining Sites to People of State.

The PM had visited Hubballi on January 12 where he inaugurated a national youth festival and staged a massive roadshow, and later on January 19 was in Yadgiri and Kalaburagi districts where he sought to woo voters by showcasing development and social welfare programmes thereby giving the ruling BJP a launchpad in the run-up to the Assembly elections due by April-May.

Modi will inaugurate the India Energy Week (IEW) 2023 in Bengaluru that will be held from February 6-8, aimed to showcase India's rising prowess as an energy transition powerhouse.

The event is expected to bring together leaders from the traditional and non-traditional energy industry, governments, and academia to discuss the challenges and opportunities that a responsible energy transition presents, an official release said.

It will see the presence of more than 30 ministers from across the world, the release said, adding that over 30,000 delegates, 1,000 exhibitors and 500 speakers will gather to discuss the challenges and opportunities of India's energy future.

During the programme, Modi will participate in a roundtable interaction with global oil and gas CEOs. He will also launch multiple initiatives in the field of green energy.

In line with the ethanol blending roadmap, the Prime Minister will launch E20 fuel at 84 retail outlets of oil marketing companies in 11 states/UTs.

E20 is a blend of 20 per cent ethanol with petrol, the release said, adding the government aims to achieve a complete 20 per cent blending of ethanol by 2025, and oil marketing companies are setting up 2G-3G ethanol plants that will facilitate the progress.

Modi will also flag off the 'Green Mobility Rally', a rally which will witness participation of vehicles running on green energy sources, and it is expected to help create public awareness for green fuels.

The Prime Minister will also be launching the uniforms under 'Unbottled' initiative of Indian Oil. With a vision to phase out single-use plastic, Indian Oil has adopted uniforms for retail customer attendants and LPG delivery personnel made from recycled polyester (rPET) and cotton.

He will also dedicate the twin-cooktop model of Indian Oil's indoor solar cooking system and flag off its commercial roll-out.

Later around 3.30 pm, Modi will be in Tumakuru to dedicate to the nation the HAL helicopter factory.

Its foundation stone was also laid by the Prime Minister in 2016. It is a dedicated greenfield helicopter factory which will enhance capacity and ecosystem to build helicopters.

This helicopter factory is Asia's largest helicopter manufacturing facility and will initially produce the Light Utility Helicopters (LUH).

The factory will be expanded to manufacture other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Indian Multirole Helicopter (IMRH) as well as for repair and overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil ALH and IMRH in the future. The factory also has the potential for exporting the Civil LUHs in future.

This facility will enable India to meet its entire requirement of helicopters indigenously and will attain the distinction of enabling self-reliance in helicopter design, development and manufacture in India.

Modi will lay the foundation stone of Tumakuru Industrial Township. Under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme, development of the industrial township spread across 8,484 acres in three phases in Tumakuru has been taken up as part of Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stones of two Jal Jeevan Mission projects at Tiptur and Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumakuru.

(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], February 5 (ANI): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday expressed grief over the demise of ANI's Chief Operating Officer Surinder Kapoor and prayed for peace to the departed soul.

Extending his condolences to the bereaved family members, the SAD chief tweeted, "Saddened to learn about the demise of ANI's Chief Operating Officer Sh Surinder Kapoor Ji. I express my sincere condolences with Naveen Kapoor, his family and friends. May gurusahab grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family members."

Also Read | Foreign Investors Pull Out Rs 28,852 Crore From Indian Equities in January 2023, Steepest Outflow in 7 Months.

Part of the agency's founding team, Surinder Kapoor passed away on Saturday after a cardiac arrest. He was 70.

Surinder Kapoor was born on February 20, 1952. Deeply involved in work, he came to the office on Saturday.

Also Read | Telangana Road Accident: Car Hits Divider, Rams Into Another Vehicle on Nehru Outer Ring Road in Hyderabad; Two Killed and Eight Injured.

He had worked with ANI Chairman Prem Prakash and covered some key assignments as a photojournalist.

Paying her tributes, ANI Editor-in-Chief Smita Prakash said Surinder Kapoor's demise was a deep loss to ANI.

She said in a tweet that he was mentor to many journalists and cameramen.

"A deep loss to us at ANI. He was our friend, philosopher and guide. Was at the studio and newsroom even today, A mentor to so many journalists and cameramen. Deeply mourned by the hundreds of families he blessed with love and guidance. Om Shanti," she said.

Surinder Kapoor is survived by his wife and two sons. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
By Shalini Bharadwaj

New Delhi [India], February 5 (ANI): The Bharat Biotech Pvt Ltd has started dispatching the world's first Intranasal heterologous booster dose to the hospitals, the executive chairman of Bharat Biotech, Dr Krishna Ella, informed on Sunday.

Also Read | RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Says 'Priests Created Castes and Sects, Everyone Equal Before God' (Watch Video).

Speaking to ANI, Dr Krishna Ella said, "We just dispatched nasal vaccines two days ago to the hospitals."

He informed about the dispatch of vaccines under the bilateral agreement between UW-Madison Global Health Institute, and the Ella Foundation agreement for establishing the first-ever 'UW-Madison One Health Center' in India for advancing vaccines, therapeutics, and global health education.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: Mathura Authority Cuts Electricity of Shahi Idgah Mosque Over Illegal Connection.

Earlier, on Republic Day, Dr Krishna Ella had said, "With the rollout of iNCOVACC today, we have achieved our goal of establishing a novel vaccine delivery platform for intranasal delivery."

He said that this vaccine proves that India can innovate for itself and for the world.

"We and the country are well prepared for future COVID-19 variants and future infectious diseases. We reaffirm our commitment to India, to lead innovation and develop novel vaccine technologies for combating infectious diseases and public health globally," he added.

"We have proven these capabilities and expertise time and again with innovative vaccines such as TYPBAR TCV, ROTAVAC, JENVAC, COVAXIN and others. Bharat Biotech is a leading global developer and manufacturer of vaccines with more than 7 billion doses manufactured to date," he added.

iNCOVACC is the world's first Intranasal vaccine for COVID to receive approval for the primary 2-dose schedule, and as a heterologous booster dose, administered as nasal drops.

The vaccine does not require syringes, needles, alcohol wipes, or bandages, leading to saving costs related to procurement, distribution, storage, and biomedical waste disposal.

The vaccine is priced at Rs 325 per dose for large-volume procurements by the central and state governments.

iNCOVACC is a recombinant replication-deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion stabilized spike protein. This vaccine candidate was evaluated in phase I, II and III clinical trials with successful results.

The intranasal vaccine is stable at 2-8C for easy storage and distribution and has been designed for efficient distribution and easy pain-free administration.

Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL), a global leader in vaccine innovation and developer of vaccines for infectious diseases, on Sunday dedicated iNCOVACC (BBV154) to the nation, which also happens to be the world's 1st Covid intranasal vaccine for Primary series and Heterologous booster.

The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched iNCOVACC on the occasion of Republic Day in the presence of Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh. (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, February 5: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday accused Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena of withholding appointments of 244 principals on "flimsy grounds". This comes a day after Saxena approved 126 posts of principals and deputy education officers in city government schools that had lapsed for remaining "vacant" for more than two years.

At a press conference on Sunday, Sisodia claimed no post have been vacant has the services department been with the Delhi government. "They have an unconstitutional control over the services department," he said, targeting the BJP-led Centre.

"There are 370 posts lying vacant and out of these 370, 126 were approved by LG sir. For the remaining, he has asked us to conduct a study. I want to ask LG sahab: These schools are functioning with the help of vice-principals. How can we conduct the study on feasibility of a principal?" he asked.

He said he will also be writing to Saxena on the matter but urged him to not stop the appointments on remaining posts on "flimsy grounds'". "This is insensitive and unfortunate. LG sahab, please don't make it into a joke. Had the control of Services department been with the Delhi government, these posts would have been filled long back. If there is a need for a study, you can get a study done on whether the LG is needed or not," he said.

AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj echoed similar views as Sisodia and claimed that when the AAP had come to power in 2015, they had sent a proposal to the Union Public Service Commission for filling 370 vacant posts of principals.

The MLA said that by sanctioning 126 posts, the LG "exposed the lies" of the BJP. The saffron party had allegedly blamed the AAP government for shortage of principals in their schools earlier. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Makes Fresh Plea to LG V K Saxena to Allow Teachers.

"When Punjab elections were underway last year, the BJP and Congress criticised our education system citing no principal in schools. However, the LG himself exposed the lies of the BJP today and sanctioned 126 posts of the principals. When the AAP came to power in 2015 we acknowledged there is a shortage of principals in schools, we had sent a proposal to the UPSC for filling the posts of 370 principals, Bhardwaj said during a press conference. He claimed that when Manish Sisodia planned the education system of Delhi, he had stressed upon having principals in every school in the city.
Lucknow, February 5: Air passengers travelling to and from the Chaudhary Charan Singh airport in Lucknow in mid-February will have to facetime issues and delays.

The airport from February 10 to 15 will witness a large number of chartered flights bringing in scores of VVIPs arriving here during this period for the Global Investors' Summit and G20 event. Around 20 chartered flights are expected to land and take off at the airport daily between February 10 to 15. Yogi Adityanath Government to Hold Quiz Contest in Uttar Pradesh Ahead of Global Investors Summit with Prizes of Up to Rs 4 Lakh.

Representatives from major industrial houses have already booked the parking spaces for their aircrafts. However, the airport officials refused to disclose the names of the industrial houses which had informed about the arrival of their private aircrafts.

An airport official said, "We have information about 20 chartered flights making a landing at the airport but this is not a big deal as we have seen around 22 such flights landing here during elections. We have a facility to accommodate these aircraft in our three bay areas." Global Investors Summit 2023: Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan Says Proposals of Investment Worth over Rs 15,42,500 Crores Received to Set-Up Industries in State.

However, passengers coming to catch their flights during these days are advised to come early as there may be a traffic jam and route diversions due to VVIP movement and major security checks on the airport road. All the VVIPs would be brought out from the VVIP exit due to security reasons.

A spokesperson of the airport said, "We have information about the arrival of these VVIPs but we cannot disclose everything to everyone for security reasons. We have to maintain secrecy for the VVIPs. All I can say is that they would be greeted with a tilak, garlanded and taken to the lounge. Now we also have bulletproof cars for them."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 05, 2023 10:44 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo briefs reporters at the scene of the crash. (Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

Investigators near Valhalla, N.Y., where a commuter train slammed into a vehicle. Initially, seven people were reported killed, but the number dropped to six. (Michael Graae / Getty Images)

A police officer walks by burned and blackened windows of a Metro-North train crashed on the tracks in Valhalla, N.Y. (Mark Lennihan / Associated Press)

A sports utility vehicle remains crushed and burned at the front of a Metro-North train Wednesday morning in Valhalla, N.Y. The commuter train slammed into the SUV, which was on the tracks, Tuesday evening, killing the driver and five train passengers. (Mark Lennihan / Associated Press)

Officials examine the railroad crossing and the back of a Metro-North Railroad commuter train in Valhalla, N.Y. Five train passengers and an SUVs driver were killed in a Tuesday evening crash in Valhalla, about 30 miles north of New York City. (Mark Lennihan / Associated Press)

A man wearing a Federal Railroad Administration vest looks over the wreckage of a Metro-North Railroad train and an SUV in Valhalla, N.Y. (Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

Six people were killed and more than a dozen injured when a commuter train carrying hundreds of people slammed into an SUV north of New York City and burst into flames.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman Aaron Donovan said a Metro-North Railroad train from New York struck a vehicle on the tracks near the town of Valhalla about 6:30 p.m.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday on CBS This Morning that six people had been killed, five passengers on the train and the driver of the Mercedes SUV on the tracks. The death toll had been put at seven late Tuesday night by multiple officials.

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FOR THE RECORD

Feb. 4, 5:11 p.m.: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the train crashed into a Jeep. Officials initially said the vehicle was a Jeep, and later said it was actually a Mercedes SUV.

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You have .... people who started out today to go about their business and arent going to be making it home tonight, Cuomo told reporters at a late-night news conference.

Donovan said 13 people were taken to hospitals, 12 of them with serious injuries.

MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast said at the news conference that Metro-Norths train No. 659 had left Grand Central Terminal for an express run to Chappaqua, N.Y. The train came upon a car that was on the tracks. It struck that car, pushed it about 400 feet down the track, he said.

Witnesses interviewed on local TV included Rick Hope, who said he was in the car behind the Mercedes. Hope told WABC that traffic at the crossing was heavier than usual because of an accident on a nearby expressway.

This is a common shortcut, Hope said of the route over the tracks. He said cars were moving slowly as they approached the rail crossing and were stopped for a brief time. By then, he said, the SUV was on the tracks. The crossing gate came down, hit the back of the vehicle, bounced off her roof and slid a little bit down the back window, Hope said.

I started backing up to make space for the Mercedes driver to also back up, Hope said. I back up a little bit. I see the woman. She gets out of the car, she walks to the back, she kind of jiggles the gate with her hand a little bit.

Hope said he backed up some more to make plenty of space for the SUV to reverse to a safe spot. Instead, the driver got back into the car. She moves forward, probably 15 feet, right in front of the train, he said.

Im thinking the clock is ticking here, the gates down. You dont have much time, Hope said. He speculated that the driver thought she could get across the tracks before the train arrived.

The trains third rail went totally through the front of the train, said Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino on Twitter, leading to a horrific scene.

A witness, James Barnett, uploaded a video of the post-crash scene to YouTube. It showed smoke and flames pouring out of the train and illuminating the night.

A businessman near the crash scene said he and others rushed outside when they heard what happened.

You could smell smoke, you could see the flames, and just a ton of rescue workers, said Cary Williams, general manager of a climbing gym, the Cliffs at Valhalla. There was just a lot of disbelief at what had just happened.

Williams told the Los Angeles Times that he and several employees helped bring passengers out of the snow and cold and into the gym. About 400 passengers took shelter there while they waited for buses, officials said. By 10:30 p.m., most had left, Williams said.

News helicopters hovering over the scene showed that the fire had been extinguished by 10:30 and that no cars had derailed.

One unidentified witness told news crews that he was sitting in the next-to-last car and felt only a jolt. No one in the rear of the train had any clue what had happened up front, he said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said on Twitter that it was sending a team to investigate the crash.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweeted that a team from the Federal Railroad Administration was heading to the scene for a full investigation.

The train had left Grand Central Terminal about 5:45 p.m., the height of rush hour. It had traveled about 30 miles before the collision.

The MTAs Prendergast said the speed limit where the crash occurred was about 65 mph. The train normally carried more than 600 passengers, he said, but he could not say how many were aboard Tuesday night.

The crash was the latest in a series of serious and often fatal incidents to involve Metro-North, which until two years ago had prided itself on its safety record.

In December 2013, a Metro-North train derailed in the Bronx while rounding a curve. Four people were killed, and investigators determined that the train was traveling more than 80 mph on a stretch of track zoned for 30 mph.

In May 2013, 60 people were injured, five critically, when two Metro-North trains collided in Connecticut. That same month, a Metro-North train struck and killed a railroad employee on the tracks.

Investigations have blamed all of the incidents on lapses in safety standards. In the case of the December 2013 crash, investigators faulted the railroad for not properly screening the trains operator for sleep apnea and other medical issues.

Federal officials also have criticized the rail line for what it said was a dangerous emphasis on on-time performance over safety and maintenance.

Metro-North is the second-largest commuter railroad in the United States, after the Long Island Railroad, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authoritys website. It carries more than 281,000 people each weekday in and out of New York City, serving 122 stations on 795 miles of track.

Susman reported from New York, Mai-Duc from Los Angeles.

For more breaking news, follow @cmaiduc
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has extended the emergency SNAP benefits for the month of February. However, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Friday that it would be the final extension of the emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits.

In a statement, the Office of the Texas Governor said Congress recently passed legislation to establish February 2023 as the last month eligible households can receive emergency SNAP benefits. The office noted that the allotments are expected to help around 1.6 million Texas households.

"The State of Texas has been able to help millions of families across our great state access the food they need to stay healthy," Abbott said. "We're proud to have provided billions of dollars in supplemental benefits so Texans could have healthy and nutritious food options to take care of their families and loved ones," he added.

READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits: Will Texas, California Still Give Extra Payments?

When Will the Emergency SNAP Benefits Arrive in Texas?

Greg Abbott said the Texas HHSC is providing more than $345.9 million in emergency SNAP benefits this month. HHSC Access and Eligibility Services Deputy Executive Commissioner Wayne Salter noted that the HHSC has already received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size.

All SNAP beneficiaries will reportedly receive a minimum of $95 in emergency allotments which will appear in recipients' accounts by February 28. But because of the federal legislation passed by Congress, recipients will no longer receive additional benefits, and this benefit change can no longer be appealed.

SNAP beneficiaries can find out how much their regular monthly benefit will be without the emergency allotment by logging into their account on YourTexasBenefits.com or the mobile app. SNAP households can also call 2-1-1, option 2. KXAN reported that households will receive a notice about the change before the emergency SNAP benefits end.

"We're thankful that we've been able to help millions of Texans by providing more than $9.7 billion in additional benefits since the Families First Coronavirus Response Act was passed," said Salter.

SNAP Benefits to be Reduced in Texas Starting March

With this, Texas families benefitting from SNAP will see a dramatic cut in their benefits by March. Some families will see a reduction of at least $95 a month, while others will see a cut of more than $400 a month.

According to KXAN, this is all because of the Omnibus Appropriations Spending Bill passed by Congress late last year, which ends the temporary increase in allotment this month.

Feeding Texas Director of Policy and Advocacy Jamie Olson told KXAN that beneficiaries will have their SNAP benefits decreased back to their original amount, which is calculated based on their income, expenses, and the number of people in their family.

For example, the Texas HHSC told the outlet that a family of four's maximum monthly benefit is $939. If their regular monthly allotment is $500, they should receive $939 per month with the supplement.

However, starting in March, their regular monthly benefit will go back to $500. A family or an individual qualifies for SNAP benefits based on asset and income levels.

A recipient must also be employed or actively looking for work to qualify for the SNAP benefits. An individual's maximum monthly income to receive the benefits in Texas is $1,869, and for a family of four is $3,816.

Although the emergency SNAP benefits will soon end, Olson noted that the same Omnibus Appropriations Spending Bill also establishes a permanent, nationwide Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) grocery card program that will give the families of eligible kids an extra $40 per month per child for food, helping make up for the school meals that children miss during summer break.

READ MORE: SNAP Benefits 2022: Will There Be EBT Payments for Texas, Florida Residents in September [Updates, Schedule]

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Final 26 States Approved - Extra SNAP / Food Stamps in February - From Blind to Billionaire
The Laois Heritage Society are delighted to bring you 101 Historic Curiosities of County Laois.

101 Historic Curiosities of County Laois takes the reader on a historic journey from the boyhood deeds of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, knowledge from the Christian monks, wisdom from the warrior kings, visit sites of ancient pilgrimage to tales of conquest, plantation, new settlements, and migrations of Laoisonians, who travelled to the far-flung corners of the world.

There is a story for everyone inside with a focus on some of the lesser-known places and personalities which form our shared County history. Stories within, include Laois connections to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, inspirations for Gullivers travels, illuminations from The Book of Leinster, an enigmatic 19th Century Laois murder, the artist Francis Bacon, World War II heroes and villains, the oldest bog body ever discovered and, even an Irish Pope!

Sean Murray is the Chairperson of Laois Heritage Society.

This publication will add to the Laois compendium of heritage, with a story of interest that will tickle the imagination of not just the history buff but also the general reader.

 Its a collection of tales, sites, personalities, and curiosities which gives us that distinctive Laois cultural identity. It was a privilege to edit the book and bring communities together under the banner of heritage and embedded in its pages.

On behalf of the Laois Heritage Society, I wish to extend my gratitude to the contributors and the support given by Laois Heritage Office, Creative Ireland Laois, and Laois County Council, he said. READ MORE BELOW IMAGE.

This heritage project began just before the dark clouds of lockdown came on the horizon, when a subcommittee at the Laois Heritage Society managed only to meet once or twice in person.

County neighbours Offaly had undertaken a similar project a number of years ago, which was very successful. The Laois Heritage Society subcommittee set the wheels in motion, reaching out online for anyone who wanted to pen an article of historic interest from their area.

Over 60 submissions from the far-flung corners and niches of the county were received and edited, with the remaining articles collated by our chairperson and local archaeologist Sean Murray.

The Laois Heritage Society has been at the forefront of local research and promotion of our natural and built heritage in the county since its formation in September 1976, blossoming from the Old Society which had meetings for some years earlier.

It is always looking for new members from all ages who have an interest in the heritage of the County. The Society produces a local journal every two years and hosts several talks around the County annually. It has initiated local projects such as the Conservation Management plans at Portlaoise, Ballyadams and Dysartgallen, and many of its members have contributed towards a diverse range of literature on interesting heritage topics throughout Laois.

One of its main goals is to secure a County Museum space in Portlaoise which would be a live and interactive testament to the value of Laoiss heritage for now and into the future.

101 Historic Curiosities of County Laois is supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council Heritage Office, and Laois Heritage Society.

Local historian and acclaimed writer on the joys and tragedies of 120 minor country houses of Laois and the families that lived in them, Mr John Colclough launches 101 Historic Curiosities of County Laois on Thursday, February 9 at 8pm at the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise.

All are welcome to join in this celebratory event. The new book is available in all good book stores and via the Heritage Society at laoisheritagesociety@gmail.com.
A man who has pleaded guilty to threatening to kill an ISPCA officer told a court of how he was ready to go to war with gardai.

Dylan Greene (28), 87 Springlawn, Longford made the admission at a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court.

The computer programmer and web designer had previously pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to ISPCA animal welfare officer Karen Lyons at the accused mans home address on January 28, 2021.

Mr Greene revealed the level of angst he harboured against gardai following a number of previous encounters with members attached to the force.

I was ready to go to war, he said, during the course of a lengthy Newton hearing, before Judge Kenneth Connolly.

A Newton hearing is a special hearing used in circumstances where there has been a plea but certain relevant facts are disputed and its left to a judge to decide whos telling the truth.

Mr Greene said one of those involved an incident in 2017 during which his now seven-year-old son sustained serious head injuries after falling from a third-floor apartment balcony in Longford town.

Under cross-examination from State prosecuting counsel Shane Geraghty BL, Mr Greene explained why he told Ms Lyons to bring Gardai to his door after receiving a report to the charitys animal welfare hotline number the previous day.

I did say: Get the guards, Mr Greene stated, while revealing a further, more recent interaction with the force.

I was ready for full on war with the Gardai. The fact they could tie me up in handcuffs in front of my son with brain damage for a joint.

Mr Greene said when three members of Gardai arrived following his stand-off with Ms Lyons, tensions may well have overspilled but for the intervention of his partner.

Mr Geraghty put it to him that his statement given to Gardai was both misleading and self serving after initially denying he would kill her.

No, I swear on the bible, he replied. I am a traveller and I swear on the truth. If I was to lie, my grandfather would turn in his grave.

When I said I did not threaten her (Ms Lyons), I wanted to get out (of the garda station). My brain was racing at 100 m/ph.

Asked if he called Ms Lyons a dirty w**re, Mr Greene responded: I might have.

Quizzed further about what exactly he shouted at the ISPCA official, he confirmed he branded her a simple handicap.

I genuinely said I was going to stab her to death and called her the height of names.

Mr Geraghty, interjected for a second time, insisting Mr Greene knew, based on his own acknowledgement of possessing a high IQ, what exactly his motives were in the hours after his arrest.

You made a conscious decision to be untruthful to gardai in interview, he told the father of four and that he had lost utter control when Ms Lyons attempted to examine the accused mans dogs.

Mr Greene rejected that assertion, saying how an incident involving his brother when aged just 14 still riled him to this day.

No, if I lost control, I would have locked myself away, he said.

The court was told it was not the first time Mr Greene and Ms Lyons had crossed paths over animal welfare related issues.

The year previously, Ms Lyons called to Mr Greenes home which resulted in the latter surrendering his American Staffordshire dog to the ISPCA.

Ms Lyons, who broke down in the witness box as she relived the events of two years ago, said she was accused of euthonising Mr Greenes dog.

She recalled being called a prostitute and told to get off Mr Greenes property.

I was very shocked he reacted to me that way, she said.

I said: 'I am just here to see the dogs' and straight away he was very cross and he said: 'You have no right to be here, there is nothing wrong with my f****** dogs and get the f*** out of here.

I said: 'Dylan, why are you being like this?' He said: 'You killed my dog, I can prove it.'

The jury in the case was ultimately discharged in a trial which had been expected to take at least two days to complete.

The court, meanwhile, also heard a victim impact statement from Ms Lyons, who told of how she still struggled to comprehend the level of aggression she witnessed on the day of the incident.

I couldn't believe what had happened, she said, revealing how she had since begun experiencing bouts of paranoia with her faith in people having also been dented as a result.

My whole body began to shake. I have a very trusting nature and have always treated people in the way I would like to be treated.

Following the culmination of the Newton hearing, Judge Connolly told Mr Greene he had been left more than perplexed by the way the Longford man had conducted himself in court.

You give me real cause for very serious concern in relation to your demeanour, he said.

Judge Connolly also praised Ms Lyons for the way she had held herself together in court, before once again turning his attention to Mr Greene.

I feel you don't really understand the very significant nature of what you did, he told him.

Judge Connolly, in adjourning the case to May 9 next, remanded Mr Greene on continuing bail subject to a number of conditions.

Among them included orders to contact his own GP within seven days to discuss anger management, counselling and appropriate medication, to commit to supervision from the probation services and to sign on at Longford garda station three times weekly.

One step out of line and I will put you in jail, he told him.

I think you are a very articulate man and obviously very intelligent. But this lady was entitled to do her job and whether you like it or not, she has statutory functions she has to carry out.

As far as I see it she carried them out perfectly.

He remanded Mr Greene on bail to appear back before Longford Circuit Criminal Court on May 9.
Mike Denver makes a welcome return back to Leitrim and Carrick-on-Shannon when he brings some friends for a concert in The Landmark Hotel on Thursday, February 9.

Mike Denver, one of Galway's favourite sons is riding the crest of a wave.

His audience is vast throughout Ireland, North and South and he is now making inroads in the the UK with some sellout concerts in England and Scotland over the past couple of years.

Mike's meteoric rise in popularity culminated with him been voted Entertainer of the Year 2016 together with No 1 album of the Year Cut Loose at the ACMA Awards on RTE TV.

Mike to date has had 15 hit albums and five DVDs.

With his excellent backing band Mike presents a two and a half hour high energy show which features all his hits including Tommy K, Wasn't that a Party, Galway Girl, Blown Away, plus many hits from the 60s and 70s.

Special guests will include Declan Nerney and Brendan Shine, this show is part of his Irish tour. He will be back in Leitrim for the Cowboys and Heroes Festival in June.

Tickets can be purchased at the door on the night or at the hotel reception on (071) 9622222.
FOCUS Ireland are hosting a night of fashion and fun in Newcastle West.

The night will be led by stylist, Chloe Markham, who will be showcasing the latest fashion trends to the ladies of the Mid-West.

"I am delighted to be partaking in the Focus Ireland Focus On You; Fashion, Style and Wellbeing event. Focus Ireland do great work in the Mid-West in preventing, alleviating and eliminating homelessness and it is my belief that everyone should have a roof over their head.

I will be showcasing Spring fashion from local boutiques in Newcastle West on Saturday, February 25 at 6pm. I am very passionate about shopping local for all your fashion needs. I look forward to assisting Focus Ireland in raising funds for their homeless services and hopefully we will raise a substantial amount, she said.

Also on the night, Niamh O'Dwyer, makeup artist will give a makeup demonstration. Marie Hunt, Cocoon Holistic, will give a wellness talk and Sarah McTernan from Voice of Ireland 2015 and the Eurovision 2018 will perform.

Speaking about the event, Maura McMahon, Fundraising and Development Officer with Focus Ireland Mid-West said: I am delighted to be organising this fashion and wellbeing fundraising event. I hope that ladies can come out in style and support this event, as well as enjoying a great evening of glamour, makeup and fashion. There will also be some retail therapy available on the evening with stands from various retailers, she added.

Focus Ireland is a non-profit organisation that provides services to homeless people which at the moment is at a staggering all-time high in Ireland which includes almost 3,500 children, just over 8,000 adults with a total of 11,542 individuals.

In the Mid-West theres currently 99 families with 189 child dependents living in emergency accommodation. Our services in Limerick and Clare are currently working with 634 households, which includes 192 families with 384 child dependents.

Focus Ireland are providing 281 units of accommodation across Limerick and Clare. Over 90 of which are long term secure family homes and with the remainder accommodating singles and mixed adult households. It is with support from fundraising events like this that Focus Ireland is able to continue their vital work in challenging homelessness and changing lives, Maura explained.

Tickets for this event are 25 and can be purchased on www.Eventbrite.ie.
STUDENTS from two Limerick schools discussed all things climate action and environmental sustainability at an event hosted by EirGrid in Dublin last week.

The teenagers from Scoil Mhuire agus Ide, Newcastle West, and Crescent College Comprehensive, had the chance to learn about the National Control Centre, the hub from which EirGrid manages Irelands electricity grid. In partnership with Young Social Innovators, students were tasked with coming up with ideas on how they would like to see the energy system develop in the future.

The Scoil Mhuire agus Ide students project Energy Bank aims to make people more aware of their energy consumption.

About the project, Darragh Lynch said: You get fined if you leave the TV on, immersion on, or window open while the fire is on. At the end of the month you pay what you owe and that money is used to pay a bill. After two months you see that youre not being fined as much because people are changing the way they use energy.

Michael Mahon of EirGrid, said: As we work for future generations, it is only right that we involve young people.
NEW AVERAGE speed cameras on the M7 have helped put the brakes on speeding motorists.

The system, located near Birdhill, has been operational since April 2022 following over a year of testing and calibration. The cameras are located between Junction 26 (Nenagh West) and Junction 27 (Birdhill) and cover traffic in both directions on the motorway.

The average speed safety cameras record vehicles at two distinct points a set distance apart, and note the split second a vehicle passes each camera. It allows gardai to accurately calculate the speed a vehicle is travelling at.

Figures provided by gardai, for the period between April 25 and December 13, 2022, reveal 3,009 eastbound motorists - travelling towards Dublin - were detected driving over the 120km/h limit.

A further, 2,682 westbound motorists - heading towards Limerick - were caught speeding.

If they all paid the fixed charge penalty notice on time it amounts to almost 700,000.

The Irish Times crunched the numbers and said, on average, 24 drivers were caught speeding every day. However, in July 2022, assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hilman said there were 47 detections per day (in the first two months of the system). This suggests motorists increasingly got the message to slow down to result in an average of 24 per day over the almost eight months.

If you go back further, analysis of traffic data by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) shows that since 2017, 40% of drivers exceeded the 120km/h speed limit between Limerick and Nenagh.

That stretch has long been controversial due to the number of accidents that occur on it and particularly during heavy rain and hail showers.

That route was built through a bog. Its construction was delayed because of subsidence and it became known at the time as the sinking motorway.

In 2021, Minister of State Niall Collins and Cllr Marin Ryan called on Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to investigate the M7 between Annacotty and Nenagh.

Mr Collins said he raised his concerns over aquaplaning as far back as 2018 through a Dail question and got a piecemeal answer from TII.

What has to happen for them to take action? It cant be a coincidence that multiple crashes occur when there are hail showers or heavy rain.

Motorways should be the safest of all roads but for some reason this isnt. There has to be something seriously wrong. It is a significant issue of public concern, said Mr Collins.

Meanwhile, Cllr Ryan moved at a meeting of the Cappamore-Kilmallock municipal district last year for the use of average speed cameras be considered in towns and villages where speed is a concern.

Currently, they are only located in the Dublin Tunnel and on the M7.
NEW RESEARCH shows a significant number of visits to emergency departments at hospitals including University Hospital Limerick were avoidable.

The studies, carried out by Empathy Research, reveals that Irish people attended a hospital ED at least once in the past year, with an average wait time of seven hours.

With the University Hospital Limerick (UHL) being the most overcrowded in the country, the recent studies carried out on behalf of Laya Healthcare come as an additional hit to the widely known negatives facing UHL at this time.

One in three people (34%) went to A&E twice in the last twelve months for non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, despite alternative urgent care options being open during the time, such as the Laya health and wellbeing clinic located on the Ennis road in the suburbs of Limerick city.

John McCall, Director of Claims and Provider Relations at Laya Healthcare says: Our research has identified a clear gap in awareness and understanding around the huge breadth of alternatives to busy ED available in the local community,

Over 60,000 patients have been treated in Laya Health & Wellbeing Clinics since we first opened our doors in 2019, with 1 in 4 families with children accessing the service which underlines the significant ease of access and convenience the clinics offer.

According to findings, 3 in 10 (29%) admit that they have avoided seeking medical treatment due to fear of long delays in their local hospital, with half of those surveyed saying they feel frightened by the wait times for urgent care in Ireland.

The research was carried out online across a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults aged 18+ in January 2023.
Dr Paul O'Brien explores the life of Lady Nash who was affected deeply by the horrors of the First World War

AGNES Nash spent a long and dedicated life challenging social disadvantage.

She was active in a number of local and national charities and trusts and a vocal supporter of causes ranging from childrens rights to the work of institutions such as the RNLI.

Agnes Kathleen Mary Haran was born in Dungarvan, Waterford in 1876, the daughter of James and Eileen (nee Keely) Haran, originally from Ibrickan, Clare.

James profession as a bank manager meant that they often moved around the country and by 1881, the family was living at Carlisle Terrace, OConnell Avenue, Limerick.

On May 23, 1896, Agnes married Dr Vincent Nash (1865-1942). He was High Sheriff of Limerick, in 1902, and received the Coronation Medal the same year. Dr Nash was head of the firm of James Nash & Son, Land Agents of 85 OConnell Street.

As was expected of an individual of her class, Lady Nash made her debut at Dublin Castle in February 1903 when she was presented at court by the Countess of Dunraven. Close to 200 hundred guests danced the night away at a ball in the drawing room of the castle.

Dr Vincent and Lady Nash had nine children and lived in the five bay, two-storey over basement Shannon View House, Castletroy. An 1873 sale notice described the house as containing three handsome reception rooms, six bed chambers, servants apartments, gate lodge and outbuildings.

It was demolished in the late twentieth century.

Tragedy visited the family in the closing year of the First World War when one of their sons, Lieutenant James Haran Nash, 1st Battalion Irish Guards was killed in action in Arras, France on March 27, 1918, aged 20. His death is commemorated in the Baptistery of St. Munchin's Catholic Church, and on a plaque St. Marys Church, Haddington Road, Dublin.

During the years of the First World War, Lady Nash was a member of Limerick Ladies Ration Guild which sought to promote economy in the food supply. She was assisted by Lady Barrington, Mrs OGrady, Mrs Gaffney, and Mrs White.

In April 1920, she was awarded an OBE. for her dedicated work after the First World War on behalf of former servicemen. For many years, she acted as Hon. Secretary of the Soldiers and Sailors Families Association. On the recommendation of Lord Dunraven, Lady Nash was appointed a magistrate of the county and city in May 1920.

Newspaper reports at the time described her as a most courteous, considerate, and helpful woman who spares no trouble to assist in relieving the wants of deserving cases. She was the first female appointed magistrate in the city or county.

However, the introduction of the Republican or Dail Courts most likely prevented Lady Nash from exercising her duties, and no newspaper accounts of trials she took part in are found in the newspaper records.

By 1926, she was a member of the Limerick Advisory Committee for Juvenile Employment along with Dr Mary Shire. Lady Nash was also chair of the Limerick War Pensions Committee.

As such, she published several letters in local newspapers recounting her efforts to secure pensions for the widows of deceased servicemen whose untimely deaths had caused great stress and poverty.

In 1935, she published a letter in a Belfast newspaper entitled Appeal to Women: Find Work for Ex-Servicemen in which she appealed for women to do their best to secure employment for men in the South who had suffered for all those terrible years in the trenches.

In the 1940s, she was involved in the Limerick Branch of the National Council for the Blind and helped to organise handicraft sessions, organised Braille classes for individuals and promoted knitting lessons. Other members of the committee included Mrs Goodbody, Mrs Ormsby Rynn, Mrs Mercier, and Mrs Irwin.

In 1952, in recognition of 25 years of service assisting the families of ex-servicemen, Lady Nash was awarded a cheque by Lady Inchiquin which she accepted during a speech, but immediately returned it directing that it be given for the relief of distress among ex-servicemen in Limerick. She was for many years the Chairman of the Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

For her dedicated years of service to that cause, she was appointed an honorary life governor in 1956, a few years after she was awarded a gold pin in recognition of her service.

Lady Nash was also a lifelong supporter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a cause also championed by her husband. She served on the board of the Associated Hospitals Sweepstake Committee from 1930-1955.

Agnes Lady Nash died in 1966 at her home. She was survived by two sons and three daughters. She is buried in the family plot in Mount Saint Lawrence Cemetery.

I am indebted to Pyers OConor Nash for allowing me to write about his grandmother.

Dr Paul OBrien lectures at Mary Immaculate College
Telecom operator Reliance Jio has recently launched its True 5G services in Haridwar from Har Ki Pauri. The telecom company said that Jio users in Haridwar would be invited to the Jio Welcome Offer to experience unlimited data at up to 1 Gbps speeds, at no additional cost.

Haridwar becomes the second city in the state after the capital city Dehradun to get Jio True 5G services, according to a company statement. Jio True 5G is rolling out at a rapid pace and is the only 5G service to be present in Haridwar empowering Jio users with transformational benefits of True 5G technology, the company added.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed that it is a matter of great pleasure that 5G (fifth-generation mobile system) services by the Jio network, which started from Dehradun city of Uttarakhand, has been extended and launched in Haridwar. With the beginning of this service, not only the people of Haridwar, but also the pilgrims visiting the holy city of Haridwar from the country and abroad, including the pilgrims visiting for Char Dham yatra in the near future will benefit," says Dhami.

According to the statement from the telecom operator, Reliance Jio has a robust network coverage across the state, right from the state capital, Dehradun to Mana, the last Indian village in Uttarakhand towards the Indo-Tibet border. It is likely that Jio is the only operator in the state, which is present in all the Char Dhams, on the trek route of Shri Kedarnath Dham and at Shri Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara, situated at an altitude of 13,650 mt.

The chief minister also added, "The launch of 5G services by the Jio network ahead of the commencement of Chardham Yatra is commendable. I hope Jio's 5G network will soon be available in all the main towns of Uttarakhand. This will be a true representation of the state as a Digital Devbhoomi in the upcoming G20 Summit events scheduled in Rishikesh. On this occasion, I congratulate the people of Haridwar, and the representatives associated with Jio Network in Uttarakhand."

(With inputs from ANI)
A short sellers allegations of fraud by Gautam Adanis conglomerate center on whether his family wielded influence over Mauritius-based investors

One of the large shareholders of Adani Power, the energy firm at the core of Indian billionaire Gautam Adanis business empire, is an offshore company called Opal Investment Pvt. Ltd.

Adani Power described Opal in its latest quarterly report as an independentshareholder that has no ties to the ports-to-power conglomerate beyond its 4.69% stake in Adani Power.

Corporate filings reviewed by The Wall Street Journal show that Opal was incorporated in the island nation of Mauritius by Trustlink International Ltd., a financial-services company with ties to the Adani family.

One of Trustlinks directors, Louis Ricardo Caillou, sits on the board of Opal, according to the Mauritius filings. The filings also list Mr. Caillou as a board member of another Mauritius-based company, Krunal Trade & Investment Pvt. Ltd., where Mr. Adanis older brother, Vinod Adani, and Subir Mittra, the CEO of the Adani family office, are also listed as board members.

Trustlink International, also based in Mauritius, acts as secretary for both companies, according to the filings.

The question of whether Adani executives or family members wield influence over the investment decisions of companies like Opal lies at the heart of allegations by U.S. short seller Hindenburg Research. Hindenburg released a 104-page report last week that accused Adani Group of wide-ranging fraud, including the use of shell companies to inflate stock prices and flout Indias shareholding rules.

Adani Group said in a 413-page rebuttal of the Hindenburg report that it has no control over what stocks Opal and other independent shareholders buy or the source of their funds. The company said it is not required to know that information. The rebuttal also dismissed the Hindenburg report as nothing but a lie" and a calculated attack on India, the independence, integrity and quality of Indian institutions."

Vinod Adani didnt respond to phone calls and email requests for comment. The family conglomerate, Adani Group, responded to questions about Vinod Adani by referring a reporter to their lengthy rebuttal, which says Vinod Adani doesnt hold any managerial position or any role in the day-to-day affairs of any Adani publicly traded company or their subsidiaries.

Messrs. Caillou and Mittra didnt respond to requests for comment.

Trustlink International CEO Giandeo Rajiv Reemul didnt respond to a request for comment. In 2007, a filing with Indias Bombay Stock Exchange by Adani Enterprises, the flagship company of the Adani conglomerate, listed Mr. Reemul as the director of Mauritius-based Adani Global Ltd.

Neither Opal or Trustlink have websites. The website of Krunal describes the firm as offering services such as sale and delivery of an intangible product, between a producer and consumer."

Long before Hindenburg released its report, a surge in share prices across the seven publicly traded companies that form the Adani Group propelled Mr. Adanis fortunes. His combined wealth peaked at $147 billion late last year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Just before Hindenburg released the report, his net worth was at $119 billion, according to the index. That has since shrunk to $59 billion on Saturday, according to the index. The combined market value of shares of the seven public companies has also halved to about $110 billion, FactSet data show.

Vinod Adani has long held a central role in raising funds for Adani Group, said R. N. Bhaskar, who wrote a biography of Gautam Adani published last year. Growing up, Gautam Adani considered Vinod Adani a father figure, Mr. Bhaskar said. When Gautam Adani moved to Mumbai as a teenager Vinod Adani took him under his wing, said Mr. Bhaskar, who has met the brothers several times.

Vinod Adani is a person extremely well connected with financial institutions and money sources around the world," said Mr. Bhaskar.

Offshore investment companies based in Mauritius, located in the Indian Ocean, have limited requirements for corporate disclosures. They have played a key role in Adani firms efforts to tap capital markets.

Mauritius-based entities agreed to buy nearly a fifth of the shares set aside for anchor investors in a large stock sale of up to $2.4 billion by Adani Enterprises, the conglomerates flagship company, according to a list of anchor investors released by Adani Enterprises. Seven Mauritius companies had signed on to buy between 1.25% and 5.67% of those shares. The group collectively would have held 19.43% of the offering, according to the Journals calculations based on the offerings documents.

Adani Enterprises pulled the sale Wednesday citing unprecedented market volatility and promised to refund investors.

Companies without a free float of at least 25% of shares risk being delisted under rules set by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. In the third quarter of the current financial year, which ends March 31, Adani family members and companies that have publicly disclosed ties to the Adani empire held 74.97% of Adani Powers shares, according to corporate filings. Opals stake in Adani Power accounts for nearly 19% of the shares thatAdani Poweris required to float to independent shareholders.

Hindenburg founder Nate Anderson said the research firm scraped the entire corporate registry of Mauritius to build its own searchable database, allowing Hindenburg to query the names of listed directors or owners of the entities. Hindenburg said it began comparing details of the companies and finding correlations and similarities.

The Journal independently searched the government-run corporate registry of Mauritius and other databases to locate filings on companies invested in Adani Group firms.

The Journal found filings that show Trustlink incorporated both Opal and Krunal on the same day, Oct. 4, 2005, using the same registered office address for both companies. The two entities have consecutive company numbers in the registry: Krunal is C58854 and Opal is C58855. That indicates the paperwork was processed one after the other, said Hariom Manchiraju, an associate professor of accounting at Indian School of Business in Hyderabad.

Mr. Manchiraju said Indian law requires publicly traded companies to label offshore investors as related to the Adani family or Adani companies only if it is clear that the owners of the offshore vehicle are shareholders or key managers of the publicly traded companies.

Krunal also appears under the name Krunal Oil Marketing in the Mauritius filings, which list both names under the same company number. Krunal Oil Marketing made a loan of $253.8 million to Adani Developers Private Ltd. during the fiscal years 2009 and 2010, according to corporate filings in India.

Adani Developers, which has since changed its name to Sunbourne Developers Private Ltd., said in filings in India that its registered office is the Adani House in Ahmedabad, an Adani office that used to serve as the corporate headquarters. Analysts say the company should have disclosed the loans as a related-party transaction if any owners of Krunal hold significant shares in Adani companies or are key management.

A Mauritius-based company linked to the Adani family also subscribed to the recently canceled stock sale of Adani Enterprises.

The Great International Tusker Fund, which subscribed to 2.47% of the shares offered to anchor investors, counts Shakill Toorabally as a director. Mr. Toorabally is listed as a director, along with Vinod Adani and Subir Mittra, of the Mauritius-based Acropolis Trade and Investment Ltd., a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange and Mauritius corporate registry show. The stock-exchange document shows that Mr. Toorabally and Mr. Mittra are also directors of Xcent Trade and Investment Ltd.

Both Acropolis and Xcent are holding companies of Endeavour Trade and Investment Ltd, which acquired 48,956,419 shares of ACC. The stock-exchange document states that Endeavour belongs to the Adani Group.

Mr. Toorabally didnt respond to a request for comment.
Adani Groups domestic lenders do not plan to cut off the conglomerate from utilizing sanctioned but unused credit lines for fear their action could backfire and lead to defaults, four bankers said.

It is estimated that out of the $9 billion exposure that Indian banks have to the group, about $1.5 billion is yet to be used. Bankers said there is no internal decision to curtail Adani groups sanctioned loans, be it in term loans or working capital. While term loans fund capital expenditure, working capital is utilized for operational expenses.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

It would be foolish to stop disbursing sanctioned loans as there is no repayment delay, let alone default," said one of the four bankers cited above. All of them requested anonymity.

If we do not let him draw the credit lines, work on existing projects might stop, and that is not good for our exposure," the banker said.

Mint has reviewed a copy of the document that suggests Indian banks are willing to increase the sanctioned limits from $9 billion to $11 billion.

The Adani group is in constant dialogue with banks. Banks have asked about capex plans, and Adani has clarified its stance. Most of the loans are backed by cash-generating assets such as renewable power projects, long-term PPA projects, land banks, cash flows etc.," said yet another banker directly familiar with the development.

After a steep fall in shares of Adani Group firms last week, banks have held talks with top officials from the group.

But, so far, banks have not asked for additional collaterals for the existing disbursed or sanctioned loans. Only around $400 million of loans are share-backed loans, and after the share price fall, Adani has provided additional equities to maintain the loan-to-asset ratio, which is typically 1:2," said the second person, adding that the entire $9 billion credit limit (including working capital loans) is backed by assets. Around $7.5 billion has been disbursed out of over $9 billion credit line sanctioned by various domestic banks, said the second person.

If the group intends to avail loans from the unutilized limits, it wont be required to provide additional collateral at this juncture. The entire sanctioned portion is backed by cash-generating assets," the second person said. For instance, SBI has sanctioned a credit limit of 55,000 crore. Of this, only 27,000 crore has been availed."

This person said around 85% of working capital loans availed from banks by Adani Group firms are fund-based, and only around 15% are non-fund-based.

Last week, executives from the group approached lenders with their 413-page rebuttal to the report by short-seller Hindenburg Research that alleged stock manipulation and accounting fraud against it. The conglomerate has denied all allegations and has accused Hindenburg of engaging in calculated securities fraud".

We will allow Adani to draw existing credit lines because all sanctions are against specific projects. They are also sitting on surplus cash," said the second person. However, he said, the Hindenburg fiasco and its impact on the groups fundraising capabilities could put a brake on its breakneck expansion.

A third banker said exposure of Indian banks is not under risk, and therefore, they would disburse sanctioned limits if and when the group reaches out. That said, banks would ensure projects they are funding have achieved financial closure," the banker said. Financial closure is associated with borrowers meeting conditions set by lenders before they disburse the first round of credit.

Others believe bankers would also not be able to stop sanctioned limits unless there is a default, typically one of the conditions set in loan contracts where credit is disbursed in tranches.

After sanctioning a loan to a corporate borrower, banks charge a commitment fee of about 0.5-1.5% of the loan, its payment depending on whether it is a term loan or a working capital. This ensures the loan is not just sanctioned, but the bank is also committed to disbursing it when the borrower seeks it, although the amount varies across lenders. Banks charge this fee because they have to maintain adequate liquidity for the borrower to withdraw.

Once the conditions precedent (pre-disbursement checks) are met by the borrower in the first tranche, the remaining unutilized limits are more or less disbursed unless there is a default," said a banking sector analyst.

According to a fourth banker, there is a possibility that the risk quotient for Indian companies could increase following the Hindenburg report.

It would be tougher for Indian companies to raise funds overseas due to the Adani episode. This will be a significant dampener for everyone. So, I am worried about the negative repercussion on India Inc.," the banker said.

So far, several banks have disclosed their exposure to the Adani Group after concerns were expressed about its debt. While SBI said it is at 27,000 crore, Punjab National Bank said it is 7,000 crore, Bank of Baroda at 5,380 crore, and Axis Bank at 7,164 crore (as per its disclosure of it being at 0.94% of its latest net advances).
NEW DELHI : Shares of Adani group cement producersAmbuja Cements Ltd and ACC Ltdhave fallen 17-25% since 24 January after US short seller Hindenburg Research levelled allegations against the conglomerate. This contrasts with gains of 5.5-8.5% recorded by other cement manufacturers such as UltraTech, Shree Cement, and Dalmia Bharat during the period.

Some of the gains of Adanis peers can be attributed to falling coal prices and a revival in cement demand. Sentiments have also improved with easing concerns around aggressive capacity expansions by the Adani group and associated pressure on cement prices, impacting other firms.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

The Adani group, which forayed into the cement business through its acquisition of Ambuja Cements and subsidiary ACC, had also shown its intent on doubling the capacities of the two firms over the next five years to around 140 million tonne per annum (mtpa). This had increased fears that the industry would face aggressive strategies on consolidation and market share gains, thereby leading to intense competition.

With the group embroiled in the turmoil, it may take a pause on aggressive expansions, said analysts. They added that the group may also find it difficult to raise capital for expansion plans. Meanwhile, a good demand outlook is likely to keep prospects for the cement sector positive, the analysts said.

Ambrish Baliga, an independent market expert, said cement demand is likely to stay strong led by increased government spending on infrastructure. He said the Adani groups expansion plans in the cement business are now unlikely to happen in the next 8-24 months. Baliga kept a positive outlook on the sector and said overall capacity expansions have lagged growth in cement demand.

Mangesh Bhadang at Centrum Broking expects incremental capacities of about 85 MT and 87-90MT increase in cement demand over FY23-25. With capacity additions in line with demand growth, the outlook remains positive.

Meanwhile, rivals that had unveiled their own expansion plans following Adanis move may now take it easy.

An investment manager at a domestic securities firm said other cement producers may sober down on their aggressive expansion plans. The consolidation in the industry, however, can continue with leaders such as UltraTech, Shree Cement, Dalmia Bharat and JSW Cement still looking for capacities for geographical expansion and market share gains.

How Ambuja Cements approaches its capacity needs though will be watched keenly by analysts looking at the ongoing fiasco. However, the company has adequate cash on books to provide for equity in case it is looking to raise funds. Ambuja and ACC (Adani group cement entities) were net cash positive companies, with a cumulative cash balance of 10,300 crore in FY23 (at the end of September quarter) as per analyst data. Ambuja is yet to declare its December quarter results.

Sanjeev Kumar Singh at Motilal Oswal Financial Services said that post the recent corrections, valuations of the two Adani group cement companies have become reasonable.

Analysts noted that even post the acquisitions, Ambuja Cements and ACC havent resorted to any pricing disruption and that may be the case moving forward as well since both may choose to protect their margins.

While demand has improved from November and was further better in January, cement prices remained under check.

All-India average cement prices have remained flat sequentially in January and no meaningful price hike announcement for February has been seen, Jefferies India Pvt. Ltd said in a 2 February report.

Demand, however, remains strong in the infra segment, though sluggish in the retail housing segment. The analysts maintained a positive demand outlook on pre-election spending (backed by strong capex growth allocation in the Union budget) and declining coal prices though narrowing window for price hikes is a risk for estimates.
NEW DELHI : The Adani groups pursuit to dominate Indian infrastructure, especially airports, through aggressive expansion may face turbulence with the current meltdown in valuation and credibility, industry executives and analysts said.

Having withdrawn its 20,000 crore follow-on public offer and been put under watch by rating agencies following a damning report by New York-based short seller Hindenburg Research, the group may no longer bid as aggressively as it did in the past, they said.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

The group will not be able to bid as aggressively as earlier since the cost of capital is set to rise considerably for them. Any change in the cost of capital is set to impact various calculations," an industry executive said on the condition of anonymity.

Adani, in February 2019, won bids to upgrade and operate six government-owned airportsLucknow, Mangaluru, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuramfor 50 years. The winners were decided on the basis of revenue per passenger paid by each bidder, and the Adani groups offers were much higher than the second-highest bidit was more than double the second bid in one case (see chart).

That aggression is unlikely in the second phase of the airport divestment plan to be rolled out by the government. Airport companies, which compete with Adani, can heave a sigh of relief," said another executive who has been involved in the Indian governments airport bidding process in the past.

A financially weaker Adani would mean the government, which gained from the groups aggressive bids in the past, will earn less.

An industry analyst said the group could regain its financial strength only in 18-24 months.

This will impact the groups strategy to acquire more airports under public-private partnerships in the short to medium term. So, if the bids are called in the next three-six months, the groups ability to put in aggressive bids will be limited, but the situation could be different if bids are called in around two years," the analyst said.

Others peg the hope on banks continued support for the Adani group since the conglomerate has been regularly servicing its debt. Adani [group] is servicing its borrowings on time, so banks should support it. The biggest challenge ahead is winning back the global investor confidence," said Mark Martin, chief executive officer of Martin Consulting, an aviation consultancy.

The government is working on a plan to sell about 11-13 more airports run by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL), said in an interview on 18 January that the company would consider bidding for these projects. Those plans may need a relook now.

The seven operational airports run by the Adani group make up 23.7% of the total passenger traffic in India according to government data for December. In terms of freight carriage, the share of airports under the group stood at 30.7% in December.

Beyond airport projects, the group is also considering buying the governments stake in the airports in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai, where the Adani group currently owns a 74% stake. The government has plans to sell AAIs stake of 13% each in Hyderabad and Bengaluru and 26% each in Delhi and Mumbai. Mint reported in November that the conglomerate is eyeing a stake in the Bengaluru airport, too.

AAHL is a self-contained entity with a robust business plan. AAHLs business plan remains as before," a spokesperson for Adani group said in an emailed response to queries.

The conglomerate is also aggressive in the road sector, with its portfolio comprising 18 projects that have an asset value of more than 44,000 crore.

Infrastructure analysts, however, believe that the group will continue to expand in the infrastructure space.

Infrastructure projects are making money for the group, and there is no reason for them to stop expanding in that space," said Vinayak Chatterjee, founder and managing trustee at The Infravision Foundation.

The industry executives cited above said the current turmoil may not affect Adanis infrastructure projects in the long run since they are cash-generating assets. The planned upgradation of three airports owned by the group, however, is likely to get impacted by the withdrawal of the FPO, Mint reported on Friday.
One of the leading steel manufacturing companies of India, Tata Steel is likely to witness yet another weak quarter for the period ending December 31, 2022 (Q3FY23). The Tata Group-backed steelmaker's net profit may decline more than half on a quarter-on-quarter basis. The year-on-year drop is likely to be massive. Its European operations are also seen to post EBITDA loss.

Overall, Tata Steel may record a decline across parameters such as revenue, EBITDA, and profit after tax (PAT) during Q3. Steel sales volumes may perform on a mixed note.

Tata Steel will present its December 2022 quarter earnings on February 6th.

Ahead of its earnings, Tata Steel shares closed at 120.10 apiece broadly flat compared to the previous closing on BSE. Its market cap is nearly 1.47 lakh crore.

In the second quarter of FY23, Tata Steel reported a PAT of 1,514 crore down by 87% from 11,918 crore in Q2FY22, owing to higher costs and weak operational performance amid a global economic slowdown. Revenue from operations however dipped at a much slower pace by 0.8% to 59,877.52 crore in Q2FY23 versus 60,387.13 crore in Q2 of the previous fiscal. EBITDA stood at 6,060.4 crore lower by 62%.

What to expect in Q3?

In its Q3 preview report for the metal sector, ICICI Direct said, "we expect Tata Steel's standalone operations to report an EBITDA/tonne of 12,500/tonne compared to 10,177/tonne in Q2FY23 and 28,631/tonne in Q3FY22."

For Q3, the brokerage expects Tata Steel's standalone operations to report steel sales volume of ~4.5 million tonnes (MT), up 5% YoY but down 6% QoQ while European operation steel sales volume is likely to come in at ~1.96 MT, down 9% YoY but up 5% QoQ.

Further, the brokerage believes the company's European operations to report a loss at the EBITDA level. Also, European operations are likely to report negative EBITDA/tonne of $75/tonne.

On a consolidated basis, ICICI Direct's preview note said, "the topline is expected to decline 13% YoY, 12% QoQ to 52,618 crore. Tata Steel's consolidated EBITDA for Q3FY23E is expected to decline 73% YoY and 29% QoQ to 4,279 crore. Consolidated EBITDA margins for Q3FY23E are likely to come in at 8.1% compared to 26.1% in Q3FY22 and 10.1% in Q2FY23. Ensuing consolidated PAT is likely to come in at 564 crore, down 94% YoY, 56% QoQ."

Meanwhile, on Tata Steel, Kotak Institutional Equities in their Q3 note said, "We estimate steel realization to decline by 2% qoq (-6% yoy) led by price cuts and contract resets during the quarter. We expect standalone volumes to increase by 1% yoy (+xx % qoq) at 4.45 million tons on a low base. India EBITDA/ton to recover by 41% qoq to Rs12,566/ton (- 61% yoy) led by lower coal costs partly offset by lower realizations."

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Managing Director Uday Kotak doesn't see any systemic risk to the Indian financial system, despite recent dramatic stock falls in Adani Group companies. However, the Kotak Mahindra Bank CEO believes that large Indian corporates rely more on global sources for debt and equity finance.

This creates challenges and vulnerabilities," Kotak noted in a Twitter post on Sunday, adding, Time to further strengthen Indian underwriting and capacity building."

I do not see systemic risk to Indian financial system from recent events. However,large Indian corporates rely more on global sources for debt and equity finance. This creates challenges and vulnerabilities. Time to further strengthen Indian underwriting and capacity building.  Uday Kotak (@udaykotak) February 5, 2023

His tweet comes amid a sharp sell-off in Adani Group companies shares, which led the market into a tailspin. Moreover, banking stocks were impacted on fears of Adani exposure impacting the lenders.

However, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) message that Indian banking system is healthy improved sentiments leading to late rally in banking stocks.

Exposure of banks to Adani Group

Three leading public sector banks have already disclosed their exposure to the Adani Group. The country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) has an exposure of 27,000 crore, while that of the second biggest Punjab National Bank (PNB) is at 7,000 crore.

Another state-owned lender Bank of Baroda has total exposure of 7,000 crore, which is also fully secured.

Private sector lender Axis Bank has said its exposure to crisis-ridden Adani Group stands at 0.94 per cent of its net advances.

Government-owned life insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has disclosed holdings of 36,474.78 crore in Adani group's debt and equity.

SEBI reassures investors after Adani rout

Meanwhile, capital markets regulator SEBI Saturday said that markets were stable and protected from further volatility, following a phenomenal share rout that hit the business empire of Adani.

The securities regulator said in a statement that the country's financial market had "demonstrated ongoing stability and is continuing to function in a transparent, fair and efficient manner".

It further said that it had "put in place a set of well defined, publicly available surveillance measures" for addressing excessive volatility in specific stocks, without naming the Adani conglomerate.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also insisted that Indian markets were well regulated and that the controversy would not affect investor confidence.

Earlier this week Adani cancelled a 20,000-crore stock sale meant to help reduce debt levels  long a concern  restore confidence and broaden its shareholder base.

Big banks, including Credit Suisse and Citigroup, have stopped accepting Adani bonds as collateral for loans to private clients, Bloomberg News reported, fuelling worries about how the conglomerate will raise fresh funds.

Stocks of Adani Group firms have taken a massive beating on the bourses since US short-seller Hindenburg Research released an explosive report in late January.

The US-based research firm has made a litany of allegations in a report, accusing Adani of accounting fraud and artificially boosting its share prices, calling it a "brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme" and "the largest con in corporate history".

However, the group has rejected the allegations.

The combined market cap of Adani Group's listed companies has collapsed by around $120 billion  about half of the conglomerate's value.
On 30 January, an incident occurred aboard an American Airlines flight bound for New York from Delhi airport, where a female cancer patient was allegedly offloaded from the plane.

The woman, identified as Meenakshi Sengupta, recently underwent surgery and required assistance from a flight attendant to keep her hand-bag, weighing over 5 pounds, in the overhead cabin. In her complaint to the Delhi Police and the Civil Air, Sengupta stated that the flight attendant refused to help her, despite her request for assistance due to her weak limbs and the visible brace she was wearing.

In her complaint to the Delhi Police and the Civil Air, Meenakshi Sengupta said that she had also requested for wheelchair assistance to her seat, "I was also wearing a brace which was visible to everyone and they would know that I have some discomfort...because I CANNOT carry any weight in my hands at all and I'm weak from the surgery and don't need to strain myself by walking a lot."

According to Sengupta, the ground staff were supportive and assisted her in getting onto the plane and placing her hand-bag at the side of her seat. However, once inside the flight, Sengupta explained her health condition to the air hostess, who failed to offer any assistance in putting the hand-bag in the overhead compartment.

When the cabin lights were dimmed and an air hostess approached to put the hand-bag away, Sengupta requested help, but was rudely declined by the hostess who told her that it was not their job to assist. Despite repeatedly asking for help, the hostess refused and walked away, leaving Sengupta to handle the bag on her own.

Sengupta alleged that the air hostess was "extremely rude and arrogant" in her response to her request for assistance. When Sengupta sought to raise the issue with other crew members, they were "largely indifferent" and told her she should de-board the flight if she was uncomfortable, according to Sengupta's account.

The incident has drawn widespread attention on social media, with many calling for action from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Delhi Commission for Women.

The DGCA has taken notice of the case and requested American Airlines to provide a report. The airline issued a statement, saying that its customer relations team has reached out to Sengupta to reimburse her for the unused portion of her ticket.

The statement read, "On Jan. 30, a passenger was removed from American Airlines flight 293 from Delhi (DEL) to New York (JFK) prior to takeoff for not following crew member instructions. Our customer relations team has contacted the customer to refund the unused portion of their ticket and an investigation into the matter is underway."

(With inputs from ANI)
Even as the Centre allocates a greater share of its budget towards creating new assets, another story is playing out in another part of its sprawling empire. In the backdrop of challenging economic conditions, the set of 389 public sector undertakings (PSUs) owned and managed by the Centre are shrinking back on new investments. As a result, the primary government engine of capital expenditure is now the central government itself.

For 2023-24, the Centre has outlined a record capital spend of 10 trillion, an increase of 37% over 2022-23. But this is not its full capex envelope. The Centre also plans to transfer 3.7 trillion to states, scheme-implementing agencies and autonomous institutions for their own capex. And then, there are PSUs, which do their own capex. The three put together, or overall central capex, will be 18.6 trillion for 2023-24a 28% increase over 2022-23.

Even with these hikes, overall central capex is still lower than pre-covid levels. Whats changing is the mix. The share of PSUs in overall capex has dropped from 3.9% of GDP in 2017-18 to 1.6% in 2023-24. Conversely, the share of direct spending by the Centre has increased from 1.7% to 3.3%.

That is a statement of intent. The share of capex in the Centres total expenditure is slated to increase from 12.5% in 2019-20 to 22.2% in 2023-24. Its also the need of the hourthe flagging capex by PSUs is emblematic of weak private investments. The Centre hopes that doubling down on capex will help.

Rolling along

According to a post-budget report by analytics company Crisil, the biggest component of central government capex through this budget is directed at two infrastructure sectors: roads ( 2.6 trillion, year-on-year increase of 25%) and railways ( 2.4 trillion, 49%). While the railways capex growth looks impressive, there has been a significant shift in capex sources for the sector.

The share of so-called extra budgetary resourcesessentially the railways own resources and what it can raise through market borrowingsused to finance capex has come down significantly. It is now budgeted to account for only 6.5% of the railways total capex in 2023-24, against 33% in 2022-23. Thus, almost all the railways capex in 2023-24 will come directly from the union budget. The rise in allocation to railways will drive completion of dedicated freight corridors and national high-speed corridors, as well as infrastructure modernization," says the Crisil report.

Rural jobs blow

As mentioned earlier, apart from spending directly on capex, the central government also transfers resources for the creation of capital assets to states, and other agencies for implementation of schemes. The total transfer amount for 2023-24 is pegged at 3.7 trillion. The bulk of this is accounted for by transfers under 11 big-ticket schemes in sectors like rural employment (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme), water (Jal Jeevan Mission) and housing (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana).

While allocations under MGNREGS under the head of transfers for capital assets have dropped sharply by around 30% to 61,032 crore, allocations under other schemes have risen. These include Jal Jeevan Mission (up 27%), Pradhan Mantri Awas YojanaRural (13%) and Pradhan Mantri Awas YojanaUrban (55%). The Reform Linked Distribution Scheme under the ministry of power and the Swachh Bharat Mission have both received big bumps in allocations, of 105% and 172%, respectively.

Food coffers

The other category beyond the main union budget is resources of public enterprises such as the Food Corporation of India, or oil companies. These account for 26% of the overall capex of the Centre. After a few years of falling sharply, this amount is budgeted to increase by 86,000 crore this year. However, the bulk of this increase is accounted for by just one enterprise, Food Corporation of India (FCI), whose resources are budgeted to increase by 90,000 crore in 2023-24.

Other PSUs whose resources are budgeted to increase are IREDA ( 10,174 crore), and Indian Oil Corporation ( 11,679 crore). However, increases in resources of these companies is offset by declines elsewhere, such as HUDCO (down by 2,868 crore), and specific railway enterprises such as Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation (down by 3,000 crore).

www.howindialives.com is a database and search engine for public data
NEW DELHI : Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday came down heavily on the central government amid the ongoing Hindenburg-Adani row, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been reserving an "eloquent silence" on the 'Adani MahaMegaScam'.

Ramesh said the Congress has decided to pose three questions to the PM Modi daily, starting Sunday.

"The eloquent silence of the PM on the Adani MahaMegaScam has forced us to start a series, HAHK-Hum Adanike Hain Kaun. We will be posing 3 questions to the PM daily beginning today. Here are the first three. Chuppi Todiye Pradhan Mantri-ji," tweeted Ramesh.

The eloquent silence of the PM on the Adani MahaMegaScam has forced us to start a series, HAHK-Hum Adanike Hain Kaun. We will be posing 3 question to the PM daily beginning today. Here are the first three.



Chuppi Todiye Pradhan Mantriji pic.twitter.com/qUxt6eJVec  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 5, 2023

The three questions posed by the Congress also pertained to the Panama Papers and the Pandora Papers cases. It said it doubted the 'sincerity' of the government's investigation into these cases, as Gautam Adani's brother Vinod Adani's name appeared in one of them.

The party further asked the Centre to come clean on what action it took to investigate the 'serious allegations' against the Adani Group over the years.

The grand old party also questioned the government on India's largest business groups escaping "serious scrutiny for so long despite persistent allegations".

Meanwhile, the Congress, on its official Twitter handle, announced a countrywide protest on Monday against the 'silence' of the Modi government in these matters.

"PM Modi's friend Adani is accused of the world's biggest scam. But PM Modi is silent in this whole matter. No investigation, no action. The Congress is going to hold a countrywide protest tomorrow (6 February) against this silence of the Modi government. Keep the answer ready, the public is coming," tweeted the Congress.

Earlier, on Saturday, Ramesh hit out at Union Minister Anurag Thakur alleging that the Opposition was not being allowed to demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issue.

Taking to Twitter, Ramesh posted, "I&B Minister, Anurag Thakur of Goli Maro infamy says Opposition running away from debate in Parliament. What a joke. Parliament hasn't functioned for 2 days as Opposition isn't even allowed to take a minute to demand JPC on the PM-linked Adani MahaMegaScam."

A report by a US-based Hindenburg Research surfaced on January 24, claiming that the Adani Group had weak business fundamentals, and was involved in stock manipulation and accounting fraud, among others.

The report triggered a sell-off of shares of all Adani Group companies.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on 5 February has issued a revised order clarifying that consumption of non-vegetarian food is allowed within 10 kilometers radius of the air station in Yelahanka.

However, the civic body has said that stringent waste disposal methods should be followed around the air force station.

In the order, BBMP stated, It was requested to take up the action towards closure of meat/chicken/fish selling activities within 10 km of radius of AFS Yelahika with effect from 30 Jan 23 to 20 Feb 2023. The activities undertaken by your office towards the same are well appreciated and your field officers have started implementation of the same in a well planned manner."

Also Read: Aero India 2023 to begin in Bengaluru from 13-17 February. Check ticket price and other details here

However a lot of queries have been received by Air Force authorities regarding the restrictions on consumption of non-vegetarian food within 10 kms radius of Air Force Station Yelahanka, the order stated.

Clarifying it, the BBMP wrote, Closure of all meat chicken/ fish selling shops and slaughter houses within 10 kms radius of Air Force Station Yelahanka upto 20 Feb 2023 is to be ensured."

"Consumption of non-vegetarian food such as meat/chicken/fish may be permitted. However, stringent disposal measures of waste needs to be ensured, to mitigate bird activity in the vicinity of the airfield area towards safe conduct of Aero India 2023," it stated.

Last week, on 27 January, BBMP had passed an order to prohibit the sale of non-veg food within 10 km of the Yelahanka Air Force Station in view of Aero India show. BBMP officials had told ANI that the decision was taken as the non-veg food littered in public places attract lots of scavenger birds, especially kites, which can cause mid air mishaps

The Aero India Show will be conducted from February 13 to 17.

Aero India in its website stated that a total of 731 exhibitors have registered of which 633 are Indian and 98 are foreign. Earlier in 2021, delegates from over 55 countries and more than 540 exhibitors had participated.

US defence major Lockheed Martin will showcase its F-21 fighter jet, S-92 multi-role helicopter, MH-60R Romeo multi-mission chopper and anti-tank weapon Javelin, among others, at the upcoming Aero-India exhibition in Bengaluru, as reported by PTI.

Almost all leading aerospace companies around the world are expected to attend the event at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, in a total area of around 35,000 sq metres. Lockheed Martin has been pitching its F-21 aircraft as the best option in the Indian Air Force's hunt for 114 combat jets.

The biennial airshow would be inaugurated by PM Modi. Being one of the premier aerospace exhibition, Aero India has held 13 successful editions in Bengaluru since 1996.

The five-day event will combine a major trade exhibition of the aerospace and defence industries as well as an aerial display by IAF. Besides global leaders and big investors in the aerospace industry, the show will also see participation by think tanks from across the world.

Aero India will provide a unique opportunity for the exchange of information, ideas and new developments in the aviation industry. In addition to giving a fillip to the domestic aviation industry, it would further the cause of Make in India.

Here are the ticket prices for Aero India 2023

The price ticket for general visitor (for Exhibition and ADVA) is 2500 for Indian nationals and $50 for foreign nationals. For ADVA visitor, the price of the ticket is 1000 for Indian nationals and $50 for foreign nationals.

The Business visitor tickets is priced at 5,000 for Indian nationals and $150 for foreign nationals. The charges for all types of passes are inclusive of GST.
Besides speaking about concerns related to layoffs, Apple CEO Tim Cook has called India a "hugely exciting market" for the technology company. The Apple CEO said that India will be a "major focus" for the firm, which is looking to choose the country as an alternative production base to China and as a source of growth.

"India is a hugely exciting market for us and is a major focus," said Cook while speaking at the company's earnings call, adding, "We're putting a lot of emphasis on the market."

His remarks come at a time when a number of tech firms globally are laying off staff to cut expenses amid challenging macroeconomic conditions. The Apple CEO had also said in an interview, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, that the company is managing costs very tightly and is curtailing hiring in certain sectors.

However, Apple is hiring carefully and adding new staff where they are required. For instance, the tech firm is hiring retail managers for its upcoming physical Apple stores in India.

'Bullish on India'

I'm very bullish on India," Cook said adding, "We are investing there (India) by bringing retail there, bringing the online store there and putting out a significant amount of energy there."

The Apple CEO announced the financial results for the fiscal 2023 first quarter, which ended on 31 December, 2022.

The tech giant has witnessed a quarterly revenue record in India for October to December, with double-digit year-over-year growth. This comes amid otherwise gloomy results, including production headwinds in China and weakening global consumer demand dealt the firm its first revenue drop in over three years.

For iPhone sales in India in the quarter, Apple said that the company witnessed an all-time record. However, the firm didn't mention specific numbers regarding revenue or units sold. Cook said that Apple grew very strong double digits year over year despite the headwinds faced by the company.

"We ... grew very strong double digits year over year, and so we feel very good about how we performed, and ... that's despite the headwinds that we've talked about," Cook was quoted as saying by Nikkei Asia.

Apple has not yet opened retail stores in India. However, the company appears to be preparing up for opening retail stores as it started hiring retail store workers in the country in January. Also, Apple aims to fill many other roles as it prepares to open its first flagship locations as soon as this quarter.

Like China, India is important to Apple in terms of a sizable market and a growing manufacturing hub.

Earlier in January, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had said that Apple wants India to account for up to 25 per cent of its production, from about 5 per cent to 7 per cent now.

The tech giant had also announced that shipment volumes of the two new models would be lower than expected and customers would have to wait for a longer time to receive new products, the Nikkei Asia report added.

In his remarks, Cooks had said that Apple has enhanced its effort to diversify its production base amid souring ties between US and China and pandemic-affected supply chain disruptions, particularly in China in 2022.

With agency inputs
Opposition parties on Sunday stepped up their attack on the Modi government over the Adani issue, with the Congress alleging that its "silence smacks of collusion".

Ahead of the party's planned nationwide protests on Monday, Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said they will pose three questions a day to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue and "your government cannot hide from saying 'HAHK' (Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun)".

What action has been taken, if ever, to investigate the serious allegations made over the years against the Adani Group and is there any hope of a fair and impartial investigation in the matter under the prime minister, he said in a statement and asked the prime minister to break his "silence" over the issue.

Telangana Chief Minister and BRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao endorsed the demand of opposition parties for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to look into the "scam", while BSP chief Mayawati said India's image is at stake but the government is taking the issue "very lightly".

Adani group stocks have taken a beating on the bourses after US-based activist short-seller Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations including fraudulent transactions and share price manipulation against the Gautam Adani-led group which has dismissed the allegations as lies.

Ramesh said that amid the allegations against the Adani Group, the Modi government has maintained a "loud silence which smacks of collusion".

He alleged Vinod Adani, the brother of Gautam Adani, was named in the Panama Papers and the Pandora Papers as someone "who operates offshore entities in the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands".

"What does the fact that a business entity you are well acquainted with faces serious allegations tell us about the quality and sincerity of your investigations?" the Congress general secretary said.

"How is it possible that one of India's largest business groups, one that has been allowed to build monopolies in airports and seaports, could have escaped serious scrutiny for so long despite persistent allegations?" Ramesh said.

Other business groups have been harassed and raided for much less, he alleged.

"Was the Adani Group essential to a dispensation that has profited from 'anti-corruption' rhetoric all of these years," Ramesh said.

Tagging his statement, the Congress leader tweeted, "The eloquent silence of the PM on the Adani MahaMegaScam has forced us to start a series, HAHK-Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun. We will be posing 3 questions to the PM daily beginning today."

The opposition parties have alleged that the recent meltdown in Adani Group shares is a scam that involves common people's money as public sector LIC and SBI have invested in them.

The Congress will hold district-level protests outside all offices of SBI and LIC on February 6, party general secretary K C Venugopal had announced earlier.

Parliament was adjourned for the second consecutive day on Friday without transacting any business after the Opposition raised slogans demanding a discussion and a JPC probe into the issue.

On Sunday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O'Brien said his party wants debate not disruption in Parliament and is raring to take on the government.

He said that if any party disrupts the House it is in cahoots with the BJP.

"BJP scared. Trying to RUN AWAY FROM DEBATE in Parliament. Great chance to skewer Modi Govt from Mon Feb 6 when both Houses debate Presidents Address Keep a close watch. If any Oppn party disrupts, they are in CAHOOTS WITH BJP, We TMC want debate, not disruption," the Rajya Sabha MP tweeted.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has said the government has nothing to hide on the Adani issue and accused the Opposition of evading discussion in Parliament.

The 10 listed Adani group firms have faced a combined erosion of over 8.5 lakh crore in just six trading sessions. Adani Enterprises also had to withdraw a 20,000 crore share sale.

"It is going to have a long-term impact on the country's economy and common life. Yet like in other cases, in this issue also the government is not taking the people of the country into confidence through the House. It is sad," Mayawati said.

Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao alleged the Centre has pressured Life Insurance Corporation to make a false statement over its exposure in the Adani Group.

The Indian banking system is involved in this problem and the whole country is worried, he said.

Addressing a press conference in Nanded city of Maharashtra after speaking at a public rally, Rao said, "It is my request to the Prime Minister that Adani Group is involved in such a big scam and it should be discussed in a joint parliamentary committee".

"Everyone knows he (Adani) is your friend. In just two years, he became the world's second richest person. If you are honest, set up a joint parliamentary committee. It is my demand," Rao said.

He said India has enough reserves of coal that would last for the next 120 years but the Union government is forcing states to procure imported coal, which is only supplied by the Adani group.

"The kind of love the Centre has for Adani, it should have for the people of the country," he said.

Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar had on Saturday said that allegations against the Adani group "should be looked into".

The Adani group has maintained it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that regulators Sebi and RBI should always be on their toes to keep the equity market stable and indicated that the Adani stock rout following the Hindenburg report was a company-specific issue.

She said banks and insurance companies are "not overexposed" to any one company and assured that Indian markets are very well managed by its regulators.
New Delhi: Indias largest pure-play solar platform, the ACME Group, has given a formal mandate to Rothschild and Co. to raise $500 million equity by selling a stake in ACME Cleantech Solutions Pvt. Ltd, said two people in the know.

The funds will be raised for the large green hydrogen and green ammonia project at the SEZ at Duqm in Oman, which will require an investment of around $6 billion. Acme Solar has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with Norways energy firm Equinor-backed Scatec ASA to design, develop, build and operate the facility. The plant will supply emission-free fuel to Europe and Asia. ACME is also exploring a partnership with Japans NYK Line for shipping green ammonia.

Spokespersons for Scatec and Rothschild declined comment. Queries emailed to an ACME Group spokesperson on Friday remained unanswered till press time.

Green hydrogen is generated by breaking down water in an electrolyzer. The hydrogen produced can be combined with nitrogen to make green ammonia, which is used to store energy and for manufacturing fertilizer. The facility with a capacity to produce 1.2 million tonne of green ammonia per annum will house 3.5 GW electrolyser capacity that will be powered by the 5.5 GW solar plants.

Founded in 2003 by Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, Acme Solar has 8.5 GW of operational and under-development projects, besides setting up an integrated pilot project for green hydrogen and green ammonia at Bikaner in Rajasthan.

This development comes at a time India and the UAE is planning to conduct a feasibility study to lay undersea cables between the two countries to connect their power grids, as reported by Mint earlier, quoting Indias ambassador to the UAE Sunjay Sudhir.

Once completed, the electricity link will connect all the six member-states of the Gulf Cooperation Council grouping to India. Three pilot interconnection corridors have been shortlisted for detailed technical and financial viability under One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG). They are: South Asia (India)-Southeast Asia (Myanmar to Thailand), South Asia (India)-West Asia and West Asia-Africa.

Green hydrogen has been a key part of Indias energy transition and found special mention in budget speech on 1 February by the finance minister, wherein she mentioned the 19,700 crore National Green Hydrogen Mission, through which India seeks to gain market leadership in green hydrogen.

Indias green hydrogen play has gained traction with developers readying business plans. For instance, GIC Holdings, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Japans ORIX Corp. backed Greenko Group is planning to export green ammonia, by partnering with Singapores Keppel Corp. for setting up a 250,000 tonnes production facility.
Visiting Saudi Arabia, UAE to bring opportunities to Hong Kong: chief executive

Xinhua) 10:39, February 05, 2023

HONG KONG, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- John Lee, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said on Saturday that visiting Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will bring opportunities to Hong Kong.

Lee made the remarks before departing for an eight-day visit to the two countries. During his visit, Lee will meet with government officials, visit enterprises, and attend forums and exchange activities to introduce Hong Kong's latest developments and business opportunities.

Lee said he hopes to seek and promote development opportunities and create more business opportunities for Hong Kong through this visit.

He said that this visit demonstrates the HKSAR's proactive participation in China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), the government agency responsible for the development of the Bangladesh's power sector, has asked for a revision of the power purchase agreement (PPA) it signed with Adani Power Ltd for importing electricity from its thermal power plant in Jharkhand, India. The prime reason for the revision is reportedly due to a disagreement over the price of coal to be used as fuel for the project.

This news after the Hindenburg Report makes it clear that Adani is not just stuck with a single front war but battles are spilling at various fronts. It is a major setback amid the ongoing crisis.

According to anonymous sources close to the deal, BPDB has already sent a letter to Adani Group. requesting the opening of Letter of credit (LCs) in India to import the coal. The 1,600 MW plant in Jharkhand is expected to be fueled by the imported coal.

Adani Power needs a demand note from BPDB to present to Indian authorities before importing coal for its thermal power plant located in the Godda district of Jharkhand, since almost all the power generated from the plant will be exported to Bangladesh.

The cost for importing the coal, including transport, will be paid for by Bangladesh. with the price included in the Power Purchase Agreement's tariff. However, Adani Power recently sent a request for BPDB to provide the demand note, with the coal price quoted at $400 per metric ton, which BPDB officials believe is much higher than it should be given the current state of the international market.

In our view, the coal price they have quoted ($400/MT) is excessive - it should be less than $250/MT, which is what we are paying for the imported coal at our other thermal power plants," the official said as per report from United News of Bangladesh (UNB).

Sources reveal that during the recent visit of a delegation headed by State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid to the thermal power plant located in Jharkhand's Godda district, Bangladesh's stance on the power purchase agreement with Adani Power was communicated to the Indian company's officials.

However, the state minister publicly made no mention of any disputes during the visit, instead announcing that Bangladesh plans to commence importing 750 MW of power from the plant from March.

The subsequent letter counts as BPDBs formal request for the PPA to be reviewed and tariff structure to be adjusted before it can start importing the electricity, officials said.

BPDB has raised concerns over a steep bill for the purchase of coal from Adani Power, as the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed with the Indian firm does not contain a provision for discounts.

According to sources familiar with the matter. this absence of such a provision is particularly striking, as it was made mandatory in PPAs signed with other independent power producers, both domestic and foreign. In these agreements, the cost of coal was kept as a "pass-through."

The PPA between BPDB and Adani Power was signed in November 2017 in Dhaka, with the then-Power Division Joint Secretary Faizul Amin, BPDB Secretary Mina Masuduzzaman and Adanis Business Development President Kandarp Patel signing the PPA and Implementing Agreement on behalf of their respective sides.
Canada job vacancies have recorded a historic high since after immigration was thrown open by the Canadian government in 2022. At 850,300 open positions, Canada employers have expressed need to fill up technical position.

Further the Canada government has repeatedly announced plans to open immigration for increasing skilled labours, even at various provinces in order to combat the country's growing labour shortage.

According to a BBC survey, two thirds of businesses claim to use Canada's immigration system to find talent elsewhere. Hiring immigrants who have already moved to Canada makes up the remaining third.

LinkedIn released a list of the twenty jobs that has seen a significant growth in demand.

According to LinkedIn list these were the top position

-Growth Marketing ManagerTop hiring regions: Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Greater Vancouver Metropolitan Area (GVMA), Greater Montreal Metropolitan Area (GMMA)Remote job availability: 46.2%

-Product Operations ManagerTop hiring regions: GTARemote job availability: 43.2%

-Dispensary TechnicianTop hiring regions: GTARemote job availability: N/A

-Technical Program ManagerTop hiring regions: GTA, GVMARemote job availability: 29.3%

-Sustainability ManagerTop hiring regions: GTARemote job availability: 10.5%

-Head of GrowthTop hiring regions: GTARemote job availability: 66.4%

-User Experience WriterTop hiring regions: GTARemote job availability: 44.7%

-Information Technology AssociateTop hiring regions: GTA, GMMARemote job availability: 3.3%

-Site Reliability EngineerTop hiring regions: GTA, GVMA, GMMARemote job availability: 44.7%

-Customer Success AssociateTop hiring regions: GTARemote job availability: 12.7%

-Valuation AnalystTop hiring regions: GTARemote job availability: 3.6%

-Sales Development RepresentativeTop hiring regions: GTA, GVMA, GMMARemote job availability: 49.4%

-Security EngineerTop hiring regions: GTA, GVMA, GMMARemote job availability: 57.9%

-Data EngineerTop hiring regions: GTA, GVMA, GMMARemote job availability: 35.6%

-E-commerce CoordinatorTop hiring regions: GTA, GVMA, GMMARemote job availability: 4.8%

-Technical Product ManagerTop hiring regions: GTA, GVMARemote job availability: 33.1%

-Cyber Security SpecialistTop hiring regions: GTA, GVMA, Greater Calgary Metropolitan Area (GCMA)Remote job availability: 13.4%

-Crew SchedulerTop hiring regions: GTARemote job availability: N/A

-Medical WriterTop hiring regions: GTA, GVMA, GMMARemote job availability: 56.9%

-Media PlannerTop hiring regions: GTA, GMMARemote job availability: 15.7%

Work based immigration in Canada

The Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are an immigration pathway by which provinces can invite newcomers directly to settle as permanent residents; based on their education, connection to the province, and experience with in-demand occupations. In 2023, PNPs are set to overtake Express Entry-managed programs, as Canadas largest PR pathwayhowever important changes are also coming to Express Entry.
The United States military fighter jet on Sunday shot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. China's Beijing accused the US of clearly overreacting and seriously violating international practice, according to AFP reports.

In an official statement, Beijing's foreign ministry said, China expresses strong dissatisfaction and protests against the use of force by the United States to attack the unmanned civilian airship."

The Chinese foreign ministry also stated that it would reserve the right to make further necessary responses. It added that it had clearly requested that the United States properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner.

Beijing also said the United States insisted on using force, clearly overreacting and seriously violating international practice. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of relevant enterprises and reserve the right to make further necessary responses."

Multiple fighter and refueling aircraft were involved in the mission, but only one -- an F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia -- took the shot at 2:39 pm (around 12 am IST), using a single AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile.

The Chinese spy balloon appeared to disintegrate in a white puff before its remnants dropped vertically into the ocean below.

An eyewitness said no boats appeared to be in the water beneath the balloon as the wreckage fell, but several aircraft arrived soon after. US officials tried to time the operation so they could recover as much debris as possible before it sinks.

China said it was a weather research vessel blown off course, a claim rejected by US officials who said the craft had been over areas of Montana where nuclear missiles are siloed.

The balloon first entered US airspace in Alaska on 28 January before moving into Canadian airspace on Monday, 30 January. It then re-entered US airspace over northern Idaho on 31 January, a US defense official said. Once it crossed over US land, it did not return to the open waters, making a shootdown difficult.

(With AFP inputs)
China on Sunday said that the US of clearly overreacting and seriously violating international practice. This comes at a time when the United States military fighter jet on Sunday shot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina.

China expresses strong dissatisfaction and protests against the use of force by the United States to attack the unmanned civilian airship," said China in an official statement.

China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of relevant enterprises and reserve the right to make further necessary responses," the statement added.

Multiple fighter and refueling aircraft were involved in the mission, but only one -- an F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia -- took the shot at 2:39 pm (around 12 am IST), using a single AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile, according to report by AFP.

1) On 3 February, US said a a Chinese spy balloon flying high over the United States that appeared to be surveilling highly sensitive nuclear weapons sites.

US said it was spotted earlier the week and most recently seen floating more than 40,000 feet (12,000 meters) over Montana. The location is sensitive, since the state is home to the Air Forces 341st Missile Wing and its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. While China hasnt yet commented on the incident, a Defense Department spokesman said the US had high confidence it belonged to the country, without explaining why.

2) Details on the exact capabilities of this particular balloon are unclear, with a US official who briefed reporters Thursday declining to answer several questions about its size or specifications. American officials have asserted that the balloon has a limited ability to collect meaningful intelligence data, beyond what the Chinese can already gather through their satellite network.

3) President Joe Biden said on Saturday that the United States is "going to take care of" a suspected Chinese spy balloon that has been tracked flying across the United States.

This response was triggered by a question about whether the United States would shoot down the high-altitude surveillance balloon, which has been flying across the country in what Washington calls a "clear violation" of U.S. sovereignty.

4) As a consequence of the spy balloon, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a visit to China that had been expected to start on Friday because of the balloon.

The postponing of Blinken's trip, which had been agreed to in November by Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, is a blow to those who saw it as an overdue opportunity to stabilize an increasingly fractious relationship. The last visit by a U.S. secretary of state was in 2017.

What is a spy balloon?

Cheap, quiet and hard to reach  balloons have long been used for reconnaissance purposes, including in conflicts like the American Civil War. The practice became widespread during World War I and was used extensively during the Cold War, when the US launched hundreds of balloons to gather intelligence on the Soviet Union and China.
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro's refuge in a small Florida town in United States is a classic example of from riches to rags, albeit in terms of power and popularity. While Bolsonaro's power and politics is a discourse in itself, the narrative of today is a peculiar exile that went from a presidential palace in Brazil to a KFC in Florida.

Bolsonaro at a time governed the largest Latin American country-Brazil, that had a population of 214 million. The 67-year-old far right leader is now living in a quaint town in Florida, US.

The former president of Brazil ran off to US in December 2022, few days before Brazilian residents stormed government buildings in Brasilia in an attempt to overturn the election victory of his rival, leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Reminding on of the the 2021 United States Capitol attack, and the 2022 Sri Lankan protests, the supporters of Bolsonaro, just like the supporters of Trump stormed government building after their leader was defeated in general elections.

However, Bolsonaro has denied allegations of his involvement in the government building attack by his supporters.

Where is Bolsonaro now?

From the lavish presidential palace, Bolsonaro, a political soulmate of former US president Donald Trump, went on to live in a small community of nearly identical houses near the Disney World resort.

In his first six weeks in the United States, Bolsonaro has kept a low profile, staying at the Orlando home of Brazilian former martial arts champion Jose Aldo, making a trip to a local supermarket and being photographed eating fried chicken alone at a KFC fast-food restaurant.

On Friday, the man who until recently commanded huge crowds in his home country, spoke to some 400 supporters during an event organized by the American conservative organization Turning Point USA at the Trump National hotel in the city of Doral, near Miami.

What is next for Bolsonaro?

Bolsonaro faces an uncertain future.

After publicly declaring his intention to return to Brazil at the end of January, Bolsonaro earlier this week applied for a new visa to be able to stay in the United States for six more months.

And one of his sons, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, suggested last week that the former president had no return date. "It may be tomorrow, or six months from now, or he may never come back," he told reporters.

On Tuesday, at the Orlando restaurant, Bolsonaro nevertheless promised to "remain active in Brazilian politics." He didn't elaborate.

Now it remains to be seen whether Bolsonaro maintains a low profile or whether he tries to boost his standing in the United States.

(With inputs from AFP)
American Airlines has been subjected to widespread criticism after a 30 January incident came to limelight, wherein a female cancer patient was deplaned from a New York bound flight in Delhi. Now American Airlines has said that the female cancer patient was disruptive and hence was deplaned.

The female cancer patient, Meenakshi Sengupta, has alleged that she was deboarded by rude crew members after she requested assistance with lugging a handbag on the overhead cabin in the aircraft.

American Airlines said on Sunday said that it deplaned a "disruptive" passenger from its flight to JFK Airport in New York from the Indira Gandhi International Airport here allegedly for not adhering to the crew's instructions.

Aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sought a report on the incident, a senior DGCA official said.

"On January 30, prior to the departure of American Airlines flight 293 from Delhi (DEL) to New York (JFK), a disruptive customer was removed from the aircraft for failure to follow crew member instructions," the airline said in a statement.

American Airlines also said it has reached out to the customer "to refund the unused portion of their ticket."

The women, Meenaskshi Sengupta, has lodged a complaint with Delhi Police against American Airlines regarding the 30 January incident. Sengupta has said that she recently underwent surgery and required assistance from a flight attendant to keep her hand-bag, weighing over 5 pounds, in the overhead cabin. In her complaint to the Delhi Police and the Civil Air, Sengupta stated that the flight attendant refused to help her, despite her request for assistance due to her weak limbs and the visible brace she was wearing.

Meenakshi Sengupta said that she had also requested for wheelchair assistance to her seat, "I was also wearing a brace which was visible to everyone and they would know that I have some discomfort...because I CANNOT carry any weight in my hands at all and I'm weak from the surgery and don't need to strain myself by walking a lot."

Sengupta alleged that the air hostess was "extremely rude and arrogant" in her response to her request for assistance. When Sengupta sought to raise the issue with other crew members, they were "largely indifferent" and told her she should de-board the flight if she was uncomfortable, according to Sengupta's account.
Pakistan's government has prepared a bill that proposes to change Pakistan's Penal Code (PPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). According to the bill, anyone who ridicules the Pakistani army and the judiciary will be awarded up to five-year imprisonment, as per ANI reports citing Dawn news.

The draft bill was vetted by the Pakistan Ministry of Law and Justice. It was initiated by the Ministry of Interior for the Prime Minister and the federal cabinet. A cabinet summary outlines the goal of the soon-to-be proposed bill as lately social media has been rife with criticism of the army and courts.

Sources informed the news agency ANI that the bill will be forwarded to the federal cabinet soon. Titled Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2023, the bill recommends a new section 500A. The new section is titled 'Intentional ridiculing or scandalizing of the state institutions etc.'

According to the new bill, anyone who makes publishes or circulates information through any medium with the intention to ridicule or scandalize the judiciary, the armed forces, or any of their member will be guilty of an offense punishable with simple imprisonment for a term that may extend to five years or with a fine which may extend to Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1 million or with both, Dawn reported.

Meanwhile, a new section 500A has been added to Section 500 which states that the offender will be arrested without a warrant and the offense will be non-bailable and non-compoundable. The offender can challenge the arrest in a sessions court.

The cabinet summary states that Pakistan has recently witnessed a number of scandalous, derogatory, and vicious attacks on certain state institutions, including the judiciary and armed forces, as per the Dawn report.

It also mentions that such attacks focus on undermining the integrity, stability, and independence of Pakistan's state institutions, according to Dawn. The judicial and army officials do not have the opportunity to come forward and negate derogatory and scandalous remarks while appearing in the media.

(With ANI inputs)
Talks between the International Monetary Fund and Pakistan have hit a snag in the form of a whopping 900 billion fiscal gap. While the IMF has called for GST rates to be increased by 1% for petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) products, Islamabad is contesting the fiscal gap in achieving the primary deficit.

Pakistani authorities have asked the IMF for incorporating a flow of reduction under the revised Circular Debt Management Plan (CDMP) and reduced the amount of required additional subsidy of 605 billion against the earlier target of 687 billion. Therefore, the fiscal gap stood in the range of 400 to 450 billion.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier said that the government would have to agree to IMF bailout conditions that are "beyond imagination" as it battles a spiralling economic crisis.

As the two entities attempt to strike a staff-level agreement, top officials have also blocked IMF's condition about the signing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for reviving the Fund program. According to local media reports, officials have asserted that no such discussions took place with the IMF review mission.

"Differences still persist over ascertaining the exact fiscal gap between Pakistan and the visiting IMF review mission during the technical levels talks. Once it's finalized with the IMF, then the additional taxation measures will be firmed up, which will be unveiled through the upcoming mini-budget. In view of a lack of reconciliation over the figure of fiscal gap, the technical level talks will continue on Monday and then policy level talks are expected to commence from Tuesday," sources told a select group of reporters.

They said the government agreed in principle with the IMF to abolish electricity and gas tariff subsidies for the export-oriented sector because such kind of dole out was completely unacceptable to the lender.

It is expected that both sides would strike a staff-level agreement by the conclusion of the talks on February 9. The IMF's Executive Board will consider approval of the next tranche in March this year.

(With inputs from agencies)
At least two Russian missiles hit the centre of Kharkiv with one of the missiles striking a residential building, Reuters reported local officials saying on Sunday.

"A residential building in the city center was hit. A fire broke out. So far, three victims are known: a 54-year-old woman and two men aged 51 and 55," Kharkiv governor Oleh Synehubov said on the Telegram messaging platform.

As per the report, the woman was hospitalized with shrapnel wounds.

Russia has claimed gains in recent days around war-ravaged Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk, despite the flow of Western weapons to Ukraine.

ALSO READ: Ukraine-Russia war: Europe imposes ban on Russian diesel, other oil products

For months, Russian forces have been trying to seize control of Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk, which has become the longest and bloodiest battle since Russia invaded Ukraine last February.

"In the northern quarters of Artemovsk, fierce battles are going on for every street, every house, every stairwell," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a statement, adding , The Ukrainian armed forces are fighting to the last."

In the meantime, another report arrived that Ukraine is replacing Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov. He will be replaced by Kyrylo Budanov, chief of the GUR military intelligence agency.

Aimed at clamping down on corruption, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has fired a series of high level officials this year.

With agency inputs.
Videos have emerged on social media that how US military fighter jet shot down the suspected "Chinese spy balloon" off the coast of South Carolina on Sunday.

Multiple fighter and refueling aircraft were involved in the mission, but only one -- an F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia -- took the shot at 2:39 pm (around 12 am IST), using a single AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile.

The balloon appeared to disintegrate in a white puff before its remnants dropped vertically into the ocean below.

Incredible HD footage of the Chinese surveillance balloon being shot down. pic.twitter.com/K1GxdcJuH1  Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) February 4, 2023

An eyewitness said no boats appeared to be in the water beneath the balloon as the wreckage fell, but several aircraft arrived soon after. US officials tried to time the operation so they could recover as much debris as possible before it sinks.

China said it was a weather research vessel blown off course, a claim rejected by US officials who said the craft had been over areas of Montana where nuclear missiles are siloed.

The balloon first entered US airspace in Alaska on 28 January before moving into Canadian airspace on Monday, 30 January. It then re-entered US airspace over northern Idaho on 31 January, a US defense official said. Once it crossed over US land, it did not return to the open waters, making a shootdown difficult.

Meanwhile, China has reacted strongly against the US downing the balloon. The use of force against the balloon, which China said is for civilian use and entered the US accidentally, was an obvious overreaction" and violated international standard practices, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden, who earlier Saturday had promised "to take care" of the balloon, congratulated the fighter pilots involved.

"They successfully took it down. And I want to compliment our aviators who did it," Biden said.
We know 30 January as Martyrs Day, the date on which Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. But 31 January also marks a terrible pogrom carried out by the Indian state. Few outside West Bengalor who have not read Amitav Ghoshs marvellous novel The Hungry Tide would have possibly heard of the little island of Marichjhapi in the Sunderban delta. Here, on 31 January 1979, the state police carried out an operation to evict thousands of helpless people who sought refuge there. When they resisted, they were butchered. No one knows how many were killed that day in police firing or trying to swim away to safety. The official casualty count is a ridiculous two. The actual number may be over a thousand.

In the aftermath of Partition, hundreds of thousands of Bengalis from East Pakistannow Bangladeshwere forced to flee to West Bengal. The state was swamped by the influx. The well-educated onesamong them, my fatherwere able to get jobs and start a new life in Calcutta or other cities. But the peasants and fisherfolk who had arrived had no means of livelihood.

However, B.C. Roy, then chief minister of West Bengal, was a man of ideas. He offered land in the Terai region of what is now Uttarakhand, the Andaman islands and in Dandakaranya in central India, where refugees could settle and rebuild their lives. But the Communists, led by then-firebrand Jyoti Basu, virulently opposed the move. They demanded that all the refugees be settled in Bengal. A bureaucrat in the Andaman islands administration once recounted to me how Basu would come to the Calcutta docks and convince people who were about to board the ship to Port Blair to return to their makeshift shanties.

Many of the descendants of those who did go to the Andamans and the Terai are well off today. Those who went to Dandakaranya were less fortunate. The region is mostly semi-arid shrubland and agriculture is tough and unsustainable.

Then, in 1977, the Communists came to power in West Bengal. Basu became chief minister. The wretched of Dandakaranya suddenly saw hope. After all, it was the Leftists who had promised them homes and livelihoods in the state. Many thousands of refugees sold their landholdings and arrived in Calcutta. But the West Bengal government was no longer interested. It was unwilling to listen to their pleas.

Rebuffed in every corridor of power, about 15,000 of them settled in the island of Marichjhapi. In less than two years, they managed to create a sustainable community with a school and a healthcare centre, without seeking any government aid. Then Basu declared that this was illegal occupation of government land and the refugees must return to wherever they had come from. This from a leader who, ever since Partition, had encouraged refugees to squat on landboth government and private-ownedin Calcutta, which led to a proliferation of slums whose inhabitants became a Communist vote bank.

On 24 January 1979, the West Bengal government clamped Section 144 on Marichjhapi, prohibiting any gathering of four or more people on the island. The island was also blockaded by the police, cutting its people off from food, medicines and other essential supplies. Infants, the elderly and the sick began to die. On 31 January, a massive police contingent, along with volunteers"Communist cadreon a flotilla of motor launches attacked the island and began indiscriminate firing on its residentsmen, women, children.

As mentioned earlier, no one knows the actual death count. It will never be known. It was not only bullets that killed. Many terrified victims jumped into the river and either drowned or were claimed by crocodiles that are common in the waters in the Sunderbans. The bodies that the police collected were dumped in the river or in mass graves in the forest No criminal cases were filed against any policeman or politician involved. The survivors were rounded up, brought to Calcutta, and then packed into special trains, whose doors were sealed from outside, and sent back to Dandakaranya.

The story of Jews in Nazi Germany was re-enacted after a gap of four decades. The only bit missing was the gas chambers.

And this was done under a Communist government, which, by definition, is supposed to stand for economic and social justice. The people that it betrayed, slaughtered and sent away were at the bottom of the income ladder, mostly deprived of quality education and from the so-called lower castes". In other words, they belonged to precisely the marginalized and unempowered classes whose rights the Left has for long publicly agitated for. The Marichjhapi massacre remains horrifically unique in the history of Independent India. Yet, it is largely unknown or has been forgotten.

Writes British-Canadian political scientist Ross Mallick, who researched the carnage: The election of the Left Front in 1977 was the high water mark of Communism (in West Bengal) as thereafter they never launched a social movement let alone a political one, and gradually descended into corruption and terror, rigging elections, and dispensed state patronage to remain in power for decades." The Lefts successor, the Trinamool Congress, now in power for nearly 12 years, has not been any better. After Marichjhapi, all pretences to lofty ideology were dropped. The people of West Bengal would henceforth be governed by the jackboot.

Sandipan Deb is a former editor of Financial Express, and founder-editor of Open and Swarajya magazines.
I was sitting with some old friends at Varanasis Assi Ghat recently, chatting about the Ganga, with the pious vibrations of the mighty river surrounding us. Some recalled Pandit Jagannath, others Iqbal, and still others a painting done on Maa Ganga. Then, one of us mentioned that the sight of the free-flowing river will last only another two months till summer and then sometimes, water level would drop so low that sand banks would appear in the middle of the Ganga.

Our enthusiasm ebbed. At that moment, I recalled a photograph that appeared in my newspaper three years ago. It showed people burying the ashes of their loved ones on the bed of River Yamuna in Haryana. The river had shrunk so much and the people hoped their loved ones would find peace when Yamuna Maiya would again flow over the sands after the rains and carry the ashes away. Youll be shocked to learn that the discharge of water from the sources of both these rivers has grown throughout this time. Reason? Because of rising temperatures, glaciers are melting quickly, threatening the very existence of these rivers.

The question is, what is the government doing about this? Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, recently told Hindustan that the state is committed to preserving its rivers. Water transport on the Ganga has begun; now it is time to accelerate it. We are working to protect the states 66 rivers. The Gomti river exemplifies how successful the state administration has been in this regard. Governments are certainly doing their part, but there is a need for public awareness on this matter because the worlds rivers are in peril.

Last summer, the flow of rivers such as the Rhine, Yankee, Mississippi, and Colorado, had become extremely dodgy. Unfortunately, at the same rate that we are discovering water streams and lakes drying up, groundwater levels are also dropping. Let us return to our country.

According to a report published on science.org, northwest and south India may face a serious water crisis by 2025. And by 2050, the whole country could face this dreadful predicament. India alone has 17% of the worlds population, but we only have 4% of the worlds total fresh water reserves to meet the needs of such a vast population. Our country exploits more groundwater than both US and China combined. According to the Central Ground Water Board, 256 of the countrys 700 districts are using self-sustaining groundwater. Another figure states that in 1960, there were about 3 million tube wells across the country. By 2010, i.e. 50 years later, their number had reached 35 million. How about today? Exact figures are not available, but the number would definitely have risen hugely over the last 12 years. This is scary.

According to the NITI Aayogs Composite Water Management Index, 600 million people are affected by the water problem. In the next eight years, our needs will more than double. How will this demand be met? Years ago, it was said that water scarcity would cause the Third World War, partition in several nations, and massive displacement. People are already fleeing their homes in greater numbers and many countries are experiencing social unrest as a result.

If you dont believe me, consider the state of our own country. Many states here are at odds over the distribution of river water. There is an ongoing conflict over the waters of rivers such as the Krishna, Kaveri, and Narmada among states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. I have purposely avoided naming many smaller rivers here, but it is a fact that any river in the west and south affects two or more states, and their water causes all sorts of problems. The southern states have seen violent clashes over the waters of Krishna and Kaveri.

And as a nation, too, our relationships with our neighbours are strained over the waters of Brahmaputra, Indus, and other rivers. We think China will cause a water crisis in the North East by damming the Brahmaputra. Also, we fear China, by building a dam on the Brahmaputra, may weaponize water in the event of a war. It can be used to generate deadly floods in a number of places. The people of Pakistan have similar reservations about the Indus river. We also have ongoing disputes with Nepal and Bangladesh about the sharing of river water.

One thing is certain: Nature is sending us warnings. We must revolutionize all aspects of our water usage, including daily use. Water is essential for survival. We must learn to value every drop of it.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal.
WASHINGTON : China is providing technology that Moscows military needs to prosecute the Kremlins war in Ukraine despite an international cordon of sanctions and export controls, according to a Wall Street Journal review of Russian customs data.
The sanctuary of Lourdes is preparing to welcome pilgrims to their Acueil in 2023 after being closed for almost 3 years due to Covid-19.

The Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois will return on their annual pilgrimage which will span across five days from June 2 to June 7.

It will be led by Pilgrimage Director, Monsignor Bernard Noonan alongside a team of volunteers who will support Assisted Pilgrims on the trip.

Many pilgrims go to Lourdes to get a break from busy lives in search for inner peace. Others experiencing health challenges go there seeking miraculous healings, with Assisted Pilgrims requiring helpers or ongoing medical or nursing support on a 24 hour basis.

The Assisted Pilgrim section is the most important aspect of the Pilgrimage, and while Covid-19 will limit the numbers that can be brought, it is hoped that this year can be used as a stepping stone to bring the Pilgrimage back to its past glory.

Fares for Assisted Pilgrims are subsidised and are funded through church gate collections that will take place across Longford on the weekend of February 11 & 12.

People interested in traveling can make enquiries and bookings through Joe Walsh Tours.
Patrick, or Paddy as he was known across the north-midlands, was the eldest of Michael and Rose Mastersons family in Moyne.



With his sisters, Maura and Alice, they were reared on the familys hill-side farm overlooking the famed Latin School where Fr John Meehan and Fr Ned Boylan had been teaching over fifty Latin Scholars since 1932. By 1939 Paddy had been enrolled in the nearby Moyne National School at a time when very hard-hit Irish farmers were just emerging from the 1930s impasse that was the Economic War with Great Britain.



World War II followed in September, 1939 with all its hardships and emergency rationing. By the time the war ended in 1945, Latin School numbers had fallen to twenty-one!

In Moyne National School, Paddy had passed easily through the classrooms of Mrs Annie Sheridan and Mrs Mary B Taafe and into the senior classroom of school principal, Mr Frank Doyle.

His classmates of those days, the Bradys, Duffys, Mulligans, McNaboes, his own cousins, Margaret and Kathleen OReilly and the Grays of the Post Office, - all became his friends for life.



Master Doyle retired at the end of December, 1945 and he was succeeded by John W Reid on transfer from Edenmore school.

The Reid family came to live in the local teachers house immmediately across the road from the Latin School.

Master Reid had a strong belief in the value of choir and drama in education and, as had been his wont in Edenmore, childrens concerts were soon being staged in the old 1892 schoolhouse in Moyne.

It was on that temporary stage that Paddy Masterson found his niche as he topped the bill in Moyne school concerts across the latter forties.



His duet performances of numbers such as Thank you Maam, says Dan and the WW1 anti-conscription ballad, Brian Oge and Mollie Bawn opposite his cousin, Margaret, his recitations and his comedy sketches, - all used bring the house down and enhance the parochial purse into the bargain.

In later life, he was to join the late Pearse Dalys Carnation Players in local productions such as Sharons Grave and The Wood of the Whispering alongside seasoned amateurs that included Steevie and Evelyn Reilly, Pat Joe McLoughlin, Michael Reilly, Rose McGeeSorohan and the late Eileen Owens plus many, many others during the fifties and early sixties.

A 60s trip to New York persuaded Paddy that the emigrant trail was not for him and he returned to farming in Moyne.



His sisters, Maura and Alice soon followed suit with their husbands, the late Danny Madigan and John Donnelly.

The 1970s provided Paddy with his beloved nieces and nephews as he settled easily into working the family farm and caring for his ageing parents, Michael, who passed away in 1979 and Rose four years later. And he found time regularly to look in on lots of his neighbours as well.



He was still the first port of call locally for stage contributions and one of Paddys more memorable performances was that of the Groom to Helen McNerney-Currans Bride in Dromard GAAs Mayoral fund-raising Mock Wedding of the early eighties.



Paddy Masterson loved music and he loved to dance. Where other contemporaries would have been stuck to the floor he was already a skilled exponent of the waltz, the foxtrot and especially so, of the samba.

The old Masters Voice gramophone in Mastersons kitchen got lots of use as Paddy patronised many a social dance, barn-dance and parish hall from Grays barn to Lukeys, Murphys and Corraneary. He was a faithful patron of the newly refurbished St Patricks Hall in Arva.

In mature years he progressed his love of dancing into the social dance venues of Arva, Carrigallen and the Glenview.

Paddy was the relief postman of choice at Moyne Post Office as he deputised in turn for the late Ned Gray, Steevie Reilly and Tom Farrell.

With his ready wit, fun, banter and chats along the route, he brightened many a bleak morning for customers from Annagh to his Uncle John and Aunt Katie Mastersons home in Enaghan.



The fortunes of Moyne Latin School improved considerably when Bishop McNamee appointed Fr James Faughnan its superior in August, 1946.

By 1948 over forty students were on roll which enabled him apply to the Department of Education for recognition as a formal secondary school.

That entailed frequent visits from a team of subject inspectors including Mr Duggan (English and Classics), Mr Nolan (Mathematics) and Tomas OFloinn (Gaeilge). Since money was very scarce and utterly dependant on the students tuition fees, the inspectors hospitality was contributed by Mrs Katie Reid.



Fr Faughnans application was approved and the Latin School became Scoil Mhuire on January 1, 1949 with the considerable academic and financial advantages accruing.

Students could now take the Intermediate and Leaving Certificate examinations, the State was to pay the bulk of the teachers salaries and also contribute to the maintenance of the buildings.

Fr Faughnan added several new classrooms and a number of additional priest teachers were appointed as pupil numbers exceeded 75 in 1953.

That was when Fr Faughnan appointed Paddy Masterson Scoil Mhuires part-time caretaker. Further lay staff were appointed and when Scoil Mhuire joined the OMalley scheme in 1967, girls were admitted and numbers soared to 135 that year.

Along the way, and in lieu of better pay, perhaps, Paddy also secured the school-shop franchise and a unique relationship developed between Paddy Masterson and the Scoil Mhuire students and staff, something that became poignantly apparent in the several condolence messages posted to the rip.ie website when Paddy passed away all of fifty-five years later on January 8, 2023.

Fr James Faughnan went on to become President of St Mels College in 1970 and so it fell to Fr Philip McGee, with his twelve teachers and Ballinamuck Vocational Schools fifteen, to effect the voluntary amalgamation which created Moyne Community School on August 1,1973.

Pledged by Deed of Trust to preserve and to cherish the dreams as well as the ethos of its parent schools, Moyne Community School now boasts over fifty teachers catering for upwards of six hundred pupils.

As they have driven by his hillside farm overlooking the Latin School Centre, one wonders how many of them have recognised Paddy Mastersons friendly wave as they have passed along the R198 below.

But his friendly welcome is indeed sorely missed by that rota of weekly ceilidh visitors who have been calling on Paddy in late years: Packie Sheridan, Paddy Joe Brady, Hugh Duffy, Sonny Brady, Pat Jones, Henry McHugh, the McManus brothers, Charlie Brady, The Nowells, George and Eileen Taafe, Mary OReilly, the Grays, Oswald and Eilish Reilly and lots more besides. It fell to Scoil Mhuire alumnus, Fr Pat Lennon to reflect that: Paddy was an institution in the parish of Dromard. Paddy Masterson is survived by his sisters, Maura Madigan, Alice and John Donnelly, their families and their grandchildren. Slan abhaile, Paidi a mhic. In iothlainn De go gcastar sinn!

Acknowledging his considerable help with Latin School/Scoil Mhuire data and information details, buiochas o chroi to Liam Faughnan, Moyne Community School Principal, 1997-2009. - Benny Reid, January, 2023.
Dublin, January 25, 2023: Students from Ballymahon Vocational School joined peers from across Ireland, to discuss and ideate on climate action and environmental sustainability, as part of a unique event co-hosted by EirGrid, in partnership with Young Social Innovators (YSI).



The teenagers also had the opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the National Control Centre, the hub from which EirGrid manages Irelands electricity grid, and to provide the grid operator with their views on how theyd like to see Irelands energy system develop for the future.



As well as a series of thought-provoking workshops on issues including the Sustainable Development Goals, climate justice, biodiversity, and degrowth, the students, who are all tackling climate related issues as part of their YSI participation, brainstormed about how to develop their own project ideas, alongside EirGrid staff.



The Ballymahon Vocational School students YSI project, SloBurn, aims to create a fuel alternative to turf, by making fuel from shredded paper waste.

Student, Aisling Gunshinan explained that the shredded paper will be mixed with other materials and ingredients, including wax, and formed into an alternative briquette to sell.



EirGrid is the Climate Action and Energy partner to Young Social Innovators, a national organisation that engages thousands of young people annually in co-creating and developing innovative ideas to address social challenges



Speaking about the Powering Up event, Michael Mahon, chief infrastructure officer, EirGrid, said: We are proud to partner with Young Social Innovators on this pioneering event, in what is an inspiring coming together of young minds and EirGrid employees.



As we work to transform the power system for future generations, it is only right that we listen to and involve young people. We gained new insights and perspectives from these young people, as we look to secure the transition to a low carbon future.



Roger Warnock, CEO, Young Social Innovators said: How we live and consume more sustainably is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges we are facing today, both locally and globally.



Seeing young people actively engaging in important discussions and having their ideas and voices heard by those operating our national power grid is truly inspiring.



Young people must be part of any discussions on how we as a country plan for a more sustainable future and todays event could serve as a prototype for wider youth consultations on climate and sustainability related issues.

We are extremely grateful to EirGrid for co-hosting todays event and for the opportunities they have provided for these young people.
Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald has called for public anger be directed at the Government instead of refugees.

She was speaking after a poll in the Irish Independent found that 56% of the public believe Ireland has taken in too many refugees in the past year, while 30% disagreed and 14% were unsure.

Protests have been held in Waterford, Cork and areas of Dublin in recent weeks where refugees or asylum seekers have been accommodated.

Gardai are also investigating an alleged assault at a campsite in Ashtown, Dublin, where migrants had been living for months, and a suspected arson attack on a disused school in Dublin that had been rumoured to be used for migrants.

RTE Radios This Week programme obtained figures showing the number of staff working on processing asylum appeals fell by 8% in 2019 despite a significant surge in applications and a backlog of hundreds of cases.

According to the figures, obtained from the Department of Justice, there are 850 appeals cases pending before the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT), and just 46 staff working with the tribunal.

Speaking on RTE televisions The Week in Politics, Minister of State Pippa Hackett said space could be found for 76,000 more refugees, insisting: We have a lot of space in Ireland.

She said minister Roderic OGorman has written to colleagues asking for help identifying empty building, and an all-of-government approach.

I believe they really will pull out all the stops here now, this is a crisis, she said.

Ms McDonald blamed a very small fringe for whipping up anger against refugees, adding that it should be directed against the Government.

We have a situation where the Government have really handled so many situations so badly, weve had a housing emergency for many years, lots of people across Irish society have direct experience of this crisis, theyre living in overcrowded circumstances, theyre paying exorbitant rents, if they can get a place to rent, and they have had Government inaction, she told RTE Radios The Week.

There is huge frustration and anger, actually, I think sometimes people havent been angry enough with Government on that issue.

Therein lies the kernel of the issue. I understand all of the frustration, I understand all of the anger, and I know for sure that anger needs to be directed at those in power, those that have the capacity to change things for people.

It is really a matter of concern that a small group  and I think we need to be careful in understanding that it is a small group of very, very nasty individuals, who are trying to foment this view of aggression and negativity towards people who are weak, who have very few resources.

The Irish instinct fundamentally is an instinct of decency, Irish people are decent, Irish people are welcoming, but I also know that people have struggled long and hard for years with a Government that has failed rural communities, left town after town without services, without opportunities, and an inability to source accommodation, and that has driven righteous, correct anger.

There is a move by a small number of people to exploit that and direct that at the wrong people.

We need a government with a plan for housing, social development and regeneration, and we also need to have a clearheaded view from Irish people in apportioning blame where it rightly lies, and it does not lay at the feet of any refugee, anybody seeking asylum in this country.
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SAN ANTONIO  Marcelino Ramos said he joined the U.S. Marines Corps at 17 because he felt a duty to serve and because a recruiter in a pressed-blue uniform promised him citizenship. Ramos, now 54, had no idea that the country he swore to protect would deport him.

Ramos went on to serve in the Gulf War and after he completed four years of service, he returned to his family and home in Texas.

Ramos, who has PTSD, was arrested for a felony conviction that stemmed from a domestic violence incident in 2009. He said he tried to fight the charges but his public defender advised him to take a two-year plea deal.

But Ramos didnt realize his conviction would put him on the radar of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which eventually found him and deported him because he was never granted citizenship.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of foreign-born U.S. military veterans convicted of crimes have been deported. Despite President Joe Bidens promise to bring them back, only about 50 veterans, including Ramos, have returned under a 2021 executive order.

Advocates and immigration attorneys say Bidens policy is a temporary fix that fails to find deported veterans and protect those still living in the U.S. from being forced out and possibly killed or recruited by criminal organizations looking to profit from their skill sets.

Being deported is a death sentence to any U.S. veteran, Ramos said. This is my home, my family and everyone I love is here. I cant go back.

A Failed System

President Biden signed an executive order in February 2021 to immediately conduct a review of policies and practices to ensure that all eligible current and former noncitizen service members and their immediate families can remain in or return to the U.S. under a humanitarian parole.

The order created the Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative, which aims to consolidate all federal resources available to support noncitizen veterans, active service members and their families.

As of June 21, 2022, the IMMVI team had received 143 inquiries from veterans living outside the U.S. due to removal, or other issues that restrict their return, according to Congressional testimony from Debra Rogers, director of the initiative.

Many of the veterans who received humanitarian parole, such as Ramos, have been threatened by gangs and cartels that want them to help train their members, according to Danitza James, chief of policy and legislation at Repatriate Our Patriots, a non-profit that provides free services to deported veterans on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

About a dozen of the 50 or so deported veterans that have received humanitarian parole have been able to gain citizenship and stay in the U.S., according to James. The rest, like Ramos, remain in limbo.

Humanitarian parole is a discretionary visa granted to individuals who are inadmissible to enter the U.S. and remain for a temporary period.

An ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations deportation officer prepares his protective equipment prior to conducting an arrest on April 19, 2022 in Manassas, Virginia. (Erica Knight/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

After being deported in 2011, Ramos crossed back illegally to the U.S. and started a new life in San Antonio where he met his wife Frances Riojas. He was deported again in 2016 after landing in a hospital with a stab wound he suffered during a fight.

In November, after six years in Mexico, Ramos was allowed to return home to his wife in San Antonio for one year. His attorney filed for his citizenship but it could be months before he knows if hes been approved.

Im trying my best to stay busy and Im getting the medical help I need with my PTSD but its a heavy burden to know that I might have to go back, Ramos said. Every day Im grateful that I get to be home with my wife and that I get to spend some time with my dad and my daughter.

An Immeasurable Problem

Danitza James is the chief of policy and legislation at Repatriate Our Patriots, a non-profit that provides free services to deported veterans on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Repatriate Our Patriots has helped hundreds of deported veterans in Mexico find a safe place to live, including Ramos. But even after Bidens order, organizations like this one are the only ones looking for deported veterans, according to James.

It should be the U.S. governments responsibility to know how many veterans theyve deported, said James, an army combat veteran. But I think its not in their interest because then [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service] officials will need to explain, Why were you not following the policies set in place? Why did you deport these veterans?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, USCIS and ICE are the three government agencies responsible for veterans being deported, but ICE is the only one that had a policy in place to identify veterans before 2022.

But from 2013-2018 ICE did not consistently follow its own policies, failing to maintain complete electronic records on these veterans. As a result, ICE does not know how many veterans have been placed in removal proceedings or removed, according to a 2019 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress

In February 2022, all three agencies issued supplemental policy guidance to help train officers to identify former military members and expedite requests for parole so they can return.

Jennie Pasquarella, director of immigrant rights for the ACLU of Southern California said shes not sure how well immigration officials are adhering to the new policy but shes seen fewer veterans placed in removal proceedings since it was put in place.

In 2016, the ACLU released the first comprehensive report explaining why veterans were being deported. The report, Discharged then Discarded: How U.S. veterans are banished by the country they swore to protect, looked at 59 cases of veterans who had been deported or were in removal proceedings.

Many were decorated combat veterans who sustained physical wounds and emotional trauma in conflicts going back to the war in Vietnam. Some were kicked out of the country for minor offenses that resulted in little if any incarceration, according to the report.

The report traces many of the deportations they studied to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act of 1996, which expanded the spectrum of deportable offenses to include misdemeanors. Many believed they became citizens by nature of their service and oath  some were told as much by their recruiters  and were never informed otherwise, according to the report.

Pasquarella said veterans were being deported long before the act was passed but she thinks it exacerbated the problem. And theres no evidence to back this because no one knows how many veterans have been deported.

Theres no way to recreate those numbers so its all anecdotal, Pasquarella said. It could be 1,000 or it could be 20,000.

Deportations Continue

Margaret Stock, retired lieutenant colonel with the U.S. Army Reserve and managing attorney at the Cascadia Cross Border Law Group in Anchorage, Alaska, has represented dozens of veterans facing deportation, including some as early as last year.

Stock said deportations of veterans continue to happen because the process for service members to become naturalized is more difficult than it is for those outside the military.

As part of their citizenship application, service members are required to obtain a certified letter from a high ranking official who they often dont have access to as new recruits. Those that successfully apply, often end up waiting indefinitely when their documents are lost in the mail or their notices of eligibility for citizenship never reach them through their deployments and transfers, according to immigration attorneys.

Service members, like all applicants, must be permanent U.S. residents and able to pass an in-person naturalization interview.

USCIS cut the number of its international offices from 23 in 20 countries to just four offices during the Trump administration, making it harder for deployed service members to apply and complete the interview, according to the testimony of U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) during a 2019 House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on deported veterans.

In 2018, USCIS also terminated the Naturalization at Basic Training Initiative, which provided onsite immigration resources and staff to support recruits beginning the naturalization process and allowed non-citizen enlistees the chance to naturalize when they graduated from basic training.

USCIS did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

This is a problem that could be fixed by the executive branch of the government but they dont have the willpower, Stock said. The president made statements and said: Im going to do this and do that but then he didnt follow it up with actually putting people in place and empowering them to fix the problem.
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04.02.2023 LISTEN

ABSTRACT

This article brings out the legal preposition of breach of promise to marry. For the understanding of this research piece, laws from other jurisdictions are taken into consideration. This research piece also delves into how properties acquired together in a relationship can be shared; the factors that the courts would consider before awarding damages. This article would serve as an interesting vehicle with which women who have been disappointed today would take legal action. It doesn't only operate for women but also men who have spent all their monies on ladies who later dump them.

1. INTRODUCTION

Most often, a relationship is expected to end in marriage. Christians and Muslims maintain that marriage is an institution of God. And that, whatever God has joined, no man should put asunder. Tons of promises go into a relationship before it's finally concluded into marriage. These promises either turn out to be fulfilled or not.

It is only reasonable to say that, promises are necessary for the germination of the relationship. Even though you'd raise the argument of genuineness and intention about these promises, you'd also affirm that some of them are fulfilled. In that, whether or not a relationship would blossom and gradually enter the final stage depends on each partner's contribution in abiding by or performing the promises made. Other factors are germane in a relationship alright, but you cannot thwart the importance of promises in a relationship. It cannot be left unsaid that, some relationships are perambulation on Safari desert, trying to find a stream.

Now, when it comes to the case of a promise to marry, there exists a 50-50 probability. In Africa, it is the men who promise to marry women. Because marriage is held in high esteem in our societyit is deemed that, a woman is fully complete when a man, through customary means, causes her removal from her father's house. Nonetheless, a promise from a man, to marry a woman might not be fulfilled. The man may later change his mind in the course of courtship or the relationship.

There has been a general uproar over the moral decadence of the Ghanaian society. One way of checking this moral decadence and bringing some sanity into out societal norms and practices is for the courts to give protection to persons who are genuinely abused and cheated in their relationship with their would be spouses.[1]

2. BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE

In law, if someone fails to honour his or her promise, it's called a "Breach of Promise." The promise would become enforceable only if it complies with the elements of a contract. Breach of promise to marry is when after a mutual agreement or one partner proposing to marry the other, backs out of the promise. That means after the other partner has accepted the proposal, the offeror (the one who proposed) fails to carry out the promise. This incident gives a cause of action that can be pursued by the affected party.

According to Prof Mensa-Bonsu(Mrs) JSC, "An action for breach of promise to marry arises when a person makes a promise to marry another and refuses to perform. The refusal could be by conduct or by an express refusal upon a request for performance. Unchastity does not operate as a defence unless it is unknown to the defendant. Otherwise, it only goes in mitigation of damages.[2]

Other Jurisdictions

In 1969, the English Law Commission came out with a report dubbed 'Breach of Promise of Marriage,' which was to deal, inter alia, with these issues. In 1970, it was given legislative effect. It became the Law Reform (Miscelleneous Provisions) Act of 1970. Section 1(1) of the Act maintains that An agreement between two persons to marry one another shall not under the law of England and Wales have effect as a contract giving rise to legal rights and no action shall be brought in England and Wales for breach of such an agreement, whatever the law applicable to such an agreement. Section 3 of the same Act, makes gifts of property returnable if it was agreed between the parties that, the gifts would be recoverable after the termination of the agreement. However, Before the making of the Law Reform (Miscelleneous Provisions) Act 1970, the position in England can be seen in the case of Frost v. Knight.[3] In that case, the respondent promised the plaintiff that, he would take her to the alter after the demise of her father. However, along the line, while the plaintiff's father was still alive, the respondent backed off from the engagement with the plaintiff. The plaintiff without wasting time sued the respondent for breach of promise of marriage. The court found in favor of the plaintiff, accepting the plaintiff's contention that, indeed there is a breach of promise to marry.

It is thereby important to note that, the common law courts would only award damages but the courts cannot compel the party at fault to undertake specific performance.

The Cadego Civil for Spain, in Article 43 makes a promise to marry not legally binding or engagement legally binding if the other party fails to honour his promise. Nevertheless, Article 44 states that in a promise to marry which is done in writing and where the banns have been made known to the public, the party that terminates the agreement without reasonable reason would be compelled to compensate the innocent party.

France maintains the position of England and Wales in Article 180 of the Civil Code, that, an agreement to marry is not binding on the promisor. Italy also follows the same principle in Article 79 of the Civil Code. However, Article 81 makes the agreement binding if it was "made by public act or private writing" and that, the promisor would be liable if his reason for withdrawing from the marriage is not justified. Article 80 of the Civil Code makes gifts exchanged to be returnable. Germany avers that an engaged person who backs out of the engagement must compensate the affected partner in the engagement and his or her parents for the losses incurred in view of the celebration of the marriage. Therefore, whatever one spends in good faith towards the marriage must be paid by the other partner to the innocent party. Exchanged gifts are returnable.

3. THE POSITION OF GHANA ON BREACH OF PROMISE OF MARRIAGE.

Whether or not you have a cause of action depends on the fact of the case. Prof. H.J.A.N. Mensa Bonsu stated in her article, The action for Breach of Promise to Marry in Ghana: New life to an old rule[4] that, "The circumstances under which a promise of marriage would be inferred must also be given considerable thought to solve two problems: forestalling the situation of blackmail which discredited this action, and discouraging unscrupulous persons from taking advantage of others.  On the whole, it is better for society to hold people to promises made  even of marriage - and to declare the parameters within which one may change one's mind without causing hardship to another."

Professor of Family Law in Ghana, Professor W. C. Ekow Daniels,[5] has stated emphatically that it is now beyond question that actions for breach of promise of marriage under customary laws are maintainable. It is thus the case that, where a man or woman makes a promise of marriage to each other and then fails to carry it through, it is a cognizable wrong for which the court would give a remedy.

In the case of Djarbeng v. Tagoe,[6] the respondent travelled to the UK to further his education. But before he departed, he was having a blissful relationship with the plaintiff of which a child was born to them. When the respondent returned, he failed to marry the plaintiff. The plaintiff sued him for damages for breach of promise to marry her. Under customary law, there wasn't any evidence to support the plaintiff's contention, but the evidence was adduced by a letter written by the respondent to the plaintiff, promising to marry her.

The court reasoned that a mere proclamation by the respondent to marry the plaintiff is not a binding contract. The court further contended that there was nothing to indicate that promise because the respondent was not there himself and there was nothing to symbolize such a promise. The court emphatically stated that such statements are not enforceable in a court of law. And even though the defendant had written to say that he had finally made up his mind to marry the plaintiff, there was no evidence that the alleged promise had received the approval of the family. There was therefore no binding promise by the defendant to marry the plaintiff customarily

In the case of Afrifa v. Class-Peter , [7] the appellant presented a bible, ring, and gifts of money together with drinks to the family of the respondent. Class-Peter moved and settled with the appellant. Between 1969 and 1972, the respondent fixed several dates for the wedding, but each was postponed by himself setting up excuses. The respondent caught him having an affair with a certain woman. She sued for breach of promise of marriage and she was awarded 2,000.00 old Ghana Cedis. Afrifa appealed at the Court of Appeal against the judgment contending that he and the respondent are already married. The court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, stating that, under Ga customary law, the mere presentation of bible and ring do not constitute marriage unless the customary practices governing marriage have been performed. In fact, the parties were not married according to custom. The gifts of a ring and a Bible were unknown in customary marriage and no marriage custom had been performed. Mere cohabitation was not conclusive of the fact of marriage. Therefore, A man seeking to marry a woman from a different ethnic group should ascertain the formalities requisite for validating his marriage. Failing to do this and even by Ga customary law he was in breach of his obligation to marry.

In the case of Ama Serwaa v. Gariba Hashimu and Issaka Hashimu[8] the court speaking through Prof Mensa-Bonsu(Mrs) JSC, stated that It is not the law that for an action for breach of promise to marry to succeed, there must be a subsisting customary marriage, whose failure to be converted to an ordinance marriage, grounds the action. Although that was the fact-situation in Afrifa v Class-Peter [1975] 1 GLR 359, that the defendant cited. Thus, in the absence of customary marriage, a suit in breach of the promise of marriage can be maintained.

What happens when the partners acquired a property together in one of the partners' names while in the relationship?

4. CONSTRUCTIVE TRUST (AN IMPLIED TRUST).

According to Halsbury's Laws of England,[9] A constructive trust arises when, although there is no express trust affecting a specific property, equity considers that the legal owner should be treated as a trustee for another. This happens, for instance, when one who is already a trustee takes advantage of his position to obtain a new legal interest in the property as when a trustee of leaseholds takes a new lease in his name. The rule applies where a person although not an express trustee, is in a fiduciary position " In simpler terms, where partners who are not married acquire a property together in any of the partner's name, the other partner would be treated as a co-owner of that property. Thus, where the parties did not expressly declare their intention, but their conduct and words depict that, they intended to own the property together. With this, the other partner would have a beneficial interest in the property.

According to Michael Haley and Lara Mc Murtry,[10] Constructive Trust, arises in order to prevent one party from resiling from an understanding as to the beneficial entitlements in circumstances where it would be unconscionable to do so. This will occur primarily where the estate owner has by words or conduct induced the claimant to act to his detriment in the reasonable belief that, in so acting, he will obtain a beneficial interest in the properties.

In the case of Ama Serwa v. Hashimu and Another (supra), it was held that there must be two key ingredients to establish that there was a common intention as to what to do with the property. Prof Mensa-Bonsu(Mrs) JSC further stated that "where there is no evidence of an express discussion having occurred between the parties, the court must examine the conduct of the parties into some detail with the prospect of presuming a common intention to share beneficial ownership." The court would find for the plaintiff if the plaintiff can convince the court that there was a common intention to share the property beneficially; the plaintiff must also demonstrate that he changed his position because of the unexpressed common intention. The court may look at the conduct both prior to and subsequent to the acquisition of the property. The purpose of Constructive Trust in the case of a "Breach of Promise of Marriage" is to prevent unjust enrichment by one partner at the expense of the other partner. Thus, property acquired together in a relationship can be shared.

5. WHAT FACTORS WILL THE COURT CONSIDER WHEN CALCULATING DAMAGES?

The courts do not award damages haphazardly. They award damages based on the merit of the plaintiff. The courts take into account: the financial position of each individual prior to the promise to marry; an estimated projection of how the marriage would have financially affected each party; the financial and social standing of the defendant, which would provide an estimate of the lifestyle which the plaintiff would have enjoyed. The court would also consider Physical intimacy; pregnancies, or children between the parties; emotional distress; loss of social standing; loss of future income; loss of virginity. In the case of Donkor v. Ankrah[11] the court held that, where a man withdraws from an agreement to marry a woman who has had a child for him, he will be ordered to pay damages to her on the grounds that she may be less attractive to other men, having already had a child.

6. CONCLUSION

The courts in Ghana in will be shirking their responsibility if they should deny injured persons from sour relationships a remedy. The court should therefore give adequate protection to victims of modern day Don Juans who misuse and take for granted the largesse and courtesies extended to them by their concubines and their families. The court would award damages to the affected party but cannot compel the party at fault to undertake a specific performance such as marrying the other partner. The constructive Trust principle would enable the other partner to have a beneficial interest in the property acquired during the relationship. But there is always a burden on the plaintiff to lead evidence that she contributed to the acquisition of the property. Relationship these days has become a cauldron of disappointment and failure. Therefore, both parties must make their intentions clear and define the relationship ipso facto.

[1] Donkor v. Ankrah [2003-2004] 2 GLR 125

[2] Ama Serwaa v. Gariba Hashimu and Issaka Hashimu CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/31/2020

[3] (1872) L.R 5 Ex. 322; 26 L.T. 77

[4] (1993-95) Review of Ghana Law 41 at p.67, stated at p.138-139

[5] The Law of Family Relations in Ghana, Black Mask Ltd Accra, 2019 at p. 102.

[6] [1989-90] 1 GLR 155

[7] [1975] 1 GLR 359

[8] CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/31/2020

[9] (3rd ed) vol 14 para 1155

[10] Equity and Trusts, Sweet and Maxwell, London 2017, at p.445

[11] [2003-2004] 2 GLR 125
Alan John Kwadwo Kyeremanten, a Presidential Aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has underscored the relevance of the media in development, saying any government or politician that sidelines or neglects the media could never succeed.

He, therefore, called on the media to support his bid, propagate his intentions and plans to the NPP delegates, preparing for the party's Presidential Primaries to enable him to lead the party and win the Election 2024.

Mr Kyeremanten said his government would prioritise media development, and offer opportunities, home and abroad, to build the capacity of individual practitioners and well position them to deliver their constitutional responsibilities in diligence.

Interacting with a section of the media as part of his tour to the Bono Region, the former trade and industry minister, said he personally acknowledged and appreciated the role of the media towards nation building, saying we can't succeed as a government if we neglect the media.

Mr Kyeremanten said a deepened collaboration between the government and the media remained prerequisite and asked his campaign team to build and strengthen long-lasting media relations.

Without the support of the media, my bid to become a flagbearer of the NPP, and the President of the nation would be difficult to achieve because I can't reach out to every Ghanaian voter, but you can easily get to them in their homes, he stated.

In a related development, Mr Kyeremanten has assured his government would protect and defend journalists in the course of their duties.

Interacting with some Journalists in Techiman, as part of his visit to the Bono East Region, the Presidential Aspirant said he would create a more conducive atmosphere for the media to operate without fear or favour.

As the fourth estate, Mr Kyeremanten said the media ought to be well protected, saying a country without the media remained 'blind' hence the need to cherish and respect the media as it exhibited its vital role of informing, educating and entertaining the public.

GNA
The Chiefs and Queen Mothers of the Sunyani Traditional Council have declared that this is the time God has ordained for Alan Kyerematen to be president of Ghana.

Nana Kwaku Sarbeng, Akwamuhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, said he admires the patience and wisdom with which Alan had conducted himself since he conceded to let then-candidate Nana Akufo-Addo go ahead of him for a shot at the presidency

Now, the traditional council believes it is the appropriate time for Mr Kyerematen to assume the countrys leadership and advised NPP delegates to choose their candidate for the 2014 general elections when they go to primaries later in the year.

Mr Kyerematen urged the Chiefs to advise the delegates to select a flagbearer who would be acceptable to the entire country.

The country is expecting a turnaround based on a big vision to be delivered with competence, he said.

Mr Kyerematen said the overreliance on the government to build industries to create jobs needed to change to a more efficient way of empowering the private sector to create jobs for the people.

Mr Kyerematen noted that as Minister for Trade and Industry under President JA Kufuor, he initiated the Presidential Special Initiatives (PSI) in four different sectors of the economy, which could have yielded over $60 billion a year to the country, had the NDC not terminated them after taking over in 2008.

He urged Ghanaians to ensure an NPP retains power in 2024 to consolidate the progress made under the current government, including the big industrial transformation project under the 1D1F, the Business Resource Centres, producing well-rounded entrepreneurs, the Technology Support Centres providing modern cutting-edge tools and Free SHS and TVET, among others.

All these initiatives have come to take advantage of AfCFTA, which is now making people describe Accra as the commercial centre of Africa, Mr Kyerematen said and urged Nananom to help the delegates take a good decision and select him as the candidate to continue the transformation on the foundation that the NPP government has built.

In conclusion, Nananom said they expected a natural progression from President Nana Addo to Alan, in the same way, they saw President Kufuor giving it to President Nana Akufo-Addo.

They further advised Alan to improve his slogan to Alan Cash, Aduro wo so since there was no doubt that God was on his side.

By Citi Newsroom
The Ghana National Gas Company on Friday signed a Project Implementation Agreement with its joint venture partners to construct a second Gas Processing Plant (GPP Train 2) at an estimated cost of US$700 million.

The plant, to be sited at Atuabo in the Ellembele District of the Western Region, is expected to be completed within 24 months.

It would generate 1,500 direct and indirect jobs within the Atuabo power enclave.

At the signing ceremony in Accra, Dr Benjamin K. D. Asante, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), signed for Ghana Gas, while Dr Hilton John Mitchell, a representative of the Consortium, comprising the Integrated Logistics Bureau Limited, Jonmoore International, Phoenix Park Limited and African Finance Corporation, signed for the rest of the partners.

The construction of a second train gas processing plant with a nominal capacity of 150 million standard cubic feet per day (MMscfd), expandable to 300 MMscfd, would process incremental raw gas volumes from the Greater Jubilee and TEN fields.

The new gas processing facility forms part of the GNGCs strategic development plan and expected to increase the national gas processing capacity to 450 MMscfd.

It will process raw gas with natural gas liquids (NGLs) being fractionated into pure components like propane, butane, pentane and stabilised condensate components from the Jubilee and TEN Fields.

The lean gas, containing methane and ethane, shall be tied-in into the lean gas export from the existing GPP Train 1 and delivered into the onshore export pipes.

Some of the components of the GPP Train 2 are the construction of a 150 MMscfd capacity processing plant, expandable to 300 MMscfd, a storage facility, an additional compressor package at Atuabo Mainline Compressor Station and provision of utilities and liquid waste treatment system.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, the Board Chairman of Ghana Gas, said the project, upon completion, would enhance the operations of the GNGC and boost the utilisation of the countrys gas resources for the Governments industrialisation agenda.

Mr Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, said the facility would play a critical role in Ghanas energy transition objectives of using renewable energy sources for industrial purposes to reduce global carbon emissions.

Dr Asante, the CEO of Ghana Gas, said the project would enable Ghana Gas to become a fully integrated gas services company and reliably supply gas and gas derivatives in Ghana and to the West African Sub-region.

It would further fulfill the Companys vision of supplying gas in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner, he said.

The new plant, upon coming on stream, he said, would improve the output of liquids processed from natural gas to 80 per cent, compared to the existing facility, which produced between 40 and 50 per cent of gas liquids.

The plant would help the nation to generate more megawatts of electricity and ultimately resolve the perennial power outages (dumsor) experienced in Ghana, Dr Asante said.

The by-products from the processed gas, could be used to manufacture fertilizer, which would boost the agriculture industry and ultimately reduce the countrys fertilizer import.

Mr Egyapa Mercer, a Deputy Minister of Energy, said the project would be a useful additional infrastructure in the countrys power generation system.

It would also support the governments efforts in providing an alternative power supply to drive socio-economic development.

Dr Hilton John Mitchell, who spoke on behalf of the joint venture partners, expressed the Consortiums commitment to working collaboratively with the GNGC to deliver the gas processing plant on schedule and in a cost-effective manner.

The Ghana National Gas Company was established in July 2011 as a limited liability company with the responsibility to build, own and operate natural gas infrastructure required for gathering, processing, transportation and marketing of gas.

GNA
Brazil's Navy has sunk a decommissioned 1960's aircraft carrier that had been floating offshore for three months, despite environmental groups claiming the ship was packed with asbestos and other toxic materials.

The "planned and controlled sinking" took place on Friday some 350 kms off the Brazilian coast in the Atlantic Ocean, in an area with an "approximate depth of 5,000 metres," the Brazilian Navy said in a statement.

The decision to scuttle the 32,000-tonne "Sao Paulo", announced Thursday, came after Brazilian authorities had tried in vain to find a port willing to welcome it.

Environmentalists say the ship is carrying tonnes of toxic waste, with French environmental group Robin des Bois describing it as a "30,000-tonne toxic package".

Brazil's Environment Minister Marine Silva requested the Navy not to sink it, but the latter said it had no choice since the ship was taking on water.

"Given its deteriorating floating condition and the inevitability of uncontrolled sinking, there is no other option but to jettison the hull and sink it in a planned way," it said.

The Foch's decline

The aircraft carrier was built in France in the late 1950s and served the French Navy from 1963 to 2000 as the Foch.

It earned a place in 20th-century naval history  taking part in France's first nuclear tests in the Pacific in the 1960s, and deployments in Africa, the Middle East and former Yugoslavia from the 1970s to 1990s.

France sold the Foch to Brazil in 2000 for just $12 million, but it needed an $80 million refit that was never done.

A fire on board in 2005 accelerated the ship's decline.

Last year, Brazil authorised Turkish firm Sok Denizcilik to dismantle the rusting ship for scrap metal.

But in August, just as it was about to be towed into the Mediterranean Sea, Turkish environmental authorities blocked the plan.

Brazil then brought the aircraft carrier back but did not allow it into port, citing the "high risk" to the environment.

'Tragic and regrettable'

Federal public prosecutors and environmental non-profit Greenpeace had asked the Brazilian government to stop the sinking, saying it was "toxic" due to dangerous materials, including 9 tonnes of asbestos used in panelling.

But on Wednesday a federal judge denied their request arguing that an unplanned sinking could be even worse for the environment or pose a danger to crews, the G1 news outlet reported.

The judge nonetheless called the situation "tragic and regrettable," according to G1.

The Basel Action Network had called on Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva  who has vowed to undo the environmental degradation carried out under his predecessor  to immediately halt the "dangerous" plan.

On Friday it issued a joint statement with Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd, accusing Brazil of having violated "three international treaties" on the environment by sinking the ship.

The NGOs said it could cause "incalculable" damage to marine life and coastal communities.

Other "environmentally responsible measures could have been adopted," said Leandro Ramos, director of programmes for Greenpeace Brazil. "But once again, the importance of protecting the oceans, which are vital for the life of the planet, was treated with negligence."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has hinted he could drop his threat to veto Finland's bid to join Nato, but he remains firmly opposed to Sweden joining the military alliance after Swedish authorities outraged Ankara by allowing demonstrators in Stockholm to burn a copy of the Koran.

Members of parliament from Erdogan's AKP party cheered as he sought to place himself centre stage in deciding the fate of Sweden and Finland's efforts to join Nato.

All existing members of the defence alliance have to agree to any enlargement.

Erdogan, still smarting from last month's burning of a Koran by far-right protestors outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, says he's ready to use his Nato veto to make Sweden pay.

"We are closely monitoring the developments regarding the expansion process of Nato. Sweden, do not bother to try at this point," said Erdogan.

"We will not say yes to your Nato application as long as you allow the ripping and burning of our holy book, the Koran, with your security officials around. We look positively at Finland but negatively at Sweden," declared the Turkish president, to rapturous applause from his deputies, who rose to their feet in support.

Power play

Until now, Erdogan had threatened to veto both Finland and Sweden's Nato membership.

But Finnish-Turkish relations got a boost last month, when Helsinki allowed the sale of specialized steel to Turkey's defense industry, ending Finland's military embargo on Ankara over human rights concerns.

But even before the Koran burning, Ankara was outraged over another protest last month in Stockholm, where demonstrators hung an effigy of the Turkish leader from a lamppost.

Ankara accuses the Swedish government of allowing its country to become a sanctuary for terrorist organizations fighting Turkey.

As a result, Erdogan last week demanded that Sweden extradite 120 people whom Turkey considers terrorists. Swedish officials insist the extradition demands are a matter for the courts.

With presidential elections expected to be held in May, Erdogan is seen as seeking to maximize the concessions from Nato to allow its enlargement.

"This issue can be handled in diplomatic corridors. But Erdogan prefers to make it public that he has the power," says Ilhan Uzgel, a political analyst at the Kisa Dalga news portal. "He is still a world leader. He bends the will of Nato and Nato-aspiring countries, even the United States. So, my guess is that he's going to use it until the elections."

Erdogan is not concerned about his standing within Nato, according to Uzgel. Instead, he is focused on a domestic audience: "He is completely and utterly focused on winning the elections because he knows he is losing his constituency," the analyst says.

Rallying the base

Erdogan is seizing upon last month's Koran burning to rally his base of religious and nationalist voters ahead of presidential polls. Standing up to Nato also will play well with his supporters.

"It has to do with the sort of anti-Nato sentiment that's very closely related with the anti-Western and anti-American sentiment in Turkey, and the sort of perception that Nato has never really helped Turkey to fight with its own terrorism problem," said Senem Aydin Duzgit, an international relations professor at Sabanci University near Istanbul.

Until now, Finland and Sweden have been committed to joining Nato together. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto reiterated at the end of January that Finland remains hopeful both countries will be accepted into the alliance this year.

But with Erdogan increasingly balancing his relationship with the West against strong ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Nato will need to get used to a more assertive Turkey.

"The dynamics have changed. Turkey no longer feels a strong and firm member of the Western camp or Nato alliance," said Asli Aydintasbas, a visiting scholar with the Washington-based Brookings Institution. "It is still [in] Nato, but obviously also interested in having alternatives."

Sweden and Finland have pencilled in Nato's next summit in July as the date for joining and securing themselves protection from any future Russian aggression.

Still, given that there will be only around a month between the conclusion of Turkish elections and the July summit, they could be destined to wait a good deal longer  a prospect that could put a smile on Putin's face.
Pope Francis on Saturday urged South Sudan's leaders to restore "dignity" to the millions of their countrymen affected by conflict, renewing a forceful appeal for peace in the strife-torn nation.

On the second day of his visit to South Sudan, a nation that has been at war for around half its existence, Francis heard from children who have spent much of their lives on the run from violence.

The 86-year-old pontiff has been pushing South Sudan's leaders to heal divisions for the sake of a nation traumatised by the legacy of a five-year civil war that left 380,000 people dead.

Francis said there was "no room for further delay" in achieving peace for all in South Sudan. By Simon MAINA (AFP)

A ceasefire was struck, but peace has eluded the world's newest nation, and Francis, who tried to broker peace between the rival parties, finds South Sudan beset with violence and despair.

On Saturday, Francis told a gathering of hundreds of people displaced by conflict that they deserved a better future.

"Sadly, in this war-torn country, being a displaced person or a refugee has become a common and collective experience," he told the crowd in Juba.

Several thousands turned out early to wait for the pope in the courtyard of the Cathedral of Saint Therese. By Simon MAINA (AFP)

"I want to renew my forceful and heartfelt appeal to end all conflict and to resume the peace process in a serious way, so that violence can end and people can return to living in dignity."

There are 2.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs) living in South Sudan, and another two million outside the country.

It is the worst refugee crisis in Africa.

Those displaced in South Sudan live in overcrowded, squalid and underfunded camps under the protection of the United Nations, too fearful to venture out, or with nowhere left to return.

'No room for delay'

Francis said there was "no room for further delay" in achieving peace for all in South Sudan, with children being born every day in these camps.

Francis, who tried to broker peace between the rival parties, finds South Sudan beset with violence and despair. By Tiziana FABI (AFP)

"They have no memory of what it means to have a home; they are losing their connection with their native land, their roots and their traditions," he said, adding they were "the seed of a new South Sudan".

"The future cannot lie in refugee camps," he said to applause.

John Wiyual, who has lived at a sprawling IDP camp outside Juba since 2014, said he didn't trust government assurances that the country was safe.

"They say there is peace -- but there is killing in all states," the 42-year-old told AFP.

"The pope can listen to us. We are citizens, and we need peace."

Many people waved flags and ululated as they gave Francis a jubilant welcome. By Tiziana FABI (AFP)

At his first event Saturday, the wheelchair-bound pope met South Sudan's religious leaders, who work with the poor and marginalised and are deeply respected in the devout country where 60 percent of its 12 million people are Christian.

Several thousands turned out early to wait for the pope in the courtyard of the Cathedral of Saint Therese, many waving flags and ululating as they gave him a jubilant welcome.

"I am so so happy," said 36-year-old Adongpiny Harriet, wiping away sweat after she joined an impromptu dance outside the cathedral following the pope's blessing.

"It is the first time to see papa in my country. I feel so privileged."

'A new start'

It is the first papal visit to South Sudan since the country gained independence from Sudan in 2011. By Tiziana FABI (AFP)

On Saturday evening, Francis will hold a joint prayer with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, who joined him in the country.

On Friday, Francis delivered a pointed speech to South Sudan's political leaders, warning they must make "a new start" toward reconciliation and end the greed and power struggles tearing the nation apart.

"Future generations will either venerate your names or cancel their memory, based on what you now do," he told an audience that included President Salva Kiir and his rival and deputy Riek Machar, as well as diplomats, religious leaders and traditional kings.

"No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence."

Widespread impunity

The pope promised in 2019 to travel to South Sudan, when he hosted Kiir and Machar at a Vatican retreat and asked them to respect a hard-fought ceasefire for their people.

In scenes that reverberated in South Sudan, Francis knelt and kissed the feet of two foes whose personal armies had been accused of horrific war crimes.

But four years later, the country remains mired in intractable conflict.

Human rights groups have urged Francis to press South Sudan's leaders to address widespread impunity for war-era abuses and deliver justice for victims.

The pope's stop in South Sudan follows a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, another resource-rich country plagued by persistent conflict and also often overlooked by the world.

The visit -- Francis's fifth to Africa -- was initially scheduled for 2022 but had to be postponed because of problems with the pope's knee.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
On his first papal visit to war-torn South Sudan, Francis has urged clergy to raise their voices against injustice. He also met children displaced by conflict and pleaded for women and girls to be honoured.

Pope Francis is on an unprecedented "pilgrimage of peace" in South Sudan alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Church of Scotland Moderator Iain Greenshields.

Their visit is aimed at restarting the country's stalled peace process and draw international attention to the continued fighting.

South Sudan broke away from Sudan in 2011 but has been wracked by civil war since 2013.

Despite a 2018 peace deal between the two main antagonists, inter-ethnic fighting continues to claim lives and displace large numbers of civilians.

More than 400,000 people are believed to have died as a result of the conflict.

On Saturday, Pope Francis addressed around 1,000 of South Sudan's religious leaders at the Cathedral of Saint Therese in the capital Juba.

"Brothers and sisters, we too are called to intercede for our people, to raise our voices against the injustice and abuses of power that oppress and use violence to suit their own ends," he said.

He added that religious leaders "cannot remain neutral before the pain caused by acts of injustice".

Sister Mary George works with South Sudanese refugees in Sudan was among the congregants.

"The Church must work in favour of unity and peace, to try and give people hope," she told RFI. "Our hope is that the pope's visit will unite us and bring peace and stability, allowing refugees to return home."

No future in refugee camps

There are 2.2 million internally displaced people in South Sudan, out of a total population of about 11.6 million, and another 2.3 million have fled the country as refugees, according to the United Nations.

At another meeting in Juba later on Saturday, the three Christian leaders listened to testimonies from displaced children.

"The future cannot lie in refugee camps," the pope told them.

Francis said hope for South Sudan's future rests in children from different ethnic groups, who do not want to respond to evil with more evil.

"Although conflict, violence and hatred have replaced good memories on the first pages of the life of this republic, you must be the ones to rewrite its history as a history of peace!" he said.

"You bear the burden of a painful past, yet you never stop dreaming of a better future. In our meeting today, we would like to give wings to your hope."

Honour women

The UN's humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, spoke of pervasive sexual violence against women and girls, who risked being violated while carrying out their daily routines.

The pope responded by calling on everyone in South Sudan to respect women.

"Please protect, respect, appreciate and honour every woman, every girl, young woman, mother and grandmother. Otherwise, there will be no future," he said, to cheers and ululations from the audience.

'My heart breaks'

At a service at Juba's Anglican cathedral, Archbishop Welby, leader of the global Anglican Communion, spoke about South Sudan's many problems.

"My heart breaks. I can hardly speak, with sorrow for South Sudan," he said.

"I beg that at every level, from the president to the smallest child ... that there is peace and good government, that no one steals money, that no one kills their neighbour for cattle."

At least 20 people were killed in a cattle raid on Thursday.

On Saturday evening, the three Christian leaders will take part in an open-air ecumenical prayer vigil at a mausoleum for South Sudan's liberation hero John Garang. 50,000 people are expected to attend.

On Sunday the pope will deliver an openair Mass.

'No more violence'

On Friday, Francis delivered a pointed speech to South Sudan's political leaders, warning they must make "a new start" toward reconciliation and end the greed and power struggles tearing the nation apart.

"Future generations will either venerate your names or cancel their memory, based on what you now do," he told an audience that included President Salva Kiir and his rival and deputy Riek Machar, as well as diplomats, religious leaders and traditional kings.

"No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence."

(with newswires)
East African leaders called Saturday for an immediate ceasefire in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, at an extraordinary summit called to find ways of calming the raging conflict.

The talks were hosted in Burundi by the seven-nation East Africa Community (EAC), which is leading mediation efforts to end the fighting in the vast central African nation.

A resurgent rebel group known as the M23 has taken swathes of land in the mineral-rich east and fighting is contiuing despite a peace roadmap hammered out in the Angolan capital in July last year and the deployment of an EAC force in November.

The heads of state called for an "immediate ceasefire by all parties" and the withdrawal of all armed groups, including foreign, in a statement issued after the summit.

They directed army chiefs to meet within a week to set timelines for the withdrawal, while also highlighting "the need for enhanced dialogue among all the parties".

Both present in Burundi's lakeside economic hub of Bujumbura were DRC President Felix Tshisekedi and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda.

Kigali has been accused of backing the M23 in a conflict that has sent many Congolese fleeing their homes and exacerbated regional tensions.

Tens of thousands of people are "caught in the vice of armed violence" in the face of the recent advance of M23 rebels in the east, the UN's humanitarian coordination office in DRC said in a statement Saturday.

In a statement ahead of the summit, the Congolese presidency had called for the EAC force to be made more "offensive" to tackle the rebels.

It protested that despite the terms of the Luanda roadmap the M23 and its allies had not withdrawn but rather "expanded their areas of occupation".

Kagame's visit, his first to Burundi since 2013, also suggested some rapprochement between the Great Lakes neighbours whose relations have long been frosty.

'Brutal atrocities'

The EAC meeting took place shortly after a visit by Pope Francis to Kinshasa, where he met victims of the conflict and condemned the "inhumane violence" and "brutal atrocities" taking place.

Militias have plagued the mineral-rich eastern DRC for decades, many of them a legacy of regional wars that flared during the 1990s and the early 2000s.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame is on his first visit to Burundi in a decade. By Tchandrou Nitanga (AFP)

Since November 2021, the M23 has seized chunks of territory and come within miles of the east's main commercial hub Goma.

The EAC decided to create a military force to pacify eastern Congo in 2022, with the first troops arriving in Goma in November.

Kenya's President William Ruto said the security situation remained "fragile and regressing as more and more civilians bear the burden of the conflict".

He also said there was a need for action to protect the sovereignty of Congo's mineral riches, a key source of its myriad conflicts.

Failed Qatar initiative

The DRC is awash with minerals and precious stones, but the decades of war and chronic mismanagement mean that little of the vast wealth trickles down to the population of some 100 million.

Kinshasa's accusations that Kigali is backing the M23 are supported by UN experts, the United States and other Western countries, but Kigali denies the charge.

Last week, Qatar had planned to host a meeting between Tshisekedi and Kagame, but diplomats said the Congolese leader refused to attend.

Tensions between the two countries were inflamed last week when Rwandan forces opened fire at a Congolese fighter jet they said had violated Rwandan airspace.

Kinshasa described it as an attack that amounted to "an act of war".

Meanwhile, the leaders of Burundi and Rwanda greeted each other warmly in Bujumbura after years of tempestuous relations and accusations of interference in their internal affairs.

In 2020, Kagame urged the then newly elected President Evariste Ndayishimiye to reset diplomatic ties but his overture was rejected as "hypocritical".

Burundi has accused Rwanda of harbouring those behind a failed 2015 coup that plunged the country into violent chaos.

txw-strs/gw
04.02.2023 LISTEN

Last week saw massive protests in South Africa over measures of load shedding. Power outages have hit the economy hard. For hours lights and machinery gets turned off due to a lack of power.

South Africa is not the only African country facing severe power problems as the African sun had decided to abandon the nation and shine more in Germany and the rest of Europe. The north of South Africa is dry, a difficult terrain to use for planting fruits and vegetables or livestock.

Unlike other African societies facing Dumsor Dumsor (Ghana's expression for no power for all) harming the economy especially small and medium indignant companies with little money to invest in alternatives laying off staff South Africa is diving into a much greater mess. 32 years ago Nelson Mandela promised his black people not only the same rights as all people in the Rainbow Nation but a better life. 45% unemployment rate and 60 Mio. people means approx. 14 Mio. mostly black South Africans are unemployed with no hope but increased frustration resulting in violence, crimes, and killings.

Watching the real estate market in South Africa it is obvious the country sees again an exodus of white people to flee the country. After Nelson Mandela became President a wave of white farmers left the country; now the second wave is leaving their homes behind. Farming is essential for the social and political survival of a nation. Like in Zimbabwe black farm workers were not trained to be effective Farm Managers. That reason contributed to the starvation and poverty of the former food-exporting great nation of Zimbabwe.

South Africa could see the same trend but with more harmful effects. The race discussion could be emerging again with unpredictable consequences. It is interesting to note that still white people start businesses in South Africa and identify a future for their families. These are not romantic dropouts of their societies but rather Scientists that see the country as a challenge that can be organized by scientific minds. This new approach could potentially stand the test of time and benefit the nation while through the backdoor finding their way into politics and overtaking it to replace what is hindering the Rainbow nation from seeing the full potential of the sun and harvesting its given blessings.

Let the sun again shine for ALL in South Africa!
On the occasion of their CEO's birthday, employees of Might Ghana Limited took the opportunity to show their appreciation by donating a collection of essential items to Tamale Children's Home.

The CEO, Mr. Abdul Jalil Ibrahim, was touched by the thoughtfulness of his employees and expressed his gratitude for their efforts.

"It is a privilege to be part of a company that is dedicated to making a positive impact in the community," he said. "The children at Tamale Children's Home are our future, and I am so grateful to see Might Ghana Limited making a difference in their lives."

Might Ghana Limited is known for its commitment to giving back to the community and this donation is just one of the many ways the company works to make a positive impact. The company has a long history of supporting local courses and initiatives.

The staff at Tamale Children's Home expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the donation and praised the company for its support. The donation, which includes biscuits, tissue paper, diapers and drinks, will go a long way in improving the lives of the children at the home.

"Might Ghana Limited continues to be a responsible corporate citizen, dedicated to supporting initiatives that make a positive impact in the lives of those in need. Mr. Abdul Jalil Ibrahim and his team are an inspiration to us all, showing how businesses can use their resources to make a difference in the world."
Residents, chiefs, elders of Mpataba led by their Member of Parliament for Jomoro Constituency in the Western Region, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, are demanding justice for slain Shadrach Aloo at the West Hills Mall in Accra.

The residents and the MP, clad in red and black dress with placards on Saturday, February 4, took to the principal streets of Mpataba to register their protest over the murder of the 32-year-old Aloo who was billed to travel to Germany next week.

They first marched peacefully to River Mpataba to invoke courses on anyone who would be partial or lie about the murder and to be killed by the river deity.

The libations were poured by chief priests and opinion leaders in the town.

They then marched to converge on a venue where various leaders addressed the crowd.

The MP for Jomoro, Dorcas Afo Toffey, called for calm, assuring that she has since started pushing for justice for the late Aloo.

Before his untimely and gruesome death on the 30th of January, 2023, Shadrach was booked to travel to Germany within that week. Shadrach had therefore visited the West Hills Mall at Weija in the company of a friend, Ibrahim Sakyi to buy some items.

She explained that while they walked through the mall, a police officer stopped Shadrach to conduct a search on him of which Shadrach resisted claiming he's done no wrong.

He therefore challenged the police officer to take him to any nearest police post if any search would be conducted. The police officer didn't agree but tried to use force to search his bag.

Madam Afo Toffey said this subsequently led to a raising of alarm from the police officer, inviting other security guards of the mall to bring Shadrach to the grounds handcuffed.

She added that it becomes absurd how a harmless and unprovoked response from the deceased upon desperate request from the police man could trigger him to unleash such cruelty on Shadrach. This act from the police officer, together with other security guards at the Mall made Shadrach helpless, vulnerable and disabled. The police officer wouldn't even consider how weak Shadrach had become, still went ahead and knelt very close to his head, just like the case of George Floyd, while tasing him further. 'Service with Integrity' has been and still is the motto of Ghana Police Service and one can only expect protection of lives and property from them, and not to brutalize innocent citizen seven to the extent of killing.

The MP noted that the import of Article 15(1) and (2) of the 1992 constitution provide in no uncertain terms for the respect for human dignity as follows:

15(1) the dignity of all persons shall be protected.

(2) No person shall, whether or not he is arrested, be restricted or detained, or be subjected to-

(a) torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment:

(b)any other condition that detracts or is likely to detract from his dignity and worth as a human being.

The MP said in view of this, I have called upon the lawyer, Hon. Francis Sosu, to expedite a petition to the IGP, the Attorney General Department and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defense and Interior.

Justice for Shadrach is what we are all seeking.

Demands

The MP, family of the slain Aloo and the entire town are demanding justice for the murder of the innocent young man.

Whiles this is being done, I, together with the family demand the following:

1. Just as the President issued a statement in the case of George Floyd, a Black American who was killed in a similar way, as it cannot be right that, in the 21st Century, the United States, this great bastion of democracy, continues to grapple with the system of racism.

On behalf of the people of Ghana, I express my deep condolence to the family and loved ones of the late George Floyd.

We stand with our kith and kin in this difficult and trying times, and we hope that tragic death of George Floyd will inspire a lasting change in how Americans confront head on the problem of hate and racism.''

We expect and demand that H.E Nana Addo Dankwa issues a statement to commemorate with the family of Shadrach.

2. The IGP should as a matter of urgency cause a full scale investigation in the murder of the deceased by his officers and culprits at the West Hills Mall with respect to the event on the 30th of January, 2023.

3.The office of the IGP should also initiate or cause to be initiated a disciplinary and criminal proceedings on any officer and persons found culpable in the murder of the deceased, Shadrach Aloo.

4. Lastly but not the least, the office of the IGP must initiate or cause to be initiated negotiations with Shadrach's family to cover the cost and the financial burden brought on the family due to the recklessness of your officers and negotiate reasonable and appropriate monetary compensation to the family for the loss of life and for support for the four-year-old Son who has many years to live without the father (the deceased).

The four-year-old son of the deceased

Madam Afo Toffey advised the Ghana Police Service to be professional in dealing with such cases.

After all these have been met, we urge the police to give a firm assurance that such brutalities shall become a thing of the past.

She assured that we shall not rest until we arrest are rest assured.

-3news.com
Pope Francis wraps up his pilgrimage to South Sudan with an open-air mass on Sunday after urging its leaders to focus on bringing peace to the fragile country torn apart by violence and poverty.

The three-day trip is the first papal visit to the largely Christian country since it achieved independence from Sudan in 2011 and plunged into a civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people.

Despite a peace deal signed in 2018 between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar, violence continues to roil the world's newest nation, driving people from their homes into displacement camps.

The pontiff, who himself tried to broker peace during the civil war, has received a rapturous welcome, with thousands expected to attend the mass at the John Garang mausoleum -- built in honour of South Sudan's rebel hero who died in 2005.

Pope Francis on Saturday met South Sudanese religious leaders, who work with the poor and marginalised in the devout country. By Simon MAINA (AFP)

On Saturday, Francis met victims of the civil war, who were brought to the capital Juba from various camps, and urged the government to restore "dignity" to the millions affected by conflict.

"Sadly, in this war-torn country, being a displaced person or a refugee has become a common and collective experience," he said.

"I want to renew my forceful and heartfelt appeal to end all conflict and to resume the peace process in a serious way, so that violence can end and people can return to living in dignity."

"The future cannot lie in refugee camps," he said to applause.

With 2.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs), and another two million outside the country, South Sudan is home to the worst refugee crisis in Africa.

'We need peace'

John Wiyual, who has lived at a sprawling IDP camp outside Juba since 2014, said he did not trust government assurances that the country is safe.

"They say there is peace -- but there is killing in all states," the 42-year-old told AFP. "The pope can listen to us. We are citizens, and we need peace."

The papal visit has been closely followed in the country of 12 million, where church leaders played a key role in protecting civilians during the push for independence and the 2013-18 ethnic conflict.

"It is the first time to see papa in my country. I feel so privileged," said 36-year-old Adongpiny Harriet, wiping away sweat after she joined an impromptu dance outside the Cathedral of Saint Therese in Juba following the pope's blessing on Saturday.

Around 50,000 people flocked to the Garang mausoleum on Saturday evening for a joint prayer meeting held by Francis along with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, who are also part of the trip.

It followed a pointed speech on Friday in which Francis told the country's leaders that they need to make "a new start" toward reconciliation and end the greed and power struggles tearing the nation apart.

"Future generations will either venerate your names or cancel their memory, based on what you now do," he told an audience that included Kiir and Machar, as well as diplomats, religious leaders and traditional kings.

"No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence."

War crimes

The pope had promised in 2019 to travel to South Sudan, when he hosted Kiir and Machar at a Vatican retreat and asked them to respect the ceasefire.

In scenes that reverberated in South Sudan, Francis knelt and kissed the feet of two foes whose personal armies had been accused of horrific war crimes.

But four years later, the oil-rich country remains mired in intractable conflict and blighted by poverty, hunger and natural disasters.

A much-lauded rebel commander, Garang was the first president of a semi-autonomous South Sudan when his death in a helicopter crash in 2005 paved the way for his deputy Kiir to take over.

The pope's stop in South Sudan follows a four-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, another resource-rich country plagued by persistent conflict and also often overlooked by the world.

The trip -- Francis's fifth to Africa -- was initially scheduled for 2022 but had to be postponed because of problems with the pope's knee.

burs-amu/txw/pvh/leg
Pope Francis flew home Sunday with the leaders of the Anglican and Scottish churches after a joint trip to violence-plagued South Sudan, where he appealed at a final mass for people to lay down their "weapons of hatred".

Large crowds of ecstatic worshippers had gathered in the capital Juba to see the 86-year-old pontiff, who made peace and reconciliation the theme of his three-day trip to the world's newest nation.

"Let us lay down the weapons of hatred and revenge... Let us overcome the dislikes and aversions that over time have become chronic and risk pitting tribes and ethnic groups against one another," Francis said in his homily.

Addressing a crowd local authorities estimated at around 70,000, he voiced hope that the people of South Sudan would "build a reconciled future".

The papal visit has been closely followed in the country of 12 million. By Tiziana FABI (AFP)

It was the first papal visit to the largely Christian country, which achieved independence from mainly Muslim Sudan in 2011 after a long and bloody civil war.

Two years later, South Sudan was at war with itself, a conflict that killed nearly 400,000 people and displaced four million.

A peace deal was signed in 2018 between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar but many of its conditions remain unmet and violence continues to roil the country.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who joined Francis on the trip alongside the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, said the visit left him with a "deep sense of encouragement".

"What we now need is a serious change of heart from the leadership. They have to agree to a process that will lead to a peaceful transition of power," Welby told reporters on the plane taking the three religious leaders back to Rome.

"There has to be an end to corruption and gun smuggling and the amassing of huge quantities of weapons," he said.

Hope for change

The wheelchair-bound pontiff, who himself tried to broker peace during the civil war, received a rapturous welcome throughout his visit.

Pope Francis voiced hope the people of South Sudan would 'build a reconciled future'. By Tiziana FABI (AFP)

"I came to see the pope bring change to the country. For many years we've been at war, but we need peace. We want the pope to pray for us," said James Agiu, 24, after staying overnight to join Sunday's mass.

On Saturday, Francis met victims of the civil war brought to Juba from various camps, and urged the government to resume the peace process and restore "dignity" to those affected by conflict.

South Sudanese choirs greeted the pope. By Simon MAINA (AFP)

With 2.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs), and another two million outside the country, South Sudan is witness to the worst refugee crisis in Africa.

"I have been suffering in my life. That is why I'm here, so the pope can bless me and my family," 32-year-old Josephine James told AFP at Sunday's mass.

"Ever since he arrived, people have been happy. I am very happy."

Crowds gathered earlier at the John Garang Mausoleum. By SIMON MAINA (AFP)

The papal visit was closely followed in the devoutly Christian country of 12 million people, where church leaders played a key role in protecting civilians during times of conflict.

'New start'

On Friday, Francis told the country's leaders they need to make "a new start" toward reconciliation and end the greed and power struggles tearing the nation apart.

Pope Francis met South Sudan's leaders including President Salva Kiir on the first day of his trip. By Tiziana FABI (AFP)

"Future generations will either venerate your names or cancel their memory, based on what you now do," he told an audience that included Kiir and Machar. "No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence."

At a 2019 Vatican retreat, the pope had knelt and kissed the feet of the two leaders, whose personal armies had been accused of horrific war crimes, asking them to respect the ceasefire.

But four years later, the oil-rich country remains mired in intractable conflict, compounded by poverty, hunger and natural disasters.

Trips to India, Mongolia

The pope's stop in South Sudan followed a four-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, another resource-rich country plagued by persistent conflict and also often overlooked by the world.

The trip -- Francis's fifth to Africa -- was initially scheduled for 2022 but had to be postponed because of problems with the pope's knee.

Asked about his health on the plane Sunday, he said it was "not like at the beginning of my papacy, this knee is annoying, but I go on, slowly, and we'll see".

Francis confirmed he would visit Marseille, in the south of France, on September 23, head to India in 2024 and said the Vatican was looking at a potential trip to Mongolia.
Cannabis is being commercialised into a multibillion-dollar global industry and South Africa wants a piece of the pie. In his 2022 state of the nation address , President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke of developing a hemp and cannabis sector to boost the post-COVID economy.

Poor rural communities in South Africa have long cultivated cannabis in illegal conditions of risk. They now face losing out to corporate interests and the wealthy.

How did the stakes become so high  and so unequal?

My recent historical study helps answer this question. It reveals how an apartheid-era drug law incited a war on drugs that was in effect a war on cannabis.

In 1971 a law was passed that subjected the cannabis plant and its products to the strictest possible controls. This set in motion a structurally racist policy that continued well into the post-apartheid era.

Apartheid's 1971 anti-drug law

In 1971, South Africa's apartheid government passed the Abuse of Dependence-Producing Substances and Rehabilitation Centres Act . Lawmakers boasted it was the

toughest anti-drug law in the Western World.

The law's main target was white hippy youth.

The law followed recommendations by a state-sponsored inquiry, the Grobler Commission . The commission focused only on white South Africans' misuse of synthetic and pharmaceutical drugs such as LSD, Mandrax (methaqualone) and heroin.

Though the commission did not in fact turn up evidence of an extensive drug abuse problem, it nevertheless recommended tough suppression.

To the ruling National Party , the use of drugs by white people appeared to threaten Afrikaner religious culture and the future of a white South Africa. They hyped the drug problem as

a form of terrorism that is more dangerous than the armed terrorism we are familiar with on our country's borders.

This language of crisis enabled the apartheid lawmakers to borrow from the country's draconian anti-terrorism laws, such as the 1967 Terrorism Act , used to put down anti-apartheid activism.

Like the anti-terrorism legislation, the 1971 anti-drug act provided for harsh minimum prison sentences and detention without trial for purposes of interrogation. It also removed the court's discretion in sentencing for drug offences.

Read more: Cannabis policy changes in Africa are welcome. But small producers are the losers

When it was debated in parliament, the principle of toughness appealed across party lines  except for the lone voice of the Progressive Party MP Helen Suzman . Suzman observed that although the Grobler Commission excluded research on substance use by the majority black South Africans, the law would nonetheless apply to them.

Similarly, she argued, the commission had not investigated cannabis  a substance considered by many to be less socially harmful than legal alcohol or tobacco. Yet it was to be scheduled in the new law as a prohibited dangerous drug, along with heroin and cocaine.

Lone voice of reason

For centuries in Africa , including parts of South Africa, the cannabis plant had important indigenous cultural value and was cultivated for a variety of social and pharmacological uses.

Cannabis was first criminalised in the country in 1922 . But drug policing remained relatively weak for three decades. In the gap, and with growing urban markets, commercial cannabis livelihoods emerged to combat growing rural poverty .

In such conditions  as Suzman pointed out  punitive drug control, created to combat white pill-popping, was clearly going to fall on black South Africans for cannabis offences.

Suzman fought hard . She pointed out that a Marijuana Commission was under way in the US, documenting how the supposed dangers of cannabis were greatly exaggerated. She argued for a less criminalising status for cannabis in South Africa.

Her views were defeated and apartheid's extraordinary drug legislation was easily passed. Cannabis was classified among those substances marked for strictest suppression.

The law's impacts

This decision proved to be a watershed. The effects of the 1971 anti-drug law were immediately evident, falling disproportionately on black South Africans. Cannabis accounted for well over 95% of drug-related arrests and convictions across all race groups.

In a 1972 assessment by the Natal Provincial Supreme Court  in the case State v Shangase and Others - judges showed how prison terms of two to ten years were being imposed even for the petty possession of single cannabis zol (joint).

The rehabilitation centres part of the 1971 law applied only to white offenders since  as Suzman had pointed out  the segregationist state did not provide drug treatment programmes for black people. But, even for convicted white users, sentences involving treatment applied in less than 1% of cases.

Paradoxically, but unsurprisingly, illegal cannabis cultivation increased within the segregated spaces of apartheid.

Read more: A new approach to criminalisation could end Cape Town's drug wars

An illegal crop in high demand was profitable to grow, and even more so to trade. Helicopters spraying herbicides and multiple checkpoints raised the stakes of drug politics for all parties.

The laws's embedded racism meant that as tough drug suppression continued after apartheid ended, its racist effects also continued.

A reckoning with history is needed

The 1971 anti-drug law was replaced in 1992 with a Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act . The new law maintained harsh sentences and cannabis remained illegal. The African National Congress, which came into power in 1994, reproduced the heavy-handed tactics it had inherited from the apartheid National Party: militarised suppression, spraying and incarcerations.

In 2017 and 2018 , the government's cannabis policy was successfully challenged in the courts, on grounds of cultural and religious freedom. This also opened a window for liberalising cannabis as a commercial venture for certain products. Yet the actual policy remains unclear and contested .

Apartheid's 1971 law, and the parallel growth of an illegal economy, shaped South Africa's unequal cannabis landscape. Now, in an opening cannabis economy, rural cultivators remain in a vulnerable position against more powerful interests.

Read more: Marijuana use in South Africa: what next after landmark court ruling?

Decolonising drug-related knowledge and policies in South Africa requires a deeper reckoning with history, including from apartheid into the present.

*Quotations from the Debates of the House of Assembly, Hansard (Cape Town: Government of the Republic of South Africa, 5 May 1971.

Thembisa Waetjen receives funding from the National Research Foundation.

By Thembisa Waetjen, Associate Professor of History, University of Johannesburg
Iranian Kurdish activist Erfan Mortezai, the cousin of Mahsa Amini whose death in police custody sparked protests across Iran, has found protection in France. He talked to RFI about the sense of relief and continuing his fight against the regime in Tehran.

Mortezai arrived in Paris on Saturday after France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded favourably to his request to find a safe haven in Europe.

The Iranian Kurdish activist had been in Tehran's crosshairs even before he publicly denounced the death of his cousin Mahsa Amini.

He left Iran for Iraqi Kurdistan a year ago.

"One day I was arrested and imprisoned for 18 months. When I was released, I fled to Iraq and joined the Iranian Communist Party," he told RFI's Theo Renaudon.

He became a peshmerga fighter with Komala  an Iranian Kurdish opposition party based in Iraq and which is seeking autonomy for Kurdish-populated areas of northwestern Iran.

Komala has conducted a long-running cross-border insurgency against the Tehran authorities, which see it as a terrorist organisation.

They accuse it, along with other opposition groups, of fomenting the latest wave of protests from outside the country.

When Mahsa Amini died in police custody last September, Iranian authorities said the cause of death was a heart attack.

Mortezai relayed a different version  that her death followed a "violent blow to the head".

He also told international media about the anger her death had unleashed on the streets and how young Kurdish women knew they would have a better life if the regime fell.

His comments brought him death threats.

"As I spoke to foreign media, I received messages that I'd either be kidnapped and taken back to Iran at best, or killed straight out," he says, adding he'd been sent messages on Instagram saying "they were looking for me and will take me back to Iran".

Fearing for his life, he sought protection in Europe.

'My fight really begins'

He feels a huge sense of relief in being allowed to come to Paris.

"I'm very grateful and deeply touched to see people are sensitive to my plight," he told RFI. "It's reassuring to be able to go somewhere where I feel safe."

He says coming here has not only saved his life, he will be able to continue fighting the Islamic regime.

"In fact, this is where my fight really begins!," he says. "From now on, I want to fight with other opponents in France.

"And I hope that very soon, we will be able to celebrate Iran's liberation."

'Abysmal' relations

The fact Mortezai has received a French visa shows Paris is "positioning itself" in relation to Iran, says David Rigoulet-Roze, a specialist on the Middle East.

"In welcoming Mortezai, France has a responsibility to ensure his protection," he told Franceinfo radio.

Relations between France and Iran have worsened of late with France criticising Tehran's crackdown over the protests, its nuclear programme, and more recently outrage over a French satirical magazine publishing cartoons mocking the mollahs.

"You could go as far as to say relations are abysmal," says Rigoulet-Roze.

The situation is further complicated given that seven French nationals are currently being held in Iranian jails.

In mid-November, President Macron welcomed four prominent women Iranian dissidents in Paris and spoke of his "respect and admiration" for Iranian women, "in the context of the revolution they are leading".

Tehran condemned his comments as "regrettable and shameful".

While Mortezai will now officially apply for asylum and start learning French, not all Iranians are accorded asylum in France.

In November last year, an Iranian family living in the southern French city of Perpignan had its asylum application turned down for the fourth time, despite both parents facing the death penalty if deported to Tehran.
Germany, the second largest bilateral creditor to Ghana (only after China), says it is ready to support Ghana in its ongoing debt restructuring process.

Ghana started a Domestic Debt Exchange (DDE) programme last year to restructure about 80 per cent of GHS137 billion in domestic bonds to ensure debt sustainability.

It has also extended a call to its external creditors for support through the G20 common framework.

The debt restructuring forms part of efforts to secure an Executive and Management Board approval of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a US$3 billion loan-support programme by March 2023 to calm the current economic crisis.

In an engagement with some economics and finance students of the University of Ghana in Accra on Friday, Christian Lindner, Finance Minister of Germany called on external creditors to help Ghana with its debt restructuring.

His engagement with the University community formed part of a two-day visit to Ghana to deepen bilateral relations and explore economic areas for mutual benefits.

I'm completely aware that you're suffering from severe economic situation and Germany is supportive. We're expecting a Creditors Committee to negotiate and consider what can be done to relief the burden and return to economic growth in Ghana, Mr Lindner.

He added that: Germany has a strong interest in West Africa. In all, our security depends on your [economic] stability and we see some economic opportunities in bilateral trade by German investments in Ghana for example and this is why I'm here.

The German Finance Minister noted that while there was the need for short-term international assistance, Ghana's long-term economic stability and development, rested in its hands.

He, therefore, urged the Government to ensure the optimisation of the country's rich resources and human capital by instituting measures that would boost private sector investment and growth and their participation in the economy's stability.

He also asked the Government to provide favourable conditions for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in the clothing and textiles and digital payment systems sectors to thrive.

Mr Lindner encouraged the students to make the most of the opportunities that higher education brought to them and said: The decisions you make, efforts you make and the risks you are willing to take, will determine your place in life.

He said he was ready to support Ghanaian students to explore educational opportunities in Germany and enter into the country's labour force.

Professor Daniel Frimpong Ofori, Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor, Academic and Student Affairs, University of Ghana, described the visit of the Finance Minister as a chance for the students to know and tap into various opportunities in Germany.

He said there were enormous opportunities for those who have some knowledge of finance, economics and international relations, and urged the students to tap into them.

GNA
The Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) has honoured the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) Project with an Institutional Pillar of Support Award, in appreciation of the projects support to the Bureau.

According to a Press Release signed by the Nigeria Digital ID4D Communications Manager, Dr. Walter Duru, the Award was received by the Nigeria ID4D Project Coordinator, Musa Odole Solomon at the 2023 edition of the annual National Privacy Week Dinner/Award and First Year Anniversary of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau, held at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, weekend.

Presenting the Award, National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, commended the Nigeria Digital ID4D project for its support to the Bureau, reiterating commitment to continue to partner with the project.

Olatunji, who thanked the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami for his leadership roles, described the Nigeria Digital ID4D as a Pillar of Support to the Bureau.

He reiterated the commitment of the NDPB to creating awareness on data protection and privacy in the country, urging stakeholders to continue to support the Bureau to achieve results.

The journey of the NDPB started under the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). NDPB is a year old. In the last one year, a lot has happened. We are grateful to the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, who stood by us all the way. Awareness creation is very important to us. The task requires collective efforts. We are here today to thank you for your support, and we are looking forward to the future.

Receiving the Award, Project Coordinator, Nigeria Digital ID4D project, Musa Odole Solomon described the NDPB as a worthy partner, pledging the projects continued support to the Bureau.

From the inception of the NDPB, we have been working with them. From day one, we knew they were worthy partners. The achievements recorded and level of collaboration could not have been possible, without the kind of leadership in place at the Bureau. We will continue to support the Bureau.

Delivering his keynote address, Nigerias Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami described data privacy and protection as critical to the nation, assuring that the data protection bill was set for transmission to the National Assembly for consideration.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau had communicated her intention to honour the Nigeria ID4D project at the Bureaus one year anniversary.

In a letter dated 26th January 2023, with the subject Conferment of Institutional Pillar of Support Award, signed by the National Commissioner/CEO of the NDPB, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the Bureau expressed appreciation to the project for her invaluable support.

The letter reads in part: I am pleased to convey the decision of the Bureau to confer on your highly esteemed institution the Institutional Pillar of Support Award.

This award is in recognition of your invaluable support towards the establishment and growth of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau.
Armed military personnel on Thursday intervened in a standoff between staff of Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) and some management of the University for Development Studies City Campus in Tamale.

This occurred when personnel from the Northern Electricity Distribution Company disconnected the University over failure to settle years of debt, but the officials of NEDCo were allegedly locked and prevented from moving out.

NEDCo Loss Control Supervisor in the Northern sector, Mr. Samuel Kumi in an interview with the media noted that security personnel at the University locked the main gate of the City campus in protest against the disconnection.

According to him, they were ordered by both security and some staff of the campus to restore power back, or risk spending the entire day at the premises of the City campus.

He revealed that the Institution owns the electricity company GHS 447,000 and all avenues to retrieve the amount have proven futile.

We were sent to come and disconnect the Institution, so when we came we identified ourselves and we told them why we're here and they refused for us to carry out the disconnection, so I gave instructions to my people to disconnect, upon the disconnection the security and some staff gave instructions that we should not be allow to move out until we reconnect them, because of that i reported the situation to the office and they also called in the military, he stated.
05.02.2023 LISTEN

Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Foreign Minister Abul Kalam Abdul Momen of Bangladesh on Saturday discussed mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in several arenas, especially economy and trade.

The two diplomats met on the sidelines of the Independence Day celebrations in Sri Lanka, a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a press statement.

According to Radio Pakistan, Khar expressed her satisfaction with the growing commercial relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh. She emphasised the importance of enhancing economic, trade, and investment ties, as well as increasing tourism and people-to-people interactions.

The minister also highlighted the shared perspectives of Pakistan and Bangladesh on various international issues, particularly those related to the Muslim world.

Her comments reflect the growing cooperation and positive momentum between the two countries, analysts said.

Pakistan and Bangladesh have made significant progress in strengthening their relationship over the years. The relationship took a positive turn in March 2021 when then-prime minister Imran Khan wrote a letter of congratulations to his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, on the occasion of Bangladeshs 50th independence anniversary.

Bangladeshs response was positive, with Sheikh Hasina stating that her country is committed to maintaining peaceful and cooperative relationships with its neighbouring countries, including Pakistan.

Despite being South Asian countries, sharing the same religion, culture, and history, the relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh arent warm at the present time.

The reason for the lukewarm relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan even after five decades of separation from and liberation of Bangladesh through a particularly violent liberation war are for two main reasons  namely, the hurt of 1971 liberation war is still quite raw and more importantly, so far Pakistan has not officially apologized for the war crimes they committed during the 9-month long liberation war in 1971.

However, as they say quite a bit of water has since gone down the Buriganga and the Indus rivers. There are now new realities that call for both sides to appreciate and mutually empathize with the evolving dynamics. Both Bangladesh and Pakistan need to resolve their problems and move forward. Policymakers from both sides need to be sensitive to each others expectations as well as challenges.

Indeed, for the sake of prosperity and security of both the nations, relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan must be improved.

It is evident that for the last two years, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Imran Khan and his government have been trying to strengthen relations with Bangladesh and given that both Bangladesh and Pakistan share same political history and similar cultural and social norms and more importantly, that both countries tend to gain economically through improved trade and investment relations, it is important relations between these two countries are cemented as soon as possible.

The younger generation of both countries are very keen to forge stronger ties between these two Muslim majority countries in the region.

The potentials

There is huge potential for bilateral economic and trade cooperation. Among other things, the trade imbalance between the two countries must be addressed. According to the State Bank of Pakistan, Pakistans exports to Bangladesh in 2019 stood at USD 736 million, while Bangladeshs exports to Pakistan were only 44 million.

Despite some challenges, the good news for us is that bilateral trade between Pakistan-Bangladesh is growing, albeit, gradually. According to the media report and statements of the State Bank of Pakistan Pakistans trade with Bangladesh witnessed an increase of 46.65 percent during the first six months of the financial year (2021-22) as compared to the corresponding period of last year. The overall exports to Bangladesh from Pakistan were recorded at $399.408 million during July-December against exports of $274.246 million during the same period last year, showing a growth of 45.63 percent, Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, during December 2021, exports to Bangladesh from Pakistan increased 52.01 percent, from $54.433 million to $82.746 million. Similarly, on a month-on-month basis, imports rose by 14.38 percent during December 2021 in comparison with exports of $72.339 million in November 2021. It is true that Bangladesh and Pakistan can benefit from growing trade ties. Pakistan and Bangladesh should ink a free trade agreement to boost up the trade volume.

In todays globalized world of free trade, every country is, leaving to the extent possible, the politics behind and focusing on closer economic and trade ties for mutual benefits. There are also moves to establish compatible economic zones and alliances.

Old pains, bumpy relations

However, given the history and recent horrific memories of war violence that Bangladesh suffered at the hands of the Pakistan military in 1971, forging closer ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan is anything but easy. Relations between these countries have been mostly sour or bumpy at best. For example, relations between the two countries which have been okay but not the warmest nosedived in 2016 when in a 1971 War Crime trial, Bangladesh executed several leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islam for their participation in the 1971 war crimes. Pakistan, where Jamaat Islam Party has a strong following and many of the Bangladeshi Jamaat leaders who were sentenced to death and were executed used to be former colleagues of the Pakistan Jamaat and thus the latter, condemned in the Pakistan Parliament the execution of their former colleagues and labelled the executions as politically motivated actions. Bangladesh saw this as Pakistans interference in the internal matters of Bangladesh and as a result, relations between the two countries deteriorated to the extent that diplomats were expelled from respective sides.

Closing the gap, Increasing the Gains

Thankfully, since Imran Khan became the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018, thangs have started to improve significantly. His phone call to the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in December 2020 is a proof that Pakistan is ready for a change. During the phone call Imran Khan invited the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina to visit Islamabad.

In August 2021, Imran phone call was followed up with what has come to be known in diplomatic circle, the Mango Diplomacy  a euphemism for Bangladesh Prime Ministers gift of basket of Bangladeshs well-famed delicious mangoes to Imran Khan, the PM of Pakistan. After this, the Pakistani envoy to Bangladesh met with Bangladesh PM Hasina Wazed in October 2021. During the meeting, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh expressed her desire to strengthen bilateral trade ties with Pakistan. Indeed, there were indications of melting the ice between the two strained ties. Now these must be continued for bolstering relations.

These are signs that both countries are warming up to each other and this is real politic.

Real politic also implies that Pakistan must never interfere into Bangladeshs internal affairs nor question Bangladeshs close ties with India, a country that has actively helped Bangladesh in its liberation, a relation that has passed the test of time and is historic and therefore, Pakistan must respect and appreciate these realities and work its way through issues more pragmatically and maturely.

In other words, Bangladesh and Pakistan must capitalize on the recent goodwill promoted by Imran Khan and follow-up with measures that translate these into tangible outcomes. A more viable and less painful way is indeed through stronger economic ties as such ties can not only benefit both countries and in the process and over the years create better empathy and bondage between the people of these two estranged countries, strong economic and political ties may also be of immense geopolitical benefits to both the countries. Therefore, it is important that both countries take steps to reduce tensions and take steps to re-bond and work together to promote wellbeing of both the nations at multiple levels.

It is noteworthy that both Pakistan and Bangladesh seem to be moving ahead though cautiously and this is good. Both countries have taken some initiatives to develop closer diplomatic, economic, and cultural relations.

Indeed, it is time to restructure relations. Pakistan should have a lasting dialogue with the Bangladesh government on how to move the bilateral relations in a positive direction. Both should work together and advance their relationship on any issue related to trade, culture, and mutual interests.

Bangladesh and Pakistan together make up five percent of the worlds population. The people-to-people contact, religious tourism, scholarship exchange etc. can be the potential sectors to explore to promote better understanding and mutual empathy between the two people. At economic level, reconnecting ports (air, sea) between the two states is very necessary to bolster the ties and this regard, Bangladesh should explore usage of Pakistans seaports (Karachi port, Gwadar port, Keti Bandar, port Qassim, CPEC). At the same time, Pakistan can take advantage of Bangladeshs emerging and buoyant consumer market and more importantly, through Bangladeshs port facilities, access the landlocked markets of Nepal, Bhutan, and Southeast Asia, more generally.

Closer economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties between Bangladesh are key to the mutual benefits of both these countries and more importantly, essential to the broader prosperity of the region.

Mehjabin Bhanu is a Bangladeshi teacher, columnist and writer.
05.02.2023 LISTEN

Nasarawa As The Magic Place That Made Tinubu A Political Comeback For The Presidency Amid Personal And Enemies Distractions

Could the Tinubu speech at Lafia, Nasarawa State on Saturday, February 4, presidentially affirmed Jagaban as he loves to call himself?

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu may have profoundly, swiftly and magically spread his presidential influence to Nigerians with his speech in Nasarawa during the APC Presidential Campaign Rally In Nasarawa State.

By way of psychological expressions his words at the podium appeared as that to motivate, alert, reassure, and guide the Nigerian people. Whether they were written or directly from his head he spoke in a truly open and moving way.

Because he sometimes makes verbal blunders Nigeria anxiously awaited what he had to say in Lafia. This time at no time or for the most part in the 10 minutes speech did he disappoint, offering long minutes of reassurance, hope, optimism, and promises for a troubled but young society.

This Nasarawa speech touched on current distractions involving polity and the economy as he said Nigeria can change.

These distractions that have been pointed out are currently being boldly and directly outed by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.

El-Rufai, along with his co northern governors, determined to see a southerner inherit the presidency from President Muhammadu Buhari a Northerner; they blocked the political upheaval by Abdullahi Adamu, national chair of the party, when he suddenly announced the senate president, Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan as the anointed consensus candidate for the party in June 2022.

While Lawan is still licking his wounds to use Tinubus word, for his self-serving deeds it should be noted that Adamu apparently upon understanding his political slipup is now Tinubus staunchest and major political vocal pusher for the presidency.

El-Rufai has tackled another apparent distraction involving some officials in the presidency. He said he will expose the elements in the Presidential Villa working against the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu, as they want him to lose the 25 February election.

For El-Rufai, another distraction is the embattled Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) naira redesign or new naira notes policy. Certainly, as many Nigerians see it as laudable policy, but it is simple psychology that you dont make such draconian move during election period. It is like the Attorney general filing charges against one presidential candidate. It is seen as election integrity interference and insensitivity. Just wrong timing.

Also, with few weeks for this administration to end there is no time to execute and mange this gigantic new policy.

Psychologically, these embarrassing rounds of distractions, with more to come very likely appeared to be backfiring as some elements in the presidency are getting a backlash with attempts to distract Tinubus candidacy. Now all these have also rendered sympathy for Tinubu and enthusiastic spirit by Buhari and many others to openly stand and be with Tinubu to the end.

In fact, these happenings appeared to be at work to promoting better physical and mental health in Tinubu, showing as positive impact as was seen in the Lafia speech marked with zest, enthusiasm, vigor, energy, and vitality.

Tinubu celebrated President Buhari who openly endorses Tinubu as his successor, and with words and figurative that best capture his national goals. The presidential candidate uttered words like nation building, the need for the people to be honest, act with integrity, and character.

He called for the pursuit of democracy, he called for Nigerians to remain as resilience people courageous people and the need to reshape Nigeria, fight corruption, fight destitution, to fight failure, and , behave to history. And transform Nigeria by furthering constitutional democracy.

He openly was affectionate to Buhari and in intrigued him by saying he would be remembered among the history and class of Abraham Lincoln, who served as the 16th president of the United States of America.

There is no doubt that Tinubu whom Buhari said loves this country a believer in Nigeria will be remembered for this Lafia speech.

Many Nigerians have wide love for Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi who has inspired a zealous movement mostly among the youths and even disrupted Nigeria's traditional two-man presidential competition, he is seen as a messiah, a messianic, but will he be able to wrestle power from the traditional and entrenched politicians like Tinubu and the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)Atiku Abubakar?

What is clear is that Tinubus words in Lafia are consistent with Obis messages in terms of moving the country to a direction of steady and sustained progress.

Should Jagaban's victory come true as sounded in Lafia speech lets hope he applies the famous John F. Kennedy words "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest form of appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." And lets also hope that Nigerians act on these quotations by John F. Kennedy, "Ask not what your country can do for you...ask what you can do for your country."

Tinubu as defined in his Lafia speech where he called out the name of Abraham Lincoln let him note that Lincoln did not seek the presidency for the sake of the power as such an opportunity would produce the ultimate position where one could be of service to his fellow citizens and move the country towards unification. Jagaban that Lafia speech was very moving, and it could have stirred up the audience and Nigerians mentally, emotionally or physically. It may have made many Nigerians comfortable to say let him in, which means na Jagaban's time we are getting into ooo.

Psychologist John Egbeazien Oshodi

Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria, to a father who served in the Nigeria police for 37 years, is an American-based police and prison scientist and forensic, clinical, and legal psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult and child psychological services in the USA; chief educator and clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an online lifelong center for personal, professional, and career development; and a former interim associate dean and assistant professor at Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African Settings A former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association. In 2011, he introduced state-of-the-art forensic psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C. and Nasarawa State University, where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. An adjunct professor in the doctorate clinical psychology program at Nova Southeastern Universitys College of Psychology in Florida, USA. A contributing faculty at the Psychology program, Walden University. Director of Online Studies and Professor of PsychologyOnline Faculty at Weldios University in the Republic of Benin. He is a virtual behavioral leadership professor at ISCOM University, Republic of Benin. Founder of the proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien Open University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of truth, ethics, and openness. Over forty academic publications and creations, at least 300 public opinion pieces on African issues, and various books have been written by him. He specializes in psycho-prescriptive writings regarding African institutional and governance issues. His most recent textbook publication is Concise Psychology: An Integrated Forensic Approach to Psychology for Global African Settings.
05.02.2023 LISTEN

Francis Opai Tetteh, a Ghanaian, has been duly sworn into office as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the World Conference of Mayors Inc at a well-attended event held in the City Hall at Orlando in Florida, USA.

With this honor, Francis has succeeded in becoming the first Ghanaian to occupy this enviable position.

Additionally, the governing body of the World Conference of Mayors Inc. has also appointed Francis Opai to serve as the Country for the Conference of Mayors, Ghana, during its annual Conference held at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Orlando, Florida.

He has been tasked with a key responsibility to rally the Members of Parliament, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives, CEOs of State Institutions, private organisations and traditional leaders in Ghana to join this noble organisation.

The World Conference of Mayors Inc was founded in April 1984 by Hon. Johnny Ford in Tuskegee, Alabama, USA as a non-partisan and not-for-profit making organisation.

It aims at building the capacity of Mayors, MPs, government appointees and leaders of private organisations in twin city collaborations, technology transfer, trade, and tourism inter alia.

In his acceptance speech, Francis Opai Tetteh expressed his profound appreciation to the entire leadership and the governing body of the World Conference of Mayors Inc especially the Founder and President, former Mayor Johnny Ford, Vice President responsible for Africa, Dr. Mbengue Abdulaye of Gambia and Prof. Wakeelah Mantinez of Wichita City for getting Ghana involved in this magnificent initiative.

He promised to combine the timeless virtues taught by Tetteh Quarshie, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and His Excellency Kofi Anan in the discharge of his duties creditably.

He also took the opportunity to encourage all Members of Parliament and Mayors in Ghana to embrace the World Conference of Mayors, Ghana, and take advantage of the twin cities, trade, technology transfer, tourism and other unbelievable benefits offered by the organisation to serve their constituencies and districts.
05.02.2023 LISTEN

The MD/CEO of Onadipe Technologies and Publisher of Internet Safety Magazine, Rotimi Onadipe has told Nigerians that the current situation of the nation, particularly the problem of new naira and fuel scarcity is a good opportunity for everyone to get closer to God.

Onadipe disclosed this today in Ibadan during his weekly broadcast on cyber safety, an initiative of his non-profit organisation which aims to inform and educate members of the public about how to avoid online dangers in the society e.g. cybercrime, internet fraud, cyber bullying, online gaming addiction, smartphone addiction, among others.

According to Onadipe, the situation is getting tougher every day and it's affecting almost everybody but we must be reminded that no matter how tough it may be, our only hope at this difficult situation is God.

Onadipe added that this is a time that many people will be tempted to get involved in various fraudulent and criminal activities in order to meet their daily needs or pay outstanding bills.

"Please don't commit crime because you want to meet your daily needs or settle any bill. God is aware of what is happening in Nigeria and I can assure you that it will soon be over by the grace of God," he said.

"Don't let the current state of the nation affect your personal relationship with God or destroy your reputation. Don't stop praying to God. keep trusting in him and he will never fail you.

"This is a good opportunity for all of us to amend our ways and get closer to God. More importantly, it's a good time for us to rededicate our lives to God, ask him to forgive us our sins and intervene in our situation," Onadipe added.
05.02.2023 LISTEN

The ex-President Pervez Musharraf couped his way to power in Pakistan in 1999 and ruled his country.

He has died in his exile in Dubai.

This was reported by Pakistan's "Geo News" with reference to his family, and the Pakistani embassy in the United Arab Emirates confirmed the death. According to Pakistani media reports, Musharraf died at the age of 79 in a hospital in Dubai.

Musharraf's family had already announced in the summer of 2022 that he was terminally ill and would not recover from "organ failure".

Musharraf had seized power as a general in a bloodless coup in 1999. He was Pakistan's head of state from 2001 to 2008. In his first years in power, he introduced reforms for which he received international recognition at the time. For example, he pushed through laws to protect women's rights and allowed private news channels for the first time.

After the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, he was under pressure from the United States, he therefore took action against extremism in his country. As a result, however, he himself became the target of extremists, while anti-American sentiment in the country rose.

From reformer to dictator

Over the years, however, conflicts with the judiciary and the opposition increased. In 2007, Musharraf declared a state of emergency to extend his term as president. He suspended the constitution, dissolved parliament and dismissed the top judges.

Ultimately, these steps triggered a wave of protests that forced him to resign in August 2008. After his ouster, Musharraf went into exile for several years, but returned in March 2013 to contest the parliamentary election. However, he was barred from running by the courts. He was also banned from leaving the country. After the ban was lifted, he left for Dubai in 2016.

Because the proclamation of emergency in 2007 had violated the constitution according to an anti-terror court, he was sentenced to death for high treason in 2019. At the time, however, he was in exile due to illness. The death sentence was later declared unconstitutional by a court and overturned.

Francis Tawiah (Duisburg - Germany)
France's fascination with manga comic books is booming, a trend highlighted at the Angouleme international comics festival at the end of January. Thousands of fans turned out to see Hajime Isayama, Ryoichi Ikegami and Junji Ito who hosted masterclasses and received special awards.

The fact that three of Japan's most prolific "mangakas" were honoured with special Fauves awards at last Saturday's closing ceremony at Angouleme, underlines the ever-strengthening link between Asia and the renowned festival.

In 10 years, the volume of the French manga market, second in the world behind Japan, has quadrupled. It was worth 381 million euros in 2022, according to polling company GfK.

Mangas represented 57 percent of the French book market in 2022, growing by two percent with 48 million copies sold.

First visit to France

Bringing well-known cartoonists of the genre to Angouleme in person was a resounding success for festival organisers keen to make a mark for the 50th anniversary.

An exhibition of Hajime Isayama's blockbuster manga series "Attack of the Titans" was one of the highlights of the festival, selling out two weeks before opening. For the first time in Europe, 170 original plates were on display by this 36 year-old artist who works in the "old fashioned way" on paper, entirely in black and white.

"He travels very little outside Japan," artistic director in charge of the Asian programming, Fausto Fausulo told the press. "He did two exhibitions in Tokyo, including one that went to Singapore. He was at New York Comic Con in the fall. And now in Angouleme".

Considered as artists

"I'm not a rock star," Isayama shyly told France Inter radio on Thursday just prior to the festival opening.

He humbly explained that he never imagined pursuing manga this far, and that he was "hopeless" at writing kanji (Japanese characters) at school. He still has doubts about his talent even today. He appreciated the warm welcome from the French public, 400 of whom attended his masterclass on Saturday afternoon.

"When we come to France, we are considered artists," he said.

Similarly discrete and humble is 78-year-old manga heavyweight Ryoichi Ikegami. His exhibition "A Corps Perdus" (Lost Bodies) features 200 drawings with commentary tracing his long and dynamic career.

The exhibition sets out the origins of his stunning attention to detail in manga action series such as "Crying Freeman" and "Sanctuary". Calling himself a simple "artisan", Ikegami admits that much of his best work was produced in close collaboration with talented script writers such as Kazuo Koike and Buronson.

His work is on show at the Musee d'Angouleme until 12 March 2023.

The other key exhibition dedicated to Japanese manga was by Junji Ito, who also won an honorary award.

"Dans l'antre du delire" (In the Den of Delirium) explores Ito's penchant for the horror genre and has brought him a substantial cult following.

His claims to fame include "Tomie", a series chronicling an immortal girl who drives her admirers to madness, and "Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre" recently adapted to the screen for Netflix.

Asian expansion

While Japan retains the upper hand, the manga industry is thriving elsewhere in Asia, be it South Korea, Taiwan or Hong Kong, countries keen to expand into the lucrative international market.

This could be seen in Manga City, one of the festival's major attractions. The 3,000 m pavilion hosts manga publishers, workshops, conferences and information about how to become a professional manga author.

Mimi Szeto is one of 15 young talents represented at the festival by the Hong Kong Arts Centre. On stage, she demonstrates her skills at digital drawing in real time, using an Apple pen. The audience is encouraged to ask questions, through an interpreter.

She says inspiration comes from many sources, but mostly just daily life and exchanges with family and friends. In her latest book "A Little Step" the hero is a student called Yu-Kiu Lau, roughly based on her own experience.

"The character actually loves drawing, but she is afraid of showing her artwork to other people because of criticism. This story shows how she overcame her fear to move forward."

Positive experience

Mimi Szeto says women are naturally more "attentive to detail" and more "aware of what the public is looking for", major advantages in what is perceived as a man's world.

As a first-time visitor to the Angouleme festival, her impressions are very positive. She says being exposed to the European market has encouraged her to open up to styles beyond traditional manga from Japan.

"I feel like [French] people are more respectful and they try to understand the artist," she told RFI, indicating that she was pleasantly surprised how seriously her work is taken by French readers, even if at this stage, they can only appreciate the images.

She is hopeful that her meeting with a local publisher might lead to her book being published in French in the near future.

See the other prize winners from the Angouleme international comics festival
Reverend Micheal Addoquaye Addo, the District Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, New Aplaku District, says Christians must be careful of the short ways they take to achieve worldly things.

He described the short ways as dangerous and that out of the many ways in life, not all of them led to the right path.

People take the easy way of life because they get money faster and easily. When you go outside the country, the money is not just on trees. A lot of people want to enjoy life but instead of going the right way, they want to go the wrong way.

They want quick ways of gaining money and some have resorted to lotto, money rituals, sugar mummies and sugar daddies. Students, instead of learning, have focused on cheating, he noted.

Reverend Adoquaye Addo asked Christians to live a life that would preserve society and the country.

We are to preserve the society as Christians. Let us do what is right to preserve society. Holiness and righteousness lift up the country, the Church and the society. Let us walk in righteousness and holiness, he said.

GNA
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has commended Newmont Africa for its compliance to tax and other financial payments to the government of Ghana. The Minister made this comment when Newmont Golden Ridge LTD (Akyem Mine) presented a cheque of GHS 184.6 million to the Government of Ghana as dividend for the year 2022.

The amount represents the Ghana governments carried interest in the operations of the Akyem mine.

The cheque presentation was made by executives of Newmont Africa, led by the Regional Senior Vice President - Africa Operations, David Thornton.

Mr. Thornton thanked the government for its continuous support of Newmont Africas Ahafo and Akyem mines and reiterated the companys commitment to responsible mining operations while looking to expand Newmont Africas footprint in the country with the Ahafo North project.

Our Ahafo North project remains a key strategic growth prospect for Newmont Africa, and its successful construction and subsequent operation will have immense benefits to our host communities, the local economy, as well as the broader economy of Ghana, in terms of employment creation, local supply chain opportunities, as well as taxes, royalties, and dividend payments to government, said David Thornton.

Newmont commended for compliance

Receiving the cheque on behalf of government, the Minister of Finance thanked Newmont Africa for its prompt payment of taxes and acknowledged the potential benefits of the Ahafo North project. He said, we welcome payments such as these, especially during these challenging times, and we wish to commend you for being prompt with your payments, be they taxes, royalties, or dividends. We are aware that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has recognized you, on several occasions, for your tax compliance. We look forward to the resumption of your Ahafo North project this year, which will bring in even more revenue to the state.

On Newmont Africas direct support to the Ghanaian economy in the past year, beyond statutory payments, Mr. Thornton mentioned the companys support for the governments gold buying programme that was meant to shore up the countrys gold reserves and help stabilize the economy. In spite of global economic challenges that had negatively impacted businesses globally, Newmont Africa was the first mining company to support the governments gold buying programme by selling 3,500 ounces of gold to the government, through the Bank of Ghana (BoG) in May 2022. An additional 22,500 ounces of gold was sold to BoG in October and November 2022, making a total of 26,000 ounces of gold sold to government in 2022, he added.

Through a combination of tax payments in USD, as well as making forex available to the Bank of Ghana, Newmont Africa has supported and impacted forex availability to the government of Ghana.
Tourists seen at Liaohe ancient street in NE China to greet Lantern Festival

Xinhua) 10:57, February 05, 2023

Tourists pose for photos at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Tourists pose for photos in front of a lantern at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Tourists view lanterns at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Tourists view lanterns at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

A child views lanterns at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

A tourist poses for photos in front of a lantern at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Tourists view a lantern at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Tourists view lanterns at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

A tourist poses for photos at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Lanterns are seen at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Tourists view a lantern at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

Tourists view lanterns at Liaohe ancient street in Yingkou, northeast China's Liaoning Province, Feb. 3, 2023. The Liaohe ancient street has been decorated with various lanterns to greet the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Yao Jianfeng)

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
WALLINGFORD  After months of renovation, the Wallingford Family YMCAs East Side Natatorium & Lap Pool will be opening for public use starting Monday at 5 a.m.

Sean Doherty, executive director, said members have been informed how to register for lap swimming purposes.

All of the programs and services are also back in play, Doherty said.

Part of the swim team will be back to using the pool, along with water aerobics classes, lap swimming and swim lessons. The therapy pool will also be in use.

In 2018, the organization applied for state bond funding to help with projects to renovate both the east side and west side facilities. This particular project totaled approximately $1.1 million, with a $750,000 state bond going toward the east side project.

Doherty said YMCA members may not necessarily see all of the work that was done to the pool as some work had to be done to the piping, the filtration system, the chlorinating unit and the drains.

Along with that, Doherty said new windows were installed, the exit doors were replaced and the ceiling and walls were repainted.

Rest assured this pool is going to be intact and ready to go for the next 60 years and thats what the most important thing is, Doherty said. Its brighter, the water filtration system is a huge improvement of what we had before and were excited to bring members back at the end of the day. This was definitely a needed project.

The project was advocated for by local politicians, such as state Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-Wallingford.

The Y has continually improved its old and heavily used East Side Campus, and they are the main provider of swimming skills in Wallingford, which is so important for public safety, Mushinsky said.

Rep. Liz Linehan was also an advocate. Linehan, D-Cheshire, is a member of the legislatures Water Safety Task Force and co-chair of the Committee on Children.

Water safety has been a big priority for me since 2017, Linehan said.

Linehan added that this project coincides with the $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to offer free swim lessons to qualifying children in the state at participating YMCAs. The Wallingford Family YMCA is one of these participants.

According to the Wallingford YMCAs website, participants must be aged 17 or under AND meet ONE of the following criteria: be eligible for SNAP benefits or eligible for benefits through the Department of Social Services; or be recommended to the program by a State Agency or Pupil Service on behalf of the Board of Education.

Doherty said that on Feb. 8, information will be sent out to potential DEEP participants with the swim lessons schedule, with registration opening on Feb. 10 for the DEEP Participant Interest List. The registration for DEEP Participant List closes on Feb. 18.

The Spring 1 swim session guide will be sent out to the public on Feb. 13. On Feb. 19, DEEP participants can register for Spring 1 lessons. Then on Feb. 20, the registration for swim lessons will be open to all.

With the lap pool reopening, and area children receiving life saving swim lessons, the YMCA continues to be an incredible asset for residents of all ages, Linehan said.

Next project

Doherty said the next project is focusing on the locker rooms at the East Side building. The design and the timeline for the locker room project is in progress.

Were trying to coordinate that well have at least one gender locker room open at the same time, so we have five locker rooms  the girls, the boys, the family locker room and the men and the women, Doherty said. Each one of those locker rooms will be renovated over the next roughly 12 months to complete.

The boys and girls locker rooms will be up and running during the summer, Doherty said.

There is some minor work going on right now, Doherty said. The website states that the mens locker room steam room is out of service until further notice. Along with that, pool access from the girls locker room will need to go through the hallway and stairs. The big work will begin in the next four weeks.

At the end of the day, were still developing the final scope of work, but were setting our sights on new lockers and new amenities and new vanities, Doherty said.

The overall locker room project will take longer than normal because the work has to be sequenced so the YMCA can still provide facilities for the members.

Its going to be a longer project than if we shut down and reopened, Doherty said.

The work at the East Side needs to be done prior to building an aquatics facility at the West Side building, which will include the construction of two pools.

We needed to fix first what we had prior to building our new aquatic center at the West Side facility, which is still a dream for us and a mission for us, Doherty said.

jsimms@record-journal.com203-317-2279Twitter: @jessica_simms99
By Iain Boyd, professor of aerospace engineering sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. Originally published at The Conversation.

The U.S. military shot down what U.S. officials called a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4, 2023. Officials said that the U.S. Navy planned to recover the debris, which is in shallow water.

The U.S. and Canada tracked the balloon as it crossed the Aleutian Islands, passed over Western Canada and entered U.S. airspace over Idaho. Officials of the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed on Feb. 2, 2023, that the military was tracking the balloon as it flew over the continental U.S. at an altitude of about 60,000 feet, including over Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. The base houses the 341st Missile Wing, which operates nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The next day, Chinese officials acknowledged that the balloon was theirs but denied it was intended for spying or meant to enter U.S. airspace. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the balloons incursion led him to cancel his trip to Beijing. He had been scheduled to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Feb. 5 and 6.

The Pentagon has reported that a second suspected Chinese balloon was seen over Latin America. On Feb. 4, officials told reporters that a third Chinese surveillance balloon was operating somewhere else in the world, and that the balloons are part of a Chinese military surveillance program.

Monitoring an adversary from a balloon dates back to 1794, when the French used a hot air balloon to track Austrian and Dutch troops in the Battle of Fleurus. We asked aerospace engineer Iain Boyd of the University of Colorado Boulder to explain how spy balloons work and why anyone would use one in the 21st century.

What is a spy balloon?

A spy balloon is literally a gas-filled balloon that is flying quite high in the sky, more or less where we fly commercial airplanes. It has some sophisticated cameras and imaging technology on it, and its pointing all of those instruments down at the ground. Its collecting information through photography and other imaging of whatever is going on down on the ground below it.Why would someone want to use a spy balloon instead of just using spy satellites?

Satellites are the preferred method of spying from overhead. Spy satellites are above us today, typically at one of two different types of orbit.

The first is called low Earth orbit, and, as the name suggests, those satellites are relatively close to the ground. But theyre still several hundred miles above us. For imaging and taking photographs, the closer you are to something, the more clearly you can see it, and this applies to spying as well. The satellites that are in low Earth orbit have the advantage that theyre closer to the Earth so theyre able to see things more clearly than satellites that are farther away.

The disadvantage these low Earth orbit satellites have is that they are continually moving around the Earth. It takes them about 90 minutes to do one orbit around the Earth. That turns out to be pretty fast in terms of taking clear photographs of whats going on below.

The second type of satellite orbit is called geosynchronous orbit, and thats much farther away. It has the disadvantage that its harder to see things clearly when youre very, very far away. But they have the advantage of what we call persistence, allowing satellites to capture images continuously. In those orbits, youre essentially overlooking the exact same piece of ground on the Earths surface all the time because the satellite moves in exactly the same way the earth rotates  it rotates at the exact same speed.A balloon in some ways gets the best of those. These balloons are much, much closer to the ground than any of the satellites, so they can see even more clearly. And then, of course, balloons are moving, but theyre moving relatively slowly, so they also have a degree of persistence. However, spying is not usually done these days with balloons because they are a relatively easy target and are not completely controllable.

What types of surveillance are spy balloons capable of?

I dont know whats on this particular spy balloon, but its likely to be different kinds of cameras collecting different types of information.

These days, imaging is conducted across different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Humans see in a certain range of this spectrum, the visible spectrum. And so if you have a camera and you take a photograph of your dog, thats a visible photograph. Thats one of the things spy aircraft do. They take regular photographs, although they have very good zoom capabilities to be able to magnify what theyre seeing quite a lot.

But you can also gather different kinds of information in other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Another fairly well-known one is infrared. If its nighttime, a camera operating in the visible part of the spectrum is not going to show you anything. Its all going to be dark. But an infrared camera can pick up things from heat in the dark.

How do these balloons navigate?

Most of these balloons literally go where the wind blows. There can be a little bit of navigation, but there are certainly not people aboard them. They are at the mercy of whatever the weather is. They sometimes have guiding apparatus on them that change a balloons altitude to catch winds going in particular directions. According to reports, U.S. officials said the Chinese surveillance balloon had propellers to help steer it. If this is confirmed, it means that its operator would have much more control over the path of the balloon.

What are the limits to a nations airspace? At what altitude does it become space and anybodys right to be there?

There is an internationally accepted boundary called the Karman Line at 62 miles (100 kilometers) altitude. This balloon is well below that, so it is absolutely, definitely in U.S. airspace.

Which countries are known to be using spy balloons?

The Pentagon has had programs over the last few decades studying what can be done with balloons that couldnt be done in the past. Maybe theyre bigger, maybe they can go higher in the atmosphere so theyre more difficult to shoot down or disable. Maybe they could be more persistent.

The broad interest in this incident illustrates its unusual nature. Few people would expect any country to be actively using spy balloons these days.

The U.S. flew many balloons over the Soviet Union in the 1940s and 1950s, and those were eventually replaced by the high-altitude spy airplanes, the U-2s, and they were subsequently replaced by satellites.Im sure a number of countries around the world have periodically gone back to reevaluate: Are there other things we could do now with balloons that we couldnt do before? Do they close some gaps we have from satellites and airplanes?

What does that say about the nature of this balloon, which China confirmed is theirs?

China has complained for many years about the U.S. spying on China through satellites, through ships. And China is also well known for engaging in somewhat provocative behavior, like in the South China Sea, sailing close to other nations boundaries and saber-rattling. I think it falls into that category.

The balloon doesnt pose any real threat to the U.S. I think sometimes China is just experimenting to see how far they can push things. This isnt really very advanced technology. Its not serving any real military purpose. I think its much more likely some kind of political message.
By Conor Gallagher

If Russia does not end this war and get out of Ukraine, it will be isolated on a small island with a bunch of sub countries and the rest of us 141 countries will go forward and build a prosperous future, while Russia suffers a complete economic and technological isolation -Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and chief architect of NATO war against Russia, in a March 2022 interview with TASS

Nuland has failed miserably. Instead, Russias economy is growing, and the inability to isolate Russia is arguably a larger loss than the one NATO is suffering in Ukraine. Last week The New York Times finally got around to admitting the isolation efforts have failed:

Silverado Policy Accelerator, a Washington nonprofit, recently issued a similar analysis, estimating that the value of Russian imports from the rest of the world had exceeded prewar levels by September.

It marks quite the change in script. Consider this sampling of headlines from the past year:

Its been clear that this has never been the case. US allies Japan and South Korea remain unwilling to cut off energy ties to Russia. Chinese and Russian economic integration has grown, as have ties between Moscow and the Persian Gulf states. The US has been particularly frustrated by two countries that have been key to Russias economic resiliency: Turkiye and India. Washington has been unable to get Ankara and New Delhi to join the sanctions party, and its not for a lack of trying. What the Times piece leaves unsaid is that most of these countries have faced unprecedented pressure from the US but have instead ignored the declining power.

The US neocons continue to double down, however, lashing out in increasingly desperate attempts to achieve the Russian isolation they want. How much will they isolate the US in the process? Theyve long enjoyed creating chaos elsewhere while benefiting from the safety of two oceans. Will that geography play a part in their lasting gift to Americans: the cementing of the US into a backwater nation, effectively quarantined from the economic engine in Asia due to its untrustworthy and aggressive behavior?

As for now, if you think Nuland et al are taking stock of their failures and reconsidering, well think again:

Heres the exchange with Victoria Nuland and Rand Paul where she explains the US position on prosecuting Russian officials. She cites Rwanda, Bosnia, and Kosovo as precedents. Seems very tactful to tell Putin hell be getting the Milosevic treatment unless he obliterates Ukraine pic.twitter.com/BbqSfSQi5W  Michael Tracey (@mtracey) January 27, 2023

The problem for Nuland and the neocons is that Russia was wise to this game, which is summarized here by Glenn Diesen. The Norwegian political scientist who specializes in Russian foreign policy writes:

In the Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, Samuel Huntington argued: The immediate source of Western expansion, however, was technological: the invention of the means of ocean navigation for reaching distant peoples and the development of the military capabilities for conquering those peoples The West won the world not by the superiority of its ideas or values or religion (to which few members of other civilizations were converted) but rather by its superiority in applying organized violence. Westerns often forget this fact; non-Westerners never do. Russias economic development was obstructed ever since the disintegration of Kievan Rus as it severed Russia from the maritime arteries of international trade. Russias return to Europe and subsequently becoming a great power was made possible under Peter the Great by gaining access to the Baltic Sea. Containment of Russia has since relied to some extent on denying Russia reliable access to the sea.  In Europe, NATO has been instrumental to expand US control over the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Arctic. NATO expansion to Bulgaria, Romania and possibly Ukraine aims to convert the Black Sea into a NATO lake. In the Baltic Sea, NATO membership to Baltic states has extended the reach of the US. Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, argued that the pending NATO expansion to Sweden and Finland was a strategic victory because if we wish, we can block all entry and exit to Russia through St. Petersburg. The US is also expanding its reach in the high north by converting Norway into a frontline in the Arctic with increased military activity and soon to establish four US military bases on Norwegian soil.

Russia has successfully resisted these efforts. Its range of international trade links by sea and land make it impossible for Washington to isolate it. While the US can cajole, coerce, bribe, and sabotage to take out one link, say the Nordstream pipelines, its not possible to convince the entire world to go against its own economic interest.

The following is a brief rundown of Russias arteries of international trade and the efforts of the US to disrupt them.

Europe

The US has successfully severed its vassal states from Russia. The Nordstreams are dead, gas exports as a whole are at a record low, and Europe is paying and will pay the price economically for the foreseeable future.

Gulf of Finland ports like St. Petersburg have seen freight reductions (although as well see, all but one of other major Russian ports are seeing increases).

Estonia, which has a population smaller than Russias armed forces, is making noise about causing problems in the Gulf of Finland with Estonian Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur talking about how Helsinki and Tallinn will integrate their coastal missile defense, which he says would allow the countries to close the Gulf of Finland to Russian warships if necessary. Estonia is also floating the possibility of trying to inspect Russian ships.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies puts forth the following near-term actions for NATO in the Balkans:

Bring Sweden and Finland into NATO. The ratification of these two nations needs to move forward without delay. Elevating them from strong partners to alliance members changes the calculus of a Baltic conflict significantly. The alliance can immediately leverage these two nations to increase strategic depth.

Forward stage capabilities. Mines, anti-submarine capabilities, missile defense, and secure supply and logistics infrastructure should be forward staged across all domains, increasing deterrence.

Increase patrol. A whole-of-government approach from each Baltic nation and its allies is needed to ensure that energy, communications, and sea routes remain secure. This includes Baltic Air Policing, readiness to shift the balance of A2/AD, and the monitoring and protection of maritime infrastructure.

Strengthen command and control. Existing multi-domain command and control should be tested and ready for use. The need for effective command and control will be swift and will require resilient disaggregated nodes, though an eye should also be kept on future capability.

Moscows updated version of the Naval Doctrine of the Russian Federation lists the Baltic Sea and and the Danish Straits as important areas, in which the use of force will be available as a last resort after the other options have been exhausted.

The Arctic Basin

Russia says freight turnover rose 4.4 percent year-on-year to 98.5 mln metric tons. Reuters:

Russia is sending more crude oil produced in the Arctic region to China and India, and at steeper discounts, after Europe slammed its doors shut on Russian supplies last month, trade sources and data show.

Over many years Russia has built up its fleet of icebreakers, ships and submarines. Moscow has also developed mining and oil well operations along its 15,000 miles of Arctic coastline.

The US is trying to play catch up by pouring money into existing bases in Alaska and Greenland and establishing four US military bases on Norwegian soil. Russian economic activity in the Arctic is only expected to increase in coming years, and Moscow considers it an area of existential importance: where it can use all components in the defense of its interests, including force.

Much of the oil and gas from the Russian arctic used to go to Europe. Its now headed to China and India. India got its first shipment of Arctic liquefied gas last year, and the countrys energy companies are looking at investing in Russian projects there.

The Black Sea

Ports of the Azov-Black Sea Basin increased activity by 2.7 percent to 263.6 mln metric tons in 2022. Turkiye, despite constant pressure from Washington, has transformed into a transport, logistics, and gas hub between Russia and the West. From The Maritime Executive:

Unlike the Russian-Baltic container market, the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk has managed to stabilize the flow of import and export containers, primarily through well-developed Turkish-Russian relations in the trade and logistics sectors. After a two-month volume fall in the port of Novorossiysk, its container terminals regained nine percent month-over-month in September. Although numbers show (below) that global shipping lines did not carry any considerable volume of shipments to/from Novorossiysk prior to the war, those liner services played a vital role for many businesses in Russia, connecting them to the remote destinations of Asia, Africa, and South America.

Washingtons efforts to coerce NATO-member Turkiye into joining sanctions against Russia have only driven Moscow and Ankara closer together and led to calls to expel Turkiye from NATO.

Washington is increasingly grasping at straws. From the WSJ:

Senior American officials warned last month that Turkish individuals are at risk of jail time, fines, loss of export privileges and other measures if they provide services like refueling and spare parts to U.S.-made planes flying to and from Russia and Belarus in violation of export controls imposed last year, the officials said. Assistant Secretary of Commerce Thea Rozman Kendler delivered the message to Turkish officials during a December visit to Turkey, the officials said.

Turkiyes upcoming election (in either May or June) could not have higher stakes for the US or Russia. Biden said during his 2020 election campaign that Washington should help the Turkish opposition take on and defeat Erdogan.

The Caspian

Freight turnover declined 13.9 percent year-on-year to 6 mln metric tons in the seaports of the Caspian Basin. Part of the decline could have been caused by more vessels going dark  when ships turn off their automatic identification systems. According to Maritime Insights & Intelligence:

AIS gaps in the Caspian Sea totalled 440 in September. This is 37% higher than the number recorded in August, and the most since May 2021. The spike was driven by Russian and Iranian-flagged tankers and general cargoships. The increase in AIS correlates with a higher number of what appear to be dark ports calls, where ships are mainly trying to hide journeys to Russia or Iran.

The emergence of the land route of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) could have also played a role in the Caspian port decline. These rail routes move goods between Russia and the southeastern Iranian port of Chabahar. Russian Railways report a 26 percent year-on-year growth in freight flow by the corridor.

Western actors are trying to throw a wrench in the INSTC plans via Azerbaijan, a key nexus in both the INSTC and the middle corridor, which seeks to connect Turkiye to China via Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, and then either Kazakhstan (or Turkmenistan), Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Additionally, Russia is increasing gas pipeline integration throughout central Asia and into southern Asia. From Indian Punchline:

A Russian gas pipeline to Pakistan is in the making. Zardaris visit to Moscow comes within 3 weeks of a tripartite gas cooperation arrangement between Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan making headlines in the news cycle. The termination of Russias decades-old energy ties with Europe, including gas supplies via pipelines, motivates Moscows search for new markets, Asian markets being a priority. Thus, late last year, Moscow proposed a gas union with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan offering to help out the two Central Asian states that are struggling with gas shortages. Earlier this month, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan signed two separate agreements with the Russian giant Gazprom cementing the new partnership. A new vista is opening for Russia to use the existing gas pipelines in these two countries to export gas to their domestic market in immediate terms. Albeit in a bilateral format, this arrangement also positions Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan potentially as transit countries enabling Russian gas supplies to the regional and world market, especially China, South Asian countries and the ASEAN region.

The ambitious projects will of course face American opposition. According to Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, the US is sponsoring ISIL in Afghanistan to destabilize the country and the region.

The Far East

These ports freight turnover increased 1.5 percent and reached 227.8 mln metric tons in 2022. The ports of Vladivostok, Vostochny and Nakhodka, some of the busiest ports in Russias east, saw double double-digit growth in traffic in the third quarter, driven largely by general cargo ships and tankers, according to Maritime Insights and Intelligence.

In September China and Russia launched a shipping route between Quanzhou and Vladivostok. Moscow and New Delhi also continue to pursue the Chennai-Vladivostok Eastern Maritime Corridor.

On the pipeline front, Power of Siberia 2 will supply China through Mongolia from western Russia. It will transport roughly the same amount of gas as would have flowed through the Nordstream 2 had the US not destroyed it not been mysteriously destroyed. Gazprom already operates the Power of Siberia 1 pipeline, stretching from eastern Siberia to northern China.

Japan and India remained stakeholders in the now-Russian-led Sakhalin-1 oil project in the Okhotsk Sea. Exxon Mobil, which had been leading the project, exited from operation with no compensation due to western sanctions. Russia is in the process of building a pipeline across the Tatar Strait from Sakhalin Island to the Russian mainland where the oil will be loaded onto tankers for transport to East Asian markets.

And there will be takers. Despite all the sanctions and coercion, Russian trade is on the upswing. Even the New York Times begrudgingly admits:

Ami Daniel, the chief executive of Windward, a maritime data company, said he had seen hundreds of instances in which people from countries like the United Arab Emirates, India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia bought vessels to try to set up what appeared to be a non-Western trading framework for Russia.

While the US will continue to try to peel off countries still operating freely with Russia, so far its efforts have been an utter failure outside of Europe. For some reason most countries just dont want to abandon mutually beneficial ties with Russia in order to sacrifice their economies for US benefit.

In between pressure campaigns on other countries, the US should take a closer look at itself and its vassal states in Europe. According to a recent study, only 10 percent of the major Western companies that promised to pull out of Russia after the start of the war in Ukraine have actually left. From bne IntelliNews:

Even amongst US-based companies in Russia less than a fifth (under 18%) have left, whereas 8.3% of EU companies and 15% of Japanese companies have shut up shop. Amongst those that have ignored pressures to exit Russia include: consumer goods giant Unilever, US fast food franchise Subway and Italian pasta-maker Barilla, which have continued to operate in the country. Other companies have curtailed but not completely halted their operations: BMW is not making cars in Russia anymore but it is still importing parts and honouring its service contracts for existing customers.

This is in stark contrast to the widely cited information from the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute (what a name!). Jeff Sonnenfeld, the founder and CEO of Yale CEIL, wrote there is no path out of economic oblivion for Russia as long as the allied countries remain unified in maintaining and increasing sanctions pressure against Russia. Sonnenfelds polemic claimed that more than 1,000 Western firms responsible for generating the equivalent of 40 percent of Russias GDP had abandoned Russia and that the effects would be devastating. Oops.

Barring any unforeseen event(s), it seems clear where this is headed. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov recently said, Rest assured that in the near future, we will see a serious drop in the Wests ability to steer the global economy the way it pleases. Whether it wants it or not, it will have to sit down and talk.

The first part of his prediction has already been proven; It now becomes a question of just how many more people must needlessly die before the sitting down and talking begins. Unfortunately, Nuland and her neocon pals have a special talent for ignoring reality.
(Natural News) The massive Chinese spy balloon spotted hovering over Montana could be a helium-powered airship with surveillance cameras and radar capabilities. Experts warn these kinds of balloons could be used to carry nuclear weapons over American airspace undetected.

The balloon was first sighted in American airspace on Wednesday, Feb. 1, over Billings, Montana. The Department of Defense called the aircraft a high-altitude surveillance balloon.

Its path carried it over a number of sensitive sites, potentially including a nuclear missile silo field at Malmstrom Air Force Base, which is around 170 miles to the northwest of Billings. This has fueled speculation that the craft was gathering intelligence on nuclear missile sites in Montana. (Related: China has been spying on American computer systems through compromised chips.)

F-22 fighter jets were scrambled to shadow the surveillance craft in case a decision was taken to shoot it down. But the White House vetoed this proposal, claiming that the risk of debris injuring civilians on the ground was too great.

The surveillance balloon is a large helium balloon estimated to be about 120 feet long and 120 feet tall. It is powered by two solar panels and includes cameras, sensors and radars.

When the balloon was spotted, it was hovering at an altitude of around 60,000 feet, but officials believe it can climb to a maximum height of 120,000 feet  triple the ceiling of commercial airliners and nearly double the ceiling of American fighter jets.

Officials believe the balloon was launched from mainland China, passing by Japan as it reached the Pacific. It crossed Alaska and Canada before reaching Montana from the north.

Balloon could be used as a delivery platform for nuclear weapons

China claimed that the aircraft is a civilian balloon used for meteorological and weather research that had deviated far from its planned course due to inclement weather.

The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into U.S. airspace due to force majeure, said the Chinese foreign ministry in a statement

Chinas claim was immediately refuted by U.S. officials. The State Department acknowledged Chinas statement of regret, but remained confident in our assessment of the situation.

We know its a surveillance balloon, said Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder.

Worse, defense analysts are suggesting that the balloon could be used as a delivery platform for nuclear weapons.

A 2015 report by the American Leadership and Policy Foundation, written by Air Force Maj. David Stuckenberg, one of the nations leading experts on electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapons, noted that specially designed balloons could carry nuclear payloads over the United States. These nuclear-armed balloons could be used to launch strikes or interfere with the electrical grid.

Using a balloon as a [weapon of mass destruction] platform could provide adversaries with a pallet of altitudes and payload options with which to maximize offensive effects against the U.S., wrote Stuckenberg. A high-altitude balloon could be designed, created and launched in a matter of months. There is nothing to prevent several hundred pounds of weapons material from being delivered to altitude.

Stuckenberg said flying over American airspace is clearly a provocative and aggressive act.

It was most likely a type of dry run meant to send a strategic message to the U.S.A., he said. We must not take this for granted.

Learn the latest activities of the Chinese state at CommunistChina.news.

Watch this clip from Fox News discussing how people are baffled by how the massive Chinese spy balloon made it into the United States.

This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

INDOCTRINATED: Chinese firms with ties to the CCP are purchasing American private schools with strong military training programs.

University that housed Biden center pressed to end FBI China spy probe after big Beijing donations.

PARTNERS IN EVIL: Big Pharma partnering with Chinese university linked to cyberattacks, espionage.

China establishes police stations in countries around the world to spy on, interdict Chinese citizens living abroad.

NYPD officer arrested for spying on behalf of communist China.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Independent.co.uk

WashingtonExaminer.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The US government continues to escalate world war with Russia, while contributing to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The Biden regime has sent over $100+ billion to Ukraine, including a variety of munitions and weapons, with plans to send tanks, jets, and other weapons, with no resolve. The US, going out of their way to protect Ukraine, is clearly not seeking a peace treaty or any other measure of resolve. Any negotiations have been arrogant and escalatory. At times, the Biden regime has even threatened nuclear war with Russia, while treacherously guiding NATO into world war with Russia and China.

US spending hundreds of $ billions in Ukraine, with no exit plan

It is now apparent that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks unlimited funds for war and looks to protect the corrupt empire of oligarchs installed by the Bidens and Clintons over the past seventeen years. These corrupt, establishment politicians will do anything they can to protect their assets (biolabs) and conceal their military operations in Ukraine, with no regard to the lives they destroy in the process.

In 2005, former Senators Barack Obama and Richard Lugar traveled to Ukraine and visited former Soviet biological and chemical weapons facilities. According to the Washington Post, the labs were part of a Cold War network of antiplague stations that supplied highly lethal pathogens to Soviet bioweapons factories. These facilities were decommissioned after the Soviet Union was dissolved. But in the 21st century, the United States was allowed to go into Ukraine and re-establish this network of biolabs. In fact, the US and Ukraine signed a pact, clearing the way for the Ukrainian government to receive US taxpayer funds to improve security at these facilities and retain dangerous work on pathogens of pandemic potential. This pact was advertised to the public as a way to prevent the spread of biological weapons. Ironically, when the labs were in the hands of Russian scientists, they were deemed dangerous bioweapon facilities.

Under the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Act of 2005, the US seized Soviet labs and took possession of dangerous bioweapons research, under the pretense of destroying stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the US justifies its gain-of-function and directed evolution research on viruses around the world, and lies about their governments involvement in bioweapons research.

The Biden regime is willing to escalate war with Russia to protect criminal operations in Ukraine

In February of 2014, under the supervision of the Obama Administration, the lawless land of Ukraine broke out in Civil War. The CIA and US State Department (under Hillary Clinton) took full control over the Ukraine government and assisted in a regime change. Victoria Nuland, the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, testified at a US Senate hearing that the Ukrainian biolabs do exist, and she is worried the contents of the lab will fall into the hands of the Russians. Nuland was the mastermind who engineered the Color Revolution in Ukraine during the regime change that took place under Obama/Clinton. Then Vice President Joe Biden took advantage of the regime change and traveled to the country over thirteen times. The Big Guy sent US taxpayer funds over to Ukraine to embolden Ukrainian oligarchs. Anyone who spoke out about the Bidens kick-back/money laundering scheme in Ukraine, was immediately fired.

The FBI and DHS commanded Big Tech to censor all investigative reporting on biolabs in Ukraine, US involvement in gain-of-function virology research, and the truth about vaccines, because the intelligence community is clearly controlled by the same people who are profiteering off of bioweapons development and human suffering, whether through predatory vaccine and diagnostic programs or through direct exploitation of populations with enhanced pathogens, the censorship of medical treatments, or a global medical police state.

The corrupt, criminal forces behind Ukrainian biolabs grow violently defensive when investigation is near

The darkest elements of the intelligence community and the DNC were quick to impeach President Donald Trump over a phone call to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy back in 2019 because Trump was getting too close to their criminal operations. In the call, Trump asked Zelenskyy to look into a matter of corruption between Joe Biden and his son in Ukraine, which included Joe Biden publicly bragging about a prosecution that he stopped.

Zelenskyy ultimately failed to take any meaningful action against the Bidens. In fact, Zelenskyy eventually ordered the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense to destroy all state documents affiliated with US biolab companies Metabiota and Battelle, right before the Russians marched in on their special military mission in Ukraine. Apparently, Vladimir Putin was also getting too close to their criminal operations.

Metabiota is part of the Pentagons DRTA Program and is funded by Rosemont Seneca (Hunter Biden). This secretive company produces biological agents under diplomatic cover at biolabs in Ukraine. The company also sells pandemic insurance and trackers to help countries get ahead of what they are releasing to the population.

The World Health Organization also advised Ukraine to destroy all pathogens in the biolabs (the same biolabs that the corporate media pretended did not exist). Again, it was the WHO that created a global medical police state. Obviously, this globalist organization only seeks to protect the biolabs that give them power to terrorize and control the world.

In 2022, Russias Ambassador to the United Nations brought forth evidence at a UN Security Council, alleging that the US is operating at least thirty different biolabs in Ukraine, which contain enhancements on highly infectious bacteria strains, coronavirus, plague, and anthrax. The labs also use bats and fleas as vectors of disease spread. The US Embassy in Ukraine moved quickly to scrub evidence of thee biolabs from their site.

The corporate media in the US will not divulge any of these details because it is funded by the pharmaceutical companies that profit from predatory bioweapons and vaccine development. The corporate media has gone all in for Ukraine because the very existence of the pharmaceutical industry depends on the development of bioweapons, diagnostics, and so-called vaccines. The corrupt establishment politicians and their pharma overlords are only trying to protect their assets in Ukraine. They dont care about the Ukrainian people.

Big Pharma, the corporate media, Big Tech, the darkest sects of the Intelligence Community, Zelensky and the corrupt Ukrainian puppet government, WHO, NIH, and other corrupt politicians connected to the Clintons/Bidens/Obama are all working together to protect their assets and criminal operations in Ukraine, while profiteering from the terror and control that ensues. Taxpayer funds, tanks, and munitions are being shipped to Ukraine by the billions to protect a corrupt empire of lies, a network of biolabs, and all the associated war crimes and crimes against humanity that have taken place over the past two decades.

Stay tuned at WWIII.News.

Sources include:

ThreadReaderApp.com

NaturalNews.com

WashingtonPost.com

Congress.gov

Reuters.com

CNN.com

NaturalNews.com

Twitter.com

Reuters.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Politicians only support policies they believe help their electoral chances, and that range of options is shaped by social movements and shared norms within society. The mass media follows suit. A policy analyst named Joseph Overton once stated that an ideas political viability depends on whether it falls within that range, and so that window frames their range of policies given the climate of public opinion at that time. This is called the Overton Window, and politicians and their subservient mass media cater to whatever the majority of the populace views as sensible, acceptable, and popular (even though its based on mostly lies and deception).

Since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, politicians across the board have catered to public paranoia, hyped by the media and the CDC, and thus promoted Wuhan virus vaccines heavily, but at what cost to public health, and to their own credibility? Since the Overton Window shifts, and because the Covid clot shots are causing mass health carnage across the globe thats inevitably becoming more exposed, the politicians and mass media are being forced to include certain bad news about the vaccines in their coverage, to remain in the Overton Window of acceptability.

In other words, in order for insidious politicians (and their evil cohorts at the CDC) to remain seemingly trustworthy in the eyes of the sheeple (brainwashed populace), they must at least partially admit now that the Wuhan virus jabs ARE causing health tragedies, including myocarditis, pericarditis, heart attacks, strokes, and deaths. Theres simply no avoiding it, if they want to keep the majority of their supporters and followers, but theres a caveat to this, and its called catch and release.

Catch and Release news admits that some conspiracy theories are true, but only for brief moments, then its back to the twisted norm

For the majority of Americans to continue believing theyve done the right thing by getting injected with billions of spike protein prions to supposedly help them not die from Covid-19 or its variants, the US government and their controlled media must remain in the spectrum of acceptability of governmental policies. This means shifting the Overton Window to include news that the Covid clot shots CAN actually cause health harm.

Mass media and the CDC are now engaging a catch and release format of these admissions, to appease the masses and try to keep them all in line, getting more clot shots, boosters, flu shots, and whatever is coming next. So theyre publishing a little bit of guilt admission about the dangers of clot shots now, just to help cover up the tsunami of news about it all thats taking place across all independent media. Its catch and release, and MSM will try to make their sheeple forget about it within a day or two, again.

For example, a medical doctor recently degraded the so-called scientific community in Newsweek, saying they need to take responsibility for the deadly consequences of misinforming billions of people about Covid-19. Yes, mainstream media calls out their own, occasionally, when theres just too many incidences and far too much exposure to keep covering it all up. Thats when truth news and independent media says, told you so.

The controlled media complex literally INVENTED and perpetuates the misinformation and fake news they try to warn everyone about. Their whole business model is to cater to the Overton Window, while only admitting the atrocities of their lies when they absolutely have to and have painted themselves into a corner, as with their lies about lockdowns, masks, social distancing, vaccines and boosters.

CDC, WHO, FDA, AMA, MSM all in bed with Big Pharma to create the illusion they care about public health when their main goal is to decimate it

It is now clear that Covid jabs are very dangerous to all human health, in various ways, and especially to teens, adolescents, children, babies, and pregnant women. The Overton Window is shifting and widening, and the mainstream media pharma shills are trying to cover their tracks as best they can, but theres a sad reality to this confession and admission. The bottom line is that mRNA is a population reduction technology being utilized to kill off a few billion people, and now the word is getting out.

Many people who got the first couple jabs are now saying they will not get boosters for Covid. But they are just suspicious, and need much more information that is not misinformation. They need to know that the pharma buck doesnt stop with the Fauci Flu gene mutation injections, as flu shots, GMO foods, prescription medications, and fluoridated tap water are doing chronic damage to them every day, every week, every month, every year.

Best-selling author and famous natural health advocate David Avocado Wolfe exposes the grim reality of the deadly Covid jabs and how the authorities are utilizing the Overton Window to hang on to their brainwashed sheeple and keep them obeying the protocols of the scamdemic death trap. Watch the highly-informative interview of David Wolfe by Dr. Robert Scott Bell. Also, bookmark Vaccines.news to your favorite independent websites for updates on the Vaccine Holocaust thats sweeping the nation and the world as you read this.

Sources for this article include:

Pandemic.news

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

Rumble.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A seventh-year student at a medical school in Texas penned an op-ed for Newsweek this week calling out the establishment for imposing lockdowns, masks, vaccines and booster shots, and other unscientific, life-destroying tyranny in the name of fighting covid.

Kevin Bass, a medical student and researcher, says he initially supported the governments covid fascism. He believed it was the right thing to do in order to save lives, but now believes the exact opposite.

I believed that the authorities responded to the largest public health crisis of our lives with compassion, diligence, and scientific expertise, Bass writes. I was wrong. We in the scientific community were wrong. And it cost lives.

I can see now that the scientific community from the CDC to the WHO to the FDA and their representatives, repeatedly overstated the evidence and misled the public about its own views and policies, including on natural vs. artificial immunity, school closures and disease transmission, aerosol spread, mask mandates, and vaccine effectiveness and safety, especially among the young. All of these were scientific mistakes at the time, not in hindsight. Amazingly, some of these obfuscations continue to the present day.

Are the powers that be now openly admitting they were wrong to try to avoid paying the price for their crimes against humanity?

For whatever reason, Bass just believed everything that Tony Fauci and other authorities were declaring at the time as solutions to the covid virus, which to this day, just to clarify, has still never been isolated and proven to exist.

Now, though, Bass admits that the entire approach the scientific community took to address covid was inherently flawed  and continues to be. And these inherent flaws, he says, resulted in thousands if not millions of preventable deaths.

What we did not properly appreciate is that preferences determine how scientific expertise is used, and that our preferences might be  indeed, our preferences were  very different from many of the people that we serve, he explains.

We created policy based on our preferences, then justified it using data. And then we portrayed those opposing our efforts as misguided, ignorant, selfish, and evil.

Why this sudden change in belief? It could be because the entire world is waking up to the fact that the vaccines are a sham  and a deadly one, at that. Hundreds of millions of Americans let themselves get jabbed based on the inherently flawed consensus of the scientific community, of which Bass is a part.

These peoples inherently flawed beliefs at the start of the scamdemic destroyed so many lives that people are now demanding that heads roll. So, in an attempt to save themselves from the fallow, the Kevin Basses of the world are finally relenting to the fact that they were wrong in the hopes that the court of public opinion will deliver a non-guilty verdict and let their crimes against humanity slide.

Basss op-ed is shockingly admissive, and the fact that Newsweek even published it at all is telling. The narrative is shifting to where everyone, regardless of what side they are on, is reaching a common understanding that what happened during covid can never be allowed to happen again.

My motivation for writing this is simple: Its clear to me that for public trust to be restored in science, scientists should publicly discuss what went right and what went wrong during the pandemic, and where we could have done better, Bass concludes.

Its OK to be wrong and admit where one was wrong and what one learned. Thats a central part of the way science works. Yet I fear that many are too entrenched in groupthink  and too afraid to publicly take responsibility  to do this.

More covid-related news can be found at Plague.info.

Sources for this article include:

Newsweek.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The parents of children who were allegedly asked to leave the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., recently for wearing pro-life beanies are considering legal action, and with good reason, if their claims are accurate.

According to WYFF, an attorney from the American Center of Law and Justice says 12 Our Lady of the Rosary School students and chaperones were kicked out of the publicly-funded museum for wearing the hats after they had just attended first March for Life Rally on Jan. 20 since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year and sent the issue of abortion back to the individual states. The attorney said that a security guard stopped the kids and called the museum a neutral zone, further informing them that they would either have to remove their hats to enter or leave the premises.

They should be allowed to wear the hats that they were wearing and to be able to express themselves, parent Nora Luz Kriegel told the local outlet. And I felt it was very wrong that this person harassed them.

The outlet reported that Kriegel has two young kids who attend Our Lady of the Rosary, which is located in Greenville County, S.C., and though they were not at the rally, she is one of a number of residents who are writing the museum to request a change in policy after the incident.

Children deserve to be treated with respect and these children are standing up for human life. For the most innocent human life, she told the local outlet. I just dont understand at all in my being how anybody could look at something that says pro-life and say that that is something that is offensive to them in any way, shape, or form.

WYFF noted that reporters reached out to the museum and the school, with the latter referring the outlet to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, which responded via email.

Thousands of Catholic students attend the March for Life every year and we support their right to stand for life, said the diocese.

A spokesperson from the museum noted: Asking visitors to remove hats and clothing is not in keeping with our policy or protocols. We provided immediate training to prevent a re-occurrence of this kind of incident and have determined steps to ensure this does not happen again.

In June, the nations highest court ruled 6-3 in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that overturned all state laws concerning abortion at the time and legalized it throughout the United States, claiming there was some hidden constitutional right to killing unborn babies added to Americas founding governing document.

There is nothing in the Constitution about abortion, and the Constitution does not implicitly protect the right, the ruling states. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the peoples elected representatives.

As such, abortions will continue to remain legal in states that deem it so; other states, however, are liable to ban the procedure altogether or severely restrict it.

The decision was foreshadowed prior to the ruling. In early May, a draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito in February was leaked to Politico and it set off a firestorm, not to mention that the leak was unprecedented and set off a chaotic investigation to discover who did it.

Roe was egregiously wrong from the start, Alito wrote.

We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled, he wrote in the document. We, therefore, hold the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Roe and Casey must be overruled, and the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives.

Sources include:

WYFF4.com

Politico.com
(Natural News) Leftists not only dont have a sense of humor, many of them are simply demonic, as evidenced by their plan to move a grotesque, satanic pro-abortion statute put on display last month in New York City to the pro-life state of Texas sometime this year.

As LifeSiteNews reported, the seven-foot bronze statue, which features a nude woman with twisted cables as upper limbs and goat horns rather than hair, elicited anger and outrage after it was placed on the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court in New York. The art piece supposedly pays respects to the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a pro-abortion voice on the nations highest court, and includes a mock-up of the lace collar Ginsburg frequently wore.

A second statue, nearly identical but more than twice the size of the other, was also put on display in Madison Square Park. Together, the pair form an exhibit that will be displayed in New York through the beginning of June, the report noted further, adding:

A second statue, nearly identical but more than twice the size of the other, was also put on display in Madison Square Park. Together, the pair form an exhibit that will be displayed in New York through the beginning of June. Shahzia Sikander is the creator of the exhibition which is called Havah  to breathe, air, life, (she says Havah means air in Urdu and Eve in Arabic and Hebrew). Sikander said the exhibit is meant to express the indefatigable spirit of the women who have been collectively fighting for their right to their own bodies over generations.

Conservatives have rightly argued, however, that the statues are demonic in their appearance and are also representative of our cultures shift away from depicting beauty to showing ugliness and darkness.

The next Republican mayor of New York should not only remove but publicly destroy this monstrosity. https://t.co/mgK5iyoyj2  Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) January 25, 2023

Andrew Klavan, a podcaster with The Daily Wire and an author, has argued that the satanic future is an appropriate depiction of abortion as well as its ties to evilness and sexual promiscuity.

This is a statue that celebrates abortion as a satanic ritual that enslaves women to male sexuality and strips them of their magisterium, their central power, which is the creation of human beings and the nurturing and raising of children, Klavan noted, as LifeSiteNews reports.

The statues are not going to remain in New York. According to Texas Right to Life, they will remain in the Big Apple through June 4, and then be taken to the University of Houston in October.

In a statement, the universitys executive director and chief curator of public art, Dr. Maria C. Gaztambide, said she was excited about amplifying the reach of the statues beyond New York City.

With Havah  to breathe, air, life, Shahzia demonstrates how justice is conceptually and actively vibrant across cultures and genders, Gaztambide said, according to the organization. Shahzia brings to the fore the imbalances of gender and race through this exceptional work. We are proud to join forces with Madison Square Park in bringing it to fruition, while amplifying its reach beyond New York City.

In November, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel came under fire after airing a satanic skit promoting the killing of babies on his program on Halloween night.

It began with Snuggles, the brands mascot, holding up a blood-stained baby shirt that appeared to be slashed. After introducing itself, the bear boasted how it made towels fluffy, blankets cuddly and shirts caked with blood.

Snuggles proceeded to address the audience: You know what else is soft? Human flesh, baby flesh. Wait, where is your baby? It then walked away with a knife in hand as the scene faded out. The next scene opened with a baby lying in its crib and Snuggles standing next to the innocent child.

Sick.

Sources include:

LawEnforcementToday.com

LifeSiteNews.com
(Natural News) Turn on CNN or open the New York Times, and you may encounter someone explaining how exhausting it is to be a black person. The idea that systemic racism is leaving blacks scarred and spent has been embraced across mainstream America, articulated by corporate CEOs and university presidents. The latest performative assertion of black oppression is playing out at the Juilliard School in New York City. The controversy has significance beyond the school.

(Article by Sundance republished from City-Journal.org)

In September 2020, the Juilliard Schools Drama Division announced a series of community meetings to address Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) issues. The schools growing cadre of diversity bureaucrats would discuss Juilliards anti-racism work. The head of the Center for Racial Healing would give a presentation. Workshops would address such topics as race in rehearsal and voice and speech and race. NYU theater professor Michael McElroy, one of the schools two external diversity consultants, would offer a three-day seminar in black musical culture.

These Drama Division meetings were part of Juilliards broader effort to bring race into all its activities, including music and dance. Damian Woetzel, former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, became Juilliards president in July 2018 and proceeded to put increasing bureaucratic clout behind the concept that Juilliard has a racism problem. The school added diversity curricula and audition requirements. It beefed up its system for reporting bias incidents. It mandated diversity workshops for faculty and students.

Those efforts picked up steam after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. Within a week, Woetzel and the EDIB taskforce had sent out three schoolwide emails on the work Juilliard still needed to do to become an anti-racist community. The school sponsored a blacks-only healing space. It recommended that students and faculty read the books of Ta-Nehisi Coates, Robin DiAngelo, Ibram X. Kendi, and Michelle Alexander to understand systemic racism.

On June 11, 2020, Juilliards provost, Ara Guzelimian, circulated a student petition. Lending an administration email account to a student communique violated school protocol, but the Juilliard Student Congresss Call to Action was important enough to justify the exception, wrote Guzelimian in his cover letter.

The Call to Action charged Juilliard with systemic injustice. It demanded an end to the schools almost completely Eurocentric faculty, curriculum, and performances and a complete in-person season featuring the works of BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and People of Color] artists. It called on Juilliard to create #BreonnaTaylor and #GeorgeFloyd scholarships in music, drama, and dance.

In early August 2020, the schools black drama students issued their own Letter of Demands. The Drama Division student body is over 50 percent BIPOC with nearly all of those BIPOC students being black. That 50 percent black share of the student body is unlikely to have arisen spontaneously. Blacks are 12 percent of the national population, and there is no indication that they disproportionately study drama in high school and college. Yet the black drama students letter portrayed the Drama Division as nearly lethally bigoted. Its racist environment is hazardous to BIPOC students bodies, the letter charged. Some students are silenced, broken, and limited by racism within the Drama Division . . . [They] have to endure harm and violence [and] sacrifice their physical and mental health every day in this institution.

It was against this backdrop of increasing racial hysteria that Michael McElroys three-day Roots to Rep drama workshop took place. The workshop would combine history, research, and music to explore the journey of black people in this country, McElroy explained, with a specific emphasis on the way the Negro spiritual . . . is the foundation of so many musical genres today. McElroy asked students to prepare for the workshop by writing a paragraph about a key event in the history of black enslavement. The president of Juilliards Black Student Union, Marion Grey, saw this requirement as identity-threatening, but she kept her objections to herself, she told American Theater, in order to test whether the school would protect her in the face of such a racial assault.

On the workshops first day, McElroy offered a trigger warning that the forthcoming audio exercise contained the N word. Students could leave the Zoom session anytime they wanted, McElroy said. The lesson began with an auditory recreation of the African slave trade. A march through the jungle was followed by a slave auction, with the auctioneer extolling a fine Black pearl who would raise her owner a fine litter of pickaninnies. During this soundscape, the black students were texting each other about how utterly broken they were by the exercise, according to Grey, while white students and faculty, as well as a few black students, participated in the workshop without protest. Afterward, the white students recounted how moving the experience had been.

Grey then Zoomed an impassioned remonstrance about cultural appropriation and trauma. I was like, There are wounds here, and you dont get to just explore someones history and culture with themthat is earned, you dont just get that, she told the class, according to American Theater.

McElroy had offered this workshop numerous times before without provoking a similar meltdown. The slave-auction dialogue was taken from the widely aired miniseries Roots. The historical record contains no indication that Roots generated trauma when it was released in 1977. But Juilliard immediately terminated McElroys workshop and went into crisis mode. The president and provost met with Grey and her black peers. The administration launched new investigations of racial issues. Grey was not impressed. Despite getting an audience with the schools top leadership, she did not feel truly supported, she told American Theater. She was the victim of a culture of silencing. Apparently Grey and her fellow students could not provide actual examples of such silencing, but that inability only proves how serious the silencing is. Asking us the question, When have you felt silenced? does not mean you will get an answer, especially when youre not in the practice of making space for the students voice, she said.

After spurning months of administrative outreach, Grey ratcheted up the pressure. On April 21, 2021, she released a teary video decrying the racism of what she called Slavery Saturday. Its maddening to have your humanity so disrespected, to have something done to you that is so wrong. It is so wrong, she told the camera. A petition accompanying the video demanded the decolonization of the Drama Division and the hiring of an outside consultant to analyze the inequitable, anti-black, and racist structures and systems that are built into the architecture of the Juilliard culture. Grey claimed to be frightened that Juilliard would retaliate against her. Its terrifying to put myself on the line but I know my worth, I know that a wrong has been done to me.

The chance that Juilliard would offer any opposition to Greys video, much less retaliate against her for posting it, was zero. Two days after the video was released, Woetzel sent out a schoolwide email. He adopted every trope of threat and injury used by the black students: I want to state unequivocally that this workshop was ill-conceived and should not have occurred in the manner that it did. I extend a heartfelt apology to the individuals who have been adversely affected by it. Tackling difficult topics is a responsibility of artists, Woetzel said, but Juilliard must do so in a manner that respects and protects the members of our community. Woetzel called the auditory experience of enslavement extremely distressing and problematic.

Woetzel was implicitly accusing McElroy, who is black himself, of putting Juilliards black students at risk through an ill-conceived historical recreation. The school did not respond to an inquiry asking whether Woetzel had sought McElroys perspective before calling his presentation ill-conceived. The school also refused to spell out what exactly was problematic about the exercise or what criteria Juilliard would use in the future to ensure that pedagogy protects members of [the] community. (McElroy declined to be interviewed for this article.)

The dean of the Drama Division, Evan Yionoulis, apologized for the workshop, too, in an email appended to Woetzel s own. The workshop never should have happened, Yionoulis wrote, throwing McElroy under the bus as decisively as Woetzel had done. Yionoulis felt remorse for engaging McElroy and for not stopping the exercise once it was in progress, though it is not clear how the school could have known to do so. Yionoulis lamented the trauma caused by the workshop without explaining in what, exactly, such trauma consisted. The school will continue to try to facilitate healing, Yionoulis said, but it also recognizes that it cannot fully change the impact of what happened, nor . . . erase all that was experienced in that moment.

Read more at: City-Journal.org
(Natural News) An incredulous former President Donald Trump blasted his successor, His Fraudulency Joe Biden, on Friday after reports surfaced that the Pentagon had discovered a Chinese spy balloon in U.S. airspace and was merely monitoring it.

SHOOT DOWN THE BALLOON! Trump posted on Truth Social Friday morning after the Pentagon confirmed the previous evening that a Chinese spy balloon had been floating over the U.S. for several days after first being spotted near Billings, Mont.

In a press briefing on Friday, Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said: The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. The U.S. government, to include NORAD, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic, and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.

Another senior Defense Department official told reporters at the same briefing: We are confident that this high-altitude surveillance balloon belongs to the [Peoples Republic of China].

According to Breitbart News:

The official said President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation and had asked for military options, but that it was the strong recommendation by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. [Mark] Milley and the commander of NORTHCOM, Gen. Glen VanHerck, not to take kinetic action due to the risk to safety and security of the people on the ground from the possible debris field.

Currently we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective. But we are taking steps, nevertheless, to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information, the senior defense official added. We are also tracking what abilities it could have in gaining insights, and continue to monitor the balloon as it is over the continental United States.

Later Friday, the balloon was seen as it moved eastward, first some 20 miles north of Kansas City, then hovering over the Missouri capital of Jefferson City.

The senior defense official said the Pentagons best assessment is that the balloon does not provide significant value added over what Beijing is likely able to collect through things like satellites in Low Earth Orbit.

But out of an abundance of caution, we have taken additional mitigation steps, the official noted further. Im not going to go into what those are. But we know exactly where this balloon is, exactly what it is passing over. And we are taking steps to be extra vigilant so that we can mitigate any foreign intelligence risk.

WorldNetDaily added in its report:

The balloon transited over Montana Wednesday. The state houses Malmstrom Air Force Base, where U.S. Minuteman III nuclear missiles are stored, according to the bases website.

North American Aerospace Defensive Command (NORAD) scrambled aircraft, including F-22 Raptors and early warning aircraft, from Nellis Air Force Base when the balloon flew over a remote area of Montana, NBC News first reported. The Billings airport conducted a ground stop, citing a special military mission, which was later lifted, according to the defense official.

There have been similar instances a few times in recent years, including under both the Biden and Trump administrations, the official added. I think the thing that is different is the altitude and of course, the willingness that put it in the continental United States for an extended period of time, he said.

China is scoping out its biggest enemy, and Biden is doing nothing but watching.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

TruthSocial.com
Scientists were perplexed when a 500-million-year-old fossil they had discovered in an Indian cave began to peel off and revealed that it was actually a beehive.

2020 saw the cancellation of a scientific conference that was supposed to take place in India during the first pandemic lockdowns.

500-Million-Year-Old Fossil in Indian Cave

Nevertheless, a team of geologists who had already arrived at the location made the most of their time by traveling to the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, a network of caves with prehistoric cave art close to Bhopal, India. There, they discovered the fossil of Dickinsonia, a member of the mysterious Ediacara fauna, a group of creatures thought by some scientists to have been the first failed evolutionary test of multicellular organisms. The Ediacara fauna lived 500 million years ago in a shallow sea. It was the first time a fossil of this kind had ever been found in India.

The find caused quite a stir because it not only significantly increased the range of the Ediacara fauna-first discovered in Australia's Ediacara Hills-but also helped date some of the oldest rocks on the Indian subcontinent. Major news organizations, scholarly journals, and numerous Indian newspapers all covered the discovery.

Less Fossil, More Beehive

However, the "fossil" was actually a case of mistaken identity, as it turns out.

When the University of Florida researchers visited the location last year, they found an object that appeared to have significantly decayed-quite unusual for a fossil. In addition, the area is covered in enormous bee nests, and the mark discovered by scientists in 2020 resembled the specimens of enormous hives.

Joseph Meert, a professor of geology at the University of Florida and expert on the geology of the area, said that he noticed there was a problem as soon as he took a look at it. The peeling rock exposed the fossil.

The former fossil was also almost vertically positioned along the cave walls, which was strange. According to Meert, fossils in this region should only be visible on the cave structures' ceilings or floors.

Professor Manoj Pandit of the University of Rajasthan and Meert's graduate students, Ananya Singha and Samuel Kwafo, worked together on the investigation. They took pictures of similar remains from beehives found nearby and documented the object's quick decomposition. The team's research was published in the Gondwana Research journal, which had also previously reported on the accidental Dickinsonia fossil discovery.

Also Read: Titanosaur Nests with 256 Fossilized Eggs Found in India Where Mother Dinosaurs Abandon Their Brood

Beehives and Other Confusing Occurrences

When the bees leave their mud-built hive, it quickly decomposes and briefly resembles Dickinsonian animal fossils.

The lead author of the original paper and emeritus professor at the University of Oregon, Gregory Retallack, claims he and his co-authors concur with Meert's findings that the item is essentially just a beehive.

The scientific method is founded on a type of self-correction. However, it's a fact that scientists find it difficult to admit their mistakes, and it doesn't happen frequently. Retallack stated in an email that it is uncommon but crucial for scientists to acknowledge errors when new evidence is found.

Even experts find many early fossils confusing because they rarely resemble any living thing. Inorganic processes are also quite good at imitating fossils. Concretions, like bone eggs, are frequently mistaken for fossils, and some crystals grow inside rocks to create structures that eerily resemble sponges or moss plants, the University of Florida, through Forbes, reports.

Related Article: 10 Crocodile Mummies from 2,500 Years Ago Found in Egyptian Tomb Near Nile River
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Champaign-Urbana Schools Foundation Local Hero Award winner Kanittha Fay in front of the sign for Urbana High School, where her daughter, Myra Stevens, recently graduated. Fay has been volunteering with the district for the past 12 years.
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TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa yesterday expressed pride in the top role played by the Bahrain Defence Force in defending the nation, marking its 55th anniversary.

The strides made by the BDF, ever since its establishment as a shield to defend the security and stability and preserve landmark achievements, HM King said, represents a source of pride.

King Hamad, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, congratulated all BDF affiliates, including commanders, officers and servicemen.

King Hamad said this in a message thanking HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

His Majesty also reiterated his pride in the BDF, as HM urged continued development to deal with the latest military systems to match advanced armies and keep pace with all military and technical strides.

Earlier, in a message, HRH Prince Salman, the Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, described the milestone as a day of pride. His Royal Highness hailed the achievements of BDF in line with the vision of HM King.

BDF, Prince Salman said, is capable of defending the Kingdom's sovereignty and capabilities, supporting the march of progress and prosperity and contributing to maintaining security and peace in the region and the world with brotherly and friendly countries.

Further, HRH also reiterated allegiance of BDF to the HM King and commitment to attaining further achievements for the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Commander-in-Chief of Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, extended congratulations to HM King and HRH Prince Salman on behalf of all BDF personnel.

Shaikh Khalifa reiterated BDF personnel's loyalty to HM the King and their pledge to exert more in defending the nation and ensuring its prosperity.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Challenges facing the oil and gas industry and emissions will be the focus of the 'Middle East Oil, Gas and Geosciences Conference and Exhibition' (MEOS and GEO 2023) to be held in Bahrain this month.

The event, held from the 19th to the 21st of this month at the Exhibition World Bahrain in Sakhir, is under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

Organisers include The Society of Petroleum Engineers, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, the European Association of Geoscientists and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, in cooperation with the Ministry of Oil and Environment, and various Bahraini, Gulf and international companies.

Minister of Oil and Environment and Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Daina, said more than 400 speakers are taking part in the conference.

The conference will have more than ten main sessions, 500 artistic presentations and an exhibition on an area of more than 36,000 square kilometres.

International companies from 49 countries will showcase the latest developments in modern technologies concerning exploration and production.

Participating companies include Saudi Aramco, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Chevron, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, Exxon Mobil, Nesser, ADNOC, Italian Eni and other companies from the GCC countries, Australia, Canada, China, France, India, Italy, the United States of America and other countries.
When Ukraine finally got its Western supporters to send tanks, Ukrainians were encouraged. The tanks sought were the German Leopard 2 and the American M1. Both tanks are roughly equal in performance but Leopards are more numerous in Europe and can be delivered quickly by European NATO. The Americans are far away and generally ignore that fact the closer you are to Russia the more bad experiences you have had with Russia, the more sympathetic you are to the Ukrainian situation and their need for whatever weapons they believe will do them the most good. Its no secret that the M1 tanks have faced Russian tanks several times since the 1990s and confirmed the degree of superiority the M1 has over Russian tanks and anti-tank weapons. American also tend to believe that Russians are open to sincere negotiations and that East European attitudes towards Russia are often exaggerated.

What this means is that while Leopard 2s are already arriving in Ukraine, the M1s wont arrive for months. This despite that there are already several hundred M1s in Europe. To Poland and other East Europe NATO allies, American attitudes often appear as mystifying as the Russian. An example of this is the Russian attitudes and reactions towards M1s and Leopards. Early on the Americans saw sending M1s to Ukraine as a counterproductive move because the Russian might escalate or even resort to nuclear weapons. The Americans disregarded Ukrainians and east European pointing out that Russia had already escalated and had nothing left to escalate with except empty threats of retaliation.

An example of this came from Russia in response to the news that Leopards and M1s were on the way. Russia pointed out that M1s would be destroyed in Ukraine by a new Russian anti-tank weapon, the three-ton Marker UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle). Russia claims that Marker contains revolutionary mobility and target detection and identification software and sensors. Marker has been known about for at least six years, and was known to have been tested as an unmanned security system for a Russian spaceport (Cosmodrome). Marker was apparently able to reliably carry out the patrols and identify what it saw. These Markers were not armed, because the Russians were not yet confident that they had perfected a system that would ensure no accidental gun fire at the wrong targets. Now Russia claims that the Marker navigation and detection/identification sensors and software are operational and have an effective range of 14 kilometers. Marker is now supposed to be armed with an unidentified weapons system that will destroy M1s and Leopards.

The reality of Russian UGV developments reveals a different situation. Russia has been trying to develop an effective military UGV since the 1990s. This has led to an impressive list of failures. The latest one is not Marker but a 2021 development. Russia ordered four prototypes of a new armored UGV design called Shturm (storm). This one is based on the widely used (by Russian troops) T-72B3 tank. This was part of a plan to organize heavy UGV companies which would contain up to ten vehicles, most of them UGVs, plus one or more similar vehicles manned by a crew of UGV operators and technicians to repair and maintain the unmanned vehicles. These UGVs would be armed and equipped for urban warfare. Weapons include short barrel 125mm and 152mm low velocity cannon as well as thermobaric (fuel air explosives) rockets and 30mm autocannon. All can be equipped with a dozer blade to remove debris blocking roads, or building rubble in general, to allow troops and manned combat vehicles to advance through a path cleared of obstacles as well as explosives in the form of mines, roadside bombs, explosive traps and explosive debris.

Storm UGVs would replace manned engineer vehicles and small UGVs now used to deal with explosive obstacles. Even with the engineer vehicles and small UGVs, there are still casualties among the engineers and nearby UGV operators. Storm UGVs are considered an intermediate design that would be replaced with UGVs based on the new Armata tank/IFV chassis that is better protected but a lot more expensive. The T-72B3 is the most widely used, popular and affordable Russian tank.

The Storm UGV is building on what was learned with earlier tank-like UGVs. Russia has not fixed all those problems but at least knows what needs work. The earlier vehicle was the 12-ton Uran-9 UGV. Two were sent to Syria in 2016 for combat testing. Uran-9 looks like a small tank and is equipped with remotely controlled 30mm and 7.62mm machine-guns as well as various guided missiles and unguided thermobaric rockets. The Uran-9s sent to Syria for combat experience did not get much of that because the remote-control system functioned poorly under battlefield conditions. The main problem was that the wireless remote-control system, while encrypted, had insufficient bandwidth (amount of data sent and received in real time) to handle what was required to remotely operate the sensors, the vehicle itself and its weapons. As designed and tested in rather less demanding conditions, the wireless data link was supposed to operate at up to 2,800 meters. The controllers were in an armored 6x6 truck, safely out of the way as is the heavy truck that transports the Uran-9 to the battlefield.

In Syria, the command truck found it had to remain within 400 meters of the Uran 9 to maintain the datalink to any useful degree of bandwidth. Even then the bandwidth was often insufficient because of obstacles or other electronic devices operating nearby. This meant the operators could not get all the real-time data the sensors were capable of providing. The thermal and vidcam sensors were capable of spotting people or vehicles out to 6,000 meters in daylight and half of that at night. But because of the bandwidth problems, the sensors were only effective out to about 2,000 meters in daylight and half that at night. And that was only when the data link was working at all. One problem should have been caught in testing; the sensors were not stabilized. As a result, when the vehicle was moving the sensors and weapons were useless. Worse, when moving the data link was often lost because of equipment problems or new signal interference.

The inability of the remote operator to see while the vehicle was moving often meant the Uran 9 hit obstacles a human operator would avoid. While tracked vehicles can travel over many obstacles, some of those obstacles (tree stumps, large chunks of rubble) put a lot of stress on the track-laying system tanks rely on for greater mobility than tires. Tanks often have the driver and commander checking out the terrain ahead as the vehicle advances. A well-trained tank crew will quickly spot obstacles and know when to remind the driver to slow down or evade dangerous obstacles. By comparison, the Uran 9 driver not only had less detailed and unreliable vision of the way ahead, but would have blurred vision while moving and have to deal with the unpredictable loss of control or vision. While the Uran 9 was armored against bullets and shell fragments, it was much more vulnerable to crippling damage because it was often driving half (or completely) blind across the cluttered battlefield. The Uran 9 spent a lot of time getting its running gear (tracks, suspension and wheels) repaired because of avoidable collisions.

The two machine-guns in the Uran 9 turret were rarely fired because the vehicle had to stop, confirm that it had a good datalink and then scan the terrain ahead for any targets. When the 30mm autocannon fired the vibrations rendered the remotely controlled sensors useless until the firing stopped. That brought out another unpredictable flaw; response delays. The remote operator would transmit a command and it would often not be received and acted on in real time. There were often delays of several seconds or up to a minute. Sometimes the command would seemingly be ignored by the Uran 9. This made use of the other weapons on the Uran 9 impossible. There were four ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles) mounted outside the turret that could hit targets 6,000 meters away. These missiles were laser guided and required some operator control. This could not be reliably supplied by remote control to the Uran 9. There were also a dozen unguided rockets and if you could get one of these to fire you didnt have to worry about guiding them.

By the time details of Uran 9s battlefield performance got back to army headquarters in Russia, 22 of them had already been purchased and delivered. The manufacturer agreed to fix the flaws, or at least try. At this point the Russians could understand why the Americans had tried using remotely controlled combat vehicles in a combat zone but never followed through. The Americans also encountered data link reliability and bandwidth problems. Even operators of UAVs, which fly over the battlefield, encounter unreliable communications. Satellite datalinks are more reliable but they are not possible for smaller UAVs which rely on flight control software that automatically switches to circle or return home when there are communications problems. Starlink communications hardware enables Ukrainian UAVs with satellite links to be smaller than Russian ones.

Russian UGV developers have a lot to learn about all this and now better appreciate why small UGVs used for EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) often rely on a data cable rather than wireless control. Marker is supposed to deal with all these problems by operating autonomously and use more reliable sensors and software that can navigate a battlefield as effectively as an experienced human tank driver. Proof of these claims has yet to appear.

Since 2016 Russian firms have developed several armed UGVs but only one of them entered service; the five-ton Uran-6, which was more successful than Uran 9 because it was based on the vast combat experience of numerous similar devices. Uran 6 saw action in Syria as an unarmed UGV for combat engineers dealing with landmines, roadside bombs and, most importantly, ensuring that a route was clear of explosives. To accomplish that Uran-6 was equipped with several accessories like a plow, flail (for setting off landmines) or robotic arms. The large size of the Uran-6 enabled it to survive nearby exploding mines or bombs and keep operating. The Uran-6 is powered by a 240 HP gasoline engine. Uran 6 could be remotely controlled from up to 1,500 meters away, but 800 meters was the most reliable distance. Use in Syria was apparently a validation effort because engineers were seen double checking for mines with more conventional mine detectors after the Uran-6 had declared the route clear. In late 2020 Uran 6 was used in Armenia for EOD work and was reported to be efficient and reliable. The year before the army had received twelve more of the latest Uran-6 models. There have been no export customers yet.

Uran-6 has to compete in a mature market for EOD UGVs, a market the United States and Israel have dominated for two decades. Uran-6 is the largest EOD UGV and Russia hoped it would find a market niche in the EOD market after it proved successful in Syria. Armed UGVs are a more difficult sell but Russia is eager to avoid casualties among its own troops in Syria and armed UGVs are seen as a potential solution

Armed UGVs are nothing new and one armed with explosives was used by the Germans during World War II. This was the gasoline-powered Goliath that was not successful. Currently, armed UGVs are most often produced by Israel and South Korea for patrolling long borders that are threatened by armed intruders. American manufacturers can and have armed their UGVs but find it more profitable to let the Israelis, South Koreans, Russians and Chinese have that market and sell UGVs that are far more capable that what the Russians have come up with.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Swami Brahma Vihari Das, the Head of International Relations of the BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Sanstha and in-charge of the Abu Dhabi & Bahrain Temple Projects, led BAPS Bahrain in paying rich tribute to the late Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Daij Al Khalifa who was Executive Director of the Isa Cultural Centre.

He said the Dr Shaikh Khalid embodied the spirit of intellectual curiosity and the principles of inter-faith tolerance and harmony which marked the Kingdom of Bahrain as a progressive and peaceful country.

Calling him a true patriot who translated the vision of His Majesty the King, for a nation that delivered the message of peace to the world, he said, I had first met Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa in June 2022 when I attended the EU-Bahrain Conference: Broadening the Tent  Freedom of Religion & Belief as a speaker.

I was warmly received by him and struck by his gentle wisdom, his open-minded acceptance of new ideas and his intellectual curiosity.

In his role as the Executive Director of the Isa Cultural Centre, Dr Shaikh Khalid did his utmost to fulfil the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to nurture global understanding and world peace.

Swami Brahma Vihari Das said that the best way to honour the life and work of Dr Shaikh Khalid would be for everybody to pledge to continue in the spirit of respect for all religions and amplify the true spirit of Bahrain.

I pray to God that Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Daij Al Khalifas soul is received in His Eternal Service in the Heavenly Abode and extend the condolences of the entire BAPS Bahrain community to the family of this great man, he said.
A former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa has said the outcome of the presidential election would shock Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State.

Bafarawa was reacting to El-Rufais claim that the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu would win the February elections.

El-Rufai had said Tinubu would become Nigerias next president despite some elements in the Presidential Villa working against his success.

The governor said these elements are aggrieved that Tinubu emerged as the APC flag bearer.

Reacting, Bafarawa said El-Rufai cant assume that Nigerians would vote for Tinubu.

Speaking with BBC Hausa Service, Bafarawa said El-Rufais comment was disrespectful to the North and Nigerians.

Also, he came out and was proudly saying that Tinubu will win the election whether people like it or not. Who told him that the whole of the north are supporting the APC?

Its just his opinion. Therefore, he has no right to boast with the north because everyone has their own candidates.

We will surprise them; we will show them that this country belongs to nobody, likewise the north, he said.
Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), says the currency redesign policy the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) comes with pain, but in the long run, it has significant economic and social benefits.

In October 2022, Godwin Emefiele, governor of the CBN, announced the plan to redesign the N200, N500, and N1,000 notes, and asked Nigerians to deposit their old notes before January 31, 2023, when they would cease to be legal tender.

Although the deadline has been shifted to February 10, many Nigerians have found it difficult to obtain the new naira notes.

The former Anambra governor in a statement on Sunday, called on the CBN to expediate efforts to make the new currency available to small depositors and the unbanked in order to reduce the pains of my fellow Nigerians, especially the underprivileged and those living far away from banks in the rural areas.

The currency redesign is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is an exercise that comes with some inconveniences and pains but it has significant long-term economic and social benefits, Obi said.

Even though there are improvements that can be made, I urge Nigerians to bear with the CBN and federal government with the hope that the general populace and Nigeria will harvest the gains that will come with the reforms.
President Muhammadu Buhari at the weekend condemned the attack on vigilantes at Yargoje forest in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina, where many lives were lost.

The Police Command in Katsina State had on Friday confirmed the death of 41 members of local vigilance groups, Yansakai, in an ambush by terrorists in Yargoje forest.

The terrorists ambushed a convoy of vigilantes in the forest as they went to recover stolen cows leading to the killings.

Reacting, Buhari paid tribute to all those vigilantes and family members who have been martyred, saying that the sacrifices of the brave men who are working to stop and punish crime in their communities will not be forgotten.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by Buharis media aide, Garba Shehu, on Sunday.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this difficult period. May Allah repose the soul of the deceased, the President said.
Yakubu Dogara, a former speaker of the house of representatives, says the endorsement of Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), by President Muhammadu Buhari is a satire.

At an APC campaign rally in Nasarawa on Saturday, Buhari said Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos, is the next president of the country.

Also, in a tweet, the president said Tinubu would give his best to Nigeria.

Today in Lafia, Nasarawa State, I delivered my message: VOTE Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria, and VOTE Governor Abdullahi Sule for a 2nd term, the president tweeted.

I have known Asiwaju for more than 20 years; he is a committed Nigerian; he will give his best to Nigeria!

Dogara, in his reaction, said he knew Buhari loves cracking jokes but he didnt know it would escalate to the level of satire.

I know that PMB loves to crack jokes but I didnt know he would escalate it to the level of satire. Asiwajull give his best to Nigeria, really? Fake certificates, fake parentage, golden triangle escapades, racketeering, the former speaker tweeted.

No PMB, Nigeria does not deserve his best but we get the satire.

I know that PMB loves to crack jokes but I didnt know he will escalate it to the level of satire.Asiwaju ll give his best to Nigeria,really? Fake certificates,fake parentage,golden triangle escapades,racketeering. No PMB, Nigeria does not deserve his best but we get the satire. https://t.co/zLk3heSNdx  Rt Hon Yakubu Dogara (@YakubDogara) February 4, 2023





In December 2022, Dogara threw his weight behind Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While the duo (NNPP and LP) may emerge as strong contenders in the political arena in the future, from all indications, PDP appears to be the best option to adopt and support, a joint statement put out by the lawmaker and the Northern Leaders Consultative Forum read at the time.
The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Friday in Abuja, said he was not backing the All Progressives Candidate presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to clinch any political appointment.

El-Rufai argued that his recent comments are not targeted at the President, Muhammadu Buhari.

He also boasted that his weight in Nigerias political space puts him beyond needing a godfather.

The governor spoke in the Hausa language shortly after the Progressives Governors Forum members met the President at the State House, Abuja, over the new naira policy.

El-Rufai, who earlier joined his counterparts from other states, has been the subject of controversy lately when he said some persons in the Aso Rock Villa are working to sabotage the emergence of the APC flagbearer, Tinubu, as President.

Speaking on a Channels Television breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, last Wednesday, he explained that the persons in question were aggrieved that Tinubu defeated their candidate in the June 2022 APC presidential primaries.

He cited the naira redesign policy as one of several schemes targeted at Tinubu, who made a similar claim a week earlier.

Speaking at the State House, he said, I am not criticising Buhari. I have never criticised Buhari. I am only criticising those around him who do not tell him the truth, who do not tell him the challenges that the people are facing because of these policies.

We support the Presidents policies because we know the real reason why he is implementing them. But these policies are not being carried out correctly and they are not telling him that.

That is why those of us who really love the President are telling him the truth. Not those who are trying to use him. And the President knows that.

The governor argued that his outspoken support for the APC flagbearer is not to lobby to be a godson under any prominent figure.

Which godfather am I looking for? Tinubu is our candidate and we want him to win. But I am telling you now that I am not looking for an appointment. I swear I am beyond needing a godfather.

I am not looking for work or money. I look up to God for everything I am looking for, not a human being.

Earlier, the governor revealed that the PGF wants the President to prevail on the Central Bank of Nigeria to allow the old and new naira notes to co-exist.

They believe this would ease the scarcity of naira notes and its ancillary effects.

El-Rufai argued that the move had become necessary as the CBN mopped up over N2tn of the old notes but only printed N300bn of the new ones.

According to him, the new notes in circulation are insufficient for Nigerians.

We informed the President about this. And he said within the next seven days, he would talk to the CBN and other agencies. He also said the commercial banks are at fault and he will see how to resolve this.

But he didnt indicate whether or not there will be an extension. He only said he will have to find out what is really happening. We in the states have seen that if this issue is not brought under control, it may lead to tension across the nation. It can mar the elections and even prevent the conduct of elections altogether, El-Rufai said.

The former FCT minister said the CBNs cashless policy should have been preceded by printing at least half of the amount mopped up, N1tn.

He lamented that many Nigerians were suffering even as traders of perishable goods lost their wares from low patronage daily.

Citing tomatoes as an example, El-Rufai said some sellers from the North who travelled to Lagos with their goods experienced wastage because buyers lacked the cash to purchase them.

If you consider some states and local government areas, they dont have banks. Some have challenges with the PoS outlets. As a result, people cannot buy goods in the market.

Those trading tomatoes from the North to Lagos are running at a loss because their goods are getting spoiled. No money to buy them, he said.
The Nigerian economy is almost at a standstill as millions of Nigerians find it difficult to access both the old and new Naira notes.

NigerianEye gathers that the lingering scarcity of both old and new naira notes has crippled economic activities nationwide and inflicted enormous pains on Nigerians, even as an aide to the President Muhammadu Buhari revealed that his principal was misled by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Ajuri Ngelale, in an interview monitored on TVC News, described as false the report by the CBN that it had supplied all bank branches in the country with sufficient amounts of the new notes.

Prior to the extension of the deadline for the exchange of old naira notes from January 31 to February 10, the President had defended the CBN governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, for adopting unorthodox economic models that put people at the heart of the apex banks policies. Because the governor follows a model outside of the economic orthodoxy, he is labelled political, but the orthodoxy has proved wrong time and again, Buhari said.

Owing to the naira redesign and the renewed cashless policy of the CBN, the non-availability of both the old and newly designed naira notes at all channels, including banking halls, Automated Teller Machine points and Point of Sale terminal operators across the country, has subjected majority of Nigerians to serious hardship, with many finding it difficult to access cash to buy basic things or transport themselves from one place to the other.

In what many have described as unprecedented in the history of the country, Nigerians now pay exorbitant charges to get the naira notes from PoS operators. As of Saturday afternoon, in some parts of Lagos, N5,000 old notes attracted N1,000 commission while N6,000 new notes attracted as much as N2,000 commission.

In the interview however, Ngelale said, They (Nigerians) feel that the Federal Government of Nigeria is unintentionally or intentionally impoverishing them overnight. That is the perception they have, whether it is right or wrong.

What we are working to do is to ensure that Mr President is given effective and true information and that the report that was given by the CBN that they have supplied all bank branches in the country with sufficient amounts of the new naira notes is absolutely false and it is evidential at this point.

Mr President, being the pro-people defender and defender of the masses that he has always been and an upholder of social justice, did the right thing when intelligence reached him that he was getting false intelligence from the CBN, which was to extend the deadline from January 31 to February 10.

Now, clearly, with the adjustments in the deadline, it was also announced that other agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission are also actively involved in the oversight of the distribution of the new naira notes to banking branches across the country as well as rural areas with cash swops with the over 30,000 super agents that are being sent out.

So, there is an extra level of oversight and monitoring that is being done now and added to the process.

He said the President would defend the masses no matter whose ox is gored, adding that he wouldnt be opposed to an extension if it became necessary.

He added, If he gets any intelligence that during the length of this 10-day window that the wrong things have been done or the right things have not been done and that the new naira notes have not been distributed among the people, Mr President has that option on the table of extending that deadline and that will be left to his discretion. Certainly, it is going to be based on what he sees happening across the country in the course of these seven days.

We are heartened by the new information we received from the CBN that now over-the-counter collections of the new naira notes will now be made available to banking customers.

Even though the President on Friday asked for seven days to solve the naira scarcity, many Nigerians are apprehensive about the extent to which the crisis could have degenerated at the end of the seven days.

As protests and anger continue to spread across the country over the scarce naira notes, coupled with pockets of attacks on banks and their staff members by furious customers, bank workers have expressed concerns over their safety.

The President, National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institution Employees, Anthony Abakpa, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Saturday said bankers were stressed due to the situation, noting that their work had become hectic.

He added, Honestly, the situation is hectic, it is not a healthy environment at all. Even as a bank staff and an individual, the masses are angry because there is no cash available and their money is in the bank. The situation is worrisome.

We will continue to engage and ensure that the safety of every individual working in the bank and insurance sector is upheld, and that is our demand.

Similarly, the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions called on security agencies to ensure the safety and security of bank workers and property.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that ASSBIFI President, Mr Olusoji Oluwole, in a statement on Saturday condemned recent attacks on some financial institutions, saying such endanger the lives of bank workers.

Oluwole stated, We strongly condemn this act which is borne out of the propaganda against banks as the sole cause of the inability of the public to have access to cash across the country. We have seen a few videos of bank branches allegedly hoarding cash in their vaults.

While we do not hold brief for these isolated cases or condone any verified bad behaviour, we expect the same sources of these videos to also project the many locations that have continued to provide cash to customers or have empty vaults due to the unavailability of cash. Unfortunately, we do not deem it security conscious for us to share videos or pictures of our vaults with the public as professionals.

He said bank workers had in the past few weeks worked tirelessly, every day for long hours against the prescribed work hours, noting that such sacrifice was to ensure customers were able to deposit their old currency notes and make the new ones available for withdrawals at Automated Teller Machines.

He added, This exercise has taken its toll on their health, work-life balance, and families while being faced daily with the fear of physical assaults by irate customers. While we assure the public of our commitment to ensure their pain is ameliorated, we appeal for calm and understanding at this time as we call on the security agencies to ensure the safety and security of our lives and bank property.

Following the violence and protests that erupted in states like Ondo, Oyo, Delta, Enugu and some other parts of the country, the Nigeria Police Force has urged citizens to eschew violence.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said, We appeal to our people to be patient and eschew violence as the government and all relevant agencies and stakeholders are working on how to resolve this problem.

We also urge bank customers affected by the naira scarcity to be patient, and those attacking bank facilities should desist from such. It is illegal. Nigerians should be patient and not resort to violence. No one asked people not to protest; they could have held their protests with decorum and maturity without resorting to violence or attacking a police station.

He said the violence in Ibadan on Friday would have escalated but for the timely intervention of the police.





Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday urged Nigerians not to vote for any candidate supporting the manner in which the currency redesign policy is being implemented.

Speaking at Opobo during the state chapter of the PDPs campaign rally, he stated, The primary target of this policy is to provoke Nigerians to embark on civil disturbance which they will capitalise on to say they cannot conduct election and push for enthronement of an interim government.

No matter the provocation, I urge everyone to be calm. This election must hold because nothing will stop an Opobo man from becoming governor. The governorship candidate of the PDP, Siminialayi Fubara, is from Opobo.

He also asked a former Minister of Transportation, Dr Abiye Sekibo, whom he had been at loggerheads with to explain why former President Olusegun Obasanjo sacked him from his cabinet.

The Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Zulum, has warned that any commercial bank that refuses to dispense the new naira notes will have its land revoked by the state government.

He issued the warning on Friday afternoon in Maiduguri, the state capital, after visiting some banks to assess the difficulties residents have while trying to access the new notes.

He stated, Any bank in Borno State that is not willing to ensure their ATMs are fully dispensing new naira notes to ease the suffering of our people, we will withdraw their land title immediately.

We will only spare banks with genuine constraints that are verifiable. The new naira note and even the old ones are not available and that is adversely affecting commercial activities in the state and people are suffering.

Zulum said he was unhappy seeing hundreds of people queuing at a bank, with only one out of 10 ATMs dispensing cash. He lamented that the state government had just released salaries of about N5bn but the banks were not paying customers.

He stated, We dont have any problem with the CBN policy or the withdrawal limit, they said individuals can only withdraw N20,000, but why cant everyone have access to that N20,000? Yesterday, I was in Gubio with a population of over 70,000 people but it was impossible to source N100,000 in the entire local government, either new or old notes.

The governor had last week directed the states ministry of finance to fast-track the establishment of the branches of Bornos existing microfinance bank across all the 27 LGAs.
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the move by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to redesign Naira notes was aimed at causing riots in the country.





Wike, who spoke on Saturday during a campaign in the Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of the state, alleged that the aim was to cause crises which would lead to the postponement of the February and March elections.





The governor alleged that there were plots by some persons in power to scuttle the election and introduce an interim government.





He urged Nigerians to remain calm despite the hardship emanating from scarcity of the newly redesigned Naira notes, insisting that the election must not be shifted.





He said, This policy (naira redesign) is targeted at making people angry so that they will demonstrate and riot and then the election be postponed. Then, they will introduce an interim government.





No matter the provocation, dont protest, Wike cautioned the people of the state.





This election will hold. This election is by the PVCs. This election is not an election of cabals; it is an election of Nigerians.
Mary Edochie, popularly known as May Edochie, the first wife of the famous Nollywood actor and director, Yul Edochie has taken legal action against actress Sarah Chukwukere for sharing a photoshopped picture of actress Judy Austin in her family photo.

Sharing the suit file on her Instagram page on Saturday, May noted that she had directed her lawyers to file a suit against Sarah Chukwukere, with the username @officialsarahmartins, for sharing an edited image of her and her children.

She wrote: It is demeaning and inconsiderate to smear anyone, especially someone you barely knew. Ive always had a loving, joyful, and peaceful family. I worked tirelessly for years, building a beautiful home while managing several businesses successfully.

It is evident that some persons have deliberately and desperately tried to taint my reputation and change the narrative to suit their agenda. To me, this is unacceptable.

Warning others who may dare to do the same, she noted that her lawyer would be extremely cheerful to dine with anyone who does not cease from defamatory publications or character assassination.

The lawsuit, shared by May, demanded a public apology and a retraction of the said defamatory publication as she threatened to sue for N500 million in damages if Sarah failed to meet the demands stated.

Recall that May, during the 2022 Christmas celebration, took to her Instagram to share photos with their four children while wishing her fans a merry Christmas.

Hours later, Sarah Chukwukere photoshopped Yul, his second wife Judy Austin and their baby boy inside the photo posted by May.

Reacting to this, Yul wrote: Yes, oo Sarah. Beautiful family. As it should be. Blessed man with blessed family. Everybody will be living in peace, love and jolly. May Zukwanuike.

Also, the actor had earlier boasted that hes proud to be a polygamist.

However, in her response, May said she would not be cajoled into accepting polygamy.




President Muhammadu Buhari calls Bola Tinubu, the presidential flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the next president of Nigeria.

Speaking at the partys campaign in Nasarawa on Saturday, Buhari described the former governor of Lagos as a competent Nigerian, who will give all he has for the country.

Im very pleased today to be part of this campaign for Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he said.

We will win through and through. I trust Tinubus dedication and service. I have known Bola Tinubu for more than 20 years. I will continue to campaign for him. He is a committed Nigerian and I believe he will give everything to make Nigeria better.

He loves this country. He is a believer in Nigeria and I am sure he will do everything possible to advance the well-being of all of us as citizens. He will hold this country with trust. You should cherish him.

Buharis statement comes amid reports of rancour in the APC, after Tinubus outburst during the partys presidential rally in Ogun, where he expressed dissatisfaction over the fuel and currency scarcity in the country.

Even if you change the ink on naira notes, what you want will not happen. We will win. That umbrella party will lose. We will take this government from them  saboteurs that are dragging power with us, said Tinubu in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun.

Meanwhile, the president had declared his support for the naira redesign policy, stating that it would deter politicians from mobilising resources to intimidate voters in the 2023 general election.
Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says those who think he has issues with President Muhammadu Buhari will be disappointed.

Speaking during a campaign rally in Nasarawa state, on Saturday, Tinubu said the friendship he shares with Buhari is one that is centred on nation-building.

The former governor of Lagos said Buhari is democratic and principled despite being a retired general

Those who think there are cracks in our friendship and relationship will continue to be disappointed and have their short-time joy dashed. Ours is not about individuals. It is about integrity and nation-building, Tinubu said.

For us who joined hands with you 20 years ago to reshape Nigeria, to fight corruption, to fight destitution, to fight failure and hunger, we are proud of your achievements.

President Buhari faced the challenges of Nigeria courageously and squarely. You fought hard and worked hard. Nigeria is surviving as a nation and we believe because of constitutional democracy, we would have asked you to stay on, but you said no; you are going back to Daura.

You said there is more to do and you will allow other people to continue. There are few leaders who have faced some challenges, and crises like you did and continue to build infrastructure.

Tinubu said under him, Nigeria would overcome the challenges it is facing.

On his part, Senate President Ahmad Lawan said APC has delivered excellence to the people of Nasarawa.

We are here to celebrate excellence. The people should vote for Asiwaju Tinubu. President Buhari has always come to Nasarawa to commission projects, he said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) did not fail during the last Osun State governorship election.





The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this in an interview with reporters while monitoring the BVAS mock accreditation exercise in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday.





The Osun State Governorship Election Tribunal had sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke for over-voting at over 700 polling units in the 16 July 2022 governorship election in the state.





Speaking on the matter for the first time, Yakubu who clarified that the BVAS machine was not on trial as being insinuated in some quarters, however said the commission had learnt some lessons from the judgement.





According to him, though it is improper to comment on the matter as it is still in court, the commission would use the lessons learnt from the Osun judgement to improve the process for the general elections.





The BVAS never failed anywhere and as you have seen here, the machine actually never failed. I wouldnt like to comment on a matter in court as it is subjudice but in every situation, the commission learns and carries the experience from what has happened to improving the processes for the next election. We have learnt some lessons from what happened and one of the lessons is to be able to transmit the accreditation data.





During this mock exercise, we have assembled result sheets that will transmit the accreditation data but there is no results sheets here because people have not voted. So on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal, we have created a new URL for those of you that are on the IReV portal. And if you go home after 2.30pm, you will see the result of the mock transmitted from the 437 polling units (PUs) nationwide, including the details of accreditation and we are going to transmit both the results on election day and the accreditation figures so that the two will rhyme, Yakubu said.





He said the commission has given Nigerians assurance that on election day, both the accredited data and the actual votes cast will be transmitted simultaneously and accurately.





On the mock accreditation, Yakubu described the process as seamless, saying the commission decided to conduct the exercise to further test the integrity of the machines that would be deployed on election day.





The polling units visited by the INEC chairman were PU018, Post office, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Area 10, and PU03, Near Chief Palace, Bwari Council Area.





The INEC boss also said that there have not been report of failure of the machine from any location where the exercise was conducted.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has reacted to Festus Keyamos description of him as a political prostitute and backstabber.'

Dogara said he also has an uncomplimentary name for Keyamo.

His statement was contained in a post via his Twitter handle on Sunday.

Recall that Keyamo, a Minister of State for Labour and Employment, and spokesman for the Tinubu-Shettima Campaign Council, had in a Tweet on Sunday morning called Dogara a political prostitute, wanderer and back-stabber.

Keyamo was reacting to Dogaras statement in which he referred to President Muhammadu Buharis endorsement of Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, at a campaign in Nasarawa State, as a mockery.

Keyamo wrote: My brother and law schoolmate, @YakubDogara, this tweet is beneath you. You are actually pained by the support of PMB for @officialABAT, two leaders who have stayed true to their beliefs and causes, unlike the political prostitute, wanderer & back-stabber that youve always been.

However, Dogara fired back at Keyamo: My brother, I have a name for you but because its not a good one, I wont say it as a cost of friendship. Yes, we were mates at Law School but I am waiting for you to win a councilorship election first so we can be mates in politics. Learn to punch below your weight category.
Babagana Zulum, Borno governor, has warned that any bank which refuses to dispense new naira notes would have its land revoked by the state government.

Zulum issued the warning on Friday afternoon in Maiduguri, the Borno capital, after visiting branches of banks to assess problems being faced by residents in trying to access new naira notes.

Any bank in Borno state that is not willing to ensure their ATMs are fully dispensing new naira notes to ease the suffering of our people, we will withdraw their land title immediately, Zulum said.

We will only spare banks with genuine constraints that are verifiable.

Zulum said he was unhappy when he saw hundreds of people queuing at a banks branch, with only one out of 10 automated teller machines (ATMs) dispensing cash.

As you can see here, only less privileged people are queued up. I didnt see rich people here, he said.

Many people are said to have been here since 3:00 am, some could not even eat anything.

The new naira note and even the old ones are not available and that is adversely affecting commercial activities in the state and people are suffering.

Speaking further, Zulum said the state government just released salaries of about N5 billion but the banks were not paying customers.

We dont have any problem with the CBN policy or the withdrawal limit, they said individuals can only withdraw N20,000, but why cant everyone have access to that N20,000? he asked.

Yesterday I was in Gubio with a population of over 70,000 people but it was impossible to source N100,000 in the entire local government, neither of the new notes nor the old notes.

The governor urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure the availability of new notes at commercial banks for people to access their money.

Right now in Borno state, I have visited more than ten ATMs and theres no cash, he said.

Last week, Zulum had directed the states ministry of finance to hastily establish branches of Bornos existing microfinance bank across all the 27 LGAs.
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Hey Blake,

A plaque on the Holiday Inn on Loyola Avenue details the history of jazz in the downtown area and says the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club was also nearby. I know Zulu has been on Broad Street for many years. When was it located downtown?

Dear reader,

The Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club was incorporated in 1916. The man who led the effort to incorporate, bar owner John Lucien Metoyer (who later became Zulu president), also had connections to the Perdido Street block where Zulus original clubhouse was established. Some sources even say Zulus founders (members of a group called the Tramps) gathered at Metoyers bar as early as 1909 to flesh out their plans for establishing a club.

According to Mardi Gras Guide publisher Arthur Hardy, Metoyers restaurant and bar at 1127 Perdido St., called the Brown Bomber, adjoined the Zulu club, located at 1125 Perdido. Other sources say that Metoyer lived on the property and his house became the first clubhouse.

A Feb. 5, 1937, Times-Picayune article described it: The club room of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club at 1125 Perdido St., adjoining the barroom of the president, John L. Metoyer, has a piano, a Victrola, several shelves of loving cups, pictures of the kings living and dead and a poker table.

Early parades (which began as King Zulu disembarked from a tugboat on the New Basin Canal) would often end at the clubhouse, just as they do now at the clubhouse on North Broad.

The clubs original building was damaged by fire in 1943. Today the spot is a parking lot. Zulu was without a permanent home until 1978, when the club purchased property near North Broad and Orleans Avenue for a new clubhouse.

This building is the best thing thats happened to the Zulus in recent years, then-Zulu president Roy Glapion Jr. told The Times-Picayune in February 1978.

The two-story building expanded over the years and a separate building, the Walter Coulon Memorabilia Distribution Center, also opened across the street. Coulon was a Zulu member who for many years was custodian of the organizations memorabilia.

In 2014, another Zulu building next door to the clubhouse was named in honor of Glapion, the Zulu president and New Orleans city council member who was elected King Zulu in 2000, shortly before his death.
When the 2,200 members of the Krewe of Cleopatra parade through the streets on Friday, Feb. 10, the krewe will mark its 50th anniversary.

Named for the Egyptian queen of the Nile, the all-female krewe was founded on the West Bank in 1972.

At that time, men had Bacchus and Endymion, co-founder Dolores Tuttie Kepner told The Times-Picayune in 2020. I saw (those parades) and thought it would be nice to have a ladies organization.

Kepner and her sister, Joycelyn Champagne, co-founded the krewe and led it as co-captains until 1975, when Kepner took over full-time.

Their first parade rolled on Feb. 23, 1973, with 250 members on 21 floats depicting the theme Cleopatras Queens and Enchantresses.

For its first decade, the parade rolled through Gretna, then expanded its route into Algiers in 1981. In 2013, Cleopatra moved to the Uptown parade route.

Kepner died in 2020. The krewes Queen Tutt triple-tandem float pays tribute to her. The krewe is now led by Kepners daughter, Colleen Johnson.
Foliage-draped cross and flowers, and signs with the writing washed away by rain, mark a spot on Burbank Drive near where Madison Brooks, the 19-year-old LSU sophomore who was raped in the back of a car before being dropped off in a nearby neighborhood, was fatally struck by a car on Burbank Drive about an hour later, around 2:50 a.m. on Jan. 15, authorities said. She had been drinking at Reggie's bar before the incident, and deputies said Brooks had a blood-alcohol level of .319, nearly four times the legal limit to drive and enough to give someone alcohol poisoning and render them unconscious.
Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.

This famous quote by the legendary Mark Twain, who died in 1910, has been analysed by scholars and philosophers for more than a century. I was reminded of the American writers immortal words this past week, as the drama around the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Troika Extraordinary Summit unfolded. The high-profile meeting was held in Windhoek, Namibia, where Prime Minister (PM) Cleopas Sipho Dlamini represented His Majesty the King. I have no reason to doubt any of the statements Dlamini made when he addressed leaders at the summit.

Most of it was what we already knew as a nation anyway. The PM told leaders that Eswatini was still committed to holding the national dialogue that is hoped to bring an end to the political impasse that has gripped the country since June 2021. However, he reiterated the well-known government stance that the national dialogue would only take place when the State could ensure the safety of all those who wish to take part in the process. He said all participants needed to feel free to exercise their right to freedom of speech and association, regardless of their ideology. I had a bit of a problem with this particular submission, as contained in the PMs Political and Security Situation Report. Yes, I fully concur with his assertion that currently, most emaSwati feel unsafe. We can all agree that it has become quite a challenge for one to make known his or her views on the political situation in Eswatini. We are all walking on eggshells. One is always alive to the fact that whatever one says could aggravate either side of the political divide.

Threats

Coupled with the real danger we all witnessed during the Incwala Ceremony, as people who innocently participated in this cultural event were shot, the safety of those who would participate in the dialogue cannot really be guaranteed. Threats are still flying all over social media, especially Facebook. They come from both political camps, with some people branded Mangololo if they so much as say anything positive about the current administration. Mangololo is the name of a pro-Tinkhundla organisation formed shortly after the June/July 2021 riots. The emerging trend of attacks against pro-change activists has not made things easier. Some have been attacked in their homes and shots fired at their houses while two have been killed in cold blood. I am referring to Swazis First Democratic Fronts Muzi Mmema and Human Rights Lawyer Thulani Maseko.

There is clearly a growing sense of impunity in the kingdom, instilling fear among citizens. Nobody knows who will target them, when and for what. So yes, it could be a challenge to hold the dialogue within the current atmosphere. My concern, however, is that the PMs statement did not inspire hope in terms of when this particular aura of fear could be over. It is the duty of the State to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, but Dlamini was not specific on how government planned to deal with this challenge decisively. Instead, he vaguely said in the meantime, government would continue to broaden back-channel engagements to bring an end to the violence.

guidelines

Maybe my English is too shallow to understand this but I felt this statement was not specific enough. It did not provide the necessary details for the nation to know exactly what was being done and how long it would take. The PM also said Eswatini was working together with its international partners on guidelines to put in place modalities for convening the national dialogue. Again, I wondered why government was only engaging international partners when the most important stakeholders were the locals who are calling for constitutional changes.

These are the people government should embrace as its partners because after all, they are citizens of this country. They are here to stay and will suffer the consequences of any bad decision and rejoice when things go well. These people are known. Their representatives walk the streets of the countrys towns and cities every day. Why is government not engaging them on the guidelines to put in place modalities for convening the national dialogue? What if they later reject the guidelines that would have been drafted for the dialogue, citing the fact that they were never engaged in their preparation?

It was the same Mark Twain who said, If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter. He was emphasising on the importance of being brief when delivering an important message. His words were specifically directed at world leaders who generally make long speeches that lack significant content. Twains advice was that it was better to spend more time planning and preparing your speech, so that you make it short but powerful instead of making a long-winded address that bores your audience. That is why I will quickly move on to my last point and ask the PM if he thinks we deserve to know the whole truth regarding the safety and security of national elections vis-a-vis the dialogue.

dialogue

On his return from Namibia on Wednesday, Dlamini told journalists that government was already preparing for the general elections to be held later this year. He said elections would go ahead because they were not as risky as the national dialogue. I am finding this hard to believe because more people will participate in the elections than the national dialogue, which would presumably only be attended by representatives of all social and political groupings. Government should guard against validating the growing narrative that it wants to delay the dialogue at all costs. In my books, it would be easier to ensure safety during the dialogue than the elections. After what we saw during Incwala, when people were shot at merely for participating, who is to say those who will accept nomination or line up to vote will not be attacked? If elections will be safe, so will the national dialogue.
MBABANE  Government has given an indication of the format that the much-anticipated national dialogue will take.

Following the statement presented by Prime Minister (PM) Cleopas Dlamini at the Extra-Ordinary Summit of the Organ Troika plus the Kingdom of Eswatini held in Windhoek, Namibia, on Tuesday, the Times SUNDAY posed questions to government regarding the dialogue. The questions were mostly based on the PM having informed the summit that as part of putting in place the modalities for convening a national dialogue, extensive use was made of the National Dialogue Handbook  A guide for practitioners compiled by the Berghof Foundation in cooperation with the Swiss Peace Foundation recommended by international partners. This handbook provides 14 parameters of a successful national dialogue and three of these are; convener, topic and security guarantee. Government Press Secretary Alpheous Nxumalo was asked as to whether consideration had been given as to who the convener of the national dialogue could be.

legitimate and impartial

The handbook recommends that it has to be a person considered a legitimate and an impartial actor by all sides. In response, Nxumalo first indicated that the handbook was just a small part of many other literature reviews that government has carried out. He said as per the PMs indication to the summit, guidelines would also be drawn-out from the countrys rich history of conducting successive national dialogues. He then said: There is no consideration on who could be the person to act as a convener for the national dialogue. Remember, the nations dialogues are conducted at eSibayeni and extend to the various tinkhundla centres. Sibaya is only summoned by the King, who also is the Chairman of Sibaya, although often times he would delegate this responsibility to tindvuna. In a joint statement issues in November 2021, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa and His Majesty the King agreed that the process towards the national dialogue would take into account and incorporate structures and processes enshrined in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini, including the role of the Parliament of the kingdom, and the Sibaya convened by the Monarch.

advisory council

The countrys Constitution, in Section 32 (1), (2) and (3) states: The people through Sibaya constitute the highest policy and advisory council (Libandla) of the nation. The Sibaya is the Swazi National Council constituted by Bantfwabenkhosi, the tikhulu of the realm and all adult citizens gathered at the official residence of the Ndlovukazi under the chairmanship of iNgwenyama who may delegate this function to any official. Sibaya functions as the annual general meeting of the nation but may be convened at any time to present the views of the nation on pressing and controversial national issues. On the topic, Nxumalo was asked if consideration had been given on the issue that needed to be deliberated on during the dialogue, looking at the fact that the handbook states that the topic must be of high importance (national) importance and relevance, getting to the very heart of the matters troubling the country at that time; and that simultaneously, the national dialogue should not be overloaded with an unrealistic set of issues.

canvass the issues

The people themselves will canvass the issues that need to be deliberated on, Nxumalo said, and continued: This usually happens during the sessions of Sibaya, before His Majesty appoints a commission that shall conduct the consultative nationwide exercise. It is not only one person or groups that shall determine the issues/agenda for the national dialogue. The consultative nationwide exercise is commonly known as Vusela Commission. The first Vusela to be commissioned by His Majesty King Mswati III was in 1991, which was chaired by Prince Masitsela, and its main role was to consult the Eswatini citizens whether they wanted the Tinkhundla system established in 1978 to continue or have it abolished. After collating the opinions submitted to the Vusela, Prince Masitsela reported that a majority of emaSwati wanted the Tinkhundla system to continue.

The second Vusela was commissioned by His Majesty in 1992 and it was chaired by Prince Mahlalengangeni; its responsibility was to review the submissions made by the nation to the Prince Masitsela-led commission. It also had to receive written and oral submissions from the nation on the countrys political and electoral systems. This second Vusela is considered the most defining moment in the countrys politics as it is through it that emaSwati called for a written Constitution and also that the electoral college system of voting should be abolished in favour of direct representation through voting by the secret ballot.

written Constitution

The process to have a written Constitution only ensued in 1996 when His Majesty appointed the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) that was headed by Prince Mangaliso (Chief Logcogco). This CRC worked for six years until His Majesty appointed the Prince David-led Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) in February 2002. After three years, Prince David presented the Constitution to His Majesty and the nation at Sibaya in 2005. At the SADC Organ Troika Summit, the PM said since His Majesty ascended the throne in 1986; various initiatives had been held, with dialogue at their core. He listed these initiatives to include: 1992 Tinkhundla Review Commission; 1996 Constitutional Review Commission; 2002 Constitutional Drafting Committee; 2003 Draft Constitution for public review and comment; 2004 Swaziland Constitution Bill; and the 2005 Swaziland Constitution. The PM also told the summit that preparations for Sibaya were halted by politically-related violent activities, which included the killing of Sate security officers, the killing of members of the public and arson attacks.

On the parameter of security guarantee, the handbook outlines that ongoing violence, banning of opposing groups, curtailing of media freedom and political killings all undermine the credibility of national dialogues. It says national stakeholders participating in national dialogues should have space to operate freely and autonomously without fearing political persecution. The Times SUNDAY asked Nxumalo what measure would be used to determine that the violence had subsided and dialogue could be convened. When there are no longer people killed randomly or assassinated for their respective political, professional and cultural choices, and there are no acts of vandalism to properties, no threats or intimidation, then government would make the proper determination on when dialogue can be convened, the government spokesperson responded.

unban the political groups

He was then asked if there was any possibility that government would unban the political groups that are proscribed so as to allow for a smooth dialogue process. To this, Nxumalo said: The national dialogue is not for groups, banned or unbanned. It is a dialogue for all emaSwati. Pertaining to curtailing media freedom, he said the media would be allowed to continue to cover all matters of public interest in the country as has always been the case. Government believes that there is no restriction imposed on the media even now. So, why then, if the media is duly carrying out its reporting business freely today? he said. Asked when it was likely that the preparations for the dialogue would resume and the possibility of making public the identities of members of the preparatory committee, Nxumalo said: Government will indicate to the public as to when preparations have resumed and the identities of those tasked with that responsibility may be made known depending on their safety and protection.

He added by stating that no committee had been appointed as such, but only a working team doing some preliminary research on how best a national dialogue could be convened and conducted. This was after he had been asked about the inclusiveness of this committees composition. At the SADC Organ Troika Extra-Ordinary Summit, the PM stated that the country was open to engaging in dialogue to find common ground and resolve differences and to enable the Constitution to evolve with the times so that it continues to meet the aspirations of the majority of the people. He said this needed to be achieved by people who had stood for election and gained the support in parliament that is necessary to bring about the constitutional changes they aspired for. The PM said this was the process followed in every civilized society.
Former CIA agent turned freelance assassin Court Gentry is back in Burner, the 12th espionage/thriller Gray Man series by author Mark Greaney.

This time around, Gentry is sent after a trove of files stolen from a Swiss bank detailing Russian bribes to world leaders and influencers in the West says Greaney, a New York Times bestselling author. And he must bring the information to light before a cynical peace treaty can be signed that will protect Russian government and mafia interests at the expense of Ukrainian lives and territory.

Theres a lot going on not just with Court but with Greaney. His first book, The Gray Man, was made into a movie which streams on Netflix and stars Ryan Gosling as Gentry and Chris Evans in the role of Lloyd Hansen, Courts former CIA cohort turned nemesis. The most-watched Netflix movie of 2022, its currently the fourth most watched original film in Netflixs history and a sequel is already on the horizon.

But at times Greaney thought hed never see the movie get made.

I was the last person on Earth to believe it was ever going to happen, he says. Id initially optioned the film rights in 2009 and had seen 4 scripts from multiple studios and probably 8-10 actors expressing interest over the years, and everything had fallen through, so even when I heard Ryan Gosling was taking the role and Netflix was putting up the money for the Russos to direct, I just assumed something was going to derail the project before it came out. Seeing it was surreal, to be sure. I enjoyed it and had no problems with all the ways the film was different from the book. For an author a film is just a really big-budget commercial for their writing, and I know folks who pick up the books after seeing the film are in for a lot of surprises.

Not a bad outcome for a first novel that took 15 years to write and then was rejected by nine publishers before being accepted by the 10th.

Greaney, who has a degree in international relations and political science, was inspired by the author Tom Clancy and was thrilled when asked to work with the author in 2011. That experience helped shape his future writings.

My style has definitely matured with time, but most strikingly so when I began working with Tom, says Greaney. I wrote three books with Tom and continued the Jack Ryan series with four more after his death, and consequently my Gray Man books became larger in scope, deeper in current international affairs. I do a little more outlining now than I did in the past; Im less seat-of-the-pants and more of a plotter.

That said, maintaining a long running series can be daunting.

Every book seems harder to write than the last, says Greaney. I feel like I have lots of big macro story ideas, general plots or objectives or hurdles for my hero to tackle, but the micro aspect; the actions scenes, how the character gets from point A to point B, how the villain dispatches his victims, etcetera, is harder, because I always want to keep the stories and ideas fresh. The way to combat this is by reading, meeting people in military, law enforcement, and intelligence, and going to locations to get new ideas and inspiration.

FYI: Online & Facebook Author Event- Mark Greaney discusses Burner: A Gray Man Novel with guest host Kyle Mills from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern on Feb. 20. Cost is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/events/870700067570190
Japan PM sacks top aide over anti-LGBT comments

Xinhua) 10:58, February 05, 2023

TOKYO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday that he has fired Masayoshi Arai as secretary to him over discriminatory remarks against sexual minorities.

Kishida, who has recently expressed caution over legalizing same-sex marriage, told reporters that he took the issue "very seriously" and that Arai's successor has already been decided.

"Executive secretary Arai's remarks totally contradict the government's policy and are inexcusable," said the prime minister.

Arai, an elite bureaucrat from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) who serves as an executive secretary to the prime minister, said during an off-the-record conversation with reporters the previous day that he would "not want to live next door" to an LGBT couple and that he would "hate even to see them."

Arai also said that if same-sex marriage is introduced in Japan, it would "change the way society is" and that "there are quite a few people who would abandon this country."

Arai quickly retracted the comments on Friday after they were made public by the media and apologized, adding that the remarks did not reflect Kishida's own thinking.

Arai, 55-year-old, was appointed an executive secretary to the prime minister in October 2021, when the Kishida administration took office, from his post as director-general of the commerce and information policy bureau at the METI.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
MBABANE  Energy regulator ESERA has advised against the total unbundling of power utility EEC.

Had the regulator recommended the total unbundling, this would have seen the Eswatini Electricity Company(EEC) being broken into three different companies; one responsible for generation, another for transmission and the third for distribution. Instead, the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) has recommended a ring-fencing of these three units so that each one of them will have its own financial accounts. Simphiwe Khumalo, ESERAs General Manager (GM) Technical Regulation, informed editors during a breakfast meeting on Wednesday, that even though governments policy suggests unbundling, they conducted a study which the outcome found that this would not be favourable. We found that in as much as unbundling has benefits, the size of our power utility does not justify unbundling to the extent that the power utility has separate companies, he said. He admitted though that they had not gone into detail in analysing the benefits of the total unbundling on its own.

As opposed to the total unbundling, what they then came up with, Khumalo said, was financial unbundling where the accounting could be separated and narrowed down to the key divisions of EEC. Rather than to have three companies with three CEOs, three executives and three boards, we found it would be better to do financial unbundling. The accounting of these three units should be separated so that profits and losses, and opportunities of actually finding efficiencies can be narrowed down to each of these key divisions, the GM said.

He said they thought this was a good middle ground to enable the regulator to make assessments that were more focused on the additional cost of running separate institutions. So what we did as the regulator, subsequent to the study, was to develop ring-fencing guidelines that detail how they must each report their finances to the regulator, he said.

implementation

Khumalo said the document was now available as the exercise was completed in 2021 and awaited implementation. He said they had learnt lessons from South Africa power utility Eskom, which has been holistically blamed for poor performance that has resulted to implementation of endless stages of load-shedding yet it was only the generation division that is performing poorly. In 2019, it was disclosed that embattled Eskom would be split into three separate entities  generation, transmission and distribution  in an effort to bring credibility to the turnaround of the utility and to position South Africas power sector for the future. However, this has still not been implemented. An opinion piece published in the Business Day on January 16, 2023, apportioned blame on Cabinet ministers for having let down President Cyril Ramaphosa on the unbundling of Eskom.

In the presidents February 2019 state of the nation address, he announced that Eskom would be split into three separate entities: generation, transmission and distribution, with the initial focus on taking transmission out of Eskom. In the opinion piece, which was penned by Professor Anton Eberhard, who in December 2018, was appointed to chair an Eskom sustainability task team with a remit to respond not only to immediate challenges, but also to propose measures to secure the long-term sustainability of the electricity sector. The task team recommended the unbundling that Ramaphosa announced but it has still not been implemented and he blames, among others, Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan. On Friday, Moneyweb reported that the Eskom board had, in light of the imminent unbundling of Eskom, decided not to fill the position of chief operating officer currently held by Jan Oberholzer.

This was disclosed by board member Mteto Nyati on Thursday during a media briefing providing an update about the challenges the power system is facing.

Meanwhile, locally the decision not to unbundle EEC has been further confirmed by ESERA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sikhumbuzo Tsabedze, in a subsequent interview. He also mentioned that as the regulator they had already developed guidelines on how this separation could best be implemented. This will create a lot of efficiency in the sense that all three units will have their separate accounts and will report their costs separately. When the time for an award comes, we will also award each one of them separately in accordance with how they have performed, Tsabedze said.

According to the National Energy Policy (NEP) of 2018, The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy developed legislation to govern the electricity sector in order to liberalise the electricity supply industry in Eswatini. The pieces of legislation that were promulgated as part of the unbundling process were: The Electricity Act of 2007; the Swaziland Electricity Company Act of 2007; and the Swaziland Energy Regulatory Authority Act of 2007. The promulgation of the Electricity Act of 2007 and the Swaziland Electricity Company Act of 2007 transformed the Swaziland Electricity Board into the Eswatini Electricity Company (SEC).

Further, the Swaziland Energy Regulatory Authority Act of 2007 created the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA), to regulate developments in the liberalised energy sector.

As per the NEP, the driving force behind the enactment of this electricity legislation was to ensure participation of the private sector in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. The policy states that the generation component of the electricity supply industry in Eswatini is already fairly deregulated, as is apparent from the existence of two independent power producers (IPPs) and a range of private entities that are in the process of developing projects. It further states that further work had been done to enhance IPP participation in the generation of electricity.
Jerry Davich Jerrys career began in 1995 as a political cartoonist/columnist with The Times of NWI, writing thousands of columns and stories through narrative storytelling, or shining a light on societys darkest corners, or provoking unpopular conversations. Follow Jerry Davich Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

U.S. Steel workers and retirees share conflicting perspectives regarding allegations of past racism and discrimination at the Gary Works plant.

I have to take issue with some of the statements in the article, John G. wrote to me in a letter regarding my Jan. 16 column.

It shared the experiences of Dennis Whittington, a U.S. Steel retiree who recalled racist behavior and discriminatory incidents at that steel mill during his time there  especially early in his career in the late 1970s when he heard the N-word from a white supervisor on his first day at work.

This was the norm. Its just the way it was, he told me.

Several former U.S. Steel workers contacted me to disagree.

The article has a big slant against U.S. Steel as a corporation still fostering segregation, even in the late 1970's, John G., of Chesterton, wrote. I don't buy that at all, as I have plenty of experience in U.S. Steel as a line foreman and middle manager for 34 years, plus five more years of consulting.

I would hope you will find a way to present the other side of the story someday, he added.

Today is that day.

What Dennis Whittington experienced at U.S. Steel cant be a representation of the whole steel industry, Walt O., another reader, wrote via email. I started in 1974 at Inland Steel, one of 25,000 employees. In the department I hired in, the assistant superintendent, a mechanical foreman, and a labor foreman were Black.

Everyone ate in the same lunchrooms together, showered in the same locker rooms together, he wrote. Sure, it wasn't a perfect place, but the world isn't perfect. I was told by a manager, I will hire, fire and promote diversity over you. Prejudice never keeps a good man down.

Racial prejudice didnt keep Whittington down. But it created race-related problems that his white coworkers didnt have to deal with. Nor did many of them notice. This is a common blind spot about racism and discrimination, even in its subtlest form. What one person is forced to experience, another person may never realize is even taking place.

All of us have racial, cultural or lifestyle blind spots that cause us to miss things that others must endure. This still holds true these days. For example, people in the LGBTQ community and the Asian American community, as well as any other marginalized group that lives in America the Bigoted, experience oppression.

Considering that the (U.S. Steel) plant is in the heart of Gary, Indiana, I was shocked at how 'white' it was. I met very few blacks, another former worker wrote to me. I worked there a couple of years ago as a contractor doing inspection work. That put me in many places around the plant.

There was definitely a culture that supported (former President Donald) Trump and Republicans and all the hate that came with that, he wrote. I actually quit because of the people in my own company who practically worshiped Fox News.

Regarding cultural blind spots, a few readers noticed in one of the photos from my column on Whittington that he and his adult sons all displayed the same hand gesture.

I am not trying to be controversial but it appears they are displaying that upside down OK symbol, a white power secret sign, Martha M. wrote to me. I am confused as to why these three would be using it, and why this picture would be used with the article. It seems to be a disconnect.

Their hand gesture represented the Gary Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, the first incorporated Black fraternity in the nation, granted a charter by the Indiana secretary of state in 1911.

I had no idea, another reader told me after I explained it.

Kappa Alpha Psi is an all-Black college fraternity founded in 1911 at Indiana University in Bloomington amid an environment saturated in racism, according to its website.

The state of Indiana became a stronghold for the Ku Klux Klan. Bloomington was largely populated by settlers from below the Mason-Dixon Line and therefore found many sympathizers of the Southern cause, the site states. Consequently, the few Blacks who took up residence in Bloomington in those early years were socially ostracized and encountered extreme acts of prejudice and discrimination.

The IU campus at that time did not encourage the assimilation of Black people, who comprised only 1% of the student body.

Most of them were working their way through school, the site states. The number of places where they might assemble was limited. Realizing they had no part in the social life of the university and drawn together by common interests, they decided that a Greek-letter fraternity would do much to fill the missing link in their college existence.

The fraternitys initial name, Kappa Alpha Nu, encountered a racially-motivated metamorphosis when one of its members was running the hurdles one day at IU. Another member overheard a white student call the frat Kappa Alpha N--.

You should share this little fact with your readers for Black History Month, a reader told me.

And so I am.

Fast forward from IU in the early 20th century to U.S. Steel in the early 21st century, and that letter I received from a former employee.

If any supervisor in any of the scores of departments I worked in had ever used the N word to an employee, he would have been fired, he wrote. Where Dennis Whittington experienced what he says I have no idea, but I hate to see USS dragged through the mud.

I heard this from a few readers. And I understand. Nonetheless, lets keep in mind that this broader topic has been dragged through the mud for more than a century, and yet here we are still learning about our different perspectives.
MUNSTER  A man who rammed into police vehicles and was subsequently shot at by a Munster police officer Wednesday faces multiple felony charges.

Roy Viverette, 30, of Hammond, was charged with multiple felonies including theft, auto theft, criminal recklessness, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and resisting law enforcement, Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said in a statement issued Saturday.

Munster Police Chief Steven Scheckel said the officer who fired the gun will remain on paid administrative leave until police complete their investigation.

Munster officers were searching for a stolen vehicle in the area of Ridge Road and Manor Avenue when they located the stolen Jeep Grand Cherokee at a Mobil gas station. As police entered the gas station parking lot, Viverette got into the Jeep and hit multiple police cars with the vehicle, Fifield said Thursday.

The Munster officer shot at the vehicle, striking the windshield. Viverette ran out of the vehicle heading west, Fifield said, as police pursued him. He was Tased by police and given first aid at the scene before he was taken to a hospital. Once medically cleared, he was transported to Lake County Jail.
In December, 190 countries reached a monumental conservation agreement that would preserve at least 30% of the world's lands and oceans by 2030. The U.S. was not an official participant of the United Nations agreement, but local environmentalists want to bring the 30x30 commitment to Lake County.

"The bottom line is, Do we want to share our county land with wildlife?" Jake Cseke of Hobart asked. "That's what it really comes down to, do we want them to be present in our future or do we want to just wipe them all out."

Cseke and Connie Wachala of Highland have been pushing county leaders to pass a resolution committing to protect at least 30% of Lake County's land and waterways by 2030. However, preserving that much land in the face of rapid urban sprawl has proven to be an uphill battle.

Cseke and Wachala proposed the idea during an April presentation to the Lake County Council. Cseke explained that of Lake County's 320,000 acres, urban space makes up about 47% and protected natural areas make up 4.7%.

The rapid development of Lake County has already reduced the number of plants and animals in Northwest Indiana; a 2014 report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that the threat status for coastal wetlands in the southern basin of Lake Michigan is "very high" and the threat level for native migratory fish in the southern basin is "high."

The Region has long been known for its rare dune and swale ecosystem and unique plant life.

Indiana Dunes is the fourth-most biologically diverse national park and is home to more than 1,100 flowering plant species and ferns. About 350 bird species either inhabit or migrate through Northwest Indiana every year. However, highways, industrialization and sprawling housing developments have fragmented much of the Region's important habitat, particularly in the northern corner of Lake County.

Habitat fragmentation is one of the largest threats to wildlife populations as it isolates species, disconnecting them from important sources of food and shelter. The North American bird population has decreased by about 3 billion breeding adults since 1970.

"It's kind of devastating once you start digging into it," Cseke said. "Most people look at the value of things in money, and it's not all about money. It's about human wellness. It's about sharing our world with the plants and animals that have lived here indefinitely."

With ever-rising property prices and a growing population, Wachala and Cseke recognize that asking the county to preserve large swaths of land may sound extreme. However, Cseke said the 30x30 goal can be achieved through a patchwork of land conservation efforts, such as county and city parks, sustainable farms and land trusts.

The majority of Lake County's small slice of protected land, 42%, is owned by the Lake County Parks Department. Creating more county parks is a great way to reach the 30x30 goal, Cseke said, especially in more industrialized parts of the Region where there is less access to green space.

"We don't want to stop development, but we want a balance between development and natural spaces," Wachala explained. "Those kinds of spaces are so important to not just our physical well-being, but for our mental health."

Increasing the number of outdoor recreation areas in Lake County would also help the local economy.

Wachala said she often travels to Porter, LaPorte or Will counties to go on hikes. Afterwards she'll usually check out a local restaurant, meaning tourism dollars that could have been spent in Lake County go to neighboring communities.

City-owned parks can count toward the 30x30 goal, although Cseke said most parks consist of non-native grasses and trees, which don't do much to promote biodiversity.

"If you have just a grassy field, there's very little insects, there's very few birds. Hardly any animals are using that land to their benefit," he said. "But if you start to have native trees, shrubs and pollinator strips or native perennials on there, you start to have visitation by pollinators, bees, wasps, other insects."

It's all about ensuring that land has an "ecological function," something that improves the areas, Cseke said. In practice, ecological functions can be native grasses with deep root systems that store carbon, ultimately reducing air pollution, or regenerative farms that build up organic matter, improving overall soil health.

As more farmland is sold to developers, Cseke said, the county could encourage landowners to donate property to local organizations that will ensure its continued protections, such as the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Shirley Heinze Land Trust, the Lake Heritage Parks Foundation or the Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission.

Another option for landowners is the use of conservation easements. When a property owner enters into a conservation easement, they retain private ownership rights, although limitations are placed on the future use of the land, ensuring that it does not become developed.

Beyond biodiversity, protecting natural spaces can help make communities more resilient to changing climate conditions.

Flooding has long been an issue in Northwest Indiana. According to a report from Purdue University, extreme rainfall has increased over the past 100 years. By mid-century, Indiana is expected to see 6% to 8% more rainfall than it averaged in the recent past, making flooding problems even worse.

Strategically conserving wetlands and properties that contain waterways will reduce runoff as rainwater will be able to slowly percolate into the earth. The dense vegetation in wetlands and along stream banks also helps filter water.

Cseke said many of the values laid out in 30x30 align with Lake County's Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

Adopted in 2018, one of the comprehensive plan's stated goals is to "encourage sustainable development by protecting natural resources, limiting the impacts of development, and maintaining quality of life for rural communities."

Wachala and Cseke plan on meeting with county leaders again in the coming months.

"Stay tuned," Wachala said. "We're persistent."

Close Jennifer Kanine, left, and Diana Ramirez examine grains of wild rice while doing research at the Indiana Dunes National Park. The goal of the research is to determine what conditions the rice does best in. Jennifer Kanine, director of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi's Department of Natural Resources, began researching mnomen at the Indiana Dunes National Park in 2016. Diana Ramirez, left, and Jennifer Kanine are conducting research on wild rice in the Indiana Dunes National Park. The research project began in 2016 after the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi launched efforts to reintroduce the plant. Decades of development and the loss of wetlands have caused wild rice numbers to dwindle. Wild rice is an important keystone species and a valuable source of fiber and antioxidants. Jennifer Kanine researches wild rice at the Indiana Dunes National Park. Jennifer Kanine shows grains of wild rice while doing research at the Indiana Dunes National Park. PHOTOS: Wild rice research at Indiana Dunes National Park Jennifer Kanine, left, and Diana Ramirez examine grains of wild rice while doing research at the Indiana Dunes National Park. The goal of the research is to determine what conditions the rice does best in. Jennifer Kanine, director of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi's Department of Natural Resources, began researching mnomen at the Indiana Dunes National Park in 2016. Diana Ramirez, left, and Jennifer Kanine are conducting research on wild rice in the Indiana Dunes National Park. The research project began in 2016 after the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi launched efforts to reintroduce the plant. Decades of development and the loss of wetlands have caused wild rice numbers to dwindle. Wild rice is an important keystone species and a valuable source of fiber and antioxidants. Jennifer Kanine researches wild rice at the Indiana Dunes National Park. Jennifer Kanine shows grains of wild rice while doing research at the Indiana Dunes National Park.
SCHERERVILLE  This is the closest Ill come to God, someone said Friday in the narthex of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church. A friend nodded affirmatively.

Moments later, the spiritual shepherd of millions walked through the church door.

Patriarch Porfirije, the leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church, stopped by Northwest Indiana as part of his visit to the United States from Jan. 24 to Feb. 5.

The patriarch presided over a prayer service Friday at St. George, followed by dinner at the Halls of St. George.

Make sure you are always going to be in my heart, Porfirije said through an interpreter. Even when I go back to the old country, you will be locked in my heart.

The patriarch encouraged the assembly to always grasp their Serbian Orthodox heritage.

Your faith has molded you into a special people of God, he said. Without our faith, we would not be what we have become.

Porfirije also stressed that if people turn to God with good intentions, they will not be disappointed.

Everything we ask should have a priority  the kingdom of heaven and justice of God, the patriarch said. If Christ is your priority, everything will come to you in the proper place, sooner or later. With Christ, ... we are always going to be winners. Without God, we can do nothing.

Porfirije also visited St. Sava Church in New York, which is under reconstruction after it was destroyed by fire in 2018. The patriarch also celebrated the feast of St. Sava, the 13th-century saint venerated as the founder of the independent SOC.

The patriarch met with staff and students at the St. Sava Orthodox School of Theology in Libertyville, Illinois, the only higher education institution of the Serbian Orthodox faith in North America.

Other stops included Grayslake, Illinois; Chicago; Milwaukee; and back to New York for the return trip Sunday.

Wherever we are in the church, we are home, Porfirije said. Every single church is our home, no matter where we live.

Porfirije is the spiritual leader of 8 million Serbian Orthodox faithful in Serbia, the other former Yugoslav republics, Kosovo and dioceses in the U.S., Australia and Eastern Europe.

Northwest Indiana has four Serbian Orthodox churches: St. Elijah and St. Sava in Merrillville, and St. George in Schererville and East Chicago.

The former Prvoslav Peric, 61, was elected the 46th patriarch of the SOC on Feb. 18, 2021. His U.S. visit also raised funds for Serbian monasteries overseas.

I beg you to always be led by the spirit of unity, unity in Christ, Porfirije said. Be ready to forgive each other. That was the main message of St. Sava.

Led by Dr. Janice Zunich Katich, the St. George choir performed during the prayer service.

This is an enormous honor to have our patriarch come to the U.S., Katich said. Its an opportunity to show where we came from and for him to give us a blessing.

Young people dressed in traditional Serbian garb lined the aisle into the church. Two youths, Vorana Reljic, 17, and Milana Bjelobaba, 19, presented Porfirije with special bread and salt, symbols of hospitality.

We were very honored, the girls agreed.

Talia Flores, 13, added, We are so honored he came to our church. For older people, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Rev. Serge Veselinovich, from St. George in East Chicago, cited the opportunity to meet our spiritual father. This can keep us strong, more united.

Goran Suvajlo, president of St. George in Schererville, said the patriarchs visit means everything to Serbian Christians, Orthodox Christians. Its a gift to see him.

Dr. Davor Gusak came to the U.S. in 1998 as a Bosnian refugee. Through the patriarchs local stop, Gusak said, he recognizes our parish and took time to visit us. That means the world to us.

PHOTOS: Patriarch Porfirije visits Northwest Indiana for the first time His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije visits Northwest Indiana for the first time at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church following major newsworthy visits to Chicago, New York and Milwaukee. His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije visits Northwest Indiana for the first time at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church following major newsworthy visits to Chicago, New York and Milwaukee. His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije visits Northwest Indiana for the first time at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church following major newsworthy visits to Chicago, New York and Milwaukee. His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije visits Northwest Indiana for the first time at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church following major newsworthy visits to Chicago, New York and Milwaukee. His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije visits Northwest Indiana for the first time at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church following major newsworthy visits to Chicago, New York and Milwaukee. His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije visits Northwest Indiana for the first time at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church following major newsworthy visits to Chicago, New York and Milwaukee. His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije visits Northwest Indiana for the first time at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church following major newsworthy visits to Chicago, New York and Milwaukee. His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije visits Northwest Indiana for the first time at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church following major newsworthy visits to Chicago, New York and Milwaukee.
INDIANAPOLIS  I spent my first 10 years living in Michigan City, which is 35 nautical miles from Chicago. I was a Cold War kid. Our bogeyman was Soviet General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev, who made a lasting impression when he took off his shoe at the United Nations, hammering the podium while threatening to "bury" the U.S.

At Edgewood Elementary School, we practiced nuclear drills (along with fire drills). Downtown Michigan City had "fallout shelters" marked with yellow and black signs. After the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, my father, Jack Howey, who was city editor of the News-Dispatch, didn't betray his emotions to the family, but later described several sleepless nights during that 13-day crisis. I remember my first grade teacher telling us that President Kennedy was going to address the nation. She had a worried look on her face.

I conjure these events and images because here in 2023, we find ourselves once again on the nuclear straight-razor. Last week, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, a top ally of President Putin who now serves as deputy chairman of the Security Council, posted on Telegram: "It never occurs to any of the lowlifes to draw an elementary conclusion from this: The defeat of a nuclear power in a conventional war can trigger a nuclear war. Nuclear powers have not lost major conflicts on which their fate depended."

That is just one in a continuum of reckless nuclear saber-rattling from the Putin regime as it flounders in its war with Ukraine, a conflict it picked and is now losing. The Guardian reported that the Kremlin is now deploying Pantsir defensive missile intercept systems around Moscow and near Putin's dacha.

The Daily Beast reported that Ukrainian authorities are now saying that Russias biggest cities are bound to suffer attacks. Internal escalation of the war in Russia is inevitable, said Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president, told The Daily Beast.

This past week, President Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO have agreed to send Abrams and Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. The German Leopards will be delivered in a couple of months, in time for an expected Spring offensive that could determine the fate of this brutal war. These tanks have the ability to do what the first key advocate of the tank during World War I  First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill  envisioned, which is to break across trenched "no man's land."

This past week, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced that its 2023 Doomsday Clock has been set forward to the closest to catastrophe it has ever been, just 90 seconds before midnight.

The horrific war in Ukraine has increased the risk of nuclear weapons use, raised the specter of biological and chemical weapons use, hamstrung the worlds response to climate change, and hampered international efforts to deal with other global concerns, the Bulletin stated. Russias thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict  by accident, intention, or miscalculation  is a terrible risk. The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyones control remains high.

No one can do this alone, but everyone can do something, said the Bulletins President and CEO Rachel Bronson. We hope that the moving of the clock is a motivator that we all need to pay attention to these key issues.

Eric Schlosser, author of "Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety and Fast Food Nation" writes in The Atlantic: "Several scenarios for how Russia might soon use a nuclear weapon seem possible: (1) a detonation over the Black Sea, causing no casualties but demonstrating a resolve to cross the nuclear threshold and signaling that worse may come, (2) a decapitation strike against the Ukrainian leadership, attempting to kill President Volodymyr Zelensky and his advisers in their underground bunkers, (3) a nuclear assault on a Ukrainian military target, perhaps an air base or a supply depot, that is not intended to harm civilians, and (4) the destruction of a Ukrainian city, causing mass civilian casualties and creating terror to precipitate a swift surrender  the same aims that motivated the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki."

"Any response by the Biden administration would be based not only on how Russia uses a nuclear weapon against Ukraine but also, more important, on how Russias future behavior might be affected by the American response," Schlosser adds. "Vladimir Putin can determine if, when, and where a nuclear attack occurs in Ukraine. But he cannot control what happens after that. The consequences of that choice, the series of events that would soon unfold, are unknowable. One thing is clear, after all my discussions with experts in the field: We must be ready for hard decisions, with uncertain outcomes, that nobody should ever have to make."

Should we be losing sleep over this reckless rhetoric of the despot Putin and Dmitry Medvedev as this war worsens?

Well, perhaps.

This is not a situation for overt panic, but reasonable concern. It means having discussions with your family, friends and co-workers about what to do, where to go, and how to communicate should such a crisis develop.
Staff Photographer

John began his career as a photojournalist at The Times in 1985. He was a late bloomer at the age of 29 and sometimes has to laugh because many of his colleagues were not even born when he started working at the paper.
Freeze Extra Slices: New Yorkers should ignore the frozen pizza aisle and simply freeze leftovers from their favorite local spot. I always over-order pizza. Leftover slices get wrapped in foil and frozen. They go directly into a 500-degree toaster oven (no need to defrost) and 10 minutes later theyre good as new. Pizza Enthusiast, Brooklyn

Customize Your Toppings

Extra Cheese: Dont laugh, but I like the store-brand pizzas. I just add a little extra cheese on top and cook them on my pizza stone, which I have had for years. Where I shop, the store-brand cheese and spinach pizza is literally only $5. It doesnt get any less expensive than that! Lyn Robins, Southeast

Olive Oil and Shaved Garlic: Trader Joes has a $6 pizza imported from Italy that looks like Robertas pizza and probably tastes just as good. Shockingly tasty and crispy. Add some olive oil plus shaved garlic, and youll come as close to pizza heaven in a box as possible. David, Miami

Peppers and Onion: Buy one at Trader Joes or Whole Foods and add some toppings. I like peppers and onion, a little Parm on top and done. Its pizza at home. I thought quick and easy was the point. Ken H, Bergen County, N.J.

Extra Pepperoni: One thing that we do to improve frozen pizza is to keep a bag of turkey pepperoni on hand to add to most pizzas as there is NEVER enough pepperoni out of the box. DWS, Boston
Gorick Ng waited nearly a decade for a date with Shuo Chen. When he finally got one, in 2021, circumstances prevented him from sweeping her off her feet like a hero in a romance novel. For the date they had arranged  bathing her grandfather  both needed their feet firmly on the ground.

Ms. Chen and Mr. Ng are entrepreneurs and teach a class together at the University of California, Berkeley. They were introduced over the phone in 2012 when both were undergraduates, Ms. Chen at Berkeley and Mr. Ng at Harvard. Ms. Chen, then 20, was still a year from finishing a bachelors degree but had already secured a job as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs. Mr. Ng, also 20 at the time, wanted to work in banking, too. A friend from Toronto who had crossed paths with Ms. Chen in Bay Area investment circles suggested he reach out to ask her advice.

It was one of those, You should totally talk to so-and-so conversations, Mr. Ng said. I was like, Oh, OK. In his eagerness to land a job right after college, he had already made dozens of you should totally talk to networking calls, he said. But his call with Ms. Chen, who chatted with him about interview strategies from his dorm room for more than an hour that fall, was different. Oftentimes you do those kinds of calls and you forget everything that was said. This time, I remembered the person behind the call, how thoughtful and kind she was.

When they met in person the following year at a group dinner arranged by friends at Ilili, a Manhattan restaurant, she reinforced that impression, but from too far across the room for Mr. Ngs liking. Ms. Chen, then working for Goldman Sachs in Hong Kong, was visiting New York for training. Mr. Ng, who was working as an investment banking summer analyst at Credit Suisses New York headquarters, was seated at the opposite end of the table.
Three weeks ago, I wrote a newsletter about an Indiana urogynecologist who had crowdsourced ideas to redesign his practice from the ground up. I also spoke to other practitioners who are thinking about patients experiences at their own offices, and asked what changes you would most like to see.

This question clearly touched a nerve; we received hundreds of thoughtful responses. Some were amusing, like the proposal from Adam Herbst of River Edge, N.J. to ban Kelly and Ryan on the TV in the waiting room. (Although, in my opinion, the Live stars are better than jarring news reports of 10-car pileups.)

Others were more poignant and pressing. The most numerous responses, by far, centered around the lack of accommodations for patients with disabilities. Andy Schoenhofer of Toronto, whose wife has multiple sclerosis, wrote: Im a caregiving spouse, and I regularly have trouble in doctors offices to find room to maneuver her wheelchair. And the exam table is always too high for a comfortable transfer and cant be lowered.

Accessibility, which we are going to be talking more about in upcoming Well stories, is an ongoing issue for many. Im amazed at how many doctors offices will tell you they are accessible, said Wendy Woods of Huntington, N.Y., and believe that having an elevator, disabled parking and a curb ramp makes them accessible.
The president had been discussing military options with the Pentagon since Tuesday, when he was alerted by the Pentagon that a spy balloon had entered the continental American airspace near Idaho. By Wednesday, the balloon was hovering over Montana, and a full-blown diplomatic crisis was underway.

The arrival  and extended stay  of the balloon over American territory prompted furious calls from senior U.S. officials to their Chinese counterparts, and the cancellation of Secretary of State Antony J. Blinkens planned visit to China.

Here's a day-by-day timeline of the balloons flight and decision-making in Washington:

Saturday, Jan. 28

The spy balloon starts a controlled drift into American territory, entering Alaskan airspace near the Aleutian Islands. At first it appears to trackers at United States Northern Command to be just another one of Chinas light probes around the edges of Americas defensive borders.

Monday, Jan. 30

By the end of the day, it has exited American territory and is over Canada, officials say, carrying its solar panels that power its propulsion and its cameras and surveillance equipment.
MBABANE  Alpheous Nxumalo, the Government Press Secretary, says the Swaziland Solidarity Forces continue to pose a security threat to the country.

Political formations with military wings such as the so-called Swaziland Solidarity Forces continue to pose a national security threat to the country, Nxumalo said. In a press statement, the government press secretary said government was aware that there was absolutely no intention for engagement from some of these forces. The government press secretary did not mention the political formations that had military wings.

intimidation

He said their respective intention was to disrupt, destroy and destruct. He decried the fact that it appeared the language they were bent out to speak was violence, intimidation, coercion and fear. What they are not aware of is that to resort to force in the place of engagement can only result in them completely losing influence and space for participation within the nation, warned Nxumalo.

power

He mentioned that emaSwati frowned upon the show of power even in circumstances and situations where people should be talking. Nxumalo advised that no government under the sun could land credibility and legitimacy to organisations with military wings. He said the mere existence of military wings in a political organisation or movement was evident enough that they were prepared to use force and violence to gain power even if they had lost out on the negotiation table and on the polls.

terrorism

The government press secretary said they existed by nature in order to challenge the State through violence, sabotage and subversion. And it was on such basis that the government took a conscious and decisive decision to legally proscribe some of the political formations with military wings, he warned. They had the propensity to project their nature of intimidation and violence. He explained that the intention of prescribing such organisations was not to suppress dissenting views or opinions but to neutralise the capacity of these political formations with military wings for political coercion and terrorism. They were and still remain a dangerous infrastructure, he said. He pointed out that history has it on record that subversive insurgent organisations created military wings to challenge State power by waging insurgency low-key warfare, which was exactly what the Kingdom had witnessed in the last past months. Nxumalo stated that emaSwati realised that national security could not only be endangered by weapons of mass destruction.

undermined

He said they realised that it could also be endangered by being nibbled away at the periphery by forces of subversion, infiltration, intimidation, indirect aggression, internal revolution and diplomatic treachery in order to destabilise peace, security and stability and to undermine the peoples way of life and values. He advised the international system and community to stand up and be on the side of emaSwati as emerging democracies were undermined by political formations with military wings. He said no one should be seen landing credence or legitimacy by sponsoring and abetting such political formations. And it is not too late to stand with ones true friends to disrupt these dangerous movements in order to incapacitate them of the lethal power and danger they pose to nations of the world, including Eswatini, he said. The commander of the Swaziland Solidarity Forces is unknown. He issues instructions through audios which are circulated on social media.

Despite the fact that he was not authorised by the State to issue instructions to the nation, many emaSwati, out of fear, obey his orders. The Swaziland Solidarity Forces claimed responsibility for deaths of some security officers and destruction of private property through arsons. In 2008, the late former Prime Minister, Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, proscribed the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), Swaziland Solidarity Network (SSN) and Umbane (military entity) as terrorist entities.

terrorist entities

Last year, Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini proscribed Zweli Martin Dlamini and Swaziland News as terrorist entities. It must be said the Suppression of the Terrorism Act allows the proscribed entities and individual to appeal their proscription. According to cases of pure military offences handled by the international Criminal Police Association (Interpol), a red notice request was sent by its National Centre Bureau (NBC). In this case, the individual was wanted for robbery with violence, stealing arms, and desertion. The arrest warrant was issued by a court martial in that particular country where the request was sent. It is said that the NCB clarified that the military court was involved because the individual was a cadet at a military institute and had committed the ordinary crime at the military institute. It was concluded that the first two charges came under ordinary law and emanated from a different set of facts from the purely military charge of desertion. The red notice was, therefore, published on the basis of the charges of robbery with violence and stealing arms.

killing

Data concerning the killing of a former leader of the military police was sent by an NCB. There was an opinion that while the targeting of military personnel in situations of armed conflict may fall within the scope of Article 3 of Interpol constitution, the situation in question was not recognised by the international community as being one of armed conflict. Further, targeting a member of the armed forces does not in itself prevent a case from being registered in Interpols databases with respect to Article 3, because murder is considered an ordinary crime. The data were, therefore, registered. Registering data means the red notice was published legitimising the arrest of the wanted person. Article 3 enshrines a guiding principle of neutrality by explicitly forbidding Interpol from engaging in matters of political, military, religious and racial character. An NCB requested the publication of a yellow notice for a soldier in its countrys military forces who had disappeared during his military service.
WASHINGTON  The United States shot down a Chinese spy balloon on Saturday that had spent the last week traversing the country, an explosive end to a drama that put a diplomatic crisis between the worlds two great powers onto television screens in real time.

The balloon, which spent five days traveling in a diagonal southeast route from Idaho to the Carolinas, had moved off the coast by midday Saturday and was shot down within moments of its arrival over the Atlantic Ocean.

I told them to shoot it down, President Biden told reporters in Hagerstown, Md., on his way to Camp David on Saturday afternoon. They said to me, lets wait until the safest place to do it.

That time and place came at 2:39 p.m., Pentagon officials said, some six miles off the coast of South Carolina. The Federal Aviation Administration had paused departures and arrivals at airports in Wilmington, N.C., and in Myrtle Beach and Charleston in South Carolina. One of two F-22 fighter jets from Langley Air Force Base fired a Sidewinder air-to-air missile, downing the balloon, which was flying at an altitude of 60,000 to 65,000 feet. The F-22s were at 58,000 feet, with other American fighters in support.
The balloon was somehow able to get past our West Coast anti-balloon defense system, the Seattle Space Needle, Thompson said. But once it was here, we were able to keep an eye on it with our sophisticated tracking technology. Of going like this. Here, Thompson simply looked up above him.

He added: I know there were questions about why we didnt shoot it down immediately. But we wanted to wait until it was over the coast, so that it wouldnt fall on people.

Or go ssh-ssh-ssh-ssh, he continued, making the sound of a deflating balloon, and land on my car.

Fineman went on to interview a second guest: the remains of the balloon itself, played by Bowen Yang, who seemed none too happy to be floating in the chilly waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Well, you got me, Yang said wryly. Congrats, you shot a balloon. With disbelief, he added, I entertain you people for four days and then get shot by Biden? I cant believe Im Joes Osama.
With help from a New York Times researcher, Kirsten Noyes, I spent part of that mid-December weekend poring over a decades worth of state and federal lawsuits that Ms. Morawski had filed, or that had been filed against her, about the house and other issues. She often represented herself in court, and much of her legal writing read like entries in a diary. I was left with an off-kilter sense of actually knowing someone I had never met.

I learned from a police report that she had stabbed herself in the chest the morning of the fire. I also learned that a friend of hers, concerned about her mental health, had called the police in the days before the fire; she was worried that Ms. Morawski was suicidal, a detail that gave me pause about pursuing the story. My editor, Felice Belman, gave me the nudge I needed to stick with it a little longer.

In December, I headed to Maplewood to find out more about Ms. Morawski and had one of the more unusual experiences of my journalism career: Nearly every neighbor opened the door and nearly everyone wanted to talk  a lot  about the woman they had come to know and like and the convoluted run-up to the fire. Ms. Morawski was a fixture in the community, I learned, and the housing laws surrounding the loss of her house raised questions with broad implications.

New Jersey towns are required to sell unpaid tax and sewer bills annually, and it has become big business for investors, who can charge 18-percent interest on the so-called tax certificates. After two years, buyers  lien holders  are permitted to foreclose on property and keep the profit.

Ms. Morawski lost her four-bedroom house, worth roughly $700,000 before the fire, over an initial debt of $12,809  three-quarters of her unpaid taxes from 2015. To outbid competitors, the company that now owns the home, Effect Lake LLC, paid the township of Maplewood a $92,800 premium, a common practice. The company also continued to pay Ms. Morawskis tax and sewer charges once they became overdue by 10 days, as is permitted by state law.
An off-duty New York City police officer was hospitalized in critical condition after being shot during an apparent robbery as he tried to purchase a vehicle in Brooklyn on Saturday night, the authorities said. The shooting prompted a sprawling manhunt for the suspect.

The officer, whose name was not released by the New York City Police Department, had arranged over a social media platform to purchase the vehicle in person, Michael Baldassano, an assistant chief, said at a news conference on Saturday night. But when he arrived at the location with a relative, the suspect displayed a gun and announced a robbery, leading to an exchange of gunfire, Mr. Baldassano said.

When the officer, a five-year veteran of the department, was struck, the suspect fled, Mr. Baldassano said, adding that it remained unclear whether the assailant had been injured during the exchange of gunfire. The relative who had traveled with the officer was not injured in the encounter, the police said.

Mr. Baldassano said that while the police had no reason to believe the suspect knew that the target of the attempted robbery was an off-duty officer, it still remained under investigation.
On Wednesday, the city of Memphis remembered the life of Tyre Nichols, a young man who was beaten by at least five Memphis police officers and died three days later. Stories like this are terrible, theyre relentless, and they renew one of the most contentious debates in the nation: Are there deep and systemic problems with the American police?

How we answer that question isnt based solely on personal experience or even available data. It often reflects a massive partisan divide, one that reveals how we understand our relationships with the institutions we prize the most  and the least.

Every year Gallup releases a survey that measures public confidence in a variety of American institutions, including the police. In 2022, no institution (aside from the presidency) reflected a greater partisan trust gap than the police. A full 67 percent of Republicans expressed confidence in the police, versus only 28 percent of Democrats.

Why is that gap so large? While I try to avoid simple explanations for complex social phenomena, there is one part of the answer that I believe receives insufficient attention: Our partisanship tends to affect our reasoning, influencing our assessments of institutions regardless of the specifics of any particular case.
For the 26th time in two years, Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general, recently filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging a Biden administration policy. The suit, which seeks to wipe out a new Labor Department rule about the investment of pension trust assets, wasnt filed in Austin, the state capital, or in Dallas, where the Labor Departments regional offices are, or anywhere else with a logical connection to the dispute.

It was filed in Amarillo. Why Amarillo? By filing there, Mr. Paxton had a 100 percent chance of having the case assigned to Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk  appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump in 2019 and a former deputy general counsel to the First Liberty Institute, which frequently litigates religious liberty cases before the Supreme Court.

Forum shopping has long been a problem in civil litigation. Clever lawyers use procedural rules to file in courts deemed most likely to be sympathetic to their claims. But what Mr. Paxton and other plaintiffs are doing is something far more nefarious  theyre engaging in a novel and specific form of judge shopping, seeking out the specific judge whom they wish to hear their case, presumably because of how they expect that judge to rule.

By taking advantage of a loophole in federal procedure, these plaintiffs are able to rely on a handful of district judges appointed by Mr. Trump to thwart major features of President Bidens agenda. The tactic upends the tradition of random assignment of judges and raises serious questions about the fairness and impartiality of the judicial system. And it can  and should  be easily fixed, whether by the courts themselves or, failing that, by Congress.
Going out to dinner with Juan Tamariz in Madrid is a little like accompanying a cartoon character on a journey to the real world. As Shuja Haider, the author of todays Sunday Read, walked with him on side streets off the city centers main drag, the Calle Gran Via, heads turned left and right.

Mr. Tamariz, 80, has been a professional magician for 52 years, and in that time, he has managed the singular feat of becoming both a household name in his home country and a living legend in magic everywhere. David Blaine has called him the greatest and most influential card magician alive. But in Spain, Mr. Tamariz is an icon, less like Mr. Blaine or David Copperfield and more like Kermit the Frog.

In the United States, the most visible performers of magic in the late 20th century were stage illusionists who worked with big boxes and flashing lights. But Mr. Tamariz appears on stage and screen armed with little more than his two hands. He introduced Spanish viewers to the style of magic called close-up, done with ordinary objects, in near-enough proximity for a conversation and incorporating the participation of spectators.
The performance space at the Brick, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is already veiled in haze when the audience arrives. A long table draped in black runs down the center of the room, lit by sconces and hanging lamps, their soft glow reflected in mirrored walls at either end.

Theres a ghostly, expectant feel to it all, as if weve entered an alternate plane where specters might be summoned. You wouldnt be surprised if a seance broke out. Somewhere in the middle of the swirling phantasmagoria that is the play On Set With Theda Bara, indeed one will.

A certain channeling of spirits, though, begins as soon as the performance does. The actor David Greenspan takes his place at the head of the table, with the audience seated on either side, and becomes the glamorous silent-film star Theda Bara, or a version of her. Identity is slippery in this play, as it was for the actress, who started out as Theodosia Goodman from Ohio but was marketed by Hollywood, under her screen name, as an exoticized Arab.

Obsession with her is the gossamer string that binds Theda to the other characters in this campy, comic solo show: Detective Finale, a gay 21st-century gumshoe looking for his missing child; Ulysses, a movie-theater organist enthralled with Theda ever since one of her films aroused him to distraction at the keyboard; and Iras, Finales genderqueer 16-year-old, who would become Theda Bara if only that were possible.
In 1976, Gary Frank Sotherdens appetite for adventure and the outdoors led him to the Arctic Circle, where he and a friend planned to walk on opposite sides of the Porcupine River in northeastern Alaska, reuniting when the cold set in and the river froze, his brother said.

The friend made it out, but Mr. Sotherden was never heard from again.

Planes flew above the remote, winding river in search of Mr. Sotherden, who was from Clay, N.Y., which is about a dozen miles northwest of Syracuse. The police and mountain guides also searched on land, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

What happened to Mr. Sotherden was a mystery that endured for nearly 50 years  until Thursday.

Relying on genetic testing and genealogy research, state troopers in Alaska confirmed that a skull found by the Porcupine River in 1997 was that of Mr. Sotherden. Troopers said in a news release that the suspected cause of death was a bear mauling, but they did not elaborate.

Troopers contacted Mr. Sotherdens older brother, Stephen Sotherden, in mid-December to ask if he could help confirm a lead in the investigation.
In an excerpt of radio transmissions of the episode posted on Twitter, an air traffic controller alludes to reduced visibility conditions, said Michael McCormick, a former F.A.A. control tower operator and an assistant professor of aviation science at Embry-Riddle University, which has its administrative offices in Daytona, Fla.

At one point, the Southwest flight is abruptly told to abort, according to the audio excerpt.

Mr. McCormick said the air traffic controller likely could not see either of the two planes, but was relying on both pilot reports and airport surface detection technology to track the planes. He said the near-collision was exacerbated by reduced visibility, which can be caused by dense fog or an unusually narrower gap between the ground and clouds.

Mr. McCormick said there was not enough room between the two planes and said they were in a critical phase of flight in bad weather conditions.

Mr. McCormick and Ross Feinstein, a former spokesman for both the Transportation Security Administration and American Airlines, said the near-miss appeared to be caused by air traffic control. The union that represents air traffic controllers could not be immediately reached on Sunday.

The Southwest plane landed about three hours later in Cancun, Mexico, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. It was not immediately clear how many people were aboard. A company representative declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport declined to comment.
MBABANE  What was Alpheous Nxumalo discussing with members of the mass democratic movement (MDM) on the sidelines of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) extraordinary summit?

The Times SUNDAY approached him to find out what he was actually discussing with the MDMs delegation, which comprised of Mlungisi Makhanya, Sicelo Mngomezulu, Penuel Malinga, Wandile Dludlu and Busi Mayisela. In his response, the government press secretary said it was true that he came face to face with the well known political activists. He narrated that it was immediately after he had left the summit hall at the end the official opening to do an interview with SABC and NBC that he met them. He said he was waiting for those interviews at the hotel lobby when, all of a sudden, actually from nowhere, the activities emerged and charged towards where he was sitting.

encounter

He said they were led by Makhanya, the President of the Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO), Sicelo Mngomezulu, an attorney and businessman based in South Africa, alongside Penuel Malinga, a PUDEMO long-serving member, who is part of the executive. He said Malinga acted as their cameraman as he took pictures of the encounter and uploaded them on social media platforms. He recalled that Busi Mayisela and two other men, whom he did not recognise but appeared to him as their bodyguards or something else, was also there. The government press secretary mentioned that Wandile Dludlu, the Secretary General of PUDEMO and four others stood a distance away from them. Initially, Nxumalo said the encounter was hostile, aggressive and combative, especially by the PUDEMO President, Mngomezulu and Malinga. After serious deliberations on politics and SADC, he had an opportunity to ask Makhanya a few questions. One of his questions, he said, was based on social media insinuations that Thulani Maseko could have been assassinated by two well known political activists.

allegations

He said he asked the PUDEMO president why they were not responding to such serious allegations in the same way they expected government to react to the accusations that it was responsible for Masekos death. He said Makhanya responded to the negative. While conversing with him, the government press secretary told the Times SUNDAY that he (Makhanya) raised a very personal matter to which he actually could sense that he was not only hurting but also revengeful. He said it was then that they relocated to a different spot to discuss more on a personal note. He declined to divulge Makhanyas personal issues.

refocus

I think somehow, I achieved calming Mlungusi on this personal matter through counselling and refocus his feelings and actions to the right direction, said Nxumalo. In practical terms, we parted ways on rather positive and respectful manner. He added: I can only take this opportunity to inform all future delegations to such meetings to brace themselves for more such encounters as the MDM looks more desperate to press every panic buttons.



Sicelo Mngomezulu

He said it was at this juncture that Mngomezulu, in a very sad voice, raised concern that he was pained by the fact that he could no longer visit his home in Eswatini. He was declared by the Minister of Home Affairs, Princess Lindiwe, as an undesirable person in Eswatini. He said his response to Mngomezulu was that, since he was a lawyer, he knew what he had to do if he really felt that his rights were violated and infringed upon by that decision. Nxumalo narrated that he advised the lawyer that the courts were open and the judges were impartial.

He laughed, he said. He added that he also reminded him of the siSwati way of bringing a matter to the attention of the authorities for intervention. He said he volunteered his availability as his emissary (lincusa). There was more giggling at this stage, he said.



Busi Mayisela

Pertaining to Busi Mayisela, the President of the Swazis First Democratic Front (SFDF), Nxumalo said she indicated to him that she now has a desire to return home. When I asked what stops her from coming home, she couldnt come out clear. I then asked about their mission in Windhoek and they never responded, he said. He said they told him that they were in Namibia as emaSwati to demand a report the government was going to tell SADC about the national dialogue. He said it was then that he stood up and greeted them in a handshake, advising them in the process that it was unSwati to start a conversation with someone without honouring greetings. We all burst to a big laughter, he said.

extreme control

Nxumalo, who studied Theology and Political Science, said he could notice though that Makhanyas laughter was under extreme control while the rest of them were giggling. We then all calmly sat down while they were still boisterous in demanding a report of the summit, he narrated. The government spokesperson told the Times SUNDAY that he had to respond to their demand for the release of the report by taking them through the process of the summit. He said he informed them politely that the summit did not report deliberations, but it reported its final decisions or resolutions at the end of the meeting in the form of a minute called communique. Nxumalo said he told them that the communique remained a public document for which everyone, including them, could access and be able to know what the summit was all about. He said he reminded them that the summit was a gathering of heads of State and government. As their bragging about being emaSwati, he said he made it clear to them that they should know better that Prime Minister Cleopas Sipho Dlamini was standing for His Majesty King Mswati III.

conversations

Nxumalo said the prime minister was expected to hand over the report to the King. At this point of their encounter, he said the conversations were cordial and reciprocal as the mood and attitude had calmed down. He added that they then jumped back to the issue of the national dialogue, politely asking as to when the dialogue would take place. Nxumalo told this newspaper that his response was that the dialogue would take place in a conducive environment, not under hostilities and gunfire. The government press secretary explained that his response made Makhanya to look tense and agitated such that he (Nxumalo) came straight to him with a question; would you renounce and stop the violence? He said Makhanya responded with both a yes and no. Ill skip the details of both for now, he said.

Nxumalo said the MDM representatives also raised the issue of hired hitmen and mercenaries. In his response, he said he told them that government did not hire hitmen or women or any other mercenary. He said any government reserved the right to retaliate or defend itself when under attack and the mode of retaliation and defence could not be prescribed by the attacker or aggressor, but the State did not hire the services of those people. He said he explained to them that government had enough security officers or personnel to do any job they were assigned by their superiors to do. And they are willing and raring to go, he said.

revenge

However, the time has not come yet to do so. Besides, we are a country as they know, that believes in dialogue and persuasion, not in violence and counter violence or revenge. He said the true position was that government hired the services of military experts to train and orient national security services in order for them to be able to face the new security challenge in the country posed by terrorists and insurgency organisations. Of course, arguments ensued here, but they were decent and polite, he said. The governments mouthpiece then congratulated the prime minister and his delegation on their successes during the summit as it had been a while since he had seen or heard a position of the Kingdom of Eswatini so expressly articulated with brilliance, clarity and precision - multilateral or bilateral.



Sicelo reacts

Responding to Nxumalos assertions, Mngomezulu said he was talking nonsense. Alpheous is talking nonsense, he said. Mngomezulu said they just greeted him as a fellow liSwati and there was nothing further that they discussed with the government press secretary. None of what hes telling you is anywhere closer to the truth, said Mngomezulu. The attorney denied that they talked about SADC processes with him. We didnt talk about SADC processes with him, he said. He said they were not in Namibia at the Eswatini Governments pleasure. He explained that they were there to engage with Namibia and other representatives of countries that were represented at the SADC Troika Summit. He mentioned that they also wanted to engage the civil society and international partners as well as global media. Mngomezulu said they were not interested in engaging the Eswatini Government through its spokesman.

The issues we are dealing with are above Alpheouss position, Mngomezulu said. He said he also did not address anything with him related to the illegal banning order against him and he actually did not need an emissary, let alone one that has been organised by Nxumalo.



Busi responds

Busi Mayisela, the President of SFDF, said they did not have any political business to discuss with Nxumalo. She said they stumbled on him while they were minding their own business.

...and as Swazis (emaSwati) we greeted him thats all, said Mayisela. She said she never discussed anything with him about her purported homesickness. That is not true unfortunately, she said. Efforts to get hold of Makhanya were unsuccessful as he had not responded to a questionnaire sent to him through the WhatsApp messaging app.
An Alzheimers care center in Iowa was fined $10,000 after mistakenly declaring a patient dead, according to a report from the states Health Department.

The patient, a 66-year-old woman who was not named in the report, was declared dead by staff members of the Glen Oaks Alzheimers Special Care Center in Urbandale, Iowa, on Jan. 3, and transported to a funeral home, according to the report.

But when staff members at the funeral home unzipped the body bag, she was alive and gasping for air, according to a citation from the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.

The woman was admitted to the special care center in December 2021 with early onset dementia, anxiety and depression. She entered hospice care in late December 2022 with senile degeneration of the brain and was treated with the anxiety drug lorazepam and morphine, a painkiller, according to the report.
During the prolonged floor fight last month over electing Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, hard-right Republicans who resisted supporting him sought an array of measures to rein in spending, including by making it more difficult to secure earmarks, but it was not known whether that change was part of the raft of concessions Mr. McCarthy ultimately provided to win their votes. His office did not respond to requests for clarification about how earmarks would be handled.

For now, the practice appears to be gaining currency with at least some segment of the otherwise fiercely anti-spending G.O.P. Thirteen more Republicans requested earmarks in the latest spending bill in December than the previous one in March, the Times analysis found.

I play with the rules of the House, and I want to make sure our districts are represented, so thats why I did that, Mr. Bacon, who has opposed earmarks in the past, said in an interview. Even if you didnt agree with the rules, you play by them because if you dont, your district suffers for it.

Opponents of earmarks argue they can lead to a lack of trust in politicians who may be seen as trying to buy votes by bringing home money.

We call it the most corrupt, costly, inequitable practice in the history of Congress, said Tom Schatz, the president of Citizens Against Government Waste, a nonprofit government watchdog group, adding that most of the funding goes to members either on the appropriations committees or in leadership.

Several high-profile scandals prompted lawmakers to pause the practice more than a decade ago, including one that led to the resignation in 2005 of former Representative Randy Cunningham, Republican of California, who went to prison for accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes  including the use of a yacht named Duke-Stir  from military contractors for whom he secured federal contracts.

Democrats resurrected and overhauled the practice during the last Congress, imposing stricter rules such as one requiring that each request be made public online with a letter explaining why the project was needed and another mandating that each lawmaker attest that they had no personal or family connection to the proposal.
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE  Pope Francis on Sunday doubled down on his assertion that homosexuality should not be criminalized, saying on the papal plane returning from South Sudan, a country that penalizes homosexual acts, that to condemn a person like this is a sin.

But Francis, 86, also turned his attention back toward Rome, lacing into unethical conservative critics who he said had instrumentalized the death of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, and then told lies to promote their own ideological and partisan interests.

Francis made the comments in a remarkable joint in-flight news conference with the head of the Anglican Communion and Scotlands top Presbyterian minister after spending six days in Africa, first in the Democratic Republic of Congo and then in South Sudan. During the trip, he used his global clout and moral authority to draw attention to and foster peace in the plundered and war-torn countries.

He also reiterated his condemnation of great powers exploiting Africa. The continents booming population and vibrant Roman Catholic Church make it critical to the faiths future, as well as to Francis legacy as a pope trying to make the church more global and focused on the needs of its poor, hungry and downtrodden.
Vaguely worded and broad in scope, the law was crafted and enacted from Beijing. It quickly transformed life in Hong Kong.

Boisterous demonstrations all but disappeared. Newsrooms were raided and shuttered. Labor unions, pro-democracy coalitions and other civil society groups disbanded, one after another.

Chinese officials have used the national security law, as it is called, to crack down on dissent in Hong Kong, essentially discarding the one country, two systems pledge that guaranteed the city a high degree of autonomy after Britain gave it back to China. In the last two years, more than 200 people have been arrested under the law, and more than 3,000 have been prosecuted on other charges over their roles in antigovernment protests.

Virtually all of Hong Kongs opposition figures, longtime advocates for democracy, were detained on a single day in 2021. Forty-seven of them were charged with subversion under the new law, accused of conspiring in a plot to disrupt the local Beijing-backed government. Now, with most of the defendants having spent nearly two years behind bars, their trial begins on Monday, a stark reminder of how dangerous any kind of organized dissent has become.
TORONTO  Spreading across two million acres, Torontos Greenbelt is a vast swath of protected and ecologically sensitive lands that forms an arc around the city and its suburbs, as if holding Canadas most populous and fastest-growing region in an embrace.

Its our Central Park, said Jeff Bowers, 57, recently retired from a high-stress, 24/7 job in technology, who was hiking recently in one corner of the Greenbelt. The Greenbelt was declared, it was decreed. It had a sacredness to it. Now, the current government is tinkering with that, and thats creating a lot of uproar. You can imagine if they said they were going to develop Central Park.

Yet this is what is happening in Toronto.

The Ontario provincial government in December opened up privately owned parts of the Greenbelt to developers for the construction of 50,000 new homes, arguing that the move was necessary because of Torontos worsening housing shortage and an expected influx of newcomers stemming from sharply rising immigration rates.

The move on the Greenbelt has forced Toronto to confront more than ever the competing forces reshaping it as a metropolis: its ambitions to be a world-class city and the destination of talented immigrants against its goals to be green and curb sprawl, as embodied by the Greenbelt itself.
KYIV, Ukraine  President Volodymyr Zelenskys political party said on Sunday that it would move to replace Ukraines defense minister, as fierce fighting raged in the east amid what Ukrainian officials say is the beginning of a new Russian offensive.

The fate of the defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, has been the subject of increasing speculation amid a growing scandal about financial impropriety within the ministry and an accompanying government investigation into corruption.

Davyd Arakhamia, the head of Mr. Zelenskys Servant of the People party in Parliament, said on Sunday that Mr. Reznikov would be transferred to the leadership of another ministry and that Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the current military intelligence chief, would replace him.

Mr. Reznikov has not been directly implicated in any wrongdoing, and Mr. Arakhamia did not link the move to concerns about the corruption scandal. Mr. Reznikov would become the highest ranking official in Mr. Zelenskys government to be reassigned in the nearly 12 months since Russias full-scale invasion began.
Iran was set to offer limited pardons or commutations to some Iranian prisoners, including some protesters swept up in recent mass demonstrations, the state news media reported on Sunday, but the move offered little hope of freedom to the vast majority of political prisoners.

Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will free or reduce the sentences of tens of thousands of prisoners, including people arrested in the recent demonstrations and those convicted of other crimes, several state-controlled news agencies said. But the long list of caveats made it doubtful that many protesters would benefit, prompting human rights activists to call the amnesty a sham: The announcement said it would not apply to anyone convicted on a range of serious charges, as rights groups say most demonstrators were.

Excluded are those convicted of spying, armed action, committing murder or causing injury, membership in certain groups, having contact with agents of foreign intelligence services or destroying public property, among other crimes, according to Fars, a state-controlled news agency. Also disqualified, it said, are prisoners convicted of being an enemy of God  a charge leveled against most of the 19 protesters who The New York Times confirmed had been executed or were now on death row.

Other inmates will be released only after expressing remorse and pledging not to repeat these security-related offenses, Fars said.
That capped a January in which the Israeli Army reported at least 59 Palestinian attacks in the West Bank, nearly twice as high as two months ago, causing several injuries but killing none. At least 35 Palestinians were killed during the same period, sometimes during those attacks. At least two were killed by civilian settlers, in circumstances that Israeli officials described as self-defense, but that Palestinians said was unclear.

Violence from both Israelis and Palestinians has long been routine in the territory, which was occupied by Israel during the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, in which Israel defeated several Arab states that were mobilizing against it. Hundreds of Israeli settlements have since been built there, impeding Palestinian hopes of sovereignty, and contributing to the creation of a two-tier legal system that tries settlers in civilian courts and Palestinians in military ones.

But now there are expectations of an even greater surge. Young settler activists, who believe the land in the West Bank has been promised to them by God, have been galvanized by the presence of their allies in the new government.

New groups of young Palestinian fighters have meanwhile emerged in response to the entrenchment of Israels occupation and the perceived corruption of their own leadership.

A surge of violence last week highlighted how ripe the situation was for further escalation. An Israeli Army raid in the northern West Bank killed 10 Palestinians after a gun battle erupted, before a Palestinian attacker shot dead seven civilians outside a synagogue in Jerusalem. Both episodes were the deadliest of their kind in years.
A POINT with virtually the last kick of the game by substitute Cian Farrell snatched a dramatic one point victory for Offaly over Fermanagh in a very tight Allianz National Football League Division 3 game at O'Connor Park, Tullamore on Sunday.

Allianz National Football League Division 3

OFFALY 1-9

FERMANAGH 1-8

But he wasn't the only substitute to make his mark on this game as prior to that Bernard Allen had come on after 42 minutes and proceeded to kick five points as Offaly maintained their 100% start to the league campaign while Fermanagh also had a sharpshooting sub with Garvan Jones kicking three points for them.

It was a very tight and tense game and for long stages had the look of a game that would end in a draw as the sides traded score for score. That certainly seemed to be the way in the last half minute of additional time when Offaly intercepted the ball in the middle of the field and it as transferred to Cian Farrell about 40m out and he dissected the posts, much to the joy of the Offaly supporters.

It was tough luck on Fermanagh who had fought valiantly throughout the game. They maintained possession well for long periods and defended stoutly but just when it looked as if they had done enough to earn a valuable away point, they lost the ball in the middle of the field and Offaly broke quickly to snatch the winning score.

The win leaves Offaly on four points, along with Cavan and Down, and leaves them in a position where they can now challenge for promotion. It was important for them to win a game in this manner as for a lot of the game they struggled to get into a rhythm and they kicked far too many wides. But winning tight games in difficult circumstances is a good habit and they will look to build on this for the rest of the campaign.

Much of the first half didn't look like two sides who had hopes of challenging for promotion. A lot of the play was cagey. Fermanagh kept the ball well for long periods but didn't create a whole lot with the possession they had.

Shot selection was poor on both sides and there were some very poor wides. Offaly finished that half with 10 wides while Fermanagh's tally increased in the latter part of the half and they reached the break with six wides. Both sides did improve somewhat in the second half but Offaly still finished with 14 wides while Fermanagh had nine.

Four scores in one half of football with 16 wides tells its own story and the spectators had little to keep them warm on a cold day in that half.

Luckily things improved in the second half, particularly in the last 20 minutes. The game opened up a bit more and legs tired creating a few more openings. Offaly did manage to get two points ahead breifly but other than that there was never more than a point between the sides with both teams taking the lead on occasion. In all they were level on seven occasions and it looked like they would finish that way until Cian Farrell stepped up for that last minute winner.

The game got off to a slow start with both sides sizing each other up in the early stages. Offaly hit a couple of early wides before they took the lead after seven minutes in somewhat fortunate circumstances. Jack McEvoy's '45' came back off a post and Ruairi McNamee was quickest to react in the crowded goalmouth to gather the ball and crash it to the net.

Fermanagh hit back quickly with a point from Ryan Jones but both sides missed chances after that. Fermanagh did have the ball in the net after 18 minutes when Josh Largo Ellis's effort was stopped by a combination of Ian Duffy and the post and although Largo Ellis forced the ball over the line, he fouled Ian Duffy in the process and a free out was awarded.

After 15 minutes without a score Offaly's Peter Cunningham soloed upfield and kicked a good point from 45m but two minutes later the sides were level. Fermanagh had a long patient build up, keeping possession for a long time. Ultan Kelm's shot fell short but as caught by Luke Flanagan, who lofted the ball back across the goalmouth and Josh Largo Ellis got his fist to it in front of Ian Duffy to finish the ball to the net. Both sides had chances to take the lead before half time but poor shooting was evident on both sides and it was 1-1 each at the break.

Offaly regained the lead five minutes after the restart with a Bill Carroll point but Sean Quigley levelled from a free. Five minutes after being introduced as a sub Bernard Allen got his first point and quickly added a second but Fermanagh were level two minutes later when Ultan Kelm kicked a point and Garvan Jones pointed from a mark. Anton Sullivan and Ryan Lyons quickly exchanged points before Garvan Jones put Fermanagh in front for the first time after 57 minutes. Bernard Allen quickly levelled before Ryan Jones and Allen exchanged further points. Garvan Jones put Fermanagh a point up again with five minutes left but Offaly responded with another Bernard Allen point. Four minutes of injury time were announced and while Sean Quigley dropped one effort short at one end, Offaly had two great chances but Jack Bryant kicked a close in free wide and Bernard Allen got on the end of another lovely move but kicked wide. Then in the final seconds Fermanagh were dispposessed in the middle of the field and Anton Sullivan picked out Cian Farrell and he kept his cool to kick the winning point.

MATCH ANALYSIS

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Ian Duffy; Ciaran Donnelly, Declan Hogan, David Dempsey; Rory Egan, Peter Cunningham, Lee Pearson; Jack McEvoy, Conor McNamee; Joe Maher, Ruairi McNamee, Bill Caroll; Nigel Dunne, Anton Sullivn, Dylan Hyland. Subs. Bernard Allen (for Joe Maher, 42 mins), Cian Farrell (for Nigel Dunne, 55 mins), Jack Bryant (for Ruairi McNamee, 62 mins), Luke Egan (for Bill Carroll, 71 mins).

FERMANAGH: Sean McNally; Luke Flanagan, Garrett Cavanagh, Cian McManus; Ronan McCaffey, Jonathan Cassidy, Shane McGullion; Ryan Jones, Darragh McGurn; Brandon Horan, Ryan Lyons, Josh Largo Ellis; Sean Cassidy, Ultan Kelm, Sean Quigley. Subs. Tommy McCaffrey (for Sean Cassidy, half time), Garvan Jones (for Darragh McGurn, 46 mins), Declan McCusker (for Garrett Cavanagh, 52 mins), Ciaran Corrigan (for Ultan Kelm, 62 mins).

REFEREE: Thomas Murphy (Galway)

MAN OF THE MATCH

Bernard Allen may only have come on the field after 42 minutes but he made the biggest impact on a tight game kicking five points from play after that. On a day when others were struggling to get into shooting positions, he was the only Offaly player to score more than once. He made good space for himself and was very effective as he helped Offaly to a vital win.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

No question here  Cian Farrell's point with the last kick of the game which earned the two points for Offaly in the most dramatic fashion.

REFEREE WATCH

Both sides may have expressed annoyance with Thomas Murphy on occasion but overall his interpretation of the rules were correct and he handled the game well. Possibly could have given one Offaly player a black card in the first half for what looked like a hand trip but on the whole he did a good job.

TALKING POINT

The standard of the first half left a lot to be desired. Two teams who had won their opening games knew a second win would put them in a good position for the remainder of the campaign and maybe that led to the cagey play in that half. The sides only managed four scores in that opening half but between them also hit 16 sides, which tells its own story of the first 35 minutes. Luckily things did improve as the game went on and it ended in a welter of excitement with that winning point for Offaly.

WHATS NEXT

Offaly are away to Westmeath on Sunday February 19th while Fermanagh host Down the same day.

VENUE WATCH

On a lovely sunny day, O'Connor Park looked in great condition and a nice sized crowd turned out on a bank holiday Sunday to enjoy the game.

STATISTICS

Wides; Offaly14 (10 in first half) Fermanagh 9 (6 in first half)

Yellow Cards: Offaly 1 (Joe Maher) Fermanagh 1 (Jonathan Cassidy)

Black Cards: None

Red Cards: None

THE SCORERS

Offaly; Bernard Allen (0-5), Ruairi McNamee (1-0), Peter Cunningham, Bill Carroll, Anton Sullivan, Cian Farrell (0-1 each).

Fermanagh; Josh Largo Ellis (1-0), Garvan Jones (0-3, 0-1 mark), Ryan Jones (0-2), Sean Quigley (free), Ultan Kelm, Ryan Lyons (0-1 each).
A father of nine and chronic drug addict has been jailed for five years while posing as a garda during a "terrifying" aggravated burglary in in the Midlands last year during which a man and woman were held at knifepoint.

John Kelly (34) 4 Cluain Ard, Ardnacassa, Co Longford pleaded guilty to carrying out the armed raid on Brazilian national Luis De Silva and Chinese woman Kit de Long at 25 Weaver's Hall, Market Square, Longford during the early hours of June 3 last year.

Donna McDermott (37) with addresses at 4 Cluain Ard, Ardncassa, Longford and 52 Springlawn, Longford pleaded guilty to the same offence at a previous court sitting. The court heard that despite a bench warrant being issued for her arrest, Ms McDermott was still at large.

Counsel for the prosecution, Shane Geraghty BL, told of how Mr De Silva, who had only moved into the apartment complex two weeks previously, awoke to banging noises outside.

Upon opening the door, he was immediately met by two men, one of whom was brandishing a seven inch kitchen knife. Ms McDermott was also present at the scene, it was revealed.

The court also heard how Kelly had tried to masquerade himself as a garda with Mr De Silva recalling how the accused had a piece of paper in his hand which had been presented as a bogus search warrant.

In a desperate bid to flee the scene, Mr De Silva tried to first run past the trio and despite being initially blocked in his attempts to do so, managed to escape through a window and by then running down a set of stairs and onto the town's Ballymahon Street area in a pair of shorts.

It was accepted in court that while it was Kelly's male co-accused who was armed with the knife, Mr De Silva told gardai he was fully convinced his life was in danger.

Details from a statement provided by Ms de Long was also read into court in which she explained how she was suddenly woken in her bedroom where she found two men and a woman standing over her.

The court heard Ms de Long was able to identify Kelly, who sported a cap and dark raincoat, by a small scar under his left eye.

Under a barrage of demands for money, Ms de Long attempted to hide her wallet, which contained 850 in it, under her bed but was soon pushed away by her attackers who snatched it along with a red bag containing a phone, four rings and other jewelry items.

It was revealed the phone taken in the burglary was found in the possession of Mr Kelly in the same apartment complex when gardai carried out a search of a premises was found in along with a female co-accused barely 24 hours later.

An examination of the phone also found Kelly had set up a Facebook profile on it within hours of the incident.

The court heard Kelly had 71 previous convictions to his name and was on bail in connection to a separate robbery carried out in Dublin at the time of the raid.

Judge Johnson was informed he had since been sentenced to four years in prison for that offence and was not due for release until June 2025.

In victim impact statements read into court on behalf of both Mr De Silva and Ms de Long, both injured parties told of how the 20 minute ordeal had turned their lives upside down.

"I have a fear that these people might come back and any time I see a knife now, I think of that night," said Mr De Silva, adding he no longer went out as a result.

Ms de Long said she had been left a total of over 2,000 out of pocket, adding: "I am now very nervous at night and I dread being on my own," she said.

"I don't think I will ever forget that night."

The court also heard from Kelly read a prepared handwritten letter of apology in which he illustrated his remorse over what had unfolded.

"Your home is your castle and it should never have happened," he said, adding how as an only child he first became hooked on drugs from the age of 10.

"I deserve to do time for what I have done, I understand that.

"My dad is 85 and I know there is a good chance with a lengthy sentence that if he passes away I might go off the rails altogether."

In defence, Niall Flynn BL, instructed by Baxter and Mimnagh Solicitors, said Mr Kelly made no effort at any stage to conceal his identity and wasn't one of the group who had possession of a knife.

He urged the court to consider, despite the almost certainty of a custodial sentence, to provide "some light" for his client going forwards.

Judge Johnson said while aggravated burglary upon conviction can carry a term of up to life in prison, the headline sentence for this incident attracted a tariff of nine years.

He also heaped praise on the "humane" way in which gardai who led the investigation dealt with both injured parties, who he said, could only have been left severely traumatised by what they had encountered.

In taking into account both aggravating and mitigating factors, Judge Johnson imposed a five year sentence to run consecutively to the four year term Kelly is already serving.

The final 18 months of that sentence he suspended for five years on a number of conditions including an order that Kelly enter into a 500 bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a period of five years post release.
Saudi-based Sany Alameriah For Construction Company has signed up MGB Berhad - a leading Malaysian construction and property development company and a subsidiary of LBS Bina Group - to design and build 10,000 residential units in Jeddah.

The SR2.5 billion ($665 million) project, which is being developed as part of Sakani housing programme, is due for competion in five years.

Sany Alameriah is a joint venture between Sany, the second largest heavy equipment manufacturer in the world, and Alameriah, a renowned developer in Saudi Arabia.

It is principally involved in general construction activities, real estate development, infrastructure, design and build, and manufacturing of precast concrete products.

In addition to the housing units, the Saudi group also is looking at a collaboration with MGB to operate a precast concrete factory in Jeddah capable of supplying 1,000,000 cu m precast concrete products for the construction of the residential units.

The signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) was at the LBS headquarters in Plaza Seri Setia, Petaling Jaya.

MGB Executive Vice-chairman Tan Sri Lim Hock San signed the agreement with Sany Alameriah Chairman Bandar Mohammad Al Amre at a key event held at the LBS headquarters in Petaling Jaya in the presence of MGB Group officials Managing Director Datuk Joey Lim Hock Guan and CEO Datuk Richard Lim as well as SA board member Tarek Amri.

Hock San pointed out that the construction industry had progressively begun to embrace IBS Precast as the pathway towards attaining higher construction quality, improving productivity as well as greater efficiency.

"We look towards progressing leaps and bounds, driven by the use of our IBS Precast technology," he noted.

"The MoU with such a renowned developer marks a major milestone for us as we begin to tap into the Middle East market," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
A TELECOMMUNICATIONS company says a mast which Offaly County Council turned down is crucial for improved mobile and broadband services in the Walsh Island area.

The County Council refused permission for the 25.5m high (83.5 feet) lattice tower north of Walsh Island in Ballintemple townland because there is already another mast 150 metres away.

Towercom said the proposed structure will replace a smaller mast which has been there since 1990 and an appeal has been lodged with An Bord Pleanala.

Towercom argue that the new mast must be placed at the existing site because that is the location of an Eir exchange and a fibre point of connection.

Vodafone support the Towercom appeal and said they require a direct connection to this fibre point of connection which is not achievable by using the mast 145/150 metres from the exchange across a 3rd part agricultural field.

Vodafone says it assesses co-location as a first option and already has masts co-located on ESB, CIE, Bord Na Mona, Vantage and Cellnex sites in the surrounding area but we need to remain at exchange premises with use of new tower because of direct availability to the high-capacity fibre connection.

The new mast will be 11 metres higher than the existing one and documents lodged with the appeal to An Bord Pleanala say increasing the height is necessary to achieve line of sight with more surrounding sites for the installation of site to site radio link dishes.

This allows these sites to be connected into Vodafone's high capacity transmission fiber network located in exchange. These connected sites will experience capacity uplift for 4G and future 5G services.

The other sites Vodafone wish to link to are Towercom in Bracknagh, CIE in Geashill, ESB in Knock, Daingean, Vantage in Daingean GAA, Cellnex in Clonyquin and Bord na Mona in Ballykilleen.

Towercom said in the original application to the council that the area is fringe for Eir mobile 4G coverage according to ComReg, very good for Three, and varying from fringe to no coverage for Vodafone.

In the appeal they say: As a long-established telecommunications site and utilities property, the existing installation is of inadequate height and structural capacity for multiple operators' equipment and as such is in need of upgrading and investment by the applicant and operators.

The telecommunications site is of critical importance to the Vodafone network in this region and is relied upon by individuals, communities, and businesses in the area for many years... The proposed replacement structure presents an opportunity for current operators to upgrade their installation and future operators to co-locate as the lattice tower will have capacity to cater for future equipment as required.

The rationale... is to improve the coverage and capacity of mobile telecommunications and broadband services in this area of Offaly, consistent with the Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027...

Towercom sought permission in December 2021 and gave the council further information 11 months later. The application was refused in December 2022.

The council said it aims to consolidate the number of telecommunications masts in the county and says the other mast, (24m high and 150m to the northeast in the neighbouring townland of Bunnagappagh) serves the same geographical area.

The council said Towercom's application had not satisfactorily demonstrated that coverage could not be achieved through co-location with another operator on an existing telecommunications structure.

The owner and operator of the other mast, OnTower, said it already provides wireless broadcast facilities for Three Ireland in the Walsh Island area.

OnTower told the council their site has the capacity for additional equipment and can be upgraded to accommodate additional telecommunications equipment as the need arises and added: Towercom Ltd did not seek a colocation from OnTower Limited in this case. For this reason, we do not see a requirement for a second telecoms site in the Walsh Island area.
Ryanair has called for action by the government over disruption at Dublin Airport caused by drones.

The airline said there has been two days of disruptions and diversions at the airport.

The carrier has urged Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to take action to prevent further drone disruptions at Irelands main airport.

A spokesperson for Dublin Airport said flight operations were suspended at 2.11pm on Saturday, with operations resuming on runway 28R at 2.49pm for departures, and on 28L at 2.55pm for arrivals.

They said flight operations were suspended for safety reasons following two confirmed drone sightings on the airfield.

It is illegal to fly drones within 5km of the airport. The safety and security of airport users is DAAs key priority at all times and staff at Dublin Airport and An Garda Siochana remain vigilant in relation to drone activity in the vicinity of the airport, they said.

Such instances are a huge inconvenience to our passengers whether they are delayed departing or experience air traffic delays returning to Dublin Airport. However, safety and security are always our overriding priorities.

A spokesperson for Ryanair slammed as unacceptable that for two days in a row, passengers and flights to/from Dublin were disrupted by apparent drone activity.

Yesterday four Ryanair aircraft and over 700 passengers had their flights diverted to Shannon and Belfast, and again today another four flights and 700 passengers were diverted with thousands more having their flights delayed, they said.

Such drone disruptions at Irelands main airport are unacceptable.

We are calling on Minister Ryan to take urgent action to protect the countrys main airport from repeated disruptions from illegal drone activity.
Canada has sent one of its military planes to Haiti to help the country cope with escalating violence.
Englands new era under Steve Borthwick began with a Six Nations defeat to Scotland, while Ireland were too strong for Wales.
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Germany's chancellor said there was "consensus" with Kyiv that Western arms would not be used to attack Russian territory. Meanwhile, Ukraine welcomed the start of training for British tanks. DW rounds up the latest.
The AfD started out as a euroskeptic party and turned into a hub for the disgruntled  and gives right-wing extremists a political home. Now, the AfD is striving for government participation.
Returning from Africa, Pope Francis took umbrage with those who used Pope Benedict XVI's death to attack the church. He was also joined by fellow faith leaders he traveled with in defending the gay community.
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New Delhi, Feb 5 (UNI) The Congress on Sunday launched a fresh attack at the Centre over Adani Group issue, alleging the Narendra Modi -led government has maintained a "loud silence" which smacks of collusion.

"Amid the allegations against the Adani Group, the Modi government has maintained a loud silence which smacks of collusion," Congress general secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said.

The MP also informed that the Congress party will pose three questions a day to the Prime Minister, starting from Sunday over the Adani issue.

"Dear PM Modi, in response to the Panama Papers expose, on 4 April 2016 the Ministry of Finance announced that you had personally directed a multi-agency investigative group to monitor financial flows to and from offshore tax havens," he said in a statement.

The former Union Minister added, "Subsequently, at the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China on 5 September 2016, you (PM) stated, 'we need to act to eliminate safe havens for economic offenders, track down and unconditionally extradite money launderers and break down the web of complex international regulations and excessive banking secrecy that hide the corrupt and their deeds.' This leads to some questions that you and your government cannot hide from saying HAHK (Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun).

He further said, "Vinod Adani, the brother of Gautam Adani, was named in the Panama Papers and the Pandora Papers as someone who operates offshore entities in the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands. He is alleged to have engaged in 'brazen stock manipulation' and 'accounting fraud' via a vast labyrinth of offshore shell entities."

" You have spoken often about your sincerity and niyat in fighting corruption and even subjected the nation to the heavy costs of 'demonetisation'. What does the fact that a business entity you are well acquainted with faces serious allegations, tell us about the quality about the quality and sincerity of your investigations?," the MP asked the PM.

Accusing Modi of 'misusing ' Central probe agencies, he said, "Over the years you have misused agencies like the ED, CBI and the DRI to intimidate your political opponents and to punish business houses that do not fall in line with your cronies financial interests."

" What action has been taken, if ever, to investigate the serious allegations made over the years against the Adani Group? Is there any hope of a fair and impartial investigation under you?," the parliamentarian asked.

He also asked how is it possible that one of Indias largest business groups, could have escaped serious scrutiny for so long despite persistent allegations.

"Was the Adani Group essential to a dispensation that has profited from 'anti-corruption' rhetoric all of these years ?", the MP said.

Several Opposition parties including Congress has been demanding the Centre to either constitute a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) or set up an inquiry under the Chief Justice of Supreme Court to look into the Hindenburg Research report, which alleged that Adani Group had engaged in stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades.

UNI DS SY GNK
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The chairman of the teachers' organization announced on Friday that on Sunday there will be a one-day warning strike in Israeli high schools.
Business Secretary Grant Shapps has hit out at Ofgem for listening to energy company bosses over customers, following the forceful installation of prepayment meters.
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The federal government says it wants the RCMP to ban the use of two crowd-control tools that forces across the country say they have in their arsenals: sponge rounds and CS gas.
The federal defence Minister says Canada 'unequivocally supports' the United States government's decision to shoot down a high-altitude surveillance balloon that was suspected of spying for China, noting the balloon violated Canadian airspace.
Former British prime minister Liz Truss blamed on Sunday the economic "orthodoxy" in the country's finance ministry, other nations and in parts of the governing Conservative Party for derailing her premiership and "plan for growth". Truss's tenure was cut short last year after her largely unfunded



#liztruss #conservativeparty #telegraph #downingstreet #ldi #conservative #treasury #grantshapps #rishisunak #labourparty
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the situation on the eastern front line was getting tougher, with Russia throwing more and more troops into battle to break down Ukrainian defences.
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Sarah Gonzales-McLinn didnt know what was in store for her when she moved into Hal Saskos house in Lawrence. This image was taken on the day she moved in. (Submitted to Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA, Kansas  Sarah Gonzales-McLinn regrets killing Hal Sasko.

She also regrets moving into his Lawrence home, where he repeatedly raped her until she channeled a lifetime of trauma into psychotic rupture.

On a January night in 2014, she drugged her captor, zip-tied his limbs and slit his throat.

That is the moment that my pain and suffering spilled over onto many different people, even outside of us two, she said in a phone interview from the womens prison in Topeka. So that moment, yes, I absolutely regret, and I would never do that again.

A jury convicted Gonzales-McLinn of first-degree murder in 2015 without knowing about the months of abuse that preceded her grisly crime. Now, her advocates hope to get her out of prison by convincing the governor to grant her clemency  a longshot attempt to correct what they view as injustice.

The clemency application focuses on Saskos grooming of her from the age of 14, including the financial and psychological traps he used to keep her in bondage. New details include the revelation that Sasko, at age 52, had started grooming 16-year-old twin girls before his death.

Advocates hope her request for clemency will elevate public awareness of human trafficking cases so that women like Gonzales-McLinn may be better understood by family, friends, law enforcement and judges.

How is it that she can be tried and convicted without a jury being fully aware of what was going on in that house? How is that not an injustice? said Dave Ranney, a retired journalist who met Gonzales-McLinn as a volunteer for a writing program at the womens prison. The question isnt whether she killed him, its why? And if you dont know the answer to that, just ask anyone who counsels women who find themselves caught up in abusive relationships. They can tell you.

Gonzales-McLinn was sentenced to a minimum of 50 years in prison. In 2021, newly elected Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez made a stunning deal. Gonzales-McLinns sentence was cut in half in exchange for giving up the right to appeal. But there is no guarantee a parole board will let her out of prison before she dies.

Valdez publicly defended the plea deal but secretly agreed Gonzales-McLinn should be freed.

Interviews, court records, confidential police documents, psychological reports, the clemency application and other materials obtained by Kansas Reflector provide insight into the events surrounding Saskos death and the legal proceedings that followed.

State corrections officials refused to allow an in-person interview with Gonzales-McLinn, citing inconvenience for prison staff and a state agency policy that only grants reporters access for stories on appropriate topics. Instead, corrections officials required Gonzales-McLinn to answer sensitive questions over the phone while surrounded by other inmates.

This was her first interview with a reporter, and she was nervous to tell her story.

Ive never talked about this with anyone outside of attorneys and psychologists  like, not even my family, Gonzales-McLinn said. But I just feel like its time, also. I feel like it has been just so hard to talk about because it does still hold a certain amount of power over me.

Living with Sasko

Gonzales-McLinn welcomed the invitation from Sasko to move into his Lawrence home after she graduated a year early from Topeka High School. She was 17, and he was 50.

They met three years earlier, when she went to work for Sasko at his Cicis Pizza branch in Topeka. He stayed in touch as she moved on to other jobs.

Sasko knew about her troubled relationship with her parents. He knew she had been violently raped by a man who left her with scars from cigarette burns. She had attempted suicide and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Sasko promised to take care of her.

When I moved into that house, I had no idea what was in store for me, Gonzales-McLinn said. I truly did think of him as a father figure to me. I just had no idea.

The supposed sanctuary included unlimited access to marijuana and alcohol. Cocaine and ecstasy also were available.

Sasko charged her rent, and she bought her own food. He slowly gained control over most everything that I did, Gonzales-McLinn said.

After they had lived together for about six months, he told Gonzales-McLinn he loved her. She said she shut it down, but he continued to make unwanted advances. Eventually, he demanded sex as a condition for staying with him.

I was very crushed the first time that happened, and I just felt completely helpless at that point, Gonzales-McLinn said.

Sasko commandeered her paychecks, telling her she owed money for gas, her phone, car repairs and other expenses. He threatened to sue her if she left and told her he would wreck her credit rating so that she could never get an apartment or buy a car. She would be homeless, he warned.

Family and friends later told police that Sasko bragged about how amazing it was to have an 18-year-old. But he complained to Gonzales-McLinn that she wasnt attractive enough.

He paid for her to get a nose job, then added the $6,000 cost to the bill she would have to repay before she could stop having sex with him.

He told her that men dont like flat-chested women. She needed a curvier body. He wanted her to have breast augmentation surgery, but the doctor said she was too young. He arranged for her to have buttocks implants instead. She objected but felt she had no choice. He added the $10,000 cost to her bill.

Her last paycheck, from Bed Bath & Beyond, was for $265.56.

Gonzales-McLinn later told a psychologist that she would drink herself into a semi-conscious state when Sasko required sex. If she tried to resist, he held her arms.

I would get as drunk as I could and just lay there, she told the psychologist.

She estimated that he raped her two to three times per week for 10 months.

By late December 2013, Gonzales-McLinn had broken from reality. She searched Google for such phrases as: Why do I think so differently?

She texted her sister: I feel like a caged animal right now, and its making me crazy.

Survival brain

Greg Kelley told police he visited his uncles house a month or two before the murder and was alarmed to find a skinned rabbit in a bowl in the refrigerator.

Gonzales-McLinn had bought the rabbit at a local pet store, signed a waiver saying she would care for it, then used a knife to kill and skin the animal. She dug the rabbits fur out of the trash and demonstrated for Kelley how she stuck the knife through the rabbits neck. She had put thought into the technique.

She did this, she explained, to learn how to self survive.

The rabbit was marinating because she planned to cook and eat it the next day.

Kelley thought to himself: This chick has problems.

In clinical terms, Gonzales-McLinn was suffering from major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and dissociative identity disorder  formerly known as multiple personalities.

To a reasonable degree of psychological certainty, Ms. Gonzales McLinn suffers from a number of serious mental illnesses, wrote Marilyn Hutchinson, a psychologist who spent 17.5 hours evaluating Gonzales-McLinn after the murder.

Sharon Sullivan, a Washburn University professor and expert on human trafficking, said it is important to understand the neurological impact of sexual abuse. Survival brain takes over, Sullivan said, and the part of the brain that controls decision making goes offline.

In Gonzales-McLinns case, Sullivan said, her brain wasnt even fully developed. She was trapped. She didnt know there were options.

I cant even imagine having to deal with that at 18 years old, with so little experience of the world, Sullivan said. And this is someone whos supposed to love her, called her his daughter. How f***ing creepy is that?

Gonzales-McLinn said she couldnt find a way to cope with the abuse in a way that made her feel better.

There was a lot of drugs and alcohol in that house, and that was the only relief that I felt the whole time, Gonzales-McLinn said. That is kind of a dark road to go down.

Hutchinsons report said Gonzales-McLinn had been molested by a neighbor as a child, and the rape at age 16 was extraordinarily traumatic. She had nightmares of killing herself and the rapist. She felt unavoidable humiliation.

Saskos abuse compounded the trauma. Gonzales-McLinn came to the conclusion she would have to kill herself or kill him. A change in antidepressant medication may have affected her thinking, Hutchinson noted.

On the morning of Jan. 14, 2014, Sasko texted Gonzales-McLinn to apologize for trying to sleep with her again. But at 5:15 that night, he sent a text asking her to put beer in the refrigerator. She knew if he was drinking, she would be raped.

Gonzales-McLinn killed Sasko shortly before midnight. She drove her car to Florida so she could see the ocean before her inevitable arrest.

Lawrence police questioned her after she was found 11 days later in Everglades National Park. Detective Jamie Lawson wanted to know why she used Saskos blood to write FREEDOM on the wall.

What was you trying to express when you did that? Lawson asked.

Thats how I felt, she replied.

Later, Gonzales-McLinn told Hutchinson that killing Sasko felt like standing in the sun for the first time.

Irrelevant information

In a closed-door meeting with the trial judge in 2015, prosecutor Charles Branson successfully argued that it would be inappropriate for the jury to hear about Saskos abuse of Gonzales-McLinn.

Details of those allegations would not be proper in front of the jury during the guilt phase of the trial because they would be simply information that would be used to create sympathy for the defendant, Branson said, according to a transcript of the conversation.

Branson considered the abuse to be irrelevant information. He also didnt want the abuse to be made public because news outlets would write about it.

Defense attorney Carl Cornwell agreed to restrictions on the evidence of abuse he could present at trial. Instead, he tried to convince jurors that Gonzales-McLinn was too mentally unstable to understand her actions.

The jury rejected Cornwells arguments, which emphasized the system of Sarah, a reference to her multiple personalities. Prosecutors said she was exaggerating symptoms of mental illness.

Gonzales-McLinn didnt realize she might have to spend the rest of her life in prison. She was shocked and confused when evidence of Saskos abuse wasnt presented at trial.

I never had this mentality of, Im just going to get out scot-free, thats what Im fighting for, thats what I want. But I did always want what was fair, Gonzales-McLinn said. If you dont say everything that happened, how can somebody decide whats fair?

Douglas County District Judge Paula Martin gave Gonzales-McLinn a Hard 50 sentence, meaning she would have to serve at least 50 years before the chance of parole. She would be nearly 70 years old by then.

Gonzales-McLinn appealed her sentence on the grounds that Cornwell provided ineffective counsel. Meanwhile, advocates began to prepare a clemency application  and uncovered evidence that wasnt presented to the jury.

Sasko had downloaded hundreds of videos of violent pornography on his phone and visited x-rated websites that featured children, teens and bestiality. At least 20 times, he visited websites that featured men fondling or having sex with women who appeared to be sleeping.

Police found a camera and flash drives on a desk in Saskos bedroom. A detective said images found on the flash drives demonstrated that Sasko and Gonzales-McLinn were friends who spent time together. Advocates werent allowed to view the files.

Confidential police reports revealed Sasko was grooming 16-year-old twin girls before his death. Their mother was furious at the attention and gifts he provided them, including cash, gas, clothes, subwoofers for their car, and an unsolicited envelope of marijuana. When the mother blocked his number on their phones, he bought them new phones. If they ever wanted to run away, he told the girls, they could move in with him.

Megan Stuke, executive director of The Willow, a domestic violence center in Lawrence, said the concepts of grooming and human trafficking are frequently misunderstood.

Somebody gets you in a relationship, provides you with creature comforts or covering your needs, so that then you dont have any other options but to do what they want  to maintain your housing, finance, maybe its an addiction that theyve helped you create, Stuke said. People can be trafficked by their parents. People are trafficked by their boyfriends. Its not necessarily the big ring of bad guys moving people around.

Valdez, the Douglas County district attorney, knew about the abuse when she reached a plea deal in May 2021 with defense attorney Jonathan Sternberg that would require Gonzales-McLinn to spend at least 25 years in prison.

Before his client would drop her appeal, the defense attorney made one last request.

Can you also confirm that should the settlement agreement be accepted by the judge, you personally intend to support Sarah obtaining clemency from the Governor when it becomes politically appropriate for both you and the Governor? Sternberg wrote in an email. I know we also discussed that, too, and Sarah wanted me to ask you that.

Valdez replied: Yes.

Valdez declined to comment for this story, but she and Sternberg defended the plea deal in a column published by Kansas Reflector.

There is a difference between zealous advocacy and zealotry, they wrote. Zealous advocacy relies on facts that are supported by testimony, evidence and arguments that can be admitted in a court of law. Zealotry relies almost solely on zeal.

Michelle Gonzales responded on behalf of her daughters advocates: Valdez and Sternberg may find legal comfort in knowing that a young woman who killed her rapist will spend at least 25 years in prison. We do not.

Processing her shame

Gonzales-McLinn said her unwanted buttocks implants are a constant reminder of the physical and emotional pain Sasko inflicted on her.

Shortly after she arrived at prison, she asked to have them removed.

They were all just curious, Gonzales-McLinn said. I remember one nurse went and called another nurse in and they both touched me.

The state denied her the medical procedure.

Yeah, it would be ideal if all of the nurses would, you know, follow HIPAA and keep your medical stuff private, but they dont, Gonzales-McLinn said. And they told a lot of people  a lot of officers, a lot of inmates. That was just very traumatic.

She recently renewed her request to remove the implants and is awaiting an answer.

Advocates, including Ranney, Sullivan and Stuke, compiled a lengthy review of her case, with supporting documentation, as part of the clemency application they filed in December with the Prisoner Review Board. Advocates hired Hutchinson, the psychologist, to conduct a new evaluation.

It is with a great deal of psychological certainty that I opine that Sarah Gonzales McLinn has achieved rehabilitation and is very capable of maintaining a crime-free and productive life, Hutchinson wrote in a new report.

The board, through a process outlined in state law, will gather input from Valdez and Saskos family, and make a recommendation to Gov. Laura Kelly.

Kelly has granted clemency to eight individuals through an initiative that reviewed nonviolent drug crimes. Her office declined to answer questions for this story about whether that initiative is ongoing, or whether consideration should be given to someone who suffered sexual abuse.

Stuke said Gonzales-McLinn was acting in self-defense when she killed Sasko.

When you meet Sarah, it is so clear that she is not a vicious killer, Stuke said. She is not someone who is a danger to society at this point. She was in a particular situation with what felt to her like no options.

Prison has given Gonzales-McLinn a chance to heal.

In a weird way, she said, being locked up was a relief. She took the time to think about what happened. She would write letters to God as a way of trying to process her shame.

She trains Labradors and golden retrievers to be service dogs for an organization based out of Washington, Kansas. The dogs have healed me in a way that I didnt even know needed healing, she said.

If she could talk to the governor, she would tell her she is no longer the young girl who felt hopeless and didnt know what to do.

I have dedicated every day since my incarceration to better myself  not only for myself but for my family and the community, Gonzales-McLinn said. I will continue to make sure that everything that happened wasnt just for nothing.

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Kansas Reflector is part of the States Newsroom network of news bureaus with the Louisiana Illuminator. It is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: info@kansasreflector.com. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.

The post She killed her rapist after months of abuse. Advocates say Kansas governor should set her free. appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator.
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A Pennsylvania family found dead from honoring their murder-suicide pact.

The authorities responded to a welfare check request made by a neighbor.

Upon arrival, they discovered the three deceased individuals lying outside on the ground. The authorities found out that the Pennsylvania family has been dead for a few days now.

The police have determined that the murder-suicide pact was a joint decision that the family made.

As per the New York Post, the family of three, James Daub (62), Deborah Daub (59), and their daughter Morgan Daub (26) were found dead in the backyard of their home in York County, Pennsylvania on January 25, 2023.

Pennsylvania Family Found Dead

The pact was Deborah shooting and killing her husband James and then being shot and killed by Morgan, who subsequently took her own life by suicide. All three deaths were caused by gunshot wounds to the head.

The West Manchester Township Police Department has found written notes left inside the family's home that suggest that the family had recently made a joint decision to end their lives.

According to Complex, Detective Timothy Fink, Deborah Daub had left a written document, dated January 19, which spoke of the joint decision made by her and Morgan to end their lives.

The note referred to the evil that has mounted against Morgan but did not go into further detail.

Additionally, each of the letters included instructions and financial information for relatives, including the whereabouts of their insurance policies and how to access their bank accounts.

The family had also sedated their pet dog with drugs so that it would not pose a threat to the first responders.

The evidence found at the scene, including the positioning of the bodies, the two guns, the shell casings, and other evidence support the account put forward by the written documents.

The police have concluded that all three family members decided to end their lives on January 24, 2023.

Read Also: Mom Blocks Obese 5-Year-Old Daughter Out the Kitchen Due To Rare Prader-Willi Syndrome

The Pennsylvania Family in the eyes of others

The Pennsylvania family was well-known in their community, with those who knew them expressing shock and heartbreak at the news of their deaths.

According to the NBC News, the Daub's only child, Morgan, was described as a shy, quiet young woman who was close with her mother and was a talented and avid bowler.

The two women were frequent visitors to the local bowling center and were known to be devout Christian conservatives. Morgan is a professional bowler and has even won scholarship money for college due to her competitive bowling skills.

However, around the start of the pandemic, Morgan and Deborah suddenly stopped visiting the bowling stores and alleys in the area.

The owner of the local bowling center, Terry Miller, said that it was definitely weird that the two had stopped coming in.

Some members of the community have also reported being disturbed by recent videos appearing to show Morgan on YouTube.

The videos show her speaking in a stream-of-conscious fashion about God, the Antichrist, and conspiracies surrounding the Trump administration and the 2020 election. The videos have left many who knew her haunted by her laughter in the clips.

Morgan also made a YouTube video claiming that she is a prophet of the most high god and as expected, people who knew the family got alarmed with this.

Other neighbors would describe the family as an avid Trump supporter saying that their backyard was once full of campaign signage during Trump's election.

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Ive long had it in mind to do a brief book on the Beatitudes of the New Testament. Ive made several starts on it, but  in a triumph of hope over experience  I think Ill make a running leap at it once again, perhaps making it a special focus for the Sabbath. (Hawaii very powerfully makes me think of the Isles of the Blest.) With that in mind, I share yet again some prefatory remarks on the topic, in very slightly modified form:

The so-called Beatitudes, as they are known to mainstream Christians, are principally found in the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, as part of the Sermon on the Mount. Each is a proverb-like proclamation, without narrative. Four of the blessings also appear in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel of Luke, followed by four woes that mirror the blessings.

In St. Jeromes Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, each Beatitude begins with the three-syllable plural adjective beati, which is rendered in the King James translation of the Bible (and in many, though not all, other translations) with the word blessed. The corresponding and synonymous word in the original Greek is  (makarioi). The Latin noun beatitudo apparently first appears in the writings of the Roman orator, politician, and philosopher Cicero, where it describes a state of blessedness.

I choose the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible for the sake of freshness:

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

As can be seen in the NIVs formatting of the verses shown above, most careful readers of Matthew have numbered the Beatitudes as eight. Although 5:11 also begins with the word blessed, 5:11-12 can be easily read as simply expanding upon the beatitude given in 5:10. And that is how I read them.

The Beatitudes are also partially found in the so-called Sermon on the Plain that is located in the Gospel of Luke, at 6:20-26. The relationship at this point between the two texts, Matthew and Luke, has been much discussed, but that discussion is beyond my present purposes. Four of the Beatitudes are plainly present in the same blessing form as that in which Matthew gives them, but then those four are given again in what might be called an anti-Beatitude form, prefaced by the word woe:

20 Looking at his disciples, he said: Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

21 Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

22 Blessed are you when people hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil,

because of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

24 But woe to you who are rich,

for you have already received your comfort.

25 Woe to you who are well fed now,

for you will go hungry.

Woe to you who laugh now,

for you will mourn and weep.

26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,

for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

In a series of forthcoming comments on the Beatitudes, Ill be using Matthew as my primary source, but Ill also be drawing from the Gospel of Luke and from a source peculiar to the Latter-day Saints: The risen Savior delivers a slightly modified version of the Sermon on the Mount to the Nephites  to distinguish it from the Sermon on the Mount and the Lukan Sermon on the Plain, Jack Welch calls it the Sermon at the Temple  that is recorded in the Book of Mormon at 3 Nephi 12-14. In that account, the Matthean Beatitudes occur, with some changes, at 3 Nephi 12:3-12.

More than once, critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have demanded of me to know why we need the Book of Mormon or additional revelation, when we cant even live up to what we already have in the Bible. But if our own inability to live up to the commandments in the Bible renders additional scripture superfluous, I am tempted to respond that the Beatitudes themselves contain so much, they impose so demanding a standard  a standard so far beyond our ability to live up to it  that all of the rest of the Bible itself, both the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, must also seem redundant and unnecessary, even something of a cruel joke. In fact, since nobody has ever lived up to the injunction of Matthew 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect  one could argue on the same basis that every other verse of the entire Bible is superfluous.

But lets return, briefly for now, to the word blessed:

The Greek makar or makarios meant blessed or happy, and was properly used to refer to the gods. They were the makares, or blessed ones. With respect to men, the word meant supremely blest, fortunate, but also prosperous, and wealthy. For humans, it was especially the dead who were called blessed ones, since they were beyond the reach of pain and death. They dwelt in the abode of the blessed, makaria. The makaron nesoi or islands of the blest were, interestingly enough, placed by the later Greeks in the ocean at the extreme West of the world. [See Liddel and Scott, s.v. makar, makaria, and makarios.]

Posted from Waikoloa, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
Conditions for posting online havent been ideal in my case over the past several hours, so I apologize for my tardiness in drawing attention to these two new articles from the Interpreter Foundation:

Twenty Years After Paradigms Regained, Part 2: Responding to Margaret Barkers Critics and Why Her Work Should Matter to Latter-day Saints, written by Kevin Christensen

Abstract: Here I address specific criticisms of Margaret Barkers work. First, I set the stage by discussing Thomas Kuhns The Structure of Scientific Revolutions as a map and compass for navigating this kind of controversy. I show how his observations cast light on debates about Jesus in the Gospel of John, which in turn resemble present debates. In this context, I then consider some notable criticisms of Barkers work as not mainstream and consider an instructive appreciation of Barker by Father John McDade in his Life of Jesus Research. I then respond in detail to a recent BYU Studies essay that was critical of Barkers work.

Interpreting Interpreter: Responding to Barkers Critics, written by Kyler Rasmussen

This post is a summary of the article Twenty Years After Paradigms Regained, Part 2: Responding to Margaret Barkers Critics and Why Her Work Should Matter to Latter-day Saints by Kevin Christensen in Volume 55 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/. The Takeaway: Christensen responds to a set of critiques arrayed against the work of Margaret Barker and the use of her work by Latter-Day Saints, arguing that she is often dismissednot because of the weakness of her ideasbut because they fail to align with the prevailing historical paradigm.

We took our friends for malasadas in Lahaina this afternoon, and then up to the venerable Lahainaluna school above the town. Lahainaluna was established in 1831, and one of its first students was Jonatana Napela (1813-1879), the Native Hawaiian attorney, judge, and early Latter-day Saint convert who helped George Q. Cannon to translate the Book of Mormon into the Hawaiian language. Thereafter, just before heading to the airport at Kahului, we drove up to visit the tiny old Latter-day Saint chapel in the Kula district, on the lower slope of Haleakala. It is, in my view, a holy place, closely linked to, among others, George Q. Cannon and the very young missionary Joseph F. Smith, and Ive tried to drop by the chapel every time Ive been on Maui.

In 1920 and 1921, Elder David O. McKay, who had been serving as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles since 1906, undertook an assigned around-the-world tour on behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in company with Hugh J. Cannon. His experience on the tour would later serve Elder McKay well during his own tenure as president of the Church from 1951 until his death in 1970.

At one point, Elder McKay and his party were on Maui. The group included not only Hugh Cannon (a son of the late George Q. Cannon, who had served as a counselor to four Church presidents), the Hawaiian mission president E. Wesley Smith (a son of Church president Joseph F. Smith, who had just died on 19 November 1918), Elder Samuel H. Hurst, and a Hawaiian elder named David Kailimai. As Ive already indicated, George Q. Cannon had been one of the original Latter-day Saint missionaries in Hawaii, and, with Jonatana Napela, had translated the Book of Mormon into Hawaiian. Joseph F. Smith had also served as a young missionary in the earliest years of the Hawaiian mission. Both George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith had learned fluent Hawaiian and had become unusually close for their entire lives to the Hawaiian people.

While on Maui, Elder McKays group visited Pulehu, in the Kula district on the lower slope of the great volcano Haleakala, where, in 1851, George Q. Cannon had baptized his very first converts and organized the first Hawaiian branch of the Church. This was sacred ground to Elder McKay and the others  and, as one Latter-day Saint family told me one Sunday afternoon on the Pulehu chapel grounds, it remains sacred to many Church members there still today. (Some, Im told, hope that a small temple will someday be built on Maui, and that, if so, it will be built at Pulehu. For various reasons, I dont expect that. But it would be very nice.)

E. Wesley Smith recalled an event at Pulehu as follows:

While there Elder McKay felt impressed with a desire to offer a prayer to the Lord in the spirit of thanksgiving for the privilege they had of being there, and for the many . . . who had embraced the Gospel. We bowed in prayer, Elder McKay being mouth. It was a moment never to be forgotten, for indeed the spot is sacred. Elder McKay said, I feel certain that President Cannon and President Joseph F. Smith are near for the veil was very thin. Elder [Hugh J.] Cannon was deeply impressed, and with tears filling his eyes and in a choked voice said, There was no veil.

The group told about their experience to a group of Latter-day Saints in the Wailuku chapel later that night, 8 February 1921. One of those in attendance in that meeting, J. Pia Cockett, recorded what he heard in a notebook:

While he [Elder McKay] was praying, the Hawaiian Elder [David Kailimai] was privileged to see in a vision two hands clasped in the form of greeting. He thought Cannon and Hurst were shaking hands. He opened his eyes and saw they were apart. He closed his eyes again and after the prayer he told what he had seen.

It was at that point that Elder McKay made the statement quoted above, about Presidents George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith being near and the veil being very thin.

For many years, J. Pia Cockett was under the impression that the clasped hands that Elder Kailimai had seen in vision were those of George Q. Cannon and his son Hugh. In 1936, however, when President McKay  who, by that time, was second counselor in the First Presidency of the Church  was back in Hawaii on a return visit, Brother Cockett recalled the story in President McKays presence and President McKay corrected him, saying, Those hands were the hands of the two fathers, George Q. Cannon and Joseph F. Smith, in the presence of the two sons, Hugh J. Cannon and E. Wesley Smith.

And now, finally, I provide you with a harrowing quintet of outrages against all decency that Ive recently drawn from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File:

FanNation: Vikings defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga is on a mission: The Vikings defensive tackle is emerging as a key piece  but he wouldnt be here at all if not for a family and a mission that shaped his life.

glassdoor: Best Places to Work 2023 (see number 23)

Higher Ed Dive: Religious colleges should lean into their identities, leaders say: At an ACE event, faith-based colleges discussed problems dogging higher ed  like accessibility and completion  in a religious context.

Billboard: YoungBoy Never Broke Again Is Considering a Mormon Baptism: In a new Billboard cover story, the rapper discusses his time spent with Mormon missionaries.

Satellite Bishops Storehouse in Maui, Hawaii, Helping Those in Need as Food Costs Soar: Service is part of ministering and teaching self-reliance

Posted from Waikoloa, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
THIRD PURE PRECEPT

Zens Shorthand for the Bodhisattva Vow

A talk delivered at

Empty Moon Zens

Saturday morning Zoom gathering

James Ishmael Ford

To remind you.

The three pure precepts are derived from verse 183 in the Dhammapada, a collection of sayings attributed to Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha of history. The verse goes: Renounce all evil; practice all good; keep your mind purethus all the Buddhas taught.

There we clearly see the first two of the pure precepts, ceasing from evil, and doing good.

The third line is rewritten and the fourth is dropped. I suggest that fourth line is unnecessary in the framing of the pure precepts, although its heart is retained as the precepts writ large. Critically that third line is shifted as part of the whole Mahayana project. The great way, of which Zen is a part.

After ceasing from evil. Or trying to understand and finding actions to match that understanding. After doing good. Or trying to understand and finding actions to match that understanding. Here we come to a critical turning. Our teacher Aitken Roshi suggests the rewriting of that line is a shift from the ideal of personal perfection to the ideal of oneness with all beings.

Taking them all together. The Zen teacher Daido Loori tells us that this new formulation is very significant. Not creating evil, practicing good, and actualizing good for others he writes, are the foundation upon which all of the moral teachings of the Buddha are based. The life of each one of us. I think this is true. It is, I find, the summation of the ethical or moral container of our way.

But three pure precepts doesnt stop there. It is an invitation into something profound. While cease from evil is an invitation to turn our lives in a direction, and the do good is an expression of the harmonies of a realized life, that third line opens us into the dynamics of this mysterious life.

The most straightforward presentation of this third pure precept is do good for others. Im also fond of the version save the many beings. Although we have to unpack that save part a little to fully appreciate the nuancing. Shunryu Suzukis version of the line is I vow to live and be lived for the benefit of all beings reveals the wonderful messiness of our way. Another friend suggests the line can be rendered simply awaken. I agree. But again, that begs a lot of unpacking.

At its heart this third of the pure precepts is about the heart of the Mahayana, a turn from a spirituality based in my own saving, a singular project. And by the bye, one I do not disdain, it is something wonderful. But in our way, that turning is into a profound realization were all in this together. Our loss. And our gain. Yours and mine, they cannot in any final analysis be unraveled.

The word for this sense, this call, ultimately this vow, is Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva is the expression of not precisely two, but not exactly one. It opens us to the dynamic of our understanding of that ancient human intuition which is expressed in the dharmic traditions as nonduality. And which modern spiritual scholars have seen is clearly found in all the great religions. As well as among people without any particular religion.

In the third pure precept we come to Bodhisattva mind and the Bodhisattva vow.

I understand that whenever he would give talks, the early Zen missionary to the barbarians of North America Nyogen Senzaki would always address his audience as bodhisattvas. A friend who knows his way around the dharma life, once suggested to me that when Senzaki did this, the sensei was throwing out a net, hoping to snare a wise heart or two.

To address each other as bodhisattvas is an expression of realization, and with that, an invitation. Not unlike a koan.

I sometimes say to someone who has done a small mitzvah, a kindness of one sort or another, youre a bodhisattva. I hope in the same spirit. Okay, in my case maybe with a little bit of snark. But then I stand solidly within my age, and our times just drip with irony. Marx, Ive heard, opined that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce. While it isnt always clear where are today, tragedy or farce; there seems nonetheless always to be room for a little sarcasm.

Knowing us. You and me. Looking within and at each other and knowing yes there is bodhisattva  in reality, and in potential. But knowing the rest as well. People as foolish and greedy and hateful and overflowing with unhealthy opinions. You know, knowing the mess. For me that calls for a hint of irony when calling each other bodhisattvas. You know. Nothing like a good joke. Okay, for me, and thinking of what we are capable of, and what sometimes do, despite our bodhisattvaness; Im not against even a bad joke.

And there is a joke here. When we say about any specific person, bodhisattva. At least in the sense of taking something that is in all the glory of the causes and conditions and decsions that have kept it going, you know, you or me. And then pushing it, prodding it, pulling it, shaping it, until we find something new. Same stuff, but new. Take your favorite villain. And can you then find the bodhisattva there? The Enlightenment being.

Me, I think of those invitations. And the precepts really are invitations. I think especially of this third of the pure precepts is inviting us into our true lives as bodhisattvas. And to what that actually means in a life. As vow, perhaps.

But lets pause for a moment and consider the bodhisattva as an idea.

In its original use it appears to be what the Buddha, Gautama Siddhartha was called in the Jataka tales, those extracanonical stories of his previous lives. Mostly theyre childrens stories, and they sometimes offer heavy handed morals. Theyre also fun, when they dont take really weird turns. Okay that can be fun, too. The point for bodhisattva here, is that in these stories the being who will be Buddha has not fully realized that place, state, however you might want to describe it, but is on the way. Fully on the way. Maybe even more there than not.

The word bodhisattva shifted from that use in the tales, and quickly came to be the term of art to describe someone on the Buddha way. Specifically for one who has achieved bodhicitta, the mind of awakening. The term is developed in a text called the Ten Stage Sutra, itself collected as part of the Avatamsaka Sutra, the Flower Ornament.

Bodhicitta is a complicated experience. The desire for ourselves is natural. It is noticing the hurt of our lives and with that wanting something. Healing. Saving. Lots of good words out there. Each of course, a bit misleading. And each pointing. This deeply personal, all about me part, is probably always the first part. But that feeling, longing, is only dipping our toe into the lake. It isnt enough. It turns out. We need the full dive. Which is to wish that healing, that saving for everyone.

And heres the thing. When everyone is part of our desire for healing, for saving, for awakening; that is the mind of awakening.

In the family of the Great Way a bodhisattva is further understood as someone who has walked the way and has achieved awakening. But rather than passing from the world, vows to remain contaminated, to be a part, to know the hurt, and the longing, until all and everything can also enter the great awakening.

Now, in Zen this is a bit of a bait and switch. Back to the jokiness of our way.

Because we are all so intimately connected that one cannot achieve awakening without everyone and everything else. And theres a further joke inside that joke. That is none of us has ever been separated. Not ever.

As the movie says everything everywhere all at once.

An Indian monk named Shantideva saw this all as a vow. You may recall vow. From one angle our precepts are vows. When I think of the third pure precept, Shantidevas words echo in the phrase I vow to save all beings. I vow to heal all beings. I vow to awaken all beings.

He sang his vow:

May I be the doctor and the medicine

And may I be the nurse

For all sick beings in the world

Until everyone is healed.

May I become an inexhaustible treasure

For those who are poor and destitute;

May I turn into all things they could need

And may these be placed close beside them.

May I be a protector for those without one,

A guide for all travelers on the way;

May I be a bridge, a boat, and a ship

For all who wish to cross the water.

May I be an island for those who seek one

And a lamp for those desiring light;

May I be a bed for all who wish to rest

And a servant for all who want a servant.

May I be a wishing jewel, a magic vase,

Powerful mantras, and great medicine;

May I become a wish-fulfilling tree

And a cow of plenty for the world.

And like space

And all the great elements such as earth,

May I always support the life

Of all the boundless creatures.

And until they pass away from pain

May I also be the source of life

For all the realms of the varied beings

that reach into the ends of space.*

As an aside, when I read the beatitudes in the Christian tradition, me, I hear this vow. The gates are everywhere when our hearts turn to the mystery.

And with that, briefly back to the joke. Im much taken with the complexities within this vow. On the face of it, it is a call to an ultimately unhealthy state, a complete surrender of self to another. You cant say something more against the grain of our culture and our ideas of what we should be doing with our lives. And I agree. Totally. But. Or, maybe thats an and. I more than suspect there is something deeper here, something revealed in that Zen family joke: were really all one in this. And what is done for one is done for all.

A dream. Its like a dream.

Or, maybe a bit of a joke.

But also serious. As serious as life and death.

I vow to save the many beings.

I vow to awaken the many beings.

Awaken.

Awaken.

* English Translation of the Bodhicaryavatara The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva, Translation by Padmakara Translation Group , Shambhala 2011 pages, Section 3.7-34 (slightly adapted)
Tesla founder Elon Musk has been cleared of wrongdoing for a tweet in which he said he had "funding secured" to take the electric carmaker private.



Mr Musk faced a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of Tesla shareholders who argued he misled them with his posts in August 2018.



The proposed $72bn (60bn) buyout never materialised.



If the San Francisco jury had found Mr Musk liable he could have been ordered to pay billions of dollars in damages.



It took the nine jurors less than two hours to reach their verdict on Friday afternoon.



Mr Musk - who had wanted the trial moved to Texas, where Tesla is based, arguing he could not get a fair trial in San Francisco - welcomed the outcome.



Taking to Twitter, the social media platform he bought for $44bn last October, he posted: "Thank goodness, the wisdom of the people has prevailed!



"I am deeply appreciative of the jury's unanimous finding of innocence in the Tesla 420 take-private case."



Central to the lawsuit was Mr Musk's tweet on 7 August 2018: "Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured."



The plaintiffs also argued Mr Musk had lied when he tweeted later in the day that "investor support is confirmed".

The stock price surged after the tweets, but fell back again within days as it became clear the deal would not go through.



Investor losses were calculated as high as $12bn, according to an economist hired by the shareholders.



The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Mr Musk over his tweets, accusing him of lying to investors. Mr Musk agreed to step aside as Tesla board chairman and settled for $20m.



During the three-week trial, Mr Musk - who also leads SpaceX and Twitter - had argued he thought he had a verbal commitment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund for the deal.



During his nearly nine hours on the witness stand, the world's second-richest man said: "Just because I tweet something does not mean people believe it or will act accordingly."



Shareholders had argued that "funding secured" suggested more than a verbal agreement.



Just a 'bad tweet'?



Although Tesla's share price shot up after the tweet was posted, Mr Musk also questioned whether his tweets had any effect on Tesla's share price.



"At one point I tweeted that I thought that, in my opinion, the stock price was too high... and it went higher, which is counterintuitive," he said - arguing the effect his tweets have on the stock price can be unpredictable.



Mr Musk said he eventually scrapped the plan to take Tesla private after his discussions with smaller investors led him to believe they would prefer that the firm remain publicly traded.



He was not in court when the verdict was read, but he was present during closing arguments earlier on Friday as duelling portraits were drawn of him by the rival legal teams.



Nicholas Porritt, a lawyer for the Tesla shareholders, said: "Our society is based on rules. We need rules to save us from anarchy. Rules should apply to Elon Musk like everyone else."



Mr Musk's attorney, Alex Spiro, said: "Just because it's a bad tweet doesn't make it a fraud."



After the verdict, Mr Porritt said: "We are disappointed with the verdict and are considering next steps."



Mr Musk was generally calm during his testimony - though at times he appeared annoyed at the line of questioning.



There were also times of levity. After a lawyer representing shareholders accidentally called Elon Musk "Mr Tweet", Elon Musk promptly changed his name on Twitter to the same moniker.



Several Tesla directors also testified, including James Murdoch, son of Rupert Murdoch. They testified that Mr Musk did not need the Tesla board to review buyout tweets.



Securities fraud lawyer Reed Kathrein called the tweet about taking Tesla private "as concrete a statement of taking a company private as there can be", and said the not guilty verdict was "a travesty to investors and the securities laws".

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Upper Manya Krobo Constituency in the Eastern Region is blessed with the Volta Lake, which is man-made, which makes a compelling case for farming and fishing activities.



The constituency situated in a Kroboland is endowed with arable land and the fisheries resource has, over the years, attracted many people from far and near who are engaged in fishing, farming and trading.



Crops cultivated in the constituency, aside from Cassava, which is processed into gari, are maize, cocoyam, yam, sweet potato, vegetables and tree crops such as mangoes.



Due to these activities, the Upper Manya Krobo Constituency, with Asesewa as its capital, has attracted fishers and farmers from Ada, Ningo, Battor, Mepe and Anlo areas among other places, with a very negligible number of the natives engaged in fishing activities.



The lake has immensely helped in fishing at Akrusu-Saisi, Akotue-Tsreboana, Battorkope, Akorkorma-Sisi, Agbenyega-Poponya and Akateng being the major fishing community.



However, the intermittent shortages of premix fuel continue to be a challenge for fishing in the area.





Bad roads, the lack of potable water and a cassava processing factory to process the abundant cassava produced by farmers, which normally go rotten, are some of the challenges facing the people in the area.



Location



The Upper Manya constituency was carved out of the then Manya Krobo Constituency, with its capital at Odumase-Krobo in 2008. That also gave birth to the Upper Manya Krobo District with the capital at Asesewa, which has one of the oldest markets in the country, and has found its way into a passage in an old basic school textbook under the title, A Market Day at Asesewa.



The constituency lies in the eastern part of the region, which is about 45 kilometres (Km) away from Koforidua, the regional capital, and an hour's drive between the two towns  Koforidua and Asesewa.





It has a voter population of 39,000, going by the 2020 general elections, out of a general population of 70, 676.



Political dynamics



The constituency, since its creation, has been voting for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) winning the parliamentary seat once in the 2016 election, with Joseph Tetteh, popularly known as Joe Tee, annexing the seat, but the NDC recaptured it in the 2020 election.



The current Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Bismark Tetteh Nyarko, won the seat in the 2020 general elections, while the District Chief Executive (DCE) is Joe Sam.





Visit



A visit to the lakeside by the Daily Graphic last week Wednesday, revealed that some empty canoes had been berthed at the shores, with fishermen sitting beside their canoes idle.



The Secretary of the local Boat Transport Association, Nicholas Tsornyake, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said they did not get regular supply and required quantities of premix fuel.





He said all that they had only lasted for a day's fishing on the Volta Lake.



Mr Tsornyake explained that after exhausting their supplies, they had to obtain the commodity from middlemen at exorbitant prices, which made it uneconomical for fishing because they operated at a loss.



He, therefore, appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency, supply them with adequate quantity of the product to save them from the middlemen who sold the commodity to them at exorbitant prices.



Mr Tsornyake said the middlemen normally sold seven gallons of the premix fuel to them between GH120 and GH150 instead of the actual price of GH65.



He stated that the situation had arisen because, instead of the communitys premix fuel distribution committee giving out the commodity to the fishermen, that duty had been assigned to people not related to fishing.



Most of the people supplied with the premix fuel are not fishermen, and when we report to the district assembly at Asesewa, nothing is done about it," Mr Tsornyake stated.



The Chairman of the Inland Canoe Fishermen Council at Akateng, Ossom Asiah Tetteh Mausour, told the Daily Graphic that lack of the product had forced the fishing boat owners to berth their empty boats along the shores of the lake for long periods and that had seriously affected their earnings and their ability to cater for themselves and their dependants.



He said lack of the product had also made it impossible for the boats to ferry livestock, particularly cattle, sheep, goats among other things across the lake to the Akateng market for sale.



A fishmonger, who is also a boat owner, Joyce Ayittah, told the Daily Graphic that the shortage of the premix fuel had adversely affected the price of fish in the market.



She said most of the fishmongers who bought GH1,000 worth of fish, after selling them at places such as Accra and other parts of the country, had to come back with half of that amount because they sold at a loss.



The Dadematse of Akateng (community leader), Lawer Terkper, deplored the situation and said he had not been involved in the distribution of the premix fuel and that had made it impossible for the genuine fishermen to have the product.



He pointed out that due to the inability of the fishermen to go fishing, fish had become so scarce that they had to depend on imported fish stored in cold stores.



When contacted, the Chairman of the Premix Fuel Distribution Committee, Jeremiah Nyebu, declined to speak on the current shortage of the commodity.



No One-District One-Factory



A gari processing factory proposed under the One-District One-Factory (1D1F) initiative to be sited at Sekesua is yet to take off.



When the Daily Graphic visited the site, it observed that the place has been overgrown with weeds with only the billboard on the site.



A constituent, Bright Sogah, who was not happy about the delay in setting up the gari processing factory, said the site for the project, with an erected billboard, is now bushy with nothing on it.



He wondered when that project would take off to enable gari traders to improve on their trading activities to better their livelihoods.



He said the factory, if operationalised, would process tonnes of cassava to gari and that would enable cassava farmers in the area to earn meaningful incomes.



This, he said, was due to the fact that cassava cultivation was one of the major food crops cultivated in the constituency.



Concerns of Community leaders



The Dadematse of Sekesua, Nene John Kumi, said what his people needed were social amenities such as clinics, potable water and decent classroom blocks.



Tettey - Ku Gbadaji, was not happy that some of the communities which lacked potable water, health facilities and modern classroom blocks had not also been linked with good roads.



DCE speaks



The DCE for the district, Mr Sam, said the scarcity of Premix fuel had been a problem in all the fishing communities countrywide.



According to him, people who were not in fishing deceived members of the Premix Fuel Distribution Committee that they were fishermen and managed to secure the product for sale at exorbitant prices, which needed to be stopped.



He, however, indicated that he would see how best to make the product available in the required quantity for the fishermen at the actual price.



Mr Sam said that the constituency had challenges and said the assembly had started rehabilitating the Asesewa - Sekesua Junction Road.



On employment, he said a vast land had already been acquired at Sekesua to put up a gari processing factory, in line with the 1D1F initiative for the gari processors to do their business effectively.



He appealed to the gari processors to be patient as the government was taking steps to bring into fruition the gari processing plant in the constituency to improve their lot.



He assured the unemployed youth that when the factory starts work, it would create decent jobs for the youth, as well as the women in the area.



MP assures



The MP for the area, Mr Nyarko, told the Daily Graphic that his outfit promised the constituents a number of social amenities when campaigning for the seat in the 2020 general election.



He said he had started fulfilling the campaign promises.



According to him, recently, he started the construction of market sheds to provide shelter for gari traders at the Sekesua Market.



Rehabilitation works



Mr Nyarko indicated that his outfit had rehabilitated the seven - km Fefe-Kokoney Road, the 4.5km Akatawia - Sekesua Road and the construction of a maternity/child healthcare centre at the Anyaboni Resettlement Community.



The law maker said he had also donated roofing sheets to roof a school building at Fefe, one of the communities in the constituency, which was destroyed by rainstorm, and to rehabilitate schools in communities such as Akonta, Takorase and Tubuorso among others.



"I'm only two years in Parliament and that is too early for me to complete any capital intensive projects I have initiated.



"A lot of such projects are ongoing at different communities in the constituency, which are at various stages of completion, and with different sources of funding ," the MP said.



He said he was aware of the needs of the constituents, which included a gari processing factory, potable water and good roads.



He explained that due to the fact that the provision of such social amenities were capital intensive, he would be looking for funding from other sources to augment his share of the District Assembly's Common Fund (DACF) to finance their construction.



Mr Nyarko, however, was not happy about the continuous delay of the DACF, which he stated had not been forth-coming.



That, the MP stated, had affected infrastructural development of the constituency and at the same time retarded the socio-economic development of the people in the constituency.



The constituency has only one public senior high school (SHS) - Asesewa SHS- with a number of junior high and basic schools, primarily in the big towns such as Asesewa and Sekesua.



On the health sector, it boasts of only one state-owned hospital - the Asesewa Government Hospital- taking care of about 70,676 inhabitants in the constituency.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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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In line with Governments efforts to provide basic needs and amenities to help public schools and also to improve quality of education in Ghana, about 2300 dual desks have been dispatched to over 80 basic schools to the Kpandai Education Directorate in the Northern Region.



About 2700 more desks are expected to be dispatched to other schools in the same educational directorate in two weeks.



In total, a little over 40,000 pieces of furniture which include dual desks, library chairs and tables, teachers chairs,s and tables, notice boards, bookshelves among others are expected to be dispatched to various basic schools in the country.



This forms part of the nationwide distribution of furniture to basic schools in need in the country.



Dr Yaw Adutwum, Education Minister said I am convinced that little by little, we will reach the apex in our quest to improve Education in Ghana for our future leaders and generation.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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Pope Francis, right, was joined by the world-wide leader of the Anglican Church, Justin Welby, on an "ecumenical pilgrimage of peace" to South Sudan. The moderator of the Church of Scotland, Dr Iain Greenshields (not in photo) was also on the pilgrimage.

press release

Nairobi  Ensure Justice for Victims; Expand Civic Space

Pope Francis' visit to South Sudan on February 3-5, 2023, alongside Anglican and Presbyterian church leaders is an opportunity to call on South Sudan's leadership to respect dissenting voices and address the country's ongoing human rights crisis and widespread impunity, Human Rights Watch said today.

"The Church leaders should use their visit to emphasize that it is far past time for the country's leaders to implement essential reforms and end the suffering of people in South Sudan," said Mausi Segun Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "They should also press South Sudan's leaders to take concrete steps to end attacks on civilians and to ensure accountability for serious abuses."

Civilians in various parts of the country continue to face violent attacks. Since mid-2022, clashes between armed opposition groups and government forces and allied armed groups in Upper Nile and parts of Jonglei state, where armed opposition groups are fighting for political and territorial control, have been accompanied by serious human rights abuses and the displacement of thousands of people. The United Nations recently warned that the Agwelek, as mobilizing and creating greater risk for civilians. Cycles of attacks and counter attacks between cattle herders and farmers in the greater Equatoria region has led to loss of lives and livelihoods, with little mitigation from national authorities. An attack by cattle keepers in Kajokeji on February 2, 2023, left at least 20 people dead including pregnant women and children and nearly 3,000 people displaced.

South Sudan remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for aid workers. Armed attackers have killed at least three aid workers while on duty since the beginning of the year in separate incidents in the restive Jonglei and Abyei administrative area.

Impunity for serious crimes committed by various groups, including government and rebel forces, across South Sudan during the conflict and after the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) is the norm. The government has only prosecuted a handful of security force members for crimes against civilians.

The authorities have neither investigated nor held accountable officials and allied militias implicated in planning and carrying out attacks on civilians and civilian properties in territories under Sudan People's Liberation Army-in Opposition (SPLA-IO) control in southern Unity State, between February and May 2022. The United Nations reported that as a result of that violence, at least 44,000 people were displaced, 173 unarmed civilians killed, 131 women raped, including gang rapes, and at least 12 people seriously injured.

South Sudanese authorities and the African Union Commission have also failed to move ahead with the creation of the Hybrid Court for South Sudan proposed in the 2015 peace deal and 2018 R-ARCSS to prosecute the most serious violations, or even to provide a clear timeline for the court's establishment. The establishment of two other accountability mechanisms, the Commission on Truth, Reconciliation and Healing and a Compensation and Reparations Authority, is also pending.

Over the last year, civic space has significantly shrunk.

The authorities have harassed, arrested, and detained members of civil society, media and opposition parties using trumped up charges and malicious prosecutions to silence critics. This has resulted in the decline of space for debate and dissent, deterring political participation and resulting in self-censorship.

One journalist told Human Rights Watch: "There is so much we could say and report on the situation in South Sudan, but critical journalism is dangerous. You might be killed or disappeared, and your family threatened. We cover events but we don't criticize. We just keep silent."

The authorities have also violated due process and custodial safeguards of accused people. In early January 2023, the National Security Service (NSS) arrested six media workers with the state broadcaster, South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) in relation to a leaked video showing President Salva Kiir urinating on himself. The six men were detained in the NSS headquarters at the Blue House, a detention facility notorious for torture and other abuses. They are: Joval Tombe, a SSBC control room director; Joseph Oliver, a senior camera operator; Mustafa Osman, a senior camera operator and technician; Victor Lado, an editor; Cherbek Ruben, a control room technician; and Jacob Benjamin, a camera operator.

On January 16, another staff member of the SSBC, Garang John, was reported missing, presumed to be forcibly disappeared. He is believed to be held at the NSS headquarters at Blue House, but authorities have not confirmed his detention or his whereabouts.

Last week, the authorities released three of the journalists: Tombe, Oliver, and Ruben. None of the men had been charged or allowed access to a lawyer or their families while in detention. The others, Osman, Lado, and Benjamin remain in NSS detention at risk of enforced disappearance, torture, and other ill treatment, Human Rights Watch said.

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Human Rights Legal Affairs Religion By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.

Pope Francis and his fellow religious leaders should call for the immediate release of the detained media workers and for any charges against them to be dropped, Human Rights Watch said.

Human Rights Watch has documented abuses by the NSS and called for accountability for members of the service as well as limiting the agency's powers of arrest, detention, and surveillance. NSS officials are rarely held to account for abuse of civilians. In December 2022, NSS officers arrested and beat an activist, Bol Deng Bol, in Jonglei state. None of the officers involved in the incident have been investigated or held to account.

A delegation of Human Rights Watch staff visited South Sudan between January 16-23, 2023, where they met with government officials, diplomats, human rights defenders, media workers, and members of opposition parties. Human Rights Watch urged the authorities to make a genuine commitment to end impunity for atrocities and to ensure full exercise of freedom of expression, association, and assembly.

"The climate of fear within which South Sudan's civil society has operated for years is deeply distressing and unwarranted," Segun said. "The Church leaders should make clear that opening up the space for critical dialogue and debate on issues of public interest will be key to a fairer and just future."
Last year, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumi announced a new government policy dubbed "Gold for Oil".



The policy, as explained by government, is to allow government pay for imported oil products with gold in a direct barter with gold purchased by the Central Bank.



The move, announced by the Vice President in the midst of depreciation of the cedi against the US Dollar and the rising cost of fuel prices, was explained as an intervention to help stabilise prices of fuel products as well as reduce pressure on Ghanas foreign exchange as the direct gold barter would be the mode of paying for imported oil instead of depleting the foreign exchange reserve.



The 'Gold for Oil' programme has since been implemented with the first oil consignment arriving last month.



Below is everything you need to know about the policy:



Introduction:



1. The Gold for Oil (G4O) Programme is an initiative of the Government of Ghana to use the existing Bank of Ghana (BoG) Domestic Gold Purchase (DGP) Programme to support the import of petroleum products into Ghana.



2. The prime objective of the programme is to use additional foreign exchange resources from the BoGs DGP programme to provide foreign currency for the importation of petroleum products for the country which currently stands at about USD350 million per month.



3. The government has begun the implementation of the G4O Programme where gold purchases under the BoGs DGP Programme mainly through the Precious Minerals and Marketing Company (PMMC) and where required from aggregators and mining firms is used to purchase petroleum products.



4. This is intended to free up foreign exchange resources to meet petroleum imports of the country thereby reducing pressures on the Bank of Ghanas foreign reserves and the banking sector emanating from the Bulk Import, Distribution and Export Companies (BIDECs) request for foreign exchange.



5. The programme also aims to procure petroleum products at very competitive prices through Government-to-Government (G2G) arrangements. The programme will ensure that the cost of importing the products from international oil traders will always be comparatively lower.



6. The consequent reduction in foreign exchange pressures, the reduction in premiums charged by international oil traders as well as efficiency gains from the value chain will translate to lower ex-pump prices in the country. The G4O Programme Process Flow and Requirements:



7. Under the programme, all the dore gold produced and exported by companies with licensed small-scale concessions including community mines through the PMMC shall be purchased by the BoG. The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has issued directives towards the realisation of the programme.



8. The purchased dore gold is used for the payment of oil supply to Ghana. Payment for oil supply is to be done in two channels: by way of barter trade or via broker channel.



The Barter Channel:



 For suppliers willing to take gold in direct exchange for petroleum products, BoG will provide equivalent volume of gold. Both the Bank and the International Oil Trading Companies (IOTCs) are required to open Gold Metal Accounts in a mutually agreed gold refinery for the purpose of gold transfer.



 BoG accumulates refined gold in its metal account at a refinery nominated by a supplier to fund petroleum product shipments.



 BoG transfers equivalent amount of gold based on petroleum products supply invoice from its metal account to a suppliers metal account on receipt of Quality Certificate (QC) of the product supplied and final invoice from Bulk Oil Storage and Transport Company (BOST). The Broker Channel:



 BoG executes a Gold Supply Agreement under which it sells gold to a gold broker, which provides forex cover to pay for petroleum products.



 Gold Broker buys dore gold from BoG and deposits the proceeds in BoG gold holding account.



 BoG transfers funds from gold holding account to an Escrow Account to pay for petroleum product shipment on receipt of QC and final invoice from BOST.



9. BOST, a state company, operates as an off taker for petroleum products, and therefore executes an agreement with IOTCs for the import of petroleum products to Ghana, for onward sale to licensed BIDECs.



10. BIDECs buy directly from BOST with cash and or a letter of credit (guarantee) from a reputable financial institution.



11. BOST and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) ensure that the cedi proceeds from the sale of imported petroleum products will be collected and deposited with a collection bank in favour of BoG. The collection bank is required to transfer collected funds into BoGs G4O proceeds account within 48-hours which is then used to fund the next cycle of gold purchases.



Pricing of Products:



12. To ensure that the price of petroleum products imported under the G4O programme reflects at the pumps to benefit the consumer, the NPA will regulate the prices of these products in the interim to correct market failure until the policy matures.



13. NPA will work with BOST to negotiate prices with the international oil traders to ensure that the landed cost of products procured under the programme are always competitive. NPA will approve the IOTC that will be selected to supply products to BOST under the programme based on the competitiveness of the offers made by them. BOST will sign supply contracts only after approval has been granted by the NPA.



14. The price at which BOST will sell the products to BIDECs will be approved by the NPA. The price at which the BIDECs will sell the products to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) will also be approved by the NPA.



15. The applicable exchange rate for pricing the products supplied under G4O will be based on the average rate at which the gold was purchased from the licensed gold exporters by BoG.



16. The NPA will put measures in place to ensure that OMCs that lift products supplied under the G4O programme pass the price on to consumers accordingly. In this respect, BIDECs and OMCs who lift and supply G4O products will sell at the ex-refinery and ex-pump prices that will be determined by the NPA. If there must be a comingling of products supplied under G4O and other sources, the ex-refinery and ex-pump prices will be computed using a weighted average.



17. All BIDECs and OMCs who wish to purchase products under the G4O programme will be required to sign off an undertaking confirming their willingness to comply with the terms and conditions for partaking in the purchase and sale of G4O products.



18. To ensure that the impact of the G4O programme on ex-pump price will be significant and effectively monitored, the number of BIDECs and OMCs who will be permitted to lift G4O products will be controlled. Payment Structure:



19. BOST will be required to pay for products supplied to it under G4O into an Escrow Account at BoG within 60 days of receipt of products from the international oil traders.



20. BIDECs will be required to pay for products procured from BOST within 15 days of loading. Payment for the products will either be on a cash basis or with a 15-day letter of credit (LC) from reputable commercial banks.



21. BOST will be required to provide BoG with copies of the LCs from BIDECs for verification and to give BoG the assurance that receipt of payments will be made on agreed dates.



Laycan Allocation for Product Imports:



22. The NPA will ensure that adequate laycan slots are allocated to BOST to import products under the programme.



23. NPA will advise BOST on the projected demand on a monthly basis.

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Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The 37 Military Hospital in Acccra has handed the summary report of a Board of Inquiry to the couple, who claimed one of their twins was allegedly stolen at the hospital shortly after delivery and told them to proceed to court if not satisfied.



The Chief of Staff (COS) at the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF)  Major General Nicholas Peter Andoh, on Monday, handed the summary report of the incident, to the family of Mr. Daniel Naawu, at the Burma Camp in Accra.



Maj. Gen Andoh insisted he was very convinced about the upshot of the five-month investigation, urging the couple to seek redress in court if they were still not content with the report.



I have gone through the report thoroughly and Im convinced nothing untoward happened. However, if you are unsatisfied, you may go to court.



According to the eight-page report which was jointly signed by Captain (GN) Paul Yegbe and Major Alfred Toppar, president and Secretary of the Board of Inquiry respectively  a copy of which is in the custody of the Ghanaian Times, 16 persons were interrogated and their statements taken on oath during the inquiry to establish the facts of the case.



Those interrogated were the lead surgeon Dr. Ali Saine, Dr. Sheryl Adongo (Assistant Surgeon), Dr. Charles Buckman (Head of the Team), Dr. Davies Adedze (Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department), Group Captain Rosalind Asiedu (Senior Resident Radiologist), Dr. Margaret Mpetey (Radio Resident), Major Samuel Adade (Anaesthetist), SNO Roberta Anokye Bempah (Scrub Nurse) and Lieutenant Frederick Kunkpe.



The rest were Sub Lieutenant Nida Asiedu (Midwife), Chief Petty Officer Jennifer Boateng (Maternity Ward Master), Lance Corporal Linda Osei Bonsu (Midwife), Major Naomi Oppong (Nursing Officer In-charge of Maternity), DDNS Deborah Boateng (Deputy In-charge of Maternity), Miss Audrey Agyapong (Client) and Mr. Samuel Kotei Dsane (Client father).



Ms. Agyapong, the report stated, reported for ante-natal care booking at the 37 Military Hospital when she was 26 weeks, having earlier done a scan at a facility in Accra at 20 weeks of pregnancy which reported twin gestation.



It said a repeat scan done at the 37 Military Hospital on July 21, 2022, at 31 weeks also showed twin pregnancy.



She was booked for a Caesarean section because she had two previous Caesarean sections and a medical condition. The surgical team made all preparation to receive the twins in the theatre. However, the surgeon realised it was a singleton and this was communicated to the patient and her family.



The patient and her family disagreed and petitioned the hospital, alleging that their second twin baby was missing, the report added.



It said the Board of Inquiry sought the opinions of independent experts including a consultant radiologist and obstetrician from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital  all of whom agreed that there could be a misdiagnosis of multiple gestation with the ultrasound scan.



The report stressed that the average weight for a singleton was about 3kg to 3.2kg, whilst the average weight of twins was about 2.5kg to 2.9kg.



It is, therefore, rare to have a twin weighing more than 3kg unless there are other maternal conditions like diabetic mellitus.



The baby delivered weighed 3.1kg.



During its findings, the report said the radiologist at the 37 Military Hospital who did the ultra-sound scan made a misdiagnosis, having been influenced by the patients information that she was carrying twins.



Madam Agyapong and the attending health workers at the 37 Military Hospital assumed that she was carrying a twin gestation, purely influenced by two ultrasound scan reports until delivery, it stated, adding that 10 people who were present at the theatre during the delivery had been interviewed, all testifying that it was a single foetus with a single placenta and single cord.



It said a single placenta was delivered with a single cord.



This cannot be the situation if Madam Agyapong was carrying twins. Even for twins who share the same placenta, the cords must be attached to the placenta.



The report said as part of investigations, the placenta was sent to the Police Forensic Laboratory (PFL) for analysis to establish that it was what was delivered by Ms. Agyapong.



The PFL took a piece of the placenta tissue and oral tissue from Ms. Agyapong and sent the sample outside the country for the DNA analysis and we are waiting for the results.



The Board of Inquirys report concluded that the matter is an unfortunate situation of misdiagnosis of a singleton pregnancy for twin pregnancy influenced by late (second and third) ultrasound scan reports.



Meanwhile, the father of the baby, Mr. Naawu, has expressed disappointment at the report, saying they would take a second look at it to know the action to take next.



We have gone through a lot of trauma since September 8, last year, when my wife was delivered of a baby instead of two.



The Chief of Staff has asked us to go to court if we were still not satisfied with the report, and we shall soon take a decision on what to do next, he told the Ghanaian Times yesterday.



In a painstaking investigative story carried by the Ghanaian Times on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, a couple narrated how they went to the 37 Military Hospital expecting twins only to be handed one baby after delivery and thus suspected foul play.



Ultra-sound checks done 31 weeks into the gestation period at two medical facilities, including the 37 Military Hospital, showed that one Ms Agyapong was carrying two live foetuses (twins).



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 heartbeats confirmed as normal.



In a follow-up story by the Ghanaian Times on Wednesday, January 25, last month, the 37 Military Hospital apologised to the couple, insisting that its ultrasound twin diagnosis was flawed.

Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh









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Charles Owusu, a former Head of Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission, has declared his unflinching support for Alan Kyerematen to win the flagbearer position of the governing New Patriotic Party.



"Politics is about interest . . . I support Mr. Alan Kyerematen," he stated categorically.



With the New Patriotic Party (NPP) yet to set a date for their presidential and parliamentary primaries to elect their flagbearer and parliamentary representatives ahead of the 2024 general elections, supporters of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and former Trade Minister Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen have already begun rigorous campaigns for their favorite candidates.



Mr. Alan Kyerematen has resigned and commenced his campaign with tours around the country.



He recently visited the Manhyia Palace to meet Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and officially inform the Asantehene of his desire to contest the NPP flagbearer race.



Dr. Bawumia's camp has also begun their campaigns through various forms and platforms although the Vice President hasn't yet declared to either contest the race or not.



Speaking to Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Charles Owusu explained why he supports Alan Kyerematen saying "I believe when the NPP goes to an early congress and choose Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Ghanaians will have hope in him...Ghanaians respect him a lot".





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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A woman wears Huawei VR2 goggles at the Huawei booth during CES International, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, in Las Vegas. GrinhausToronto law firm is one of a growing group of companies setting up offices in a virtual world called the metaverse to push the envelope and learn more about the emerging technology. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, John Locher
A Durham Police Vehicle is shown in Bowmanville, Ont., on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. The Durham Regional Police Service says they are investigating after two people were found dead in a home east of Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives
John eats a hot dinner at a meal program for the homeless and marginally housed at St. Stephens-in-the-Fields Church in Toronto on Friday, December 23, 2022. The program, which is run by Rev. Canon Maggie Helwig, serves meals and offers a safe space to drop-in and a warm up from the cold temperatures and is funded by donations and staffed by volunteers. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
One of the most prominent educators in Aiken County's history was the subject of a tribute Saturday afternoon at Friendship Baptist Church, as more than 200 local residents and visitors gathered to salute the memory of Martha Schofield, largely known as the namesake of Schofield Middle School.

The Founder's Day event had educator Harold Finigan as the keynote speaker and included input from a variety of ministers and other educators from the Aiken area and beyond, sharing insight on the life and legacy of the Quaker woman who moved from Pennsylvania to South Carolina during Reconstruction and would be remembered largely as a teacher, abolitionist and suffragist.

Finigan, an educator who is based in Darby, Pennsylvania, was described as "on a mission to educate and to promote sustainability and historic preservation," with decades of experience in teaching social studies, health, business and information technology from kindergarten through 12th grade.

The Rev. Lester Smalls, president of the legacy committee for Martha Schofield alumni, also addressed the gathering, challenging his listeners to appreciate the occasion. "This occasion's about a lady who followed the will of God, and certainly she strove, even through sickness and through the barriers of resistance and prejudice and all kinds of challenges, she continued to strive to fulfill that goal, to establish an institution that will instill betterment in our lives, so we just thank God for this day," he said.

The word "capacity" came to mind in connection with Schofield, said Smalls, who is also pastor of Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church.

"In other words, the capacity to endure. First of all, she had the capacity to love. She had the capacity to sacrifice. She had the capacity to continue to push even when she felt like she couldn't go any further, but she never lost sight of the mission of God, and when I think about this day  I just want to shout 'hallelujah,' when I look back from whence we've come."

The afternoon also included recognition of a variety of award recipients, all under the category of "Working the Legacy." Among them were "cafeteria workers at Martha Schofield in the 60s," including Rosa Davis, Geneva Key, Elizabeth Jenkins, Louise Adams and Louise Seawright."

The list also included honorees in such roles as educators, public servants and ministers. Names included Willar Hightower Jr., William Clyburn, Beverly Clyburn, Willie Alma Finnie, Richard Johnson Jr., Willie J. Lanham, Earnest G. Smith, Alexander Pope Jr., Lessie Price, James Gallman, George A. Anderson, Thelma J. Robinson and Mike Weaver.

Among other speakers was Bobby Donaldson, an associate professor of history at the University of South Carolina, sharing insight from the writings of writer, abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass, who recalled in 1888 that "it is not well to forget the past," which Douglass described as "the mirror in which we may see the outlines of the future."

Black people "must keep the past alive until justice is done," said Donaldson, who also offered perspective from Mary McLeod Bethune, a Sumter County native largely remembered as an educator and philanthropist.

Donaldson, in addition, touched on the 1946 senior class from Schofield High School. That class' president was one of Donaldson's grandmothers, Ruby Doris Williams.

"Mama, as I called her, was the wisest woman I knew. I am a professor of history because she too was a historian. Her love for history was shaped and molded on the grounds of Schofield," he said.

"Her nickname on the campus was 'Granny.' They said Mama was an old soul, and as I look at her life, she was just that. She was the only woman in our family to finish high school. She had aspirations that were cut short," he said, recalling his childhood as a resident of an Augusta government housing project where "Mama" served in such roles as nurse, social worker and counselor.

"Those critical skills, she learned at Schofield, but Mama was not from Aiken, the city. Mama was from the suburbs, living at the intersection of Highway 278 and Green Pond Road. You may have heard of it. We call it Petticoat Junction," he said, triggering laughter and applause.

She rode to the school every morning on the back of a truck, he said, recalling her understanding on the biblical concept of not conforming to the world, but being transformed, instead, "by the renewing of your mind."

Donaldson added, "I'm grateful that Mama's mind was transformed at Schofield."

Saturday's event, as indicated in the booklet, was dedicated in memory of Ada Lee Boynton, who was a musician at Friendship for more than 50 years.

The program also listed several prominent Schofield alumni, including Matila Evans (first African American woman licensed to practice medicine in South Carolina), Irene Trowell-Harris (first African American woman to achieve the rank of major general) and James Gallman (first African American to receive a masters in mathematics from the University of Tennessee).

Also saluted was Janie L. Mines, whose mother taught at Schofield. Mines, in turn, was the first African American woman to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy.

Martha Schofield, as remembered on the middle school's website, moved to coastal South Carolina as a representative of the Freedmen's Bureau.

The account adds, "She became deeply interested in the former slave population and the multitude of problems they faced. In 1868, because of health problems, she moved to Aiken, South Carolina with the firm determination of founding the first school for the benefit of African American youth."

Her creation became known as Schofield Normal and Industrial School. The founder's love and altruism, "combined with sterling common sense and purpose," ensured the school's success, despite the fact that she began her teaching without equipment or financial aid.
The city of Aiken plans to raise its water and sewer rates to pay for part of its new water treatment plant. Read moreWater and sewer rate increase included in next city of Aiken budget
Nairobi  The East African Community (EAC) Summit has ordered the immediate withdrawal of foreign armed groups in Eastern DRC as part of renewed efforts to end clashes in the region.

The directive was listed in a communique released at the end of the 20th Extra-Ordinary Summit hosted by Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye on Saturday.

"The Heads of State directed withdrawal including all foreign armed groups and directed the Chiefs of Defence Forces to meet within one week and set new timelines for the withdrawal and recommend appropriate deployment matrix," the communique read in part.

The Heads of State further directed that all ceasefire violations be reported for action.

The Summit also called for the revitalization of dialogue mechanisms and inclusion of all parties.

Saturday's call for withdrawal of foreign armed groups followed a sustained onslaught against Rwanda by DRC and a section of international actors over its links to the M23 group.

M23

President Paul Kagame has repeatedly refuted the claims and asserted that Rwanda will not be scapegoated over failures by DRC's government.

Kigali has also accused DRC of violating its territorial integrity citing multiple incursions into its airspace by jets operated by DRC's military.

In a latest escalation, three Rwandan military officials were expelled from Goma the capital of North Kivu province in the Eastern DRC.

EAC Secretary-General Peter Mathuki wrote to Kinshasa on February 1 seeking answers on the expulsion of the trio who were part of a regional force.

In a letter addressed to President Felix Tshisekedi, Mathuki termed the expulsion as a matter of concern.

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"Your Excellency, you may recall that the deployment of the officers at the East African Community Regional Force Headquarters in Goma to support the Regional Command Centre was a decision of the Heads of State at their meeting on the Peace Process in the Eastern DRC," he stressed.

Regional standby force

EAC approved the deployment of a standby force to DRC early in 2022.

Kenya deployed its troops in November alongside other Partners States including Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and Tanzania.

The force has been working alongside an EAC-led mediation process facilitated by Kenya's immediate former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Under its resolutions on Saturday, the EAC Summit commended the Nairobi-led process and ex[pressed gratitude for financial support by Kenya and Tanzania.

The Summit urged DRC to facilitate deployment of troops from South Sudan and Uganda.
Most shows used to kick off in the fall, air big episodes in November and February, and go out with a bang in May for sweeps. Network television still largely follows that model, but the streamers and premium cable competitors of the new guard tend to operate with different goals. Everyone wants to be fresh in the minds of Emmy voters. That explains all the popular TV shows airing this spring: Ted Lasso, Succession, The Mandalorian, The Last of Us, and Yellowjackets. The eligibility period to qualify for an Emmy nomination is from June 1 to May 31 of the following year. Read moreWhy are there so many good TV shows to watch right now?
South Carolinas backed-up judicial docket could be getting some relief.

A global settlement is being negotiated in a legal dispute that hit the docket in Charleston two years ago over the disposal of so-called disposable wipes.

The judge overseeing the case agreed to put the litigation on hold a few months ago. More recently, all scheduling and filing deadlines were suspended for 60 days to allow time to hammer out a deal. The pause would conserve resources and promote judicial economy, according to a Jan. 27 court order.

Charleston Water System made a federal case out of its growing plumbing problem in 2021. In its lawsuit, the utility alleged that it had traced personal cleansing wipes that had been marketed as flushable to clogged sewage lines and other costly maintenance issues.

"They do not disintegrate as effectively as toilet paper and can comingle to cause clogs and treatment problems, making them costly and difficult to manually remove," it said in its complaint.

Aside from the potential for environmental contamination, the wipe issue trickles down to ratepayers in the form of higher bills  a sort of a self-inflicted tax since they bear some responsibility for the problem.

The litigation took aim at the manufacturers and retailers that produce and sell the wipes. The consumer-products heavyweights include Kimberly-Clark, Walmart, Costco, Target and Procter & Gamble. Walgreens and CVS also were named as defendants.

"Personal care wipes, along with a wide range of other wipe products, have caused major impacts to CWS, as well as other municipal sewer systems across South Carolina and nationally," Charleston Water said in statement after the case was filed. "These impacts can include sewer system blockages, sewer equipment failures, interference with wastewater treatment processes, the need for increased maintenance and sewer overflows."

The complaint included specific examples of damage, including a particularly unpleasant clog from several years ago. Charleston Water said it had to spend $140,000 in late 2018 to send a dive crew 90 feet down a line that connected to its Plum Island treatment center to remove a 12-foot tangled mass.

Kimberly-Clark, the Cottonelle-making kingpin of the hygienic wipe business, was first to settle. It wasnt required to fork over any money aside from its own legal bills  unlike a similar New York lawsuit it faced that yielded a $20 million payout for plaintiffs last year. Instead, the company agreed in its deal with Charleston Water that its wipes would meet a higher national "flushability" standard by May 2022.

"They actually met that before that date," utility spokesman Mike Saia said last week.

The settlement also calls for independent testing for several years to ensure compliance. In addition, Kimberly-Clark agreed to improve its labeling to distinguish between wipes that can and cant be sent down the toilet.

Charleston Water has called on the others it has sued to follow suit.

"Until that happens, CWS intends to continue to challenge those manufacturers misleading claims about the suitability of their various wipes for introduction into public sewer systems," it said.

Saia estimated that the annual bill for extracting the manmade moistened throwaways from the utility's waste-water collection system has increased to about $380,000 in 2022 from about $180,000 several years ago.

"So the problem isn't getting better. It is, in fact, getting worse," he said.

Perhaps not for much longer. Saia predicted the litigation and other factors will help drive an eventual sea change within the product category. Wipes will either be flushable "or they won't be on the market," he said.

Some progress already has been made, he added. Wipe makers are now placing more prominent labels on their packaging about how to properly dispose of the product they're selling.

We're trying to change behavior. We're trying to change habits. The key to this is education, Saia said.

The first signs of broader settlement in the lawsuit emerged in October, when talks reached the point that some of the companies were exchanging detailed terms with Charleston Water.

Those negotiations got bogged down afterward as unidentified "non-parties" were "necessarily" included in the talks. Still, all sides remain optimistic that they can reach a resolution in the coming weeks, the judge wrote.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. A few clouds. Low 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
COLUMBIA  Drones flying over prison fences, dropping packages of contraband, likely enabled two state prison inmates to get their hands on a cellphone and use it to help orchestrate a drug-trafficking operation in which methamphetamine was smuggled from Mexico to South Carolinas Upstate.

The contraband drop-offs by drone have become a nightly battle at state prisons and continue to fuel an illegal, high-demand trade among inmates, supplying them with drugs, tobacco, knives and some with cellphones, which the state prisons chief said is a top threat to public safety, allowing some to arrange drug-trafficking operations and even plot murder.

The S.C. Department of Corrections will begin using a new detection technology to pinpoint where a drone is as well as its drone flight route, but Director Bryan Stirling said the ultimate solution to the problem lies in the hands of the federal government.

This lies squarely on the backs of Congress in D.C., Stirling said.

The solution is "jamming," Stirling said, which would block or interfere with radio communications. Jamming would not only interfere with radio frequency of drones but also block cellphone signals, which would, in turn, prevent inmates from committing criminal activities while behind bars.

Jamming is prohibited under federal law, but Stirling as well as Attorney General Alan Wilson are calling on Congress to pass legislation that would allow state prisons to use so-called "jammers."

Prison economy

Behind bars, an illegal economy exists among inmates buying and selling drugs and other items that have been smuggled in.

With high demand and short supply, the prison costs can be tenfold above the street value.

A new model iPhone 14 can cost up to $6,000 on the yard, while other models can go for about $3,400. For a loose cigarette, an inmate can pay $20 to $25 just for one, according to contraband Lt. Randy Ward at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia.

"You're not only paying for what the phone is, you're paying for the time to get it smuggled in," Ward said.

Standing by a display of seized contraband  large bags of marijuana and tobacco, cellphones, SIM cards, knives and cigarettes  prison officials said everything on the table would cost about half a million dollars in the prison trade. Ward pointed to a large bag of marijuana and said that on the street it would cost around $500 while behind bars it costs $72,000.

Ward said drones have become the "new wave" of smuggling contraband, with inmates paying for orders in advance and the drone even pinpointing the exact delivery location.

"They get it bulk and they try to get it in faster," Ward said. Pointing to the seized contraband, he added, "This is already pre-ordered by the inmates before it even hit the yard."

Over the course of a year, the Broad River prison seized contraband worth more than $7 million in the illicit trade, according to Warden Kenneth Nelsen.

Seven million  now thats what we captured. So think about what got in ... how much money these guys are making, Nelsen said. "That's what it all boils down to."

Drone drop-offs

The smuggling of contraband has been a longstanding problem at prisons.

In South Carolina, trees have been cleared to improve visibility around prisons and 50-foot-high netting has been put up around medium- and maximum-security prisons to prevent contraband "throw overs." X-ray body scanners are also being used at entrances to screen visitors and correctional officers.

Despite efforts, smugglers still are able to sneak drugs, cellphones, weapons and other contraband into the guarded prisons.

In 2022, Corrections officials recorded more than 262 drone incidents, a rise compared with the 161 incidents logged in 2021, 40 in 2020, and 69 in 2019. In January alone, there were 23 incidents.

"And these are the ones we know about," Stirling said.

"The warden and his staff fight it every day  this is every day, 24/7," Deputy Director of Operations Joel Anderson said.

The drone drop-offs have become a "militaristic" operation, Stirling said.

Drones fly in a succession of three or four. The first often does a surveillance to monitor who is on guard. The next will be a decoy, dropping off a package. As officers respond, another drone will drop off a package containing the contraband that inmates pre-ordered.

"We had one that was so sophisticated, it was like FedEx delivery," Stirling said. "It literally had the room numbers of inmates (who) ordered the contraband."

Prison officials say they've found that some inmates are even holding training classes on how to use drones to smuggle contraband into the detention centers.

Under Federal Aviation Authority regulations, drones are not allowed to fly over correctional institutions and drones are wired with a software that prevents them from flying over prison grounds. But people working with inmates have hacked these systems.

Correctional officers aren't legally allowed to shoot down drones. They aren't allowed to hack their systems and force them to land either. But the technology exists.

"Right now, you can't capture a drone and make it land, but there's technology out there that can do that," said Nelsen, Broad River's warden. "We can literally take over and land the drone safely and gather the drone and the contraband for evidence. But because of the different regulations by the federal government, it holds us back."

New technology

The S.C. Corrections Department is in the process of acquiring a new detection system that pinpoints a drone's location as well as where it took off from.

"The good thing about the new technology is that it live-tracks the drone the whole time it's in the air," Nelsen said. "What we have currently only tells us there's a drone up there somewhere."

Using a cellphone application, correctional officers will get an alert when a drone is in the air. It identifies the type of drone as well as the speed and flight path. Anderson said you can see where the drone took off and where it's returning.

"Not only that, the control room will have a screen that tells them where it is and where it's going," Anderson said. "We can share that information with local law enforcement, they can have access to the app, and then we can apprehend the people trying to fly."

Cellphone jamming

For years, Stirling has been pushing for federal regulators to allow the use of jamming equipment at state prisons, which would block or interfere with signals and block cellphones.

In a recent op-ed, state Attorney General Alan Wilson described four drug-trafficking cases in the past five years in which state inmates used contraband cellphones to "facilitate and run drug rings from within prison walls."

Top state prosecutors recently sent a letter, urging Congress to allow cellphone jamming at state prisons. According to The Associated Press, the 22 prosecutors, led by Wilson, wrote to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer saying the smuggled cellphones allow prisoners to carry out crimes while behind bars, which jamming would prevent.

The calls follow the state grand jury's investigation into the methamphetamine ring in which inmates exercised "command and control" of the drug-trafficking operation, according to Wilson, coordinating the trade through Atlanta and up Interstate 85 to South Carolina's Pickens, Greenville, Laurens, Anderson and Oconee counties.

In the past, the Federal Communications Commission has said cell jammers and similar devices "pose serious risks to critical public safety communications" in part because they can prevent 911 and other calls in an emergency as well as interfere with law enforcement communications. The FCC did not respond to requests for comment for this article.

The FCC did announce another technology to combat the use of cellphones in prisons in 2021, which would allow correctional facilities to identify the device number on the cellphones and send the information to the carrier to be disabled. South Carolina was the first state to apply but has yet to be approved, Wilson said.
I know youd never expect to see the word hate in a spiritual column, but I hate surveys. Im a sworn enemy of long questionnaires and confusing forms that require multiple yes, no or if-yes-then  questions.

In my world, forms are like puzzles  I can do neither. My carelessly rushed answers tend to skew the results. If I forget to check a box, I must redo the form. My pencil slips. Loan denied. Wrong info on my resume. Application rejected. (Or maybe elected to Congress?)

However, theres one inquisition Ill tolerate. Its the 50-question health questionnaire I complete each time I donate platelets at the blood bank.

What are platelets? you ask.

They are the cells circulating in our blood that bind together when they recognize damaged blood vessels. In short, they stop us from bleeding to death from a papercut.

I began donating platelets in the Air Force, where our officers tended to get a lot of papercuts.

Aside from the finger-prick blood test, the worst donor moment is the insufferable questionnaire. Since most responses are a simple no, Im usually able to quickly complete the questionnaire on my smartphone.

It starts easily enough, asking me to verify current info: Last name, first, address, phone, date of birth  OK, I can do this.

Then, the medical-history questions.

Did you eat any angry cow in Europe between 1980 and 1990?

"No."

Have you ever had a positive test result for Babesia? Do you have hereditary hemochromatosis?

Uh, no, I think.

Next question.

Has your doctor told you that you or a family member has Human Werewolf Syndrome or Geographic Tongue disease?

"No??"

OK, I was daydreaming on that one, but when Im asked if Ive had any tattoos or piercings recently, I mostly answer, no.

However, I make regular trips to Honduras for the Chispa Project, but not into the malaria-prone countryside.

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The final questions always get personal, asking if Ive made contacts in a biblical way.

In the past three months, have you received money, drugs or other payment for sex?

I can never say no fast enough. I submit my finished questionnaire and present my clean arms for the 90-minute event.

Then, perhaps still thinking of those intrusive sex questions, I told the nurse that my wife and I were celebrating our 43rd anniversary.

Congratulations, she said with a questioning tone.

Yet according to your responses, youre saying youve had sex with a prostitute during the last three months.

No!

Before that, then?

No, not before, not ever. This is my 43rd anniversary today, I said, repeating my claim to fidelity and pure blood.

Yes, you mentioned that. So I assumed you mistakenly answered, yes. 

I get in a hurry sometimes. Cant you change it?

With a cherub expression, I piously laced my argument with my unbroken fidelity record  all in hopes I would influence the nurse to fix my careless mistake.

Alas, I began to see that sometimes to do some good, I have to tolerate annoying things like health questionnaires.

I cant excuse myself from doing good just because I have to do the uncomfortable. Doing good sometimes requires a precise plan with carefully considered answers.

After an hour trying to talk some sense into the computer, the nurse announced, The computer has deferred you, meaning we should wait until next week.

She spoke with an insinuation that there was a proper way to say yes and no.

And my donation was a hard NO go.

I dont think Jesus was a fan of surveys either. He said, Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.'  (Matthew 5:37).

So it was the nurse who happily said yes to my return the following week.
Its pitch-black outside when David Bonezzi wakes up at 4:30 a.m.

He works out, showers and makes his son lunch. About two hours later, he backs out of his driveway and heads to his job as a teacher at Carolina Park Elementary.

His commute from James Island to the Mount Pleasant elementary school is a little less than 20 miles but it feels much longer. His route takes him through West Ashley and downtown Charleston. Then he must cross the Ravenel Bridge and head deep into Mount Pleasant's suburban sprawl. Bonezzi has been awake for three hours by the time second graders file into his immaculate classroom.

Charleston's rising housing and rent prices are forcing teachers like him to live farther and farther away from their schools. The repercussions of low pay ripple throughout teachers lives. Ultimately, students suffer  the teachers at the front of their classrooms are more anxious and the turnover that results from educators being priced out can lead to lower academic achievement.

Teachers who live far away are often less invested in their school communities and the relationships that can help students succeed. Those who struggle with finances are more likely to miss school and feel less committed to their job.

Rising housing costs can push teachers out of their positions in search of more affordable housing in better- paying school districts. Some may even leave the profession entirely for other, more lucrative careers.

Teachers leaving the field because of rising housing costs is something South Carolina cant afford. The state has been plagued by high teacher turnover rates post-pandemic, with vacancies reaching their highest level in fall 2022, according to the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement, which started tracking the trend in 2001.

This issue is being felt acutely by the second-largest school district in South Carolina, where housing costs have skyrocketed more than anywhere else in the state. District officials have seen more people turn down teaching jobs than ever before, citing high housing prices.

Charleston school officials are scrambling to solve the problem, but finding a solution soon might not be possible.

An unsustainable situation

Bonezzi loves his job.

His principal is understanding and his coworkers are supportive, but the poor pay and daily commute is pushing him out of teaching.

Bonezzi, who prioritizes staying fit for his physical and mental health, wakes up before dawn to work out because theres no room for it in his schedule otherwise. When he gets home after work, hes doing household chores and checking on his son  and thinking of the next day.

Lesson plans are relegated to his weekends.

So much of teaching is planning for upcoming lessons, and working outside of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. is already somewhat required. For teachers who are forced to live long distances from the schools where they work, the long commutes eat into the little time they have left.

Bonezzi knows his exhaustion has bled into his classroom.

That grind over the years wears you down, just being able to fully be present and show up for my kids as much as I would like to every day, he said. Being on in front of 23 kids, like all day, requires a huge amount of energy and emotional and cognitive capacity.

Bonezzi's thought about leaving teaching over the past few years but during Christmas 2021 he found himself at a breaking point.

He was hosting his wifes family at his apartment, and with 11 people in the two-bedroom space, Bonezzi felt hopeless.

It was the first time weve been able to host a holiday, and we dont have enough space for everybody," he said. "Were just on top of each other. It was really hard. I was depressed.

Bonezzi and his wife have put off having another child because they cant afford a bigger place than their apartment on James Island. Bonezzi has a masters degree and years of experience but is paid $54,000 a year, and more than half of his monthly take-home pay goes toward rent.

Even with his wifes pay, buying a house is out of the question. So is renting a place closer to his school. Mount Pleasant is the most expensive place to rent in South Carolina.

Though he cant imagine doing anything else but teaching, Bonezzi is considering leaving.

I dont know how much more I can sustain this," he said.

Investing in the community

Jody Stallings has been walking to Moultrie Middle School in Mount Pleasant for decades  first as a student, and now as an eighth-grade English teacher.

On his daily walk, he strolls by the same houses he passed as a child.

The difference: Those houses now out of reach for middle-class workers.

Stallings father sold him the house in the early 90s. At the time, it cost less than six figures. Now, the house is worth about $600,000 more, Stallings said.

I can't believe this is where we are, he said. This was always a very middle-class area. Housing was very affordable, and the American dream was alive and well. And here we are, 30 years later, and we can't afford to live in our own community.

Stallings Mount Pleasant neighborhood isnt an exception. Across the Charleston metro area from 2021 to 2022, the median home price rose 14 percent to $390,000, according to data from the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors. Costs for renters have risen even faster, growing by 32 percent since March 2020, according to Apartment Lists most recent national rent report.

ABOUT THE SERIES Priced Out is an occasional series about the widespread impacts of soaring rents and the search for solutions. With rents jumping 30 percent or more in just two years in some of South Carolinas largest cities, tenants are feeling the strain and business groups say its getting harder to attract workers to the area. Want to share your experience and contribute to the conversation? Email David Slade, at dslade@postandcourier.com.

The median cost of a one-bedroom apartment in Charleston in December was $1,476. The same apartment costs a little less in North Charleston ($1,323) and more in Mount Pleasant ($1,829.)

On a teachers salary, those prices stretch the limits of whats considered affordable. Ideally, housing costs shouldnt exceed 30 percent of a persons gross income.

The average CCSD teacher makes $60,000, according to Bill Briggman, CCSDs chief human resources officer. It would take an annual salary of $59,040 to afford the Charleston rent, which the average teacher just barely clears. It would take a $73,160 salary to afford Mount Pleasant, significantly more than what the average teacher makes.

Younger teachers whose first year pay starts at $43,150 will have an even harder time finding affordable housing.

The consequences are clear: Fewer educators are able to afford the communities they teach in.

Having teachers live in the community they work in is a win-win for everybody, said Sherry East, head of the South Carolina Education Association. Teachers can develop better relationships with families and will have a more thorough understanding of the issues in the area.

You want to be able to have your teachers as part of this community so they're vested, East said. Like they're gonna love your children because they are part of the whole big picture here.

Stallings sees students and their parents on his way to work. He stops to chat and calls out to students who are riding their skateboards and bikes too fast. It may seem minor, but those types of interactions help build relationships with students, which is vital to a successful school.

They know who I am, he said. That has made a difference because when the kids come to my class every year, there's an expectation of who I am. They know Mr. Stallings, they see him walk to school every day. Their brothers and sisters have talked about his class. They know what to expect.

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But thats changing at Moultrie.

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Older teachers are finding that it makes more sense to retire instead of continuing to teach in a district where the pay-step schedule ends at 30 years. The pay ceiling is a disincentive to keep going.

The influx of younger, transient teachers has changed the environment at Moultrie in the two decades Stallings has taught there.

To teach at Moultrie, you had to wait for somebody to retire, Stallings said. Now, there is so much more turnover, and so many new teachers have come on board.

Research shows teacher departures have an impact on students academics. A 2020 study by professors at the State University of New York at Albany and Duke University found middle school students in North Carolina had lower test scores in English and even lower scores in math at schools experiencing high teacher turnover. The teachers who replaced those who left tended to be more inexperienced and not traditionally certified, compounding the problem for years.

Stallings already sees how Moultrie lacks the institutional knowledge it once had in veteran educators.

How can you drive up the ability of students if you don't know them? Stallings said.

A glimpse into the potential future

Housing and the cost of living in Charleston started spiking earlier in the pandemic. But places such as San Francisco began dealing with rapid cost of living increases years ago.

Elise Dizon-Ross, a researcher with the American Institutes for Research, understands the struggle to find affordable housing. Having grown up in Berkeley, Calif., and moved around the Bay Area as an adult, she has seen and struggled with surging housing costs for years.

Dizon-Ross lived in San Francisco while employed at a nonprofit and working toward her doctorate in the economics of education at Stanford University. Figuring out how to budget and afford rent was always a struggle, even with a roommate, she said. Finally, after six years in the city, she moved to Oakland with her now-husband. The pair had actually hoped to stay in San Francisco  but they knew they couldnt afford a place.

The regions high cost of living impacted how Dizon-Ross thought about her career path after she finished her degree.

There are certain categories of jobs I just cannot afford to have and still live here, she said, recalling her thinking at the time. Teaching is one of those jobs. But like, you need teachers to live there.

More coverage To read more in-depth stories from The Post and Courier's Education Lab, go to postandcourier.com/education-lab.

As a result of her experience, Dizon-Ross said she was super interested when the opportunity arose to study the impact of high housing costs on teachers while she was working on her doctorate.

She and her fellow researchers surveyed San Francisco Unified School District teachers in spring 2016, and through a partnership with the district, had access to data that allowed them to study the connections between financial anxiety and whether those teachers stayed in their jobs.

Nearly half of the districts educators said they were frequently anxious about their finances, compared to 17 percent of employed adults in a national sample. Just over a quarter of teachers who rent and 13 percent of homeowners said it was very difficult to cover their housing costs, compared with 4 percent of renters and 3 percent of homeowners nationally.

Teachers of all ages and experience levels expressed significant anxiety but young teachers reported feeling the financial pressure most. Dizon-Ross said that was expected: Younger teachers are at the bottom of the pay scale and are more likely to be renters, making them more susceptible to cost-of-living changes than educators who own their homes. Theyre also less likely to have partners who can help share household costs.

What she didnt anticipate was how immediately this financial anxiety translated to teachers deciding to leave the classroom.

Dizon-Ross expected it would be years after her research wrapped up before the effects, if any, would be seen. Instead, the consequences were immediate. Within two years of research, they could already tell that the most money-stressed teachers were significantly more likely to leave the district for other jobs.

It was really indicative of it being an urgent experience for teachers, Dizon-Ross said.

Housing costs in the Bay Area have long been some of the highest in the country, so on its face, a study about teachers in the region may seem unrelated to Charleston. But Dizon-Ross believes her study offers an important warning that other cities should heed.

When we were working on it, we were thinking of it as sort of like a canary-in-a-coal-mine kind of situation, she added. It's sort of like we tend to be on the leading edge of high housing prices, but others are following.

Charleston officials know they have a problem on their hands. Thats why they started a task force to increase teacher pay.

An urgent problem

Briggman and his team created the teacher compensation task force in August, recruiting current and former educators, administrators and community members. Since then, the team has debated the most pressing issues Charleston educators are facing and the most efficient and effective solutions to recruit and retain them.

Theyve landed on one major goal: Paying Charleston teachers at least $10,000 more.

Slowly, the task force has brought their findings to district officials, and most recently briefed new Charleston board Chairwoman Pam McKinney during their December meeting. Soon, executive administration will hear the task forces recommendations, too.

Another solution Charleston is exploring is building housing for teachers, which has been successful in other cities. Its also something Fairfield County is trying. However, Charleston is still in the planning stages.

Years could pass before teacher housing becomes a reality in Charleston, and teachers say they need a solution to the problem much more urgently.

Fewer people are becoming teachers in South Carolina, and CCSD Chief Human Resources Officer Bill Briggman, who created the task force, said low pay is one of the main deterrents. In recent years, hes had a mounting challenge recruiting teachers to Charleston.

Carolina Park Principal Michael Antonelli, who is a member of the task force, said in his 18 years leading the school, he used to be able to count the number of people who had declined job offers from him on one hand.

Just this year, four people declined. All cited housing costs.

Working on the weekends

Bonezzi wonders often about the kind of teacher hed be if he only had to drive 10 minutes to work every day. Still, he tries his best to be there for his students.

Before Christmas, one of his students asked him to attend the schools performance of "The Nutcracker" because shed be in it. The production was over the weekend, but he agreed.

It just makes the kids feel really valued, and increases that relational capacity and being able to affect kids and get kids to be motivated and love learning really raises the bar about what they think they can do at school, he said.

Her parents messaged Bonezzi, Shes so excited. Were so appreciative that youre going.

Despite being tired from an exhausting week, Bonezzi arrived at the performance, surprised at the number of his students on stage. Their parents repeatedly thanked him for coming.

It definitely takes doing things to be there for kids, after school or on the weekend. Its going to take more time out of my day, but ultimately I do those things because I value my kids and my relationship with them, he said. But it certainly would be nice to be able to drive down the block.

Afterward, he drove home in the dark, making lesson plans for the next week in his head.
In April 2021, Keryn Gedan and her husband rented a 24-foot white RV camper nicknamed Rose Nylund and drove from their home in Washington, D.C., to Huntington Beach State Park on the coast of South Carolina.

They parked at a beachside campsite and took in the view: emerald green salt marshes to the west, rolling sandy dunes just ahead, shore birds flying above. It was spring break and Gedan, an assistant professor of biology at George Washington University who endured two semesters of difficult pandemic-style teaching, had finally left her work behind. Or so she thought.

During a short walk to the park's nature center, she came across a stand of dead trees.

Of course, I had to march over, climb over the debris ... and immediately check out which species were dying here, Gedan said. Lingering snags of loblolly pine trees, longleaf pine trees, many of great size, some completely toppled  she counted more than 100. She snapped photos on her phone. Bare branches reached toward a cloudless, lapis blue sky.

Gedan didn't need to ask the park ranger what had killed these trees. She knew the mark of sea level rise all too well.

Most visitors don't.

We get so many questions about that site and people misunderstand what they are. They think it's from a beetle or from wind," said Mike Walker, an interpretative park ranger whose office is just a few hundred yards away. "It's sea level rise interacting with king tides." Such high, seasonal tides now bring floodwaters to parts of this forest and the adjacent road about 15 times a year.

Walker started working at the park in 1991. The road never flooded then. He's sure of it.

On that sunny April day in 2021, Gedan opened the app Survey123 and toggled to the form for Ghosts of the Coast. She uploaded the photos and answered a few questions, including one that asked: "How long have you been visiting this location?" Gedan marked, "This is my first time."

A small golden dot would soon appear on the Ghosts of the Coast map, joining a half-dozen other dots marking ghost forests that people, scientists and citizen scientists alike, have noticed forming along the coast of South Carolina.

See something, say something, it's now as easy as that when it comes to dead trees on the coast.

'So visible, it's an opportunity'

Anyone with a cellphone can submit an observation. Since 2021, the project has been in a pilot phase.

"It's now ready for broad distribution," said Gedan, who actually came up with the idea for a citizen science project and launched Ghosts of the Coast with help from Sarah Noyes, one of her former students.

The term ghost forest is centuries old. Though not scientific, it has been useful for scientists to talk with landowners about an old phenomena, trees dying in large stands, within the context of a new phenomena, human-caused sea level rise along the Atlantic Ocean.

Flooding has always brought salt to upland forests. And pine trees can tolerate small amounts of salt in the soil. But the sheer number of times salt is penetrating to the root systems is becoming intolerable.

Sea level rise is increasing the frequency of minor flooding from king tides. And climate-charged hurricane seasons are increasing the frequency of major flooding from storm surges. Salt can seep and resurface through the groundwater. The number of climate factors bringing more salt to the soil seems to be multiplying.

The intertidal zone is creeping farther inland, replacing vegetation typical of a forest with vegetation more typical of a marsh. Ghost forests are a visible marker of land conversion, places where the upland is becoming a wetland.

Their striking visibility sets them apart. Trunks and stumps linger, though the trees may no longer be alive. Rising tall like gnarled, fraying telephone poles from the low profile of lush salt marshes, the view is undeniably spooky.

It was Gedan's first time visiting that stand of dead coastal trees in South Carolina, but she had spent years studying places just like it in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and North Carolina's Pimlico Sound, home to some of America's largest and, therefore, most studied coastal forests that are succumbing to sea level rise.

Everywhere you look is a horizon of dead trees," said Gedan about her study sites in the Chesapeake Bay. "The place in Huntington Beach State Park is very small in comparison." She worries that scientists are overlooking these smaller pockets of dying forests.

Filling in the map

According to researchers at Clemson University, there are anecdotes of more and more popping up across South Carolina. But so many are in rural places, hidden from view. Scientists alone can't find them.

"Like, where is this change happening and when?" wondered Gedan. "And I realized that theyre so visible, its an opportunity to just ask people."

Recording that observation in Huntington Beach State Park hadn't required much time or effort. In fact, the mobile form she used had been specifically designed for people with no expertise at all. It includes original art of leaf shapes, pine needle patterns and tree silhouettes to help citizen scientists identify which type of forest they're viewing. Noyes, Gedan's former student, did all the art, making use of her double major in art and biology.

You dont have to be an expert naturalist to identify that trees are dying, Gedan said. And because ghost forests are so strikingly visible, the form they designed is a way to crowd-source observations from citizens.

The South Carolina Aquarium has tried something similar but without much luck, at least when it comes to trees. The aquarium has an app-based citizen science project called SeaRise. People can submit their photos and observations from flooding events, including "tree die-off" events. The app's data portal is chock full of flooding photos, but no searchable observations of tree die-off.

'Ghost forest' growth in SC

Gedans work had followed her on vacation. Or, perhaps more accurately, she had followed it. The low-lying ribbon of coastline she has journeyed for her family vacation, from the Chesapeake Bay watershed where she studies ghost forest formation, to South Carolinas Lowcountry makes up about a third of the coastal area where ghost forests are forming in the U.S. thanks to sea level rise.

But even that is a rough estimation.

The longtime focus on North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and parts of New Jersey as epicenters for ghost forests hasn't been great for those scientists trying to really understand saltwater intrusion  and who it might impact next.

In the Chesapeake Bay region, farmers have already abandoned fields because they are too salty. Timber landowners are already felling trees soon after floods to not lose out on profits. That could happen here sooner than predicted, according to Tom O'Halloran, an associate professor of forestry at Clemson University.

O'Halloran has been studying the creeping spread of drying pine trees near salt marsh edges in and around Georgetown following hurricanes Matthew and Irma in 2016 and 2017.

It wasn't until after Hurricane Dorian in 2019, when storm surges broke through some natural barriers in the landscapes, that they started seeing change. His research team has been using drones and soil monitoring to track the extent of change. In 2023, O'Halloran expects to see more death and dying.

Last year, Hurricane Ian passed just south of the Clemson study site and produced the biggest storm surge since Hurricane Hugo.

"Compared to other states ... it may be that this ghost forest phenomena is happening a little slower here. It may be more visible in the Chesapeake, it may be more visible in North Carolina because of the different coastal topography (in South Carolina)," O'Halloran said. "But, at least here in Georgetown ... it's really picked up just in the last few years.

O'Halloran paused.

Ya know, this is a great time to to write this kind of article," he said. O'Halloran emphasized just how much he and his Clemson colleagues have been struck by how many ghost forest stands they now see around Clemson's Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science in Georgetown.

On Jan. 22, the road leading from Huntington Beach State Park's nature center to the North Beach parking lot flooded. Again. Walker, the park ranger, is fed up.

Its happening with frightening regularity ... so I'm actually working on making an interpretive sign right now," Walker said bluntly. He wants to put all the questioning and preconceived notions to bed.

It's not those other things; it's climate change. That's essentially what the sign will say.

Once the sign goes up this spring, perhaps by the time families from across the East Coast pull up in their campers for spring break, Walker won't be tasked with constantly explaining why the trees are dying. He can focus on helping people understand what can be done about it.

The easiest way to help, at least for now, is to take a picture and send it to a scientist.
GREENVILLE  Phil Keeling has tried for five years to get his play The Coffin Maker recognized.

"I think it might be the best thing I've ever written," Keeling said. "It was just a hard sell."

After many rejections of his dark play about a blood feud set in Appalachia, an audience will see the show for the first time at the Appalachian Festival of Plays and Playwrights in southwest Virginia.

Keeling began to flesh out the idea for The Coffin Maker when he attended the Savannah College of Art and Design for graduate school in the Dramatic Writing Program. He read an article  which he admits could be debunked now  that an Eastern European village had blood oaths dating back centuries. The idea was that if you killed somebody, someone in their family was allowed to kill you unless you were in your own home.

Keeling then started to imagine what it would look like if a similar concept happened in tiny Appalachian towns. The idea snowballed until he wrote "The Coffin Maker."

Keeling, 40, is one of the six playwrights selected for the Virginia festival. It was founded in 2000 by the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va.  a three-hour drive from Greenville  as a way to develop new plays that showcase Appalachia and the writers who call the region home.

To submit to the festival, the playwright has to either live in Appalachia  the region that runs along the mountain range from New York to Alabama  or it must be set in the Appalachian region.

Nick Piper, the theater's director of new play development, only remembers one other time a South Carolina-based playwright has been selected for the festival.

Playwrights receive travel, housing and a stipend to go to the theater for a week. Each show is rehearsed for about eight hours, using the theaters in-resident union actors. The playwright sits in on the rehearsal to collaborate on the process and have a chance to make edits where needed.

The 23rd festival will happen Feb. 23-26 in Barter's 170-seat theater. The plays will be read by actors from scripts on the stage. The shows are free to the public.

After each show, a panel of three regional theater professionals will provide feedback to the writer. The audience is also invited to comment.

Keeling's 90-minute play follows a family in an Appalachian town where the patriarch Jack Tracker is the town's coffin maker. Tracker accidentally kills someone, and his family spends the next 20 years holed up in a shack in the mountains. In the small world of the shack, Tracker maintains tight psychological control over his wife and daughter. A young university student comes to the shack to tell Tracker's story, uncovering his secrets.

The story is funny, Keeling said. "I always feel the need to point that out."

Becoming a writer

Keeling reveres his dad as a voracious reader and a great writer, remembering when he would watch him jot down words in his planner. He would pull out the book during lulls in conversation at family gatherings and read the paragraphs he wrote.

Keeling's dad joined the military to pay for college, dreaming of one day becoming a journalist. His parents met and married in Savannah, Ga., and Keeling was born in West Germany in the 1980s, not long before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Like many military families, they moved every few years.

While in elementary school in Europe, one of Keelings teachers told his mom that he was a writer and that she should push him in that direction. Another teacher had her students make their own storybooks, which Keeling remembers wanting to do more than most students. When the family returned to the United States, theater drew Keeling in. He found comfort and camaraderie in drama circles, performing his first Shakespeare play at his high school in Columbus, Ga.

Keeling and his wife moved to Greenville last year when he took a job with VisitGreenvilleSC. The couple met in Atlanta the week before the pandemic began in 2020. They decided to wait out the pandemic quarantine together in Pickens, where his wife had family and an available space for them to live. They married in October 2022.

Keeling has held a variety of jobs over the years  teaching high school English, selling airtime on the radio, writing as a video games journalist, mixing as a karaoke DJ. Once he moved to Atlanta, he worked as social media manager for a wine education site, Wine Folly.

All the while, he wrote.

"No matter what I'm doing, where I'm doing it, I'm writing," Keeling said.

Keeling's "The Coffin Maker" will make its debut at Barter's Smith Theatre at 127 W. Main St. in Abingdon, Va., on Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. RSVP to attend the free festival here: https://bartertheatre.com/big-shows/afpp-2023/
On the heels of a community coming to grips with a Dorchester County proposal to tear down a historic hospital, Summerville residents now find themselves contending with the prospect of a 100,000 square-foot stadium being built on a 40-acre natural parcel in the Woodlands area. Read more'A bunch of malarkey': Mayor weighs in on rumored Woodlands sports arena
ANDREWS  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Feb. 1 it's granted the S.C. Conservation Bank and its partners $1 million to add 2,180 acres of land to Wee Tee State Forest in Georgetown and Williamsburg counties.

The grant, awarded under the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, comes just over a month after the Open Space Institute announced it had purchased the approximately 2,200-acre RMS-Wadmacon tract along the Santee River.

The tract, described by the institute as featuring "miles of riverfront flanked by diverse and intact bottomland hardwood forests," is located in southwestern Georgetown County.

"Conservation of the property supports habitats utilized by at least 116 species of conservation concern in the South Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan, including waterfowl, wading birds, bats, songbirds, amphibians, reptiles, fish, crayfish and mussels," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.

Forest Management Chief Russell Hubright of the S.C. Forestry Commission said the animal life in the area includes game such as black bear and wild turkey, forest-inhabiting birds such as the Kentucky Warbler and rare and declining amphibians and reptiles such as the spotted turtle. Gulf or Atlantic sturgeon and striped bass swim in the water.

The $1 million granted for the Wee Tee State Forest expansion is a fraction of $19 million in grants the FWS program awarded to protect coastal wetlands and nearby uplands areas in eight states including Washington, Alaska and Texas. The 21 projects receiving grants will "protect, restore or enhance" almost 14,000 acres, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.

Wee Tee State Forest covers about 16,000 acres in southern Williamsburg and southwestern Georgetown counties along the northern banks of the Santee River. The term "bottomland" within its land type, bottomland hardwood forest, refers to the land's low-lying nature that makes it susceptible to periodic flooding.

Hubright said the commission plans to acquire RMS-Wadmacon from the Open Space Institute, similarly to its recent acquisition of the Great Santee Swamp and Dawhoo Lake/Wadmacon Creek tracts. The latter two tracts added 3,857 acres to Wee Tee State Forest  nearly a quarter of its total acreage.

Hubright said that little will change for the new land on the ground aside from signage to denote its place in the state's Wildlife Management Area program, maintained by the the S.C. Department of Natural Resources. Any opening of roads in the area will have to be looked at "pretty hard," he said, because doing so would require evaluation that the roads are passable.

"We're sharing these conservation goals with (our partners), of course, so it's a win-win, maybe a triple win because all these lands will go into the Wildlife Management Area program run by DNR that the Wee Tee State Forest is already in," Hubright said of the new land. "And so it'll just extend downstream the hunting opportunities. So that's definitely a good thing."

In addition to the grant and S.C. Conservation Bank, Hubright listed the North American Waterfowl Conservation Act and private donors among funding sources for acquisition of RMS-Wadmacon.

"That's another advantage of working with these non-government agencies is that they have access to some foundations and some private funding that we might not have," Hubright said of Open Space Institute and The Nature Conservancy, which together purchased the Great Santee Swamp and Dawhoo Lake/Wadmacon Creek tracts in December 2021.
In the first papal visit to South Sudan, Pope Francis is highlighting the plight of women in the young nation who face the world's highest material mortality rate and are subject to widespread sexual violence.

Pope Francis urged Catholic bishops, priests and nuns in South Sudan to speak out against abuse of power and injustice in the country during an address on Saturday.

Francis is taking part in an unprecedented "pilgrimage of peace" to South Sudan along with Protestant Christian church leaders in an effort to urge the country's leaders to recommit to implementing a peace deal.

South Sudan, a predominantly Christian nation that broke away from Sudan in 2011, has seen years of inter-ethnic fighting that has displaced millions since a civil war broke out in 2013. A peace deal in 2018 formally ended the war, but violence has continued.

What did the Pope say?

It is South Sudan's first papal visit, with Francis joined by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Church of Scotland Moderator Iain Greenshields.

During an address at the cathedral of St. Therese in Juba, Francis urged Catholic clergy and nuns to show empathy for those affected by violence and to speak out for their communities.

"Brothers and sisters, we too are called to intercede for our people, to raise our voices against the injustice and the abuses of power that oppress and use violence to suit their own ends," Francis said.

He added that religious leaders "cannot remain neutral before the pain caused by acts of injustice."

During the address, Francis listened as a nun described how two of her fellow sisters were killed in an ambush near the capital Juba in 2021.

"Let us ask ourselves what it means for us to be ministers of God in a land scarred by war, hatred, violence, and poverty," Francis said.

'We expected more,' says Archbishop of Canterbury

On Saturday, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of Scotland Moderator held a separate service in South Sudan's capital.

The three church leaders are also due to meet people who have been internally displaced by the conflict. They will then hold an open-air ecumenical prayer vigil where 50,000 people are expected.

The pope is also using his visit to highlight the plight of women and girls in the country.

On Friday, Francis and the two other church leaders delivered a strongly-worded speech to the country's previously warring leaders, President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar.

Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, decried the continuation of violence in South Sudan despite the 2018 peace deal. He also referenced a gathering at the Vatican in 2019 where Francis knelt to kiss the feet of the two warring leaders in an appeal for peace.

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"I am sad that we still hear of such tragedy. We hoped and prayed for more. We expected more. You promised more," Welby told the leaders on Friday.

In his own speech, President Kiir said his government was committed to peace in South Sudan.

What is the situation in South Sudan?

An estimated 380,000 people were killed during the five-year civil war in South Sudan that erupted soon after the country's independence in 2011.

Despite the 2018 peace deal that technically ended the war, flare-ups of violence continue to kill and displace people. According to UN data, there are approximately 2.2 million internally displaced people in South Sudan.

Women and girls are especially impacted by the violence. In a report last year, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said women live a "hellish existence" in the country.

"South Sudanese women are physically assaulted while being raped at gunpoint, typically held down by men while being abused by others. They are told not to resist in the slightest way, and not to report what happened, or they will be killed," the report said.

South Sudanese women and girls are subject to widespread sexual assault, have the world's highest maternal mortality rate, and are often married before the age of 18.

Prior to his papal visit to South Sudan, Francis traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo to raise awareness for those affected by conflict.

rs/msh (Reuters, AP, AFP)
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 76F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy. Low 61F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
MYRTLE BEACH  After days of speculation and tracking as it made its way across the country, South Carolina, and the world at large, watched as a Chinese balloon splashed down off the coast here.

Felled less than 7 miles out over the Atlantic Ocean by a missile from a U.S. F-22 fighter jet, authorities on South Carolina's coastline warn that debris from the large Chinese balloon could wash ashore.

Naval crews, assisted by the Coast Guard, had already begun collecting the wreckage not long after splashdown. The balloon landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than officials had expected, according to the Associated Press.

It was unclear how long the recovery would take. But police in North Myrtle Beach and Horry County said stray detritus could make it to their beaches. If that happens, people are advised to call local law enforcement.

"Debris should not be touched, moved, or removed," Horry County police tweeted late Feb. 4. "Such items are part of a federal investigation and tampering could interfere in that investigation."

Prior to the balloon being shot down, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily halted travel to and from Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Wilmington, N.C., airports, clearing the air for the operation.

The balloon, which floated over much of the country earlier this week, prompting accusations of espionage and warnings from officials not to shoot at it from the ground, was spotted over the Carolinas early Feb. 4. By 3 p.m., the deflated white orb had fallen into waters off the South Carolina coast after being shot down by fighter jets.

Gov. Henry McMaster said he had been briefed by the Pentagon shortly after noon on Feb. 4 about "plans to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon once it was safely off our coast."

"It appears that has just happened," he tweeted shortly after the small explosion could be seen off the Palmetto State.

Mike Gorby said he walked outside his Myrtle Beach home to see what was going on after he saw posts about the balloon on Snapchat. He shot a video as jets circled the balloon and captured the "pop" of the balloon being struck by a missile.

You could see little pieces of metal shrapnel or whatever it is falling in the distance, Gorby said.

Gorby said he was a little shocked as he watched what happened above him. He called the boom insanely loud and said it shook his entire house.

"That was wild," he said. Ive never seen crazy stuff like that, especially a balloon getting shot down by fighter jets."

While leaving the Spring Home Improvement and Outdoor Living Show at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Michael Hodge and his girlfriend Amanda Ruby noticed others gathered outside taking pictures of the balloon.

Hodge said he then heard a loud noise as he noticed jets shooting it down and the debris falling.

It was loud enough that everybody in the parking lot stopped and looked up, Hodge said. "It was like a sonic boom."

Darena Edge of Conway was inside a Marshalls store north in Myrtle Beach when she overheard fellow shoppers on the phone talking to family and friends about the balloon hovering above them.

Then she heard what sounded like a tire blowing, she said. The store emptied as shoppers left the carts in aisles to go outside to see the balloon falling.

Oh Lord, it was just a little bit unnerving because you just don't know what was in it, Edge said. Some people just quit shopping and said they wanted to go home.

Earlier in the day, there were reports of sightings throughout upstate South Carolina, including Greenville and Spartanburg, and suburban Charlotte in North Carolina. Authorities across the Carolinas at that time warned people not to take potshots at the floating orb with their rifles.

In York County, not far from the North Carolina border, the county sheriff's office advised against anyone trying to take out the balloon on their own.

Dont try to shoot it!! the sheriffs office tweeted Feb. 4 as the balloon passed over the region at an altitude of about 60,000 feet. Your rifle rounds WILL NOT reach it. Be responsible. What goes up will come down, including your bullets.

The balloon entered U.S. airspace over Alaska early this week and wasn't acknowledged by government officials until Feb. 2, a day after commercial flights were temporarily halted at the airport in Billings, Mont., and people on the ground saw the balloon seemingly loitering high above the city.

China said it was a weather research vessel blown off course, a claim rejected by U.S. officials who said the craft had been over areas of Montana where nuclear missiles are siloed.

In Congress, Republicans pounced on the decision not to shoot it down over rural Montana as a sign of weakness on the part of the Biden administration.

After the balloon was shot down, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said it should have been sooner.

The balloon should have been shot down before it crossed the continental United States, not after. We still dont know what information was collected and where it was sent, Scott said in a statement. This was a dereliction of Bidens duty, and lets hope the American people dont pay a price.

Fellow South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted, "Thank you to the men and women of the United States military who were responsible for completing the mission to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon. The Biden Administration did the right thing in bringing it down."

President Joe Biden said that he ordered U.S. officials to shoot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon earlier in the week but that national security leaders decided the best time for the operation was when it got over water.

Mike Woodel, Richard Caines and Andy Shain of The Post and Courier contributed to this report. The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
The worrisome thing about having Ellen Weaver as South Carolinas education superintendent is that we no longer have a voice of caution against the Legislatures worst instincts when it comes to throwing our tax dollars at unaccountable private schools  for instance, calling out the Senate for transforming what supporters have sold for decades as a plan to help poor kids into one that would be available for kids whose parents make as much as $120,000 a year, as it did on Tuesday.

The encouraging thing is that she's someone who is willing to embrace the commonsense ideas that many in the the education establishment have opposed so vigorously that most leaders dont even bother mentioning them, much less making them a priority. Her first big example also came Tuesday, when she asked lawmakers to provide $25 million for a pilot program to pay teachers based on how important their work is and how well they do it, instead of entirely on their education credentials and years on the job.

As The Post and Couriers Seanna Adcox reports, Ms. Weaver asked a House budget subcommittee to provide $25 million  $200,000 each for up to 125 schools that volunteer  for a pilot program to pay bonus compensation for teachers who agree to work in high-need schools, along with incentives for moving the needle for students.

Teacher quality is the most important in-school factor for student success, she testified, yet strategically compensating the very best educators to teach in the highest-need schools is not something that is often done.

Critics charge that merit pay systems in government are inherently unfair, but merit pay is common in the private sector, where those programs that are well-thought-out can be highly effective. Well-thought-out, of course, is the operative term, but we dont buy the idea that theres anything that makes the private sector inherently superior to the government sector. Besides, we believe it's inherently unfair to pay everyone the same regardless of how well they do their job, and Ms. Weaver's idea has the potential to address a huge need.

One of South Carolinas biggest problems is that so many poor kids start school behind and never catch up. Early childhood education programs can help get kids ready to start school, and we need to continue to increase our investment in them, but theyre not 100% effective, and not all parents take advantage of them. So we still have kids who start school behind, and we still have to find a way to catch them up.

Anybody who has studied education policy realizes that these students need the best teachers and often extra learning time, yet in district after district they tend to get stuck with the least experienced and least talented teachers. Thats largely because teachers are human beings: Even the ones who feel called to help the neediest students dont want to go to work every day in the worst schools, which is where the neediest students are congregated. Since the best teachers have more options for picking where they work, we have to find a way to make teaching in those highest-need schools more attractive.

Money isnt a cure-all, but its the easiest, quickest and most obvious enticement to try, and Ms. Weavers idea of running a pilot program to test out this idea is sound  although we have our doubts that a single year will be long enough to demonstrate that it works, or doesn't work.

Itll be important to get the details right, such as how we define highest-need schools and student success. And legislators need to fill in those details as they have with other superintendents spending proposals, rather than leaving that to Ms. Weaver. But this is a promising idea South Carolina needs to try.

Click here for more opinion content from The Post and Courier.
The USOs recent 82nd birthday brought many military service members and their families stationed here on Guam to the Plaza Shopping Center in Tumon to celebrate together.

The USO has connected soldiers with their families since 1975. Much was said about the good that the USO has done in its 82 years of existence of strengthening military service members by connecting them to family, home and country - even when deployed at least an ocean away on Guam.

Here on Guam at your USO, our three centers welcomed more than 152,000 visits. Our entire population of Guam is only 170,000. And in just 35 days into this year, your USO, that you have built, has already welcomed 10,000 visitors, Leigh Graham, area director for USO Guam, said.

Kenzie Fortenberry, originally of Texas, is a military wife who has seen the good the USO has done firsthand. Her husband has served in the U.S. Air Force for about five years.

Our last base didnt have a USO but since weve been here, especially on days we havent gone grocery shopping and we just need some quick food we go to the USO and there have been a couple times we've walked in and met other parents (with kids) our son's age and he gets to walk around and hang out. And it's really just been a place for us to go and hang out and be together, especially while hes working, she said.

Fortenberry and her family are a long way from home, relatives, and friends, but having a USO here has helped establish new relationships.

It's putting us out in the community meeting people and parents and just making us feel not so alone in a new place, she said.

When she arrived on Guam, the USO played a noticeable role in making the island feel like home.

Because everybody is here, everybody has been through the same things like being moved and going from place to place.  It is definitely a source of family, she told The Guam Daily Post.

She wasnt the only person at the birthday party with a story of how the USO helped them. Mike Guaigua, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy, also shared his story with the Post.

I was on an IA, individual augmentee, to Djibouti, Africa. While I was there they had a USO and they did the read-a-book (program) and they would send it to your family. So I did that for a full year, he said.

The program has deployed troops read a story to their child, and a recording, along with a copy of the book, is mailed so the family can connect with their loved ones.

It was a big library for my kids when I got back from Africa. So they had all those from when I used to read to them, Guaigua said.

It was a way for Guaigua to stay active in his childrens lives when he could not be physically present. At the time, in 2018, he had a 5-year-old and a 7-year-old. Now with three children, he reflected on what the USO did then. He was grateful the service is still being offered.

Guaigua brought his family to the event to share in the moment as the USO has helped him share moments with his family.

It does just that, it helps you connect with your family and prioritizes family. My wife comes here quite a bit, so they know her and the amenities are great so we wanted to come out and support, he said.

The USOs 82nd birthday also featured live music, cultural performances, food giveaways and, of course, birthday cake for all service members, their dependents and retirees who attended.
Stallion Nigeria has refuted reports that it is indebted to Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) to the tune of N13 billion.

Reacting to reports that GTB took over its assets over the debt, the firm claimed that no such debt exists.

On Friday, reports said that GTB took over Stallion Nigerias assets after the N13 billion judgement debt in suit FHC/L/CS/2/47/2019 filed at a federal high court sitting in Lagos.

The reports claimed that officials from Temilolu Adamolekun, the receiver/manager appointed by GTBank, and court bailiffs took over the firms Victoria Island office and showroom containing several automobiles.

However, in a press statement signed by the firms CFO, Samar Sapre, Stallion Nigeria described the publications as false, mischievous and a ploy to smear the unblemished reputation of Stallion.

Our attention has been drawn to an article circulating around in the media alleging that Stallion is indebted to GTB to the tune of N13 billion, the statement said.

ALSO READ: GTB suspends international transaction on naira cards

The publication is false and the works of mischief makers as no such debt exists.

Stallion has been in court with GTB since 2019 over allegations and claims with Stallion winning against GTB at the Court of Appeal, Nigeria.

The company claimed that the matter is still in court and to that extent remains subjudice.

As a law-abiding corporate entity with faith in the Nigerian judiciary, we refrain from commenting on a matter that is subjudice except to clarify that the publication is false, mischievous and a ploy to smear the unblemished reputation of Stallion.

We implore the general public to ignore the publication as there is no such court verdict existing anywhere as alleged in the publication. The matter is still pending in court.

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Indias diaspora has over the years grown to become one of the most admired and successful diaspora groups/populations in the world.

Members of the group have made giant strides, prominent amongst which is Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, who is of Indian origin.

In this interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Indias High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gangadharan Balasubramanian, shares lessons on Indias engagement with its diaspora population and suggestions on how Nigeria can do the same with its promising diaspora population.

Like Nigeria, India once faced the issue of brain drain but Mr Balasubramanian said he would rather refer to the mass exit of citizens as brain circulation and not brain drain.

He shares Indias experience of re-attracting these citizens who left the country.

Also, the diplomat spoke on Indias G20 presidency, bilateral relations with Nigeria amongst others.

Excerpts

PT: The Indian diaspora is perhaps one of the most developed and admired. What lessons can Nigeria take from your engagement with your diaspora?

Mr Balasubramanian: India has got about 32 million diaspora spread around the world. You would almost find in every single country a few Indians. In Nigeria, we have about 60,000 Indians who have made Nigeria their home for the last three to four decades. Just to mention a little more about the Indian diaspora in Nigeria, there are more than 135 Indian companies which are manufacturing and working here in Nigeria for the past three to four decades.

Similarly, we have a diaspora spread out across the world and I would rather say instead of learning lessons, we should share experiences because the Nigerian diaspora is also one of the largest that you have outside Nigeria, which is but natural.

The one point that you have pointed out is about the brain drain that is happening and that used to happen in India. We now call it brain circulation, in terms of people leaving, gathering experience, gaining knowledge, improving themselves and then returning to the country to develop the country also.

The Indian government has been quite adaptive to recognising the role of diaspora around the world and we have been engaging the diaspora in a very effective manner in the past 15 to 20 years that has been a huge emphasis on engaging the diaspora.

There are more than 17 schemes that have been introduced, ranging from Study in India programme, Know India programme, Visit India and there is the Citizen of India card. We used to have the Person of Indian Origin card which has now been merged into the Citizen of India card.

This card gives an Indian diaspora, who is not a citizen, citizens privileges just short of electoral and land ownership rights.

There has been a huge push in terms of engaging the diaspora, they have also come of age in their respective countries as you rightly pointed out. They have grown, there are more than three generations of Indians that migrated from India and settled in another country as their second home. But as they say, you can take an Indian out of India but you cannot take India out of them.

We just ended what we call the Diaspora Day which is held once every two years. We have been having what we call the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) which means Non-resident Indians day. From 8 to 10 January 2023, we organised the 17th edition of the diaspora in Indore which saw a large number of people of Indian origin travel back to attend, including about 17 Indians from Nigeria.

We have also been working with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) and a team from NIDCOM attended this event and have engaged with the government of India in understanding how we deal with the diaspora and the schemes we have and we will be very happy to learn from your experience also.

I would rather say that it is, in terms of how other people go and establish themselves outside and over a period, they return to their homeland and also contribute to the development in their countries.

PT: How do we incentivise returning to the country? People who leave their countries leave for several reasons including economic reasons, in Nigeria for instance.

Mr Balasubramanian: Opportunities! Creating opportunities within your own country is something that is a fundamental requirement for returning brain and attracting brain; of your own people and outsiders.

India has been growing very fast and we have now reached the position of the fifth largest economy in the world. We are here because successive governments have been concentrating on developing four core structures: education, healthcare, infrastructure, and medium and small enterprises. These are basically four areas where successive governments have been concentrating on and developing things.

Once you develop a set of people who are trained and ready for employment, once you have ensured that their health is taken care of  you know with healthcare there are opportunities that keep coming in with a large population like that of India and that of Nigeria  it will be possible for us to have a whole health sector work and create more employment.

When these things are in place, then the country and the people are bound to grow in leaps and bound and this is what we have been seeing over the past few years as to how fast our economy has been growing, as to how big our market has become and which has started attracting more influence as well as Indian investment from abroad. These are some of the suggestions we have seen working.

PT: You mentioned the citizens card which allows a non-resident all rights but for voting and land ownership. That is similar to the diaspora voting concern for Nigeria and I would like to understand why India, like Nigeria, says people in the diaspora cannot vote yet welcome their investments.

Mr Balasubramanian: Democracy works in its own way and democracy is for the people, by the people, of the people as it has been defined. So if somebody were to elect that person they have to be invested in that particular person or place.

Throughout the world, it is only the citizens who are allowed to vote, people who have a stake in that particular country. I am not denying the fact that our diaspora has a stake, it does. But what we are trying to say is that democracy, by its traditional definition, is said by the people and those are the citizens. That is the basic reason for it.

And further, India is a very large democracy and we are the mother of democracy. As a large democracy, it will be very difficult for us to maintain the statistics of people who are very mobile (moving in and out of the country) so citizenship is the basis on which voting rights are granted.

PT: Is India like Nigeria looking to allow the diaspora to vote?

Mr Balasubramanian: As for now, we are still working on allowing the non-resident Indians who are leaving the country for work but still maintain the Indian passport. It has been a problem for them to vote also because unlike Nigeria, we operate a parliamentary system, we elect members of parliament and how to manage an individual voting for different people has been a complex mechanism. We are now working to extend voting rights to non-residents Indians.

PT: You mentioned that India is now the fifth largest economy in the world, yet India is still being referred to as a developing country.

Mr Balasubramanian: India has the second largest population in the world. When we got independence in 1947 our population was about 330 million. Today we are 1.34 billion, which means we have grown about four times. At the same time, we have also improved our economy to take people above the poverty line, educate the people.

It is an ongoing process, as you have a larger population, the fact that you will have to bring the standard of living of everyone to a desired level is an enormous task and we are still doing that.

In spite of the fact that we are the fifth largest economy, we still have a lot of miles to run so I would rather say, it is a work in progress.

PT: Indias judiciary is one of the most reputable around the world, and your press one of the freest. How has Indias specific system of caste and class affected the traditions of liberty and freedom?

Mr Balasubramanian: There are issues that come with civilisation. India is a very old civilisation and as I mentioned to you, we are the mother of democracy in which for thousands of years we simply started this concept of people coming together and deciding for the general good of the public.

There are various systems which have been part of it and as soon as we got independence, our constitution was framed with everybody in mind; the right to equality, right to liberty, right to freedom. These are some of the fundamental rights, we have six fundamental right within our own constitution and each of them are well preserved and maintained by the independent judiciary. And whenever there is any problem, the independent media is very well prepared so much so to the extent that it is a little chaotic but they do their job in a professional manner.

The concept of checks and balances where the executive, legislature and judiciary perform their independent functions and the press is the watchdog which takes care of everyone of them doing their own. The chaotic media in India takes care of their duty in terms of questioning when something goes wrong and there has been a lot of respect for these systems operating separately.

For the class and caste system, through the constitution, there are various mechanisms that have been put in place, whether it is positive discrimination, or regulatory bodies that make sure that those constitutions under positive discrimination are taken care of and there is no negative discrimination. There are institutional and constitutional mechanisms and there are procedures through which these are addressed.

PT: When you say positive discrimination, what do you mean by that oxymoron?

Mr Balasubramanian: It is a good oxymoron I would say. It is what we call reservation. For example, there are 10 jobs available in the government. A certain portion of the jobs are reserved for a particular set of people which are constitutionally mandated and legislatively done, so that is what I call positive discrimination.

So that opportunities exist for people who are not, according to some of them, in the mainstream. So to bring them into the mainstream, the government has put in certain legislations which we call positive discrimination.

PT: G20 summits have over time been largely a developed economies affair. What will India do differently during its tenure as president?

Mr Balasubramanian: We have taken over the presidency of G20 from December 2022. The summit of G20 will be held in New Delhi on 9 and 10 September, 2023 and I am also happy to state, which I am sure you are aware of, that India as part of its presidency can invite a few countries as guest countries and because of the special relationship that we have with Nigeria, India has invited Nigeria as a guest country and Nigeria has accepted to be part of the G20 process.

What will India do separately? We have basically four priorities and they are inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth; lifestyle for environment and climate change; technology enabled transformation; and multilateral reforms. These are the four areas in which we will be working and I can assure you that India and Nigeria are on the same page as far as any of the issues is concerned.

Our prime minister (Narendra Modi), knowing full well that there is a need for the developing world to have its voice heard in the G20, organised a virtual Voice of the Global South Summit  on 12 and 13 January, 2023.

The summit was an occasion through which the priorities and imperatives of developing countries will be understood, how they view the global commons and how they will like to be positioned within the global commons. This is useful for India as it will bring all these together to the forefront of the summit.

Indonesia was the previous president, we are the current president and the next president is going to be Brazil. It is a unique opportunity that these three developing countries are having consecutive presidents and I am sure this will certainly help in terms of bringing other viewpoints to the table.

PT: What ecumenical spirit is India trying to achieve by inviting medium powers? Are we at the dawn of a new era in international relations?

Mr Balasubramanian: I would not call them medium powers, I would call them important and crucial powers whose presence and ambitions have a major role to play in deciding the whole concept of global commons. And as I told you earlier, India has a special relationship with Nigeria and the potential and strength of Nigeria is visible. And with such a large population, it is but natural that your viewpoint will certainly have advantage, which is important for everybody to understand and that this is an opportunity for both India and Nigeria and other countries who have been invited to present their view point in a combined manner which will certainly be good for the G20.

PT: Is Indias equivocation on Ukraine not in conflict with its historical non-alignment position and vision for G20  One Earth, One Family, One Future?

Mr Balasubramanian: Certainly not! I would say that non-alignment means independent foreign policy, it does not mean anything else but an opportunity for every country to decide for itself. So, I do not see any change in the policy per se.

India continues to be in the non-aligned movement and the leader of non-aligned movement and it continues to be so but at the same time we have been having an independent foreign policy. There are a huge number of Indians who were there when Ukraine came under attack.

We have a separate relationship with Russia also but that does not mean that we are in the camp of anybody. Our prime minister had very clearly said that this is not an era of war and we have never left the concept of diplomacy to be on the table; talks and negotiations are the only war, violence is not the way. This is what we have continued to do and we do not see any change or violation of the principles and the ethics that we had.

PT: If PM Modi is saying this is not the time for war, is it out of place for Ukraine to want to be its own country without interference?

Mr Balasubramanian: We do agree that there has to be supremacy of international law and the rules and regulations of the global commons will have to be there. And that is what we have continued to say, that diplomacy has to be there, negotiated settlement has to come in and we have been supporting these kinds of system throughout.

PT: The notion that India is somewhat supporting Russia by continued purchase of Russian oil, how does India interpret this?

Mr Balasubramanian: My foreign minister very unequivocally said this in Europe also; that the total amount of oil that India purchased from Russia in a month is equivalent to the total amount of oil that Europe purchases in half a day.

There cannot be two standards. India is a large economy, and what India is doing is much less than what Europe has been doing, what other countries have been doing. This kind of accusation that India is supporting Russia by purchase of oil is not found correct on ground as I told you. Half a day to one month comparison is sufficient to understand that.

PT: Nigeria and India are good trade partners. However, the trade figures are low when compared with others like your very next door neighbour, China. How are the two governments looking to increase trade?

Mr Balasubramanian: The trade figures between India and Nigeria have been actually good. They have been improving, developing; we are presently at $14.95 billion of which we get a large amount of oil from Nigeria also.

There are more than 135 Indian industries with $19.3 billion investment in various manufacturing sectors starting from oil and gas to steel to pharmaceuticals to plastics to textiles, almost in every sector.

Anecdotally speaking, we say we are the largest employers in Nigeria after the Nigerian government. I would not compare India as apple to orange to any other country because every country has its own strengths and weaknesses. Our strength is in terms of manufacturing here within Nigeria and the trade between our countries are in two important products which are essential for both sides; pharmaceuticals and engineering goods.

There are various means through which I would say manufacturing in Nigeria by Indian companies has been one of our strongest points of relationship and I am sure that it will continue further.

PT: Like most African countries, India has a colonial past but no history of coups or counter coups. How has India with its population almost the size of Africa been able to maintain a democratically compliant society?

Mr Balasubramanian: Currently, India as you see is 75 years old. But as I told you, India is the mother of democracy. The traditions and values of democracy have been actually ingrained.

Democracy is something which has been quite strong, imbibed. We have been colonised by different powers from time to time, the last one being the British but there have been other waves of attack on India because of the wealth and strength we had at that point in time.

In spite of various people coming and ruling India from time to time, with most of them being absorbed into the melting pot of India and have become Indians as such. The tradition continued to evolve and when independence came, the whole concept of democracy continued to be there.

This is the philosophical understanding of democracy. Constitutionally also, we have a very strong constitutional power and the country has also been divided into structures and the responsibilities of the different structures.

Constitutionally, we have ensured that the decision of power is very strong and that it is being followed. You talked about judicial independence, we obviously have a large country with a large population and there is bound to be conflict from time to time which is but natural. Conflict resolution is a strong mechanism that has been put in place by the judiciary and the press also helps. The concept of democracy in India has been strengthened through various modern mechanisms.

PT: Like Nigeria, India has a youthful and burgeoning population. What is India doing in terms of leveraging the population size for development, market and political influence?

Mr Balasubramanian: As we discussed earlier in one of your questions, creating opportunities within the country is an important aspect, whether it is through education, or adapting new technologies. For instance, climate change, our country has adapted to the realities of the present and today we have one of the largest solar panels spread in India.

We also plan to expand our production of renewable energy and each of these innovations have created huge employment opportunities.

We are educating and providing opportunities to our youth. More than 65 percent of Indias population is less than 35 years, yours (Nigeria) is much less, around 19 years. That is a huge opportunity and the lessons we have learnt can be easily replicated or emulated by Nigeria.

PT: What other areas of collaboration between India and Nigeria are possible? Including security.

Mr Balasubramanian: I spoke to you about the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) where we provide about 150 scholarships every year on the military side where people are trained on counter insurgency, counter terrorism and normal military techniques and concepts.

We even set up trainers who had come from India to Jaji in Nigeria to train people because it was not possible to send everyone to India for training. The trainers from India were in Nigeria for about six months training hundreds of personnel.

Training is the way through which we are collaborating effectively in capacity and concept building in terms of addressing the issues of the security requirements of Nigeria.

PT: What is the contract between NNPC and IOCL about? Can you provide details on how that contract will benefit both countries?

Mr Balasubramanian: The NNPC and India Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) thing started sometime in 2017 where a contract was signed for the supply of a certain number of barrels for the equivalent of oil that is to be purchased. Unfortunately, the government-to-government has not been quite successful for various reasons. But India is one of the largest buyers of Nigerian oil. Spain only took over from India in this quarter, otherwise, we have been the largest export partner for Nigerias oil.

Recently, we had a delegation from Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India Limited which had meetings with the NNPC and I am sure we will be looking at further strengthening this cooperation between our countries.

PT: What are Indias expectations from the upcoming Nigeria elections?

Mr Balasubramanian: We certainly wish Nigeria well and we hope that Nigeria will be in a position to elect its leader through a democratic process in the usual course. You have been doing that since 1999 and we will expect that you would continue to do that now also and we would be certainly supportive of whichever government comes into power.

The relationship between India and Nigeria is not based on politics, it is based on people to people relationship and mutual understanding and recognition and benefit. So, irrespective of which political party comes in, I can assure you of the commitment of the government of India in further strengthening the relations between India and Nigeria.

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Ominous clouds appeared over the general elections last week as chaos spread across the country over a lingering scarcity of fuel and naira notes. The fuel supply crisis has been going on for several months but the currency crisis worsened as the January 31 deadline set by the central bank for use of old naira notes approached.

Speaking at a rally in Ado-Ekiti, on Friday, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, alleged that the scarcity, which has caused frustration and hardship for people across the country, was contrived to precipitate a national crisis and force the general elections to be shifted from 28 February.

They are hoarding Naira so that you can be angry and fight. They want confusion so that the election can be postponed. What they want is an interim government. But we are wiser than them. We will not fight. Any rat that eats the rat poison will end up killing itself.

Barely 26 hours after Mr Tinubus remarks, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike echoed the allegation at a rally in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of the state, warning those allegedly trying to scuttle the elections and foist an interim government to desist from the plot.

This policy (naira redesign) is targeted at making people angry so that they will demonstrate and riot and then the election would be postponed. Then, they will introduce an interim government. No matter the provocation, dont protest. This election will hold. This election is by the PVCs. This election is not an election of cabals; it is an election of Nigerians.

Of course, Mr Wike has become an ally of Mr Tinubu as PDP officials in the state have written to the partys national headquarters that the governor had informed his loyalists of his endorsement of the APC candidate. But their allegation should spur Nigerians into vigilance as it is a scary flashback to the countrys political impasse of almost 30 years ago.

That crisis in 1993 resulted from the annulment of a presidential election by General Ibrahim Babangidas junta. Mr Babangida inaugurated an interim government after he was forced to retreat by a public uprising but it lasted less than three months before it was overthrown in a military coup by Sani Abacha, another army general who was left behind ostensibly to protect the contraption. Mr Abacha went on to run a brutal and corrupt regime for five years and was on the verge of transmuting himself to a civilian president when he suddenly died on the night of 8 June 1998.

However, Mr Tinubus allegation is also a dangerous expansion of the scope of an internal crisis that seemed to have intensified in the APC as the general elections got closer. In earlier remarks at various campaign rallies, beginning from Abeokuta, Ogun State on 25 January, he had criticised the Buhari governments handling of the fuel crisis and naira redesigning. But until Ado-Ekiti on Friday, he had merely suggested that the two issues were acts of mischief targeted by his enemies in power at destroying his chances at the poll.

On Wednesday, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai jumped into the fray when he said on a Channels Television programme that some elements at the Presidential Villa in Abuja were colluding with the opposition to deny Mr Tinubu and the APC victory at the elections. The governor did not directly accuse President Muhammadu Buhari of involvement in the anti-party scheme. But he implied that the president was culpable through his approval of currency redesign so close to the elections and through some of his utterances on the elections. The president had repeatedly vowed to leave behind a legacy of clean elections and had signed the 2022 Electoral Act that introduces reforms that have been hailed for their potential to secure the integrity of elections run by the national electoral body, INEC.

But it is noteworthy that the president had refused to sign similar amendments proposed to the electoral law in 2018 when he was seeking reelection. The administrations argument then was that the amendments were proposed too close to the elections, although critics said the president simply did not want to remove some of the advantages enjoyed by incumbents under the old law.

And when State House correspondents asked him about the governments reaction to Mr El-Rufais allegation, after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council the same Wednesday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, seemed to confirm all the speculations. He reiterated the presidents repeated assertion of neutrality, saying Mr Buhari has no favourite among the candidates. However, the presidency later issued another statement denying that aides of the president were supporting an opposition candidate, rather than Mr Tinubu.

Shortly after Mr El-Rufais appearance on television, APC state governors converged on the State House for a meeting with the president. They said the agenda was to persuade him to allow the old bank notes to remain as legal tender and to be gradually withdrawn from circulation over a longer period.

But the president was rather ambivalent in his response. Conceding that the governors are closer than him to the people and are thus better placed than him to gauge the feelings of the people and assess their conditions, the president sounded very much like Pharaoh when he asked to be allowed seven days to consider his options on the naira redesign saga.

According to an account in the Biblical book of Exodus, God had inflicted a series of plagues on Egyptians at the urging of Moses to force their king to allow the Jews to leave Egypt to worship Him. At a point, Pharaoh begged Moses to pray to God to lift the current plague of frogs that had contaminated water sources and killed people with thirst across his land. The Jewish leader responded:

I leave to you the honour of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.

Tomorrow, Pharaoh said.

The CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, who was in Lagos at the time, later doubled down on the 10 February deadline, telling Nigerians to be patient in their queues at banks and other cash points.

Aside from Mr Wike, the opposition has stood on the side of Messrs Buhari and Emefiele in this saga. The presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party, Peter Obi commended its objective of driving Nigeria towards a cashless economy. However, the opposition also mocked Mr Tinubus crusade against the policy, saying he was only angry that he and the APC have been denied access to alleged cash stashes with which they planned to buy votes during the elections.

Vote buying has become the most intractable problem in the electoral process as the reforms and increasing use of technology has blocked old ways of rigging elections in Nigeria. Parties and candidates with access to public funds are perceived as the main perpetrators of the malfeasance. But the four major presidential candidates all have deep pockets. They had been vice presidents or state governors and had also been accused of inducing party delegates with money to win their primaries or entirely buying up their parties.

However, although the PDP also controls the governments in 13 states and has the second-largest body of lawmakers at the state and federal levels, the light of scrutiny will always fall directly on the ruling APC which also runs 22 state governments.

So is the suspicion of political motivation in the naira redesign policy reasonable? That the CBN conceived and was allowed to introduce new currencies at this time on the watch of President Buhari has been widely taken to buttress the view that the APC government is out to checkmate the APC candidate. People have also referred to Mr Emefieles failed clandestine bid to grab the APC ticket. He even went to court, albeit by proxy, to assert his right to participate in partisan politics from his chair at the CBN. The policy being introduced after his bid failed has also been adduced in suspecting his motive as vindictive.

The next five days will reveal what President Buhari will do on the issue and whether he can sustain the policy within the current timeline without igniting a conflagration in Nigeria. Last week, protests had begun to break out in some parts of the country as video clips emerged on social media of people getting very desperate, including some stripping themselves, to lay their hands on cash from their bank deposits. In many parts of the country where they are still being accepted, even the old notes have gone scarce. According to Mr El-Rufai, this is because the CBN mopped up close to two trillion naira in old bank notes from circulation but released only N300 billion back.

Meanwhile, on the APC front, it appears the outbursts by Messrs Tinubu and El-Rufai have pushed the party towards reconciliation. But some of the steps that he has taken tend to underscore why the president is so difficult to assess. After the engagement with the APC governors, he met with a group of northern leaders. The fact that it was the APC that issued a statement on the meeting appears to communicate a message that the meeting was called to canvass support for the party.

On Saturday, the president also flew the short distance between Abuja and Lafia, Nasarawa State in a chopper to attend a campaign rally of Mr Tinubu. It was the third rally that he attended since the campaigns began in the last week of September.

Even more significantly, his speech at the rally was the most enthusiastic he has made from the podium since before the 2019 elections.

Speaking in English and then in Hausa, the president declared that Mr Tinubu will be the next President of Nigeria, the tone and words contrasting with his usual call on Nigerians to vote for whoever they like.

He also confirmed a claim by Mr Tinubu of both men sharing a friendship of over 20 years and assured that he would make a good president and make Nigeria better after him.

We will win through and through. I trust Tinubus dedication and service. I have known Bola Tinubu for more than 20 years. I will continue to campaign for him. He is a committed Nigerian and I believe he will give everything to make Nigeria better.

He loves this country. He is a believer in Nigeria and I am sure he will do everything possible to advance the well-being of all of us as citizens. He will hold this country with trust. You should cherish him.

Those of you who are here I urge you to go back to your friends and family to tell them to vote for him. We will all vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president.

And the remarks seemed to have considerably mollified Mr Tinubu as he returned the goodwill by comparing President Buhari to former United States President Abraham Lincoln who led his country in a time of crisis and still recorded huge achievements in infrastructural development.

Those who think there are cracks in our friendship and relationship will continue to be disappointed and have their short-time joy dashed. Ours is not about individuals. It is about integrity and nation-building, he said.

But it is yet three weeks before the presidential poll. Since it is said that much can happen in politics in 24 hours, we cannot foreclose the possibility of more drama in the Nigerian ruling partys house of intrigues before 25 February.

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The Ondo State Government says plans are on to address the acute shortage of health workers within the health system in the state.

Francis Faduyile, special adviser to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Health, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Akure, the state capital.

Mr Faduyile said the migration of health workers from the country was caused by factors beyond the control of the government at all levels.

The special adviser observed that this was not the first time japa (emigration) syndrome was happening in the country, noting that the country had similar experience from 1985 to 1990.

He, however, blamed it on some factors including devaluation of Naira and the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed the weakness and strength of the health sector of countries all over the world.

Mr Faduyile said the state government was planning to bring back some retirees through a special arrangement that would make up the shortfalls until the system equilibrates.

What is happening now is unprecedented. When they were going to Saudi then, it was our consultants, professors and our big time lecturers that went, they needed the best and the highest level of experience.

But now it does not have segregation, we have the young, the new, the intermediate, the experienced ones that are going, so that is the peculiar thing that we are facing, he stated.

He lamented that because the sector had been largely depleted, it was difficult to recruit people into the health sector.

If you are looking for fresh people, they will tell you that they just wanted to have a place to work for four to five months before they perfect their papers, it is that serious.

But the state government is looking into it and see what we can do to replace them, but we want to formalise it, so that as they are going, we are getting new people in replacement.

We want to also see that those who are within the hospital can spare their time to visit other hospitals; so that one person can replicate himself in two or three centres.

We equally want to look at some of our contiguous big hospitals around Owo and the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun, and get some of their personnel to complement what we have on ground.

Also, some have retired; some have relocated back from wherever they were and are older than the age of fresh employment, we want to open up contract appointments so that they can join us.

Again we are looking at the possibility of some of our retirees to come back on a special arrangement, so that we can still use them until we will be able to equilibrate again and move at a normal level.

This is not peculiar to doctors alone, it affects the pharmacists, nurses, health assistants, he said.

READ ALSO:

Ondo State, like most states in the south-west, suffers from a dearth of health personnel. The ones available are often overstretched due to the load of patients they have to attend to.

Just as it is happening in almost every sector of the Nigerian economy, health personnel in the state, especially the young ones in their 20s, 30s and 40s, are relocating abroad in search of greener pastures.

(NAN)

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Pope Francis, right, was joined by the world-wide leader of the Anglican Church, Justin Welby, on an "ecumenical pilgrimage of peace" to South Sudan. The moderator of the Church of Scotland, Dr Iain Greenshields (not in photo) was also on the pilgrimage.

The leader of the Catholic Church travels to Juba along with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the moderator of the Church of Scotland. The three leaders are hoping to push for peace amid continued fighting.

Pope Francis on Friday arrived in South Sudan's capital city of Juba for the final leg of his visit to the African continent .

The pontiff will be joined by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Iain Greenshields, the moderator of the Church of Scotland.

The religious leaders have traveled to the country for what is being called a "pilgrimage of peace."

Francis has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the past three days, where he met with victims of violence and held Mass before tens of thousands of people.

A joint call for peace

The Christian leaders are there to make a united call for South Sudan's leaders to put differences aside and work for the good of the people.

The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of his anticipation of the visit and stated the significance of the trip by the three leaders in a tweet.

"After centuries of division, three Church leaders are coming together in an unprecedented way. Please pray for us and the people of South Sudan as we prepare to begin our Pilgrimage of Peace later today."

The visit comes as continued fighting claimed the lives of at least 20 people in clashes between cattle herders and unknown militias, according to local authorities.

Years of fighting in South Sudan

A protracted civil war in the predominantly Christian country has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more.

In 2019, Francis promised to travel to South Sudan when he hosted the country's two warring leaders, President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar.

The pontiff asked the leaders to respect a hard-fought ceasefire for their people before kneeling before the two foes and kissing their feet.

kb/sms (AP, Reuters)
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has been funding unknown gunmen and members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the State Security Service (SSS) has alleged in court documents newly obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

The documents provide, for the first time, the missing details of the terrorism financing allegation which the SSS levelled against Mr Emefiele last December.

IPOB is a separatist organisation that calls for the secession of the five Igbo-dominated states in South-east Nigeria and parts of neighbouring states as an independent Biafra nation.

The group blamed for violent acts in the South-east region in recent years has been declared a terrorist organiation and proscribed by a court as far back as September 2017.

The Nigerian media, including PREMUM TIMES, reported in December SSS futile bid to obtain an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja for the arrest of Mr Emefiele over wide-ranging allegations, including financing of terrorism.

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, John Tsoho, after listening to SSS legal team, refused to grant the application for an order against Mr Emefile.

The judge rejected the application in a ruling delivered on 9 December, citing an irregularity in the procedure adopted by the SSS in its application.

The Nigerian media, including PREMIUM TIMES, only became aware of the ruling 11 days after it was delivered by the court.

But the reports did not provide details about the agencys weighty allegations against Mr Emefiele.

Eight weeks after the court gave the decision, PREMIUM TIMES has now obtained the SSS court filings providing astonishing dimensions of the agencys allegations against the CBN governor.

In a slew of weighty allegations, the SSS accused him of sabotaging the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, financing terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism, and committing other economic crimes with effect of undermining Nigerias national security.

More specifically, the agency also accused Mr Emefiele of mismanaging the CBN subsidiary, NISRAL, and the central banks Anchor Borrowers Programme.

Call for detention

A team of four lawyers from the SSS legal department filed its case against Mr Emefiele on 7 December.

But contrary to earlier reports suggesting that the application was for an order for the arrest of Mr Emefiele, it actually sought permission to detain Mr Emefile for 60 days to conclude an ongoing investigation of his alleged atrocities.

The application was filed as an ex parte motion, meaning it was not served on Mr Emefile.

It was supported by an affidavit deposed to by an SSS official, Umar Salihu, who summarised the details of the investigations into the weighty crimes Mr Emefiele allegedly committed.

The deponent said there is reasonable suspicion that the respondent (Mr Emefiele) was involved in terrorism financing, aiding and abetting acts of terrorism, economic crimes of national security dimension and for undermining the security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said the agency needed to apply to the court for an order enabling the applicant to detain the respondent for sixty days, pending the conclusion of ongoing investigation 

On the need for the court to issue the order, he said Mr Emefiele is a man of means and can easily evade arrest and interfere with ongoing investigation if he is released on bail.

Citing credible intelligence, the deponent mentioned some specific allegations over which the agency was investigating Mr Emefiele.

The allegations enumerated in the application lack specifics or any hint at what the CBN governors motivation to sponsor IPOB and other terrorists activities could be.

IPOB, terrorism funding

In about the most horrific of the allegations, the SSS accused Mr Emefiele of funding terrorism, unknown gunmen terrorising the South-east region, the IPOB and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

The SSS alleged that Mr Emefiele funded them with both the resources he raised for his failed presidential bid last year and funds diverted from government coffers.

Mr Emefiele, as sitting CBN governor, controversially bid for the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last year. Images of his branded vehicles and other campaign materials surfaced online in the lead-up to the partys primary election.

He also approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to obtain an order affirming his right to jostle for the APCs ticket. But the court on 9 May refused to grant Mr Emefieles prayer.

The Nigerias spy agency said in its filing in December that Mr Emefiele procures a number of vehicles and disbursed funds for his botched presidential ambition.

It added that the said funds and vehicles are being channelled into funding of Unknown Gunmen, Eastern Security Network (ESN) and elements of IPOB, a proscribed organisation.

In addition, the agency said Mr Emefiele, on several occasions in actions prejudicial to the security of the Nigerian state, engaged in criminal conspiracy to divert government resources into suspicious acts of terrorism financing.

It said the actions of the CBN governor were meant to subvert and sabotage the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

But as weighty as the allegations, coming from the governments flagship intelligence agency are, Mr Buhari has continued to hold one-on-one meetings with Mr Emefiele since December. This raises questions about whether the president has any regard for the credible intelligence the SSS claimed it gathered about the nations top banker.

The SSS, which is at the forefront of governments efforts to quell separatist activities around the country, was holding the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, in custody when it linked Mr Emefiele to the funding of the proscribed group in December.

Neither the Presidency, the SSS nor Mr Emefiele has commented on the allegations.

Money laundering, fraud, mismanagement of interventionist funds

The SSS also accused Mr Emefiele of fraud, money laundering, round tripping and conferment of financial benefit to self and others.

Mr Emefiele is also involved in mismanaging of various interventionist funds of the government under his control, according to the SSS.

Funds belonging to the Social Investment Programme (NISRAL) and the Anchor Borrowers Scheme were among those the SSS accused Mr Emefiele of mismanaging. The two agencies are interventionist schemes to boost food production and encourage farmers.

The SSS also accused Mr Emefiele of mismanaging other key economic sectors of the economy.

Emefieles syndicate

In another breathtaking allegation, the SSS claimed it was on the trail of members of a criminal syndicate of which Mr Emefiele is allegedly a part.

It said investigation is still ongoing on a wider scale as other members of the syndicate chain need to be identified and arrested to enable successful prosecution.

The agency accused Mr Emefiele of aiding and abetting terrorism, and alleged further that he used proxies from his alleged syndicate to carry out his illegal economic crimes of national security dimension with potent threat to the countrys security.

Why court rejected SSS application

In rejecting SSS application on 9 December 2022, however, the judge, Mr Tsoho, pointed out a flaw in the procedure adopted by the agency to ask for an order for Mr Emefieles detention for 60 days.

He said the request by the secret police ought to have been preceded by the arrest of the suspect which did not require a court order.

This is not the situation here, as Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor was shown on television, even last night, having an audience with the President of Nigeria, the judge said. It therefore seems that the applicant intends to use the court as a cover for an irregular procedure which is unacceptable.

The judge said an application of this kind (by the SSS) should have evidence of the approval of the respondent (Emefieles) boss (President Buhari), that such measures are authorised to be taken, owing to the sensitive position he occupiesas one of the key drivers of the nations economy.

I decline to grant this application ex parte, the judge declared.

Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the SSS allegations against Mr Emefiele robs Nigeria of investors confidence in the economy.

Nobody will want to do business with your country when the head of the Central Bank is a terrorism suspect, the senior lawyer said in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES,

Similarly, Mr Emefieles predecessor, Lamido Sanusi, a former Emir of Kano, was accused of terrorism financing by the Goodluck Jonathan-led regime in 2014, and was removed from office, Mr Falana recalled.

Also commending the judge for dismissing what he termed, the unworthy application by the SSS to arrest the CBN governor, Olisa Agbakoba, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), challenged the secret police to sue Mr Emefiele if there is evidence.

CBN governor and his troubles

Mr Emefieles foray into politics last year, bidding for the APCs presidential ticket while still in office as the CBN governor, drew wide condemnation among Nigerians.

A PREMIUM TIMES editorial, one of the credible forces that first exposed Mr Emefieles covert presidential bid, called on him to either publicly deny it or resign immediately from office to pursue his political dream.

The CBN still faces criticisms for plunging Nigerians into hardships associated with scarcity of the newly introduced naira notes. Nigerians, groaning over the scarcity of new naira notes, urged the CBN governor to rescind the policy.

The redesigned 200, 500 and 1000 notes are hard to come by at Automated Teller Machines  the only place where money can be withdrawn.

But Mr Emefiele only extended the deadline by 10 days from 31 January to 10 February, which many have said is insufficient to address the acute shortage of the new notes.

The presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, in a veiled reference to the monetary policy, condemned the scarcity of the new bank notes, adding that it was a ploy to scuttle his chances of winning the election.

Appearing before the House of Representatives, Mr Emefiele explained that old naira notes would be accepted by banks even after the 10 February deadline.

A law professor, Joshua Alobo, had sued the CBN seeking an extension of the deadline.

The apex bank had on 26 October, 2022, announced the introduction of redesigned 200, 500 and 1,000 naira notes into the financial system.

But access to the new notes remains a herculean task as people throng ATMs in a bid to withdraw money.

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Ita Enang, a former adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, was prevented by security officials from having access to Bola Tinubu when the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) visited Akwa Ibom State for his campaign rally.

Mr Tinubu was in Uyo on 30 January for the continuation of his nationwide campaign tour ahead of the 25 February election.

Mr Enang, who is a 2023 governorship aspirant of the party in Akwa Ibom, was at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, alongside several other APC chieftains, to receive Mr Tinubu but was singled out by security officials who told him he would not be allowed to meet the APC presidential candidate, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

The Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the APC, a few days before Mr Tinubus visit, had announced Mr Enangs expulsion from the APC because of his litigation over the partys governorship ticket in the state. But Mr Enang rebuffed them, saying he remained a member of the party.

Mr Enang confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES Thursday that he was prevented from meeting Mr Tinubu at the airport in Uyo.

The President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan, was already at the airport with other dignitaries waiting for Mr Tinubus arrival when the security officials confronted Mr Enang, who is a former senator.

Stand-off

There was at least an hour-long stand-off between Mr Enang and the security officials, Mr Enang said.

He told this reporter what transpired between him and the security officials.

I was told that they would not allow me in because it is alleged and suspected that I have many of my campaign materials and supporters and that I am coming to launch my governorship campaign at the same time and venue that the rally is going on at the stadium and at the pre-event, and that they have intelligence that my presence may cause conflict and confrontation between my supporters, my team and the team of other persons which may be overwhelming for security control and may lead to untoward situation. So it would be appropriate to avoid that, I should not come in, he said.

Mr Enang said he had to leave the airport because he did not want anything to overshadow the rally.

I considered that at my status, it would not be appropriate for me to forcibly confront the situation because it may spiral out of control.

This is our party, I dont want anything to affect the success which we are anticipating in the election, he said.

The APC spokesperson in Akwa Ibom, Otoabasi Udo, told this newspaper that there was no way the former presidential aide would have attended the Uyo rally since he is no longer a member of the APC.

PREMIUM TIMES asked Mr Udo, a lawyer, why Mr Tinubu and other APC leaders had not seen the need to reconcile Mr Enang and others for the sake of having a united party in Akwa Ibom ahead of the election.

There was no need for it since Ita Enang had already been expelled from the party, he responded.

A Federal High Court in Uyo, in November last year, nullified the APC governorship primary in Akwa Ibom following a suit that was filed by Mr Enang.

The court, which ruled that the partys governorship candidate, Akanimo Udofia, was not a member of the APC, ordered the party to organise a fresh primary which the court barred Mr Udofia from taking part.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja recently overturned the judgment in favour of Mr Udofia who was presented with the APC flag at the partys rally in Uyo.

Mr Enang had gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment of the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court has yet to rule on the matter.

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At least 42 members of a vigilante group were killed by terrorists in the Yargoje forest of Kankara in Katsina State Thursday evening, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

The police confirmed the killing and said two other vigilante members were injured during the attack.

President Muhammadu Buhari Sunday condemned the massacre of the 42 members of the vigilante group, Yan Sakai.

The Katsina State government has also said it would inaugurate a panel of inquiry to investigate what led to the massacre.

In a statement signed by Garba Shehu, a presidential media aide, Mr Buhari paid tribute to the vigilante members and their family members.

He said they died as martyrs having died trying to prevent and punish crime in their communities.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this difficult period. May Allah repose the soul of the deceased, the president said.

Katsina government to set up panel

The Katsina State Government has vowed to inaugurate a panel of inquiry to investigate the cause of the massacre.

The security adviser to the state government, Ibrahim Katsina, made this known to journalists Saturday night while reacting to the killing.

Mr Katsina, a retired director of the State Security Service (SSS), said some terrorists were also killed during the incident.

He said the aim of the panel was to investigate what actually happened that led to the disheartening killing.

His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari is concerned with the development and has directed that a commission of inquiry and investigation panel be set up to identify the immediate and remote causes of the incident in order for us to be more proactive in addressing these challenges.

All of you are aware Katsina State has been stabilised for some time, so this incident has upturned the successes we have recorded and the government will not allow it to go like that. We are bringing succour to the families of the victims.

This incident had come to us as a rude shock, very sad and unfortunate that is why besides sympathising with the victims and their families, the state government is going to do the needful by ensuring that it unmasked the factors responsible for the, he said.

How the killing occurred

The police had in a Friday statement detailed how the killing occurred.

The Katsina police spokesperson, Gambo Isa, said the terrorists had Wednesday attacked the house of a businessman in Kandarawa community of Bakori Local Government Area and rustled 80 domestic animals.

On Wednesday, 1/02/2023 at about 2200hrs, terrorists in their numbers, shooting sporadically with AK 47 rifles, attacked the house of one Alhaji Muntari, at Unguwar Audu Gare, Kandarawa, Bakori LGA, and rustled fifty (50) cows and thirty (30) sheep, he said.

Mr Isa said the attack spurred the members of the Yan Sakai group to follow the terrorists and fight them with the view to retrieving the domestic animals.

Subsequently, on Thursday, 2/02/2023, at about 10:00hrs, Yansakai outlawed group, from eleven (11) villages from Bakori LGA, regrouped and went after the terrorists with a view to recovering the rustled domestic animals.

They traced the footpath of the hoodlums to a location at Yargoje forest.

Unfortunately, the terrorists planned and launched a coordinated ambush on the Yansakai. The hoodlums shot and killed forty-one (41) Yansakai and wounded two (2), he said in the statement.

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The Principal of Mater Dei College, Ashaka, in Delta State, Harry Edah, has appealed to the schools old students, the Delta State Government and non-governmental organisations to rescue his school from going down.

He made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, saying the school is in dire need of rehabilitation.

NAN reports that Mater Dei College, founded in 1962, is a Catholic-owned institution and is being managed by the Catholic Diocese of Warri.

Mr Edah said if urgent steps are not taken to rehabilitate the school, it may go into extinction like St. Mary Magdalene, a renowned girls secondary school in the 70s and 80s, also in Ashaka.

He said prior to his assumption of duty at Mater Dei college on 31 January 2022, he heard many positive stories about it but was disappointed on arrival because of its current deplorable state.

Upon my assumption, I had no befitting place to stay, some parts of the school fence had collapsed, the classroom blocks all dilapidated.

The library, laboratories, ICT centres and all the structures that make up great schools were all in a ramshackle state, he said.

According to Mr Edah, a reverend father, the taking over of the school management by the government did not help in any way.

He explained that even after the school was handed over to the Catholic Mission in 2010, not much could be said to have been achieved.

I can only thank my predecessors for the efforts they put in because I know they had very little resources to work with, Mr Edah said.

He said the task of moving the school forward is enormous and needed the collaboration of all, including the government, its old boys, the host community and spirited individuals.

When you consider the fact that the standard of the school over the years must be maintained with adequate and well-qualified teachers, it becomes very clear that meeting up with the salaries across four months in every term is a difficult task, let alone having enough for development.

Many persons have encouraged admission drive which I have been doing passionately since I assumed, but not many parents are willing to bring their children for enrollment due to the dilapidated state of the school, he said.

Mr Edah added that in spite of the situation, he would not be discouraged, saying he had a couple of times written to the Diocese which currently manages the school but got only little assistance.

He said when he ran out of steam with regard to the payment of salaries sometime in 2022, he immediately wrote to the diocese.

I am mentioning this so as to dissuade some of us from thinking I have not met the diocese for assistance to address the deteriorating state of the school.

Nevertheless, I am still willing to go the extra mile to pursue that cause when the new bishop settles in, Mr Edah said.

He, however, added that with the present state of the school, the new bishop and the diocese would not be able to do much with regard to making funds available for revamping the school.

Premised on this, I am appealing to the old students of Mater Dei College, Ashaka, the Delta State Government, non-governmental organisations and all men and women of goodwill, to come to our aid.

They should assist and support us with the reconstruction of the perimeter fence, renovation of classroom blocks, laboratories, library, ICT centre and hostel facilities.

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I am not calling on you to pick up all the projects in the school, it is my job to do so. That is why I have been sent here, but am handicapped at the moment because of the low student population.

You can pick up a project, either as individuals, as a class, or even as a chapter, no matter how small the contribution is, you complete the circle, he said.

The principal expressed optimism that once the school is rehabilitated with the support of its stakeholders, its student enrollment and population would increase.

Earlier, the National President of Mater Dei Old Boys Association, Clement Chikogu, said the old students, principal, staff and current students of the college would have celebrated its Diamond Jubilee anniversary in 2022.

He added that the event had to be cancelled because of the devastating effect of the 2022 flood which destroyed most of the schools infrastructure.

He said the flood destroyed most of the schools infrastructure thereby rendering learning and extracurricular activities impossible from October to December 2022.

The destruction was so enormous due to the over flooding of the River Niger and its tributaries, this has become a yearly occurrence in recent years.

The level of destruction is beyond the financial capability of the school principal because of low school enrollment and current population of students, ostensibly because of present state of affairs, Mr Chikogu said.

He said it would be sad that a school that produced great persons in different spheres of human endeavours, including Generals in the Nigerian military, medical doctors, journalists and world-class professors, among others, is allowed to go down.

(NAN)

EDITORS NOTE: This post was updated after NAN sent in a new, corrected version.

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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila over their failure to cut the unlawful National Assembly budget of N228.1bn, including the N30.17bn severance payments and inauguration costs for members.

The suit followed the move by the National Assembly to increase its 2023 budget from N169 billion proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari to N228.1 billion. The approved budget shows an increase of about N59.1 billion. The countrys budget of N21.83 trillion is based on a N10.49 trillion revenue, and N11.34 trillion deficit.

In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/152/2023 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP is seeking: an order of mandamus to direct and compel Dr Lawan and Mr Gbajabiamila to review and reduce the budget of N228.1bn the leadership and members of the National Assembly allocated for their own benefit.

SERAP is also seeking: an order restraining and stopping Ms Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning from releasing to the National Assembly the budget of N228.1bn, until an impact assessment of the spending on access to public goods and services and the countrys debt crisis, is carried out.

SERAP is also seeking: an order restraining and stopping Dr Lawan and Mr Gbajabiamila from demanding or collecting the National Assembly budget of N228.1bn, until an impact assessment of the spending on access to public goods and services and the countrys debt crisis, is carried out.

In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: It is a grave violation of the public trust and constitutional oath of office for the members of the National Assembly to increase their own budget at a time when some 133 million Nigerians are living in poverty.

According to SERAP: The National Assembly budget of N228.1bn is higher than the statutory transfer to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), which is N103.3bn.

SERAP is arguing that The increase is unreasonable, as it would substantially increase the cost of governance, and exacerbate the countrys debt crisis. It is unlawful, and unfair to the Nigerian people.

SERAP is also arguing that Cutting the National Assembly budget would reduce the growing budget deficit, address the unsustainable debt burden, and serve the public interest.

SERAP is arguing that by increasing its own budget, the National Assembly has unjustifiably and disproportionately reduced the budget for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

SERAP is also arguing that This is a travesty, especially given that Nigeria currently has over 20 million out-of-school children, and half of all poor people in the country are children.

The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Atinuke Adejuyigbe read in part: The budget should reflect national development priorities, and not serve as a tool to satisfy the lifestyle of lawmakers or provide them with severance payments or parting gifts.

Rather than exercising its oversight functions to check the persistent borrowing by President Muhammadu Buhari, and scrutinising the apparently unlawful overdrafts and loans obtained by the Federal Government from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the National Assembly is increasing its own budget.

The increase in the National Assembly budget, including the unnecessary proposed spending of N30.17bn on severance payments and inauguration expenses is a fundamental breach of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] and the countrys international human rights obligations.

It is unjustifiable and unreasonable for the National Assembly to arbitrarily increase its own budget when the Federal Government and many of the 36 states are clearly in debt distress or at high risk of debt distress.

The National Assembly budget of N228.1 billion would increase the countrys borrowing and debt crisis. Growing debt burdens and debt repayment difficulties will have negative impacts on the ability of poor and vulnerable Nigerians to enjoy basic socio-economic rights.

Long-term unsustainable debt can be a barrier to the governments ability to mobilize resources for human rights, and may lead to taxes and user fees that impact negatively on poor and vulnerable Nigerians.

The leadership and members of the National Assembly ought to properly discharge their constitutional and fiduciary duties to Nigerians by ensuring judicious spending of public funds, especially given the current economic and financial realities of Nigeria.

Nigerians have a right to honest and faithful performance by their public officials including lawmakers, as public officials owe a fiduciary duty to the general citizenry. All those who hold the strings of political power and power over spending of Nigerias commonwealth ought not to use their entrusted position for personal gain.

Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] provides that, the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.

Under Section 16(1)(a)(b), the National Assembly has the obligations to harness the resources of the nation and promote national prosperity and an efficient, a dynamic and self-reliant economy, and to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen.

Section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution makes clear that it is the constitutional responsibility of the President to prepare and present estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the country before the National Assembly and not for the lawmakers to unilaterally and arbitrarily allocate public funds to themselves.

Nigeria has also ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which recognize legally enforceable economic and social rights, such as the rights to education, health, safe food and clean water, security, and shelter.

Section 51 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act provides that, a person shall have legal capacity to enforce the provision of this Act by obtaining prerogative orders or other remedies at the Federal High Court, without having to show any special particular interest.

Joined in the suit as Defendants are President Muhammadu Buhari; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN; and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Kolawole Oluwadare

SERAP Deputy Director

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A former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has urged Nigerians to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu , in the 25 February presidential election.

A retired Lt.General, Mr Buratai,who is the immediate past Ambassador of Nigeria to the Republic of Benin, made the call in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Abuja.

He declared that he had become a democrat and a member of the APC, adding that he had ideas and ideals that the APC could safeguard.

I also believe that the party means well for Nigeria, and also stands a better chance of winning the presidential elections.

We are working round the clock to ensure that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu wins the election and I encourage you to vote for your choice, but if you want to hear my opinion, I would say vote for the APC, he said.

Mr Buratai was seen touring the country with a former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, during the intra-party campaign for the presidential ticket of the APC which the latter lost to Mr Tinubu.

Mr Buratai also advised Nigerians to shun violence and dissociate themselves from any politician who would want to use violence to disrupt the system, urging Nigerians to allow the process to properly work.

The former army chief expressed confidence that INEC was going to do a better job in the forthcoming elections than it did in 2019, adding that the elections would be peaceful, free, and fair.

According to him, the PDP had been tested for 16 years, appealing, Nigerians should give APC the benefit of the doubt for the next eight years.

At the end of it, if the APC does not meet their expectations, then they may wish to take decisive action including democratic revolution.

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Nigeria should be much better than what it is today. The foundation laid since 2015 by President Muhammadu Buhari must be carried on, Mr Buratai added.

(NAN)

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One protester was killed on Friday in Ibadan as security officers clashed with a group protesting against scarcity of fuel and new naira notes in Apata area of the capital of Oyo State.

Protests have been going on in many parts of the city since Friday as mostly young people expressed their frustration over the scarcity in the state. Similary scarcity of naira notes and petrol are being experienced across Nigeria.

A group of protesters also attacked the Oyo State governors office on Saturday when security agencies attempted to deny them access to speak with the governor.

On Saturday, soldiers and police officers were deployed to major areas where protests were taking place.

But, the protesters in Apata refused to stop their protest when the security officers approached them.

A commercial vehicle driver who pleaded anonymity for fear of victimisation told our reporter that the security officers shot into the air to scare away the protesters.

The source said, in the process, bullets hit one man who died instantly, forcing others to run for safety.

They were soldiers and police officers. They wanted to disperse those that were protesting but the protesters were adamant, they refused to leave, he said.

At a point, we started hearing gunshots, they were shooting into the air, everyone had to scamper for safety. What we later heard after then was that bullets hit one man and he died instantly.

Adewale Osifeso, the police spokesperson in the state, confirmed the incident.

Mr Osifeso identified the dead person as a vigilante.

He said the body was deposited at a government hospital for post-mortem.

During the rage, an individual identified to have been a member of a vigilante group and who was reported to have died in the fiasco has since been deposited at a government hospital for post-mortem, he said

The police spokesperson said a group of hoodlums attacked the security officers with guns, stones and other dangerous weapons while they were patrolling the area.

Today Saturday, 04/02/2023 at about 1015 hrs, while embarking series of confidence building patrols around different blackspots and flash points, the joint convoy patrol comprising of the Police and other agencies ran into a band of hoodlums around Apata Junction Market, Apata Area under Ido Local Government Area, he said.

In a rather surprising event, the hoodlums who had perfected plans to molest residents, harass shop owners and loot shops on sighting the combined convoy of security launched a series of unprovoked attacks by firing guns, hurling stones, sharp objects and other dangerous missiles at them he added.

The trained officers, cautious of the level of casualties that might be recorded should they engage at the location, resorted to restraints and professionally took charge at the scene while arresting the situation with reasonable force in line with standard operational procedure.

Mr Osifeso however said normalcy had been restored to the area.

Meanwhile normalcy has since returned to the area with heavy deployment of patrol teams and other tactical assets visibly on ground, he said.

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The leader of the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo, has fired a salvo at the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, saying northerners will not vote for him.

Mr Adebanjo advised Mr Tinubu to withdraw for Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi, and save himself from the shame of losing at the polls.

He said this at the LP presidential campaign rally in Abeokuta on Saturday.

Mr Adebanjo, who was accompanied by another leader of Afenifere, Femi Okunronmu, at the rally, said Mr Tinubu would be disappointed by Northerners at the poll.

The Afenifere leader described the LP as the new National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) which according to him would save Nigerians from the misrule of the APC.

All those that know Tinubu should tell him, I have always told and I will tell him again, the Northerners will not vote for him.

He (Tinubu) should come back home now and support Obi because when they finally defeat him, he wont have the courage to come back home again. If he comes back now, we will forgive him and take him back.

I have told you before and I want to say it again, Labour Party is now NADECO. Those of us supporting Obi are the ones that want good governance, we want Nigeria to be better, we want to liberate ourselves from the captive of the ruling class.

We are behind Obi, leaders of progressive movement are behind Obi. Those fradusters parading themselves as Yoruba do not love the country. Yorubas do not take things that do not belong to other tribes. A Yoruba has been president before, Mr Adebanjo said.

Mr Obi had earlier paid a visit to the palace of the Alake of Abeokuta, Adedotun Gbadebo, before addressing the rally attended by mainly young people.

After the rally, Mr Obi met the youth again at a town hall meeting at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).

At the meeting, he described Nigeria as the most insecure country in the world.

For me, I have served the people of Anambra State and was rated as number 1 in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the records are there.

Even in the areas of education, I have taken people out of poverty without borrowing a kobo from anybody and I paid all the pensions being owed before I assumed office.

So, let presidential candidates come out and show Nigerians what they have done in the past before aspiring to govern the country.

We are determined for a new Nigeria; we want people who are confident, who are qualified for the job. This years elections is very essential, we can no longer be comfortable with incompetence. We want people who will show commitments; this job requires physical and mental energies. So, we want people who are ready for the job. Myself and Datti want to change Nigeria.

Nigeria is a great country, but we have all allowed it to be in the hands of few who do not know how to manage it.

Mr Adebanjo and Mr Tinubu have been political adversaries for over 20 years since they parted company in the defunct Alliance for Democracy party under which Mr Tinubu was elected governor of Lagos State in 1999.

After Mr Adebanjo announced the endorsement of Mr Obi last year, a group within the Afenifere organised a reception for Mr Tinubu at the home of a former leader of the group in Akure where they endorsed Mr Tinubus candidacy.

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The Director General of the Peter Obi campaign council, Akin Osuntokun, has asked the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El Rufai, to devote his time to seeking Gods forgiveness for the calamity he wrecked on a section of Kaduna state.

This is as Mr Osuntokun accused the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, of being notorious and having the disposition to start a war.

Mr Osuntokun, in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES, was responding to Mr El-Rufais comment on the Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Obi.

During an interview with Television Continental (TVC), Mr El-Rufai described Mr Obi as a Nollywood actor who stands no chance of winning the presidential election.

Mr El-Rufai also claimed that Mr Obi is a tribal and religious bigot.

In his response, Mr Osuntokun argued that if Mr El-Rufai agreed that the Labour Party would sweep the South-south and the South-east, and have the votes in the Christian part of the North, then Mr Obi should be addressed as a political heavyweight because not even the first republic politicians like the late Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo and Nnamdi Azikiwe enjoyed such political dominance.

It is ironical that a man who tags the Labour Party (Obi) with the tar brush of ethnicity and religious bigotry is the leading light if not the evil genius behind the weaponisation of religious cleavage indicated in the Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket of his political party. This has been template he brought Kaduna State politics, he said.

Mr Osuntokun said Mr El-Rufai has marginalised Southern Kaduna, a zone with a large population of Christians.

Another feather to his cap of unrestrained notoriety and bellicosity is not limited to Nigeria. Knowing fully well that a free, fair and credible election (and as attested by foreign observer teams), was not in the interest of his party in the 2019 general elections, he issued a threat to the latter on the eve of the elections:

Those that are calling for anyone to come and intervene in Nigeria, we are waiting for the person that would come and intervene, they would go back in body bags.

El-Rufai enjoys the dubious distinction of duplicating the carnage and festival of bloodletting on Kaduna State what his principal has visited on the larger Nigeria community in the past seven years. This is a governor who should hourly beseech the mercy and forgiveness of God for the calamity he wreaked on a segment of Kaduna State populace. That such a mouthpiece of the disastrous stewardship of the APC should presume to pontificate and cast aspersions on someone with a vastly superior record of public service is the height of insolence and impunity. It is in recent memory that El Rufai was one of the star proxies of their presidential candidate who couldnt speak for himself at the Chatham house-to the humiliation and disgrace of Nigeria before a bewildered international community, he said.

Mr Osuntokun said Nigerians would trust credible polls conducted that placed Mr Obi ahead of other presidential candidates than take Mr El Rufais words.

Asking who should be tagged a Nollywood candidate, Mr Osuntokun took a jab at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Who best personifies the Nollywood world of make belief? Where else but in movies would anyone speak in tongues of the blu blaba boo variety? Or remind us that contrary to street side common knowledge, Atiku Abubakar was indeed Senate president, not vice president?

The good news of Obis emergence is that win or lose, he has fostered a seismic change in the political configuration and culture of Nigeria. It is the dawn in which El-Rufai and the retrogressive forces he represents are going to be on permanent disorderly retreat. God does not start a project he cannot finish, he said.

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NATO urges Russia to respect nuclear pact with U.S.

Xinhua) 11:07, February 05, 2023

BRUSSELS, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Friday called on Russia to respect its treaty with the United States on nuclear weapons, which contributes to international stability.

NATO ambassadors said in a statement that "We note with concern that Russia has failed to comply with legally-binding obligations under the New START Treaty."

The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) was signed by Russia and the United States in 2010. The last remaining nuclear arms control treaty in force between the two nuclear superpowers can be extended by a maximum of five years with the consent of the two countries. Russia and the United States officially extended the treaty by five years on Feb. 3, 2021.

The ambassadors said that Russia's refusal to hold consultations or to allow U.S. inspections since last August "prevents the United States from exercising important rights under the treaty, and undermines the United States' ability to adequately verify Russian compliance with the treaty's central limits."

"We call on Russia to fulfil its obligations under the treaty by facilitating New START inspections on Russian territory, and by returning to participation in the treaty's implementation body," NATO said.

Earlier this week, Moscow accused the United States of undermining the principles of implementing the treaty. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Moscow remains committed to the treaty but does not see the same commitment from Washington.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
Pope Francis, right, was joined by the world-wide leader of the Anglican Church, Justin Welby, on an "ecumenical pilgrimage of peace" to South Sudan. The moderator of the Church of Scotland, Dr Iain Greenshields (not in photo) was also on the pilgrimage.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has expressed his horror at the news that 20 people have been killed in Kajo-Keji, on the eve of his historic Ecumenical Peace Pilgrimage with Pope Francis and the Moderator of the presbyterian Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields.

The Minister of Information and Communication for the Government of Central Equatorial State, Dr Andruga Mabe Saverio, said that cattle herders had "conducted a savagery house-to-house murder of innocent unarmed civilians as a sheer revenge attack after [an] unknown armed group assaulted their camps in a hit and run mission which led to the death of both cattle herders and their animals this morning [Thursday 2 February] at 5 am."

He said that the people and government of the State "woke up to the saddest news of he renewed bleeding of Kajo-Keji County" He said that the government "condemns tin the strongest terms possible the barbaric and systematic killing of innocent civilians" and he sent condolences to the bereaved families.

Eighteen men and two women were killed in the violence, and others have been injured. Speaking ahead of his visit, which begins tomorrow (Friday), Archbishop Justin Welby said: "I am horrified that at least 19 people were killed in Kajo-Keji on the eve of our Pilgrimage of Peace. It is a story too often heard across South Sudan. I again appeal for a different way: for South Sudan to come together for a just peace.

"My prayers are with the families affected and all South Sudan, as I begin my travel there tonight to join my brothers Pope Francis and Moderator Iain, and to be with the South Sudanese people."

The Diocese of Kajo-Keji is currently without a diocesan bishop, after the death in December of Bishop Emmanuel Murye Modi. The Anglican / Episcopal Archbishop of the Central Equatoria internal province, Archbishop Paul Yugusuk, is serving caretaker Bishop of Kajo-Keji in addition to his duties as Bishop of Lainya.

Speaking at a press conference today, Archbishop Paul urged the three church leaders to meet with and pray for the families of those killed, while in South Sudan. "I would like to express my deepest sadness over the murder, the barbaric killing, of 20 civilians in Kajo-Keji County", he said. "I call upon the government - and specifically the government of Central Equatoria Internal Province, and I also call upon President Salva Kiir Mayardit - to intervene immediately to protect our people and to bring those who have committed this action into book."

This weekend's visit is part of the Pope's Apostolic Journey to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, which began on Tuesday (31 January). During the three-day visit to South Sudan, which begins tomorrow, the Church leaders will meet the country's political leaders, hold an open-air ecumenical prayer vigil for peace and meet with people displaced by the conflict.

Archbishop Justin Welby is accompanied in South Sudan by his wife, Mrs Caroline Welby, who has made several previous visits to South Sudan to support women in the Church in their role as peacebuilders, particularly the wives of South Sudan's Anglican bishops and archbishops.

Before today's killings, in the days leading up to this weekend's historic ecumenical peace pilgrimage, the three Church leaders expressed their hopes for the visit and called on people across the world to pray for peace in South Sudan.

Archbishop Justin Welby said: "I am profoundly grateful to be visiting the people of South Sudan with my dear brothers in Christ, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and the Right Revd Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. We have prayed for many years for this visit - and we now look forward to being in Juba together.

"Our visit is a Pilgrimage of Peace. We come as servants - to listen to and amplify the cries of the South Sudanese people, who have suffered so much and continue to suffer because of conflict, devasting flooding, widespread famine and much more. Over the past three years and even since July, violence has intensified in many parts of the country. We hope to review and renew the commitments made by South Sudanese leadership at the Vatican in 2019, and the commitments they have made to their people since then.

"We come as brothers in Christ to worship together and witness to the God who reconciles us. The communities of South Sudan have a legacy of powerful witness to their faith. Through working together, they have been a sign and instrument of the reconciliation God desires for their whole country and all of creation. We hope to build on and reenergise that legacy."

He continued: "This will be a historic visit. After centuries of division, leaders of three different parts of the Church are coming together in an unprecedented way, and in so doing are seeking to be part of answering another prayer - Jesus' prayer - that his followers might be one - 'ut unum sint' (John: 17).

"We come as followers of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, knowing that his Holy Spirit is at work in South Sudan and has the power to transform hearts. His love and welcome are on offer to all. It is through him that we find our deepest peace and our most profound hopes for justice. And so I ask you to pray with us for the people of South Sudan."

Mrs Welby said: "I have worked and worshipped with many of the women in South Sudan and find myself humbled by their stories. They have borne the grief of war and carry the responsibility to provide for their families. Many of them live with the trauma of displacement in their own country, refugees in other countries, sexual violence and the daily fear of mistreatment in their own homes and communities.

"And yet they are also incredible women of strength, praising God and coming to him for their refreshment. It is a privilege to walk alongside them, and I pray that their example is held up in South Sudan and around the world.

"Women around the world so often bear the scars of conflict in deeply profound, often unseen, ways. Women who have brought life into this world, nurtured children and provided spiritual guidance for their communities have the pain of witnessing lives torn apart.

"God creates each life and gives it unique value, potential and purpose according to his will. It is often our physical and spiritual mothers who see that. Which means it is powerful when women unite and their voices are heard. It can be the start of healing and restoration. Please pray with me for the women and men of South Sudan - for unity, for understanding, and for just peace."

Addressing crowds in Saint Peter's Square after his traditional Angelus message last Sunday (29 January), Pope Francis said that the DRC and South Sudan, "situated in the centre of the great African continent, have suffered greatly from lengthy conflicts. . . South Sudan, wracked by years of war, longs for an end to the constant violence that forces many people to be displaced and to live in conditions of great hardship.

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"In South Sudan, I will arrive together with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Together, as brothers, we will make an ecumenical pilgrimage of peace, to entreat God and men to bring an end to the hostilities and for reconciliation.

"I ask everyone, please, to accompany this Journey with their prayers."

Dr Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the Church of Scotland, is a leading figure in world Presbyterianism. He said that the treen Church leaders were making their Pilgrimage of Peace "as servants" to stand in unified solidarity with local people and to "amplify" their cries as they continue to suffer from conflict, flooding and famine.

"South Sudan is the youngest country in the world and has enormous potential", he said. "Its greatest resource is its people and I am humbled at the opportunity to come alongside and support our brothers and sisters in their search for peace, reconciliation and justice.

"It is a privilege to be joining Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury on this historic ecumenical Pilgrimage of Peace and we come as servants of the global Church, joined in the unity of the Holy Spirit to offer our encouragement.

"The Churches in South Sudan - Presbyterian, Anglican and Catholic - have an important role to play in supporting efforts to bring peace to the nation and we are honoured to be part of this journey."
A former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, says winning hearts and minds of Nigerias North-east populace was a major step taken by the Army that turned the tables against insurgents during his time.

Mr Buratai, a retired Lt General, who is the immediate past Ambassador of Nigeria to the Republic of Benin, said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja.

He said the people also realised that President Muhammadu Buhari was passionate about restoring peace and stability to Borno and the entire North-east region.

He said there was also the reinvigoration of joint civil-military operations, composed of all operational formations of the Services.

According to him, the operation had a central coordination headquarters which also coordinated civil and humanitarian activities.

It assists the joint force commander in humanitarian or national-assistance operations, theater campaigns or civil-military operations occurring concurrently, he said.

Mr Buratai urged the military to be resilient and never succumb to the threats of insurgents, terrorists, separatists, kidnappers or armed robbers.

He said the major trick of the terrorists was to instill fear in the minds of people so much so that the people would be afraid to go to their farms, businesses or send their children to school.

We must all take a stand and show that we are not with the insurgents and the terrorists.

What the military is doing is fighting for the safety of the people, the military is there to protect and defend the people.

The military is not just fighting the terrorists on their own, they are there because of the people. This war is a peoples war, and not just a military thing.

Therefore, we must all get involved, be resilient, provide timely and credible intelligence and avoid any action that will disrupt the peace.

We have a duty to ensure that we entrench peace right from our homes. We must also know what every member of our community is engaged in, he said.

On military tactics, Mr Buratai said the military always evaluated and changed their tactics to adapt to new challenges posed by the insurgents and terrorists, hence the defeat of the terrorists and insurgents.

He called on locals to support the military with credible and timely information and prayers instead of meaningless and incessant criticism that were capable of killing morale of troops and their commanders.

Mr Buratai urged the military to maintain their tempo of operations and keep up the aggressive assaults, as well as enhance collaboration and synergy with other sister agencies.

You must understand that the military is not a one man show; even when I was in service, I worked with a team, and I am happy to say that many of them are still in service.

The current Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the COAS served directly under me as Theater Commanders of Operation Lafiya Dole, now Hadin Kai.

By and large, I will say that they are doing well. Whatever little success we were able to achieve during my tenure, we did it together, it was a collective effort.

Thumbs up to the Nigerian military, the CDS and the Service Chiefs. I commend the Commander of Operation Hadin Kai. They are doing a great job. This is why the terrorists have been surrendering to the government.

Over 100,000 have surrendered and many more are coming out, he said.

On negotiation with terrorists and bandits, the former COAS said it was not the responsibility of the military to suggest, initiate or directly partake in dialogue or negotiations with terrorists and bandits.

But the military can force the terrorists, bandits, insurgents to surrender and accept negotiated terms favourable to the legitimate authority, which is the government.

I tell you towards the last half of 2020, the bandits were calling for negotiations through some prominent individuals.

This was as a result of the pressure mounted on the bandits. Many of their fighters, collaborators, logistic suppliers and informants were neutralised, captured or had escaped out of the country for safety.

Negotiation, dialogue and amnesty are civil authorities responsibilities. This should be the last option which I preach in my present capacity because the terrorists and bandits have been subdued.

READ ALSO:

Much more details will be coming out in my memoire in the future by the grace of God, he said.

On the 2023 general elections, Mr Buratai urged the military to stick to their constitutional role and remain apolitical even when they are called in to assist the civil police at some point.

(NAN)

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The inclusion of pregnant and breastfeeding women in the HIV clinical trial intervention for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is important to curb the spread of the virus.

This was the consensus during a five-day virtual training organised by the New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS) to educate journalists on developments in the fight against HIV and how to address existing gaps.

Speaking during the training, the Executive Director of NHVMAS, Florita Durueke, said pregnant and breastfeeding women have a substantial risk of HIV infection, hence their involvement in trials is paramount.

Ms Durueke said there is a need to develop ethical guidelines for the inclusion of these groups of persons.

She said the World Health Organisation (WHO) has developed a framework that allows pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers to participate in research, especially in phase two.

When the trial on PrEP was conducted in Lagos, one of the criteria was to ensure no one gets pregnant during the trial period.

However, the WHO framework is saying when a person gets pregnant during an HIV prevention trial, such a person should be offered the opportunity to decide if she is willing to continue in such trial or not, she said.

NHVMAS is an NGO with the mission to reduce the spread of HIV and other infectious diseases in society by ensuring the availability of safe, effective and acceptable tools for all.

About PrEP

PrEP, according to the WHO, is the use of an anti-retroviral medication by HIV-negative people to reduce the use of HIV acquisition.

Studies have shown that the use of such antiretrovirals can prevent HIV infection in up to 90 per cent of cases if taken effectively.

In 2014, the WHO first recommended offering PrEP to only men who have sex with men.

However, based on further evidence of the effectiveness and acceptability of PrEP, in September 2015, the WHO recommended people at substantial risk of HIV infection should be offered PrEP as an additional prevention choice, as a part of comprehensive prevention.

These people include sex workers, people in a mixed-status relationship (a relationship where one partner is infected by HIV and the other is not), and men who have sex with men, among others.

Gender

Ms Durueke said although the HIV prevalence rate in Nigeria is 1.4 per cent, the burden is higher on women.

She said those between the ages of 15 and 49 years have a double chance of living with HIV compared to their male counterparts.

Data shows that HIV prevalence is higher among females aged 35-39 years at 3.3 per cent and high among males 40-54 years at 2.3 per cent, she said.

She also said the HIV prevalence for young women is 1.3 per cent and 0.4 per cent for their male counterparts.

The executive director said if given the opportunity to make choices in the use of PrEP, the outcomes will be greater for women.

Young person inclusion

Speaking during the webinar, the executive director of Advocacy for the Prevention of HIV and AIDs (APHA) in Africa, Yvette Raphael, said there is a need to work with young persons to curb the spread of the virus.

Ms Raphael, a South African advocate, explained that working with young girls and adolescents will change existing narratives for them.

READ ALSO:

She noted that in 2020, adolescent girls and women ages 15-24 in Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 25 per cent of HIV infections.

She said this has further highlighted the importance of including young people in the conceptualisation of programmes concerning them.

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A former speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has challenged Festus Keyamo to win a councilorship election first because both of them are not mates in politics.

Yes, we were mates at Law School, but I am waiting for you to win a councilorship election first so we can be mates in politics. Learn to punch below your weight category, Mr Dogara said to Mr Keyamo in a tweet on Sunday.

My brother, I have a name for you but because its not a good one, I wont say it as a cost of friendship, he added.

Mr Keyamo is the minister of state for Labour and spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council.

Mr Dogara was responding to a tweet in which Mr Keyamo called him a political prostitute, a wanderer, and a back-stabber for attacking the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, after President Muhammadu Buhari appealed to Nigerians to vote Mr Tinubu that he would give his best to the country.

The former speaker is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and a powerful supporter of the partys presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

READ ALSO:

Mr Dogara had initially supported Mr Tinubu but dumped him and left the APC for the PDP when the APC presidential candidate chose Kashim Shettima, a Muslim from Borno State as his running mate. Mr Dogara is a Christian from Bauchi State.

I know that PMB loves to crack jokes, but I didnt know he will escalate it to the level of satire. Asiwaju will give his best to Nigeria, really? Fake certificates, fake parentage, golden triangle escapades, racketeering. No PMB, Nigeria does not deserve his (Tinubus) best but we get the satire, Mr Dogara said in the tweet which Mr Keyamo responded to.

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Abubakar Kwaire, a special adviser to Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2023 general elections in the state.

Mr Tambuwal, who is on the last lap of his second term in office, is the DG of the Atiku/Okowa presidential campaign for the 25 February election. He is the leader of the PDP in the state.

He was elected governor of the state in 2015 on the ticket of the APC but later defected to the PDP on whose platform he was reelected for a second term in office.

Mr Kwaire, according to a statement by Bashar Abubakar, the special adviser on media and publicity to Aliyu Wamakko, senator (APC Sokoto North), was received by the state APC governorship candidate, Ahmad Aliyu, in Sokoto

The statement said the new APC member, who is a former member of the State House of Assembly, hails from the Tambuwal Local Government area of the state.

He quoted Mr Kwaire as saying that his decision to join the APC was motivated by Mr Wamakkos sterling leadership qualities.

Therefore, I believe with Wamakko as APC leader and Aliyu to govern our state, if elected, more dividends of democracy are expected, he said.

READ ALSO:

Mr Kwaire restated his commitment to support all the candidates of the party to coast to victory for the best of Sokoto State and Nigeria.

In his remarks, the APC governorship candidate welcomed the defector and assured him of equal treatment like all other members of the party.

(NAN)

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A serving senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uche Ekwunife, has denied endorsing Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party for the 25th February election.

Mrs Ekwunife, who currently represents Anambra Central Senatorial District, said an online blog which she did not mention had been circulating an article that she has endorsed Mr Obi for president.

Both Mrs Ekwunife and Mr Obi are from Anambra State and had enjoyed robust political relationships in the past until the former defected from the PDP to the Labour Party in 2022 to actualise his presidential ambition.

She campaigned for Mr Obi, a former two-term governor of Anambra State when he was the vice presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2019 election which he and then-presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, lost to the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari.

Mrs Ekwunifie, a former member of the House of Representatives, is seeking reelection as senator for Anambra Central on the ticket of the PDP.

I did not endorse Obi  Ekwunife

In a statement she personally signed and made available to journalists on Saturday, Mrs Ekwunife denied the endorsement, saying such did not emanate from her.

She also said the online blog attributed statements that may translate as adopting Mr Obi as her candidate for the election.

I want to state categorically that those statements never emanated from me or my campaign council, she said.

Although she said Mr Obi is her leader and elder brother from Anambra Central whom she respects and holds in high esteem, she noted, however, that their political aspirations have become divergent hence, the need for me to focus on delivering our Presidential Candidate, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, and the Vice Presidential Candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, who are of the PDP.

ALSO READ: Sule Lamido attacks Obasanjo for endorsing Peter Obi

Mrs Ekwunife said she can never betray for whatever reason Mr Okowa whom she described as her bosom friend who has been supportive of all her aspirations from time immemorial.

She restated her commitment to the PDP, saying that she cannot work against the party or any of its candidates running on the partys platform in the 2023 elections.

Mrs Ekwunife, however, said Mr Obi is no doubt a force to reckon with in the 25 February election. But, will not be able to garner the required spread that will secure his win unlike His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, who has everything it takes to win the election with high margin.

She reiterated her unalloyed support to the ambition of Atiku, urging the people of Anambra Central and Nigerians to key into the project, rescue Nigeria and set the country on the path to greatness.

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Godswill Akpabios ambition to return to the Nigerian Senate suffered a major setback over the weekend, as some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State said they would not support him in the forthcoming election.

Mr Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, is the APC senatorial candidate in the Akwa Ibom North-West District in the 25 February election.

A multi-partisan meeting, chaired by the leader of the APC in Akwa Ibom, Don Etiebet, was held on Saturday at Mr Etiebets residence in Uyo where a decision was taken on Mr Akpabios political ambition.

Mr Etiebet, a former minister of petroleum, is a BoT member of the APC.

The communique issued after the meeting, which Mr Etiebet forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES, Sunday afternoon, said the APC leaders in Akwa Ibom North-West District resolved to support Mr Akpabios opponent, Emmanuel Enoidem, who is a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the senatorial election.

Their reason, according to the communique, is that the Abak Federal Constituency where Mr Enoidem hails from is the only federal constituency which has not yet produced a senator for 56 years, since 1963, whereas others, including the Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency where Mr Akpabio hails from, has produced a senator multiple times.

Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency has produced five senators since 1963, three in the fourth republic alone, it said.

Apart from the APC chieftains, members of the PDP, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Young Progressives Party, and Labour Party, from Abak, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ukanufun and OrukAnam Local Government Areas attended the meeting, the communique said.

The communique did not, however, disclose the names of the participants, but said those in attendance included federal and state lawmakers, chairpersons of local government councils, members of government boards and commissions, as well as officials of political parties, community leaders, and heads of women groups.

Barr Emmanuel Enoidem, the PDP Senatorial candidate was unanimously endorsed as the choice for the February 25, 2023 Senatorial election but members were urged to vote their respective partys presidential candidates, the communique said.

The participants at the meeting said they endorsed Mr Enoidem because he is the strongest of the four candidates considered from the Abak-5 Community.

All Abak-5 Community eligible voters are enjoined to vote for Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem of the PDP irrespective of their party affiliations in the Community.

The leaders of the Abak-5 Community led by Atuekong Annang, Don Etiebet, are enjoined to reach out to their allies in Ikot Ekpene and Ikono/ Ini Federal Constituencies for their understanding and support to vote for Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem to win the Senate seat of the Akwa Ibom North-West District, the communique said.

Mr Etiebet, last month, rejected Mr Akpabios candidacy after the Supreme Court ruled that Mr Akpabio was the validly elected candidate of the APC.

Doomed meeting

The Director-General of Mr Akpabios campaign, Ubokutom Nya, in his reaction to the development, said the meeting was doomed.

He challenged Mr Etiebet to publish the list of those who attended the meeting.

Those who support Senator Godswill Akpabio from Abak 5 are men parading huge political assets, not liabilities. Etiebet ran two national parties aground and crashed them to scraps.

Those who support Akpabio are not faces behind the masks. They stand out to be counted in daylight, Mr Nya said.

Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom, was elected senator in 2015 under the PDP. He later defected to the APC in 2018, where he contested for a second term in 2019 but was defeated by the PDP candidate, Christopher Ekpenyong, who is a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom.

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Integrity is a defence. Yes, it is possible for people to cook up lies against a genuine man of God. But when 1, 2, 3, 47, 8, 9 10 women in different countries or locations who dont know each other are saying the same thing, you definitely have a problem. That they are picking on you, even if you are innocent still damages the name of Christ. There is a way you conduct your life with transparency, truth and integrity that it will be a major headache for a strange woman to lie against you.

There is a way you conduct your life as a servant of God that even when a Jezebel plans to lie against you, it would be a struggle for her to achieve. About 21 years ago, I had a very interesting experience. A lady invited me to her birthday party. I turned it down. She insisted that I must attend, at least to honour her. Still, I stood firm that I wasnt going to attend it. Why? I dont attend ladies parties alone. That is what I am saying. I am not saying that it is wrong to attend parties. But my own principle is that, for my own safety, someone must go with me. That time, no one was available to accompany me. It was years later that I learnt from Dr Billy Graham and Reinhard Bonnke that they would never attend meetings with anyone alone. Either their wives or their assistants must be there. Dr Billy Graham called it, the two-people rule. Thankfully, both servants of God ended up on the note of integrity. They had no scandals.

And that was how God saved me from trouble. But when she nearly killed me with pressure, I told her that I would be thinking about it, just to diffuse the pressure. Remember Joseph? Destroyers dont give up easily, particularly when you are a glory carrier. Potiphars wife nearly killed Joseph with pressure. Thats one of the strategies of Jezebels. That was also what Delilah used against Samson. She wore out Samson with her words until a great man was reduced to rubbles.

I have had dozens of such experiences, and time and again, the grace of God, plus my personal integrity, bailed me out. I will not visit any woman alone, even if she is dying. So, it has really been difficult for anyone to cook up a story against me. No one cant back it up with evidence.

Anyway, this lady took my words for a consent, but on the day of the birthday party, I didnt go. Of course, I knew I was not going to go. A few days later, the lady stormed my office, yelled at me, I know you are very stubborn. There was no birthday. I just planned this meeting to get you. I could not believe my ears. The man you are reading from today would have been killed a long time ago on the laps of Delilah. This particular lady was qualified to have been a beauty queen, considering how beautiful she was. There was no way I could have survived the temptation. I have had dozens of such experiences, and time and again, the grace of God, plus my personal integrity, bailed me out. I will not visit any woman alone, even if she is dying. So, it has really been difficult for anyone to cook up a story against me. No one cant back it up with evidence.

Also, my social media handles are managed by different people. They all have my passwords. They read my chats and conversations. So, I wont be caught saying stupid things to women. I put those measures in place to make me accountable. Also, my phones are not pass-worded. My wife has unlimited access to my phones. Its not just about praying and fasting when you are taking foolish risks, pretending to be an angel. Also, I dont ever watch bad movies. I wont sit down to a movie where people are kissing, much less touching each other; never! Integrity is a choice. You have to be intentional about it. I know that I can fall. So, I dont pretend and then begin to do stupid things. And, I dont pretend to be strong when I am weak. I expose my vulnerability to my wife. A lot of men hide their weaknesses, just to appear to be strong.

Thinking you cant fall has already positioned you for a fall. You must pursue an hybrid strategy  prayer and wisdom. Dont expose yourself. It has taken God about forty years to build me up, and give me the level of fire I presently carry. One casual sex can quench forty years of fire. I wont allow that to happen!

Someone who was very close to my wife was becoming too attractive to me. I told me wife, plainly, I am getting attracted to your friend, please put some distance between us. She laughed and laughed, and that was it, she moved away from the lady. Yes, I am praying. But, prayers dont kill sexual urges. Thinking you cant fall has already positioned you for a fall. You must pursue an hybrid strategy  prayer and wisdom. Dont expose yourself. It has taken God about forty years to build me up, and give me the level of fire I presently carry. One casual sex can quench forty years of fire. I wont allow that to happen!

Integrity is a defence. Yes, it is possible for people to cook up lies against a genuine man of God. But when 1, 2, 3, 47, 8, 9 10 women in different countries or locations who dont know each other are saying the same thing, you definitely have a problem. That they are picking on you, even if you are innocent still damages the name of Christ. There is a way you conduct your life with transparency, truth and integrity that it will be a major headache for a strange woman to lie against you.

Ayo Akerele, a leadership and system development strategist, and minister of the word, writes from Canada and can be reached through ayoakerele2012@gmail.com.

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It is either that Buhari and his Emefiele sidekick are antediluvian in their policy-making or have been deliberate in their projection of a chaotic aftermath, as Tinubu alleged. Either or both must be the reason why Nigerians would be dragged down to their feet, to point zero, by two key survival indices of our national life as this. Since the redesigning of the naira, Emefiele has been shuttling from self-reversal to making outright laughable policy contradictions on the naira.

I am watching the viral video of the naked young man inside a banking hall as I write this. His manhood is dangling like the pendulum of the Grandfather Clock of the colonial Nigeria days. He is totally naked, even as he shouts that he needs to withdraw his money from the bank. I am aghast and disillusioned at the same time. I do not know what to think. My mouth is wide open. Before now, I saw a similar video. It was that of a semi-naked young lady. She too has peeled off her cloth in protest of the crisis of cash that engulfed Nigeria last week. She is close to revealing her total womanhood. She is a pathetic sight too as she constantly spews out her frustration. Her kids have not been able to go to school due to the crisis, she laments in Yoruba, asking to be given her money or get her account closed. What could have driven people to this level of Albert Camusian absurdity?

As I look at the naked young man, I am stunned. I am right now inside Akachi Ezeigbos Literature class at the University of Lagos. It is 1991 or so. The text that the then Dr Ezeigbo (now a Professor) asks us to read is the 1975 published Woman At Point Zero, written by the Egyptian psychiatrist, Nawal El Saadawi. It is a true-life narrative from Saadawis fieldwork research. Sacked from her position in 1972 as director of Health Education and Editor-in-Chief of Health magazine after a sexually suggestive piece she did with the title, Women and Sex, Saadawi resorted to researching on neurosis in Egyptian women. This necessitated her visiting the Qanatir Prison and interviewing twenty-one inmates. And it served as the building blocks of case studies for her 1976 publication, Women and Neurosis in Egypt.

However, one of the cases stood out. It was that of Firdaus, who had spent her childhood in a poor Egyptian farming community, with a father who abused her mother repeatedly. With clitoridectomy performed on her as a youth by her parents, she found out that sex was no longer enjoyable. Upon her parents death, life also became a monstrous burden for Firdaus. She thus became a chattel thrown from one man to the other, used, abused and beaten by the men she encountered. Crushed mentally and disillusioned, Firdaus then resorted to prostitution, from where she made a lot of money. Then she met a pimp called Marzouk, who had on his palmtop a tab on many political bigwigs in Egypt. He collected rent from each man he brought to Firdaus. At some point, however, Marzouk started to threaten her with police action if she did not give him a larger chunk of her earnings. Then Firdaus decided that she had had enough of prostitution, and became resolute about quitting it for another job. Marzouk however blocked her. One day, he pulled a knife on her, but Firdaus cleverly retrieved it from him and then stabbed him to death. She is arrested and sentenced to death by hanging.

On a day in 1974, after repeated trials, she agreed to meet the psychiatrist in Qanatir Prison, who had heard about Firdaus infamy through the prison doctor  that of an awaiting-death murderess who totally delinked herself from everyone in prison. Fridaus asked the psychiatrist to close the window, sit down and listen to her life story, as she was to be executed that evening. On finishing the tale, hangmen enter the cell and march her to the gallows. Firdaus believed she was sentenced to death due to the threat her existence posed to men: My life means their death. My death means their life. They want to live, was her last word to Nawal.

What links Firdaus, the two Nigerians in the said viral videos and millions of other in Nigeria last week, was the total frustration at the decadent status quo. While Saadawi is praised for her famous books ability to expose the subjugation of women in Middle Eastern societies, the author commended Firdaus, who she described as a martyr because, few people are ready to face death for a principle. So, those who were compelled to go naked last week due to the frustration with petrol shortages, cash scarcity and the spiraling cost of living in Nigeria, in what ways did they share Firdaus frustration, despondency and mental torture? Could their nakedness be described as martyrdom too? Or were they simply mad? Did they slide into depression? Was Firdaus not depressed too at the point in which she she stabbed Marzouk? How many Nigerians have started exhibiting traces of mental disconnect on account of the misrule of Muhammadu Buhari? Havent we been driven to the brink of sanity by this government?

Muhammadu Buhari, Godwin Emefiele and the gangs terrorising Nigeria are the Marzouks in Saadawis Woman At Point Zero. As the men drove Firdaus to the point of despondency and depression, so do these other ones do to us too. At that point, murder became Firdaus way of letting out her pent-up angst. Many more Nigerians are manifesting their own depression in different ways known or unknown to them. As Firdaus said, the lives of Nigerians mean their death and our deaths mean their lives, because they want to live by all means. Only God knows how many Nigerians have died or sunk into the abyss of insanity on account of Emefieles vengeful policy and Buharis conspiratorial abetment of it. Otherwise, changing a countrys currency is not rocket science. Nor is fuel supply such a Byzantine knot that should ground a country to its feet as this.

the Yoruba should let Tinubu fight his political enemies alone and not allow him to use them as pawns and fodders of the war. When the going was good between them and we wailed and sorrowed, he pleasurably enjoyed the grisly groove. Any Yoruba who believes in Tinubu should feel free to vote for him on whatever index that sways them to him. It should never be on account of Tinubu being a crusader for the Yoruba or his innate Yorubaness. I cannot see any of such in him.

Tinubu himself, on Friday in Ekiti State, reified this theory that the twin evils of fuel scarcity and acute shortage of naira notes were weaponised to willingly breed chaos in Nigeria. Since the campaign began, Tinubu has been accused of going the way of parasites and like them, deploying his proboscis to feed off the pain of the people. You would think he has always been on the side of the suffering poor. In Ekiti, he said: They locked up moneyTheyre doing it to get you angry so that you can become violent, and they will postpone the election to bring interim government. Who are the they who will postpone election? The PDP, Atiku Abubakar or Peter Obi?

It is either that Buhari and his Emefiele sidekick are antediluvian in their policy-making or have been deliberate in their projection of a chaotic aftermath, as Tinubu alleged. Either or both must be the reason why Nigerians would be dragged down to their feet, to point zero, by two key survival indices of our national life as this. Since the redesigning of the naira, Emefiele has been shuttling from self-reversal to making outright laughable policy contradictions on the naira. The latest is that banks will now dispense N20,000 notes across their counters. Was it myopia or deliberate attempt at dystopia that bred earlier statements on banks-citizens transactions in the naira notes?

In the midst of these, Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, appeared on national television, apparently as bearer of a sword aimed at the Aso Rock Villa. El-Rufai is always the messenger and bearer of acidic arrows and conflagration parceled as messages whenever the system wants to shoot its shots. In an interview with the Tinubu-owned TVC last Thursday, the Kaduna governor pursued further the allegation that the CBNs currency swap was an incendiary plot to incite voters against the APC. This, he also said, was masterminded by an Aso Rock cabal.

Having gone to this extent of belling the cat, El-Rufais bravery or bravado then stopped. He struggled frenetically to exonerate Buhari from the evil plan. He thinks that the cabal is exploiting Buharis goodness and desire to have things done the right way. Whether this was a pun or euphemism, what El-Rufai manifested in that interview was the image of a Smart Alec who was trying to be clever by half. It is either he was saying Buhari lacks grit, a mind of his own, is a simpleton or is indecisive with the power he weilds. Otherwise, why would a president be as effeminate or lacking in decision-making powers as to allow some other persons to take decisions for him? Did the cabal also instruct Buhari not to attend Tinubus campaign rallies?

The truth, which many do not know, is that Buhari is only decisive when it comes to matters that have to do with himself alone. I doubt if he is decisive even his children. Certainly not with his wife. Just as he did in Ogun in 2019, Buhari has also told Nigerians to vote for whoever they want to. In 2019, however, he was emphatic that voters should vote for him to return to his Aso Rock pot of soup. Yes, voters must be told to choose whoever they want but that must not come from the mouth of a man who climbed to his position riding the crest of a political party. It is an anathema in party politics.

 the Yoruba should let Tinubu fight his political enemies alone and not allow him to use them as pawns and fodders of the war. When the going was good between them and we wailed and sorrowed, he pleasurably enjoyed the grisly groove. Any Yoruba who believes in Tinubu should feel free to vote for him on whatever index that sways them to him. It should never be on account of Tinubu being a crusader for the Yoruba or his innate Yorubaness. I cannot see any of such in him.

And then in Ekiti, Tinubu switched from parasitism to weaponising ethnicity. He conspiratorially worked on the Yoruba peoples psyche for his selfish gain. It is similar to what, in argumentative pitfalls, is called argumentum ad misericordiam  the appeal to pity. Knowing that, like every other ethnic group, the Yoruba desire to have their own speaking their language inside Aso Rock, in Ekiti State Tinubu played on that yearning selfishly. He chose to appeal to the peoples emotion by touching that sensitive emotive chord of the people. Speaking in Yoruba and beginning his statement with that three-fold repetitive strategy of discourse, which ancient Yoruba elders employed to ram home their thoughts, he has been quoted to have asked the crowd: Eyin Omo Yoruba! Eyin Omo Yoruba!! Eyin Omo Yoruba!! (Yoruba people!) Whose turn is it? Relax. If you hear rumblings; if someone is not pursuing something, then something is pursuing someone. This coming election is your election. Is that not so? It is the election you will use to liberate yourselves They lie. We are not servants.

Now, there are many strands of issues woven into that charge to the Yoruba. The first question to ask is: How Yoruba is Tinubu himself? Or, put differently, how Yoruba-empathetic has he been, especially since he helped bring the Buhari affliction on Nigeria in general and his people in particular? First is that he sits on a Lagos State that has shown repeated disdain for the Oodua conglomerate, one of the bequeathals of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. His Lagos State  as spearheaded by him  has disconnected itself repeatedly from any collective aspiration of Yorubaland. Aside Oodua, the Amotekun security outfit is another of such. When Akin Ambode attempted to change that narrative by pulling Lagos into Oodua and attending Ooduas meeting in Ibadan, a source told me that Tinubu hectored the governor out of it, shouting gedegbe lEko duro!  Lagos stands alone.

Again, when Yorubaland was going through hell in the hands of Fulani herders, the children of Awolowo never heard a word of empathy or show of sympathy with their tragedy from Tinubu. When Akesan market in Oyo got burnt, I am aware that he didnt even send a word of empathy. A few weeks after, when similar calamity befell a town in the North, Tinubu was there with his trolley of empathy and a N50 million donation. Again, a few years ago, Tinubu was in the Akure home of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, ostensibly to commiserate with him over the death of his daughter. To douse the narrative of her being killed by Fulani herders, Tinubu asked where are the cows? But on Friday, a few kilometres away from where he asked where the cows were and where the daughter of the Yoruba patriarch was killed, Tinubu wanted the same Yoruba people to help go to war with him if he is not made president. We should remind him that the children of those friends of his who have now become his enemies because they dont want him to succeed them, were the ones killing our own children and parents and mauling them to their deaths without a word from him.

The scenario of Tinubu and Yorubaland is akin to that of the selfish Oluode (Chief Hunter) who, aware of famine in the village, with the existential challenges it poses to the people, goes hunting for game and devours them alone like a cat does, without sharing even the animals hoof with his neighbours. Yorubas explain this as Ile njo, ole nja, aa ri Oluode; o nperan, o n da je bi ologbo. The cat mirrors similar selfishness. A Yoruba aphorism which explains this selfishness of the cat says apadele ni o je ka mo pologbo nsode. (The cat pretends that it doesnt kill whereas it does but devours it on the rafters).

So, the Yoruba should let Tinubu fight his political enemies alone and not allow him to use them as pawns and fodders of the war. When the going was good between them and we wailed and sorrowed, he pleasurably enjoyed the grisly groove. Any Yoruba who believes in Tinubu should feel free to vote for him on whatever index that sways them to him. It should never be on account of Tinubu being a crusader for the Yoruba or his innate Yorubaness. I cannot see any of such in him.

Festus Adedayo is an Ibadan-based journalist.

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Risk management is a culture. It is a way of thinking, leading, and governing, which begins and cascades down from the top of an organisation. It does not appear that the CBN adequately anticipated and planned to avert the risks inherent in unleashing a policy of this magnitude so close to a four yearly national electoral cycle I hope we learn the necessary lessons, and begin to apply these lessons in the leadership and governance of Nigeria.

From my perspective, its really risk management to ensure that humans have the ability to go somewhere else in case there were to be some huge disaster on earth.  Gwynne Shotwell

In the early 2000s, I noticed the rise of a trend towards a subject matter of great importance for the success of our individual lives, small businesses and mega-corporations, banks, and, yes, public sector governance. Risk management. It has existed for centuries, reflected in the Chinese symbol depicting the concept of risk and reward as two sides of one phenomenon. But besides traditional professions such as agriculture, insurance, banking, medicine and engineering, risk management was not, before the 1990s and the 2000s, fully appreciated as having a much broader application.

After taking a PhD at the London School of Economics as a part-time student, while working as a senior executive in the UN system and The Global Fund in Geneva in the mid-2000s, I enrolled for and obtained an International Certificate in Risk Management at the UK Institute of Risk Management in London after nine months. I invested in this training because I considered risk management a critical skill. Not too long afterwards, I resigned from the UN system, set up and ran Sogato Strategies S.A. (Societe Anonyme), a global risk management and strategy consulting firm in Geneva. This background played an important role in my being headhunted to the Central Bank of Nigeria in late 2009.

We live in a world and life of risk  from mundane ones such as slipping and falling down the stairs to fat tail risks like the COVID-19 pandemic or the global financial crisis of a decade earlier. Managing it, then  trying to foresee dangers or factors that lie ahead and might affect us adversely, and consciously preparing to overcome or manage such factors  is essential for success and progress. We cant create and grow wealth, whether that of nations or individuals who are pursuing legitimate riches, without it. When governments and countries ignore it at a national or local scale of governance, the result is governance and institutional failures that prevent the strong achievement of their mandates. Poverty, high levels of crime and corruption are the result. The road to hell being often paved with good intentions, President X, Governor X or CEO X means well will become an excuse that does not affect one jot the reality of sub-par national, economic or institutional performance.

The reason the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has often had problems with managing our national elections in the past is because it has not used a muscular risk and project management approach to an exercise that anyone knows is a difficult and vastly complicated one. In the same vein, as Nigerians experience many difficulties with the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigerias Naira Redesign project, my mind cannot help its flight back to the concept of risk and its management. Seriously applied to the management of such a gargantuan project, I think it could have made much difference in its outcomes.

Once an organisation has clearly identified the risks that it faces in its line of business, its first duty is to determine what risks or levels of risk are acceptable and bearable for it. This is called risk appetite in professional risk parlance. Enterprise risk management is an overarching framework that teaches how to manage risks.

Being completely risk-averse does not yield much progress in life, or optimal value for a business or an investor. On the other hand, we must not be reckless, taking risks for the sake or thrill of risk itself. Risks should simply be assessed and proactively managed. If I want to invest in the stock market, I must understand that I might lose my investment if the company, the shares of which I buy, does not perform well. So, I should manage that risk by diversifying my investment portfolio.

There are several types of risks  operational risk, strategic risk, legal risk, reputation risk, political risk, regulatory risk, etc. Once an organisation has clearly identified the risks that it faces in its line of business, its first duty is to determine what risks or levels of risk are acceptable and bearable for it. This is called risk appetite in professional risk parlance. Enterprise risk management is an overarching framework that teaches how to manage risks. Here, there are four main approaches to risk, called the Four Ts:

1. Terminate (eliminate/prevent) the risk;

2. Treat (reduce/mitigate);

3. Transfer (insurance  someone else bears the cost);

4. Tolerate (accept) the risk.

Reputational risk, political risk and operational risk were all red flags for the implementation of the Naira Redesign project in terms of timing and, even more importantly, implementation (as I always said, the CBN has the right to redesign the currency if it deems such a move necessary, but the deadline of 90 days seemed unrealistic and some of us said so).

Reputational risk, political risk and operational risk were all red flags for the implementation of the Naira Redesign project in terms of timing and, even more importantly, implementation (as I always said, the CBN has the right to redesign the currency if it deems such a move necessary, but the deadline of 90 days seemed unrealistic and some of us said so).

Risk management is an integral element of modern and strategic governance. As I argued in my book Build, Innovate and Grow (BIG), we must make it an integral part of governance and government, for Nigerias politicians are all risk and no management. Muhammadu Sanusi II established a risk management approach and structures in the CBN early in his tenure as governor of the apex bank. I, for my part, was concerned with the management of systemic risk to the financial system as deputy governor in charge of Financial System Stability. Active risk management played an important role in our success with the various reforms that stabilised the system after the 2008 global financial crisis.

Risk management is a culture. It is a way of thinking, leading, and governing, which begins and cascades down from the top of an organisation. It does not appear that the CBN adequately anticipated and planned to avert the risks inherent in unleashing a policy of this magnitude so close to a four yearly national electoral cycle. Those risks, of course, include possible sabotage by some commercial banks and arbitrage trading of our national currency inside Nigeria, all induced by scarcity. As the apex bank and we all as a country scramble with the present difficulties, I hope we learn the necessary lessons, and begin to apply these lessons in the leadership and governance of Nigeria.

Kingsley Moghalu, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, is the CEO of Sogato Strategies LLC, a risk and investment advisory firm, and a Senior Fellow at the Council on Emerging Market Enterprises at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, USA.

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As a means of helping rural dwellers swap their old naira notes for the nearly designed naira notes, the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has directed the state-owned bank, Yobe Microfinance Bank, to open branches in all the 17 local government areas in the state.

In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Mamman Mohammed, the governor said the move will help spread banking services to rural areas of the state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Buni had pleaded with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for an extension of the deadline citing security challenges and the absence of banking services in rural areas of the state.

According to the governor, out of the 17 local government areas in the state, only four have banking services. He said banks are reluctant to reopen their branches, which were closed due to the Boko Haram insurgency.

The statement noted that the lack of banks in most parts of the state has become a problem of grave concern.

The new cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria came with lots of challenges to our people in most parts of the state due to lack of banks.

Most local government areas do not have financial institutions and have to travel far distances with heavy risks to conduct financial transactions.

The situation is further compounded with the new cashless policy and despite our plea to the commercial banks to open branches, there have been no responses.

As a government, we have looked inward to seek for solution that would rescue our people, Mr Buni said.

The governor said he will give the bank full support for the takeoff of the new branches.

 I want to charge the management of the Bank to prepare for the challenges that would come with the new branches and you will have our full support, he assured.

He commended the bank management for the good performance in the last few years saying, there is room for more improvement.

Mr Buni then called on the business community, civil servants and everyone in the localities to do business with the bank.

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EAC Orders Foreign Armed Groups Out of DR Congo

The East African Community (EAC) Summit has ordered the immediate withdrawal of foreign armed groups in Eastern DRC as part of renewed efforts to end clashes in the region, Jeremiah Wakaya reports for Capital FM.

The directive was listed in a communique released at the end of the 20th Extra-Ordinary Summit hosted by Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye on Saturday, February 4, 2023.

Deutsche Welle previously reported that Eastern European military personnel are staying at a hotel near the airport of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

DR Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi has consistently denied the presence of Wagner Group mercenaries in his country's territory. The Wagner Group is seen as Russia's "shadow army".

Strained relations between DR Congo and Rwanda flared up in recent months, following what Tshesekdi says is Rwanda's President Paul Kagame's support of M23 militants who are operating in DR Congo. Despite denials by Rwanda, the frosty relations have worsened. In the past month, Rwanda military fired at DR Congo military jets, which it said violated its airspace.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to be patient with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over the redesigned currency, saying it has some significant long-term economic and social benefits.

Mr Obi made the appeal in a tweet on Sunday morning.

I urge Nigerians to bear with the CBN and Federal Government with the hope that the general populace and Nigeria will harvest the gains that will come with the reforms, Mr Obi said in the tweet.

The currency redesign is not peculiar to Nigeria. It is an exercise that comes with some inconvenience and pain but it has significant long-term economic and social benefits. Even though there are improvements that can be made, said Mr Obi, who was the chairman of Fidelity Bank before becoming the governor of the South-east state of Anambra.

Mr Obi, however, asked the CBN to expedite efforts to make the new currency available to small depositors and the unbanked in order to reduce the pains of my fellow Nigerians, especially the underprivileged and those living far away from banks in the rural areas.

Many Nigerians have criticised the CBN and the federal government over the policy, which has brought hardship because of the scarcity of the new notes.

Nigerians, including Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, have described the policy as anti-people.

Amidst the hardship the policy has triggered, Mr Buhari, on Friday, urged citizens to give him seven days to resolve the cash crunch across the country.

Nigerias Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo on Friday, faulted the policy and lamented the hardship it has caused.

Backstory

For weeks, Nigerians have been rushing to meet the CBN deadline for the phase-out of the old naira notes  N200, N500 and N1, 000 amidst poor distributions of the new currency.

There had been long queues at ATMs across the country. Point of Sales (POS) centres have cashed in on the desperate situation to extort Nigerians.

READ ALSO:

The CBN, in response to public outcry, last Sunday extended the deadline from 31 January to 10 February.

There are still long queues at ATM centres despite the extension. Many Nigerians still keep vigil at the ATM to withdraw money while most POS operators no longer have cash to meet their customers needs. Those who manage to have cash charge exorbitant fees for such transactions leaving Nigerians stranded and helpless.

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Gunmen have attacked Abagana Divisional Police Headquarters in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigerias south-east.

The incident happened at about 9 p.m. on Friday.

Sources said the gunmen fired several gunshots during the attack, before setting the police facility ablaze.

The attack lasted for about 45 minutes, it was learnt.

A resident, who simply identified himself as Jude, said about two vigilante operatives patrolling the community were killed during the attack by the gunmen, while many others sustained injuries.

I went to watch Chelsea Vs Fulham match when they attacked. The gunmen shot three vigilante people. I saw two corpses lying on the ground along the road. They also set the police station ablaze, he said.

The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, has confirmed the attack in a statement on Saturday and made available to PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, however, said only two vigilante operatives were killed by the gunmen in the attack.

The gunmen had earlier attacked Anambra State Vigilante Operatives on patrol, murdered two of their operatives, he said.

The police spokesperson said the gunmen, on approaching Abagana Police Divisional Headquarters after attacking the vigilante operatives, attempted to gain entrance into the police facility, but were resisted by the operatives.

READ ASLO:

The police operatives engaged the armed men in a gun duel, due to the superior fire power of the police and in a bid for the gunmen to flee the scene, (the gunmen) threw a patrol bomb into the station, which ignited fire and affected the roof of an old building in the station, Mr Ikenga said.

He, however, said fire fighters in the state responded quickly and put off the fire.

He said the police have intensified patrol in the area to prevent the break down of law and order,

Increased attacks

Like other states in Nigerias south-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

The latest attack occurred less than one day after gunmen killed a police officer and a vigilante operative in Obosi, a community in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state. The gunmen also bombed a police anti-cult unit in the community during the attack.

About three days ago, gunmen bombed an office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area and also attacked a Police Divisional Headquarters in Nnobi, another community in the same council area of the state, killing a 16-year-old boy and injuring a 15-year-old girl during the attack.

The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is a group leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of south-south Nigeria.

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CVN "Joining Forces" with White House in Support of Military Families as the Network Fills the Gaps in Mental Health Services

STAMFORD, Conn., Feb. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that serves post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and their families through a nationwide system of mental health clinics, welcomed First Lady Jill Biden at its Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD (Veterans Village of San Diego), Oceanside in Oceanside, CA as part of the White House's Joining Forces initiative to support military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors. The initiative, which centers around bringing awareness to the experiences of military-connected families, highlighting the resources available to them, and driving policy improvements, includes a focus area of health and well-being. Since its inception in 2016, CVN has provided accessible, high-quality mental health services to 50,000 clients across its growing network of clinics.

The First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden visits The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside in Oceanside, California on February 4, 2023. The First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden visits The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside in Oceanside, California on February 4, 2023. The First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden visits The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside in Oceanside, California on February 4, 2023.

"We are thrilled to host Dr. Biden as she remains resolute in her mission to support our nation's military families," says Cohen Veterans Network President and CEO Dr. Anthony Hassan. "We are grateful that she is bringing awareness to the experiences of military families to generate additional public support and that she is working to connect military families with the resources they greatly need and deserve."

There are currently over 2 million uniformed U.S. service members and 2.6 million family members across the globe. Due to the distinctive circumstances associated with military life such as deployments and reintegration, long separations, and frequent moves, many military family members experience unique mental health concerns. In fact, while military families have proven to be incredibly resilient overall, it has been found that children from military families have a higher risk of social, emotional, and behavioral challenges including anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation in comparison to children who are not from military families.

Mental health was the topic of a roundtable discussion held today as part of Dr. Biden's visit. She heard from military family members and veterans about their challenges, sacrifices, strength, and resilience, as well as their experiences in reaching out for help. Dr. Biden was additionally provided a tour of the Cohen Clinic, which was specifically designed with military families in mind.

The Cohen Clinic at VVSD (Veterans Village of San Diego), Oceanside is located a short distance from Camp Pendleton, which is one of the Department of Defense's busiest installations. The area is home to nearly 40,000 active duty service members, 33,000 post-9/11 veterans and more than 31,000 military family members. All of whom are eligible for care that the Cohen Clinic in Oceanside provides.

"Due to shortages in on-base mental health providers, the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside provides a viable alternative to timely and quality mental health care for our service members, veterans, and their families that is essential to personnel and unit readiness," says Colonel Daniel M. Whitley, Assistant Chief of Staff G-7, Government & External Affairs, MCIWest-MCB Camp Pendleton.

"In a place like San Diego, CA, home to one of the largest populations of service members, veterans, and their families, VVSD recognizes the importance of initiatives like Joining Forces," says Veterans Village of San Diego President and CEO Akilah Templeton. "Dr. Biden's efforts towards raising awareness and encouraging collaboration in support of military families are inspiring."

The Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside is one of 23 Cohen Clinics in high-need communities across the country. The network combines military culturally competent care with staff members trained to work with veterans and military families. Many clinic team members are military connected individuals with nearly 25% of Cohen Clinic staff being veterans and 21% being military spouses.

The network treats the entire military family including spouses, partners, children, parents, caregivers, survivors, and others. Approximately 47% of CVN clients are military or veteran family members, while nearly 53% of all clients are veterans or active duty service members. Treatment is available for a wide variety of mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, adjustment issues, anger, PTSD, grief and loss, family issues, transition challenges, relationship problems, and children's behavioral problems. Care is available in person or via CVN Telehealth, face-to-face video therapy.

"We know that treatment works, and it is imperative that military families have access to culturally competent mental health services with their unique circumstances in mind. We heard it firsthand from our clients in the room today. So, when a military family member raises their hand for help, we must be there to support them. In an effort to save lives, save families and save futures, CVN remains committed to removing barriers to treatment and filling the gaps in care," says Dr. Hassan.

Cohen Veterans Network fact sheets, photos, B-roll and map are available here.

ABOUT COHEN VETERANS NETWORK

Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) is a 501(c)(3) national not-for-profit philanthropic organization for post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and their families. CVN focuses on improving mental health outcomes, operating a network of outpatient mental health clinics in high-need communities, in which trained clinicians deliver holistic evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions. It was established in 2016 by philanthropist Steven A. Cohen with a commitment of $275 million to build the network. Learn more about CVN here.

ABOUT VETERANS VILLAGE OF SAN DIEGO

Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) has served Veterans since 1981 and provides services to more than 3,000 Military Veterans each year throughout the county of San Diego, CA. VVSD services include: Mental Health Services, Housing - Temporary & Permanent, Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation, Employment & Training, Temporary Financial Assistance, Support for Senior Veterans and Support for Veterans' Families - Women and Children, Homeless Court and more.

SOURCE Cohen Veterans Network
HAMPTON, Va., Feb. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Appy Pie , a leading no-code app development platform with over 10 million registered users, has launched a new TV Commercial that keeps businesses of all sizes in focus. The commercial has been rolled out across US and UK TV networks and is also gaining traction on Appy Pie's YouTube channel and other social media handles. The TVC highlights the benefits of Appy Pie's innovative no-code tools that help businesses build and deploy enterprise-grade apps, streamline customer support, design graphic visuals, and automate daily business operations without coding.

As highlighted in the TVC, Appy Pie's no-code app development platform helps business owners develop highly-customizable apps equipped with all the features they'll need to engage customers and deliver products and services online. In addition to this, Appy Pie's Business process automation helps enterprises automate customer service operations, respond quickly to inquiries, and provide personalized customer support.

Likewise, their Design platform helps users create visually appealing graphics and NFT art for a wide range of use cases. With Appy Pie's no-code workflow automation, enterprises can automate business-critical tasks and processes to save time, money, and effort. Overall Appy Pie's no-code tools are designed to make life easier for companies to streamline their workflows while increasing efficiency.

"If you are a business owner and your business does not have a mobile app, you need to get one. Having a web presence alone is no longer sufficient, as online activity continues to shift to mobile, and through this TVC, we have tried to showcase how businesses of all sizes can not only build dynamic mobile apps but also automate a number of their daily tasks by leveraging the power of our no-code platform," says Abhinav Girdhar, Founder and CEO at Appy Pie.

"What's more, Appy Pie's Design platform lets users create stunning graphics, unique and rare NFT art, and access hundreds of free-to-use templates. Enterprises inundated with customer queries can make the most of Appy Pie's Business Process Automation to enhance their customer support setup and accelerate ticket resolution time. With faster processes and an online presence, businesses can expand their customer base, generate higher sales, and elevate their brand," he added.

By utilizing Appy Pie's versatile no-code technology, enterprises can improve their productivity, manage their resources more effectively, and create a better work environment for their employees. They can also experience improved customer satisfaction levels, enhanced internal communication, and better team collaboration. Appy Pie provides a practical and cost-effective solution to build applications and streamline customer support and business operations.

About Appy Pie

Appy Pie , a Trademark of Appy Pie LLP, is a no-code development platform that helps transform business ideas into reality without technical knowledge. It is an all-inclusive suite of the best no-code tools like an app builder, website builder, workflow automation, graphic design software, chatbot builder, help desk software, and live chat software. Appy Pie's App Maker has been recognized as one of the highest-rated app builders globally ( G2 ) for its unique features, ease of use, and affordability, and is considered one of the most comprehensive no-code application development software for businesses of all sizes ( Capterra ). Appy Pie is also the fastest-growing cloud-based DIY Mobile App Builder in the world ( GetApp ).

For more information, please visit: http://www.appypie.com/

Media Contact

Abhinav Girdhar

[email protected]

+1 888 322 7617

SOURCE Appy Pie
Kiev, Feb 5 : Dozens of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been freed following a latest prisoner swap, officials from both sides confirmed on Saturday.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President's Office, said in a Telegram post that 116 Ukrainians returned home, whereas Russia's state news agency TASS said that 63 Russian servicemen were released, Xinhua news agency reported.

Yermak also said that Russia returned to Ukraine the bodies of two British voluntary aid workers, and a volunteer soldier from Ukraine's International Legion.

The exchange came after a negotiation brokered by the United Arab Emirates, marking one of the largest prisoner swaps between the conflicting parties since the start of the conflict.

As of early January, more than 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers remained in Russia's captivity.
Agra, Feb 5 : A senior advocate in Agra has been arrested by the New Agra police for allegedly raping a woman.

The victim threatened suicide if no action was taken against the advocate, the police said.

The victim alleged that the advocate raped her on multiple occasions, made obscene videos of the act and also extorted Rs 40 lakh from her.

She claimed she had approached the police many times but when no action was taken. Later she went to the Police Commissioner to narrate her ordeal.

The advocate's phone had been stolen a few months back and videos and photos of his intimate moments with several women recorded on the phone, had gone viral on social media.

One of those women who said she was sexually exploited by the advocate, approached Agra Commissioner Preetinder Singh and said the advocate had called her to his house on January 4 and raped her after threatening to defame her by making her obscene videos viral.

Interestingly, the advocate had already filed a complaint against the woman at Sikandra police station, accusing her of demanding Rs 2 crore from him. The Sikandra police are already investigating this complaint.

The woman told reporters, "I had a dispute with my husband following which I came in contact with the accused as he represented me in court." She said during the lockdown, the advocate had started visiting her house and one day he moved into her house saying that he had a dispute with his wife and he wanted a place to stay for a few days.

During this period, the advocate raped her several times and also made obscene videos saying that a lot of money could be earned by selling these videos. Apart from this, the woman also alleged that the advocate took Rs 40 lakh from her to contest the election, which he is yet to return.

DCP Vikas Kumar said that the victim has accused the advocate of rape and other criminal offenses and the police have registered a case against him. The matter is being investigated and the accused has been taken into custody.

Police Commissioner Preetinder Singh said that the woman appeared before him and threatened that if no action was taken against the advocate, she would be forced to commit suicide.
Sultanpur, Feb 5 : A 19-year-old youth has been arrested after a 16-year-old girl whom he allegedly raped, ended her life by suicide here.

The incident took place under Kurhwar police station area of Sultanpur last week, but came to light when the girl attempted suicide.

The sister of the accused, Saurabh Agrahari, got married into a family which lives next to the girl's house. He had come to visit his sister when he allegedly raped the girl.

The accused was known to the girl, said a police officer.

The girl attempted suicide on Wednesday and as her condition deteriorated, she was taken to Lucknow for treatment.

She died on Friday during treatment.

The police spokesman said that the accused has been arrested on Saturday.
Jerusalem, Feb 5 : Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated in several cities to protest the government's plan to reform the judicial system.

The largest protest is being held in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, which was attended by thousands of people, Xinhua news agency reported.

Demonstrators have rallied for five weeks in a row to voice their discontent with the judicial reforms proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. They say the reforms will weaken the courts and give the ruling coalition more power.

"These people (protestors) came to save our country," said former Prime Minister Yair Lapid at the demonstration in Haifa, northern Israel. "We will fight this in the parliament and the courts ... and we will save our country." Netanyahu and his partners say the changes are necessary in order to limit the judicial system's power, which has become too powerful in recent decades. They also say the supreme court often intervenes in political issues that should be determined by the parliament.

Netanyahu has vowed to push forward with the reforms despite the protests.

Netanyahu himself is facing a trial on corruption charges. While he denies any wrongdoing, his opponents say the reforms are personally motivated.

The reforms include giving the parliament the ability to override supreme court rulings with a simple majority, greater influence for politicians in the appointment of supreme court judges. In addition, legal advisers to ministries will be political appointments instead of civil servants. All could enable Netanyahu to influence the outcome of his own case.

According to Israeli media reports, doctors and lawyers will stage symbolic strikes next week to protest against the reforms.

Israel's tech sector has also staged demonstrations against the plans, claiming they will harm the economy.
Havana, Feb 5 : Fire crews continued to battle a large-scale wildfire in Cuba's eastern province of Holguin, local media has reported.

The blaze raged across the mountainous region of El Prado on Saturday, some 800 km east of the capital Havana, burning over 1,000 hectares of forest, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a report by Granma daily newspaper.

No casualties or injuries have been reported, yet an emergency evacuation plan is underway in nearby mountainous rural communities.

The fire comes as a severe and prolonged drought continues to affect eastern Cuba.
Condenamos energicamente el ataque sufrido por Paola Ugaz (@larryportera) y otros periodistas, en movilizaciones de hoy. Instamos a fuerzas del orden a respetar la labor periodistica, asi como a garantizar su labor que es esencial para la formacion de una opinion publica libre. pic.twitter.com/TT93Acxgb4
Lucknow, Feb 5 : The Uttar Pradesh government has released 1,236 prisoners, who were poor, old and suffering from serious illnesses but had recorded good behaviour in the past one year.

The prisoners were released from different jails of the state before time between January 1, 2022 and January 31, 2023, said the spokesman for UP prison administration and reform services here on Saturday.

According to the government spokesman, at least 196 prisoners, sentenced to jail up to 10 years, were released before time under the 'Amrit Mahotsava' scheme.

He said the 'Amrit Mahotsava' scheme is for those prisoners who have been sentenced to a fixed term and have served at least their half term as well as their behaviour has been up to the mark according to the jail manual.

He said there is a provision to release such prisoners on August 15 2022, January 26, 2023 and August 15, 2023 during the 'Amrit Mahotsava'.

Besides, 1040 prisoners, who were awarded life terms, were released during the same period. Of them, 26 prisoners were released on 'Form A', one prisoner was released on nominal roll while 37 were released on mercy petitions as well as 976 were released under state permanent release policy.

Under 'Form A', the prisoners awarded life team and have completed at least 14 years of term and fall under criteria of old, suffering from illness and have good behaviour, are released.

The old and seriously ill prisoners are released on nominal roll scheme while prisoners having good behaviour and have completed their at least 14 years of term could be released under state permanent release policy.

Besides, as many as 981 prisoners lodged in the UP jails are likely to be benefited after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the recent Union Budget to provide financial support to people who are unable to afford prison penalties and bail amounts.

Anand Kumar, Director General, UP Prison Administration and Reform Services, said, "As many as 810 prisoners lodged in the UP jails are waiting to get bail. They are behind bars because they did not find a person who can take bail guarantee.

Besides, there are 171 prisoners who do not have money to pay bail amount and are in prison even after completion of the punishment period."
Lucknow, Feb 5 : Air passengers travelling to and from the Chaudhary Charan Singh airport in Lucknow in mid-February will have to facetime issues and delays.

The airport from February 10 to 15 will witness a large number of chartered flights bringing in scores of VVIPs arriving here during this period for the Global Investors' Summit and G20 event.

Around 20 chartered flights are expected to land and take off at the airport daily between February 10 to 15.

Representatives from major industrial houses have already booked the parking spaces for their aircrafts.

However, the airport officials refused to disclose the names of the industrial houses which had informed about the arrival of their private aircrafts.

An airport official said, "We have information about 20 chartered flights making a landing at the airport but this is not a big deal as we have seen around 22 such flights landing here during elections. We have a facility to accommodate these aircraft in our three bay areas." However, passengers coming to catch their flights during these days are advised to come early as there may be a traffic jam and route diversions due to VVIP movement and major security checks on the airport road.

All the VVIPs would be brought out from the VVIP exit due to security reasons.

A spokesperson of the airport said, "We have information about the arrival of these VVIPs but we cannot disclose everything to everyone for security reasons. We have to maintain secrecy for the VVIPs. All I can say is that they would be greeted with a tilak, garlanded and taken to the lounge. Now we also have bulletproof cars for them."
Panaji, Feb 5 : Goa Police arrested three persons for attacking and robbing a businessman of Rs 40 lakh in Gujarat's Gandhidham.

The three were handed over to their counterpart at Kutch, said the Goa Police.

North Goa Superintendent of Police Nidhin Valsan informed that on January 29, three accused persons had attacked a businessman from Apna Nagar, Gandhidham-Gujarat and during the commission of dacoity caused grievous injury to businessman due to firing by pistol. Thereafter, the accused persons had decamped with Rs 40 lakh from the possession of this businessman.

An offence was registered at the Gandhidham Police Station under section 120-B, 394, 397, 447, 307 and Sections of the Arms Act.

After receiving information about these three accused persons present in Calangute, the Goa Police formed a team and initially apprehended Manu Singh Thakor near Candolim, in North Goa, and later other two accused persons, namely Chatrapal Singh and Surat Singh were arrested from a Casino ship.

Team headed by Sub Inspector S.S. Varu of Crime Branch Kutch (East) along with their staff took custody of all three accused, the Goa Police said.
Jaipur, Feb 5 : The BJP seems to be changing its Hindutva model strategy and is focussing more on folk Gods in poll-bound Rajasthan.

This can be ascertained by looking at three visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Rajasthan in the last few months.

Earlier, Modi came to Rajasthan on a tour of Manpur on Abu Road and then he visited Mangarh Dham in Banswara.

Now, his recent trip was to Malaseri in Bhilwara district where he struck a chord with the Gujjar community by wondering whether it is a "coincidence" that India assumed the G20 presidency which has a lotus emblem in its logo in the 1111th year of Bhagwan Devnarayanji who also appeared on a lotus.

His visit to Bhilwara came at a time when there are 8 Gujjar MLAs in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, but not a single one of them is from the BJP. In such a situation, Modi linked the party's election symbol and Lord Devnarayan's Lotus connect to connect Gujjars with the BJP. The PM said in the meeting that Devnarayan was born on a lotus flower and we are also born with 'lotus'. We have a deep connection with you, he added.

The BJP's election symbol is the lotus. In such a situation, the PM struck a chord with the Gujjars and made lotus the median connecting the two.

Even on his last visit to Mangadh, PM Modi had said about Govind Giri and other tribal personalities that they have not got respect in history till now. But now the contribution of these great men is being brought forward, he had said.

Similarly, in his speech in Malaseri, Modi talked about their contribution to the country and culture, taking the names of other Gujjar personalities including Vijay Singh Pathik, Rampyari Gurjar and Pannadhai. He said that such countless fighters could not get the place in history that they should have got. Modi said that now their contribution is being told to the people.

Similarly, the PM also mentioned many folk deities including Ramdevji, Tejaji, Gogaji, Pabuji in his speech at Malaseri. In such a situation, it is certain that instead of Hindutva, the BJP in Rajasthan has insisted on focusing on folk-Gods, local great men.

Last year BJP state president Satish Poonia had done a padyatra of 11 km from Ramdevra. It is believed that in the coming time, more programs can be organized by the BJP on the folk-deities and the places associated with them.

Earlier on November 1, the PM had visited Mangarh in Banswara. In his last two visits, the PM has tried to help the communities that hold an important place in the politics of Rajasthan.

Earlier, after reaching Mangarh, the PM had held a programme among the tribals. Here he talked about the sacrifice of Govind Giri and the culture of the tribals.

If we look at the tribal-dominated seats in Rajasthan, then 25 assembly seats are ST reserved seats. Apart from this, there are about 10 more such seats where the tribal vote bank remains effective. These include the seats of Udaipur, Rajsamand, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Baran, Sirohi.

Tribals were also traditionally the vote bank of the Congress. In such a situation, the Mangarh programme was seen to be in the direction of connecting with the tribals strongly in the coming elections.

At present, mainly due to the presence of Sachin Pilot, the Gujjar community seems completely inclined towards the Congress in Rajasthan. The Malaseri program was organized keeping this in mind. The Gujjars play a decisive role in 15 seats in Rajasthan.

This was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third visit to Rajasthan in the last 4 months at Malaseri Dungri in Bhilwara.

Earlier, Modi had come to Rajasthan on a tour of Manpur in Abu Road and Mangarh Dham in Banswara. But on this tour, the BJP and the Prime Minister's Office strategically kept the Congress completely away.

In order to establish the BJP in Gujjar society and to strengthen its hold, the focus of the program was kept completely within the BJP and the Prime Minister.

This is the reason why Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was not invited despite it being an official program, said sources.

Despite being the tallest leader of the Gujjar community in Rajasthan, Congress' former Dy CM Sachin Pilot was not invited. Neither any state government minister nor any Gujjar Congress MLA was seen at the program. Even Devnarayan Board president Joginder Awana did not show up.

The world has been made to sit on a lotus in the logo of the G-20. He said that the Gujjar community played the role of a sentinel in protecting the country and culture.

In fact, the BJP is also planning to follow the micro model by launching the Panna committee model where one Panna head will connect with five families while earlier in the Panna model, one head connected with 60 people.
New Delhi, Feb 5 : With an enhanced focus on employment generation, infrastructure development and economic growth, the outlay for capital expenditure in the Union Budget has been stepped up sharply by 35.4 per cent from Rs 5.54 lakh crore in 2022-23 to Rs 7.50 lakh crore in 2023-24.

The key announcement by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 during her budget speech was welcomed by all including the Industry and experts. The minister said capital expenditure has thus increased to more than 2.2 times the expenditure of 2019-20 and it would be 2.9 per cent of the GDP in 2022-23. Explaining the reason behind the rise in capex, the Minister said that the virtuous cycle of investment requires public investment to crowd-in private investment.

For the private investments to rise to their potential and to the needs of the economy, public investment must continue to take the lead and pump-prime the private investment and demand in 2022-23, said the Minister.

As per an estimate, each rupee of capital expenditure by the government adds nearly between Rs 2-3 to the gross domestic product (GDP) within a year or two. On the other hand, revenue expenditure, such as cash transfers, adds 90 to 99 paise to the GDP.

The rise in the capital expenditure also suggested the government's increased focus on all round infrastructure development from construction of highways and expressways, development of ports, airports and railways infrastructure.

To accelerate capital expenditure for creation and upgradation of infrastructure in the economy, the government had launched the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) with projected infrastructure investment of Rs 111 lakh crore during the period 2020-2025 to provide world-class infrastructure across the country, and improve the quality of life for all citizens.

The NIP was launched with 6,835 projects, which has expanded to over 9,000 projects covering 34 sub-sectors. The NIP is expected to improve project preparation, attract investments into infrastructure, and play a pivotal role in economic growth.

Similarly, Gati Shakti (National Master Plan for Infrastructure Development) has been launched as a digital platform to bring ministries and departments together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects. It will also facilitate the last mile connectivity of infrastructure and also reduce travel time for people.

Officials said that by successively increasing public capex, the spending on infrastructure such as roads and railways will be able to attract private capex which will help keep the economy's growth back on track. Moreover, the central government hopes for the wide multiplier effect of public capex which can create more jobs, as well as spur demand, which can lead businesses and industry to spend more money on capital expenditure.

Industry bodies have welcomed the government's initiative of a substantial rise in the Capex. "A push to investment and consumption was required to keep the growth cycle in motion. We are happy to note that the government has continued the thrust on capital expenditure with a 33% increase in the capital outlay to Rs 10 lakh crore representing 3.3% of GDP. This is a step in the right direction amidst a global economic situation which is still not at ease. Moreover, the revision in tax rates under the new regime will augur well on the consumption side," Subhrakant Panda, president, FICCI, said.

"Thirty three per cent jump in the capital expenditure to Rs 10 lakh crore clearly demonstrates the government's resolve to help India remain the fastest growing economy in the world, despite global headwinds," ASSOCHAM president Sumant Sinha said, thanking the Finance Minister for maintaining the pace of capex for the third year in a row.

The Centre is also incentivising the states to increase their capital spend as well on public infrastructure, taking the effective Centre's capital investment to Rs 13.7 lakh crore or 4.5 per cent of the GDP, he commended.
Chennai, Feb 5 : The government is moving India away from a saving economy -- the old Income Tax (IT) regime loaded with tax deduction investments -- to a spending economy by luring people to a new IT regime that is sans any tax savings investments, said chartered accountants.

It is also being said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget 2023-24 proposal of taxing the maturity and surrender amount of non-ULIP policies (purchased after April 1, 2023, if the total premium paid by an individual under such polices is more than Rs 5 lakh in a year, is a step towards the new IT regime.

Presenting her budget on February 1, 2023, Sitharaman said the new IT regime will be the default one but those tax payers wanting to continue with the old one can still do so.

In order to enthuse IT payers to the new regime, Sitharaman increased the rebate limit to Rs 7 lakh from the earlier Rs 5 lakh.

In other words, people with an income up to Rs 7 lakh need not pay any IT. In addition, she also reduced the number of tax slabs, extended the Standard Deduction and reduced the highest surcharge rate.

"The government continues with dual tax rate slabs - Old and New. The Old tax slab regime which promoted savings by allowing tax deduction has now become an unwanted child of the government. A lot of concessions are given to the new child - the new IT regime leaving the old one destitute," S.Jaishankar, a chartered accountant, told IANS.

"The government has expressly opined that it wants the tax payers to move away from the savings syndrome to consumption syndrome. Only with more consumption the gross domestic product (GDP) grows faster. All along the tax payers were investing in LIC not only for tax deduction but it was also giving financial security to meet the family needs like marriage, education. The government seems to tamper with this basic security," Jaishankar added.

Continuing, he said a government that wants the tax payers to move away from tax deduction mode, should also ensure that an income is not taxed at multiple levels.

Take company dividends for instance, the corporate pays around 27 per cent and the individual pays another 10 or 20 per cent, Jaishankar said.

Experts also pointed out that Indians pay goods and services tax (GST) on almost all the goods/services they consume and in addition there is IT.

"Today tax saving instruments are the ones that provide a sort of social security to individuals in India as the country doesn't have a proper social security net," P.S. Prabhakar, a practicing chartered accountant, told IANS.

The government can even abolish the IT for salaried class as the net revenue from this source after the staff salaries, pensions, will not be great, said a couple of commoners.

"Despite its advantages, the Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) introduced a few years back, it is still not popular. The government is also not serious about it. The investment in SGB is blocked for a minimum of 5 years. The government should have relaxed it to make it more popular. The gold smuggling economy is a parallel economy and thrives on jewel crazy Indians," Jaishankar added.

Queried about the dual tax regime Sitharaman said they would continue to exist.

On the view that the government is moving towards a consumption economy Sitharaman wondered why this narrative is being set up.

"The government's intent is clear - simplifying direct tax. The individuals can stay under the old regime. In the old regime, the tax rate is high and there were deductions. In the new regime, the tax rate is low. There is more money in the people's hands and they can decide where to invest to take care of the family needs," Sitharaman said.

According to her, the investment avenues are still available and the individuals can choose where to invest rather than being directed where to invest by the tax law.

Under the old tax regime, various tax deductions under Section 80 of the IT Act and other Sections were available.

Some of the tax saving measures were life insurance premium, fixed deposits, National Savings Certificate, ELSS, tuition fees for children, housing loan repayment, investment in Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme, contribution to pension fund of insurers, National Pension Scheme, Infrastructure Bonds, Health Insurance Premium and others.

Be that as it may, for people having an income of Rs 7 lakh the tax liability is nil from the next assessment year -- 2024-25. Others have to compute their tax liability under the old -- with tax saving measures -- and the new regime to see which one is advantageous for them.

The new tax rates under the new regime are: Annual Income: IT Rate

Rs 0-3 lakh Nil

Rs 3-6 lakh 5 per cent

Rs 6-9 lakh 10 per cent

Rs 9-12 lakh 15 per cent

Rs 12-15 lakh 20 per cent

Above Rs 15 lakh 30 per cent

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Chennai, Feb 5 : The Indian banking sector is happy with the Union Budget for 2023-24 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

For the banking sector which is seeing an increased credit offtake in the recent times, is expecting more business due to increased allocation for capital investment and also inflow of cash with the increase in rebate for tax payers under the Income Tax Act which is expected to bring them some low cost funds.

While that is for the bankers, Sitharaman too had announcements for the investors and banking public. She said to improve bank governance and enhance investors' protection, certain amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, the Banking Companies Act and the Reserve Bank of India Act are proposed.

However Sitharaman declined to elaborate on the proposed amendments when queried by the media as the Parliament session is on.

Be that as it may, Sitharaman said the capital investment outlay for FY24 is being increased steeply for the third year in a row by 33 per cent to Rs 10 lakh crore, which would be 3.3 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

"The direct capital investment by the Centre is complemented by the provision made for creation of capital assets through Grants-in-Aid to States. The Effective Capital Expenditure of the Centre is budgeted at Rs 13.7 lakh crore, which will be 4.5 per cent of the GDP," she said.

Sitharaman added that the newly established Infrastructure Finance Secretariat will assist all stakeholders for more private investment in infrastructure, including railways, roads, urban infrastructure and power, which are predominantly dependent on public resources.

According to A.K. Goel, Chairman, Indian Banks Association (IBA) and Managing Director & CEO, Punjab National Bank, the increased capital expenditure could help in further increasing the demand for bank funds.

"Similarly, setting up of an Agriculture Accelerator Fund for encouraging innovative start-ups in rural areas would help banks to get more information on the agriculture sector, which is one of the main segments where the resources of banks are deployed. Besides, Rs 20 lakh crore in targeted agriculture credit from the banking sector will also help the agri sector immensely," Goel said.

The Finance Minister's announcement to infuse Rs 9,000 crore to revamp the Credit Guarantee Scheme will enable additional collateral-free guaranteed credit of Rs 2 lakh crore for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through the banking sector.

According to CARE Ratings the proposal to allow carry forward of losses on strategic disinvestment, including that of the IDBI Bank, will support the strategic initiatives of the government.

The announcement that the government and its undertakings to return 95 per cent of the forfeited amount relating to bid or performance security in cases of failure by MSMEs to execute contracts during the Covid period will increase the credit profile of the sector, CARE Ratings added.

Sitharaman's announcement on the establishment of a Urban Infrastructure Development Fund managed by the National Housing Bank (NHB) would support lending by banks and non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) for infrastructure assets in tier-2/3 urban locations, according to CARE Ratings.

"In the area of green energy, the budget has provided for Rs 35,000 crore for priority capital investment towards energy transition and net zero objectives. There is also a proposal in the budget on green credit programme which will be notified under the Environmental Protection Act which envisages facilitating behavioural change for protecting the environment.

"This could intensify environmentally sustainable and responsive actions by companies, individuals and local bodies. Since banks are also focusing in sustainable financing, this proposal will also help the banks in their initiatives," Goel said.

Initiatives to promote business activities in GIFT IFSC and setting up of the National Financial Information registry are all positives for the banking sector too, Goel added.

According to CARE Ratings the proposal relating to normalisation of taxation on Market Linked Debentures (MLD) will adversely impact fundraising by NBFCs from high net worth individuals (HNI) and family office funds. The proposal is likely to impact bond capital markets at the margin.

The Finance Minister also said the financial sector regulators will be requested to carry out a review of existing regulations.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
New Delhi, Feb 5 : Twitter has told businesses to pay $1,000 per month for retaining gold badges and brands and organisations which do not pay the money will lose their checkmarks.

The Elon Musk-run company, which is busy monetising its platform via various means, will also charge an extra $50 per month to add badges to each account affiliated with the brand, reports The Information.

A screenshot posted by social media consultant Matt Navarra also suggested that Twitter is going to charge a massive $1,000 per month.

"Twitter is reportedly emailing businesses offering gold check mark verification for $1000 PER MONTH! And affiliate account verification for $50 each per month," tweeted Navarra.

Twitter did not immediately comment on this.

"As an early access subscriber, you'll get a gold checkmark for your organisation and affiliation badges for its associates," read an email sent by Twitter to businesses.

"If you'd like to subscribe, Verified for Organisations is $1,000 per month, and $50 per additional affiliated handle per month with one month of free affiliations," it added.

Twitter had rolled out gold badges ahead of its Verification for Organisations programme (formerly called Blue for Business), which allows brands to "verify and distinguish themselves on Twitter." In December last year, Twitter relaunched its Blue subscription service with verification, costing $8 for Android users and $11 for iPhone owners per month.

Musk has now said that all legacy verified accounts will soon lose their Blue badges as those are 'deeply corrupted'.

The micro-blogging platform has expanded its Blue service subscription service to six more countries, taking the total to 12 where users can subscribe to it.
New Delhi, Feb 5 : In the annual Union budget, most look out for any change in the tax slab. On Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget in the Parliament and spoke about the change in the tax slabs along with the electoral equations of this budget.

This budget has prepared a complete road map for the polls in the near future. Explaining the political aspect of this budget, analysts say that there is no doubt that this budget will help in assembly elections of nine states to be held this year and the Lok Sabha elections next year.

But the challenge is how the BJP leaders and people's representatives take this budget to the public and how much advantage they can take of it.

BJP planned a nationwide campaign to take the understanding of the budget to the common people. Leaders were asked to hold press conferences in every district in the states.

BJP won the confidence of working class as it is people-friendly. There is a lot in this budget for the common man and the poor people of the country. Maximum relief is going to be given in the form of tax.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the Budget saying that it provides a foundation to the resolve for a developed India. BJP leaders including Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh also hailed the 'Amrit Kaal' Budget.

The Opposition has alleged that the Budget has been devised for the polls and not for the welfare of the country.

Congress said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government could not meet expectations. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the Budget is anti-people and that it did not pay heed to the poor in the country and raised the unemployment issue. She said that Budget 2023 is "totally opportunistic." However, there were some opposition leaders though, who applauded the budget. Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor and P. Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, had few words of praise for the annual document.

Tharoor said: "The tax exemptions are a good thing. But no one heard anything about MNREGA. What has been done for the unemployed people in the villages? Actually, we did not even hear the word unemployment, which is such a massive issue in our country." "So was the case with price rise. They will give tax exemptions, but whatever they give, you will end up spending the money you save because of rising prices," he added.
Jaipur, Feb 5 : The Union Budget 2023-24 has made a big cut in the allocation to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, which is considered to be the livelihood lifeline for the poorest of the poor.

At the same time, the Budget has also reduced by a third the funds for the scholarship scheme for children belonging to the minority communities. These issues, as well as a national status not being accorded to the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), are being highlighted by the Congress Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot.

The budgets of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission and Bharat Swachh Mission, however, have been increased as compared to last year. With this increase, Rajasthan will get more funds.

The biggest impact, however, will be seen on the labourers linked to MGNREGA, especially in the rural areas.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has reduced the budget of MGNREGA by about Rs 30,000 crore as compared to the last time. Due to this reduction, the share of Rajasthan is also expected to come down.

If this happens, there will be a direct impact on about 1.45 crore rural labourers of Rajasthan associated with this scheme.

In the last budget of the Central government, the size of this scheme was Rs 73,000 crore. Later, seeing the need, the revised estimate was increased by the Centre to Rs 89,400 crore. This time the size has been reduced to only Rs 60,000 crore.

For MGNREGA, the states get 75 per cent of the funds from the Centre. Last year, keeping in view the budget provisions of the Centre, the state government had made a provision of Rs 3906 crore in its own budget, estimating the share to be received from the Centre at Rs 2970 crore.

Reacting to the budget announcement, Chief Minister Gehlot termed it as a disappointment for his state. He said the MGNREGA cut proves the Budget is against the poor, especially the landless farmers.

A number of "fake announcements" related to agriculture and farmers' welfare have been made in this budget, Gehlot said, but the actual allocation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is about 6 per cent (around Rs 7,500 crore) lower than what it got last year. Similarly, there has been a significant reduction of 15 per cent (approximately Rs 23,000 crore) in urea subsidy, compared to last year.

"People of the state are disappointed because the central government has not accepted our demand for a national status to the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project, which is important for the development of the state," Gehlot said. "Only headline-making jumlas have been used in the budget," he added.

Meanwhile, in the budget presented in Parliament on Wednesday, two announcements related to millets and animal dung can turn around the fortunes of Rajasthan, feel experts.

It has been announced to make India a global hub in coarse grain production and to open 10,000 cow dung collection centres for organic fertilizers. Finance Minister Sitharaman has named millet as Shri Anna (Food of God).

Rajasthan ranks No. 1 in the country in millet production. Coarse grains like millet, barley, jowar, maize are being grown here traditionally for centuries. About 5.50 crore people are directly engaged in agriculture in Rajasthan. Experts say if the state government works seriously on these announcements, then the fate of 5.50 crore people out of the 7.50 crore living in Rajasthan can change.

Independent experts have hailed the Budget announcements on millets, include making the country a global hub for millet production, opening of a research institute in the country, especially for bajra, 50 per cent discount on fertilisers for the cultivation of coarse grains, setting up of 10,000 Bio Input Resource Centres (for cow dung collection) to prepare organic manure for coarse grain production, and the creation of a Rs 20 lakh crore fund to enable farmers to get loans directly.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Rajasthan is number one in the country. Rajasthan is followed by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for annual production of 1939 and 1019 tonnes. In such a situation, due to the implementation of a special plan related to the marketing of millets, millet can reach the food plates of the world after coming out of the fields of Rajasthan.

Through the 10,000 centres to be opened across the country for making organic manure, people will now be able to earn even from cow dung. Rajasthan comes second in animal husbandry after UP. 56.8 million animals are reared here. In such a situation, experts believe that more organic fertilizer centres will be established in Rajasthan as compared to other states. This will create new employment opportunities.

In the Budget, Finance Minister Sitharaman has said that there are about 700 crore (seven billion) people in the world and the biggest problem facing them is fighting hunger. In such a situation, India's coarse grains, which can be grown with less water and less land, can mitigate global hunger. By increasing the production of these crops, India can move from being the No. 5 economy to becoming the No. 1 in the world.








The rule provides that the National Police of Peru (PNP) maintains control of internal order supported by the Armed Forces.









In the case of Puno, the Armed Forces are in charge of maintaining internal order, which will be joined by the PNP to achieve said goal in the area where a state of emergency has been declared.





The state of emergency is an exception regime supported by Article 137 of the Constitution.





The exercise of constitutional rights relating to the inviolability of homes, freedom of transit across the national territory, freedom of assembly, as well as personal freedom and security included in Subsections 9), 11), 12), and 24) f of Article 2 contained in Peru's Political Constitution are restricted in the aforementioned localities.





On the other hand, the supreme decree states that, for 10 calendar days, a mandatory curfew will be effective in said region. Thus, the people of Puno region must remain at home from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. the following day.





During the curfew hours, people may only circulate on the roads of public use for the acquisition, production, and supply of food, which includes its storage and distribution for sale to the public.



Strictly necessary personnel who participate in the provision of health services and medicines, and those who ensure the provision of water and sanitation services, as well as agriculture, fishing and aquaculture, transportation, surveillance and security, delivery, restaurants and hotels are exempt from the measure.

The employees of the companies that provide assistance, financial services, electricity, gas, fuels, telecommunications and related activities, cleaning and solid waste collection services, funerary services and related activities, cargo-merchandise transportation and related activities, activities related to the resumption of economic growth, transportation of funds, as stipulated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, are also excluded from the order.

During the curfew, pharmacies and drugstores are allowed to operate according to the provision thereon. Likewise, the services provided by the Ministry of Women for the care of vulnerable people remain operational.

Written, radio, and television press members will be allowed to circulate during curfew hours provided that they carry their personal working permits, respective badges, and ID cards for identification purposes.



Likewise, the people who require urgent or emergency medical attention because their life or health are at serious risk or those who need to buy medicines, are allowed to move on foot or by vehicle as well.

Prime Minister Alberto Otarola, Defense Minister Jorge Chavez, The supreme decree was signed by the President of the Republic Dina Boluarte Interior Minister Vicente Romero , and Justice-Human Rights Minister Jose Tello





(END) CVC/RMB

The Executive Branch has declared a State of Emergency in the regions of Madre de Dios, Cusco, Puno, Apurimac, Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna, for 60 calendar days, in order to ensure that security and social peace prevail in the country.Published: 2/5/2023
New Delhi, Feb 5 : Through the first Saptarishi budget of "Amrit Kaal", the BJP aims to gather the support of voters from all sections of the society. This is the reason why Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the budget on February 1, tried to provide benefits to the country's rural population, tribes, farmers, women, middle class, senior citizens, MSMEs, traders, youth, cooperatives etc, along with special focus on health, education and skills among others.

Along with the government, the party started a mega campaign on February 1, under the chairmanship of party president JP Nadda, at the organisational level to inform the people of the budget's merits, which will run till February 12.

In the mega campaign, from February 4 to February 12, the saffron party has developed a strategy to deploy its Central ministers across the country who will hold press conferences in more than 50 cities and interact with the public on the merits of the budget.

During the campaign, the Chief Ministers and the Deputy Chief Ministers of the BJP ruled states and the leader of opposition or any other senior leader in the states where there is no BJP government will inform the people about the budget through a press conference or seminar.

On Friday, Sitharaman briefed the party MPs about the merits of the budget and the points that the MPs should highlight among the public and reach people in their parliamentary constituencies through the local media.

These points have to be publicised during the Parliament session and the allegations of the opposition parties have to be countered both inside and outside the Parliament.

In this budget workshop held by Sitharaman, MPs from both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were present.

Describing the budget as one that gives priority to the deprived, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that this first budget of Amrit Kal would build a strong foundation to fulfil the grand vision of a developed India.

Describing it as a historic budget, Modi had said that the budget would fulfil the dreams of every citizen, including the poor, farmers and the middle class.

The BJP believes that voters can be wooed through this campaign and the party has launched it vigorously in the Tripura Assembly election campaign from Friday itself.

They are also expected to do so in the election campaigns in Meghalaya and Nagaland.

Assembly elections are to be held in Tripura on February 16 and in Meghalaya and Nagaland on February 27.

Apart from these three states, Assembly elections are to be held in 6 other states -- Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Telangana and Mizoram -- this year.

BJP strategists believe that this first budget of Amrit Kal has something or the other for the people from all sections of the country. In this budget, important announcements were made for everyone which is being conveyed to the people in simple and easy language.

Strategists believe that the saffron party will benefit from this in the Assembly elections and in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Kolkata, Feb 5 : International Matua Parishad, the global association of Matua community, has given an ultimatum and deadline to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to apologise for her recent mispronunciation of the names of the two spiritual leaders of the community.

According to the Parishad convenor Sukesh Chowdhury, the chief minister should tender a public apology by issuing a statement for her mistake within the next seven days or the body will organise a "march to the state secretariat of Nabanna" on February 15.

He clearly said that although Trinamool Congress has issued a statement through Twitter where they described the mispronunciation as inadvertent, the Parishad will stick to their demand of a statement personally by the chief minister.

After the BJP vehemently attacked the chief minister for the mispronunciation and there was a growing anguish among the community members over the development, Trinamool Congress issued a statement on its official Twitter handle where they described the mispronunciation as inadvertent.

"The All-India Trinamool Congress has the utmost respect for the Matua Community. Hon'ble CM @MamataOfficial has always strived to ensure the holistic welfare of the community. We bow our heads in reverence to Shri Shri Harichand Thakur & Guruchand Thakur. Our detractors are trying to deceive the Matuas by using a clip of Hon'ble CM @MamataOfficial, where she uttered inadvertently. We urge the people to not fall prey to such misgivings but remember the countless efforts undertaken by the GoWB for Matua welfare," the Twitter message read.

At an administrative review meeting on January 31 at Gazole in Malda district, where people from the Matua community constitute a substantial proportion of the voters, the chief minister while detailing the development works undertaken by her government for the welfare of the community referred to the names of two iconic Matua spiritual leaders, Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur. However, she mispronounced the names as "Roghuchand" and "Goruchand".

Matuas are refugees from Bangladesh hailing from the Scheduled Caste background and contribute a substantial proportion of the voters in parts of North 24 Parganas, Nadia and Malda districts.

The leader of the opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, through a Twitter message slammed the chief minister for the mispronunciation of the names of the two spiritual leaders from the Matua community.

"The chief minister has insulted the entire Matua community by mispronouncing the names of the most respected spiritual leaders, Harichand Thakur and Guruchand Thakur. Throughout her life she has considered the Matua community as a vote-bank. Her ignorance has proved she had never respected the people from the community from her heart. I strongly condemn this," he said in the Twitter message.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 5 : A middle-aged woman professor, who had arrived here to attend a literary festival, was molested while on her way to her rented apartment.

The incident happened on Friday night when the woman and two of her friends were returning at 11.45 p.m. after attending the literary festival.

The festival was organised by the 'Matrubhumi' group at Thiruvananthapuram in which several noted writers and thinkers participated and sessions concluded late into the night.

When she was returning from the festival venue, two bike-riding men without a headlight on their bikes assaulted the woman and shoved her into the ground in a dark area near the venue. The woman professor was little behind her two friends and when she cried for help the others arrived and the assailants escaped from the area.

The Kerala Police have not been able to identify or nab the culprits so far.

It is to be noted that a woman doctor was molested a couple of months ago, during early morning hours near the place where the woman professor was assaulted. The accused, was however, traced by the police in a few days' time and found that he was the driver to the private secretary of the Kerala Water Works minister.

There are more than seven cases of assault and molestation against women that had been reported in the past three months in Thiruvananthapuram, which is boasting of a 3,000-strong police force that includes the Director General of Police (DGP), ADGP, an array of IGs and several SPs in the state capital.

A woman college professor from the state capital while speaking to IANS said, "Its really frightening as to what is happening in the capital city. I am working at a government-aided college here and the woman professor who was assaulted the day before yesterday is my good friend and we had just parted from the venue of the literary festival. If the police do not immediately catch the culprits, we will be forced to sit at home during evening hours and early morning hours. The capital city seems to be becoming out of bounds for women." Police, however, said that they were on the track and that the culprits would be soon arrested. A senior police officer told IANS that the police were acting fast and that the culprits would be soon booked.
Toronto, Feb 5 : A portion of a road in Abbotsford, British Columbia, will be named Komagata Maru Way in the memory of 376 Indians who sailed to Canada from India in 1914, but were turned away by the country.

Abbotsford City Council voted unanimously last week to rename a portion of South Fraser Way - which extends from Ware Street to Fairlane Street - to Komagata Maru Way, the Surrey-Now Leader reported.

The decision comes after descendants of those trapped aboard the Komagata Maru ship in Vancouver, asked the council to commemorate the humanitarian role played by Abbotsford's South Asian community at the time.

The project will cost $4,000 for the renaming. The council has also voted to fund a plaque at the Abbotsford Sikh temple at a cost of $10,000, and educational kits to inform future generations about the Komagata Maru incident.

"The gesture shows a commitment to promoting and understanding inclusiveness, and belonging to all residents regardless of their cultural background. It sends a strong message to our future generations that we must look ... to make sure we have a just society for everybody," Councillor Dave Sidhu told Surrey-Now Leader.

The Sikh residents of Abbotsford rallied together to assist passengers aboard the Komagata Maru... They provided food, housing, information, and community connection," a committee that was created in 2021 to study the incident, said in its findings.

"This Abbotsford connection to the plight of the Komagata Maru passengers is not well-known locally, and should be recognised as an important point of community pride," the report, which was submitted before the council, said.

The 376 Indians, including Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus, who sailed to Canada from India in 1914, were mostly from Punjab.

They were kept from docking for several months in dire conditions, and eventually forced to return to India. They reached Budge Budge near Kolkata on September 23, 1914.

"There (Vancouver) the majority of the passengers were imprisoned, and 20 were killed by gunfire when the ship was fired upon," the report told the council.

The development comes as the historic Komagata Maru Memorial in Vancouver was vandalised earlier this month for the third time in a row between 2021 and 2023.
Amaravati, Feb 5 : Nellore rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, who has raised the banner of revolt against the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), alleged on Sunday that though he has been receiving threatening phone calls, the government has scaled down his security.

The MLA, who created a sensation recently by alleging that his phones were being tapped, said his security was scaled with orders from the top.

Sridhar Reddy said the government had given him four gunmen (security guards) and on Saturday it issued orders to take back two of them.

He said the gunmen were taken back to mentally harass him. He said ever since he spoke about phone tapping he had been receiving threatening phone calls.

"In this situation, I need additional security but even the existing security was withdrawn. This would not have been done without orders from the top," he said "The government took back two gunmen but I am surrendering the remaining two as a gift to it. I am not afraid of anybody. I will go around alone," he said.

Sridhar Reddy said he was not afraid of threats or the false cases being booked against him.

The police had Saturday booked Sridhar Reddy and two others with alleged kidnapping of a ruling YSRC corporator and attempting to compel him into resigning from the party.

A case was registered against them for trespassing into home and kidnapping M. Vijayabhaskar Reddy, a corporator of Nellore city, with criminal intent.

The ruling party corporator, in his complaint, said Kotamreddy tried to persuade him to leave YSRCP and join him. When he refused, the corporator alleged, one of the MLA's followers, along with driver Ankaiah, intimidated and abducted him from the Padarupalli area on Friday between 2.30 p.m. and 3 p.m. and took him to the MLA. The corporator stated that he, however, managed to flee and filed a case against the MLA at Vedayapalem police station.

However, Sridhar Reddy clarified that he went to corporator Vijayabhaskar's house to talk to him. For that, a kidnapping case has been filed against him.

On Saturday, an audio tape of a phone call between Sridhar Reddy and one Borugadda Anil went viral on social media. In the audio, Anil warns the MLA to be careful in his public speeches regarding the YSRCP chief. Anil is heard threatening the MLA that he (Sridhar Reddy) and his brother would be chained to a vehicle and dragged through the streets of Nellore if they continue to criticise Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and YSRCP party leaders.
Islamabad, Feb 5 : Former Pakistan military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who had been living in Dubai since 2016, breathed his last on Sunday, local media reported.

The 79-year-old former president and chief of army staff was suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body, according to his family. The build-up of amyloid proteins (deposits) can make it difficult for the organs and tissues to work properly, The Express Tribune reported.

Musharraf assumed the post of Chief Executive after imposing martial law in the country in 1999 and served as the president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008, The Express Tribune reported.

The former president's family moved from New Delhi to Karachi in 1947. He joined the Pakistan Army in 1964 and was a graduate of the Army Staff and Command College, Quetta.
Islamabad, Feb 5 : As soon as demise of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf was confirmed by his family on Sunday, condolences started to pour in.

In a statement issued immediately after Musharraf's demise, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Sahir Shamshad and all the services chiefs express their heartfelt condolences, Dawn reported.

"May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family," the military's media wing said.

In a series of tweets, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani expressed deep sorrow over the former president's death and extended condolences to the grieving family.

Senior military chiefs expressed "heartfelt condolences on sad demise of General Pervez Musharraf", a brief statement released by the military's media wing said.

Taking to Twitter, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf senior leader Fawad Hussain extended his condolences and wrote, "Pervez Musharraf passed away, he was a great person, always Pakistan first was his thought and ideology. May God have mercy on him." Musharraf passed away in a Dubai hospital after a prolonged illness.
Chennai, Feb 5 : The successful completion of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra covering 4,080 km and traversing the country on foot has energised the Congress at the grassroots level.

Rahul Gandhi, who was mocked by the ruling party as 'Pappu' and a person with unpredictable moods who was not serious about politics, tried to reinvent himself by walking through the country and meeting people, braving the adverse weather and terrain.

While Rahul has completed the journey successfully, one person who has rejoiced most in the success of the yatra is Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin who inaugurated the Yatra at the southern tip of the country in Kanyakumari on September 7, 2022, by handing over the national flag to Gandhi.

Though the Yatra passed through Tamil Nadu for only four days, it was welcomed in an overwhelming manner by the DMK and its allies of the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) of which the Congress is also a part.

Stalin has exhorted party cadres to win all the 40 seats from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry with 39 from Tamil Nadu and one from Puducherry in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party feels that the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra which has brought an alternate narrative across the country will reverberate in Tamil Nadu also.

The Congress has eight Lok Sabha MPs from Tamil Nadu and other than Kerala and Karnataka, the party is expecting a major success in Tamil Nadu. Stalin and his DMK are a major support base for the party.

While Stalin is using the narrative of Rahul Gandhi's Yatra as a rallying point for the party and the alliance in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress is riding piggyback on the cadre strength of the DMK in Tamil Nadu, thus focusing on each other's strengths to gain momentum in the state.

The good governance and people friendly programmes of the state government led by Stalin has helped the DMK and the Secular Progressive Alliance in the state but Gandhi's Yatra has given the DMK a semblance of respect even at the national level. Wherever the Yatra reached, Stalin's name will echo as he was the one who inaugurated the Yatra.

S. Duraimurugan, senior leader of the DMK and minister for water works, told IANS: "The successful completion of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra is a prestigious moment for the DMK as it was our leader, M.K. Stalin who inaugurated the Yatra at Kanyakumari. The Congress leader has walked on foot and faced adverse weather and uneven terrain to successfully complete the Yatra and has changed the narrative in the country." Another interesting turn was Tamil superstar and founder president of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), Kamal Haasan joining the Yatra in Delhi.

Kamal Haasan and his MNM have been contesting the elections on their own without any alliance. DMK circles are now abuzz that Kamal would soon be joining the DMK front and the Yatra has been the reason for this new found bonhomie between the actor and the ruling party.

The DMK will be showcasing the success of the Yatra across Tamil Nadu and will portray this as the success of a single man against all odds. With the BJP not a big force in the state and the opposition AIADMK in disarray, the DMK led front seems to be on its way to victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress also can rejoice in the fact that these seats will add to the opposition kitty to the disadvantage of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Centre.
Los Angeles, Feb 5 : A lot has been said about the forever youthfulness of Hollywood actor Paul Rudd but, the actor too had his share of difficulties during the shoot of 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'.

The actor shared that training for the new Marvel Studios 'Ant-Man' project was a lot more difficult than it was in the past, reports People magazine.

Rudd, 53, who is the March 2023 cover star for 'Men's Health', told the magazine that getting in shape for the film was "so much harder".

"I worked really hard to get back into shape for Quantumania, and I realised, 'Oh my God, this is so much harder than it was (for the last Ant-Man project)," he told the magazine. "I had fallen off more than I had in the past. All of a sudden my clothes fit tight. And I thought, 'God, this sucks. I can't even wear these pants.'" "So I'd say to myself, Well, I might as well just eat some of these cookies. I was irritable and self-conscious. I just wasn't in a good mood. I really beat myself up,'" he added, quoted by People.

However, Rudd credited his determination and work ethic as essential keys to achieving his ideal figure.

"I can be a hyper-focused person if I have a goal. If I'm doing one of these movies and I know that in four months I have to do a shirtless scene, I'm pretty dialled in," he explained. "I also try to find a happy medium. I could work out hard and eat perfectly and I'll still look worse than most of the other Avengers," Rudd quipped.
Guwahati, Feb 5 : Barely a few weeks before, the election fight for Meghalaya looked easy for Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's National People's Party (NPP). But the scenario is changing at a fast pace, with the primary opposition party, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, looking to have gained ground in the Hill state and posing a strong challenge to the ruling bastion.

After defeating the BJP in West Bengal in 2021, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leadership was very keen to expand its base outside West Bengal.

Meanwhile, Meghalaya witnessed a dramatic shift in November 2021 when an upset Mukul Sangma decided to leave Congress and switched to TMC with 12 MLAs.

Many then believed that political strategist Prashant Kishore played a role in the induction of Sangma and his followers into Trinamool. Whatever be the fact, this change made Banerjee's party the main opponent in Meghalaya.

Whether the switch would prove beneficial for Mukul Sangma was a question to be asked as the Khasi people see Trinamool as a Bengali-dominated party.

NPP and BJP picked up this issue and labelled allegations that if voted to power, TMC will be remotely controlled from Kolkata. With a large portion of voters belonging to the Christian community, this may dent their chances in the state. Trinamool leaders are trying hard to trash this narrative, with Mukul Sangma leading the way.

In the 60-member state assembly in Meghalaya, 24 seats fall in the Garo Hills region and the rest in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills.

Both Conrad Sangma and Mukul Sangma are fighting in the Garo Hills area. The political pundits of Meghalaya say that the people of the Garo Hills often vote in large numbers for a single party. Trinamool was early to start campaigning heavily in that region.

Prashant Kishore's I-PAC is overseeing the TMC's poll campaign, and a bunch of young boys and girls have been roped in, many of whom have prior experience handling high-voltage Bengal campaigns two years ago.

Mukul Sangma has a strong foothold in Garo Hills and TMC's poll meetings are drawing good crowds there. The Trinamool leaders have claimed that they will outnumber other parties in that region by a good margin.

Conrad Sangma's National People's Party is also pulling out all the stops in Garo Hills. He is contesting election from South Tura constituency, however, his old ally BJP which has engaged in 'ugly' fight with the NPP may cost Chief Minister Sangma a few seats there.

The Congress is almost nowhere in the picture in Garo Hill. Though, the BJP is eyeing big gains in this region, it may end up winning two or three seats there.

On the other hand, all the major parties -- NPP, TMC, BJP, Congress --- and some local parties, such as the UDP and HSPDP, are active in the Khasi-Jaitia hills. Each party has been projected to win some seats here, but probably no one will be able to win big in that region.

In the Khasi-Jaintia Hills, people generally vote looking at the individual candidates, largely ignoring the party symbols; this trend has been followed in the last few elections in the state. If the trend continues, this time too, the party that will win the big in Garo Hills will be the frontrunner for power in Meghalaya.
Every idle word. Every careless word. Believe it or not, we can be quite careless with our words!

Consider the naming of names.

Words have power. I have to be wary about limiting myself to whatever weaknesses I could possibly have  or perhaps for a single event. For example, how would it feel to get caught being untruthful and then being dubbed with the title, Here comes ol Liar? That is who you are, forever, never to change. We also need to be aware of whatever label society affixes to us. Just as importantly, be careful about how you name yourself!

Words have power. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus reminds us, we have to give an account for every careless word (we) utter (12:36). Besides idle, the Greek word ("argos") also means lazy. We too often dont consider the impact our words carry. Or maybe we do! We might intend our words to hurt, calling each other stupid, ugly, worthless. We utter curses rather than blessings. We are told, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What is in us has a way of coming out.

Words have power. That power can be wielded for good or ill. That power can be filled with grace or filled with reproach.

There are some words of wisdom that state, truth is in order to goodness. (Its a nugget from Presbyterian history, but dont worry, its available to all!) The truth must serve the good. It must promote goodness. It is possible to tell the truth with the purpose of crushing someone, beating them down. The truth can be told with malevolent intent. I call that the devils truth. Its meant, as I just said, to hurt and not to help. To the extent it does that, it really isnt the truth.

What stories do we tell about each other? What stories do we tell about ourselves? Are they stories of despair and discouragement? Are they stories of acceptance and affirmation?

Ive often wondered, how many wars have been started (both wars large and small) over a word misheard? Once the word is out there, its out there. It really is impossible to take it back.

Theres an illustration many of us will recognize. What happens when we give a tube of toothpaste a little squeeze? Here comes the toothpaste. But what if we have a change of heart? Well, we could return it from whence it came. I have tried that, and to my amazement, Ive never been successful. Its impossible to take the toothpaste back.

In his journals, the Danish philosopher and theologian Soren Kierkegaard makes an embarrassing confession. I have just returned from a party, he says, of which I was the life and soul; wit poured from my lips, everyone laughed and admired me  but I went away  and the dash should be as long as the earths orbit  (inserted in the text is a dash taking up half the line) and wanted to shoot myself.

Of course, none of us have ever spoken foolish words, whether accompanied by drink or not! Idle words, indeed. Having said that, even when we speak out of turn, our words can be transformed; they can be redeemed.

There is a word that liberates. It is the word  the word permeating the cosmos. It is the word with all power. It is the living word. It is the word that defeats death, Jesus the Christ. It is the word rising from the dead and letting us know that in the end, nothing has truly been wasted.

Speaking with that word, our breath is never wasted.

May we accept the word about ourselves, no matter how painfully beautiful it might seem.
Hyderabad, Feb 5 : About 400 women sanitation employees of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will undergo free breast cancer screening.

In an endeavor to reach out to vulnerable women employees, KIMS Hospital is organising free mammography screening for the women sanitation employees aged above 50 years.

Dr. P. Raghu Ram, Director, KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases noted that the GHMC Sanitation Staff work to gruelling schedules late into the night and early hours of the morning, exposing themselves to the dust and air pollution and many times risking their lives.

A newly acquired latest generation 3D mammography system would be used to undertake screening for these women. The programme started from World Cancer Day on February 4 and will continue till International Women's day on March 8.

"The aim is to detect cancer very early before the woman or the doctor can feel the lump in the breast, which ensures a cure and excellent long term survival," said the eminent breast surgeon who tried to create awareness about the importance of early detection amongst this most vulnerable group through a video and powerpoint presentation.

"There are only two ways to fight breast cancer, which is the commonest cancer affecting women in India. Firstly women of all ages must be 'breast aware' and report any new changes to the doctor. Secondly, women over the age of 40 years must have an annual screening mammogram," he said.

Dr. B. Bhaskar Rao, CMD, KIMS Hospitals said this initiative yet again would go a long way in saving many lives. As part of the Corporate-Social Responsibility, KIMS Hospitals would be screening 400 underprivileged women this year. The Screening Mammograms would be undertaken at KIMS-Ushalakshmi Centre for Breast Diseases, which is south Asia's first purpose-built comprehensive Breast Centre at KIMS Hospitals.

Dr Raghuram observed that in India with around 14,00,000 new cases diagnosed and over 8,00,000 deaths every year, the cancer 'tsunami' in India has rapidly emerged to become a major public health concern. The grim statistics from WHO reveal that 1 in 9 Indians will develop cancer in their lifetime and one in 15 will die of it.

Due to lack of awareness, the absence of a robust nationwide screening programme, inadequate healthcare staffing/infrastructure, limited affordability, and most importantly, inequitable and poor access to care, close to 60 per cent of cancer patients in India present in advanced stages, with significantly higher mortality, when compared with high-income countries. Breast cancer has overtaken cervical cancer to become the most common cancer affecting women in India.

"Close to 30 per cent of all new cancers detected in women in India are breast cancers. Around 2,00,000 new breast cancers are diagnosed every year in India. In other words, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer every 4 minutes. In India, a woman succumbs to breast cancer every 8 minutes. Every year, 100,000 women succumb to the disease," he said.
Dubai, Feb 5 : Mortal remains of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, who passed away on Sunday in a Dubai hospital after a prolonged illness, will be brought to Pakistan, sources said.

A special court had sentenced the former military ruler to death on December 17, 2019, under Article 6 of the Constitution. A case of high treason was filed against him during Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) tenure.

It was the first time in Pakistan's history that a former military ruler faced trial for treason. However, that death sentence was later nixed by the Lahore High Court.

General (Retd) Musharraf always wanted to go back to Pakistan once.

Musharraf always hoped that when PTI chief Imran Khan's government would be formed in Pakistan, he would be able to go back to the country, but in vain.
Hyderabad, Feb 5 : The Telangana cabinet on Sunday approved the State Budget 2023-24, which will be tabled in the state Assembly on Monday.

The cabinet met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of the Chief Minister.

The State cabinet discussed and approved the budget proposals, said the Chief Minister's Office.

State Finance Minister, T. Harish Rao will present the Budget in the state Assembly on Monday.

With Assembly elections scheduled to be held towards the end of this year, this will be the last Budget of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in its present term.

Ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections, the government is likely to announce some new proposals and increase the allocations to various departments.

The overall size of the budget is likely to exceed Rs three lakh crore. Last year, the Finance Minister had presented the 2022-23 Budget with an outlay of Rs 2.56 lakh crore.

The Budget session of the State Legislature began on February 3 with Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan's address to the joint session of Legislative Assembly and Council.

The Budget for 2023-24 was approved by the Governor after an unprecedented rift between the Raj Bhavan and the BRS government. The latter had last week approached the Telangana high court, seeking direction to the Governor to approve the Budget as Raj Bhavan had not responded to the request to clear the relevant file.

The division bench of the high court headed by Chief Justice Ujwal Bhuyan, however, asked both the sides to resolve the issue amicably and not to drag the court into it. On the court's advice the counsels of both the parties held talks and agreed to resolve the deadlock.

While the state government agreed to begin the Budget session with a speech by the Governor, the latter consented to approve the Budget.

Last year, the Budget session had commenced without the Governor's address, kicking up a massive row between the Governor and the KCR government.

The Governor had taken exception to the government's action but the latter defended the move on the ground that it was not a new session but a continuation of the previous session.
New Delhi, Feb 5 : Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday condoled the demise of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf.

Tharoor said that Musharraf, who was once and implacable foe of India, had became a real force for peace during 2002 to 2007.

"I met him annually in those days at the @un &found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said.

Taking to Twitter, Tharoor posted: "Pervez Musharraf, Former Pakistani President, Dies of Rare Disease: once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace 2002-2007. I met him annually in those days at the @un &found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP" Musharraf, 79 died of a rare disease in a hospital in Dubai on Sunday.
Islamabad, Feb 5 : As soon as demise of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf spread in the country on Sunday, condolences started to pour in.

President Arif Alvi offered prayers for the former COAS and extended condolences.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also offered condolences to the former president's family and prayed for the departed soul.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza and services chiefs expressed condolences.

"Heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of General Pervez Musharaf, Former President, CJCSC and Chief of Army Staff. May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to bereaved family," a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated.

"May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family," the military's media wing said.

In a series of tweets, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani expressed deep sorrow over the former president's death and extended condolences to the grieving family.

Taking to Twitter, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf senior leader Fawad Hussain extended his condolences and wrote, "Pervez Musharraf passed away, he was a great person, always Pakistan first was his thought and ideology. May God have mercy on him." Extending condolences, former Punjab province chief minister Parvez Elahi said that Musharraf's services to the Pakistan Army and the country cannot be forgotten.

Musharraf passed away in a Dubai hospital after a prolonged illness.
Mumbai, Feb 5 : Actress Pooja Hegde, who will be soon seen in the upcoming Salman Khan-starrer film 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan', recently shared that she has wrapped up the film. The film is an action thriller in which Pooja will be playing the lead role opposite superstar Salman Khan.

Pooja took to her Instagram stories to share the update with her fans notifying them of the wrap-up. The actor captivated the audience with her looks in the teaser that was released a week ago, fans are eagerly waiting to witness her on the big screen again.

The film is directed by Farhad Samji and is set to have a release on April 21, 2023.

Apart from this, the actress will soon begin shooting for her next 'SSMB 28' with Mahesh Babu. She also shared a few pictures from the make-up session of another project.
Muzaffarnagar : , Feb 5 (IANS) Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait has asked farmers to reach Muzaffarnagar for a Maha Panchayat on February 10 in 'expired' 10-year-old tractors.

This, he said, will send out a message that many in the farming community are upset over the ban on diesel vehicles, including tractors that are over 10 years old.

Tikait accused the Centre of misleading people over the minimum support price for crops and said the stir for it will continue.

Scores of farmers affiliated to BKU launched an indefinite strike, led by Tikait, last week in Muzaffarnagar district, seeking a resolution to their issues.

"We are going to discuss government's unfulfilled promises on pending sugarcane issues, new sugarcane state advised price (SAP), electricity meter installed on tube well, and most importantly MSP (Minimum Support Price)," Tikait said about the agenda for the Maha Panchayat.

Meanwhile, national general secretary of BKU, Yudhveer Singh, said, "The farmers did not get anything even in the budget. The government is not talking about sugarcane prices and the pending cane payments. They are just misleading the farmers." Sources in BKU said several farmer leaders from across Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut, Saharanpur, etc, associated with Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) will also attend the Maha Panchayat.
New Delhi, Feb 5 : The Congress on Sunday said that it will ask three questions a day related to Adani issue to the Prime Minister. The Congress said that after Panama Papers leak no action was taken despite assurance from the Prime Minister.

Congress Communication In-charge Jairam Ramesh said on Sunday, "Amid the allegations against the Adani Group, the Modi government has maintained a loud silence which smacks of collusion. Starting today, the Congress party will pose three questions a day to the Prime Minister." Raising a question before the Prime Minister, Ramesh alleged, "In response to the Panama Papers expose on 4 April 2016, the Ministry of Finance announced that you had personally directed a multi-agency investigative group to monitor financial flows to and from offshore tax havens. Subsequently, at the G20 summit in Hangzhou, China on 5 September 2016, you stated: 'We need to act to eliminate safe havens for economic offenders, track down and unconditionally extradite money launderers and break down the web of complex international regulations and excessive banking secrecy that hide the corrupt and their deeds.' This leads to some questions that you and your government cannot hide from saying "HAHK (Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun)." "Vinod Adani, the brother of Gautam Adani, was named in the Panama Papers and the Pandora Papers as someone who operates offshore entities in the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands. He is alleged to have engaged in 'brazen stock manipulation' and 'accounting fraud' via 'a vast labyrinth of offshore shell entities'. You have spoken often about your sincerity and 'niyat' in fighting corruption and even subjected the nation to the heavy costs of demonetisation.

"What does the fact that a business entity you are well acquainted with faces serious allegations tell us about the quality and sincerity of your investigations?" he asked.

The Congress leader said, "Over the years you have misused agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence to intimidate your political opponents and to punish business houses that do not fall in line with your cronies' financial interests.

"What action has been taken, if ever, to investigate the serious allegations made over the years against the Adani Group? Is there any hope of a fair and impartial investigation under you?" he said "How is it possible that one of India's largest business groups, one that has been allowed to build monopolies in airports and seaports, could have escaped serious scrutiny for so long despite persistent allegations? Other business groups have been harassed and raided for much less. Was the Adani Group essential to a dispensation that has profited from 'anti-corruption' rhetoric all of these years?" he asked.
Gaya, Feb 5 : Patwa Toli of Manpur block in Gaya district, called the 'Manchester' of Bihar, was once identified as a village of weavers. "The situation has drastically changed," said 55-year-old Jumman Ansari, who is a worker in a powerloom here.

The small weavers and the powerloom owners have been facing a tough time as they are unable to compete with the technologically advanced machines of today's era. The demand for readymade garments of Punjab and Ludhiana has increased in the village's markets.

Manpur, which is also known as 'Mini Kanpur,' is situated on the banks of Falgu river in the district. Powerlooms and handlooms are run in almost every house of the village, through which a wide array of fabrics, from gamcha (a traditional cotton towel) to quilt, mattresses and pillow covers are made.

Jumman Ansari said that earlier the elders would want their children to join the business, which was also preferred by the children.

He added that the situation had changed as these days they do not want the future generations to indulge in the business.

Getting nostalgic of the past, Ansari said that the thread which is now imported from other states, was easily available in the village earlier.

He added that the technique of weaving clothes in the village remained the same whereas other states had progressive technology of the same.

President of Bihar Pradesh Weavers Welfare Association, Gopal Prasad Patwa told IANS that earlier threads were made in many areas, including Gaya, Bhagalpur and Mokama of the state.

He said that these factories were gradually closed.

Patwa added that it had been rightly said that the business is a cottage industry, in which the whole family gets involved.

He said that the Mini Textile Park Screening Yarn Mill at Gaya would prove to be beneficial for the domestic micro cottage textile industry.

He added that adopting modern technology would lead to a decrease in cost and an increase in quality of production.

Apart from 12,000 powerloom machines, 1,000 textile production units of a large number of handloom machines run today in the village.

A total of 20,000 workers are provided employment directly or indirectly in operating these machines, running the calendering machine along with dyeing and washing the yarn.

An elderly artisan said that handlooms have been running in Manpur since three to four generations.

He said that the majority of handlooms that existed earlier had been replaced by powerlooms, the trend of which increased after 1957.

Powerlooms run at a higher speed as compared to handlooms which increases the production, due to which the people started preferring powerlooms over handlooms.

Ravindra Singh, Bihar state president of Laghu Udyog Bharati, said that 70-75 per cent of the produced goods are sent to West Bengal.

Apart from West Bengal, goods are supplied to Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand but there is minimal demand in these states.

Singh said that the traders who used to buy goods from them earlier, have stopped as the quality of goods is low due to not using modern technology.

He said that people of the Patwa Toli are unable to change their machines due to the difficulties faced in availing bank loans.

Apart from this, Singh added that recently, discharging the chemicals used to dye yarn in the drains was banned citing pollution, which added to the villagers' problems.

Prakash Patwa, who is associated with the business, said that the powerlooms that run in other parts of India including Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh are equipped with state-of-the-art techniques, due to which they are flourishing.

He added that such modernisation was still a long way to go in Patwa Toli.

Patwa said that the red coloured gamcha made in the village is popular amongst the tribals of Bengal, Odisha and Assam and has high demands.

Powerloom owners claim that such gamchas are not manufactured anywhere else.

Significantly, Patwa Toli is also known as the village of IITians.
Mumbai, Feb 5 : Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who recently made her comeback on Twitter, has alleged that a well-known actor from the film industry is "spying" on her. The actress shared that things have got to a point where not just in the streets, she is being spied on even in her building's parking and her terrace.

The actress took to the story section of her Instagram on Sunday and shared a long note, talking about how she is being followed by an actor, who also once tried to push himself on her. She also alleged that the actor's wife is well aware of her husband's actions but instead of putting an end to it, she is supporting her husband.

Kangana started off her note by saying: "Everywhere I go I am being followed and spied on, not only on the streets even in my building parking and home terrace they put zoom lenses to capture me, everyone knows paparazzi only visit stars if they are tipped these days they even started to charge to click actors, my team or I aren't paying them so who is paying them?" She then went on to state that she is surprised how the ones clicking her are well acquainted her with schedule: "In the morning I was clicked at 6:30a.m., how do they get my schedule? What do they do with these pictures? And now as I finished my early morning choreography practice session, no one was tipped to come to the studio yet they all turned up in large numbers even on a Sunday, I am certain my WhatsApp data is being leaked, professional deals or even personal life details." She then referred to nepotism: "This obsessed nepo mafia clown, who once landed at my doorstep uninvited and forced himself on me, is a known womaniser and Casanova but now vice president of nepo mafia brigade as well, forces his wife to become producer, do more female centric films, dress like me even make home interiors like me they even hired my stylist and even home stylists of many years who then refused to work with me." She went on: "Wife is encouraging this obsessive behaviour she even wore the same sari for her wedding that I had worn earlier for my brother's wedding reception, it's beyond creepy...recently a film costume designer friend (best friend) I knew from more than a decade also had a nasty fall out with me coincidentally he is working with the couple now, my financiers or business partners call off deals last minute for no reasons." "I think he is trying to isolate me and put me through mental stress, BTW he keeps her on a separate floor, they both live separately in the same building, I suggest she must say no to this arrangement and keep an eye on him. How is he getting all this data and what all is he indulging in because if he gets in trouble she and her baby will be in trouble as well...she must take charge of her life and make sure he is not indulging in anything illegal. Much love to you dear girl and your newborn." Although she didn't take any names, it seems the actress has pointed the guns at Ranbir Kapoor.
After dealing with several recent fires in the southern part of Cayuga County, firefighters in the area were again called upon to contend with an emergency Saturday morning.

Cayuga County 911 dispatchers said a call came in around 10:34 a.m. for a residential fire at 2045 Walter Corey Road in Venice. Information about the extent of damage was not immediately available, but no injuries were reported. Dispatchers said the fire was still under investigation Saturday afternoon.

Fire departments from Poplar Ridge, Scipio, Long Hill, Aurelius, Aurora, King Ferry, Genoa. Moravia, Locke, Troop, Fleming, Union Springs and both Fleming fire stations were at the scene, dispatchers said, along with Southern Cayuga Ambulance, Four Town Ambulance, Cayuga County coordinators, the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office and New York State Police.

This is the latest in a series of fires that have hit the southern portion of the county in recent days. A call came in around 11:42 a.m. Thursday for a fire at a barn behind a home at 15 Church St. in Moravia. Later that day, a chimney fire broke out on Main Street in Locke and another chimney fire at Black Street in Scipio was reported around 30 minutes later. Around 1:30 p.m. Friday, another barn fire, this time at 4336 Cork St., between Fleming Scipio Townline Road and Mosher Road in Scipio, was called in amid frigid temperatures. The cows in the structured were reported to have been evacuated.
San Francisco, Feb 5 : Music streaming platform Spotify founder Daniel Ek has launched a new startup called Neko Health based in Sweden, which specialises in providing body scans powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

Daniel Ek founded the company along with Hjalmar Nilsonne, who is a co-founder and CEO of Neko Health, with the vision to create a healthcare system that can help people stay healthy through preventive measures and early detection, according to Neko Health's LinkedIn post.

The startup was officially launched after four years of research and product development, reports Sifted.

"Early detection and prevention of serious illness would mean that we can avoid both the human suffering and the high social costs that serious illness entails. With our technology and AI, that future is now a possibility. This could be the basis for a whole new era in healthcare," Nilsonne, was quoted as saying.

People with skin and heart issues, according to the startup, can get the Neko Body Scan and a thorough examination of their health in their first health centre in Stockholm, Sweden.

Ek and Nilsonne founded HJN Sverige, now Neko Health, in 2018 and have since raised more than 30 million pound (approximately $32 million) in funding, primarily from Ek and his moonshot investment firm Prima Materia, said the report.

Meanwhile, Spotify announced its premium subscribers base has touched 205 million, representing a 14 per cent increase year-on-year. This makes Spotify the world's first music streaming company to achieve such a large user base.
London, Feb 5 : After a silence of over 100 days since her resignation as prime minister after serving the shortest term in this office in British history, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak's immediate predecessor, launched a broadside against her successor on Sunday.

Ashis Ray London, Feb 5 (IANS) After a silence of over 100 days since her resignation as prime minister after serving the shortest term in this office in British history, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak's immediate predecessor, launched a broadside against her successor on Sunday.

In a 4,000-word opinion piece in The Sunday Telegraph newspaper, she described Sunak's increase of corporation tax from 19 to 25 per cent as "economically detrimental".

She went on to write - in an unmistakable criticism of the current prime minister's handling of the economy - that she wanted to change things as prime minister and "not manage decline or to preside over our country sliding into stagnation".

Sunak, who is of Indian origin, steadied the boat after her 45 billion pound unfunded mini-budget caused a series economic crisis in the UK; but the country has slid into recession under his watch.

While admitting she was not blameless for her brief tenancy of 10 Downing Street, she alleged: "I was not given a realistic chance to enact my policies by a very powerful economic establishment, coupled with a lack of political support." Truss plans to deliver speeches in the days and weeks ahead to intensify her opposition to Sunak's policies, including his approach to China. She will reiterate that Beijing poses a threat to Britain, where Sunak has defined his policy towards it as being one of 'robust pragmatism'. Truss remains a member of parliament.

The colourful but controversial Boris Johnson, who preceded Truss as prime minister, has been making strenuous efforts to re-enter the news radar as well. In a BBC documentary earlier in the week, he claimed Russian president, Vladimir Putin, threatened him with a missile strike.

He narrated: 'He (Putin) threatened me at one point and said, "Boris, I don't want to hurt you, but with a missile strike it would only take a minute".' A Kremlin spokesman reacted by saying this was a 'lie'.

On January 22, Johnson paid a surprise visit to Ukraine and met its president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Politico magazine commented: "Boris Johnson leaped back into the spotlight on Sunday after videos of the former British prime minister visiting Ukraine were posted online, in a move likely to irritate the Conservative government back home." Johnson's trip was reportedly not arranged via the British embassy and was seen as a move to undermine Sunak. The former has received a 1 million Pound war chest from a businessman donor to mount a return as prime minister.

Meanwhile Sunak, nicknamed the 'invisible prime minister' by a section of British media, will embark on a tour of townhall meetings in various parts of the country in an attempt to arouse people's recognition of him. Notwithstanding the modern day power and reach of social figure, he remains a relatively little known figure in remoter parts of the UK.

From New Delhi's standpoint, the Indian high commission in London tweeted: "A special gesture by PM @rishisunak to join for a while NSA dialogue btwn Sir Tim Barrow & Mr Doval @cabinetofficeuk..."
Islamabad, Feb 5 : Former dictator, President and military ruler of Pakistan General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf breathed his last in Dubai after being critically ill for about two years.

Musharraf, 79, was in Dubai since 2006. He was suffering with amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by an abnormal development of protein called amyloid in organs and tissues of the whole body. The increasing development of amyloid tissues made it difficult for the organs and tissues to work properly, which became the reason for Musharraf's extended illness and death.

Musharraf's illness was revealed in 2018 when his political party All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) said that he was suffering from the rare disease.

Musharraf's death is being condoled by political and military quarters as despite his departure from Pakistan and re-settlement in Dubai, he enjoyed close support form the military leadership of Pakistan.

"May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to bereaved family," said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on behalf of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and Services Chiefs in their heartfelt condolences.

Musharraf's time in power as military chief, a military dictator and later a politician is filled with major incidents, which are criticised by many as the worst possible blunders, brunt of which is still being suffered by the country at large.

Musharraf's time of dictatorship is criticised for not only attracting political embarrassment for Pakistan due to the Kargil operation; but also the Lal Mosque operation which became the trigger point for a reactionary offensive by terrorists on Pakistan after Musharraf made the country an ally to the US-led war on terror.

Musharraf had several cases against him being heard in the Pakistani courts including that of treason, after he imposed a martial law by ousting the then sitting premier Nawaz Sharif in 1999. This happened after Nawaz Sharif tried to dismiss Musharraf as the army chief, having appointed him above more senior officers just the year before.

Musharraf was declared as an absconder as he refused to appear before the Pakistani courts in various cases against him. Musharraf was also someone who used to showcase the Kargil operation as a feather in his cap whenever he would be addressing the India-Pakistan relations.

Musharraf was also among those who had given a four-point solution to the India-Pakistan dispute on Kashmir, which analysts say was on the verge of being finalised. But because Musharraf's government ended, that major understanding did not materialise.

Musharraf had always remained on the target hit list of terrorists as he narrowly escaped at least three assassination attempts on his life by terrorists. His tenure from 2001 to 2008 was ruled under the backdrop of 9/11 terror attacks on the US, which led to the initiation of military operation by the US against terrorists in Afghanistan.

As per details, Musharraf's body will be brought back to Pakistan on Monday. A special chartered plane will leave from the Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi for Dubai and will bring the body of Musharraf back to Pakistan.
Morbi : , Feb 5 (IANS) The state Urban Development Department has issued a fresh notice to the Morbi Nagar Palika, asking it to explain why it should not be superseded? The nagar palika members have decided to reply to the notice latest by Wednesday.

Former president of the Morbi Nagar Palika and present chairman of the Public Welfare Department Committee, Devabhai Avadia told IANS, "On Saturday, nagar palika has received 47 pages SIT report sent by the state urban development, and has asked that now you have documents related to the suspension bridge collapse case, give a detailed explanation why the nagar palika should not be superseded? Either individual members or only the president or more than one member may submit the explanation by Wednesday." "Last time, when the urban development had issued a notice, the nagar palika general board had passed a resolution stating that in absence of documents related to the suspension bridge, it can't reply," he said.

The state government had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police to investigate the collapse of the suspension bridge on Machchhu river on October 30 in which 132 persons, including 35 children, were killed.

In this connection, the state government has stated before the High Court that it will supersede Morbi Nagar Palika after holding it responsible for the bridge collapse. In a follow up to this submission, the state has initiated the process of superseding the nagar palika.
Chennai, Feb 5 : AIADMK interim general secretary and former Tamil Nadu chief minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) has blamed the ruling DMK government for the death of four women in a stampede on Saturday at Vanniyambadi.

It may be noted that the women died in the stampede while they were trying to get a token for free sarees being distributed by a businessman.

Palaniswami also alleged that 10 people were grievously injured in the accident. He demanded the Tamil Nadu government to announce a solatium of Rs 10 lakh for the families of each victim.

EPS, in a statement on Sunday, charged that the women died in the stampede due to the delay in the distribution of Pongal dhotis and sarees. The former chief minister also demanded to take stringent action against those responsible for the incident.

The AIADMK leader said, "The incompetent government that failed to implement the free dhoti and saree scheme for the Pongal festival should take full responsibility for the tragic incident." He also asked the government to take precautionary measures against repeating such incidents in the future.
Islamabad, Feb 5 : Former Pakistan President and army chief Pervez Musharraf passed away on the early hours of Sunday after losing out to an extended battle with a rare health disease. The 79-year-old left behind him, a legacy of many misadventures.

Musharraf served as Pakistan's army chief for about nine years from 1999 to 2008, during which, he overthrew the government of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and declared a martial law in the country. Later, Musharraf became the 10th President of Pakistan in 2001 and remained on the position till early 2008. It is pertinent to note that Musharraf's selection as army chief was done by Sharif, who appointed Musharraf after ignoring many senior names in the list of candidates.

Musharraf was born in pre-Partition Delhi on August 11, 1943. After partition, his family got settled in Karachi where he studied in Saint Patrick's school. Later, he joined the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, Abbottabad and graduated in 1964.

Musharraf was part of the Indo-Pak war in 1965 as the elite Special Services Group (SSG). He was also part of the 1971 war with India, where he was the company commander of an SSC commando battalion. Musharraf gained fast promotions through several military assignments later on. In October 1998, he was appointed as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) by the then premier Nawaz Sharif, who was later ousted off power by Musharraf in the 1999 military coup and became the country's president.

Musharraf's tenure in power can he highlighted in many misadventures: 1999 Military Coup:

On October 12, 1999, troops of Pakistan army took over the Prime Minster house in Islamabad after Nawaz Sharif prevented Musharraf's plane from landing at Karachi airport upon his arrival back from Sri Lanka. Musharraf got aware of the situation and declared a state of emergency in the country, suspending the Constitution assuming the role as the chief executive. It was seen as a bloodless coup as no organised protests were witnessed against the coup. Musharraf later became the President of Pakistan, retaining his position as the army chief as well.

The 9/11 impact and Pakistan's allegiance: After the US announced an all out war against terrorists, announcing its military offensive in Afghanistan against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban; Musharraf agreed to become an ally to Washington in the war, which may be widely criticised but was openly defended by Musharraf on various occasions. Pakistan has started to get financial assistance from the US in the form of a Coalition Support Fund (CSF) to be used to fight against terror groups and elements on Pakistan soil and along the Pak-Afghan border. Along with it, Pakistan also started getting a considerable amount in the form of foreign exchange from the US, which also supported Musharraf's regime to initiate various development-level initiatives.

However, the financial assistance of CSF from the US came with a set of demands to Pakistan, which included an operation at the Lal mosque, facilitation to NATO forces to fly their drones and planes from Pakistani airbases, permission to carry out drone strikes by using Pakistani airspace and targeting suspected terror installations inside Pakistan and to carry out military offensives anywhere and everywhere the US demanded on Pakistani soil.

The Lal Mosque operation, which many believe became the boiling point of a major surge in terrorist offensive, suicide bombings and attacks on Pakistani security forces and the local at large, was one of the biggest misadventure undertaken by Musharraf on the directions of the US.

Moreover, the Dera Bugti operation is also widely criticised by all of being forced into action despite offers for peace talks by the Bugti tribe leaders. Again, it was stated that the operation was done on the directives of the US.

Musharraf's power stunt by penetrating and occupying high position in Kargil are also something that he claimed to be his success story, but was widely consumed as another misadventure, that later brought political embarrassment to the country.

It was also reported that Musharraf, after the Kargil operation retreat, was pressurised by the US to not only call back his troops but also to take a step forward and extend a peace and friendship message towards India. It was because of the same pressure that Musharraf did that famous handshake with the then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the SAARC conference in Sri Lanka.

The Musharraf legacy will certainly be written in bitter and sweet memory and as someone, who was strong-headed enough to commit misadventures of such grave intensity that they could trigger a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.
New Delhi, Feb 5 : Pakistan's former military dictator and President Pervez Musharraf, who passed away in a Dubai hospital on Sunday, had an old connection with Delhi where he was born in 1943.

The former Pakistani ruler was born at Neharwali Haveli, which is located in Pratap Gali in Gol Market in old Delhi's Daryaganj area, and spent the initial four years of his life here before his family moved to Pakistan after Partition.

It was bought by Musharraf's grandfather, Qazi Mohtashimuddin, a government official in Punjab following his retirement from service. Musharraf's father Syed Musharrafuddin, who graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, moved to Pakistan and got a job in the Foreign Ministry while his mother became a teacher in Pakistan.

The Haveli, which has changed from its original structure, currently has over 15 families currently staying in it, including some of Musharraf's relatives, who chose to stay in India.

A part of the Haveli forms part of Daryaganj's famous Golcha cinema. People say that the original mansion was built on top of a huge complex spread over Kucha Sadullah Khan in the congested Faiz Bazar area. This four-storey complex, built in the Mughal architecture style was spread over 700 square yards.

The Haveli has now been converted into a residential complex that includes shops, houses, and commercial premises.

In 2005, Musharraf's mother Zarin also paid a visit to their ancestral house along with her son Javed and Musharraf's son Bilal.
Colombo, Feb 5 : Marking the island nation's 75th Independence anniversary, India has handed over another 50 buses to strengthen the rural transport services in Sri Lanka.

The latest fleet of vehicles is part of the 500 buses to be handed over to Sri Lanka, and the relevant documents were officially given to President Ranil Wickremesinghe by Gopal Bagley, Indian High Commissioner in Colombo.

In January, India gave 75 buses as part of its support to strengthen the transport of its southern neighbour which is going through its worst economic crisis since the 1948 independence from the British colony.

So far, India has handed over 165 buses as the registration of 40 is already being done, the President's Media Division (PMD) stated.

"Arrangements have been made to deliver a total of 500 buses by March and complete the project," the PMD added.

President Wickremesinghe has instructed to use all the buses received from India to strengthen the transport services in rural Sri Lanka.

Handing over 75 buses in January, the Indian High Commission stated that the assistance given as part of its 'Neighbourhood First' policy was to support mobility and accessibility in Sri Lanka.

"Five hundred buses are being supplied to Sri Lanka through Indian assistance towards strengthening public transport infrastructure," the High Commission had stated.

India has also handed over 125 SUVs to the Sri Lanka Police under the line of credit to help the mobility restriction issues faced by the security personnel.
Chennai, Feb 5 : Five months after the insurance Regulations Review Committee (RRC) was set up, the sub-group to look at the regulations for the intermediaries have not met even once.

The reason? A senior official of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has raised some fundamental questions on the constitution of the RRC. And as the convenor of that sub-group, he has not called any meeting till the issues raised by him are addressed.

While the issues raised has not been addressed, it is learnt that moves are afoot to replace that IRDAI official with another one.

The RRC was set up by the two insurance industry bodies - the Life Insurance Council of India and General Insurance Council of India - on September 6, 2022 - based on IRDAI's letter dated July 29, 2022.

"Not even once has the RRC sub-group of the intermediaries met once. The meeting has to be held fast," K.C. Lokesh, Convenor, Confederation of General Insurance Agents Associations of India, told IANS.

He also said the main committee or the RRC does not have any representation from the 40 lakh insurance agents, which should be corrected.

Sumit Bohra, Chairman of the sub-group and President, Insurance Brokers Association of India (IBAI) told IANS, that: "There is no representation of the insurance brokers in the RRC. Further the sub-group to study the existing regulations and recommend the changes has not met even once." Bohra told IANS that S.N. Jayasimhan, Chief General Manager (Intermediaries), IRDAI and the Convenor of the RRC's sub-group on the Unified Regulations for Insurance Intermediaries, had raised several issues relating to the RRC.

Replying to Bohra's letter on the issue of not calling a meeting of the sub-group, Jayasimhan said he had flagged many regulatory concerns while going through the Order that was finalised in respect of the main RRC and various sub-groups.

Jayasimhan said he had shared a note on the regulatory concerns with N.S.Kannan, RRC Chairman and CEO, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, Tapan Kumar Singhel, Co-Chair and MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Naveen Tahiliyani, Managing Director, TATA AIA Life Insurance and few others including Bohra.

"This apart, as IRDAI Legal Department was coordinating the efforts of the exercise, I had informed of the same to Mr Nithyanandam (IRDAI official) as well," Jayasimhan said in his mail to Bohra.

Jayasimhan declined to comment when contacted by IANS for clarifications on issues mentioned in the email to Bohra.

"As you have desired to know the status of Sub-Group's progress, I would like to point out that the Legal Department or none from Mr N.S. Kannan, Mr Thapan (Tapan) Singhel, Mr Navin Thaliyani (Naveen Tahiliyani), including you had provided any answer on how the issues pointed out have been addressed/resolved, to enable a coordinated approach to bring the Regulations as required," Jayasimhan said.

The core contention of Jayasimhan is that IRDAI cannot allow the industry bodies to frame the regulations, which the Parliament has delegated to it.

The key issues flagged off by Jayasimhan are that the terms of reference of RRC do not include governance, operation process, standard operating procedure and its confirmations.

Also, it mentions non-availability of common methodology to consolidate the effort, conflict of interest in making the officers of IRDAI to work with the industry, where IRDAI is attempting to discharge its Regulatory mandate through Councils or through Insurers in RRC.

According to Jayasimhan's mail, IRDAI officers can be just convenors to bring coordination amongst the stakeholders and not members.

Further, the mail mentions that the convenors and Chairmen of sub-groups are not part of the RRC which will finally result in not having a proper coordination of sub-group efforts.

In specific, the mail points out that "Outside legal experts, who were not involved in Insurance Operations will at best be only editing the language without the knowledge of Insurance Business.

"Hence, the RRC should identify a Legal/Compliance Officer with adequate experience and exposure to Insurance Business to be involved at sub-group level, before the same is submitted to the RRC," he had opined.

On the contrary, the RRC has engaged a law firm to work on the regulations.

According to Jayasimhan, the RRC should have a Past President of Institute of Chartered Accountant of India (ICAI) as one of its Members as Accounting and the IFRS squarely is in the territory of the ICAI and the mandate of implementing the IFRS is also with the ICAI.

Further, it is through the Past President of the ICAI, all accounting and IFRS requirements need to be frozen to make the necessary recommendations to ICAI's President, who is a Member in the Board of IRDAI, Jayasimhan told Bohra.

Meanwhile, the RRC was given two months time to submit its report when it was set up on September 6, 2022.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at V.Jagannathan@ians.in)
New Delhi, Feb 5 : Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday slammed Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena for holding back the approval on the appointment of principals on 244 posts in Delhi government schools.

In a press briefing, Sisodia said, "If LG had not taken over the services department unconstitutionally, every school would have had a permanent principal. The file for the appointment of 370 principals was sent to LG, but he has withheld the appointment of principals on 244 posts." Sisodia further claimed that the LG wants the government to conduct a study on whether the principals are required in schools or not.

"This is insensitive and ridiculous. There should be a principal in every school - is there a need to study this? Instead of studying the need for the principals in schools, a study should be conducted on whether Delhi needs LG or not. If the Delhi government would have had the control of the services department, all the recruitments would have been done in a month," he told the media.

"LG just wants to bully the government because he has control over the services department and is not allowing the appointment of principals. It is very unfortunate that a person sitting on a constitutional post is saying that a study should be done on whether a principal is needed for running schools or not," he further added.

"The LG in a press release on Saturday claimed that he has given the approval for the appointment of principals on 126 posts which had been held back by the Delhi Government in the past. This is another ridiculous 'bunch of lies' presented by the LG office," Sisodia said.

Speaking on the appointment of principals, he said when AAP government was formed in 2015, the Services Department was under Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The decisions on the appointment of principals were taken by the CM, Deputy CM and the Education Minister then.

"During that time, we got many appointments done which were pending for a long time. Vacancies for principals released by the UPSC were lying vacant since 2010. 58 principals were appointed in 2015. We sent the proposal for the appointment of principals on 370 posts after that. As soon as the proposal was sent, the LG office took over the services department unconstitutionally. Before that, all the files were sent to UPSC after my approval or the concerned minister," he alleged.

In the meanwhile, he said further, the UPSC asked a few questions regarding the 370 posts. But as the LG had taken over the Services Department by then, his office never provided satisfactory answers to the UPSC.

"It has been 8 years since the LG is dealing with the issue of the appointment of principals but nothing has happened so far. With the intervention of the Delhi Government, the process for the recruitment of principals on 363 posts was started. Now their interviews are going on. But about these 370 posts, the LG never gave a satisfactory answer to the UPSC," the deputy CM said.

He added, "We pushed the Services Department and sent the file for the appointment of 370 principals to the LG as the administration of schools was being affected. Then in a very unfortunate manner, the LG claimed that he has revived the lapsed post of 126 principals. Whereas the reality is that the LG has held back the approval on the appointment of principals on 244 posts and asked the department to conduct an assessment study to check whether these principals are required in schools or not."
Having hard conversations may not be the first strategy that pops into mind when seeking to build community and connections, but that has been the goal of the Lived Black Experience Project in Flagstaff.

For almost two years, the project has sought to bring awareness to the history of Flagstaffs Black population and the issues and injustices residents of color including Latino and Indigenous residents, have faced, hoping to bring communities and individuals together.

That was the message of Kim Robinson, the project coordinator for the organization.

The project saw its beginning amid the uprisings of 2020, said Robinson. In the wake of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Officers, protest and reckoning gripped the nation.

Locally it was no different, but Robinson said many local Black leaders felt the local context for northern Arizona and Flagstaff was missing from the discussion, and the project hoped to address that issue, Robinson said.

There were several Black leaders in Flagstaff that came together and said, well, we need to do something productive about this. The reason of the upheaval, of the anger is because of the lack of education, the lack of information, and so the Lived Black Experience Project was started as a pro-active initiative to address issues that lead up to [the killing], Robinson said. We talk about the impact that the Indigenous, Latino and Black communities have made on Flagstaff and also the Southside community. And we educate people.

From Black cowboys, lumberjacks and employees of timber mills, Flagstaffs Black population has a rich history, but one that is often forgotten about, Robinson said.

In 2020, the project held close to a half dozen listening sessions covering topics from housing to issues facing youth of color today.

While the national reckoning on race in America that began in 2020 may be receiving somewhat less attention now, the events and conversations the Lived Black Experience Project organized have continued, Robinson said.

The project puts on a dinner at the Murdoch Community Center on the fourth Sunday of every month where attendees can listen to a speaker discuss topics from local history to issues faced by minorities nationally, Robinson said.

And Robinson said she sees those moments for education, for residents of all races, as supremely important in understanding racial dynamics in the county and at home and how to move forward.

What I've had in my experience, people are incredulous to experiences that have not hit home for them, they don't believe something like this could happen, Robinson said. It was definitely bringing it home. Because it feels so far away; when you see things happening on the other side of the country, it's just so far away, like that doesn't pertain to us.

The monthly talks can be streamed live on the projects Facebook page, where viewers can also participate live by asking questions. Past talks are posted and can be viewed on YouTube.

This years project is also putting on a near monthly community and cultural arts market at the Murdoch Center on the first Saturday of each month. Those markets are planned for February 4, April 1, May 6, June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2, June 3, October 7 and November 4.
Mumbai, Feb 5 : Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's charm can sweep anyone off their feet. So, when someone says that his film or he in particular didn't impress someone, it seems odd more so to the man in question.

So, when a social media user told SRK on Twitter that their child didn't like 'Pathaan', the superstar had a humble yet witty reply up his sleeve.

Replying to a video posted by a social media user in which his daughter said that she didn't like 'Pathaan', SRK tweeted, "Oh oh!! Have to work harder now. Back to the drawing board." He then smartly plugged in the dialogue from 'Pathaan' that he says during the post-credit scene, "Can't let the younger audience be disappointed. Desh ke youth ka sawaal hai." The actor also advice the parent to try showing the classic love story 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' to the kid, "PS: Try DDLJ on her please...maybe she is the romantic types...kids u never know." On the work front, SRK, who returned to the silver screen after four years with 'Pathaan', has two big ticket films lined up for release, 'Jawan' and 'Dunki'.
Athens, Feb 5 : A woman and an infant were killed when a boat carrying an unknown number of refugees and migrants sank off the island of Leros in the Aegean Sea, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported on Sunday.

More than 20 people were rescued, including many minors. Their nationalities have yet to be determined, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Greece has been at the forefront of the refugee and migrant influx since 2015 and hundreds have drowned in the Aegean Sea in the past eight years.
New Delhi, Feb 5 : With the anticipation growing over the Border-Gavaskar trophy against Australia, Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the finest spinners in the world, has been the central talking point.

First, the visiting Australians bring a spinner, who has an uncanny resemblance to the Indian star, in order to prepare themselves for the threat that Ashwin possesses. And now, the spinner has shared an 'edited bio' of himself on Twitter and wondering who would have done this.

The veteran spinner on Sunday shared a snip of his edited bio, with a caption: "My morning coffee came with this and I wonder who has done this." In the screenshot, Ashiwn's bowling style was labelled as both right-arm off-spin?/right-arm leg-spin.

Reacting to Ashwin's post, his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Rajasthan Royals said: "Hello and welcome to Day 1 of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy." Ashwin has a variety of variations in his bowling style including the leg break and carrom ball in his arsenal that he can use to dismantle the Australian batting when the two sides meet in a highly-anticipated four-match series to be held in Nagpur, New Delhi, Dharamshala and Ahmedabad.

A 4-0 series win for India would help them attain a points percentage of 68.06, which is likely to be enough for a crucial top-two finish in the WTC standings.
Nicosia, Feb 5 : Voters in Cyprus went to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president to succeed outgoing President Nicos Anastasiades.

Polling stations opened at 0500 GMT and are set to close at 1600 GMT, and the final results are expected about two hours after the end of voting, said local authorities, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Chief Returning Officer Costas Constantinou said over 561,000 people have registered to vote, with over 10,000 voting from abroad, primarily in Greece, the UK, Belgium, and the US.

Analysts previously predicted that none of the 14 presidential candidates would win outright, and that the two frontrunners would face off in a runoff on February 12.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 5 : The Kerala Police in a major operation across the state have arrested 2,069 'anti-social' elements under 'Operation Aag'. The raids started on Saturday evening and are continuing till now.

The raid is being primarily held to arrest those who were placed under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA). Some are absconding while others are those who have not appeared even after arrest warrants were served.

Those who are arrested under non-bailable charges will be remanded in judicial custody while the others will be placed in preventive custody for more than 24 hours and will be let scot-free after questioning.

The state police had earlier conducted 'Operation Kaaval' for cracking down on anti-social elements which were later discontinued.

According to police, most arrests took place in Thiruvananthapuram with the state capital district accounting for 297 arrests. As many as 113 criminals were arrested from Thiruvananthapuram City and 184 from Thiruvananthapuram Rural. As many as 261 criminals were arrested from Kollam, 257 in Kannur and 256 from Kozhikode district.

The arrests are continuing and senior police officers from the state police headquarters told IANS that 'Operation Aag' would continue in the coming days.

The Kerala Police is facing criticism from several fronts, including the ruling CPI(M) over the increase in the number of crimes, including drug peddling and assault against women.

The police have drawn flak after Om Prakash and Puthenpalam Rajesh, two- known history-sheeters hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, were absconding after assaulting a person and brandishing swords. The duo have still not been apprehended.
Islamabad, Feb 5 : At least five persons have been injured in Pakistan's Quetta following a blast near the police lines area of the city, the media reported on Sunday, citing an official.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has taken responsibility for the attack, stating security officials were targeted in the blast, the Dawn reported.

The police, however, have not issued any statement so far in connection with the blast.

Zeeshan Ahmad, a worker in the Edhi foundation, involved in the rescue operation, told Dawn that the injured individuals have been shifted to the city's Civil Hospital.

He added that the area has been cordoned off by the police and emergency teams who were present at the site of the explosion.
Hyderabad, Feb 5 : Telangana BJP MLA Raghunandan Rao on Sunday demanded Director General of Police Anjani Kumar be immediately sent to his cadre state, Andhra Pradesh.

He alleged that injustice was done to the Indian Police Service (IPS) officers from Telangana by the state government as it posted four IPS officers from Bihar in key positions.

The MLA told reporters that in the recent transfer of 93 IPS officers, Anjani Kumar, Sanjay Jain, Swati Lakra and Shahnawaz Qasim were given key posts.

He alleged that not even one IPS officer from Telangana was given an important post.

He said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao appointed officials from Bihar to key posts like Chief Secretary and the DGP, which gives credence to the doubt that he hails from Bihar.

He alleged that CM KCR gave key posts to officials who were obeying the government's orders by arresting leaders of opposition parties.

The BJP leader slammed AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi for his statement in the Assembly that AIMIM would win 15 Assembly seats but would work under Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by KCR.

Raghunandan Rao said this proved their allegation that AIMIM is 'B' team of BRS.
Srinagar, Feb 5 : The three-day long Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) -- Mumbai, 2023, concluded on Saturday evening with Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Pavilion attracts an overwhelming response from the visitors, an official statement said on Sunday.

The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department had participated in this year's OTM in a big way as part of its extensive tourism promotional campaign being held across major cities of the country.

As many as 112 co-exhibitors and participants from Jammu and Kashmir attended the travel extravaganza drawing thousands of tourists, holiday-makers, travel trade buyers and tour organising professionals to the Jammu and Kashmir pavilion.

The Jammu and Kashmir Pavilion set up by the Tourism Department offered the most-engaging experiences for the travel consumers and trade visitors as well as the co- participants from various states and union territories, besides international delegates.

"Hundreds of travel trade fraternity members from Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Nagpur, Amravati, Gujarat, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and even from some foreign countries visited the J&K Pavilion and interacted with the members of the official delegation and co-exhibitors from the UT," an official statement added.

"The varied tourism products introduced by the Department during the last two years, post-Covid experiences and the new initiatives captivated the attention of the travel representatives and professionals alike." The interactions consisted of detailed presentations, various short films on known and off-beat destinations of Jammu and Kashmir and discussions on sustainable inbound and outbound travel for the year.
Nanded : , Feb 5 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday said that only farmers' rule can put an end to suicides by farmers and improve their condition.

Addressing a public meeting of his Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) at Nanded - the first meeting outside Telangana after Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) turned to BRS to expand its activities nationally, he said that the BRS is the first party to raise the slogan of "Ab ki baar Kisan sarkar".

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, said it was unfortunate that Maharashtra accounts for the highest number of suicide in the country. He urged people to ponder why this was happening.

He said this was not politics but a question of life and death. "Why should we die. Have we been born to commit suicide?" he asked.

The BRS chief said the farmers should rule the country to make laws to change their destiny. He pointed out that farmers constitute 42 per cent of the country's population. "There are 16 crore farm families. With agriculture workers working in fields, we are more than 50 per cent. We don't need more than this to form the government in the country," he said.

KCR called on people to think why the country had not achieved the desired development even after 75 years. "Think why there is no water for drinking, no water for irrigation and there is no electricity despite having all the resources," he said.

The BRS blamed both the Congress and BJP for the current situation. "Congress ruled for 54 years and BJP ruled for 16 years. Both the parties are responsible for this situation. One blames the other for scams..." he said.

Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, KCR said his scheme Make in India has become a joke in India. "Where is Make in India. You find China bazaar in every small town of the country. Manja for kites, colours and diyas for Deepavali, Ganesha idols and even our national flag come from China," he said.

KCR listed out the schemes implemented by his government in Telangana during the last eight years.

He claimed that Telangana is the only state providing 24 hours free electricity to farmers and drinking water to every household. He also mentioned schemes being implemented for the welfare of farmers.

He promised that if BRS is voted to power at the Centre, it would ensure a bright India with 24 hour quality electricity supply to every nook and corner within two years.

Referring to Rythu Bandhu, he said his government was providing Rs 10,000 as investment support for every acre per year. The farmers in Telangana are also covered under an insurance scheme. If any farmer dies, the government pays Rs 5 lakh to his family within four days. The government also procures the entire agricultural produce.

"When this is possible in Telangana, why not in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and other states," he said.

He pointed out that Telangana's annual budget is only Rs 2.50 lakh crorre while Maharashtra's budget is Rs 5 lakh crore. "There is no dearth of money but what lacks is will power," he added.
Kolkata, Feb 5 : Ahead the forthcoming panchayat polls in West Bengal, the BJP on Sunday received a major jolt as another party MLA shifted to the ruling Trinamool Congress.

On Sunday afternoon, BJP legislator from Alipurduar constituency in Alipurduar district Suman Kanjilal reached the office of Trinamool's national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee in south Kolkata and joined the ruling party.

Banerjee himself handed over the party flag to Kanjilal - the sixth BJP legislator and the third from north Bengal to join Trinamool after the 2021 assembly elections. With this, the total number of BJP MLAs in the Assembly has come down to 68.

The Trinamool, in a statement. said that Kanjilal had joined them rejecting the anti- people policies of BJP as well as to be a part of the development activities under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Although Kanjilal himself had not made any comment on his action, his close associates said that his differences with BJP Lok Sabha member John Barla were the reasons for his decision to quit the party and join Trinamool.

State General Secretary and spokesman Kunal Ghosh told media persons that Kanjilal was the beginning and more elected BJP representatives are keen to join the state's ruling party. "We have asked them to wait for some time," Ghosh said.

BJP's state spokesman in West Bengal Samik Bhattacharya said that since Kanjilal's decision to join Trinamool was prompted by his ambition to be a part of the power centre, his defection will not make any difference for BJP in the days to come.

CPI-M Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty said it is unfortunate that the turncoat politics has become the culture of West Bengal currently. "Trinamool Congress has introduced this culture in the state and there is constant competition going on between Trinamool and BJP is taking place in West Bengal these days," he said.

--IANS src/vd

A
The Flagstaff Pulliam Airport has not closed its runway once this winter, despite the area receiving more than 60 inches of snow in January alone.

A crew of just three people kept the almost 9,000-foot airstrip clear enough for aircraft to safely land, keeping package deliveries, emergency operations and even commercial flights up and running.

We are very proud that this winter we have not closed the runway once. Not. One. Time. ... Theres other snow airports in the country that cant say that about all of their runways, said airport director Barney Helmick.

One of the more remarkable aspects about that achievement is the size of the operations crew that got the job done, and the way theyve been balancing the task of snow and ice management with other high-priority duties.

Helmick said, as airports in the region go, its not uncommon for operations crews to be made up of anywhere from a dozen to 25 people.

Joel Barnett, the Airport Operations and Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) team lead, works with a crew of nine people  when fully staffed.

In each 48-hour shifts for this storm, he had just three people moving snow and two manning a massive neon yellow crash truck, which is a fire truck designed specifically for putting out fires involving aircraft and their fuels.

Barnetts team is made up of fully qualified firefighters. They are people who have the specialized skills and equipment -- crash truck included -- needed to respond to a plane crash, handle a medical emergency or put out a fire on airport property.

Barnetts team is also tasked with managing wildlife when anything makes its way onto the airstrip. Theyre called when a security gate is stuck or a light bulb goes out.

When it snows, Barnetts team is trained to operate the massive pieces of highly specialized snow removal equipment at the airport. His Ops and ARFF crew knows how to coordinate with air traffic control to get the job done.

Theyre the team that drove the runway in carefully calculated circles for hours, in the driving snow, to make sure the runway remained open this January.

Touching down

Airport snow removal doesnt work the same for operations crews as it does for the folks plowing the streets of Flagstaff. The team keeping almost 3 million square feet of pavement clear are held to high and specific standards. The runway doesnt just need to be navigable; it needs to provide good braking action or enough traction for a plane to safely steer and come to a stop.

In the old days, we used to go out there with a truck, go as fast as we could, then slam on the brakes and see how far we slid, Helmick said.

These days, measuring braking action is more sophisticated. The airport uses special equipment to measure the slickness of the asphalt on a scale of 0-6. The number on that scale becomes one of the factors commercial airlines use in deciding whether to move forward with flights.

Airplanes are touching down at 100, 120 miles an hour. So, you can imagine that if the surface wasnt perfectly dry and you didnt have good steering or braking action, it could be a disaster, said Greg Browne, a pilot and tenant at Flagstaffs Pulliam Airport.

To keep the pavement up to muster, the folks pushing, blowing, and clearing snow were driving for twelve to fifteen hours before having their own break action and getting some sleep. They did much of this using runway lights as guide posts to make sure the snow was being cleared at the right place and right time.

If its really snowing hard at night, Im going to have to use a Star Wars analogy, said Barnett, who has plowed snow for two decades. Its like when the Millennium Falcon jumps into hyperspace, and you just see the white lights. Its disorienting. You cant see.

Hyperspeed is an apt description of the pace of this work, too. Barnetts team has just 30 minutes to clear an inch of snow from the runway.

On the high-speed displacement plows ... you cant necessarily go slow like you could if you were plowing in town, because the slower you go the higher the snow builds up, said Tim Skinner the Airport Operations/ARFF manager. We have about a 150-foot-wide runway. If [snow] builds up, you have these giant windrows you have to contend with. You have to go at somewhat of a high rate of speed and that adds to the disorientation.

A delicate dance

Both Skinner and Barnett describe the process of clearing the runway as a kind of dance. A dance that involves thousands of tons of steel.

Moving at up to thirty miles per hour, a piece of heavy equipment with a plow as wide as some studio apartments will move up the center line of the runway.

Typically we have two plows, one of them will start in the middle and make the first pass down the center line, which is also hard to find. Youre kind of measuring, looking at the lights on either side, the runway edge lights. Youre trying to center yourself down the middle of the runway, and the next plow will be right behind that, Barnett said.

The second plow in this carefully choreographed (if challenging) snow removal dance, will make sure the left side of its blade lines up with where the right side of the first plows blade stopped. The two vehicles then move in constant circles so that snow is removed without berms or ridges building up in the potential path of a plane.

Planes, and their schedules are a key part of the timing of the snow removal dance.

In cold conditions a kind of anti-freeze, de-icing solution is applied to the wings of aircraft. The process takes roughly 30 minutes. Once its applied the plane needs to take off in less than a half hour, or the solution will need to be applied again. Pilots are given their window for takeoff by air traffic control, and its important they make that window. When the plane is ready for takeoff the runway must be ready, too.

We fly to busy airports. The commercial flights leaving here have to basically ask for a window to fly into these airports, explained Barnett. We have to work with the pilot, the deicing crews and the tower to try and get the runway cleared, the plane deiced, right around their takeoff window. Its a lot of moving parts.

Sometimes the literal moving parts in snow removal equipment brake. During the storms that started arriving over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, the steering knuckle broke on what is essentially a massive snowblower. Barnetts crew has the mechanical savvy for basic repairs, but parts needed to be ordered to get the machine up and running.

If it breaks down on the runway, we cant leave it there. Its big equipment thats being put to hard work and use over and over and over again, Barnett said. Things wear out. Things break. We cant just leave the things out there, so we have to use a different piece of equipment and tow it back -- at least off the runway in order to keep things going. Its truly a dance.

When equipment breaks, the airport cant simply rent a replacement plow or borrow a city truck. The million-dollar machines in the airport fleet are often bigger and much more specialized.

You may need more than Commercial Drivers License (CDL) to move snow from the airstrip.

Theres more to it than just driving a plow and not hitting somebodys car. Theres FAA regulations, theres security protocols, Barnett said.

Operators at the airport have to know where they are on the tarmac, and they have to be trained to talk to air traffic control.

Theyre on the same frequency as the airplanes, talking to the control tower. They have to learn, frankly, the thing most student pilots are afraid of, learning to talk on the radio. These guys are learning that same thing, to get clearance to enter the runway and so on, so that thered be no hazard. They have to know where they are at the airport at all times -- which most of us dont know, said Browne, an experienced flight instructor.

The heavy equipment is fantastic. Youve got, eight pieces of million-dollar equipment, Barnett said. But, all it is, is eight pieces of really heavy steel without knowledgeable people to drive it.

Keeping a full cabin

According to Skinner, staffing ARFF positions is an uphill battle.

The right people for the job have mechanical skills and a willingness to work in operations. They also have to be fully fledged firefighters, and know that at any moment they might be pulled away from one task to respond to another, emergent one.

Its just hard to find the people who have the interest and the skill set. Its easy to find someone who is willing to do the airport operations side of it, but not willing to go on an emergency medical call, not deal with blood and so on and so forth. Its easy to find somebody who wants to become an entry-level firefighter and do the medical stuff and the emergency response. Its really hard to find somebody who is willing to do both, said Barnett.

Attrition is also a problem.

The airport operations side, and the snow removal side, it is a very highly specialized discipline in and of itself. They have to be a jack-of-all-trades, their heads on a swivel so to speak. Then you start adding all these other components to it -- which might be where we are at necessity-wise -- it gets unsustainable and very touch and go, Skinner said.

The challenge of recruiting qualified candidates for any job across the city remains the same for the airport. Just as Flagstaff Fire Department is looking to add men and women to their ranks, so is the sheriffs office, the police force, and the list goes on.

Were not complaining alone, Helmick said. We have trouble hiring. Part of that is salary-based. Part of it is we just have a limited pool to draw from and we have limited money to spend. Were in a budget cycle right now in the city. Weve got demands from every division.

Skinner said the airport has thought about breaking down tasks in the future, perhaps maintaining a crew dedicated only to the fire-rescue side of the job. For now, the blended role remains in-tact.

Its not a job for everyone, but its a job Barnett has stuck with. Hes said theres a few reasons why.

Some days he drives the firefighting crash truck to repair a security gate, moments after dealing with a bear or flock of birds on the runway. He might be moved from plowing snow to a medical emergency on a commercial flight at any moment. You never know what youre going to get, and that keeps the job exciting, said Barnett.

He said hed worked behind a desk before and the 9-to-5 cubicle life was not for him.

Connecting flights and people

There is one reason, above the others, why Barnett has stayed for more than 20 years.

Its the relationships. Ive met a lot of great people working here. Not just people living in Flagstaff, but people flying in and out of Flagstaff. I now have friends that live in Switzerland because they flew through our airport. I helped them with something and kept in contact over the years. I think a big part of it is that, just the relationship side and the fact that it is something new every day, Barnett said.

Browne has a working relationship with Barnett and the operation crew. He keeps his small Cessna aircraft at the Flagstaff Airport. When he describes the work of Ops and ARFF, it is with both wonder and gratitude.

Staffing might be just as tight in a big city, but you dont have these relationships. I think we all feel like were neighbors. You feel like youre among friends, Browne said.

When the last major storm hit Flagstaff on a Saturday night, Browne and his wife had flown to New Mexico to visit their son. They returned to town that Wednesday, and were able to land safely. However the couple was nervous about leaving their small private aircraft on a cleared ramp, but couldnt shovel enough snow to put the plane in its spot at the hanger. Browne put in a call to Barnetts crew.

You know, 15-20 minutes later, he makes it over. They got the snow over so we could put our plane in there, and then two days later my wife had a medical appointment in the Valley to which we were flying down. It was near the Scottsdale airport. He came out and did it again, the pilot said.

Browne, as a pilot and tenant has seen the ARFF crew in action, but hes one of the few.

According to Burnett, when his work is invisible to the public thats the mark of a job well done.

In the dance that keeps the airport running, Burnetts crew cant trip. If they do runway conditions might not be safe and accidents can happen. Burnetts crew cant get off-beat, cant lose their sense of timing. If they do flights will be canceled, package deliveries delayed. Instead, Burnetts crew must dance on, each step landing in the right place, as they keep the whirr of landing aircraft humming like a song over Pulliam Drive.
Jaipur, Feb 5 : If sources are to be believed, Kiara Advani and Siddharth Malhotra will take their seven pheras on Tuesday, February 7, instead of Monday, which was presumed earlier.

The wedding festivities, meanwhile, have begun in right earnest at Suryagarh, a modern palace hotel not far from the desert dunes of Jaisalmer.

The excitement was palpable all across Jaisalmer with the arrival of Siddharth's 'Student of the Year' director Karan Johar, Kiara-Preeti's 'Kabir Singh' co-star Shahid Kapoor, and his wife Mira Rajput. It is to be seen if Shahid dances, as promised, to 'Dola Re Dola' with Karan Johar.

Kiara Advani's childhood friend and schoolmate, Isha Ambani, was also expected to reach Jaisalmer in a private plane on Sunday.

Siddharth and Kiara are staying at the Thar Haveli built within the Suryagarh complex. The haveli consists of two mansions. Each mansion has three rooms, a private swimming pool, and a dining room. Kiara will stay in one and Siddharth in the other.

The haveli has been built with Jaisalmer yellow stone and carvings. A specialty of the haveli is that the ceilings are made of wood. This keeps it warm in winter and cool in the summer. Located right behind the hotel, the haveli is a favourite of celebrities. Food there is served by specially designated waiters in copper utensils in the tradition of old royalty.

Siddharth and Kiara reached their wedding destination separately on Saturday.

Kiara arrived in the morning with her mother GeneviAve Jaffrey, father Jai Jagdeep Advani, grandmother, and fashion designer Manish Malhotra. All arrived in Jaisalmer from Mumbai travelling in Mukesh Ambani's private jet. Siddharth came from Delhi with his family at 8 p.m.
Bhubaneswar, Feb 5 : Senior BJP leader and Union Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, on Sunday slammed Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

Speaking to the media here, Pradhan said: "Naba Das, an influential Cabinet Minister, was murdered on January 29. However, no one has any clue about why a police officer killed him." "The Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, has remained silent on this incident while the DGP is trying to shrug off his responsibility. This tells a lot about the law and order situation in the state," Pradhan said.

Raising questions about a Crime Branch probe under the monitoring of a retired judge of Orissa High Court, he said: "The judge was not appointed under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952. There is no clarity about the responsibility and power of the retired judge." "In between, some people (Biju Janata Dal leaders) are saying that a Crime Branch investigation is going on. But the Crime Branch investigation is totally unacceptable. The case should be investigated by a third party," said the Union Minister.

Murder of the Minister is not just a single case, many other law and order cases have happened in the state, he said, referring to Mahanga double murder case and Anand Tappo murder case and the alleged sexual harassment case against a BJD MLA, where FIRs were registered only after the intervention of Orissa High Court.

"Only two days ago, a Balasore sub-collector and his driver were attacked by the sand mafia, when the officer was going to stop illegal sand mining. All these incidents show 'lawlessness' in Odisha," said the Union Minister.

"What is going on in Odisha? Who is holding the power? Who is ruling the state?" he said.

Meanwhile, senior Congress MLA Narasingha Mishra demanded a Court-monitored SIT probe into the murder case.

"We do not have any faith in the Odisha police. Though several capable officers are there in the state, the government is not allowing them to work independently," Mishra said.

Raising questions on the ongoing Crime Branch investigation, the Congress leader said: "When the bullet had pierced into the heart and lungs, the Minister might have died on the spot. Why was a drama created by air-lifting him to Bhubaneswar?" The Chief Minister should step down and appoint a capable person as Home minister, he added.

Commenting on Pradhan's statement, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said: "In the BJP-ruled states, there have been very sensational cases, whether it is liquor tragedy or bridge collapse leading to the deaths of many people and also crimes against women. People demanded judicial enquiry but in most cases it was never done.

"The only intention of Pradhan is to politicise every criminal case and create a political narrative," he said.

"The state is transparent and has given this case to be monitored by a High Court judge nominated by the Orissa High Court. What's there to hide for us?" Patra questioned.
New York, Feb 5 : India's diplomatic influence rose last year with experts giving high marks to its leaders' ability to pursue the nation's interests in Asia and globally, a leading Australian think tank that ranks influencers in the region reported Sunday.

The Lowy Institute's Asian Power Index2023, which ranked India fourth, said: "India's Diplomatic Influence rose in 2022, with experts rating it highly for its leaders' ability to prosecute the country's national interests both in Asia and on the global stage." However, it also said that India "underperforms in relation to its resources" with its influence "concentrated in South Asia" and its possible role in East Asian flashpoints "unclear".

Looking ahead, the report said: "Its sheer size means the country is almost certainly destined to be a major power behind only the United States and China", which occupy the top spots on the index, which ranks them as "superpowers".

"New Delhi's Diplomatic Influence rose by one ranking in 2022 and is now just behind Japan in fourth place," the institute said.

"India scores highly in the Future Resources measure, reflecting its likely greater share of economic, military and demographic weight in the decades to come," the index said.

The Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index, now in its fifth year, evaluates 26 countries and territories for the power they wield in the Indo-Pacific region based on eight factors ranging from military capability and future resources to economic power to cultural influence.

The US received the top rank, followed by China, which, it said, "registered the largest decline in comprehensive power of any country in the Asia Power Index 2023" as a result of its "tough zero-Covid policies that sharply curtailed its global and regional connectivity".

China's "core economic strength and ability to use the economy to geopolitical advantage", it said, "is at its lowest level since 2018, with the United States again leading on this measure".

On the other hand, Beijing "emerges more militarily capable than ever", it said.

"The United States maintains an enduring advantage as the most powerful country in Asia and widened its lead slightly over China for a second year," the Lowy Institute said.

Russia followed India on the index at the fifth spot, but "risks growing irrelevance" due to "Moscow's loss of reputation and its strategic preoccupation with the invasion of Ukraine" and the war's heavy impact on its military-industrial capacity which will affect its defence equipment trade, the report said.

Pakistan ranks 15 on the Index, Bangladesh 19, Sri Lanka 21, and Nepal 25.

India's influence is "weighted towards security ties", the index said, while also asserting that "India makes an uneven strategic contribution to the regional balance".

"Its interests in balancing China overlap with those of Washington, including through the Quad partnership with Australia and Japan", while also noting that "as for India, Japan's contribution to a collective balancing strategy in response to China's rise may be less than the United States hopes".

A significant drawback cited by the report is in India's economic relations with others in the region that "hamper its influence", with it ranking ninth in that segment "in part due to its absence from the region's major free trade deals", it said.

India stayed away from the ten-nation Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement that came into force last year.

The index also cited what it asserted was India's "displacement by the United States and China as a top investor and trade partner for several South Asian neighbours in recent years".

It noted that the US displaced "India as a top investor in two South Asian economies: Bangladesh and Nepal".

In what seemed a contradiction to India's overall diplomatic influence, the institute also reported that its "diplomatic service continues to receive low marks from the Index survey of experts, ranking tenth in the region" for that criterion.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
Amaravati, Feb 5 : Youth from Andhra Pradesh are migrating to various parts of the country in search of employment opportunities as there are no jobs in the state, TDP national General Secretary Nara Lokesh said on Sunday.

As part of his ongoing padayatra 'Yuva Galam', Lokesh, the son of TDP chief and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, had a meeting with the local youth at Kanipakam in Puthalapattu Assembly segment in Chittoor district.

The youth informed Lokesh that they are migrating to other states in search of some employment and wanted him to initiate immediate steps for establishing companies in the state soon after coming back to power, thus saving the lives of the youth. "The state government should not threaten the companies and only then the investors will set up their units in the state," a youth said.

The youth from Rayalaseema lost employment opportunities as the Amara Raja Batteries shifted its unit to Telangana. They told the TDP leader that they pursued their studies by raising loans and now there is no employment.

Lokesh assured the youth that all the companies that shifted their units from the state will be invited back once the TDP is again into the government and the youth will be provided employment opportunities.

Responding to the complaint that the RTC fares are revised following which there is a lot of financial burden on them, Lokesh promised to withdraw once the TDP is back in the government.

The TDP national General Secretary also demanded that the age limit be extended for government jobs since the employment notifications are issued very late.

"Why is the job calendar not released on January 1 as promised," Lokesh asked and said that over 2.30 lakh posts have been lying vacant for the past four years.

"Chief Minister Mr Jagan (Mohan Reddy) who had said that he would make Delhi tremble if the voters from the State give him 25 MPs, is now getting shivers on seeing Delhi," Lokesh said in a sarcastic manner.
Nanded : , Feb 5 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday demanded the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe Adani Group's 'scam'.

He wanted to know why the Union government was refusing to constitute JPC when it claimed nothing wrong had happened.

Addressing a news conference in Nanded, he alleged that the Centre made Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) invest Rs 87,000 crore in the Adani Group and is now pressuring it to make a false statement over its exposure in the Adani group.

"To mislead the country, LIC is being pressured to make a statement that it suffered no losses," he said, adding that the truth will come out with the JPC probe.

He pointed out that opposition parties are demanding the JPC in the Parliament.

"I am requesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Such a big scam has happened. In a week, Rs 10 lakh crore was wiped out. It is not a small amount and the entire Indian banking system and LIC is involved in it. This is people's money, their investment. The entire country is angry. This should be discussed in Parliament and a JPC should be constituted. Otherwise, the country will hold you guilty," he said.

"Everybody knows (Gautam) Adani is your friend. He came to this position because of you. Will an ordinary businessman come up in the number two position in Forbes' List of billionaires? You can't hide this fact. If you have done no wrong, constitute the JPC," KCR added.

He also slammed the Narendra Modi-led Central government over the import of coal and its "love for Adani".

The BRS leader said that India has enough reserves of coal that would last for the next 120 years but the Central government is forcing states to procure imported coal, which is only supplied by the Adani group.

"The kind of love the Centre has for Adani, it should have for the people of the country," he said.

"The import of coal is cheating the country. Coal India Ltd has already stated that it has paid the required amount for the construction of a 250-km long railway track that would increase our coal production exponentially. But the Central government is not letting it happen," he alleged.

KCR reiterated that the Modi government is following the policy of socialisation of losses and privatisation of benefits.

He lashed out at the Centre for attempting to privatise LIC, which is the world's largest and better-performing insurance company.

The BRS leader promised that if the party came to power in the Centre on its own or with like-minded parties, LIC would be brought back into the public sector.

Opposing indiscriminate privatisation, KCR remarked that the government cannot run away from its responsibilities.

Stating that 95 per cent of the electricity sector should be in the public sector, he said if BRS comes to power, it would bring all electricity units being privatised by the Modi government back into the public sector.
New Delhi, Feb 5 : A cancer patient was allegedly asked to deboard from a New York-bound flight after she asked the airline crew to help with her cabin luggage, reports said.

The woman reportely had undergone surgery and had booked a return ticket on an American Airlines flight to the US from Delhi on January 30.

Reports quoting sources said that the passenger, identified as Meenakshi Sengupta, has lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police against a flight attendant in connection with the incident.

Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken cognisance of the incident and asked for a report from the airline on the matter, reports said.

In the complaint, Sengupta claimed that she was wearing a brace and was unable to carry any weight in her hands as she was weak from surgery. She had sought help from an air hostess to put her handbag in the overhead bin, but alleged that the flight attendant refused to help her, saying that it was "not her job to do it", reports said.

Sengupta also alleged that the air hostess was "rude and arrogant" with her words, adding that when she asked for help from the aircraft members, they were "largely indifferent".

"They said that if I am so uncomfortable, I should just de-board the flight. They were collective in their decision to deboard me," she said, as per reports.

The American Airlines issued a statement that a "disruptive customer" was deboarded from the aircraft for "failure to follow crew member instructions".
Jerusalem, Feb 5 : Russia and Ukraine might have come to a peaceful settlement in April 2022, just over a month after their conflict broke out, but the Western powers blocked it, as per former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, reports said on Sunday.

In an a nearly five-hour-long video interview to Israel's Channel 12 on Saturday, he claimed that his efforts as a middleman came close to succeeding as both Moscow and Kiev appeared to be ready to make concessions and agree to a truce, RT reported.

Bennett, however, said that the negotiations did not succeed because it was "a legitimate decision by the West to keep striking (Russian President Vladimir) Putin... I mean the more aggressive approach".

Asked if the US and its allies "blocked" the peace process between Moscow and Kiev, he said: "Basically, yes. They blocked it." "I claim there was a good chance of reaching a ceasefire. But I'm not claiming it was the right thing," Bennett said.

Responding to the revelations, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova termed it "yet another confession" that the West wasn't interested in peace in Ukraine.

According to Bennett, his mediation "was coordinated down to the last detail with the US, France, and Germany". But he said in wake of the fighting, there was no common approach among Western leaders as "(British PM) Boris Johnson adopted the aggressive line; (German Chancellor Olaf) Scholz and (French President Emmanuel) Macron were more pragmatic, and (US President Joe) Biden was both".

Some 17 or 18 drafts of the peace deal between Moscow and Kiev had been prepared with his involvement, the former PM said. Bennet claimed that, among other things, he managed to secure a pledge from Putin that he was "not going to kill" Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who feared for his life. The Russian leader was also ready to retract his demand for the demilitarization of Ukraine, while Zelensky promised to give up on his aspirations to join NATO, he added.

All discussion about peace ended on April 1, when Ukrainian authorities accused Russia of killing civilians in Kiev's suburb of Bucha.
Dhaka, Feb 5 : Unknown miscreants vandalised 14 Hindu temples in Baliadangi Upazila of Bangladesh's Thakurgaon district overnight, officials said on Sunday.

There was anger and fear among people who thronged the temples to view the aftermath of the vandalism, and police was deployed all the temples.

The attacks took place between Saturday night and Sunday morning at different villages in Dhantala, Charol and Paria Unions in the area, Baliadangi Police Station chief Khairul Anam said.

Superintendent of Police Mohammad Jahangir Hossain, who inspected the temples, told IANS that police officials are probing whether the vandalising of these idols with the aim of destroying communal harmony and tarnishing the image of the country. However,the perpetrators of the incident have not yet been identified, he added.

District Commissioner M. Mahbubur Rahman said that those who are carrying out activities to disturb the peace and harmony of the town will soon be brought to book and given exemplary punishment.

Baliandangi Upazila Puja Celebration Council General Secretary Bidyanath Barman said nine temples in Dhantala, one in Charol and four in Paria were attacked. The temples were dedicated to Haribasar, Lord Krishna, Manasa, Luxmi and Kali, among others. "The hands, feet, and heads of the idols were smashed to bits. Some were broken and left in the pond," he said.

"We want the authorities to investigate this thoroughly and apprehend the culprits." As the news of the attacks spread, the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police inspected the temples.

"After taking a look, it appeared to me that the act was intentional. It was done to disrupt the peaceful situation of the country," the SP said, vowing to identify and make those responsible face justice.

The Deputy Commissioner said authorities would take steps to prevent such incidents in the future.

District Puja Celebration Council General Secretary Tapan Kumar Ghosh also visited the temples, along with local Hindu people. At the Haribasar Temple in Sindurpindi, he said: "This temple is large and a traditional one. Many people regularly visit this place. All the idols here have been smashed. This is tragic and frightening." Baliandangi Upazila Parishad Chairman M. Ali Aslam said: "The temples where idols were vandalised are right beside the road without any security measure in place. I hope law enforcers will take steps to prevent this from happening again. Everyone must stay vigilant."
Moscow/Jerusalem, Feb 5 : Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's defiant video announcing that he was "not hiding" and was "not afraid" of anyone came came after the then PM met Russian President Vladimir Putin and secured an assurance that Zelensky would not be targeted, media reports said on Sunday.

Bennett, who travelled to Moscow last March -- soon after hostilities broke out between Russia and Ukraine, in a failed bid to broker a ceasefire, told Israel's Channel 12 in an interview that he went on Zelensky's request, RT reported.

With Russian forces around Kiev, Zelensky was reportedly hiding in an undisclosed location at the time of the meeting and according to Bennett, sought the Israeli leader secure an assurance of his safety from Putin.

Bennett says he asked Putin: "Are you going to kill Zelensky?" and when he denied it, again asked to him to give his word to have the Ukrainian President killed. Putin gave his word, he added.

The Israeli leader said that he called Zelensky immediately after leaving the Kremlin, telling him that Putin would not target him and Zelensky asked for confirmation, and Bennett told him that he was "100 per cent" sure.

Two hours later, Zelensky posted the defiant video from his office in Kiev, explaining that he was "not hiding", and "not afraid of anyone", revealing his location only after Bennett's intervention to obtain an assurance of safety from the Russian President, RT reported.

Bennett also said that he had managed to make Russia and Ukraine reach a tentative agreement for a truce but Western powers, who were aware of his mission, had "blocked" it.
Kolkata, Feb 5 : Suman Kanjilal, the BJP legislator from Alipurduar assembly constituency in West Bengal, who on Sunday joined the Trinamool Congress, is the only "odd man" out of the 6 saffron party MLAs who made the switch, considering the former journalist's political career includes no instance of jumping the ship.

However, the other five BJP legislators who joined Trinamool Congress after the 2021 assembly polls have a history of being "two-time turncoats". They first switched from Trinamool Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the 2021 polls and again went back to join the ruling party in Bengal after the elections.

Suman Kanjilal, who joined the Trinamool Congress on Sunday, has no records of any prior association with Trinamool Congress unlike the other five "turncoats".

In fact, Kanjilal has no history of active political life before he joined the BJP ahead of the 2021 state assembly polls after quitting his job as a journalist.

The first to start this trend of "ghar wapsi" was the BJP legislator from Krishnanagar (North) assembly constituency in Nadia district, Mukul Roy in June 2021, who, before joining BJP on November 3, 2017, was first the national general secretary and the national vice-president of Trinamool Congress. After he joined BJP, he also became the saffron party's national vice-president.

Soon, four other elected BJP legislators followed the path of "ghar wapsi" like Mukul Roy.

These four turncoat legislators were Tanmay Ghosh from Bishnupur assembly in August 2021, Biswajit Das from Bagda assembly also in August of the same year, Soumen Roy from Kaliagunj assembly in September 2021 and Krishna Kalyani from Raigunj assembly in October 2021.

All of them, like Mukul Roy, before joining the BJP, had past stints with the Trinamool Congress.
A Flagstaff author and illustrator was recently named the recipient of the Distinction in Creative Achievement Governors Award in the Arts from Arts South Dakota and the South Dakota Arts Council for the year of 2023.

But hes not exactly taking a victory lap. Hes in his home studio in Flagstaff, diligently working on his next round of illustrations.

The first thing you see when visiting the home of S.D. Nelson is a massive elk skull. It looms over the front room, draped in strings of colorful cloth knots.

Tobacco ties, Nelson explains. I typically start my morning with a tobacco tie, which is a prayer.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of tobacco ties hang from the elk skull, which Nelson said he found north of Lake Mary. The stately rack of antlers and its adornments has constituted what Nelson calls a sort of found art piece.

In the next room, there is a similar wall hanging, this one using the skull of a big horn sheep.

I used to hunt quite a bit. Nelson said, admiring the skull. Unlike trophies that hunters hang up, this is a totem. It's a medicine totem, so it honors the bighorn sheep.

He reached to where a red, yellow, white and black string of tobacco ties attached to the totem mantle. And youll notice, I've used carabiners here because they are climbers, he said.

What these totems make clear to any visitor is that Nelson -- though mostly known for his childrens books -- is an artist unrestrained to a medium. He doesnt seem concerned with isolating creativity to a single mode of output.

As another example, there is a boulder outside his front door that contains a smoothly bored hole. Its a remnant from the dynamite drilling that occurred during highway construction across the boulder originals home, and to this history Nelson has added deeply engraved petroglyphs of birds and sky. Together, they make an odd syncretism telling a story of industry alongside natural wonder.

Nelson himself is a syncretic being. Hes an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, but also a descendant of Norse heritage.

I am Native American, he said. I'm a mixed-blood. We don't choose where we're born or our genetic background. But, I grew up with quite a bit of influence from my Native family side, my mother's side.

What he learned from his mother still influences the rituals and traditions he practices today from tobacco tie prayers to the burning of sweet grass for purification in his morning routine.

And these traditional ways show up in my in my books, Nelson added.

Most of Nelsons books are inspired by traditional Lakota histories and characters  stories he was familiar with while growing up in the Dakotas. While he lives in and loves Arizona for its geology, people and culture, he still considers the Dakotas to be a home.

I think its OK for people to have two homes, Nelson said.

Nelsons recent award from South Dakota is in large part thanks to his focus on Lakota stories.

It feels wonderful, he said of the honor. I've been excited about this ever since I heard I was receiving the award.

I'm 73 years old, he added. When I was a kid, my earliest memories are of the Dakotas, South Dakota and North Dakota, because that's where my mother's family is.

But awards are nothing new to Nelson. His work has been heavily decorated, received dozens of awards, and been featured in exhibitions from Flagstaff to the Smithsonian. Excited and grateful as he may be, Nelsons focus is not on this most recent award, but on his art.

His latest published work is called Crazy Horse and Custer: Born Enemies, a parallel biography that chronicles the lives of the two star-crossed warriors.

I think pretty much every culture in the world is a warrior culture, Nelson said. A lot of people get defensive on both sides about their history and who is the aggressor, right? But we're all aggressive. Theres plenty to go around.

Soon to be available is Grandmas Tipi. It should be available on bookshelves come May.

It's a contemporary story, Nelson said. These two girls get to spend part of their summer with their grandmother and her tipi.

Grandmas Tipi, is about that experience of growing closer to tradition through visitation, something Nelson knows intimately.

I wanted to really focus on a relationship between grandmother and her two granddaughters, he added. There are a lot of blended families in our culture today.

Currently, Nelson is working on illustrating a book about Billy Mills, an Olympic runner from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota who won the gold medal in 1964.

The book was written by Billy Mills and Donna Bowman, and I've really liked the way they've written the story, Nelson said. He found parallels between Mills and himself, from the style of upbringing they experienced in the Dakotas to the fact that both Nelson and Mills were small for their age.

I really connect with him, Nelson said.

His mother died, and then before his father died he told the boy that he was like an eagle with broken wings, Nelson said, surveying some of the sketches destined to become illustrations in the upcoming book.

In order to mend himself, he would have to set some kind of dream for himself some kind of goal, and hence the name of the book: Wings of an Eagle.

When asked about his approach to art, Nelson said it goes back to his days as a schoolteacher.

One of the things people don't really know about me is how much I love teaching art, he said. I did it for 28 years and I learned so much. When you have to teach something, you got to look at it from all kinds of angles and perspectives. I think it really influenced my art, teaching middle school kids. I think my art has -- and I don't mean this in a derogatory way  but it has a simpler, direct approach.

As for what it means to Nelson that he should be invited to participate as an artist in the telling of stories as incredible as that of Billy Mills, he said his cup is overflowing.

I've heard different people say that art is magic, Nelson said. You take out like a white piece of paper or white canvas, and then you create. And they're absolutely right. It's magic, and I just, I feel this magical, wonderful, feeling.
CAPPS Manufacturing of Cortland is celebrating 30 years of being in business in 2023. The equine dentistry tool business was started by Scott Capps on his farm near Clatonia.

A few of Scotts friends who had been dental providers wanted him to find a better way to sharpen a blade, but he developed a more efficient hand-float tool for use on horses.

Owner Rich Capps said the business grew from that tool.

At one point we were the largest manufacturer of equine dentistry tools in the world, he said. Theres a lot more competition now.

The business has always been a family business.

My dad was Scotts first employee," he said." I started working part-time here in 1996. In 2010 my dad learned he had cancer and my first day here full-time was his last day working.

In 2011 the company moved to Cortland. Rich said when Scott moved the business he wanted to be sure that it stayed in Gage County.

Rich and his wife, Rochelle, purchased the business in 2015. Currently there are seven employees with three that are not related.

We all wear several different hats and do what we need to do.

CAPPS Manufacturers now offers a full catalog of instruments with three distributors which are located in Chile, Australia and the Netherlands. They ship products throughout the world. Everything is made at the Cortland site.

Rich said there are several generations of machinist in his family.

I always knew the type of work I wanted to do.

Its definitely a niche market. I would be hard to break into the market now, but we take pride in the quality of our product and customer service.

CAPPS Manufacturers travels to trade shows throughout the world. They plan to offer some specials later in the year to thank their customers for 30 years.
Whether you are looking to be active, indulge in art or relax, there are a plethora of unique opportunities to celebrate with your valentine in the Classic City. Here are eight ways to celebrate with your significant other, whether youre artsy, sporty or just looking to unwind.
South Africa: Pres Ramaphosa encouraged by progress made in Lesotho

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Lesotho Prime Minister, Samuel Ntsokoane Matekane have held bi-lateral discussions on the progress being made in the Kingdom of Lesotho since the Prime Ministers ascension to office.

President Ramaphosa hosted Prime Minister Matekane at his official residence at Mahlamba Ndlopfu, Pretoria on Saturday, where they had a bi-lateral discussions.

Both leaders also affirmed their commitment towards strengthening the historic bilateral relations between the two countries.

President Ramaphosa reiterated his well wishes to Matekane for his electoral success and his appointment as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, as well as the formation of the new government.

The successes recorded thus far towards the conclusion of the national reforms process is encouraging. I believe that, as per the Prime Ministers undertaking, the new government will expedite its efforts and complete all outstanding matters to finalise the reform process and pass the outstanding Constitutional Amendment Bill, President Ramaphosa said.

The President also expressed his personal commitment and South Africa`s continued readiness to support Basotho on the journey towards the Lesotho that the Basotho want.

On bilateral ties and friendship, South Africa attaches immense value to the bilateral cooperation with the Kingdom of Lesotho. In this regard, President Ramaphosa undertook to convene the inaugural Bi-National Commission (BNC) at a mutually agreed date in 2023.

The leaders further affirmed their commitments to multilateral institutions, including their support of the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM).

President Ramaphosa voiced his gratitude for the Kingdoms contribution to SAMIM.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-02-05. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Fair held to celebrate Lantern Festival in Shenzhen

Xinhua) 11:41, February 05, 2023

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 4, 2023 shows Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

Tourists pose for photos with lanterns during a Lantern Festival fair held in Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Feb. 4, 2023. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

Tourists visit Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Feb. 4, 2023. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

A kid is pictured at a Lantern Festival fair held in Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Feb. 4, 2023. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 4, 2023 shows Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

Tourists visit a Lantern Festival fair held in Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Feb. 4, 2023. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
Its been ongoing for years now and discussed even longer, but now greater efforts are being made across Montana to bridge the gaps in Native American health care.

Since last year, Josiah Hugs has worked with Billings Clinic as a Native American liaison with its recently formed Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) department to increase and promote the education of and outreach to local Native communities.

DEIB refers to the belief that equal access to services and employment be given to all people regardless of their racial, sexual, gender, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. Businesses and organizations have increasingly adopted this approach to meet the needs of groups and communities that have been underrepresented or under-served in the past.

Recognizing growing needs for local community inequities across patients, visitors and personnel, the hospital formed its DEIB department in 2020 to address them and created the liaison position in 2022 to have greater focus on the needs of local Native American communities.

As we continued to grow and see needs, we had interest and really sort of intentionality as we think of our Native American community being such a large and important part of our communities, said Billings Clinic DEIB director Sara Agostinelli.

Hugs applied for the new position shortly after it became available and would begin to make an immediate impact. A member of the Apsaalooke Nation, he was raised in the Arrow Creek District of the Crow Reservation in Pryor before moving to Billings to work as a resource coordinator for the Downtown Billings Alliance, an addiction counselor and then a suicide prevention coordinator at Billings Urban Indian Health and Wellness Center in Billings.

He said it was the cumulative experiences from this background that made him uniquely qualified to bridge the cultural gap.

So, when I go into the ED (emergency department) and talk to their people and their biggest concern is the Native Americans coming in and off the street, Im like Oh yeah, Ive worked with them for two years. I know exactly what youre talking about, and am able to relate to them on that level. And then when there are other departments talking about burnout and compassion fatigue, Im like Yeah, Ive been there (too), he said.

Hugss current work with the hospital isnt meant to be a one-person job, though. Rather than act as a hospital chaplain or social worker for patients directly, his work mostly entails educating hospital staff on how to proceed with their usual functions in culturally informed ways. The goal is that every worker can provide the appropriate care as needed rather than only a few who are qualified.

Education has included meeting clinic staff and leadership and asking what they did or didnt know about Montana reservations or historical homelands. Hugs would also consult with Native Americans already on staff to understand what they felt needs to be taught or communicated, like differences in family structures and cultural norms. He would then communicate the appropriate information to Billings Clinics entire staff over time through presentations, a series of training sessions, instructional videos and a weekly podcast.

Hugs said the goal ultimately is to create a safe and productive space for staff to express their questions and feelings about previous experiences with Native American patients and families.

Hopefully, I can educate or speak to that experience of cultural or social norms that I adhere to and grew up being taught that are not adhered to here in Billings and, as I say, mainstream society, he said.

Certain types of nonverbal communication, for example, can convey widely different messages depending on the norms one knows. Hugs said the most common topics hes received from staff to date involves a lack of eye contact maintained with native patients. The reason, he explained, is because of the sign of respect it represents is the opposite to what most people might interpret.

Back home, to stand in front of somebody and maintain eye contact is very confrontational, very forward and disrespectful. Where (here), to stand in front of someone, make contact and have a conversation is a norm, he said.

Another significant change over the past year has come in the hospitals spiritual care leading up to a patients death. In addition to bringing in families for a final prayer while theyre alive, Hugs advised that they stop saying the name of the dying patient during end-of-care treatment.

He explained that traditional belief is that death is the process of entering the spirit realm and that uttering their name brings them back to the physical world.

So its very disrespectful to the family, to the individual, and it just sort of adds insult to injury, he said.

Adding to the benefits for both patients and staff is the inclusion of regular smudging ceremonies in the hospital. With his background both in living on the Crow Reservation and working as a counselor, Hugs said the traditional burning of herbs like sage, tobacco, bitterroot and sweet grass can provide mental and spiritual relief to anyone suffering from stress.

I had experienced that. So I thought, What cultural piece could I bring that could help our employees with self-care and wellbeing to re-set their day? he said. And then I was like, Oh, smudging.

Policies allowing patients to smudge in their rooms have been in place at Billings Clinic since 2004, but further adjustments have allowed Hugs to hold regular smudging ceremonies in the hospital chapel to release any negative energy.

From stressed out staff to patients families waiting for discharge to end-of-life care or even visitors simply wanting to experience it, the ceremonies have been positively received throughout the clinic.

Hugs added that this approach has proven to be meaningful for patients and families who practice similar traditions while at the hospital.

Theres been at least one instance where a patient was transitioning to hospice and it was an end-of-life type situation, he said. And we were able to provide that one little, cultural piece since they werent able to go home.coming to the chapel and being able to smudge and pray one last time.

Its extremely unique

Hugs is currently one of the only fully staffed liaisons at a Montana hospital, but his hiring is far from the only DEIB action taken toward Native populations across the state.

In 2021, RiverStone Health hired a justice, equity, diversity and inclusion senior director and has since worked with Billings Clinic along with the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council and Montana State University Billings Native American Achievement Center on public presentations and conferences on Native American education.

Over the years, St. Vincent Healthcare, much like Billings Clinic, has also trained its caregivers on Native American family dynamics, spirituality towards the end of life and other traditions through ongoing education and, at one time, patient advocacy through their own cultural liaison for appropriate treatment.

In 2006, Benefis Health System in Great Falls opened its Papoose Rattler Memorial Native American Welcoming Center to support the traditions and culture of local Native American patients and families. The same year, an advisory committee on Native affairs with neighboring hospitals and tribes was formed before it grew into an advisory board in 2008.

To date, representatives from the Blackfeet, Chippewa Cree, Little Shell, Assiniboine and Sioux tribes along with representatives from Indian Health Services and Indian Family Health Clinic currently occupy the board which has become a model of sorts to replicate.

Its extremely unique, Benefis Chief Nursing Officer Rayn Ginnaty said of the board. We see a large number of Native Americans in our hospitals and we wanted to make sure that we were meeting those needs. But as we talk about this in different states and different settings, its something that we often receive immediate feedback onso it is an extremely rare focus, I think, for many hospitals and health systems.

Efforts throughout these hospitals to date have included updating their facilities to reflect native populations through local art, acknowledging the sacred grounds theyre located on, allowing patients and families to perform their own smudging ceremonies, educational presentations by guest speakers and observing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day May 5 and Native American Heritage month in November.

One shortcoming of these types of efforts in the past has been a dependence on grant funding through organizations like the Montana Healthcare Foundation and the Cigna Foundation.

Because of this historical lack of consistency, one of Hugs first questions he had for Billings Clinic before accepting the job was the assurance that this would not be the case.

Is this in the budget? Is this perpetual? Is this part of the organizations dream? Because that was one of my biggest concerns, Hugs said. If this is grant funded, I dont want it. Because when the money goes away, the people go away, the cause goes away, and all that education and all that learning goes away.

Going forward

The work to address equity gaps has begun, but is far from over.

In Polson, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center made similar strides in creating a more mindful approach to treating local communities on the Flathead Reservation over the past year through a new cultural committee. These efforts have included similar measures to the other hospitals, but also included a greater commitment to addressing current inequities.

Native Americans are our largest cultural patient populationand so we made that our primary focus from a DEIB standpoint, Director of Nursing at Providence St. Joseph Erin Rumelhart said. And then we went a little bit deeper as far as social determinants of health and inequities within the tribal population.

She explained that St. Joseph and many of the other state hospitals have made strides with diversity and inclusion, but equity pertaining to Native American health care remains their biggest challenge. She pointed to recent medical studies identifying generational trauma, lower birthrates, and higher maternal mortality rates as health trends currently more common to Native populations than others.

Why is that? What do we have within our structure that were not able to provide? Is there an access to care issue? Do they feel unsafe? Where does that opportunity lie to ensure that Native American women are not having more health concerns than Caucasian women? It is astounding to me that thats still an issue, Rumelhart said.

With regard to addressing these inequities, measures to expand health care to Native populations has included the development of Urban Wellness Center in 2018 as a regional office in Billings to expand health care by Indian Health Services. The same year, grant funding was awarded to St. Vincent Healthcare to work toward improving Native women and babies health outcomes through greater access to prenatal care, drug education and intervention when needed.

Ginnaty said that discussions with Benefis have progressed over the years into ongoing efforts to expand medical information and possibly implement certain hospital services into nearby tribal areas represented on their advisory board.

Along with increasing efforts to directly address inequities, the consensus among the hospitals remains that continuing education is essential to achieve this. Billings Clinic plans to educate future nursing resident students with the same Native American education staff have received and has also begun updating electronic medical records to recognize patients federally recognized tribes along with their tribal names and homelands.

Last fall, a newly created Native American liaison position was developed at the University of Montanas Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana in Missoula both to train current staff on Montanas Native populations and address a shortage of medical workers from Native American backgrounds.

Shortly after getting hired, Hugs was contacted to discuss what he has successfully implemented to date and how that could be applied to not just their own staff training, but to future recruitment of native communities for medical schools.

Agostinelli said, in addition to benefiting current staff going forward, this type of inclusive training and approach at the beginning of a medical professional's career could leave a lasting impact on the work they go on to do.

Theres so much research that talks about how doctors perform based on how they were taught, she said. And so, I think thats not just Billings Clinic, but thats changing the future of rural medicine.
Dramatic end to the balloons unwelcome flight over US territory that further strained US-China ties.

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. Feb. 4, 2023.

A U.S. fighter jet on Saturday shot down off the South Carolina coast a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had flown over the United States for several days, roiling already troubled relations between the two world powers.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement the balloon had been used to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States and was brought down above U.S. territorial waters  meaning within 12 nautical miles of the coast.

President Joe Biden told reporters that he had given the order to shoot it down on Wednesday  a day before its presence was divulged publicly by U.S. officials.

They decided that the best time to do that was as it got over water, Biden said Saturday. They successfully took it down. And I want to compliment our aviators who did it.

The Pentagon had said Friday that that the balloon had the capability to conduct surveillance and was controllable, despite China's contention it is a weather-monitoring system that had simply been blown off course.

Its discovery prompted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday to postpone a planned visit to China to repair relations between Washington and Beijing amid deep differences over security, trade and human rights.

Earlier on Saturday, before the balloon was destroyed, Chinas Foreign Ministry repeated its claims that it was a civilian airship that had drifted far from its planned course.

We have no intention to violate and has (sic) never violated the territory or airspace of any sovereign country. Some politicians and media in the U.S. have hyped it up to attack and smear China, a spokesperson was quoted as saying in a posting on the ministrys website.

Reuters reported that the shootdown came shortly after the U.S. government ordered a halt to flights in and out of three regional airports -- Wilmington, Myrtle Beach and Charleston -- due to what it said at the time was an undisclosed "national security effort." The flights resumed on Saturday afternoon.

The wire service, quoting a senior U.S. military official, said multiple fighter and refueling aircraft were involved in the mission, but only one -- an F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia -- took the shot at 2:39 p.m. eastern time (1939 GMT), using a single AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile.
Recent migrants say they fled a political crackdown in the wake of the 2019 protest movement, some in a big hurry

British National Overseas passports (BNO) and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China passports sit on top of a family's baggage before they emigrate to the United Kingdom.

Two years after the British government announced a citizenship pathway for Hong Kong holders of the colonial-era British National Overseas passport, tens of thousands of people are struggling to adapt to their new lives in the United Kingdom after fleeing political repression at home, a new survey has found.

More than 70% of respondents said they had emigrated there on their BNO passports due to "the political environment in Hong Kong," or "considerations of freedom/personal safety," the survey by U.K.-based Hong Kong news site The Chaser and the educational organization Citizens of Our Time Learning Hub found.

The British government says 144,500 people have emigrated to the United Kingdom on its BNO visa scheme, which includes a pathway to permanent residency and citizenship, since its launch in 2021, prompting retaliation from Beijing.

But around 30% of the 140,000 people who have taken advantage of the BNO route so far said they are still struggling to make a new life in the country.

More than half said they still need help "understanding British social, political, and economic systems" as well as "local culture and way of life," the report found.

Nearly half said they are in strong need of help "integrating into the local community," suggesting that while many have a strong desire to settle down and integrate, they haven't yet managed it, according to the survey, with 30% saying they "haven't yet adapted to life in the U.K."

Finding jobs, speaking English

Finding jobs and improving their English-language skills were among the highest priorities for many, while 18.5% said they are struggling to meet basic living expenses, the survey found, adding that some said they had been forced to leave in a hurry due to "rapid political changes," and without adequate preparation.

Many have been hampered financially by the refusal of Hong Kong officials to allow them to withdraw funds from their mandatory government pension fund, it said.

Many respondents cited key moments in the 2019 protest movement as "worthy of commemoration," including the July 21, 2019, attacks by white-clad mobsters on passengers and passers-by at Yuen Long MTR, the Aug. 31 attack by riot police on passengers at Prince Edward MTR and the June 12 occupation of the Legislative Council in response to government plans to allow extradition of alleged criminal suspects to mainland China.

Their responses suggest that the 2019 protests, the police handling of which sparked widespread international criticism, were uppermost in people's minds when it came to their political identity, the report said.

"The ... people who migrated from Hong Kong to the U.K. over the past two years mainly left Hong Kong for political reasons, former public opinion pollster Chung Kim-wah told Radio Free Asia. "Adults have adapted well, and many of them are actively involved in British society."

"We can see that many share concerns over finding a job, learning more about British culture and history, and improving their English," Chung said. "But at the same time, they haven't forgotten Hong Kong, and ... are still very concerned about news out of Hong Kong."

Financial support available

While the British government has invested nearly 50 million in its welcome program for incoming Hong Kongers since April 2021, which includes English courses and "poverty support" from local councils, the survey found that just under half of respondents lacked awareness of the financial support that was on offer.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick was keen to show the program in a positive light.

"We continue to take action to uphold our moral and historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong, and I feel particularly proud when I hear the stories and witness the incredible contributions Hong Kongers are already making to our local communities and to our economy," Jenrick said in a promotional video to mark the second anniversary of the BNO visa scheme.

Protesters against the new national security law gesture with five fingers, signifying the "Five demands  not one less," July. 1, 2020. Fear created by the national security law continues to take its toll on nearly a quarter of Hong Kongers who emigrated to Britain. Credit: Associated Press





He said recent BNO migrants had volunteered to help refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine, gotten jobs in the National Health Service or teaching in schools, as well as "powering our economy forward" by working in the private sector.

But the picture painted by the survey was rather more complex.

More than half of recent BNO migrants are families with children in school, and these respondents cited concerns about their children's ability to adapt to a new learning environment as well as worries that they could lose touch with their own heritage as Hong Kongers, the survey found.

It said many with older children would likely be required to pay much higher international rates when their children went to university, only people with indefinite leave to remain under immigration rules are eligible for the lower rates.

Feelings of guilt

In a comments section at the end of the survey, many respondents said they felt guilty about leaving, and abandoning their "comrades in arms," some of whom were now in prison for their part in the 2019 protest movement.

Around 170 of the 460 respondents left positive comments on the more recent survey about enjoying greater rights and freedoms, as well as legal protection, in the U.K., while just over 180 left comments describing problems like loneliness, the British weather, short winter days and the language barrier.

Participants were over 16 years of age and held a BNO visa, or settled in the U.K. because their family members did.

A May 2022 report found that nearly one in four Hongkongers who fled the ongoing political crackdown under the ruling Chinese Communist Party still suffered from symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome linked to police violence during the 2019 protests and the subsequent fear engendered by the national security law.

The survey of recently arrived migrants by the Hongkongers in Britain group found that 23.8% of respondents reported symptoms of PTSD linked to the 2019 protests and subsequent political crackdown, while nearly 19% reported symptoms of depression and 25.8% reported symptoms of anxiety disorders.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
Frustrations and fears over shabby, abandoned houses and the drugs and crime they seem to spawn in parts of Butte have simmered for years.

In recent weeks, in one central Butte neighborhood between Front and Platinum streets, theyve boiled over in public anger and exasperation that has county officials and commissioners sitting up.

The angst intensified even more when, according to some residents, a top county official scoffed at their concerns out loud during a citizen presentation before council on Jan. 4. Two people said he did so using derogatory terms.

The official, Community Enrichment Director Ed Randall, says he did say that some of their statements were false but never cursed. His boss, Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher, says hes looked into the accusations as a private, personnel matter but said that even if Randall didnt curse, his comments were inappropriate in that setting.

In a way, the episode is a microcosm of frustrations all sides are feeling over blight in Butte in general and the dilapidated, boarded up houses, abandoned vehicles and decay in one neighborhood.

Commissioners feel the pressure, too, and bristled when Gallagher recently suggested he would have different department heads appear before the council to discuss property rights, ordinances and other complexities involved.

Several commissioners spoke up, collectively saying, Been there, done that. They want many of these houses demolished and gone.

Ive been here for 10 years and Ive been hearing the same stuff for 10 years and these buildings are still standing, said Commissioner Jim Fisher. Its not Community Enrichments fault, its not the Fire Departments fault, its not the Police Departments fault.

But somebodys gonna have to take the bull by the horns here, he said. Get a hold of the owners and find out if we can make a deal to get rid of these properties.

Commissioner Michele Shea said a presentation by department chiefs would be OK if it isnt about excuses.

I think in a nutshell what all of the commissioners are wanting to do is to hear what we can do, not what we cant, she said.

Gallagher says he understands the frustrations and is looking at serious steps that could make a difference.

He wants to revamp the countys dangerous buildings ordinance and give it more teeth. Randall and other top officials got some revisions passed in 2019, but against their wishes, they were watered down by people concerned about historic preservation and some allies on council.

Gallagher also wants structural changes, saying Community Enrichment has taken on too much in recent years. Among other things, enforcement duties and the officials who carry them out belong in the Planning Department instead of Community Enrichment, he said.

The county must also do a better job tracking abandoned houses and their owners and following up so the houses are fixed or demolished as quickly as possible, he said.

We really need to take a hard look at what works and what doesnt work, Gallagher said.

A PUBLIC RISING

Residents in parts of central Butte have gotten increasingly vocal about their concerns, saying abandoned houses are magnets for vagrants and criminals who are hiding out.

During a Jan. 4 presentation before commissioners that was organized by resident Trudy Healy, they begged county officials to hold property owners accountable and demolish abandoned, dangerous houses.

They said squatters get into the houses repeatedly, park junk vehicles everywhere, use and deal drugs and urinate and defecate inside and outside.

Karrie West, who lives near a burned and long-vacant house on West Main Street, shared concerns that were echoed by many others.

The smell in the summer of human feces and just the mold and mildew of that house  I cannot keep my windows open, she said, adding that she doesnt let her 7-year-old twins outside because of unpredictable squatters.

Theres yelling, theres screaming, theres fighting, West said. There have been gunshots. My sons want to ride their bikes  I have to take them to a park  because I feel like its not safe to be out there.

Few blame the police, saying theyre stretched thin and the vagrants have scattered or gone silent by the time officers arrive. But they do believe the houses are a root cause of the problems, and theyre not alone in thinking that.

Egan Green, chair of the Criminal Justice Department at Radford University in Virginia, said neighborhoods with dilapidated and abandoned houses can be a draw for people with ill intent.

Green said a part of town that shows clear signs of neglect sends signals to criminals that this is a place no one cares about.

But he said police officers alone cant be expected to effectively address what amounts to a larger symptom of social disorganization.

Healy formed a grassroots group called Citizens United Against Urban Decay that is circulating a petition demanding action, and it has gained traction in recent weeks.

Green said it sounds like the residents seeking help from local government are working to establish what he described as collective efficacy. Collective efficacy describes what residents are willing to do to improve their neighborhoods.

Healy said she felt good about the Jan. 4 presentation and believed J.P. and commissioners were listening. Then a few days later, she heard things about that meeting that left her disheartened.

MEETING FALLOUT

At least two residents who attended the Jan. 4 presentation said Randall was making comments at the back of the room as citizens spoke up front. A third said Randall did the same near the doorway of council chambers after the presentation.

Two of the residents sent Gallagher emails. One said she couldnt make out specifics of what Randall was saying but said he was talking loudly and being disruptive.

The other said Randall was laughing, calling the presentation a s***show and referred to a speaker in a derogatory manner. It was disrespectful, the resident wrote, especially given the seriousness of the subject.

Healy told commissioners at the next meeting that she had learned a high-ranking county official had made comments during the meeting and after consulting an attorney, she was going to speak publicly about it.

She did that a few days later on Party Line, a daily radio show on KBOW, by naming Randall and reading the emails on the air. She later talked to The Montana Standard about it.

Gallagher responded to the emails. He told one resident he was looking into the matter and told the other that he spoken to Randall and people who were sitting next to him and took the matter seriously.

He also said what he has repeatedly said to the Standard and others  that Community Enrichment was getting blamed for multi-faceted problems that are difficult to address, involve other departments and are often police matters.

Another resident, Sid deBarathy, told the Standard that as he was walking out of council chambers after the presentation, Randall said to someone that he had heard this s*** before and it didnt bother him.

DeBarathy said he lives in a neighborhood near the Country Club but knew Healy and came to the presentation to listen and show support. He also said he has known Randall for years and had no personal ax to grind.

Obviously he did not agree with the presentation or what those people were up to but as the guy in charge, holy mackerel, you wonder why nothings getting done, deBarathy said.

If he cant look at that presentation that was given at council and not say, Man, we have got to do something to get these homes down and help that neighborhood. Instead, it was like, Whatever.

Randall told the Standard he does understand the residents frustrations, respects what they are trying to do and his department has listened and been responsive. As to the reported comments, he said he never cursed and was not loud or disruptive.

He said he did tell a fellow department head several times, in response to statements being made, Thats simply not true, and at one point said something was an out-out-lie.

I probably shouldnt have but I did, Randall said. But he said he did not curse inside or outside of the meeting that night.

Im not perfect but if I said Ive heard this stuff before it wasnt derogatory, he said. Every time Im at these meetings I get beat up. It doesnt bother me personally.

Randall said he approached one resident who had spoken at the presentation and told him, Im the gentleman youre upset with.

He said, No, I just want something done, and I said, I get it  and were working on it.

Gallagher said he has looked into the email claims but had not heard about deBarathys statements. He said it was now an internal personnel and discipline matter that carries legal protocols and he could not comment on specifics.

We are taking these allegations serious but we want to make sure that were fair to the people that are accusing and also fair to the person who is being accused, he said.

The comments Randall acknowledged, Gallagher said, were still inappropriate and we have talked about that.

Healy said she had only talked to Randall a handful of times and had no personal vendetta against him, but the comments were disrespectful and out-of-line.

She says Community Enrichment and its director are responsible for enforcing decay ordinances as well as coordinating and communicating those efforts with other departments, and that hasnt been done.

GOING FORWARD

Since the meeting and its fallout, Healy has met with Gallagher and is hopeful steps will be taken to tackle the decay problem. She said Gallagher has been great to work with and believes he is serious about finding solutions.

Gallagher told the Standard this week he is serious and that demolition proceedings were progressing on at least two of the area houses.

But the problems are indeed complex, he said, and involve property rights and often times absent owners who are delinquent on taxes and uncooperative. The county has gotten some buildings in Uptown demolished, he said, but owners worked with county officials in those cases.

There are also residents who oppose demolitions even when buildings are in bad shape. They and some members of the countys Historic Preservation Commission have opposed more stringent ordinances that Randall and others have advocated. Some commissioners have opposed them as well.

They dont like buildings torn down in our community and Im not pointing fingers at them that theyre a roadblock, but that is a hurdle we have to work with as well, Gallagher said.

But the county can and should do more, he said.

We realize our deficiencies, Gallagher said.

He said that moving the enforcement arm of Community Enrichment to the Planning Department should improve communication and coordination with building inspectors and others before cases are referred to the County Attorneys Office for potential court proceedings.

The countys GIS department is working on a program that will give all departments access to information on abandoned properties, including enforcement timelines and the status of their water and sewer hook-ups.

Thats planning, historic preservation, the health department, fire department, police department, the county attorney and myself to make sure if somebody calls me about a property, I can look up where we are in the process, Gallagher said.

He said county officials and commissioners must also take another run at enacting a stronger dangerous buildings law.

Commissioner John Riordan got $225,000 in delinquent tax proceeds earmarked for demolitions in the last budget and that program is being finalized now. It will allow owners who cant afford demolition costs to apply for cash assistance to get the jobs done.

Gallagher acknowledges the angst many residents are feeling and said county officials will be discussing the efforts and issues before council Wednesday night.

We are going to work at some type of solution, he said but cautioning that, Its not going to be an overnight change.

Sheriff Ed Lester said he also gets the frustration and says his department will do what it can.

There are houses that have been neglected by owners that are probably too far gone to repair, he said. I do understand that these houses can attract squatters and criminal activity.

We will always respond to calls about suspicious persons or activity and take whatever the appropriate action is, he said. A lot of times we can make an arrest if there is a crime or if the person is wanted on a warrant. If there is not a criminal offense, we usually do our best to get these people to move on.

Even when we cant make an arrest or issue a citation, it is always helpful for us to make every effort to be visible in the area, the sheriff said. Just a patrol car passing through on a regular basis can make a difference in the neighborhood environment.

The next council meeting is set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on the third floor of the courthouse.
Police bribes and harassment are part of everyday life for those who flee the war-torn country

In this photo provided by Thailand's Ministry of Defense taken in Dec. 2021, Thai soldiers stand guard as Myanmar refugees arrive in Thailand, fleeing clashes between Myanmar military and ethnic Karen rebels in Mae Sot, northern Thailand.

Burmese political activists Cherry and Min Thura were walking to a cafe in the Thai border city of Mae Sot when they were stopped by the police.

What happened next was the beginning of a nightmare that has haunted thousands of migrants fleeing Myanmar since the February 2021 coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyis democratically elected government.

With no official documentation, they were arrested, setting in motion a chain of events and spiraling fines, which many say are bribes, to stay in Thailand.

We just apologized and asked them to release us. But they didnt accept that, they just wanted to send us to Myanmar or pay (the money), former political prisoner Cherry, 27, told Radio Free Asia.

For three days, she and her boyfriend Min Thura, 26, frantically contacted their families and friends from prison cells in Mae Sot to pay the 10,000 baht (about U.S.$300) fee to gain their release. Both said those are not their real names because of their status in Thailand.

Thai police process paperwork for Min Thura and Cherrys release after they pay the 10,000 baht bribe. Credit: Min Thura.





Their story is not unique. Naing Aung Aung, the head of the Mae Sot migrant advocacy group Arakan Workers Organization, pointed out that up to 75% of cases will end in deportation and the threat of imprisonment and torture.

For migrant workers, the police department is like hell. They cant ask for help from them because most of the police are just asking for money, he said.

Patrick Phongsathorn, a senior advocacy specialist at Fortify Rights, an NGO specializing in Myanmar, went even further. In all of the cases where refugees have been arrested and that we have spoken to, they have been asked for bribes  its very common, he said.

Thailand to investigate

Fortify Rights reported on Thursday that the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand will investigate the Thai governments treatment of Myanmar refugees after the group shared evidence of potential violations. They included forced returns, arbitrary arrests, detention and extortion by Thai authorities.

In response, RFA phoned the Thai police seeking a comment on claims of extortion. But at the time of publication there was no reply.

In an earlier Associated Press report on April 20, 2022, Thai Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tanee Sangrat said the government categorically denied the existence of any extortion or bribery.

In this Dec. 18, 2021, photo, Myanmar refugees, who fled their homes amid a surge in violence, gather at a temporary shelter in Thailand's Mae Sot district. (AFP Photo)





Still, the cost of staying in the country comes at a heavy price and a permanent state of legal limbo. At the crux of the problem are police cards or unofficial documents allowing Burmese migrant workers to avoid arrest or deportation.

They are purchased monthly through middlemen or brokers and can now cost 300-350 baht (around U.S.$9-11), according to the Arakan Workers Organization. Yet buying a police card is still not a guarantee of not being randomly arrested on the streets or deported, Cherry and Min Thura said.

I thought they wouldnt arrest us if we (had a) police card. But in reality, it cannot protect us from arrest. There are no human rights for a human being, for a Burmese, and for an illegal resident. We are refugees, said Min Thura, which is not his real name because of his status in Thailand, which hasnt ratified the UN Refugee Convention and doesnt officially recognize refugees.

Numbers climbing

Since the military seized power in Myanmar, advocacy group the Foundation for Education and Development has reported that arrests of Burmese migrants have at least doubled with deportations also on the rise. The Thai NGO recorded 1,400 migrants and 181 arrests in 2022.

Yet the groups spokesman Min Oo said those figures only scratch the surface. There are a lot of unknown cases that are beyond us, [those] that we cant reach, he added.

A recent report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that between 2,000 to 5,000 people a month returned to Myanmar in 2022. Most of them were deported. For those forced into exile, the risks loom large over their lives.

In this Jan. 15, 2022, photo, young Myanmar refugees walk with food aid on the Thai border in Thailand's Mae Sot district. (AFP Photo)





Chairman of the Migrant Workers Rights Network Aung Kyaw told RFA that the number of people crossing into Thailand has increased from 100 per day in 2020 to 2,000 per day in 2022. Thai authorities reported that 60,000 migrants were arrested last year, including up to 45,000 that fled Myanmar.

Before fleeing to Thailand, Cherry spent seven months in prison for her role in the protest movement that swept across the war-torn country. Her boyfriend Min Thura also lives in fear after being stopped five times by the Thai police. On each occasion, he paid a few thousand baht to avoid arrest and deportation.

We are in a life-threatening situation there (in Myanmar). That is why I paid [the police] the money, he explained.

As for the Burmese authorities, they tend to target those involved with the Civil Disobedience Movement, in which government workers have walked off the job in protest of the military coup, or other resistance groups.

High-profile detainees in Thailand have reportedly paid as much as 50,000 baht (U.S.$1,520) to stop being deported. Those that have been taken back to the border face a much riskier option by paying Burmese guards at the checkpoints 500,000 kyat (U.S.$240) to be released.

Increasingly unable to help

The Arakan Workers Organization said humanitarian groups have become increasingly sidelined from the deportation process. Previously, they met monthly with immigration officials and provided humanitarian aid and welfare checks. But for the last two years, the Thai government has reportedly been cooperating with the Myanmar junta in coordinating deportations.

When NGOs cant get involved anymore, the only people who suffer are the migrant workers, said Naing Aung Aung of AWO. Even [before the coup], there were so many people whose families did not know they had been arrested. But we were able to share information. Now, we cant do that anymore.

In this Jan. 15, 2022, photo, Myanmar refugees push a boat with food aid across a river in Thailand's Mae Sot district. (AFP Photo)





In response, RFA emailed the Thailand Immigration Bureau seeking a comment. But at the time of publication there was no reply.

For Cherry and Min Thura, such help would have been a welcome relief in contacting their parents as they languished in prison. For each phone call, the Thai police charged them 300 baht (U.S.$9).

As you know, I dont have a family here, Min Thura said. We all arrive alone and no one can help in this kind of situation.

RFA Burmese contributed reporting. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
When the Taliban returned to power in 2021 in a lightning military insurrection that toppled Afghanistans internationally recognized government, the country immediately fell into diplomatic isolation.



Two of Kabuls neighbors to the north, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, chose a different route, putting the hard-line groups fractious history with the former Soviet Central Asian republics aside and prioritizing engagement over criticism and pressure.



But a giant canal project in Afghanistan now taking shape that the Taliban is pursuing at a rapid pace is giving the two water-stressed countries doubts about whether strategic patience with the Islamic fundamentalist group will yield rewards.



If you look at other projects that have involved Afghanistan and Central Asia somehow, there has often been a win-win element, Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, founding director of the Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh, told RFE/RL.



But the Qosh Tepa Irrigation Canal, which will divert large volumes of water from the dwindling transboundary Amu Darya River, is a very different case.



This is very much zero sum, because water is a finite good and there dont seem to be any benefits for Afghanistans neighbors here, said Murtazashvili, adding that she expects the Central Asian countries to pursue a lot of quiet diplomacy on the project that will add to the pressures faced by outsized agricultural sectors already battling climate change and historical mismanagement.

But the Taliban will be probing to see how far it can go, Murtazashvili said, something she suggested its downstream neighbors will have to get used to.



If the first Taliban [regime that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001] was weighed down by insurgency and in some ways never really behaved like a state, Taliban 2.0 seems to really like the idea of projecting state power, Murtazashvili said.



Old Project With New Momentum



The stated dimensions of the irrigation canal that workers started digging last spring are enough to understand why the downstream countries have concerns.



With a length of 285 kilometers and a width of some 100 meters, experts believe it could draw a significant portion of the Amu Daryas flow while irrigating 550,000 hectares of land.



An Afghan civil servant with knowledge of the project told RFE/RLs Uzbek Service that work on the second of three stages of the project that began in the spring of 2022 is expected to begin in the coming months, with more than 100 kilometers already dug and visible from space.



The plan to irrigate land in northern Afghanistan is not new.



Farid Azim, an official at the National Development Company overseeing its construction, pointed out last year that Afghanistans first president, Mohammad Daud Khan, had a similar vision in the 1970s.

The project was most recently pursued by the U.S.-backed administration of President Ashraf Ghani -- which the Taliban overthrew less than two years ago.



A press release issued by the United States Agency for International Development from 2018 marking the launch of a Washington-funded feasibility study for Qosh Tepa described a 200 kilometer-long canal serving a cultivated catchment area of 500,000 hectares.



Developing Afghanistans agriculture sector provides great potential for employment and economic growth, then-U.S. Ambassador John R. Bass said in the release.



But the project was not a pressing concern for neighbors, primarily because political infighting and chronic instability in northern Afghanistan had made it impractical.



Bismellah Alizada, a researcher at Londons School of Oriental and African Studies, told RFE/RL that Rashid Dostum, who was the Afghan first vice president from 2014 to 2020, was among the influential politicians with concerns about the project.



One of those concerns was that it would be used to benefit and resettle members of the politically dominant Pashtun group to which President Ashraf Ghani belonged, Alizada said.



Dostum -- an ethnic Uzbek warlord -- long enjoyed strong ties to the regime in Uzbekistan and was even reported to have fled there when the Taliban captured Mazar-e Sharif, overwhelming forces jointly under his command before the group advanced on Kabul.

Members of Dostums exiled Junbish-e Milli party have reiterated these concerns more recently, but the reality is that the Taliban has no opponents capable of preventing it from forging ahead with giant public works projects, Alizada said.



More obvious obstacles are technical capacity and cash, with billions of dollars in funds belonging to Afghanistans central bank frozen after the Taliban takeover. That would make it hard for the cash-strapped Taliban to finance a project whose first phase cost nearly $100 million, according to reports.



But Graeme Smith, a senior consultant for the International Crisis Groups Asia Program, said the Taliban has a strong political will to finish off projects begun by the former government with Qosh Tepa the biggest that the group has revived so far.



With their very limited resources, the Taliban have prioritized [Qosh Tepa], said Smith, expressing skepticism that the Islamic fundamentalist group would pay attention to its neighbors concerns.



The Taliban is a nationalist movement intensely focused on their domestic constituencies, Smith said.



I think its fair to assume they will continue governing with a strong focus on issues inside the country and less regard for concerns outside, he told RFE/RL.



Games Of Leverage



Taciturn Turkmenistan has so far said nothing about the canal project.



But a Turkmenistan-based hydrologist speaking in March to RFE/RLs Turkmen Service on condition of anonymity called the project not a problem, but a disaster.



RFE/RL correspondents in the closed authoritarian country reported this year about severe water shortages in Turkmenistans Soviet-built Karakum Canal, which is four times the length of the one the Taliban is seeking to complete.



The World Resources Institute in 2019 ranked Turkmenistan as one of 17 countries in the world with extremely high water stress. Uzbekistan and Afghanistan were placed in the next highest category. Central Asia as a whole depends on rivers that rise in mountains, where many glacier stocks are being depleted by climate change.



Tashkent, whose own Moscow-imposed, cotton-growing legacy is one of the chief causes of the Amu Daryas demise, has been more proactive on Qosh Tepa.

According to the Talibans deputy prime minister for economic affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the topic was among those broached by Uzbek presidential envoy and former Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Komilov when he was in Kabul last month for talks on economic cooperation.



Komilov was cited by Baradars office as saying that Uzbekistan was ready to work with the Islamic emirate (the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan) through technical teams in order to maximize the benefits of the Qosh Tepa canal project.



Uzbekistan provided no comment to that effect in its release on the talks, but President Shavkat Mirziyoev -- in a national address in December -- flagged Qosh Tepa as a concern as he touched on the problem of desertification.

At the moment, we consider it necessary to conduct practical talks on the construction of a new canal in the Amu Darya basin with the interim government of neighboring Afghanistan and the international community based on international standards and taking into account the interests of all countries in the region, he said.



We believe that this approach will be supported by our neighbors.



Mirziyoevs preference for dialogue over threats on transboundary water use has been welcomed by the neighborhood since predecessor Islam Karimov passed away in 2016.



This appears to have worked with upstream Kyrgyzstan, where successful border negotiations saw Uzbekistan granted de facto control of a strategic reservoir located inside Kyrgyz territory, albeit not without a rash of political discontent in Kyrgyzstan.

And although authoritarian Karimov virulently opposed the construction of giant hydroelectric dams in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Mirziyoev has given both his blessing, with Tashkent even attaching itself to Kyrgyzstans Kambar-Ata-1 project as a partner -- a move that will give it a hand in upstream management.



Qosh Tepa, however, is becoming a source of public anxiety in Uzbekistan.



With the volume of the Amu Darya water [already] decreasing, Afghans will take a quarter of its water through this canal, complained Uzbek academic and outspoken government critic Khidirnazar Allakulov in an interview with RFE/RLs Uzbek Service.



Instead of solving the problem, the Uzbek government takes the Taliban to Samarkand, dressing them and presenting them with gifts. The government bows to Afghanistan.. Not only the current generation, but also future [Uzbek] generations can be endangered by the water problem, Allakulov said.



Regular exchanges between the Turkmen and Uzbek governments and the Taliban predated the fall of the Ghani government, and Turkmenistan was among the first countries in the world to accept a Taliban-appointed ambassador.

But in line with the international community as a whole, neither has recognized the new regime in Kabul.



This only complicates what Alizada calls the legal lacuna between Afghanistan and its former communist neighbors, since Kabul had not previously signed treaties with them on transboundary management.



And while Afghanistan is keen for more trade opportunities and relies on its northern neighbors for supplies of electricity for several provinces, there are other areas of these bilateral relations where the Taliban feels it has real leverage, Alizada argued.



For the Central Asian countries, I think the number one concern is hard security, especially with the regions history with transnational extremist groups. The Taliban will continue to use assurances on security in negotiations with these countries going forward.
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.
BELGRADE -- Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik -- who has been sanctioned by the United States and Britain over alleged destabilization efforts and corruption -- has threatened that he could push for the independence of the Serbian entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina over a dispute involving a controversial property law.

We are considering in the most serious terms to make a decision on independence and secede Republika Srpska [from Bosnia] unless the property issue is solved," Dodik said on April 14 while on a visit to Belgrade to meet Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Republika Srpska has tried multiple times to implement a property law that aims to transfer Bosnian state property to Republika Srpska, despite it being deemed unconstitutional.

Republika Srpska authorities said they were implementing the law in late February. However, it represents a direct challenge to previous decisions by the high representative to Bosnia, Christian Schmidt, to repeal the decree creating the law and to suspend it pending a final decision by Bosnias Constitutional Court.

Republika Srpska says the law aims to ensure that properties used by the authorities of the entity, including local governments, public companies, public institutions, and other departments founded by Republika Srpska belong to them.

The countrys Constitutional Court has stated that the national parliament must adopt a property law that would be valid across Bosnia and not one of the countrys two entities.

The 1995 Dayton Agreement ended the Bosnian civil war and established an administrative system under which Bosnia remains partitioned between the Serbian entity -- Republika Srpska -- and the Bosniak-Croat federation, connected by a weak central government.

Dodik has long threatened to seek Republika Srpska's independence from the rest of Bosnia. He rejects the administrative arrangement and the authority of the Office of the High Representative, the international community's overseer of civil and other aspects of the Dayton Agreement.

With reporting by Reuters
The Russian government released the official results of its 2021 census at the end of last year, and they showed significant declines in numbers for many of the country's non-Russian ethnic minorities.

The number of ethnic Tatars -- the country's largest ethnic minority -- purportedly fell by nearly 600,000 people. The Mari ethnic group declined by 22.6 percent; the Chuvash population fell by 25 percent; and the number of Udmurts declined by 30 percent.

At the same time, the number of census respondents who refused to give any ethnic identification rose to nearly 16.5 million people, according to the official numbers. Figures like these have many demographers and other experts -- as well as activists from the country's ethnic-minority communities -- questioning the process, the results, and the Kremlin's intentions.

"The number of people who refused to provide an ethnic identification grew substantially," Russian sociologist Igor Yakovenko said. "This is a result of growing xenophobia. People understand what sort of consequences there might be in the future -- better not to say anything, just in case."

99 Percent Participation?

The census was originally scheduled for the fall of 2020, 10 years after the previous headcount. But it was delayed for one year because of the global COVID-19 pandemic and was held from mid-October until mid-November 2021. Preliminary results were released in September 2022, while the complete, final data was made public in December. The census included the Ukrainian region of Crimea, which Russia has illegally occupied since 2014.

The country's overall population was reported at 144.7 million, or 147.2 million if Ukraine's Crimea is included, up from the 142.8 million found in the 2010 census.

The deputy head of the government's Rosstat statistics agency, Pavel Smelov, claimed in November 2021, a few days before the data gathering was completed, that "more than 99 percent" of the population had participated in the survey.

However, nongovernmental analysts argued that the actual participation was much lower and that the methods used invalidated the results. The independent Levada Center polling agency found that 42 percent of Russians said they did not take part in the census at all, and that figure reaching a staggering 73 percent in Moscow.

"This means that about 56 million-57 million people didn't participate in the census," said demographer Aleksei Raksha, who was fired from Rosstat in July 2020 for questioning the government's reporting of coronavirus fatalities.

According to the official results, even the number of self-reported ethnic Russians declined from 111 million in 2010 to 105.6 million in 2021.

'Forced To Falsify'

In interviews with RFE/RL, census workers confirmed that much of the data provided was fictional.

"We are being forced to falsify data, and as I understand it, this is happening on a large scale across St. Petersburg because the participation rate is very low," one census worker who asked that her name be withheld for fear of repercussions told RFE/RL's North.Realities in November 2021. "This bothers me a lot because we are being forced to do illegal things at the orders of the regional administration. As a sociologist, I know that the value of such data is zero."

Another census worker, in the southern region of Astrakhan, told a similar story. "The lists I was given had real answers for about 50 percent of the entries, while the rest had been filled in using residency-registration lists rather than actual interviews," he said on condition of anonymity. "There was no information on ethnicity, and we had to figure this out ourselves. I left it blank, so the ethnicity question was unanswered for more than half of my list. I saw another worker using a different tactic -- she guessed at the ethnicities by looking at the surnames."

Such anecdotal evidence and the census results themselves have prompted many experts to caution against using the 2021 census at all.

"I wouldn't rely much on the results of this census," sociologist and visiting professor at Canada's Carleton University Guzel Yusupova said. "Not only do members of the Tatar intelligentsia and activists in other ethnic republics have questions about it, but so also do members of the academic community."

Yakovenko stressed that polling is impossible "in totalitarian and fascist regimes."

"People take any interviewer -- a person violating their personal space and asking personal questions -- as a representative of the government or the security forces," he said. "Sociologists say up to 90 percent of people refuse to answer questions. As for the census, many don't want to answer, while others provide answers that distort reality."

Tatar historian and ethnographer Damir Iskhakov said that "leading demographers have conceded that this statistical material is worthless."

"Even in Kazan," he said, referring to the capital and largest city in Tatarstan, "they didn't go around to people's residences. I saw this for myself. No one I know was visited."

'Diversity Is Associated With Danger'

The governing system of Russian President Vladimir Putin "is based on a fear of ethnic separatism, which is the basis of the repressive government and its 'legitimization,'" sociologist Yusupova asserted. She says that Putin's rise to power in 1999 was boosted by a wave of xenophobia linked to the Second Chechen War.

"This has been a major factor in how we view diversity," she said. "In our country, diversity is associated with danger -- migrants are drug traffickers, Muslims are associated with terrorism, ethnic activists seek the destruction of Russia, and so on."

For years, state propaganda has stressed patriotism and unity. Constitutional amendments adopted in 2020 bolstered the identity of Russians as the country's "state-forming" nation and the primacy of the Russian language.

"I think the policy of the Russian Federation at present is aimed at stimulating the assimilation of most peoples toward Russians," Raksha said, adding that Chechens and other ethnic groups from the North Caucasus appear to be exceptions. "But this census is of such low quality that it is impossible to assess this process accurately."

The historical numbers of ethnic Tatars in Russia seem to back this analysis. The population peaked at 5.55 million in the 2002 census, at the end of the period of Russia's short-lived democratization and Tatarstan's greatest autonomy. It fell to 5.3 million with the 2010 census, before declining by another 600,000 with the latest census and coming in at 4.7 million.

Tatar scholar Iskhakov argued that "if Russia is a democracy in 10 years," when the next census is conducted, "there will once again be more than 5 million Tatars."

Written by Robert Coalson based on reporting by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities. Dina Vishnevetskaya of RFE/RL's North.Realities contributed to this report
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the situation is "very difficult" in the eastern region of Donetsk and elsewhere as Russia intensifies its war effort as the first anniversary nears of its full-scale attack on Ukraine.

"Things are very difficult in Donetsk region. Fierce battles," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on February 5. "But, however difficult it is and however much pressure there is, we must endure."

Zelenskiy said Moscow was intensifying its attacks in an attempt to "make up for its defeats last year. We see that on various sectors of the front and also pressure in terms of information."

Heavy shelling was also reported in the key eastern city of Kharkiv and the strategic southern port of Kherson on February 5.

Ukrainian authorities said numerous residential buildings were hit by Russian rocket attacks in Kherson, while Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synehubov said missiles struck a residential building in the city center, injuring at least five people.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov renewed calls for allies to supply additional weapons, including fighter jets, saying the West's reluctance to send such aircraft will "cost us more lives" in the battle against Russian forces.

"I am sure that we will win this war. I am sure we will liberate all the occupied territories," Reznikov told a Kyiv news conference on February 5. But without Western supplies of jets, "it will cost us more lives."

Western leaders have said it is not practical to send such jets to Ukraine given the amount of time it would take to train pilots and maintenance crews and amid fears of widening the conflict.

At the same news conference, Reznikov vowed his country will not use newly provided long-range weapons to target sites inside Russia amid the same fears of escalating tensions.

"Our partners decided to provide us with weapons capable of firing at a distance of 150 kilometers," Reznikov said.

"We always tell our partners that we take an obligation not to use the weapons of foreign partners against the territory of Russia, only against their units in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine for the purpose of de-occupying our land," he added.

Reznikov said Russia could launch a new offensive later this month for symbolic reasons as the war approaches the anniversary of the February 24, 2022, invasion, but that Ukraine was prepared to hold off any major military onslaught.

Ukraine's military, in its regular update on February 5, claimed 131,290 Russian military personnel have been killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country last year.

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.

The Ukrainian General Staff said 700 Russian soldiers were killed just over the past day.

The update -- which is often higher than Western estimates -- also said Russia had lost 3,220 tanks, 6,405 armored vehicles, and 2,226 artillery systems since the war began.

Citing U.S. and other Western officials, The New York Times reported earlier this month that the number of Russian troops killed and wounded in Ukraine was approaching 200,000 in total.

Heavy fighting was under way on February 5 in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk, according to Yevgeny Prigozhin the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group.

"In the northern quarters of [Bakhmut], fierce battles are going on for every street, every house, every stairwell," Prigozhin said on Telegram, adding that Ukrainian forces were not retreating.

"The Ukrainian armed forces are fighting to the last," he said.

Bakhmut has been virtually razed by repeated Russian artillery bombardments as Moscow has been trying to seize control of the city for months.

The British Defense Ministry said that "over the last week, Russia has continued to make small advances in its attempt to encircle" Bakhmut.

"The M03 and the H32 -- the two main roads into the city for Ukrainian defenders -- are likely now both threatened by direct fire, following the Russian advances," it said in its regular update on February 5.

In the neighboring Luhansk region, Ukrainian forces remained in control of the village of Bilohorivka, the regional governor said, rejecting claims by some Russian-installed officials that the village was captured by the Russian Army.

"Our troops remain in their positions, nobody has captured Bilohorivka, nobody has entered there, there is no enemy there," Serhiy Hayday told the Ukrainian national broadcaster.

He said the situation was "tense," as "the number of Russian attacks has increased," but he added that "all of the [attacks] have been repulsed" by Ukrainian troops.

Three people were wounded on February 5 by two Russian missiles in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, according to local officials. Kharkiv Governor Oleh Synehubov said the missiles hit a residential building in the city center.

The claims cannot be independently verified.

In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz again rejected concerns that Berlin's recent decision to supply Ukraine with its Leopard tanks could make Germany an active party to the conflict with Russia.

"We have carefully weighed every arms shipment [to Ukraine], coordinated them closely with our allies, first and foremost with the United States," Scholz told Germany's Bild am Sonntag, in comments seen by dpa ahead of publication on February 5.

"This joint approach prevents an escalation of the war," said the German chancellor, who has faced much criticism over his initial reluctance to send the Leopards.

Scholz also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin in his telephone conversations "has not made any threats against me or Germany."

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier this week said Putin had threatened him with a missile strike that would "only take a minute." The Kremlin said Johnson was lying.

Scholz said the conversations he had with Putin made it clear they had very different views of the war in Ukraine. "I make it very clear to Putin that Russia has sole responsibility for the war," Scholz said.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa
KYIV -- Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov is being replaced by General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the country's military intelligence agency, according to the leader of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's faction in parliament.

David Arakhamia, the leader of the Servant of the People faction in parliament, said on Telegram on February 5 that Reznikov would be transferred to the post of minister for strategic industries to strengthen military-industrial cooperation.

"War dictates personnel policy," Arakhamia said. "Time and circumstances need to be strengthened and regrouped. This is happening now and will happen in the future."

"The enemy is preparing to attack. We are preparing to defend ourselves and return ours," he added.

Arakhamia did not specify when the changes would take place.

An official ministry statement has not yet been issued about the changes.

Arakhamia said the Interior Ministry will be headed by Ihor Klymenko, currently chief of the National Police.

Rumors of a possible Reznikov resignation or ouster have mounted after a series of accusations of corruption within the ministry.

In a news conference hours earlier, Reznikov said he was not planning to resign but added that any decision about his future would be made by the president.

"He nominates an appointee, and the [parliament] appoints. Therefore, only by the decision of the president of Ukraine will I make certain decisions, and I will do what the president of Ukraine tells me," he said.

In January, Ukrainian media reported that the Defense Ministry had allegedly purchased products for the military at inflated prices through a "gasket" company. Other charges of corruption were also alleged in the media.

The 56-year-old Reznikov denied the allegations as authorities launched an investigation.

Deputy Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who was responsible for supplying troops with food and equipment, resigned on January 24, citing "media accusations" of corruption that he and the ministry said were baseless.
TSYRKUNY, Ukraine -- Vira Levadna and Nina Podrepna share the same village street in their corner of eastern Ukraine, northeast of the regional capital, Kharkiv.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, they were just neighbors. Eleven months later, they say, Russian occupation, heavy shelling, and life without heat and electricity have made them more like family.

"As they say, 'You don't just buy a house, you buy neighbors,'" Podrepna told Current Time as she walked along her muddy street toward the home of Levadna and her husband, Yehor. "Because relatives are far away, but neighbors are nearby. And if you have good neighbors, they'll always come to the rescue."

Theirs was a village of a few thousand people before the invasion, but just a fraction of that now, including these two retired families.

They are now the only residents of their street here on the outskirts of Kharkiv, a city that first saw armed violence in 2014, when Moscow occupied Crimea and Kremlin-backed separatists wrested control of large swaths of eastern Ukraine.

After Russia's all-out invasion began on February 24, Tsyrkuny, just 15 kilometers from the Russian border, was even more unfortunate.

Shelled From All Directions

Podrepna found herself under occupation along with her adult children and grandchildren. They couldn't flee the village, she says, so they tried to leave their home as little as possible to avoid drawing the attention of the Russian occupiers.

Once, when the Russian military came to their home to check their documents, they were frightened by incoming Ukrainian fire and took shelter in the Podrepniys' basement.

"Then they didn't even check the documents," she said, "they got scared, went down the street, and didn't go to anyone else's homes."

The Levadniys say they hardly had time to come to their senses before Russian troops entered their village.

Gas and electricity were cut off on the first day of the invasion. After that, they cooked all their food over an open fire.

The Podrepniys kept themselves warm with an old stove throughout, thanks in part to Podrepna's longtime insistence that it might one day be useful. "And now it is useful," her husband, Viktor, said. "Without it, there would be no way."

Russians forces regularly shelled Kharkiv city from this and other nearby locations before being forced to retreat amid a summer counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces.

As soon as the Russian Army was pushed from Tsyrkuny, they say, the departing troops began shelling the village itself. "All night long you watch, you watch -- and then things would seem to calm down," Yehor recalled of the shelling. "And then in the evening, how they'd give it to you! It was hard, very, very hard."

'They're Ours Now'

Initially after the village was liberated, there was no return of gas or electricity. All the lines were seemingly disrupted, and many areas had been mined. The shelling continued all summer, they say.

Volunteers brought them solar-powered chargers that proved vital, Levadna says, pointing to a charger still perched on a windowsill.

Once gas was finally restored, villagers with modern boilers that required electricity still couldn't heat their water easily.

Yehor shows off the Levadniys' stove in their bricked-in courtyard. "During the [occupation] we cooked here for ourselves, but now it's for the dogs: fatty porridge," he said. "We buy bones, cook broth."

They've been sheltering the animals essentially since the war began.

"They're ours now," Levadna said of three cats eating nearby from metal bowls next to a lean-to booth for the animals. "They came from other people's yards, where the yards are abandoned."

Yehor notes solemnly that this year is his 50th anniversary with his wife, but adds that they aren't celebrating.

They still keep a mattress in a damp, cold cellar next to the house, where they spent many nights sitting up all night until the shelling subsided.

Just in case, they say.

Written by Andy Heil based on reporting by Polina Morozova of Current Time
On Friday, Aug. 25 parents and students toured the new Adult Transition Program classrooms at La Costa Canyon High School. The Adult Transition Program (ATP) supports special needs students ages 18 to 22 and helps prepare them for adult life  the meet and greet was a way for students to explore their new home.

After parents voiced concerns about ATPs placement into portables on the Earl Warren Middle School campus, the San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUHSD) responded by moving the program into three permanent classrooms on the La Costa Canyon campus. In just a few short weeks, district staff got the classrooms ready to go for the first day of school Aug. 29.

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The program has its own entrance from the LCC parking lot, leading to one classroom in its own building with a large outdoor space around it and two classrooms in an adjacent building, linked by a work space and bathroom. The classrooms have computer work stations, multiple windows and one has a small kitchen set up. The outdoor space has picnic tables, new planter boxes where students will be able to cultivate fruits and vegetables for the schools culinary program, and temporary shade structures that will soon become permanent.

Teachers Marianne Rather, Carolyn Wong and Elizabeth Engelberg were at the meet and greet, along with SDUHSD Superintendent Eric Dill, Assistant Superintendent Mark Miller, Director of School and Student Services Meredith Wadley and SDUHSD board members.

The teachers said they were excited for the new school year and looking forward to supporting students in their continued journey toward adult independence.

Students checked out their new classrooms and enjoyed cookies and refreshments while also connecting with friends after the summer. I see so many familiar faces! remarked one student.

Parent Lucile Lynch said that the location of the program in the northernmost part of the district may be an adjustment for some parents but in terms of the actual space, it was a huge improvement.

Its probably the best the ATP program has ever had. Staff worked hard to make it happen and it showed, Lynch said. The LCC setting offers a wonderful learning environment with classrooms that have lots of natural light and space. One of the areas has a lot of space for outdoor activities to help teach students about our environment as well as vocational skills. I am very excited to see what everyone can do working together as we move forward.
Jeffrey Sachs on America and a New World Order

https://podcasts.apple.com/ee/podcast/jeffrey-sachs-on-america-and-a-new-world-order/id708371900?i=1000382140554

Intelligence Squared Society & Culture

Listen on Apple Podcasts



'America first!' Donald Trump hammered out this message over and again in his inauguration speech a week ago today. He promised tariffs, a crackdown on immigration, and a restoration of American military might. He entered the White House as the least popular incoming president in 40 years. Not every liberal thinker, however, is in a state of despair. Jeffrey Sachs was recently ranked by The Economist as one of the worlds most influential political scientists.

No Trump supporter himself, he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to explain why there may be silver linings to the Trump cloud, and to set out a new world order. Take trade. Trump has threatened to tear up Nafta and slam huge taxes on Mexican imports, and has already withdrawn the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership to bring jobs back to the heartlands of America.

While this strikes fear amongst free-trade supporters, there is a case to be made that globalisation has been moving faster than is politically sustainable, dividing rich from poor. Or take Trumps proposal to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure. Sachs has described this promise to rebuild Americas decrepit inner cities, highways, schools and hospitals as 'a valid, indeed uplifting perspective, provided it is done in a smart and fair way. Trumps programme could be viewed as a Keynesian fiscal policy to boost competitiveness and job creation.

It may, Sachs believes, be Trumps great legacy. And then theres foreign policy. As Sachs pointed out, Trump has filled his administration not just with protectionists but also with business people like himself, who enjoy making a buck (in fact, billions of them) and who have profitably invested for years in Russia, China, and other emerging economies.

So while the rhetoric may be all about American primacy and trade protection, we shouldnt rule out some friendly deal-making with other countries. And while Trumps future relations with Vladimir Putin remain obscure, would it necessarily be a dangerous move if he pursues a conciliatory line with Russia? From a Russian perspective, Americas meddling in Ukraine and its attempts to bring that country into NATO, which would take the US-led military alliance right up to Russias border, look like aggression in its own historical sphere of influence. Isnt it time there were a better understanding between both countries?

Sachs argued that we are entering not a new tripolar world, dominated by the US, China and Russia, but what he calls the World Century, in which the rapid spread of technology and the sovereignty of nation states mean that no single country or region will dominate the world. For Sachs, the great foreign policy challenge will be to manage cooperation among regions, and face up to our common environmental and health crises. The idea that one place or people should have primacy over any other should be as antiquated as slavery or empire, and guard us against the senseless descent into violence.

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Premier ministre japonais Fumio Kishida limoge un de ses secretaires

Le Premier ministre japonais Fumio Kishida a limoge samedi l'un de ses secretaires pour des commentaires homophobes qu'il a qualifies de "scandaleux".





M. Kishida a declare que les remarques de Masayoshi Arai - dans lesquelles il a dit qu'il "ne voulait meme pas regarder" les couples homosexuels maries - etaient "scandaleuses" et "incompatibles" avec la societe inclusive visee par son gouvernement. "J'ai pris la decision de le relever de son poste de secretaire", a annonce M. Kishida a la presse.





Le secretaire de 55 ans s'etait excuse, precisant que ses remarques n'etaient pas appropriees, meme s'il s'agissait de son opinion personnelle.





Ce limogeage est un nouveau coup dur pour le gouvernement de M. Kishida, dont la cote de popularite est en chute libre depuis l'annee derniere apres le retrait de quatre ministres en trois mois a cause d'allegations d'irregularites financieres ou de liens avec la controversee Eglise de l'Unification.





Le Japon est la seule nation du groupe des sept pays les plus industrialises a ne pas reconnaitre les unions entre personnes de meme sexe. Sa Constitution de 1947 stipule que "le mariage doit etre fonde uniquement sur le consentement mutuel des deux sexes" et "avec les memes droits pour le mari et la femme".





Mercredi, le Premier ministre avait souligne devant le Parlement que le mariage homosexuel "affecterait la societe" et que les deputes devaient donc etre "extremement prudents dans l'examen de cette question".




In 1988, as Stevie Wonder was walking onto the stage at Wembley Stadium in London, filled to its 80,000-person capacity, it was discovered that his hard discs with recorded music necessary for his set were missing. Wonder's performance was not announced beforehand, so he left the stage sad with tears as the concert was to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday. Tracy Chapman, who has already played a set, filled in. Here is the version of "Fast Car," she performed.

As Connor Winyard wrote for DIG! in 2021, At 24 years of age, "Singing 'Fast Car' and 'Across the Lines' in front of an estimated 80,000 people  not to mention a global TV audience of 600 million  Chapman silenced a restless crowd who watched on in awe as a new talent claimed her place in history. Just two weeks later, her debut album had sold an extra 1.75 million copies."
Welcome to Quick Q  Monday Medias weekly series dedicated to finding out more about the personalities that matter most in the media landscape.

Each week, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age asks figures across corporate media, business, sport, federal politics, radio, television and culture to answer questions about their lives, careers, hobbies and news habits.

This weeks conversation is with Gavin Rubinstein, one of Sydneys highest-profile residential real estate agents and star of the Amazon Prime series Luxe Listings Sydney.

Gavin Rubinstein, one of Sydneys highest-profile residential real estate agents and star of the Amazon Prime series Luxe Listings Sydney.

How did you get your big break? Hard work and a never give up attitude, you cant beat that combination.
Elon Musk proved once again that hes difficult to beat in court.

On Friday, a federal jury in San Francisco took just two hours to clear the Tesla chief executive officer of claims by investors that he defrauded them when he tweeted 4 1/2 years ago that he was considering taking the company private and had funding secured to make the deal happen.

Elon Musk had been sued by shareholders seeking billions of dollars in damages for the losses they obtained after one of his tweets. Credit: Getty

The outcome marked another victory for the billionaires go-to lawyer, Alex Spiro, in a risky trial that many high-profile executives would have avoided by reaching an out-of-court settlement.

In 2019, Spiro persuaded a federal jury in Los Angeles to return a verdict for Musk in less than an hour in a defamation case brought by a British caver whom Musk called a pedo guy while they were exchanging insults on Twitter.
Meat subscription start-up Our Cow has launched its second crowdfunding raise in under 12 months as it looks to expand nationally and give farmers direct access to former Voly customers living in the inner city.

The direct-to-consumer meat delivery service began as a Facebook page in 2019 after cattle farmers Bianca Tarrant and Dave McGiveron took to social media to sell grass-fed and organic beef. Unexpected customer demand and enthusiasm from farmers has seen Our Cow generate more than $20 million in annual recurring revenue, raising $2.4 million in May 2014 to fund growth.

Dave McGiveron, Bianca Tarrant are founders of direct-to-consumer meat subscription start-up Our Cow. Credit: Natalie Grono

The online butcher has now launched its second raising on Birchal, with some 150 farmers supplying produce to over 7000 subscribers around Australia. The valuation of the business, $60 million, is twice what it was in the first crowdfunding round.

The last 12 months have just been absolutely crazy, she told this masthead. The entire business has doubled ... Our subscriber numbers, our customer numbers, our monthly and annual recurring revenue  everything in the business has more than doubled.
Charter Hall boss David Harrison, who oversees Australias largest office portfolio, sees a big gap looming between Australias gleaming new city office towers and a generation of tired older buildings.

The biggest issue facing offices is that there is going to be a real bifurcation of tenants wanting modern buildings versus older buildings, Harrison said.

David Harrison sees a big gap between new and old office towers. Credit: Renee Nowytarger

Australias cities, particularly Melbourne and Sydney, are struggling to attract workers back into business districts despite widespread scrapping of pandemic restrictions. Occupancy last year remained stubbornly low, prompting fears of ghost buildings and a hollowing-out effect on shops and other retail activity in city centres.

But there are signs of improvement. Office occupancy figures from the Property Council of Australia point to a welcome bump in workers making the commute into CBD offices in November.
When relaxing at home with a loved one, settling in with a cup of tea or glass of wine or a big bowl of spaghetti, theres nothing better than turning to each other and saying tenderly, Do you think that youd survive that, or no?

Im talking, of course, of the experience of watching a zombie apocalypse show, which is a genre of TV that tends to inspire a lot of conversation. No matter how outlandish the premise, how unlikely it is that your neighbours might one day develop a taste for brains, its hard not to project yourself into that universe and figure out how youd escape supernatural danger. (In my house, the conversation generally turns to what job would you do in the apocalypse? which just shows how global financial crises and recessions have poisoned our millennial brains.)

Another apocalypse: The Last of Us.

The latest zombie show to prompt your dinnertime debate is HBOs The Last of Us, based on a 2013 video game of the same name. Your mileage may vary on live action screen adaptations of video games (though if you were one of the five people who went to see Super Mario Bros. in the cinema in 1993, theres no judgment here) but you should definitely make an exception for this one.

Starring Game of Thrones alumni Pedro Pascal (who will also be reprising his role in The Mandalorian on Disney+ in March) and Bella Ramsey (last seen in Amazon Primes Catherine Called Birdy), The Last of Us is largely set 20 years after a mass fungal infection kills vast swaths of the world or leaves them as violent hosts eager to spread the sickness to other people. Joel (Pascal), an ex-construction worker who has been hardened by the things hes had to do to survive, is tasked with smuggling 14-year-old Ellie (Ramsey) to a rebel group who believe that her physiology holds the key to a vaccine.
Patients with long COVID, their doctors and researchers are stuck in limbo as they wait for federal and state governments to agree on how to deal with the hundreds of thousands of people living with the disease.

St Vincents Hospital in Sydney had to let its doctors contracts lapse in its long COVID clinic after federal government funding expired on December 31. An emergency funding extension from the hospital has kept the doors open, but doctors there admit they arent providing the care patients need.

Associate Professor Lou Irving, head of the Royal Melbourne Hospitals long COVID clinic. Credit: Wayne Taylor

A long COVID patient waited months for an appointment only to be told her clinic was closing.

Some GPs, who are expected to bear most of the responsibility for caring for the condition, say the economics dont stack up.
A driver involved in a two-vehicle crash shortly before midnight Wednesday that injured five people, four of them children, has been arrested under Leandra's Law, Buffalo Police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge reported.

Tiarra Davis, 26, of Buffalo, was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, a Class E felony under Leandra's Law; four counts of endangering the welfare of a child; and driving without a license.

Four children, aged 2, 3, 6 and 11, were taken by ambulance to Oishei Children's Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Two of them were ejected. An adult passenger was taken to Erie County Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries.

According to the report, the other vehicle fled the scene of the accident, which occurred about 11:40 p.m. Wednesday at Broadway and Sobieski Street.
Man in hospital after alleged assault at music festival

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Money laundering, addiction and ruined lives: how a powerful lobby group has set up a multibillion-dollar industry.

At least two teal independents contesting the looming NSW election will make a series of gambling reform measures a condition of their support, should the state poll result in a hung parliament.

Independent candidates for Pittwater, Jacqui Scruby, and Lane Cove, Victoria Davidson, said a primary condition of their support for a Coalition or Labor government would include curfews on poker machines and community consultation on where the machines were rolled out.

Independent member for Lane Cove Victoria Davidson addresses a Climate 200 event on Sunday flanked by other teal candidates. Credit: James Alcock

Both Premier Dominic Perrottet and Labor leader Chris Minns have outlined reforms for the gaming industry in a bid to address problem gambling and curb money laundering.

However, Davidson said both leaders would need to expand their reforms to garner her support in the event of a hung parliament.
The prospect of a second harbour swimming spot at Barangaroo is being investigated after thousands flocked to the precincts Marrinawi Cove this summer.

Infrastructure and Cities Minister Rob Stokes has ordered his department to look into transforming part of Barangaroos Nawi Cove with a floating swimming pool, similar to those seen in European urban centres.

A new swimming spot at Nawi Cove (inset) could be opened following the summer success of Marrinawi Cove, Barangaroo.

Some of the options under investigation for Barangaroos next swimming spot include more structured facilities, said Stokes. So instead of swimming in the harbour itself, we may look into a floating pool similar to the Spree River in Berlin or Islands Brygge Harbour Bath in Copenhagen.

Sydneysiders embraced Marrinawi Cove after it was opened in early January. It was the first harbour swimming spot to be opened west of the Harbour Bridge in more than 50 years.
An Australian woman has won a second defamation case against Google after a judge criticised the US-based search engine for failing to act more swiftly to remove defamatory results.

Janice Duffy, a former senior researcher in the South Australian Health Department, was previously awarded $115,000 after a judge ruled in 2015 that Google defamed her by publishing extracts of defamatory webpages and the pages in full when users clicked on links.

Dr Janice Duffy sued Google for defamation in 2011 and 2016 and won both cases. Credit: David Mariuz, Bloomberg, iStock

Duffy launched fresh proceedings against Google in 2016 after she became aware that practically identical search results were once again available on Googles search engines, SA Supreme Court Auxiliary Justice Sydney Tilmouth said in a judgment on Friday.

Tilmouth found in Duffys favour on Friday, ruling that Google published three defamatory snippets of two webpages in its search results, along with the defamatory webpages in full when users followed the links. He will assess damages at a later date.
PM asks Australians to back Indigenous Voice to Parliament

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Dodgy consumer goods are most likely to drive Queenslanders to complain, as pandemic-related supply issues and shortages of services continue to frustrate the state.

Queenslands Office of Fair Trading clawed back more than $11 million in 2022 as consumer complaints continued to eclipse pre-pandemic levels.

Since the pandemic, complaints about the household services industry  including removalists  have soared. Credit: Paul Rovere

Rising cost-of-living pressures underscored the importance of consumers getting what they paid for, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman said.

Last year, the OFT finalised more than 19,300 complaints from Queensland consumers, she said.
The trend of building open-plan and flexible classrooms in new Victorian schools is creating noisy, distracting learning spaces that impede effective teaching, the Grattan Institute has warned.

The independent think tank has urged the Andrews government to stop the construction of open-plan rooms in schools and return to more traditional classroom design, until it has more evidence the voguish spaces benefit students.

Most new and upgraded schools have some form of flexible learning spaces, such as two classrooms that can be opened into one for group learning.

It has also asked the government to consider funding schools to remediate open-plan classrooms, so teachers can reduce noisy distractions.

The government has committed to spending an additional $1.8 billion on school infrastructure over the next four years, but the danger is that many classrooms may be built in ways that undermine high-impact teaching, Grattan Institute senior associate Anika Stobart said.
The rain held off, it was not too hot and crowds were treated to the huge feast for the senses that is the annual Midsumma Pride March in St Kilda on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of people crammed Fitzroy Street waving rainbow flags, dancing and laughing, including more than 10,000 people who marched from community, sports and corporate groups.

Non-binary teen Imogen Johnson, of Bendigo, said taking part in Pride march in drag for the first time was amazing. Credit: Wayne Taylor

There were people dressed as Vikings or butterflies, others wearing kilts, Latin dancing or rugby outfits.

Many people came as themselves, happy to declare and express their personalities and interests to the world.
Firefighters had the upper hand late Sunday in their efforts to contain a huge fire that caused significant damage to a celebrated Buddhist temple in Springvale South.

At least three dozen fire vehicles and appliances, including some with high ladders, were called to the Bright Moon Buddhist Society temple on Springvale Road at around 8pm.

More than 150 firefighters were involved in the effort to contain the blaze, but the temple sustained significant damage.

Firefighters were unable to reach the buildings basement late Sunday, according to Nine News.
The American Red Cross is assisting five people after a fire just after midnight Saturday in a three-story apartment building in Buffalo's Black Rock neighborhood, a city spokesman reported.

According to the report, fire investigators determined that the blaze started on the second floor of the structure at 86 Hawley St., on the corner of Bradley Street. The cause is under investigation. Damage is estimated at $310,000.
Australians are being urged to maintain support for Ukraine to prevent Russia and its allies weakening Western democracies, in a prediction that the threat will remain as long as the Russian people believe in the illusion of imperial power.

Historian Olesya Khromeychuk opened a speaking tour of Australia with a warning that any attempts to appease Russian President Vladimir Putin would only give him further incentives to wage war against the people of Ukraine.

Historian Olesya Khromeychuk is on a speaking tour of Australia.

The Australian government has contributed more than $655 million to Ukraine, including military help worth $475 million, but Khromeychuk, the director of the Ukrainian Institute in London, warned against fatigue with the war and argued that Australians had a stake in a victory against Russia.

Its a fight for the democratic order. If we let a bully such as Russia gain from being an aggressor and destroying democratic order in Europe, then were going to find ourselves living in a very frightening world wherever we are, including Australia, she said.
Why delay? Cull the feral horses before its too late It appears lunatics are in charge when science is trashed because a few think feral horses and other animals are more important than saving our environment (Sabotage stampede, February 4). Shoot the horses before it is too late. Feral pigs are shot, why not feral horses? Kosciuszko National Park is for all Australians to enjoy, not just a few who do not appreciate pristine wilderness. Lindsay Somerville, Lindfield The name national park says it all. They are truly the property and responsibility - and immense joy - of the nation. Their administration by the states is justified on grounds of convenience and practicality. Surely, though, when problems overwhelm state resources there should be scope for federal support and intervention. The infestation of feral horses in the Kosciuszko National Park is one such problem where federal capabilities are needed and appropriate. Norman Carter, Roseville Chase Your report on the impact of feral animals on our national parks was a useful wake-up call on the nature and scale of the issue. It was regrettable, though, that while quoting the trout fishermans appreciation of the alpine regions less spoilt environment in the 1930s, your writer left until the very end the token acknowledgement that trout are, themselves, an introduced species.

Though the damage inflicted by trout is less visible than that wrought by other animals, trout are now understood to be the primary threat to more than 20 of Australias small native fish species. Trout were also one of the earliest species to be introduced to Australia by the quaintly named acclimatisation societies which conceived of Australia as an incomplete environment awaiting the insertion of proper European animals, and to which we can trace most of the problems described in your article. Greg Battye, Yarralumla (ACT) Pockets of nature, whether in the public domain or privately tenured, are for wildlife, and hopefully life-rafts keeping our species afloat in a sea of extinction. These refuges of survival are in danger of going under due to the rise of feral animal populations. As for the horse in the alpine region, the collapse of the Kosciuszko environment will take a great toll on endemic and introduced creature alike. Historically, the horse has been secured, domesticated on farms, not running wild in a fragile ecosystem shaped over countless millennia. Steve Dillon, Thirroul

If only those protectors of pristine national parks from feral horses were as loud in their protests against feral developers, climate change deniers, coal miners, and hypocritical politicians. Then might we look forward to a pristine environment and a future for other species, humans included, that these offenders are bent on destroying. Anna Searls, Randwick GPs deserve better care from government I have a very good GP (Health reform top priority insists PM, February 5). I trust him to do his best for me, and he does. He is professional, empathetic and gives impeccable care and health advice. After my Medicare rebate it costs me $50 to see him, but he is value for money. He keeps me upright and mobile and reasonably healthy.

Every Australian deserves this same care, but many people can neither afford it or find a regular GP to provide it. Some dont have one at all. It saves a lot of money for everyone to have good doctors on the ground and accessible. Tradies, and their taxpayer funded big utes, and taxpayer funded government building programs, not so much. Medicare, and its doctors, deserve better funding from governments. Wendy Atkins, Cooks Hill Ive got an idea. Axe the tax cuts and fund the desperately needed increase to the Medicare rebate. Patrick McMahon, Paddington

Dont throw shade Cabanas at Bondi Beach on Australia Day. Credit: Brook Mitchell Isnt it great that so many Australians are heeding the Skin Cancer Councils message to cover up, to slip, slop, slap and to not bake in the sun all day at the beach (Will US cabana ban hit our beaches? February 4). Like many thousands of other beach-loving Australians I too have had a melanoma removed and now must take all possible precautions. We have found the cabanas a god-send for sufficient shade and ours frequently covers four adults and three small roaming boys. Umbrellas, apart from only being adequate for two, have a long history of taking off in the wind, only stopping when they fly into somebody.

I take the point of lifesavers access, but the obvious answer is to keep cabanas away from the waters edge and from between the flags as well as maintaining a clear sweep of sand for surf club vehicle access. Hopefully, commonsense will prevail. On most of our beaches there is more than enough room for all, with their necessities, for a happy  and safe  day out. Kay Buckeridge, Mollymook Beach Pell doubts remain Your correspondents who claim that George Pell suffered 404 days in jail for a crime

he did not commit and was totally vindicated have misunderstood the way

Australias judicial system works (Letters, February 4). The High Court acquitted Pell because the evidence presented was insufficient to prove guilt. Acquittal is not proof of innocence, nor is it vindication. He should not have been imprisoned, but we simply do not know whether Pell was guilty, and now he has passed away, we never will. Steve Cornelius, Brookvale

Wrong equation Why do selective schools bear the brunt of the blame for a brain drain from the comprehensive system when increasing private school scholarships as discussed in your article earlier this week are attracting high achievers from as young as nine without the same impunity and scrutiny (Selective schools rise, state high achievers plummet, February 5)? There are many contributors to the problem, and selective schools are only one (overstated) part of the equation. Anna Pavlakis, Kirribilli Waste mail Malcolm Knox is at his brilliant best in his withering condemnation of local MPs profligate waste of taxpayers dollars on self-promotional junk (Paying MPs to send us junk mail, February 4). Even more irritating is the fact that in two Northern Beaches electorates the unwanted snail-mail came from retiring members, with one last hurrah wistfully featuring a profile photo from the MPs much younger days. Obsolete farewell messages in every sense. Joy Nason, Mona Vale Unlock our beaches

It is right to celebrate the immense social, recreational, and cultural values derived from our ocean pools (Swim and tonic: Why ocean pools are precious public places, February 4). Yet were we to contemplate building one today, wed not be permitted to relocate a starfish much less commence excavations. Here on the Northern Beaches, where the rock platforms and beaches extend 40km from North Head to Barrenjoey, the council still struggles to allocate a single inch where families with dogs can lawfully take a walk together. Early morning swimmers had a dip at Coogee beach ocean pool. Credit: Louise Kennerley The experience of the ocean pools teaches us that minor environmental cost is sometimes thoroughly outweighed by the values unlocked by that cost. It is not a case of mistreating the environment, but using it sensibly. Mitch Geddes, Palm Beach Paddys a gem In my mid-6os I am old enough to remember the allure of the old Paddys Market which was once an Aladdins cave to a young thing, as I was then ( First Paddys, now Glebe Markets; Sydney is losing its soul, and for what, February 4). I still have the antique silver bracelet that my mother paid $20 for. It is a gorgeous treasure from a more gracious age. Genevieve Milton, Dulwich Hill

Carrier di-Spirited Your correspondents letter about Qantas reflects many passengers feelings (Letters, February 4). Flying from Sydney to a regional destination just over a week ago we were seated and belted up when it was announced that the plane was broken. Ive heard crews say engineering issues before  never broken. I worked in Qantas years ago when it was a government instrumentality. When in Australia I would occasionally take VIP jet base tours, showing off the maintenance hangars. This was followed by a slap-up lunch in a mocked up jet. The maintenance was the gold star. Now it is offshore, presumably to the best bidder. Old Qantas hands seethe when the words Spirit of Australia are used. Susie Dunn, Roseville Chase

Currency crisis I dont care much for esoteric debates on design or implementation-timing of notes: Ill continue using them (Letters, February 4). The opportunity should be seized, however, to correct a critical flaw in the physical design of all our banknotes: having the same width for all denominations. Earlier notes, wider in high denominations, narrowing in width to the lowest denomination, allowed immediate sorting and placing in wallets, seeing totals in the wallet at a glance, and an increased assurance that the correct denomination was being given or received. Alan Cook, Merewether My observations of overseas banknotes is that mostly the head of state appears on one side of the banknote and cultural items on the other. For the banknote in question perhaps an image of Parliament House could be used on one side and images of First Nation cultural items on the other. Antony Osman, Wahroonga I agree with your correspondents sentiments about royals on banknotes, but Henry VIII had six wives, not five. And, putting Prince Harry on the $100? I think youll find his wife would have something to say about that. Kathleen Molloy, Thornleigh

Woke worrier I have never understood woke (Letters, February 4). Does that mean I am not woke? Maria Mellick, Bellevue Hill The digital view Online comment from one of the stories that attracted the most reader feedback yesterday on smh.com.au

This throwaway joke at the bakery was just another example of ageism

From Thornton Melon: Im 59 and a barista handed me my coffee and said here you go poppa bear!. I was taken aback at first but as I walked away I burst out laughing. Lifes too short (and getting shorter) to get offended by things like this. No matter how old you are, you need an ability to laugh at yourself. Older people say they have become invisible to the younger generation. But everyone has become so internally focussed that they rarely notice anyone else. To submit a letter to The Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.
In a video released when the system was established, then chief technology officer Geoff Purcell said it was making Melbourne Water safer in terms of providing people with high-quality information about flooding, and faster in terms of providing that information in a more timely manner. The first flood watch for Melbourne was issued on October 11. It warned major flooding was likely in some Victorian catchments later that week, including the Maribyrnong River, and a Watch and Act alert was issued two days before the flood. In December, SES chief officer of operations Tim Wiebusch revealed that Melbourne Water modelling was forecasting major flood levels at Maribyrnong on October 11 and 12, but on the day before the flood, the water authority downgraded its warning and predicted only a moderate flood. At 8.24pm the night before the disaster, a warning was issued predicting a moderate flood peak of 2.4 metres. That was upgraded when an emergency major flood warning was issued online at 2.25am, with an expected peak above 2.9 metres at Maribyrnong.

The first time many residents in Maribyrnong learnt they would have to evacuate was via text messages sent at 4.25am and 6.01am. The river ultimately peaked at 4.2 metres about midday  1.8 metres higher than Melbourne Water predicted the night before. A Melbourne Water inquiry into the flood, now underway, has sparked anger among Maribyrnong locals because its terms of reference specifically exclude reviewing the warning procedures. It will consider flood modelling. Geoff Crapper was a hydrologist at Melbourne Water and its predecessor, the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works, for 31 years until 2003 and helped implement the rivers first warning system after floods in 1974.

The evening before last Octobers the flood hit, Crapper monitored publicly available river flow data from Melbourne Waters gauges and sent a message to Maribyrnong resident Jane Trewin voicing concern that the incoming flood was being grossly underestimated upstream. Melbourne Water failed one of its primary mission objectives to provide accurate information and flood warning on the calamitous flood threat, he said. Army dinghies patrol Navigator Street in Maribyrnong during the 1974 flood. Credit: John Hart, The Age In a statement, Melbourne Water said Octobers flood came after unprecedented rainfall and that factors including rapidly changing river flow rates, soil moisture and vegetation cover made prediction difficult. These multiple and dynamic variables mean that flood conditions can change quickly, a spokesman said. He said the organisations inquiry would examine the adequacy of flood predictions.

The suburb of Maribyrnong has been hit by 14 major floods since records were first kept in 1891. But last years floods sparked outrage across Melbourne amid concerns a wall to protect Flemington racecourse from the river, built in 2007 by the Victoria Racing Club with support from the then Labor government and Melbourne Water, exacerbated flooding in nearby homes. Honey Kemaneci, 65, lives on the riverfront on Chifley Drive with her sister and brother-in-law. They had no idea their home would flood until the 4.25am text, which they happened to be awake for. Honey Kemaneci (right) and sister Shelley Ahmet, with galah Freddy, had no idea their home would flood on October 14. Credit: Jason South Within an hour, the river began rushing over their lawn and driveway before entering their home, leaving them to wade in water in their living area. Kemanecis 75-year-old sister, who has mobility issues due to arthritis, could not reach the second storey to escape the floodwater. The family had to be saved by an SES rescue boat.

It came inside so fast, Kemaneci said. I thought we were going to die. Loading The warnings given to residents in Maribyrnong stand in stark contrast to regional towns like Rochester and Echuca, which also flooded in October, but received several days notice. An SES spokeswoman said 150 Maribyrnong homes were door-knocked on October 11 and residents who werent home were left a local flood guide and information on how to access warnings. This is the only action the SES took on the ground to inform the community of a possible flood before October 14, and many residents who live in low-lying areas near the river told The Age they were not door-knocked, called or messaged before floodwater was almost upon them.

Faye Bendrups, who holds leading roles with the national and Victorian SES Volunteers Associations, said initial forecasts should have prompted stronger pre-emptive action from emergency services. In 2011, community meetings held ahead of a flood that hit Maribyrnong informed residents on what to expect and how to prepare. During that event, the suburb got off relatively lightly: the river peaked at 2.2 metres, inundating a small number of properties including the public bar of the Anglers Tavern. Bendrups, who volunteers with the local unit covering Maribyrnong, said crews were operating around the clock ahead of the 2011 flood. In October last year, she said there was little sense of urgency before the flood and the unit was depleted, with just two four-wheel drive vehicles and one rescue boat because the others were redeployed or under repair. An SES spokeswoman confirmed a boat was moved to a neighbouring unit.

The local unit was first activated around 3am on October 14 to door-knock residents for evacuation. How effective is this action at the time of the actual flood? said Bendrups, who believes residents and responders would much rather have had advance warning and take action  even if nothing eventuated  than to have no warning and lose everything. An SES spokeswoman said volunteers from several units did a tremendous job to complete 31 flood rescues safely and successfully. A review into Victorias 2011 floods, by former Victoria Police commissioner Neil Comrie, pointed to a trade-off between waiting for accurate predictions and issuing timely warnings. There is little value in a perfect forecast that is delivered after it is too late to initiate damage-reducing actions, the report states.

A community petition was launched last week calling for improved flood mitigation and warnings, and has attracted more than 1500 signatures. Loading Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto said Maribyrnong residents hit by the flood didnt get the early warning they deserved. Daniel Andrews and his government must take accountability for this serious failure and explain why local residents were so badly let down, Pesutto said. [The flood in] 1974 was the wake-up call and there is no excuse for finding ourselves in the same situation five decades later. Water Minister Harriet Shing on Friday met with flood-affected Maribyrnong residents. Her spokeswoman said an independent review [was] being undertaken by Melbourne Water and that the government would await the recommendations.
Beijings abrupt shift from expressing regret to threatening retaliation over the US spy-balloon claims reflects the domestic imperative for Xi Jinping to show hes standing up for China against external pressure, analysts say.

However, Chinas latest pivot risks further narrowing the window to reset ties before the US election season gets into full swing.

The remnants of a large balloon drift above the Atlantic Ocean, with a fighter jet and its contrail seen below it. Credit: Chad Fish via AP

This weekend was supposed to be a step forward, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken arriving in Beijing for the first such visit in more than four years. But the dispute meant it was spent trading barbs real and figurative, as an F-22 Raptor blasted the high-tech Chinese balloon out of the sky off the coast of South Carolina with a single Aim-9X Sidewinder missile.

Instead of establishing guardrails and holding high-level meetings  including possibly with President Xi  Blinken ended up postponing his trip until a date yet to be determined.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Irans supreme leader has reportedly ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for tens of thousands of people detained amid anti-government protests shaking the country, acknowledging for the first time the scale of the crackdown.

The decree by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, part of a yearly pardoning the supreme leader does before the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, comes as authorities have yet to say how many people they detained in the demonstrations. State media also published a list of caveats over the order that would disqualify dual citizens or those facing spying charges  allegations which have been met with wide international criticism.

Protesters chant slogans in response to the death of a woman detained by the morality police, in downtown Tehran, Iran on September 21, 2022. Credit: AP

Khamenei agreed to offer amnesty and reduce the sentences of tens of thousands accused and convicted in the recent incidents, the state-run IRNA news agency said in a Farsi report. A later IRNA report carried by its English-language service said the pardons and commuted sentences were for tens of thousands of convicts, including the arrestees of the recent riots in Iran. Authorities did not immediately acknowledge the discrepancy in the reports.

The reports about the decree offered no explanation for the decision by Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state in Iran. However, prisons and detention facilities already had faced overcrowding in the country after years of protests over economic issues and other matters.
Washington, DC: In a world of advanced surveillance technology, including drones and satellites, why on Earth would a country use a balloon for spying?

That was the question on everyones mind this week after US defence officials accused China of flying a high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental United States, prompting Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone his trip to China. China has denied the balloon was used for spying, saying it was used for scientific research and was accidentally knocked off course by westerly winds.

The remnants of a large balloon drift above the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of the Carolinas after the US shot it down. Credit: Travis Huffstetler Photography via AP

A US military aircraft downed the balloon just off the Atlantic Coast, near the Carolinas, on Saturday (US time).

Despite the furor, spy balloons are actually not that unusual. According to US officials, they have been spotted over US territory a number of times in recent years. Both US and UK militaries have also made inquiries about high-altitude balloons.
A Buffalo man has pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer and causing a bodily injury in connection with a scuffle in the summer at the FBI office in downtown Buffalo, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced.

Tyler Collins, 27, who entered his plea before Senior U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny, faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he returns June 7 for sentencing.

The incident occurred July 12 as Collins tried to enter Buffalo FBI offices on South Elmwood Avenue and was turned away by security guards inside.

Prosecutors said that while Collins was yelling into an intercom and banging on the front door, three agents returned to the building. One of them tried to calm Collins down and was punched.

Prosecutors noted that one of the other agents tried to subdue Collins with pepper spray, but he ran away. He was arrested an hour later on Delaware Avenue.
A Buffalo woman has been charged by criminal complaint with production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced.

Prosecutors said that Town of Tonawanda Police began an investigation of Maria D'Amato, 28, after receiving a report that a 14-year-old girl had been sexually assaulted.

Investigators said they searched the victim's sister's cell phone and found images and videos of the reported assault, along with text messages reportedly exchanged between D'Amato and the victim.

Prosecutors said the sister had found the images and texts, took screen shots of them and sent them to her own phone.

The FBI's Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force assisted in the investigation.
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Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said that Romania has the necessary reserves of natural gas to get through the winter well, regardless of the weather conditions of this period.

"At the Government's level, we have taken measures to ensure the energy necessary for the consumption of citizens and businesses. We have the necessary reserves of natural gas to get through the winter well. Today, the degree of filling of storage facilities is over 62% of the capacity, which ensures the necessary consumption the population and the economy, regardless of this winter's weather conditions," Prime Minister Ciuca said in a message posted on Facebook on Sunday.Also, the head of the Government shows that the authorities monitor the situation generated by the dangerous meteorological phenomena of this period and continue to intervene in support of citizens who need help."I established together with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Lucian Bode, and the head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Secretary of State Raed Arafat, a series of measures to optimize the response missions, at the national level. Forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - firefighters, police, gendarmes - together with the Ambulance, Salvamont services, as well as specialized personnel from the Road Administration are on a mission to unblock road traffic on blocked roads and to support people. The means and equipment are operative and, in 14 counties, we have activated the County Centers for Coordination and Management of the Intervention, at the level of the Inspectorates for Emergency Situations. We are also in contact with the local authorities in order to respond to the requests reported by citizens and, if necessary, rescue crews, with the equipment available to move in their support", Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca also mentioned.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS  The Page and 141 area of Maryland Heights saw no development for decades. Within a span of four years, its slated to be fully built out as demand for warehouse space soars.

The area is a prime target as one of the last developable swaths of land in St. Louis County with proximity to St. Louis Lambert International Airport and easy access to Interstates 270, 70 and Page Avenue.

A half-dozen industrial developers have swooped in. Their timing couldnt have been better, according to a new report from real estate firm CBRE.

Between 2021 and 2025, developers are expected to build a projected 7 million square feet of warehouses, CBRE research shows.

The pace has surprised even experienced developers like Michael Towerman of TriStar Development, which was the first company to break ground here south of the Page Avenue extension in 2021 for its Westport Commerce Center industrial park.

We thought it would take seven years to build and lease the park. Were on the fourth building only a year and a half into the process of six buildings, Towerman said. Were well ahead of schedule.

Demand for warehouses persists as e-commerce, third-party logistics and packaging companies, among others, continue their push to reach customers faster. Thats spurred a record year for construction across the entire St. Louis metropolitan area with 7 million square feet of warehouses built in 2022, most of it in the Metro East and St. Charles County, according to CBRE. But Maryland Heights stands out because of the pace of development.

In Maryland Heights, developers have built 1.5 million square feet of space over the past two years. Theyre proposing to build another 5.5 million square feet for five different industrial parks. Companies like Amazon, fast-food chain Chick-fil-A and agribusiness conglomerate Bayer have leased space in new warehouses here.

This is very exciting for the market, to have such a vast piece of centrally located ground that is (opening) up for development, said Jon Hinds, senior vice president of CBRE. Major industrial developers in our market have all announced positions in this area, which is very unusual to have everybody focused on this particular site.

Development had been debated in Maryland Heights for years as concerns floated about flooding and impacts to the environment. But the city of Maryland Heights approved TriStars proposal for Westport Commerce Center after the company said it would build its own stormwater management system.

And construction of a $9.5 million stormwater pump station, expected to be finished in May, for development north of Page also has attracted developers. Both pump stations will discharge excess water into the Missouri River.

One of the most prolific industrial developers, Kansas City-based NorthPoint Development, has built one industrial park  Riverport Trade Center, northeast of Hollywood Casino & Hotel  and has proposed two more for the area: River Valley Commerce Center, which could add another million square feet of warehouses and 364 Logistics Center, which could deliver nearly 2 million square feet of space.

Were attracting all kinds of tenants, from large, corporate big-box retailers to small, local companies, Mark Militzer, NorthPoints regional vice president, said in an email.

Jim Carver, Maryland Heights economic development director, said the city is cautiously optimistic about all of the new business. The city launched its economic development department five years ago that has steered the citys strategy from wait and see to one that is overtly seeking more business.

Maryland Heights is banking on its lack of municipal property taxes and low business license fees to foster a business-friendly climate to keep business here for the long term.

In this competitive world were in, you have to got to be active if you want your community to stay viable, Carver said.

Its unclear how long the industrial building boom will last in Maryland Heights.

A few years ago, TriStar paid $62,315 per acre for its Westport Commerce Center. This past September, St. Louis County-based Clearpath Development paid $93,563.92 per acre for its project  suggesting it may have bought one of the few remaining parcels, according to the CBRE report.

Its just finding those tracts of land, Hinds said. How far out do you have to go is the question.
ST. LOUIS  Steve Campbell was ready with a joke.

Campbell was the first person at the Good Day Farm marijuana dispensary in the Central West End on the first day recreational-use marijuana was sold in Missouri.

He walked through the door to applause from staff. But Campbell, 67, had a confused look on his face. This isnt St. Louis Bread Co.? he asked.

I did not believe this day would ever come, Campbell said later. I go back a long way, when it was very illegal and very scary, and people went to jail for a couple of joints.

The days of such antics are over. This is the opening weekend for recreational marijuana sales in Missouri. On Friday, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services issued licenses to 207 dispensaries across the state to legally sell cannabis to anyone over the age of 21. Licenses were also issued to 72 manufacturers and 56 cultivation facilities.

Licenses were only given to dispensaries, manufacturers and facilities already selling and making products for medical-use customers. The new legalization was part of Amendment 3, which Missouri voters passed in November.

Anticipation for the change was high. Marwa Babiker, operations manager at ViolaSTL in Downtown West, said an older man  she estimated he was about 90  stopped in earlier in the week to ask if they were selling recreational-use pot.

Told it was not yet available, he returned at 11:30 a.m. Friday to ask again. The store had been issued a license by then, but it was not open for business. He returned again at noon, when they opened, to make his purchase.

The Health Department had given every indication that the licenses would not be issued until Monday. Most customers were confused to learn that recreational-use cannabis would actually be available beginning Friday, although many dispensaries had an inkling something might be up.

We kind of figured, said Chad Huelsman, manager of an NBliss dispensary near Manchester in unincorporated St. Louis County. They had pushed it to the last minute, not telling anyone.

Was I surprised they were doing it early? Absolutely not, he said.

Huelsman said his store had been anticipating increased business from the new recreational-use customers, whether they came on Monday or before. The store was fully stocked and staffed and ready to go for the crowds he anticipated would come after work Friday and throughout the weekend.

One early NBliss customer, Jennifer Johndrow, of Cedar Hill in Jefferson County, said she had been planning to get a medical-use card for some time. When she heard Thursday night that recreational-use cannabis would be legal on Friday, she decided to look for a dispensary near her work in St. Louis County.

She bought one pre-rolled joint and 1/8 ounce of Acapulco Gold flower, which the salesperson  called a budtender  told her is good for relaxing after a days work and for soothing aches and pains.

Im excited to see if this helps my knees pain, she said.

This was not the first time she had purchased marijuana, she said.

It helps with my stress levels. It really does. It calms me down.

At the Good Day Farm dispensary on Euclid Avenue, Channin Dawson, 45, picked up some flower, vape cartridges and edibles. The experience was nothing new to her. Until very recently she was a resident of Oregon, where recreational-use cannabis has been legal for eight years.

Dawson stopped in St. Louis to visit friends on her way to Cleveland, where she is moving.

I stumbled into this, not realizing it was now a thing in Missouri, she said. Its nice to be in a state thats just like our home state, where it is legal to do whatever you want.

The prices are good for the quality she got here, she said, and she was also impressed by the budtenders willingness to share their knowledge and expertise. In Oregon, she said, they just want to get you in and out.

Karon Marquita Watson, 69, came to the Good Day Farm store Friday to pick up her usual medical marijuana and was surprised by festive balloons and a line of about 10 people waiting outside. She did not realize that recreational use was already being allowed.

She was glad to hear the news. She said a doctor recently told her about a young teen who had died after smoking pot laced with fentanyl. She would never buy hers anywhere but at a dispensary, she said.

It is important that the dispensaries are here. Its safer, the quality is outstanding, theres different strains. I think God put (marijuana) on Earth for many reasons, she said.

Some customers couldnt quite believe it. At ViolaSTL, Babiker, the manager, took a call: Is it actual weed?

Its actual weed, she said with a laugh.

But it isnt just actual weed. The highly potent flower of the female marijuana plant accounts for about 50% of the medical-marijuana sales at the 15-location Greenlight dispensaries, said company CEO John Mueller. Pre-rolled joints, which are essentially also just flower, make up another 10%, for a total of 60% of their sales.

Edibles such as THC-laced gummies, along with vape pen cartridges and concentrates make up most of the rest.

But based on his experience in other states, Mueller said he anticipates that recreational users will buy more edibles and vape cartridges. He predicted that sales in those categories will soon equal that of flower.

If the mood inside the dispensaries was generally celebratory on the first day of sales, the customers and staff werent the only ones feeling that way:

On radio station KDHX, disc jockey Andy Coco played marijuana-themed songs throughout his two-hour shift Friday. Among the songs were Peter Toshs Legalize It, Cypress Hills I Wanna Get High, Rick James Mary Jane and the Harlem Experiments version of Reefer Man.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus 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

Joe Fischers entrepreneurial journey began with an empty cereal box and grew into Greetabl, an e-commerce business with more than $5 million in revenue.

Now, having nurtured the company for nearly a decade, Fischer has decided to move on to something new. Greetabl was sold last month to Business Crossing, a company formed by Ashland, Missouri, investor Gary McKinney.

It really felt like a good time to change gears and get on to a new adventure, he said. His co-founder, Zoe Scharf, moved to New York last year and Fischer, who was single when he started the company, is now married with three children and living on his familys farm near Washington, Missouri.

Greetabl also has expanded well beyond Fischers original idea, which was a greeting card that could be personalized with photos and text, then folded into a small gift box.

Early on, he and Scharf realized that consumers liked the box but didnt know what to put in it, so they launched a line of curated gift items such as candy, candles and socks. More recently, Greetabl has become more of a business-to-business company, with much of its growth coming from corporate gift programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought both opportunity and challenge. Demand for personalized gifts soared when people werent able to meet friends and family in person, but printing giant R.R. Donnelley closed the St. Louis unit that filled Greetabls orders. During one of its busiest periods, the company had to switch to a fulfillment center in Memphis.

Looking back, I couldnt ask for a better education, Fischer said. I think we did something really interesting in the space that people took note of.

Jerome Katz, an entrepreneurship professor at St. Louis University, remembers when Fischer brought a cut-up cereal box to class. The corners were cut out to create a foldable gift box, Katz recalled. That made him distinctive among students: He had created a prototype so he could show people what his idea would look like.

Katz now mentions Greetabl three times in his entrepreneurship textbook. He said he was impressed by the way the small firm used data to understand its clientele. Their loyal customers really appreciated that Greetabl had a great sense of design and style and a real passion for supporting gift-giving, Katz said.

Along the way, Greetabl won a $50,000 Arch Grant and raised $2.5 million from investors, including the Capital Innovators accelerator fund, state-run Missouri Technology Corp. and members of the Billiken Angel Network.

Gabe Angieri, executive director of Arch Grants, believes Fischers success will hearten other aspiring entrepreneurs. Greetabl was a great growth story, he said. The more success stories of startups we have in St. Louis, it draws others to the community and creates a virtuous cycle.

Fischer, who worked for Goldman Sachs in New York before launching Greetabl, plans to return to his finance roots by starting a fractional CFO business. In that role, hell lend his expertise to startups and other small businesses that cant afford a full-time chief financial officer.

As he prepares to launch that new business, Fischer has had time to reflect on what made Greetabl work. It was simple, he decided: We delivered a lot of happiness. It sounds cheesy, but we created a tool that never existed before, and it has brought people closer together.
Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger 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

LESLIE, Mo.  Pastor Tom Rudloff had barely begun his eulogy for Doc Nash when he had to pause and collect himself. Every pew at the Evergreen Baptist Church, about 60 miles southwest of St. Louis, was full. A man in the second row got up and handed Rudloff a tissue.

Thats normally the pastors job, he said, before pausing and finding his voice again. I didnt know Doc long, but I loved that man.

A lot of people loved Donald Doc Nash. His three attorneys  Charlie Weiss, Jonathan Potts and Stephen Snodgrass  drove in from St. Louis for the service. Theyre the ones who fought for Nashs freedom after he spent 12 years in prison for a murder he didnt commit.

Nashs old prison chaplain, who had been visiting him since 2007, also was there. So was Nashs wife, Theresa, and his daughter, Diana. And so were many of the people he went to church with over the last couple of years, after he walked out of the Bonne Terre prison as inmates and guards cheered him on.

Doc knew the true meaning of freedom, Rudloff said.

Nash died Jan. 28 after a battle with pneumonia brought on by COVID-19. He was 80 years old.

Its ironic, Potts told me as we gathered at the church near where Nash lived. In 2020, a special master in Nashs case, St. Charles County Circuit Court Judge Richard J. Zerr, issued a damning 222-page report calling Nashs prosecution a miscarriage of justice. In the days after, Potts and his fellow attorneys were still fighting with the state to get Nash out of the prison, which had become a hotbed of COVID-19.

They succeeded, and eventually the local prosecutor relented on his attempts to re-prosecute Nash. A key piece of evidence in the case was retested, and the DNA of two different men was found on it. Nashs long battle to prove his innocence was over. He was able to sit on a porch with his wife and enjoy the peace and quiet in rural Beaufort. But for repayment of his 12 years in prison, he was free for only two years before he died.

It doesnt seem fair. And yet, Nash is one of the lucky ones. His family asked that, in lieu of flowers, people send donations to the Midwest Innocence Project, which has helped exonerate dozens of wrongfully convicted prisoners in Missouri. It's a long slog to get an innocent man out of prison, with the system often fighting justice every step of the way.

I first heard about Nash from Josh Kezer, the southeast Missouri man whose wrongful murder conviction was overturned in 2009. Lately, Kezer has been advocating for inmates in Missouri prisons whom he believes are innocent, including Leonard Raheem Taylor, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection on Tuesday.

There are some similarities in the Nash and Taylor cases. Both men were accused of killing girlfriends despite a lack of physical evidence tying them to the crimes. Junk science and a rush to judgment convicted Nash, while Taylors attorneys point to a questionable last-minute change in the medical examiners testimony on time of death.

On the day after Nash died, attorneys for the Midwest Innocence Project asked Gov. Mike Parson to order a Board of Inquiry into Taylors conviction. Its a rarely used process that, like the special master appointment in Nashs case, could create an opportunity for a judge to take a look at the full body of evidence and make sure an innocent man isnt put to death.

Thats similar to a decision made last month in Oklahoma, where Attorney General Gentner Drummond (a Republican, like Parson) appointed a special counsel to review the death penalty case of Richard Glossip. If deep-red Oklahoma can take a pause on a death penalty case so as not to make the ultimate mistake, why not deep-red Missouri?

I didnt plan to write about Taylors case. In Missouri, the rush to use the power of the state to kill other human beings is a seemingly unmovable force  so much so that the Missouri Supreme Court was chastised by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson last year when it ignored state law and bypassed a required hearing before killing Kevin Johnson. Why bother writing about Taylor, I thought, when the system often seems to turn a blind eye to justice?

Then Doc Nash died. Without a hearing before a special master, he never would have walked out of prison. He might not have had the opportunity to fill a church with people who got to know and love him in his final years. God loves us for who we are, not who we were, Rudloff told Nashs friends and family.

Thats grace, a concept too often missing in Missouris courts.
Police were called to 18th Street and Missouri Avenue just after 2 p.m. for a shooting. There, they found the driver of a car shot dead and the passenger suffering from gunshot wounds, authorities with the Illinois State Police said.
ST. LOUIS  A man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 60-year-old Tommy L. Williams and his 3-year-old daughter Octavia.

The Circuit Attorney's Office has charged Henry Hughes, 55, in the shooting death of Williams and the strangulation of Octavia, who were found Thursday afternoon in their house in the 5100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

Hughes, who lives in the 1500 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in the Gate neighborhood, is also charged with robbery for stealing money and car keys  he was found in Tommy Williams' car  and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
An Eden man was arrested Saturday, accused of trying to strangle his victim during a domestic dispute, according to state police.

Troopers were investigating a domestic incident on Zimmerman Road in the Town of Boston when they determined that 24-year-old Justin D. Wesolek of Eden was responsible for injuring the victim, police said. He was charged with strangulation, assault and criminal mischief, police said.

Wesolek was arrested, arraigned at the Town of Hamburg Court and jailed. An order of protection also was issued mandating that he stay away from the victim.
ST. LOUIS  Homicide detectives and members of the police department's gang unit are investigating the death of a man found shot Saturday near Bellerive Park on South Broadway.

The police were called to Bates Street and South Broadway at 3:22 p.m. The Evidence Technician Unit, which processes crime scenes, also responded.

The man's body remained in a black sedan, which appears to have been in a collision with a white SUV.

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as more information is known.
Updated at 7:45 p.m. Sunday with the identity of the victim.

FERGUSON  St. Louis County police are investigating the shooting death of a man found in Ferguson on Saturday.

Ferguson police officers were called to the 100 block of North Marguerite Avenue at 7:56 p.m. Saturday for a welfare check. When police arrived, they found 43-year-old Marcus Allen, of Marlborough, dead from a gun shot wound. Ferguson police asked the St. Louis County Police Department to lead the investigation, authorities said.

The public is asked to call the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-8477 with any information.
WASHINGTON (AP)  What in the world was that thing?

The massive white orb that drifted across U.S. airspace this week and was shot down by the Air Force over the Atlantic on live television Saturday triggered a diplomatic maelstrom and blew up on social media.

China insists the balloon was just an errant civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research that went off course due to winds and had only limited self-steering capabilities.

The United States says it was a Chinese spy balloon without a doubt. Its presence prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a weekend trip to China that was aimed at dialing down tensions that were already high between the countries.

The Pentagon says the balloon, which was carrying sensors and surveillance equipment, was maneuverable and showed it could change course. It loitered over sensitive areas of Montana where nuclear warheads are siloed, leading the military to take actions to prevent it from collecting intelligence.

A U.S. Air Force fighter jet shot down the balloon Saturday afternoon off the Carolina coast. Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon slowly drifting toward the water. An operation is underway to recover the remnants.

A look at what's known about the balloon crossing the U.S.  and what isn't. It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a ... spy balloon It took just one shot Picking up the pieces Spy balloons have a history

More on this story:
The U.S. spends as much as three times more on health care per person as other high-income countries, yet residents are often less likely to visit doctors, according to a report that highlights poor returns for the nations large investment.

The pandemic widened discordances between medical spending and health results in the U.S. and the rest of the world, findings from the Commonwealth Fund study show. The only high-income country that doesnt guarantee access to health care, the U.S. spent almost 18% of its gross domestic product on health and related services in 2021.

The report adds to a litany of indicting data from the U.S., where half of adults are worried about medical costs that sometimes force them to delay or forgo care, according to a recent study, and life expectancy of 77 years ranks 39th among all nations.

One glaring problem is that Americans visit the doctor just four times a year, trailing most other wealthy countries, perhaps because of cost and a lack of practicing physicians, the authors said.

The American health system can seem designed to discourage people from using services, they wrote in the report, U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2022: Accelerating Spending, Worsening Outcomes. High out-of-pocket costs lead nearly half of working-age adults to skip or delay getting needed care.

The U.S. spends $10,687 per person each year on health-care programs and insurance, plus another $1,225 for household out-of-pocket costs, the research found. That compares to less than $4,000 for both components in South Korea, the lowest of 13 countries the group tracked, and slightly more than $7,000 in Germany, the second-biggest spender after the U.S.

Yet Americans are seen by doctors less than half as often as people in the Netherlands, Germany, Japan and Korea, and the U.S. has fewer physicians per patient than any other member nation of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, according to the report. Hospital stays, less than five days on average, are also shorter than those in peer countries.

The pandemic took an exceptionally high toll on the U.S., which has the highest Covid death rate of any country. Avoidable deaths from ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure and preventable cancers outstrip every other wealthy country, the researchers said. The U.S. also leads wealthy nations in infant and maternal mortality.

Other vulnerable populations include Black Americans, who die four years younger on average than Whites, while American Indians and Alaska Natives die seven years sooner.

The findings demonstrate the importance of a health-care system that supports chronic disease prevention and management, the early diagnosis and treatment of medical problems, affordable access to health-care coverage, and cost-containment, the researchers concluded. Other countries have found ways to do these things well; the U.S. can as well.

Best and worst states for health care Best and worst states for health care The 10 states with the best health care The 10 states with the lowest rank for health care Additional findings: Outcome, cost and access data rankings Depending on state, Americans' cost for care can vary significantly Methodology
The politically driven harassment of Missouri schools by the states Republican-controlled Legislature just keeps getting more and more Orwellian. In their crusade against the non-existent bogeyman of critical race theory, state senators last week considered this gem: a requirement that public schools send all their classroom curricula and other materials to a publicly accessible portal managed by the state.

These continuing displays of suspicion and malice toward hardworking teachers are exactly what the states already-struggling and underfunded schools dont need. Its also yet another repudiation of the GOPs once-sacred principles of smaller government and local control.

Critical race theory is a college-level academic concept that explores the ways in which institutional racism in Americas past affects society today. It isnt taught in elementary or secondary schools (just like contract law and torts arent taught there). But that hasnt stopped Republicans in Missouri and around the country from campaigning and legislating against it in a cynical strategy to whip up conservative base voters by villainizing teachers and schools.

Their claim  generally backed by few if any specific examples  is that school curriculum regarding racial issues is teaching that Blacks are victims and whites are victimizers, thus traumatizing white kids. Its a ridiculous red herring that is clearly designed to prevent any discussion of race in the classroom at all, as evidenced by how vaguely these laws are being written. Any teacher who tries to venture into, say, the Jim Crow systems of the old South or the official violence committed against the civil rights marchers of the 1960s had better tread lightly.

As the Post-Dispatchs Jack Suntrup reports, the measure debated in the state Senate last week adds the twist of creating a Missouri Education Transparency and Accountability Portal, which the public can use to access every school districts curriculum, textbooks, source materials, and syllabi. Never mind that every public school in Missouri answers to an elected school board, which answers to the voters, and that parental access to curriculum is as easy as attending board meetings or teacher-parent conferences. The heavy hand of Jefferson City government is going to reach into every classroom to ensure that those big bad teachers arent sneaking liberal racial indoctrination into kids heads.

Think about that: The party that once decried big centralized government, wasteful bureaucratic requirements and intrusive infringements on local decision making is now setting up a centralized state bureau that social studies teachers everywhere will have to submit their class materials to as if theyre suspected of subversion. How positively Soviet the once-staunchly-anti-Soviet GOP has become.

There are genuine and serious problems in Missouri schools, starting with the states grossly underfunded teachers. Until the voters stop buying into these fake controversies and demand serious leadership from their political leaders, the real problems will remain unaddressed.
Polish support for Ukraine in 2022 was prompt, responsive, substantial. This was the result of centuries of mistrust about Russia and more recent disagreements with Western allies over how reliable, dependable or predictable the Russians are.

While the Poles appreciate Western support for Ukraine, they also criticize Western nations willingness or ability to send Poland and Ukraine the weapons they need. To deal with this problem, Poland has come to rely on South Korea. In late 2022 Poland ordered $5.8 billion worth of tanks, self-propelled artillery and ammunition. Deliveries are to be made within a year and Polish tank crews begin training in South Korea in October 2022. This purchase is part of Polands effort to improve its defenses in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine. Poland ordered billions of dollars worth of South Korean K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled 155mm howitzers and FA-50 jet trainers reconfigured for combat use. While the K2 and K9 purchase amounts to nearly a thousand vehicles, most will be built in Poland under license. The 48 FA-50s are manufactured in South Korea and available for immediate shipment. Orders for armored vehicles not being built in Poland are delivered as soon as possible.

South Korea currently provides a wide, and growing, assortment of weapons and services. This includes guided rockets like the American GMLR and short-range ballistic missiles. To deal with the nuclear threats from North Korea, South Korea is considering nuclear weapons. These will not be available for export.

South Korea also provides a lot of weapons and vehicle upgrade services. For example, South Korea is upgrading its 59 F-15K Slam Eagle'' fighter-bombers. This upgrade is expensive, costing $2.73 billion ($45 million per aircraft) and will not be completed until 2034. South Korea has noted the success other nations have had upgrading their local versions of the F-15E model which the U.S. created in the late 1980s as a two-seat fighter bomber. Most American F-15Es are over 35 years old while export customers are still receiving new aircraft. The South Korean F-15 K's are all 10-15 years old. This justifies the extensive and expensive upgrades, which apply to many electronic systems including a late-model AESA radar. There is also an updated cockpit with new flight and fire control software as well improved electronic countermeasures and passive sensors. The F-15K can carry 13 tons of weapons, including highly accurate SLAM-ER cruise missiles and guided penetrating bombs to go after North Korea bunkers. South Korea is also buying more aerial tankers to keep the F-15Ks in the air longer while waiting for targets to be found.

South Korea also has 167 F-16C fighters that are being upgraded to F-16V models. South Korea has 50 F-35 stealth fighters in service with more on the way.

A growing number of South Korean warplanes are designed and built in South Korea. Currently this includes 60 FA-50 jet trainers equipped as light bombers. A new jet fighter, the KF-21 is on the way. Also called Borame (Fighting Hawk ''), this new fighter design made its first flight in miod-2022 and expects to enter service by 2026. Developing the KF-21 cost at least $8 billion. The South Korean air force wants to buy 120 of them. The first 40 will be Block 1 while the other 80 will be the upgraded Block 2.

The block 1 KF-21 is a twin-engine 24.5-ton air superiority fighter. The F414 engines are American models built in South Korea, and are the same ones used by U.S. Navy F-18E and the South Korean TA/FA jet trainer. The block 2 KF-21 is designed as a fighter-bomber, with sensors and electronics similar to those used in the F-35 so that the pilot can handle flying the aircraft as hitting ground targets with guided bombs and missiles. F-15K fighter-bombers will be replaced by the block 2 KF-21s in the 2040s. South Korea also uses 19 prop-driven basic trainers equipped as light bombers. South Korea is rapidly retiring older F-4 and F-5 aircraft.

South Korea has already developed world-class armored vehicles, warships and support aircraft, including helicopters and become a major arms exporter. Neighboring countries, like Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Australia are also developing manufacturing capabilities for combat vehicles, ships and aircraft. Japan was the first country in the region to develop the capability to build modern weapons but, until recently, the Japanese post-World War II constitution banned export of weapons. That was recently changed and now Japan can build for export. Japan has to catch up with South Korea, which always produced these new weapons with the intention of competing in export markets.

South Korea remains the most advanced and productive weapons developer and manufacturer in the region. Chinese firms, most of them state-owned, also produce a wide variety of weapons that are cheaper, and less effective, than South Korean models.

South Korea is in the top ten countries when it comes to GDP and arms exports. This is impressive for a nation of 51 million that started with little industrialization or arms manufacturing in the 1950s to become a powerhouse in both areas. That is about to change because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions imposed because of that. At the start of 2022 (before the Russians attacked) the major arms exporter was the U.S. (38 percent of total arms exports) followed by Russia (19 percent). France (11 percent), China (4.6 percent) and Germany (4.6 percent). South Korea was 10th, with 2.8 percent. With Russian arms exports greatly reduced because of the sanctions, many of their customers seek other suppliers. South Korea is going to get a lot of that business and exactly how much wont be known until the end of 2023.
CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CVW CleanTech Inc. (the "Company" or "CVW CleanTech") (TSX-V: CVW) wishes to announce the departure of Vice President, Mineral Sands, Mr. Niel Erasmus, effective February 1, 2023.

Mr. Erasmus has worked with CVW CleanTech for the past 6 years and has been instrumental in driving our Creating Value from Waste technologies forward. Niel will be undertaking an exciting new challenge in his career, where he will be leading an engineering project team for a gas-to-liquids mega-project.

The Company would like to thank Mr. Erasmus for his contributions towards our technology development and his work with our team. We wish him all the best as he pursues future opportunities.

About CVW CleanTech Inc.

CVW CleanTech is a clean technology innovator that has focused on providing solutions to the mining sector of Canada's oil sands industry. The Company's CVW technology provides sustainable solutions to reduce the environmental footprint of the oilsands industry.

For further information, please contact:

Akshay Dubey Ingrid Meger Chief Executive Officer403.460.8135 Chief Financial Officer403.460.8135 [email protected] [email protected]

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: CVW CleanTech Inc.
Highlights

Extension of the CV5 Pegmatite eastwardly by at least 400 m through the first four (4) drill holes of the 2023 drill campaign (CV23-105, 106, 107, and 108) Geological logged, near-continuous1, spodumene-bearing pegmatite intersections from the main body (moving eastwardly from CV22-093) ranging from of approximately 54 m to 132 m in width (core length). Drill holes immediately on strike of high-grade Nova Zone.

Step-out drilling westwardly, along strike of CV22-074, to begin shortly.

Spodumene pegmatite has been traced continuously by drilling (at ~50-100 m spacing) over a lateral distance of at least 2.6 km (CV22-074 to CV23-108), remaining open along strike at both ends and to depth along most of its length.

(CV22-074 to CV23-108), remaining open along strike at both ends and to depth along most of its length. Core samples from first three (3) drill holes have arrived at the analytical lab (SGS).

Four (4) core drilling rigs currently active at site with a fifth to be collared shortly.

As of January 30th, 2023, a total of eight (8) drill holes (~3,400 m) have been completed this year at the CV5 Pegmatite. A minimum of 20,000 m is targeted to be completed over the January through April period.



Blair Way, Company President, CEO and Director, comments: We are off to a great start with drilling at the CV5 Pegmatite in 2023. We are collaring at wide step-outs of 100 m on this first series of holes to the east and have now extended the principal spodumene pegmatite body at least another 400 m (drill hole CV22-093 to CV23-108), based on geological logging of drill core. With four (4) drill rigs now active on site, and earlier than anticipated, we will continue to advance aggressively as we look ahead to an initial mineral resource estimate targeted for the first half of 2023.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia and SYDNEY, Australia, Feb. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (the Company or Patriot) (TSX-V: PMET) (ASX: PMT) (OTCQX: PMETF) (FSE: R9GA) is pleased to provide an update on the 2023 drill campaign currently underway at its wholly owned Corvette Property (the Property), located in the James Bay Region of Quebec. The winter phase of the drill campaign is focused on the CV5 Pegmatite, located approximately 13.5 km south of the regional and allweather Trans-Taiga Road and powerline infrastructure and is currently accessible by winter road.

The Company is pleased to report that the first eight (8) drill holes, as reported herein (CV23-105 through 112) have intersected various widths of spodumene pegmatite, ranging from approximately 8 m to 132 m (core length), and therefore have extended the strike length of the CV5 Pegmatite body an additional 400 m along strike eastwardly (Figures 1 and 2). Based on drill holes completed through January 30th, 2023, the CV5 Pegmatite has now been traced continuously by drilling (at 50-100 m spacing) over a lateral distance of at least 2.6 km (CV22-074 to CV23108), remaining open along strike at both ends and to depth along most of its length.

Drill holes CV23-105 and 106 were collared immediately on strike eastwardly of the high-grade Nova Zone intersected in drill hole CV22093 (52.2 m at 3.34% Li2O, including 15.0 m of 5.10% Li2O  see news release dated January 30th, 2023), at a distance of approximately 90 m and 200 m, respectively, and returned near-continuous1 pegmatite intersections of approximately 84 and 132 m (core length), respectively. The two holes were collared at the same orientation as CV23-093 and indicate the pegmatite has widened at this location and depth along strike. The pegmatite continued to be intersected in drill holes CV23107 and 108, a further 100 m and 200 m along strike, respectively, with widths of approximately 65 m and 54 m (core length), respectively. The pegmatite remains to be tested further at depth along this 400 m of new strike length. Core assays have not yet been received for any of the holes completed to date in 2023.

The Company intends to continue stepping out along strike eastwardly towards the CV4 Pegmatite cluster, which is now within approximately 2.0 km of the easternmost drill hole reported herein from CV5 (CV23-108) (Figure 2). Additionally, spodumene pegmatite is inferred to be present under cover along this corridor based on a boulder field located approximately 1 km down ice (Figure 2). Based on the angularity and size of the boulders, they are not interpreted to have been sourced from the CV4 Pegmatite cluster and therefore, may indicate a source under the shallow glacial lake, along strike of the current drilling at CV5.

In addition to the step-out drilling of the Nova Zone and primary pegmatite body eastwardly, the Company also intends to continue step-out drilling westwardly from drill hole CV22-074 (16.9 m at 2.00% Li2O  see news release dated January 18th, 2023). The mineralized pegmatite is interpreted to continue for at least another 125 m in this direction based on a mineralized outcrop present along strike (Figure 1). It is interpreted that the CV5 Pegmatite may extend under the relatively thin glacial till cover towards the CV13 Pegmatite cluster, situated approximately 4.3 km to the west-southwest, and is anticipated to be drill tested during the 2023 drill campaign.

The primary objectives of the 2023 drill campaign are to further delineate the extent of the CV5 Pegmatite, as well as infill drill to improve the geological model to achieve indicated mineral resource confidence to support a future prefeasibility study. As of January 30th, 2023, a total of eight (8) drill holes (~3,400 m) have been completed this year at the CV5 Pegmatite, with a minimum of 20,000 m targeted to be completed over the January through April period.

Core samples from first three (3) drill holes (CV23-105, 106, 107) have arrived at the analytical lab (SGS) with core processing ongoing at site (Figure 3). Four (4) NQ size core drilling rigs are currently active at site with a fifth expected to collar shortly.

May include minor intervals of non-pegmatite and/or non-spodumene bearing pegmatite. Data for drill holes presented herein are based on a combination of preliminary and detailed geological logs and, therefore, overall is considered to be preliminary in nature as there may be minor variations from the final detailed geological log when completed.

Table 1: Drill hole attributes with logged pegmatite intersections >2 m

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bf6b0e85-1f4d-4af7-b52a-11baa7d59884

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/06d0a4c9-5252-4d64-9966-b73ee29f6f1a

Figure 1: Drill hole locations through CV23-112 at the CV5 Pegmatite

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/061882c1-4db4-42c8-98be-9c858cb679c5

Figure 2: CV5 through CV4 pegmatite cluster corridor

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e28b4b3-7caf-4958-9740-e38d7aea0861

Figure 3: Aerial view of several 2023 drill hole collars (Top); spodumene pegmatite core from 2023 drill campaign being processed at Project (Bottom)

About the CV Lithium Trend

The CV Lithium Trend is an emerging spodumene pegmatite district discovered by the Company in 2017 and spans more than 25-km across the Corvette Property. The core area includes an approximate 2.6 km long spodumene pegmatite (the CV5 Pegmatite) and multiple proximal secondary spodumene pegmatite lenses. This corridor has returned drill intercepts of 156.9 m at 2.12% Li2O, including 25.0 m at 5.04% Li2O or 5.0 m at 6.36% Li2O (CV22083), 159.7 m at 1.65% Li2O (CV22-042), 131.2 m at 1.96% Li2O (CV22-100), and 52.2 m at 3.34% Li2O, including 15.0 m at 5.10% Li2O (CV22-093).

To date, six (6) distinct clusters of lithium pegmatite have been discovered across the Property  CV5 Pegmatite and associated lenses, CV4, CV8-12, CV9, CV10, and the recently discovered CV13. Given the proximity of some pegmatite outcrops to each other, as well as the shallow till cover in the area, it is probable that some of the outcrops may reflect a discontinuous surface exposure of a single, larger pegmatite outcrop subsurface. Further, the high number of well-mineralized pegmatites along the trend indicate a strong potential for a series of relatively closely spaced/stacked, sub-parallel, and sizable spodumene-bearing pegmatite bodies, with significant lateral and depth extent, to be present.

Qualified/Competent Person

The information in this news release that relates to exploration results for the Corvette Property is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled by Mr. Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and member in good standing with the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec (Geologist Permit number 1968), and with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (member number 87868). Mr. Smith has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

Mr. Smith is Vice President of Exploration for Patriot Battery Metals Inc. and Nevada Lithium Resources Inc., Vice President of Exploration and Director for Ophir Gold Corp, and a Senior Geologist and Project Manager with Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. Mr. Smith holds common shares and options in the Company.

Mr. Smith has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralization, type of deposit under consideration, and to the activities being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as described by the JORC Code, 2012. Mr. Smith consents to the inclusion in this news release of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

About Patriot Battery Metals Inc.

Patriot Battery Metals Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of mineral properties containing battery, base, and precious metals.

The Companys flagship asset is the 100% owned Corvette Property, located proximal to the Trans-Taiga Road and powerline infrastructural corridor in the James Bay Region of Quebec. The land package hosts significant lithium potential highlighted by the 2.6 km long CV5 spodumene pegmatite with drill intercepts of 156.9 m at 2.12% Li2O, including 25.0 m at 5.04% Li2O or 5.0 m at 6.36% Li2O (CV22083), 159.7 m at 1.65% Li2O (CV22-042), 131.2 m at 1.96% Li2O (CV22-100), and 52.2 m at 3.34% Li2O, including 15.0 m at 5.10% Li2O (CV22-093). Additionally, the Property hosts the Golden Gap Trend with grab samples of 3.1 to 108.9 g/t Au from outcrop and 7 m at 10.5 g/t Au in drill hole, and the Maven Trend with 8.15% Cu, 1.33 g/t Au, and 171 g/t Ag in outcrop.

The Company also holds 100% ownership of the Freeman Creek Gold Property in Idaho, USA which hosts two prospective gold prospects - the Gold Dyke Prospect with a 2020 drill hole intersection of 12 m at 4.11 g/t Au and 33.0 g/t Ag, and the Carmen Creek Prospect with surface sample results including 25.5 g/t Au, 159 g/t Ag, and 9.75% Cu.

The Companys other assets include the Pontax Lithium-Gold Property, QC; and the Hidden Lake Lithium Property, NWT, where the Company maintains a 40% interest, as well as several other assets in Canada.

For further information, please contact us at [email protected] Tel: +1 (604) 279-8709, or visit www.patriotbatterymetals.com. Please also refer to the Companys continuous disclosure filings, available under its profile at www.sedar.com, for available exploration data.

This news release has been approved by the Board of Directors,

BLAIR WAY

Blair Way, President, CEO, & Director

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as will, may, should, anticipate, expects and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys expectations include the results of further exploration and testing, and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators, available at www.sedar.com. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.

No securities regulatory authority or stock exchange has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Appendix 1  JORC Code 2012 Table 1 information required by ASX Listing Rule 5.7.1

Section 1  Sampling Techniques and Data

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling.

Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used.

Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report.

In cases where industry standard work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Core sampling protocols met or exceeded industry standard practices.

Core Sampling is guided by lithology as determined during geological logging (i.e., by a geologist). All pegmatite intervals are sampled in their entirety (half-core), regardless if spodumene mineralization is noted or not (in order to ensure an unbiased sampling approach) in addition to ~1-3 m of sampling into the adjacent wallrock (dependent on pegmatite interval length) to bookend the sampled pegmatite.

The minimum individual sample length is 0.3 m and the maximum sample length is 3.0 m. Targeted individual pegmatite sample lengths are 1.0 m.

All drill core is oriented to maximum foliation prior to logging and sampling and is cut with a core saw into half-core pieces, with one half-core collected for assay, and the other half-core remaining in the box for reference. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diameter, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). NQ size standard core drilling was completed for all holes. Core is not oriented; however, downhole OTV-ATV surveys have been completed on a subset of holes to assess structure. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed.

Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples.

Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. All drill core was geotechnically logged following industry standard practices, and includes total core recovery, fracture recording, ISRM rock strength and weathering, and RQD. Core recovery is very good and typically exceeds 90%. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies.

Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography.

The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Upon receipt at the core shack, all drill core received is pieced together, oriented to maximum foliation, metre marked, geotechnically logged (including structure), alteration logged, geologically logged, and sample logged on an individual sample basis. Core box photos are also collected of all core drilled, regardless of perceived mineralization. Specific gravity measurements are also collected at systematic intervals for all drill core.

These logging practices meet or exceed current industry standard practices and are of appropriate detail to support a mineral resource estimation.

The logging is qualitative by nature, and includes estimates of spodumene grain size, inclusions, and model mineral estimates. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken.

If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry.

For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique.

Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples.

Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling.

Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. N/A, no assay data presented. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total.

For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc.

Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. N/A, no assay data presented. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel.

The use of twinned holes.

Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols.

Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Intervals are reviewed and compiled by the VP Exploration and Project Managers prior to disclosure, including a review of the Companys internal QAQC samples if analytical data.

No twinned holes have been completed, as all of the drilling in the area of interest is within the last two years.

Data capture utilizes MX Deposit software whereby core logging data is entered directly into the software for storage, including direct import of laboratory analytical certificates as they are received. The Company employs various on-site and post QAQC protocols to ensure data integrity and accuracy. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation.

Specification of the grid system used.

Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Each drill hole is collar has been surveyed with a handheld GPS, with a more detailed coordinate capture to follow.

The coordinate system used is UTM NAD83 Zone 18.

The Company completed a property-wide LiDAR and orthophoto survey in August 2022, which provides high-quality topographic control.

The quality and accuracy of the topographic controls are considered adequate for advanced stage exploration and development. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results.

Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied.

Whether sample compositing has been applied. Drill hole spacing is dominantly at ~100 m; however, tightens to ~50 m in some places.

Based on the nature of the mineralization and continuity in geological modelling, it is believed that a 100 m spacing will be sufficient to support an inferred mineral resource estimate. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type.

If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. No sampling bias is anticipated based on structure within the mineralized body.

The mineralized body is relatively undeformed and very competent, although likely has some meaningful structural control.

The mineralized body is steeply dipping resulting in oblique angles of intersection with true widths varying based on drill hole angle and orientation of pegmatite at that particular intersection point. i.e. The dip of the mineralized pegmatite body has variations in a vertical sense and along strike, so the true widths are not always apparent until several holes have been drilled in any particular drill-fence. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. N/A, no assay data presented. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. A review of the sample procedures for the Companys 2021 fall drill program (CF21-001 to 004) and 2022 winter drill program (CV22-015 to 034) was completed by an Independent Qualified Person and deemed adequate and acceptable to industry best practices (discussed in an NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Corvette Property, Quebec, Canada, Issue date of June 27th, 2022.) Additionally, the Company continually reviews and evaluates its procedures in order to optimize and ensure compliance at all levels of sample data collection and handling.

Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results

(Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.)

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings.

The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. The Corvette Property is comprised of 417 claims located in the James Bay Region of Quebec with all claims registered to the Company. The Property is located approximately 10-15 km south of the Trans-Taiga Road and powerline infrastructure corridor.

The Company holds 100% interest in the Property subject to various royalty obligations depending on original acquisition agreements. DG Resources Management holds a 2% NSR (no buyback) on 76 claims, D.B.A. Canadian Mining House holds a 2% NSR on 50 claims (half buyback for $2M) and Osisko Gold Royalties holds a sliding scale NSR of 1.5-3.5% on precious metals, and 2% on all other products, over 111 claims.

The Property does not overlap any sensitive environmental areas or parks, or historical sites to the knowledge of the Company. There are no known hinderances to operating at the Property, apart from the goose hunting season (April 20th to May 20th) where the communities request no drilling or flying be completed.

Claim expiry dates range from July 2023 to July 2025. Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. No assay results from other parties are disclosed herein.

The most recent independent Property review was a NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Corvette Property, Quebec, Canada, Issue date of June 27th, 2022. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation. The Property is situated within the Lac Guyer Greenstone Belt, considered part of the larger La Grande River Greenstone Belt and is dominated by volcanic rocks metamorphosed to amphibolite facies. The claim block is dominantly underlain by the Guyer Group (basaltic amphibolite, iron formation) and the Corvette Formation (amphibolite of intermediate to mafic volcanics). Several occurrences of ultramafic rocks (peridotite, pyroxenite, komatiite?) as well as felsic volcanics (tuffs) are also mapped over areas of the Property. The basaltic amphibolite rocks that trend east-west (generally south dipping) through this region are bordered to the north by the Magin Formation (conglomerate and wacke) and to the south by an assemblage of tonalite, granodiorite, and diorite. Several regional-scale Proterozoic gabbroic dykes also cut through portions of the Property (Lac Spirt Dykes, Senneterre Dykes).

The geologic setting is prospective for gold, silver, base metals, platinum group elements, and lithium over several different deposit styles including orogenic gold (Au), volcanogenic massive sulfide (Cu, Au, Ag), komatiite-ultramafic (Au, Ag, PGE, Ni, Cu, Co), and pegmatite (Li, Ta).

Exploration of the Property has outlined three primary mineral exploration trends crossing dominantly east-west over large portions of the Property  Maven Trend (copper, gold, silver), Golden Trend (gold), and CV Trend (lithium, tantalum). Lithium mineralization at the Property is observed to occur within quartz-feldspar pegmatite (LCT Pegmatites), often exposed at surface as high relief whale-back landforms. The pegmatite is often very coarse-grained and off-white in appearance, with darker sections commonly composed of mica and smoky quartz, and occasional tourmaline.

The lithium pegmatites at Corvette are LCT Pegmatites. Preliminary mineralogical studies of the CV5, CV6, and CV12 pegmatites (based on 22 pegmatite core samples), coupled with field mineral identification and assays, indicate spodumene as the dominant lithium-bearing mineral (~98-99%) on the Property, with no significant petalite, lepidolite, lithium-phosphate minerals, or apatite present. The pegmatites at Corvette also carry significant tantalum values with tantalite indicated to be the mineral phase. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes: easting and northing of the drill hole collar elevation or RL (Reduced Level  elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar dip and azimuth of the hole down hole length and interception depth hole length.

If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. Drill hole attribute information is included in Table 1.

Grade over width calculations for assays of intervals of Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (eg cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated.

Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail.

The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. N/A, no assay data presented. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results.

If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported.

If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg down hole length, true width not known). Geological modelling is ongoing; however, current interpretation supports a large pegmatite body (CV5) of near vertical to steeply dipping orientation, flanked by several secondary pegmatite lenses.

All reported widths are core length. True widths are not known and may vary widely from hole to hole based on the drill hole angle and the highly variable nature of pegmatite bodies, which tend to pinch and swell aggressively along strike and to depth. i.e. The dip of the mineralized pegmatite body has variations in a vertical sense and along strike, so the true widths are not always apparent until several holes have been drilled in any particular drill-fence. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. Please refer to the figures included herein as well as those posted on the Companys website. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. Please refer to the table(s) included herein as well as those posted on the Companys website.

Every individual pegmatite interval that is greater than 2 metres has been reported. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples  size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. The Company has completed various surface exploration programs in 2022 and is awaiting assay results.

The Company is currently completing baseline environmental work over the CV5 Pegmatite area. No endangered flora or fauna have been documented over the Property to date, and several sites have been identified as potentially suitable for mine infrastructure.

The Company has completed a bathymetric survey over the shallow glacial lake which overlies a portion of the mineralized body. The lake depth ranges from

The Company has completed preliminary metallurgical testing comprised of HLS and magnetic testing, which has produced 6+% Li2O spodumene concentrates at >70% recovery. A DMS test followed returning a spodumene concentrate grading 5.8% Li2O at 79% recovery. The data suggests potential for a DMS only operation to be applicable to the project.

A geochemical characterization program has been initiated to evaluate waste rock etc. Initial review of the Companys analytical database did not outline any significant issues. A preliminary suite of samples has been selected for testwork, which is ongoing.

A stakeholder mapping mandate has also been completed. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling).

Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. The Company intends to continue drilling the pegmatites of the Corvette Property, focused on the CV5 Pegmatite and adjacent secondary lenses. The mineralized pegmatites remain open along strike, and to depth at most locations along strike. Drilling is also anticipated to continue at the CV13 pegmatite cluster as well as other pegmatite clusters at the Property. The details of these programs are still being developed. An initial mineral resource estimate is anticipated to be completed for the CV5 Pegmatite in H1 2023.

Table 1 Drill hole attributes with logged pegmatite intersections >2 m Figure 1 Drill hole locations through CV23-112 at the CV5 Pegmatite Figure 2 CV5 through CV4 pegmatite cluster corridor Figure 3 Aerial view of several 2023 drill hole collars (Top); spodumene pegmatite core from 2023 drill campaign being processed at Project (Bottom)

Source: Patriot Battery Metals
VANCOUVER, Feb. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After years of work by First Nations, provincial, and federal governments, an action plan for a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Northern Shelf Bioregion has been adopted.

WWF-Canada applauds progress on this Indigenous-led and collaboratively developed effort that will double coverage of MPAs in this 100,000-square-kilometre region, also known as the Great Bear Sea, to 30 per cent and guide the creation of what will become Canadas first-ever planned MPA network.

WWF-Canada looks forward to Canadas swift implementation of priority sites by 2025 and formal designation of these areas as MPAs alongside robust protections and management plans.

The Northern Shelf Bioregion is a place where fin whales, humpbacks and orcas swim past deep fjords, rocky islands and glass sponge reefs; where sea birds forage in coastal estuaries, giant kelp beds and along rocky coastlines; and where wolves and the pale spirit bear roam the seas neighbouring namesake, the Great Bear Rainforest.

The proposed areas identified in the Northern Shelf Bioregion MPA Network Action Plan, when implemented with existing MPAs, will collectively conserve the regions unique wildlife and diverse habitats, rebuild abundance and ecosystem resilience, and deliver positive outcomes for communities across the entire region.

While this is a big step forward, there is a lot of work to be done. The implementation of sites will require formalizing protection measures to limit incompatible activities. With declines in species and ecosystem healthand as the Great Bear Sea braces for increases in shipping and development as well as climate variabilityprotections are needed sooner rather than later.

WWF-Canada hopes to see a similar approach to the establishment of future protected areas and networks that prioritizes both Indigenous governance and stewardship along with systematic conservation planning.

Hussein Alidina, lead specialist for marine conservation at WWF-Canada, says:

The Northern Shelf Bioregion MPA Network Action Plan will lead to the creation of Canadas first systematically planned marine protected area network and is a groundbreaking model for collaborative governance. In a process that is being led and implemented with Indigenous nations, the action plan is an important step in advancing both marine conservation and Indigenous reconciliation. We now need to rapidly shift our attention to implementation of these marine protected areas and do what needs to be done to make them a reality.

For more information on the Great Bear Sea MPA Network: https://wwf.ca/great-bear-sea/

About World Wildlife Fund Canada WWF-Canada is committed to equitable and effective conservation actions that restore nature, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. We draw on scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance to ensure all our efforts connect to a single goal: a future where wildlife, nature and people thrive. For more information visit wwf.ca.

Emily Vandermeer WWF-Canada 5196161556 [email protected]

Source: WWF-Canada
Dubai, United Arab Emirates--(Newsfile Corp. - February 5, 2023) - RFOX VALT, is excited to announce the sale of AI-enabled metaverse apartments on February 8th. These state-of-the-art apartments offer residents a fully immersive experience using cutting-edge AI technology, which only enhances the already existing VR world.





RFOX VALT Launches AI-Enabled Metaverse



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8717/153400_65fc01eec4926bc7_001full.jpg

The AI-enabled apartments allow residents to interact with their virtual surroundings in a more natural and intuitive way. The apartments are customizable spaces that allow their residents to use the newly integrated AI tools to change and alter the look and feel of their space, to create personal and unique surroundings. The apartments will feature an invite-only system, allowing user to host gatherings, meetings, events, and more based on their requirements.

This cutting-edge technology instantly allows apartment owners the ability to implement changes that would have previously required skills in asset creation and taken considerable time to implement.

Owners will be able to utilize the OpenAI integrations for personal assistance, content creation, and more. As the technology progresses, the apartments will integrate with even more AI services.

RFOX VALT's metaverse platform has been praised for its ability to provide users with a truly immersive and interactive experience. The addition of AI-enabled apartments takes this experience to the next level, making it even more realistic and convenient for residents.

The sale of these apartments is a significant step forward for RFOX VALT and the metaverse industry. It demonstrates the continued growth and innovation in the field and sets a new standard for virtual living.

For more information about the apartment sale on the 8th of February, visit RFOX VALT's website athttps://www.rfoxvalt.com.



About RFOX

RFOX is a metaverse company with a mission to be the global leader in immersive metaverse experiences focused on retail, media, gaming, and rewards, through the RFOX VALT metaverse. Since 2018, the company has built the RFOX ecosystem of products and solutions that include online games (RFOX Games), white-label NFT platform (RFOX NFTs), DeFi products (RFOX Finance), digital media platforms (RFOX Media and RFOX TV), and more. Its main token is RFOX, the digital asset that fuels the RFOX metaverse ecosystem and its immersive technology.

Media Contact:

Contact Person: Ira Go

Company: RFOX

Email: [email protected]

City: Dubai

Country: United Arab Emirates

Website: https://www.rfox.com/

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China blasts spy balloon hype, urges communication to avoid misjudgment

By Global Times (Global Times) 11:44, February 05, 2023

China has blasted the hype of a balloon incident, saying China does not accept any groundless speculation or hype and opposes the practice of certain politicians and media in the US who use the incident to attack China even though China has explained clearly the balloon spotted in the US is a civilian airship designed for meteorological research purpose and made the unintended entry due to force majeure.

China's foreign ministry also suggested that neither China nor the US has announced that there would be a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken following news that Blinken has postponed his planned visit to China citing the balloon incident as an excuse.

The unexpected incident of the balloon gave some hawkish anti-China lawmakers a chance to attack China through the hype of "China spying" and "China threat", underscoring the increasing tensions between the world's two largest economies.

Chinese analysts called on US decision-makers to properly manage the anti-China sentiment fanned by some politicians out of selfish interest, and to demonstrate political leadership to better handle China-US relations.

"China is a responsible country and has always strictly abided by international law. We do not accept any groundless speculation and hype," Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China said in a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken late Friday.

During the phone conversation, they communicated on how to deal with the incident in a calm and professional manner. Wang said in face of unexpected situations, both sides should maintain focus, communicate in a timely manner, avoid misjudgments, and manage differences.

Prior to Wang and Blinken's talk, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Blinken has postponed his visit to China due to the balloon incident and Blinken would be prepared to visit Beijing "as soon as conditions allow."

Previous news on Blinken's visit to China on February 5 and 6 all came from the US. China has never confirmed the information.

A spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday a Chinese unmanned civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research purposes made an unintended entry into the US airspace due to force majeure and rejected the spy claim made by the US.

On Saturday, Chinese Foreign Ministry released a statement, saying that maintaining contact and communication at all levels is an important common understanding reached by the Chinese and US presidents at their meeting in Bali. One of the tasks of the diplomatic teams on both sides is to properly manage bilateral relations, particularly to manage unexpected situations in a cool-headed and prudent manner.

"In fact, neither side has ever announced that there would be a visit. It is a matter for the US to make its latest announcement, and we respect that," said the spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Despite the explanation from China, some US media continued to use "spy balloon" and some politicians took the chance to either criticize the Biden administration for not being "sufficiently tough" on China or attempt to shift blame of canceling Blinken's trip to China - which China never confirmed - to the Chinese side.

Baseless speculation and continuous hype in the US cannot change the fact that this is an unexpected incident, which the Chinese side also expressed regret, Diao Daming, an expert on US studies and associate professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing, told the Global Times.

With so many interactions between China and the US in every field, those who determine to undermine the bilateral relations can find every possible excuses - if it is not the airship incident, it would be other matters, Diao said.

The expert noted that the clamor on so-called spy balloon showed that some anti-China hawkish, who are obsessed with Cold War competition and US hegemony, are doing whatever they can to sabotage China-US relations.

Even with no confirmation from China on Blinken's visit, the US media reported that Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee encouraged Blinken to use "the trip" to send a tough message to China regarding the suspected spy balloon, the Washington Post reported.

Before being clear of the facts, the US military and media accused China of spying, and this balloon incident has taken US' hyping of the "China threat" to a new level, Chinese analysts said, saying the recent chaotic signals sent from the US on China may bring more uncertainty to already strained bilateral relations.

The fragmentation and polarization of the US domestic politics also reminded China to prepare itself for any eventualities - stressing cooperation and stabilizing the bilateral relations via communications; and at the same time, holding on to the bottom line and strike back against provocations, said Diao.

Analysts also called on American decision-makers to properly deal with irrational anti-China sentiment, which has been fanned by some politicians with selfish motives. The Biden administration should demonstrate true political leadership to handle relations with China for the benefits of the two peoples, instead of letting the balloon incident or other unexpected events impede the bilateral exchanges or making China-US relations the prey of inter-party dissension.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
Bishop James A. McNulty left no doubt who was the boss during the nine years he spent in charge of Buffalos Catholic Diocese.

But was he powerful enough to stop Buffalo police from investigating the murder of one of his priests? Did he?

McNulty was running the Buffalo Diocese when Monsignor Francis J. OConnor was found dead March 13, 1966, in Scajaquada Creek.

The OConnor murder probe was shut down suddenly  with no arrests  shortly after a priest emerged as a suspect, according to four sources who spoke to Buffalo police detectives who ran the investigation.

And one of those sources said former Homicide Chief Leo J. Donovan told him the probe was shut down soon after Donovan and his boss met with McNulty to ask him about some of the evidence they had obtained.

Buffalo police records indicate homicide detectives received permission from McNulty to question and fingerprint a priest, but diocese officials say they have no record of McNulty communicating with police about the murder probe, or of McNulty ever asking police to shut down their investigation.

We went through our archives, including Bishop McNultys appointment book, said Joseph Martone, a spokesman for the diocese. We found no record of these conversations ever taking place.

Nearly 57 years later, with McNulty and everyone in his inner circle long dead, questions remain about the former bishop and whether he had a role in ending the police investigation into the still unsolved homicide.

The Buffalo News has found no documented evidence that McNulty asked anyone to stop the OConnor murder probe.

News reporters reviewed the Buffalo police files on the investigation. They contained reports written daily by detectives after O'Connor was killed. Then the reports ended without explanation less than two months after OConnor's murder.

Bishop was powerful

In 1966, the Buffalo Diocese bishop was far more influential than he is today.

There were 913,640 Catholics in the Buffalo Diocese that year, 337,440 more than there are today, according to diocesan records.

Many of the regions government and business leaders  including most of those who made decisions regarding police investigations in Buffalo  were Catholic men. Those men included Mayor Frank Sedita, Police Commissioner Frank Felicetta, Chief of Detectives Ralph V. Degenhart and Erie County District Attorney Michael Dillon. All are deceased.

These men were all on the same team, so to speak, said attorney Michael P. McKeating, a former Catholic deacon, former Erie County budget director and former investigative reporter for The Buffalo Evening News.

Would they shut down a murder case if it could embarrass the church? The bishop would not even have to ask them to do that. He would only have to tell them, Houston, we have a problem, and they would know what to do, McKeating said.

The Rev. Vincent Becker, 86, is one of the few priests who served under McNulty who is alive.

I dont know what happened in this case  but in those days, it was common that things were covered up by the church, said Becker, who emphasized that he was a young priest when OConnor was killed and he did not know why the investigation ended.

Another priest, Monsignor James N. Connelly Jr., discussed his suspicions about the murder probe with The News in 2018.

It seemed like the investigation just stopped, all of a sudden, and it went no further, recalled Connelly. To me, it seems like everything was just hushed up because they had come to a certain point, and they didnt want to take it any further. Believe you me, there were people in our diocese who had the power to make that happen.

Connelly, who knew O'Connor, died at age 97, four months after the interview.

When OConnor was killed, McNulty expressed great sadness over the monsignors death. He called the slaying a shock  a staggering blow.

The bishop eulogized OConnor at his funeral, calling him a great priest and journalist.

His career ended so abruptly, so tragically, so mysteriously, McNulty lamented.

Covered up abuse

The murder of OConnor is the only known murder case in which Buffalo Diocese leaders have seen one of their priests emerge as a suspect.

But in the past five years, numerous allegations have surfaced that Buffalo Diocese leaders, including McNulty, covered up the sexual abuse of children by priests for decades.

Abuse allegations against some priests remained hidden for years until the Rev. Norbert Orsolits in 2018 admitted to a Buffalo News reporter that he had probably molested dozens of children and then-Bishop Richard Malones administrative assistant gave diocese records of abuse complaints against priests to WKBW-TV.

Since then, Child Victims Act lawsuits accused a total of 230 Catholic priests of sexually abusing children in nearly every parish in the diocese over the past 75 years.

One of those Child Victims Act lawsuits includes allegations that McNulty helped cover up sexual abuse of a child.

Angelo Ervolina, a retired state parole officer, said he delivered newspapers as a boy in 1965 to McNultys residence. He said he was 10 years old that year when he told McNulty that Monsignor Michael J. Harrington had molested him during a church-organized trip to New York City.

The bishop appeared to be concerned and told me, Ill take care of it, and handed me a $5 tip, a very large tip, for his newspaper, Ervolina told The News.

McNulty and subsequent bishops allowed Harrington to serve as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Buffalo until he retired in 1985.

There is no record of Harrington ever being punished. Nobody from the diocese ever came to question me. Twenty years later, Harrington was still practicing as a priest, Ervolina told The News.

It was not until 2018, after Orsolits public admissions, that the diocese publicly identified Harrington as a credibly accused molester of children.

As far as Im concerned, Bishop McNulty turned his back on an innocent boy. I dont believe he did anything to investigate my complaint, Ervolina said. If he did that to me, it wouldnt surprise me at all if he covered up a murder investigation.

Diocese officials say they have no record of Ervolina complaining to McNulty about Harrington.

Another priest accused in Child Victims Act lawsuits is Rev. John D. Lewandowski, a priest who was a suspect in the police investigation of OConnors murder.

In October 1965, McNulty transferred Lewandowski from Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Buffalo to Holy Cross Church in Salamanca.

Monsignor Maximillian Bogacki, pastor of Assumption Church, told Buffalo police investigating OConnors murder that he had to have Lewandowski yanked from Assumption Church because of his behavior. Lewandowski stayed out late at night and drank too much, but the final straw was when he kept the boy out all night. The teenager arrived home drunk at about 6 a.m. and said that he had been out with Lewandowski, Bogacki told police.

Bogacki told police that he had complained repeatedly to the bishop about Lewandowskis conduct.

Lewandowski was sent by the diocese in January 1966 to a retreat house in Bemus Point for priests. The diocese secretly used the retreat house  which police described as a penal house for wayward priests  to house, monitor and counsel priests who had been accused of being gay or abusing children.

After Buffalo police questioned and fingerprinted Lewandowski as a suspect in the OConnor homicide, Lewandowski was assigned in 1967 to Our Mother of Good Counsel Church in Blasdell, according to a national Catholic directory.

And in 1969, McNulty approved the unusual transfer of Lewandowski to a church in another diocese. He served as an assistant pastor at a church in Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks, where the parishioners were unaware he had been a suspect in a homicide or accused of inappropriate behavior with children.

McNulty's other controversies

Several controversies involving McNulty did become public while he was bishop.

In 1967, seven priests who were professors at the East Aurora seminary run by the diocese voiced criticism of a statement issued by Pope Paul VI, declaring that artificial birth control was sinful. McNulty removed all seven priests from their positions at the seminary.

Those who reject a position taken by the pope or even worse, urge others to reject it, are manifestly in error, McNulty said at the time.

After the Rev. Gerald R. Forton, who succeeded OConnor as editor of the diocese newspaper, offered support for the ousted professors, McNulty replaced Forton as editor.

In 1969, the Buffalo Diocesan Priests Senate was preparing to meet with McNulty to discuss the reassignments of Forton and other priests. McNulty disbanded the Senate, saying he would appoint a new group of priests to it.

In 1972, the 72-year-old McNulty suffered a heart attack and a stroke while visiting family in New Jersey. He died on Sept. 4, 1972.

While McNulty became gravely ill, the news media reported a longtime friend, Monsignor Joseph E. Schieder, traveled from Buffalo to spend weeks at the bishops side in the hospital.

In 2018, the Buffalo Diocese added Schieders name to its list of priests who had been credibly accused of molesting children. Schieder is named as an abuser in seven Child Victims Act lawsuits that allege abuse dating back to the early 1960s.

***

Catch up on the series: Who killed the monsignor? Exploring the murder of Monsignor Francis J. O'Connor, its investigation and its legacy

How we reported this series Watchdog reporter Lou Michel filed a Freedom of Information Law request in January 2022 for Buffalo Police records on the unsolved 1966 murder of Buffalo Diocese Monsignor Francis J. OConnor. He and reporter Dan Herbeck were given access to the Police Departments box of approximately 100 reports on the case. In addition, they interviewed more than 120 people, including retired police officers who worked on the case, people who talked with the Buffalo Police homicide chief who oversaw the investigation, and relatives and acquaintances of OConnor and of three diocese employees who were once suspects.
CVN "Joining Forces" with White House in Support of Military Families as the Network Fills the Gaps in Mental Health Services

STAMFORD, Conn., Feb. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Cohen Veterans Network (CVN) a not-for-profit philanthropic organization that serves post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and their families through a nationwide system of mental health clinics, welcomed First Lady Jill Biden at its Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at VVSD (Veterans Village of San Diego), Oceanside in Oceanside, CA as part of the White House's Joining Forces initiative to support military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors. The initiative, which centers around bringing awareness to the experiences of military-connected families, highlighting the resources available to them, and driving policy improvements, includes a focus area of health and well-being. Since its inception in 2016, CVN has provided accessible, high-quality mental health services to 50,000 clients across its growing network of clinics.

"We are thrilled to host Dr. Biden as she remains resolute in her mission to support our nation's military families," says Cohen Veterans Network President and CEO Dr. Anthony Hassan. "We are grateful that she is bringing awareness to the experiences of military families to generate additional public support and that she is working to connect military families with the resources they greatly need and deserve."

There are currently over 2 million uniformed U.S. service members and 2.6 million family members across the globe. Due to the distinctive circumstances associated with military life such as deployments and reintegration, long separations, and frequent moves, many military family members experience unique mental health concerns. In fact, while military families have proven to be incredibly resilient overall, it has been found that children from military families have a higher risk of social, emotional, and behavioral challenges including anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation in comparison to children who are not from military families.

Mental health was the topic of a roundtable discussion held today as part of Dr. Biden's visit. She heard from military family members and veterans about their challenges, sacrifices, strength, and resilience, as well as their experiences in reaching out for help. Dr. Biden was additionally provided a tour of the Cohen Clinic, which was specifically designed with military families in mind.

The Cohen Clinic at VVSD (Veterans Village of San Diego), Oceanside is located a short distance from Camp Pendleton, which is one of the Department of Defense's busiest installations. The area is home to nearly 40,000 active duty service members, 33,000 post-9/11 veterans and more than 31,000 military family members. All of whom are eligible for care that the Cohen Clinic in Oceanside provides.

"Due to shortages in on-base mental health providers, the Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside provides a viable alternative to timely and quality mental health care for our service members, veterans, and their families that is essential to personnel and unit readiness," says Colonel Daniel M. Whitley, Assistant Chief of Staff G-7, Government & External Affairs, MCIWest-MCB Camp Pendleton.

"In a place like San Diego, CA, home to one of the largest populations of service members, veterans, and their families, VVSD recognizes the importance of initiatives like Joining Forces," says Veterans Village of San Diego President and CEO Akilah Templeton. "Dr. Biden's efforts towards raising awareness and encouraging collaboration in support of military families are inspiring."

The Cohen Clinic at VVSD, Oceanside is one of 23 Cohen Clinics in high-need communities across the country. The network combines military culturally competent care with staff members trained to work with veterans and military families. Many clinic team members are military connected individuals with nearly 25% of Cohen Clinic staff being veterans and 21% being military spouses.

The network treats the entire military family including spouses, partners, children, parents, caregivers, survivors, and others. Approximately 47% of CVN clients are military or veteran family members, while nearly 53% of all clients are veterans or active duty service members. Treatment is available for a wide variety of mental health challenges including depression, anxiety, adjustment issues, anger, PTSD, grief and loss, family issues, transition challenges, relationship problems, and children's behavioral problems. Care is available in person or via CVN Telehealth, face-to-face video therapy.

"We know that treatment works, and it is imperative that military families have access to culturally competent mental health services with their unique circumstances in mind. We heard it firsthand from our clients in the room today. So, when a military family member raises their hand for help, we must be there to support them. In an effort to save lives, save families and save futures, CVN remains committed to removing barriers to treatment and filling the gaps in care," says Dr. Hassan.

Cohen Veterans Network fact sheets, photos, B-roll and map are available here.

ABOUT COHEN VETERANS NETWORKCohen Veterans Network (CVN) is a 501(c)(3) national not-for-profit philanthropic organization for post-9/11 veterans, active duty service members and their families. CVN focuses on improving mental health outcomes, operating a network of outpatient mental health clinics in high-need communities, in which trained clinicians deliver holistic evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions. It was established in 2016 by philanthropist Steven A. Cohen with a commitment of $275 million to build the network. Learn more about CVN here.

ABOUT VETERANS VILLAGE OF SAN DIEGOVeterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) has served Veterans since 1981 and provides services to more than 3,000 Military Veterans each year throughout the county of San Diego, CA. VVSD services include: Mental Health Services, Housing - Temporary & Permanent, Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation, Employment & Training, Temporary Financial Assistance, Support for Senior Veterans and Support for Veterans' Families - Women and Children, Homeless Court and more.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cohen-veterans-network-welcomes-first-lady-jill-biden-at-the-cohen-clinic-at-vvsd-in-oceanside-ca-301738924.html

SOURCE Cohen Veterans Network
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended a multiday search for a scuba diver who disappeared Thursday morning off Guams western coast.

The unidentified man, 35, remains missing, a spokeswoman for Coast Guard Forces Micronesia Sector Guam, Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir, told Stars and Stipes by email Saturday.

He was diving with a colleague near Ricks Reef, where they were reportedly doing telecommunications contract work, the sector announced Thursday. The reef is between the villages of Hagatna and Tamuning.

"We extend our condolences to the family and friends of the diver during this trying time," the sectors commander, Capt. Nick Simmons, said Saturday in a news release.

The diver was last seen wearing a black wetsuit with orange fins, a rebreather and a spare oxygen tank, according to the sector. Anyone with information is asked to call Sector Guams Joint Rescue Sub-Center at 671-355-4824.

The divers colleague contacted the sector at 10:36 a.m. Thursday to report the man missing. The Coast Guard, Navy, along with Guams police and fire departments, immediately dispatched teams, vessels and aircraft to begin a search.

First responders included fire department Jet Ski operators, boat crews and divers; Navy MH-60 Knighthawk helicopters; the Coast Guard cutter Frederick Hatch; and a 45-foot medium response boat from U.S. Coast Guard Station Apra Harbor, according to the report.

The Coast Guard also issued an urgent marine information broadcast to notify mariners about the missing man.

"We are extremely grateful to our local and military partners and good Samaritans for their tremendous efforts over the last few days," Simmons said in Saturdays release.
(Tribune News Service)  A FedEx Corp. widebody jet flew over the top of a Southwest Airlines Co. plane early Saturday in Texas after an air-traffic controller cleared the passenger plane to take off from the same runway that the cargo aircraft was preparing to land on, aviation authorities said.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the close call at Austin Bergstrom International Airport, it said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Administration is also reviewing the incident. The FedEx jet, a Boeing 767, had to abort its landing at about 6:30 a.m. local time, the FAA said without elaborating on how close the two planes came to colliding.

The Southwest jet, a 737, departed from the same runway safely, the FAA said. Federal rules require that landing or departing flights are clear of a runway before another plane is cleared onto the same strip to prevent the risk of collision.

Austin Bergstrom International airport is the third-busiest in Texas, behind Dallas Forth-Worth International and Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport, according to FAA data.

___

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Buffalo's Common Council and the Buffalo School Board have done little together this decade. The two groups operate in their own spheres  the former in local government and the latter in education  even though they serve many of the same constituents. The council even has an education committee.

But that may be changing.

The Buffalo School Board last month assigned Cindi McEachon, the North District representative elected in November, as liaison to the Buffalo Common Council's education committee.

"I am constantly working in that space," McEachon said, citing her role as chief executive officer of Peaceprints of WNY, a community reentry program that works with youth in the justice system. "I think there are opportunities to grow that conversation."

Three other board members at the January School Board meeting voiced their support for more interaction with the city, surprising board president Sharon Belton-Cottman.

Rumore: Teachers 'furious' over Buffalo Common Council call for action on school bell times The Buffalo Teachers Federation says the Common Council misrepresented its position on a proposal to implement three bell times in schools.

"This is a hot topic  I'm glad to hear," Belton-Cottman said after about 20 minutes of discussion.

The Common Council's education committee has been chaired by Lovejoy District representative Bryan Bollman since 2019, and the subgroup, which includes Mitch Nowakowski and Rasheed Wyatt, has explored expanding the availability of halal meals in the district, considered the return of the D.A.R.E. anti-drug program and highlighted the efforts of district partner Say Yes.

Also, the School Board and Common Council agreed in separate interviews that a formal partnership would have been valuable during the emergency response to the Christmas weekend blizzard. Each party dug into their resources during the blizzard to provide shelter to those who lost power.

Buffalo Schools opened multiple locations  including Arthur O. Eve School of Distinction, about two blocks north of Erie County Medical Center  and Common Council representatives worked with community centers for emergency shelter.

Bollman said his own blizzard experience highlighted the need to collaborate. Hennepin Senior Center in Lovejoy lost power. If there had been an emergency plan in place to open Lovejoy Discovery School, a Buffalo Public School about a half-mile away, more of the 1,900 residents without power could have found shelter.

Backed by Common Council, task force calls on governor to step in on Buffalo's bus driver shortage The task force is hoping to convince Gov. Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency that would allow Superintendent Tonja M. Williams to implement a change in the district's bell system.

"Schools can play a huge part," Bollman said, noting that many have backup generators. "We should be prepared with people pre-positioned. That's a great example of how this partnership can be effective."

The School Board's Kathy Evans Brown said the sheer volume of district's 60 schools would be a boon in emergencies.

"There needs to be a coordinated plan for using schools and churches and opening things people could get to  schools are on every street," she said. "It's our parents and our students who are dying."

Potential complications loom, however, including how the two bodies might work together on a regular basis. The geographical breakdown of Common Council districts does not align with those of School Board members, potentially creating issues of jurisdiction and communication. Larry Scott, an at-large School Board member, said sometimes the two groups are at odds.

"We are the Board of Education, and so we are primarily responsible for the education in Buffalo," Scott said during the board meeting. "Although I appreciate the involvement of the Common Council, there are times where they're taking action on things we're unaware of or in contradiction with our mission and goals."

Jennifer Mecozzi, in her third term representing the School Board's West District, suggested the board find a way to work with the city at a larger scale, not just in subcommittees. Regardless, she said more dialogue is crucial.

"There's a bottleneck that this city suffers from when people in government do not speak to each other the way they should," Mecozzi said, later adding about the local government body: "Anything that they deal with is relevant and resonates with our families, our students, our communities. We should be present in some way, shape or form."
VACAVILLE, Calif. (Tribune News Service)  Dozens of patrons packed the Vacaville Museum on Saturday to learn more about the feats of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, the first primarily Black military aviation crew.

Through video and research and testimony, Vietnam veteran and Tuskegee Airmen historian Aubrey Matthews took dozens of attendees back in history  and an amazing journey it was.

The talk was the second installment of the museums Aviation Forum speaker series.

As Matthews explained it, the Tuskegee Airmen came to be during World War II. More pilots were needed to help in the war effort and, so desperate was the U.S. that the government allowed a civilian pilot training program to include African Americans, as well as women.

Once trained, the first black flying squadron, the 99th, was deployed to North Africa and Tunisia. They escorted bomber pilots and ensured their safety.

The fighters were fierce, Matthews said, and were soon feared by the Germans.

Its like you take a bat and hit a beehive, he said. And what happens?

In one instance, an American bomber lost three engines over enemy territory as it headed back to England. They saw three planes approaching and thought the worst.

They saw the planes had red tails, Matthews said, a signature of the Tuskegee Airmen, and knew they were saved.

The pilots surrounded the bomber, initially broke formation to shoot down two of eight German fighter planes, then continued on in formation once the Germans retreated.

Soon, the Tuskegee pilots became known as the Red Tail Angels.

Through his research and talks with surviving airmen and bomber pilots, Matthews has gained more insight.

He recalled many tears, especially from bomber pilots who told Matthews that the Tuskegee Airmen saved their lives.

The Airmen flew more than 1,800 missions and were awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. In 2007, they were awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 by then-President George W. Bush.

While in the military, Matthews knew nothing of the vaunted team. Upon hearing about them, he needed to know more.

Its really something, he said, of the history. I wanted to share this... It really touched me. They did so much.

Vacaville once had its own Tuskegee Airmen, he said, regarding Air Force Lt. Col. James Warren, who died in 2014.

A Vacaville interchange was named in his honor and a group at the Nut Tree, the Young Eagles, was created by Warren.

(c)2023 The Reporter, Vacaville, Calif.

Visit at https://www.thereporter.com/
The former councillor is accused of having sexually explicit chats with children

A former DUP councillor accused of having sexually explicit chats with children is to be prosecuted in the crown court.

During a brief mention of the case against William Walker, a lawyer said papers for a preliminary enquiry are being prepared by the Public Prosecution Service.

Downpatrick Magistrates Court on Thursday was told the hearing would be held on March 2.

Walker, originally from Killyleagh but now with an address at a hotel on the Palentine Road in Blackpool, is on bail facing two counts of attempting to sexually communicate with children Sammy Jo and Daisy May in February last year.

It is understood the charges arose out of a sting by a so-called paedophile hunter group who alerted the police and they in turn arrested Walker who has since resigned from the DUP.

The 59-year-old, who had served on Newry and Mourne district council for years, was not present but his solicitor said he would be in court for the preliminary enquiry.
Convicted killer Walter Morrissey writes to the Sunday World claiming hes victim of bizarre conspiracy

Convicted killer Walter Morrissey is still claiming to be the victim of a bizarre conspiracy just over a year since his release from prison for a horrific sexual assault.

Claiming to be concerned about the vulnerable woman he attacked  leaving her with machete-like injuries to her vagina  he says he was framed.

Despite losing an Appeals Courts case for the 2013 conviction, for which he got a 13-year prison sentence, Morrissey still claims he is the victim of a smear campaign thats been going on for years.

This week, he wrote to the Sunday World peddling his wild claims, despite the overwhelming evidence that led to his conviction for the attack at his home in Callan, Co Kilkenny.

He wrote similar letters during the time he was incarcerated and made the same claims when approached by the Sunday World after his release in October 2021.

In his latest letter, he refers to his trial as a sham and claims he was shafted at the Court of Appeal and that 3 people are dead because of I been framed.

Morrissey likened his case to that of the Kerry Babies scandal in which it took the State over 30 years to apologise and the Sallins train robbery.

Lorraine White and Walter Morrissey

The wealthy 74-year-old, who owns a number of properties in Ireland and the UK, said in one letter: I committed no crime and I spent all most [sic] ten years locked in a cage illegally.

In 2013, he was jailed for 13 years for the aggravated sexual assault of a young woman, who was not named in court.

Two years before that attack, Morrissey had hit the headlines following the death of his then partner, Lorraine White, in 2008.

Ms White died due to horrific internal injuries caused by a 10-inch copper pipe which had been inserted in her. Morrissey was quizzed in connection with her death but never faced any charges.

Gardai suspected Morrissey, who had previously been sentenced to five years in prison in the UK in 1999 after he used his fists and other objects to indecently assault a woman, of being involved in her death.

A file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions following the death of Ms White, but no charges were brought.

At the time, Morrissey was already a convicted killer.

In 1977, he drove over his neighbour, Francis McEnery, who was out walking with his four-year-old son Marcus in Mullinahone, Co. Tipperary.

He received a four-year sentence for the killings.

When approached by the Sunday World following his release from the Midlands Prison in October 2021, he admitted his manslaughter conviction in 1977 but tried to play down his sexual assault conviction in the UK.

Ill miss on that one because you cant show me anything to prove anything I was ever in a prison in England, he said.

Dismissing an appeal against the severity of Morrisseys sentence in July 2018, Mr Justice John Edwards said the Court of Appeal has had to deal with shocking cases.

He said that on each occasion the court hopes it has seen the nadir of depravity.

The judge said in this case the depravity plunged to new depths.

Morrissey also lost an appeal against his conviction in May 2018.
The Minister confirmed both inmates are legally recognised as female under the Gender Recognition Act, 2015 by the Irish Prison Service.

Two prisoners who were born male and serving time for sexual offences are being kept in an Irish women's jail, it has emerged.

The disclosure was made by acting Justice Minister Simon Harris in response to a Dail query from Aontu leader, Peadar Toibin.

The Minister confirmed both inmates are legally recognised as female under the Gender Recognition Act, 2015 by the Irish Prison Service.

As of January 31, last he said they are the only transgender prisoners in the system.

But Mr Harris also revealed that the IPS is currently drafting a policy for the management of transgender prisoners which is expected to be finalised shortly.

The Minister stated: "I am advised by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that there are two prisoners known to the Irish Prison Service to be born male are being detained in a female prison for sexual offences.

"The Prison Service is responsible for the safe and secure custody of all persons held in prison.

"Where a court makes an order committing a person to a prison the Prison Service must accept that person into custody in whichever prison is specified by the court.

"While all prisoners committed are accommodated in accordance with their legal gender and having regard to their safety and the safety of the wider prison population, it should be noted that Irish prisoners are not legally defined as male or female.

He said each new prisoner is interviewed and subjected to risk assessment.

Minister Harris added: The Governor may also make a recommendation on the appropriate placement within the prison system taking into consideration good order, security and operational issues, protection issues, available accommodation and the healthcare needs of the prisoner as well as the safety and security of other prisoners and staff."
I was doing the balcony bingo for Iveagh Trust Kevin St, and every time I did it, I ended up with a sore throat which I thought was tonsillitis, until in November 2020, I got a lump on my neck with the sore throat.

A sore throat after calling balcony bingo at the height of lockdown in 2020 was the first warning sign for Eddie McGuinness that something was amiss.

I was doing the balcony bingo for Iveagh Trust Kevin St, and every time I did it, I ended up with a sore throat which I thought was tonsillitis, until in November 2020, I got a lump on my neck with the sore throat. Thats when I knew something was wrong, recalls Eddie.

The 53-year-old events professional is known to many in the gay community as Mr Pride or Queen of Matchmaking due to his integral role in the annual Dublin Pride Festival, and is recognisable to many for his bright rainbow coloured jacket.

I go all the way back to my first Pride parade in 1993 when we were decriminalised as homosexuals, he remembers.

Although used to taking on big tasks, the news Eddie was about to hear represented something of a different order altogether:

I ended up being diagnosed with stage 3/4 throat cancer. Thankfully, we got it in time so they could throw the kitchen sink at me with high-dose chemotherapy and radiation, he explains.

Eddie McGuinness urges all men to seek medical advice if they have any health concerns

Eddies diagnosis of throat cancer came about as a result of HPV infection, and he is a firm advocate of families taking the step of protecting their children and affording both boys and girls the benefit of HPV vaccinations that are freely available in schools at this time of year.

If we can get to 90pc coverage for Covid vaccinations, we should be doing that for all other preventable illnesses as well, and we should all embrace it. As parents and guardians going forward, we need to look out for the next generation.

During his experience, Eddie says he has discovered some unlikely upsides to the experience as well as heard some surprising reactions:

Ive just started back college, and after the treatment, Im the same weight now as I was when I was 25, so Im feeling great! But my energy levels have lots of work to do, he adds.

"It was Panti Bliss who said to me after I had finished treatment that were all absolutely delighted that Eddie has come back, but my god, the Dundalk accent came back stronger than ever!

All joking aside, Eddie has taken some critical insights from the experience that he is keen to share with others.

I want to encourage men not to be scared because, for me, it was a scary experience mentally, physically and inwardly as well  that soul-searching does happen, and thats something we need to discuss: its not something to be afraid of, he points out.

Your body gives you hints of whats going on, and if you dont pay attention, it will keep giving you hints until it gets too late.

I know of a friend who didnt pay attention to it, which unfortunately is no longer here with us.

The staff of St Lukes were wonderful and kept me going. Im also now heavily involved with the Irish Cancer Society.

Eddie McGuinness, who has battled throat cancer, pictured at his home in Dublin 8. Photo: Frank McGrath

Eddie hopes his story has encouraged others he knows to go and get themselves checked out for health concerns.

He recollects Dublin LGBTQ Pride had launched the first-ever Digital Dublin Pride Festival, with a fully interactive virtual Pride Parade and a Pride Concert taking place in 2020 entirely online and he did not know he had cancer at that point.

It has been a challenge, but also, it has helped our community to think outside the box, says Eddie, who co-hosts the event with drag artist and TV presenter Paul Ryder. We mightnt be able to be on the streets, but well be in everybodys homes, and in doing so, well be able to get a wider message about the diversity in families.

And nothing stops Queen of Matchmaking as Eddie gets ready to bring more people together at The Outing Festival in Co. Clare, which returns for their 10th Year this month for a new three day festival Valentines Weekend from February 10-12, which is the world's only LGBTQ+ matchmaking, Arts & Music Festival.

The Louth man notes The Outing Festival is a fusion of music, comedy, ceili bands and gay arts, and the best of Irelands and International performers, drag/queer artists, and DJs.

Now in its 10th year, the ever fast growing offshoot of the historical matchmaking festival in Lisdoonvarna, Virgin Media TV host and sometimes drag star Paul Ryder is hostess this year for their version of Blind Date.

Who needs dating apps? At The Outing, the glittery LGBT+ matchmaking festival, theres no technology, just good old-fashioned parties, beams Eddie.

Eddie himself first met his husband John 20 years ago in The George 20 years ago and they have been happily married for 10 years.
I have always said had I known what a lot of the clinicians knew, then Conor, Darragh and Carla would be alive today

Andrew McGinley says hes hoping to get answers in the coming weeks as to why his three children died at the hands of their mother, Deirdre Morley, in January 2020.

The courageous dad of Conor (9), Darragh (7) and Carla (3), who is fighting for change in mental health policies, reveals that the HSE review of the case is due to be published soon.

That will hopefully give me answers or information that I dont have in relation to why the children died, Andrew tells the Sunday World. I know how they died, I know that, but you still want to understand why.

And I dont believe I fully understand why. I think there are a lot of gaps in what I know and what I can see from information at the trial etc. I need to understand that a bit better why decisions were made.

In May 2021, Deirdre Morley was found not guilty of the murder of their children at the family home in Newcastle, Co Dublin, by reason of insanity.

Ive always said had I known what a lot of the clinicians knew, when they knew it, then Conor, Darragh and Carla would be alive today, Andrew says.

Its to understand why that information wasnt shared or why people thought it was better not to have family inclusion.

Thats something Im still campaigning for with the HSE and the Minister for Mental Health, to make changes like that.

Andrew McGinley at his childrens funeral

In relation to patient confidentiality, I firmly believe patient confidentiality should have been broken in our case, but obviously it wasnt broken, so its to get a better understanding of that. The point in law is that confidentiality can be breached if the clinicians believe that the patient is a danger to themselves or to others.

Andrew reveals that his biggest fear today is waking up to the news that another child has died at the hands of a mentally ill parent.

I actually dread looking at the headlines in the morning in case there has been another tragedy similar to ours, he says.

There was one in the US the week before last and that hit me like a brick. It brings it all back. It was very similar circumstances. I believe the man in question went out to collect a takeaway and was only gone from the house for about half-an-hour. Would he have left if he thought there was any danger? No!

I dont know his circumstances, but certainly nobody had given me any indication, and I didnt feel there was any indication [that his wife posed a threat]. I would never have left the kids if I thought there was any danger.

Andrew says he woke up annoyed and angry on January 24, the third anniversary of his childrens deaths, because mental health policies in this country havent changed since then.

I believe that you learn from the lived experience and, unfortunately and tragically, Ive had a horrific lived experience. And if that cant be learned from then theres no hope, to be quite honest, he says.

These lessons should have been learned going back years when similar tragedies happened. I do know the one person that has campaigned long and hard, and thats Una Butler, who lost her daughters in 2010.

Una Butlers husband, John, who had been suffering from mental health issues, strangled their two daughters in Ballycotton, Co Cork. He then ended his own life.

Andrew says: Since then, Una has spoken to a number of senior politicians who were in positions where they could have instigated change, and yet no change has been made.

Una has kept statistics and since the year 2010 nearly 60 children have lost their lives at the hands of a parent, while that parent was being treated for their mental health. I mean, 60 children is two classrooms full of children.

Since losing his three children, Andrew has spent his time promoting them on social media and running a charity in their name called As Darragh Did, to fund organisations supporting young children.

This year, the Maynooth Students for Charity have chosen As Darragh Did as the recipient of funds raised in their Galway Charity Cycle from March 31 to April 2.

If you would like to take part in Maynooth Students for Charity Galway Cycle in aid of As Darragh Did, see galwaycycle.ie
It is understood two other males  also found in the property when paramedics arrived  were rushed to hospital

Claire ONeill was a mum of three, while brother Stevie, right, was a father of one

A twin brother and sister were found dead in a house yesterday amid fears they may have been killed by dodgy drugs.

Stevie and Claire ONeill (37) died side by side in a house in south Belfast.

It is understood two other males  also found in the property when paramedics arrived  were rushed to hospital.

Police said they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden deaths of two people and that a man in his forties had been arrested.

It is believed one of the men who was taken to hospital is a serving member of the British armed forces.

Officers at the scene at Annadale Crescent yesterday

At one stage two fire engines, three ambulances and five police cars attended the scene in Annadale Crescent in what turned out to be a major incident.

Police could not confirm any drugs link to the deaths but one relative of the twins told the Sunday World: This is an epidemic and what happened here yesterday is truly heartbreaking.

And she also said she was unable to reveal any information regarding the condition of the males who were taken to hospital.

As a family, were not prepared to say anything about that, she added.

Mother-of-three Claire Michelle ONeill was a well-known figure in the Annadale Crescent area, where she had lived with her five-year-old son for some time.

It is believed her brother Stevie, a father of one and from the Ormeau Road area, had called to visit his twin sister on Friday evening.

Police have yet to confirm the cause of death, but local people who knew the ONeill twins well are convinced they died as a result of a drugs overdose.

Claire had been doing well. She had gone through a bad patch with drugs. But she was attending courses and was getting her life back on track  and now this, said a distraught neighbour.

She added: Four children have been left without a parent as a result of this. It is really heartbreaking.

Stevie O'Neill

A fitness fanatic, Stevie ONeill had recently signed up for a 56-mile challenge to raise money for cancer research.

The twins were the life and soul of the entire ONeill family. And Stevie was raising money for cancer, a family member told us.

Everyone loved the twins and we all thought the world of them. They were so popular.

It was in Claires smart terraced house near the River Lagan Embankment where the double tragedy unfolded in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Locals say police had called to Claire ONeills home earlier on Friday evening, where it appeared a party was under way, but they left a short time later.

However, PSNI officers flooded back into the area around 2.45am yesterday soon after the twins lifeless bodies were discovered.

At one stage up to nine police rapid response and emergency services vehicles were crammed into the narrow street.

And soon afterwards two men were rushed to hospital.

Annadale Cresent was once a staunchly loyalist area, but in recent years it has become much more mixed.

Claire O'Neill

As word spread in the early hours of yesterday morning, neighbours and friends huddled in groups in the street.

Many of them spoke in hushed tones as they struggled to take in the full extent of the shocking news.

Later yesterday morning, the close-knit Annadale community was stunned as word of the deaths of the popular mum and her twin sibling quickly spread like wildfire.

And an eerie hush fell over the street as the twins remains were removed from the house by undertakers.

A grey private ambulance took the two bodies to the mortuary shortly after 9am.

One resident who knew the deceased pair well commented: Its just awful. Claire and Stevie came into the world together and now in death they leave it together. You never saw one without the other. They were always very close.

A family relative of the deceased twins who contacted the Sunday World yesterday said Never mind Covid, this is an epidemic. Its a real tragedy and it will take us a long time to get over it.

A police spokesperson said late yesterday: Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden deaths of two people at a house in the Annadale Crescent area of Belfast this morning, Saturday 4th February.

One man in his 40s has been arrested in relation to the investigation, and remains in police custody at this time.

There are no further details at this time.
The poll found that most people (56pc) believe Ireland has taken in too many refugees in the past year, with 30pc disagreeing and 14pc unsure

President Michael D Higgins has intervened in the immigration controversy, as a recent poll from Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks opinion poll finds a majority now believe the country has taken in too many refugees.

In an interview with this newspaper today, President Higgins describes as unforgivable those who are sowing hate over the location of refugee centres and says they must be opposed.

And the President also called for the country to be filled with services to counter the growing public opposition to such centres.

Todays poll of issues that should be prioritised finds that immigration (on 19pc) has increased by a significant 10 percentage points in a month.

It also finds that most people (56pc) believe Ireland has taken in too many refugees in the past year, with 30pc disagreeing and 14pc unsure.

The poll reveals the public to be evenly divided on opponents to the location of refugee centres: 48pc say opponents are predominantly concerned local residents, but 44pc believe they are far-right agitators.

Latest figures show Ireland is now accommodating 74,000 refugees and international protection applicants in state-funded accommodation, which includes 49,227 Ukrainians and 23,382 asylum seekers.

President Higgins, however, has accused elements involved in objecting to the housing of refugees at recent protests of whipping up fear.

He said: What is unforgivable and must be opposed  publicly, vocally and unequivocally  are those who are trying to take advantage by sowing hate and building fear.

We are in a position now where we have elements who are not interested in solving the long-standing problems within communities or the new arrivals.

You mustnt give them the opportunity. The best way of not giving them the opportunity is to fill the place with services.

These people who are going around whipping people up and so forth, you didnt see them previously making a case for housing, or for womens rights, or for equal rights of any kind, he said.

Asked if he had considered offering accommodation to refugees at the Aras an Uachtarain, he said that was a matter for the Office of Public Works. This is where the President lives. But the whole thing is run by the Office of Public Works.

"Sabina and I live in the extension to the house here. These rooms are for formal purposes. Im sure that the OPW was among the bodies that was consulted. But it isnt my decision.

The opinion poll also finds the public divided over media coverage of the immigration issue: 38pc say the reporting is balanced and a fair reflection of the issues involved.

However, 42pc believe reporting is biased in favour of refugees and against those with concerns, while 20pc say it is biased against refugees and in favour of people with concerns.

The view that Ireland has taken in too many refugees is notably stronger among women in working-class communities, older generations, and among supporters of Aontu (89pc), Independents (76pc), Sinn Fein (61pc) and Fianna Fail (56pc).

A minority of supporters of Fine Gael (47pc), Labour (41pc), Social Democrats (33pc), Greens (21pc) and Solidarity/PBP (16pc) are of that view.

The overall state of the parties is: Sinn Fein 31pc (down one percentage point), Fine Gael 22pc (down three points), Fianna Fail 18pc (up two points), Greens 4pc (unchanged), Aontu 4pc (up one point), Social Democrats 4pc (up one point), Labour 4pc (up one point), Solidarity/PBP 3pc (down one point), Independents/other 10pc (unchanged).

In a forced choice question on a preferred government, the current Fianna Fail/Fine Gael/Greens coalition has a rating of 43pc, up two points, and a Sinn Fein-led alternative, excluding FF and FG, is down two points at 41pc. Meanwhile, 16pc say they are unsure.
Flight operations were suspended for around 40 minutes on Saturday afternoon after two drone sightings near the runway.

Ryanair has called for government action after a number of flights were diverted at Dublin Airport this weekend due to disruption caused by drones.

Flight operations were suspended for around 40 minutes on Saturday afternoon after two drone sightings near the runway.

Six inbound flights were diverted because of the incident.

Flight data shows three flights from Paris, Riga and Oporto were diverted to Shannon, with inbound and outbound flights delayed because of the temporary runway closure, while another three inbound flights were diverted to Belfast.

It follows a similar incident on Friday, where another drone was spotted near the runway, causing dozens of flights to and from the airport to be delayed.

Dublin Airport. Stock image

Ryanair said the two days of disruptions and diversions at the airport have been completely unacceptable.

The airline urged Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to take action to prevent further drone activity at Irelands primary airport.

A spokesperson said it was unacceptable that for two days in a row, passengers and flights to/from Dublin were disrupted by apparent drone activity.

Yesterday four Ryanair aircraft and over 700 passengers had their flights diverted to Shannon and Belfast, and again today another four flights and 700 passengers were diverted with thousands more having their flights delayed, they said.

Such drone disruptions at Irelands main airport are unacceptable.

We are calling on Minister Ryan to take urgent action to protect the countrys main airport from repeated disruptions from illegal drone activity.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Dublin Airport confirmed that flight operations were briefly suspended on Saturday afternoon, with both departures and arrivals operations resuming less than an hour later.

They said flight operations were suspended for safety reasons following two confirmed drone sightings near the airport.

It is illegal to fly drones within 5km of the airport. The safety and security of airport users is DAAs key priority at all times and staff at Dublin Airport and An Garda Siochana remain vigilant in relation to drone activity in the vicinity of the airport, they said.

Such instances are a huge inconvenience to our passengers whether they are delayed departing or experience air traffic delays returning to Dublin Airport. However, safety and security are always our overriding priorities.

Normal flight operations have fully resumed at the airport.
The win continues Farrell's successful awards season run, after scooping his first Academy Award nomination for best actor, and receiving a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) gong for his performance as Padraic Suilleabhain.

Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan in 'The Banshees of Inisherin

Oscar-tipped The Banshees Of Inisherin and Tar were the big winners at the London Critics' Circle film awards picking up five and three awards respectively.

Director Martin McDonagh's dark comedy left the ceremony with five prizes - including screenwriter of the year for McDonagh, actor of the year for Colin Farrell and both supporting actor and actress for Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon respectively.

The win continues Farrell's successful awards season run, after scooping his first Academy Award nomination for best actor, and receiving a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) gong for his performance as Padraic Suilleabhain.

Martin McDonagh attending the 43rd London Critics' Circle Film Awards in London. Photo: Ian West/PA Wire   PA

The film about friendship, which co-stars Brendan Gleeson, also picked up the Attenborough Award for British Irish film of the year.

Meanwhile psychological drama Tar, directed by Todd Field, stars Cate Blanchett as the complicated genius conductor of a German orchestra at the height of her career before it begins to unravel.

It was named film of the year at the May Fair Hotel ceremony on Sunday, while Academy Award winner Blanchett was named actress of the year and Field director of the year.

It marks the third time Blanchett has won the award, after Elizabeth in 1998 and Blue Jasmine in 2013.

Cate Blanchett attending the 43rd London Critics' Circle Film Awards in London. Photo:: Ian West/PA Wire   PA

Another Irish title, An Cailin Ciuin, The Quiet Girl, won foreign language film of the year in a tie win alongside Park Chan-wook's thriller Decision To Leave.

Meanwhile, Michelle Yeoh was presented with the critics' top prize, the Dilys Powell award for excellence in film for her role as Evelyn Wang in the action epic Everything Everywhere All At Once.

It comes after the 60-year-old Malaysian actress received an Oscar nod and a Golden Globe for best actress in a musical or comedy motion picture in the film about a Chinese immigrant who finds herself responsible for saving the multiverse.

Florence Pugh and Bill Nighy were named British Irish actress and actor for their body of work in 2022, which saw Nighy scoop his first Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of a veteran civil servant in Living.

Florence Pugh attending the 43rd London Critics' Circle Film Awards in London. Photo: Ian West/PA Wire   PA

The ceremony proved to be a reunion for Aftersun stars Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio, who played father and daughter in writer-director Charlotte Wells' film.

Teenager Corio won the young British Irish performer award for her role as Sophie Paterson, while Mescal was on hand to accept Wells' Philip French award for breakthrough British Irish filmmaker.

Paul Mescal attending the 43rd London Critics' Circle Film Awards in London. Photo: Ian West/PA Wire   PA

The technical achievement award went to Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchiofor animation and was collected by Gregory Mann, who voiced the title character.

Meanwhile, Laura Poitras's film All The Beauty And The Bloodshed, about the life and work of renowned photographer and activist Nan Goldin, was named documentary of the year and Keeran Anwar Blessie's A Fox In The Night secured British Irish short film of the year.
Last year's seniors spent the majority of their high school careers dealing with the pandemic.

They were sophomores when schools shut down in March of 2020, and most spent their junior year learning remotely for two to three days a week.

They returned to the classroom full-time as seniors, but they wore masks, distanced in many activities and isolated through quarantines when positive Covid-19 cases occurred.

State Regents exams were canceled in 2020 and 2021, with students who passed courses exempt from passing the Regents exams for those courses. Last year, students who passed courses were able to graduate if they got a 50 or above on the Regents exams. And the U.S. History Regents was canceled in 2022 in the wake of the racist mass shooting in Buffalo, which Buffalo Schools Superintendent Tonja M. Williams said traumatized the district's students and staff, affecting learning.

Regents exams were canceled, and graduation rates stayed the same  or went up State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said the cancellation had an effect on graduation rates, but she did not know the extent of the impact.

Despite the pandemic, or some would say because of it, graduation rates continued to inch up in most schools last year. Rates went up in the vast majority of high schools in Erie and Niagara counties from 2019  the year before the pandemic started  compared to 2022.

While the statewide rate increased slightly to 87%, the Board of Regents has embarked on a years-long initiative to revamp graduation measures.

The Education Trust, which advocates for advancing policies and practices to dismantle racial and economic barriers in education, is one group concerned about whether the graduation rates accurately reflect how students are prepared for the future.

The recent changes to state graduation requirements  such as lowering of the passing score  make it difficult for parents and employers to know the true value of a New York diploma, according to Jeff Smink, deputy director of the Education Trust-New York.

"Too many New York students are graduating from high school only to find they need to take non-credit bearing remedial coursework in college or are unable to pass required entry-level workforce exams," Smink said in a statement.

Coalition criticizes Regents plan to ease graduation standards: 'We continue to dumb down education' A coalition of parents and community and religious leaders criticized a measure by the New York State Board of Regents to ease high school graduation requirements for students who are scheduled to graduate this month but failed Regents exams.

He said he hopes the state will maintain the use of objective measures  such as Regents exams  and "illuminate the extent to which New Yorks students are prepared for postsecondary success.

Niagara Falls Superintendent Mark Laurrie said the jump in graduation rate for Niagara Falls High School from 66% in 2019 to 83% last year was not entirely due to exemptions from taking Regents exams.

"Covid canceled some exams. Those are certainly contributing factors to it, but were moving in the right direction, and we're playing by the same rules that everybody else in the state is playing by," he said.

Laurrie said Niagara Falls started attacking its dropout rate in 2019, when 22% of the class quit school, according to state data. Last year, the dropout rate had dropped to 8%. The dropout rate statewide was 4.8%.

"Stopping that was the start of improving the graduation rate," Laurrie said. "It's not where it needs to be, but it's going the right way."

Laurrie said students dropping out would say they would achieve a high school equivalency, or GED degree, but many never did. The school started tracking them and offering courses that appeal to those students, as well as two alternative education programs in the high school.

High school graduation rate inches upward for Buffalo Public Schools Buffalo Public Schools graduated 79% of its four-year high school students last year, a slight increase from the 78.5% mark in 2021

Williams, the Buffalo Schools superintendent, said her district's improvement in graduation rate was the result of "innovative programs" in instruction, student support and wellness that are key to her strategic plan. Like in Niagara Falls, Buffalo has invested in curriculum more attractive to students. While it's the first graduation report released in her short time at the helm  Williams was named interim superintendent March 3  she reacted to the rise from 77.2% to 79% over the last two years.

"I'm pleased that the graduation rate for the Buffalo Public Schools continues to increase, but there is still a long way to go to achieve the 100% graduation rate I believe is possible," Williams said.

Meanwhile, New York State is in the midst of a review of what students should know and be able to do before they graduate, and how they should demonstrate their achievements.

The current one-size-fits-all approach to education is not equitably serving every child in our state," state Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said in November, with the release of a first phase report on graduation requirements and measures.

The Regents appointed a blue ribbon commission, and the report issued in November reviews feedback taken from stakeholder meetings and looks at what types of graduation measurements other states and countries employ. The report said "many stakeholders suggested modifying or dropping Regents exam requirements, as they felt that the Regents exams were no longer an adequate measure of student understanding."

Laurrie is all for that.

He said a student in the skilled trades with an apprenticeship waiting after graduation should be able to earn a Regents diploma.
David recounts his early dreams of being a performer, his family history, his first arrival to the US, and, of course, the moment that changed his life forever: being struck by lightning.

An actoe who ended up in a coma for six months after being hit by a bolt of lightning is now electrifying audiences with his new play having been one of the rare people to survive such an ordeal.

Award-winning Irish playwright and actor David Gilna from Swords, Co Dublin began this week headlining The Viking Theatre with his new play A Bolt From DBlue, which has been touring America for the last 12 months and wowing audiences.

In this powerful one-man show "A Bolt From D'Blue," David recounts his early dreams of being a performer, his family history, his first arrival to the US, and, of course, the moment that changed his life forever: being struck by lightning. He tells the humour and horror of this near-death experience, weaving the trauma of this life-changing event into a poignant and show

Ive had an absolute blast touring America, reaching new audiences and performing in new venues over the last 12 months but nothing beats a hometown crowd. The Viking Theatre is a beautiful venue and community and I cant wait to perform every night for the next three weeks, explains David.

The Dubliner was aged just 18 and visiting Boston when he reached out to stop a ladder from falling, only for a fork of lightning to zap him from the heavens, sending 300,000 volts of electricity through his body.

David Gilna at Swords Castle

Davids heart subsequently stopped, and it took him years to recover. But the experience also changed the course of his life in more positive ways.

Your life can be taken away in seconds, our time here is so precious, stresses the 36-year-old said.

After training as an actor, he had travelled to the States to chase the American dream.

I always wanted to be an actor. I got into drama at the National Performing Arts School in Ringsend. We went on a J1 to Boston in 2004, and I got a call from my agent to say I had been cast in a film. I was on my way to LA!

But just two hours later, on a sunny day in South Boston, I went to move a ladder from a balcony. There were kids playing next door and I was worried it would fall over.

The moment I touched the ladder, the lightning hit. It sent me back eight feet, 300,000 volts into my body, David said.

He describes waking up under medical supervision in a hospital in Florida lucky to be alive.

This award-winning play runs at the Viking Theatre in Clontarf until February 18.

Im delighted to meet and chat with the audience downstairs in the Sheds afterwards for a drink, as without an audience I wouldnt have a career and what Irish playwright doesnt enjoy a drink smiles the inspiring thespian.
The good-looking dance partners have sent temperatures rising with a number of impressive performances in recent weeks

Dancing With The Stars celebrity Damian McGinty has described his professional dance partner as a good friend and insisted that the infamous Strictly curse would never happen to him.

The good-looking dance partners have sent temperatures rising with a number of impressive performances in recent weeks, including a hot and steamy jive to Elviss Burning Love last weekend.

But Derryman Damian says there should be no Suspicious Minds about his love for his American actress wife Anna Claire Sneed.

He adds that the South African dancer hes paired with, Kylee Vincent, is also happily loved up with her husband Stephen, also a professional on the show.

We are not like that, we are not built in that way, he said when asked about the Strictly curse.

I hope its not going to sound pompous, but that would never happen. Kylee is such a good friend and married, and Im also married.

You just have to know professionally its very different to what it is personally and I think those boundaries know where they are because, boy, you could get sucked into it.

Damian, who cut his teeth at the age of 14 as a boy soprano with Celtic Thunder and then found fame on huge American show Glee, met Anna Marie while they were both holidaying in California in 2014.

The couple married in 2019 in Anna Claires hometown of Memphis, where Elvis based himself in Graceland.

Anna Claire is spending three months in Dublin while Damian is taking part in the show and will stay on no matter how far he progresses or is kicked out. He would ideally like to have homes in Derry and America and split bases.

Im very fortunate I married somebody that loves to travel..., I love to travel as well, so in that regard weve married well where we love different cultures, different people and where they come from. So, we are both built similarly like that, he explains.

 She has spent a lot of time in Ireland, she has been here god knows how many times over the last kind of five years... This is the longest time she has been here. I dont think theres been any culture shock, I think she has settled in well.
After breaking or damaging nearly every part of her body except for her elbows, gymnast Cara Forsters main hope for the New Zealand Masters Games 2023 is to avoid injury.

The New Zealand Masters Games 2023  being held from February 3-12  is the largest multisport competition in the country.

Whanaganui will host this years games, seeing thousands of participants compete in more than 60 sporting codes.

Among them will be local gymnast Cara Forster, who is head coach at Argos Gymnastics Club in Tauranga.

The last time the 24-year-old competed was three years ago.

Getting back into the wild world of competition, Cara says: Its mixed emotions. Im excited for it but also after the competition Im always so sore and tired but Im looking forward to getting back into it and seeing everyone again.

Taking up gymnastics at the age of five, today Caras main hope for Master Games is to return unscathed. I have way too many injuries, says Cara.

The only body part I havent injured doing gymnastics is my elbows, otherwise, everything else has been injured.

She will compete in the womens intermediate artistic category, showing her skills in beam, vault and floor. Cara says that floor is her top pick for competing in.

You just get to dance around on the floor and do flips. Its so much fun.

She will dance to the Harley Quinn remix of famous song Sway with me. Its a lot of sass.

Cara will head to Master Games with three others from Argos Gymnastics  NaNyce Johnson, Brad Foster and Katharina Kersten.

A lot of them havent competed in 10 or 15 years so theyre coming back to it quite new, so its going to be nice to enjoy that experience with them, says Cara.

Weve been training gymnastics but we havent had something to work towards in a while so we just kind of want to go out, have fun and enjoy competing again.

Next year Cara plans to compete in the advanced category and says she thrives off the way you have to push yourself in gymnastics.

Its just the challenge, and coming across a skill or technique that you dont get quite straight away and just working hard and then finally overcoming it.
Grand Island officials are joining the chorus voicing concern over Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution by phasing out gas appliances in new construction projects throughout New York State.

If passed, the plan from the Climate Action Council would phase out the use of natural gas in homes and commercial buildings across New York in a bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030, and 85% by 2050.

Grand Island Councilman Christian Bahleda said he appreciates the fact that Hochul is trying to move the state toward non-reliance on fossil fuels. However, he doesnt believe the current infrastructure can support the proposition. Bahleda will open a discussion during Mondays Town Board workshop about a resolution pertaining to the new proposal.

National Fuel CEO calls state energy plan 'incredibly irresponsible' The top executive at the Buffalo Niagara region's largest natural gas utility is calling the

As you can see in California and Texas, they have rolling blackouts, and they have issues where theres just not enough infrastructure to support an all-electric world, he said. Where I stand, its a great theory. However, the application of it is just not sustainable at this time, and if the state of New York would like to move to a world where they are natural-gas free, I need to see some type of sustainment, and I need to see better infrastructure. I need to see a better grid that could support this movement moving forward.

Mondays conversation on the states proposal will be the first of several discussions by the Grand Island Town Board that may lead to a formal resolution, Bahleda said, though no resolution will be passed at the 6 p.m. work session in Town Hall.

Well discuss it, and most likely it will be in two weeks before we actually pass a resolution saying we are standing against the resolution from Gov. Hochul, Bahleda said.

The states plan recommends that starting in 2025, newly built single-family homes in New York not be allowed to install equipment powered by oil, natural gas or propane for heating, cooling and hot water.

The plan instead would require homes to install a zero-emission system like a heat pump, which is more energy efficient but costs more than a conventional heating system. The target date was initially the start of 2024 but was pushed back by one year.

The costs  and benefits  of New York's new energy roadmap While the plan lays out the projected benefits  making steep cuts in harmful emissions and protecting public health  there are potentially significant costs that come with achieving those ambitious goals, for homeowners, businesses and the state's power grid.

The proposed changes would radically alter the way New Yorkers heat their homes, cook their meals and wash their clothes. In many cases, meeting the new rules would require costly and extensive upgrades to heating systems and duct work.

Skeptics  including National Fuel Gas Co. President and CEO David Bauer, whose company likely would lose business under the plan  also question whether the state will be able to increase its electricity supply fast enough to meet the steep new demands that the rules would impose on the power grid.

In a conference call last week with investors and analysts, Bauer said said the states plan to rapidly move away from climate-changing fossil fuels to rely on renewable energy and electricity goes too far, too fast. He called the plan incredibly irresponsible and warned that it could result in much higher energy prices for consumers.

Grand Island Councilman Mike Madigan shares the concerns.

The whole thing is just misguided, Madigan said. Obviously, one of the cleanest forms of energy is natural gas. One of the most affordable is natural gas. Many low-income folks in the city of Buffalo, for example, are using natural gas for heating, for cooking, etc.

Grand Island Supervisor John C. Whitney said the plan is not going to work.

My point (to the state) was you need to be spending more time in making the reduction of the existing fuel usage a priority. Decrease the usage by better insulation.  Or maybe even a hybrid, he said. But just to try and jump right into 100 percent heat pumps I think is not going to be a success. I think theyre going to create more problems than theyre going to solve.

Theres a lot of stuff there that I think needs to be investigated a lot further, he said.
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Renault-Nissan plan India reboot as alliance gets reshaped



Quote: The automakers reached a deal in principle to restructure their two-decade partnership by putting both companies on an equal footing in terms of shareholding and with Nissan investing in Renaults new electric vehicle (EV) unit.

Quote: Companies to share, cross-badge cars in India.

Evaluating Renault's Duster SUV for re-launch

Nissan joins Renault's small EV study in India.



In India, the worlds fastest-growing car market, the new investment will be led by Nissan, and the companies are evaluating vehicles they could launch from 2025.

That could include a reboot for Renaults popular Duster sport-utility vehicle.



Quote: Renault-Nissan also plan to return to a strategy of sharing and cross-badging vehicles in India, aiming to increase plant utilisation rates and reduce costs, the people said. The Duster SUV, for instance, is being considered for launch under both the Nissan and Renault brands. Quote: The new collaboration underscores the pressure automakers face as they invest in EVs, automation and other software services even as demand for gasoline cars greatly outstrips that for EVs, especially in up-and-coming markets like India.



It also points to the rising potential for sales in India, which last year overtook Japan to become the worlds third-largest car market. Industry-wide sales in India surged 23% last year to 4.4 million, according to S&P Global Mobility, while other major markets faced supply constraints.

COMPLEX CROSSOVER:



The first test for the new Renault-Nissan approach could be the Renault Triber, a seven-seat car that the companies have discussed selling in India under the Nissan brand, one of the people said. Those talks were put on hold while they negotiated the broader partnership.



Renault is considering an electric version of its mass-market Kwid small car for India.



The carmakers also plan to bring an existing alliance platform to India that will allow them to build bigger models like the Duster. Renault-Nissan already share an alliance platform in India for its small cars.



Renault and Nissan together had around 3% of the Indian market in 2022. Unlike Nissan, Renault does not have a significant presence in major markets like China, the United States and Japan, raising the stakes for its success in India.



In India, the two automakers have a complex crossover of interests, with joint ownership of a car plant and a research and development centre in the southern city of Chennai.



The plant can produce about 500,000 cars a year but is only running at about a third of that capacity, industry data show. Nissan owns 70% of the plant, but its sales in India lag Renaults. Nissan sold just 35,000 vehicles in India in 2022  60% below Renaults 87,000.



Quote: Renault has a bigger stake in the research centre, which focuses on localising vehicles for India and global markets.



Cross-badging carries the risk that a Nissan version of a vehicle could cannibalise sales for the Renault equivalent or vice-versa. That was one reason the companies previously scrapped the approach.



But rivals like Japans Toyota Motor and partner Suzuki Motor have had success with the strategy in India.



Link India a key market in Renault-Nissan alliance overhaul.The French and Japanese companies announced they had identified key projects on which they would deepen collaboration in India, Latin America and Europe, without elaborating.A revamped alliance between Renault and Nissan will face an early test in India, where the automakers plan new investment in a bid to close the gap on rivals.In India, the worlds fastest-growing car market,, and the companies are evaluating vehicles they could launch from 2025.That could include a reboot for Renaults popular Duster sport-utility vehicle.The first test for the new Renault-Nissan approach could be the Renault Triber, a seven-seat car that the companies have discussed selling in India under the Nissan brand, one of the people said. Those talks were put on hold while they negotiated the broader partnership.Renault is considering an electric version of its mass-market Kwid small car for India.The carmakers also plan to bring an existing alliance platform to India that will allow them to build bigger models like the Duster. Renault-Nissan already share an alliance platform in India for its small cars.Renault and Nissan together had around 3% of the Indian market in 2022. Unlike Nissan, Renault does not have a significant presence in major markets like China, the United States and Japan, raising the stakes for its success in India.In India, the two automakers have a complex crossover of interests, with joint ownership of a car plant and a research and development centre in the southern city of Chennai.The plant can produce about 500,000 cars a year but is only running at about a third of that capacity, industry data show. Nissan owns 70% of the plant, but its sales in India lag Renaults. Nissan sold just 35,000 vehicles in India in 2022  60% below Renaults 87,000.In Latin America, Renault and Nissan are studying the shared use of low-cost vehicle platforms, a person with knowledge of the plan there said. The alliance has plants in Mexico and Argentina.
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re: 2018 Triumph Tiger 800 XRx | Long-Term Review (Sold)



1. Major service and AMC



Got the major service for the bike done at just over 25,000 clicks, about a month or so ago. The bike is feeling great. Its on brand new tyres since 24,300 kms or so and now the injectors and throttle body cleaning has been done amongst other things. Im really unsure whether Ill be selling this bike in the next 4 - 6 months or 8 - 12 months. Finally decided to just get the AMC done anyway on the small chance its the latter because the savings would be well worth it. If I sell it sooner, so be it - hopefully a potential buyer appreciates the savings in the immediate term.



The detailed job card break up is in the image below. The job itself was smoothly undertaken as always. I wasnt happy with the throttle setting the first time around and sent it back and Shaman sorted that out promptly to my satisfaction.













xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx

2. Off road training camps:



I did some nice riding as well since the bike has been serviced. Did a Sunday Level 2 training end of October with Off Piste Racing (Ashish Raorane). He broke down the day really nicely piecing together riding skills on loose gravelly surfaces for both ascends as well as descends to build the day towards taking a long steep sloping & banked gravelly embankment all the way down which immediately immediately then turns into a similar steep but narrow climb up. The day ended with us goofing around the enclosed dirt track jumping around the bike and what not for pics.



The day before this training I took a nice long ride from Bombay to Pune breaking out from Lonavala towards the back of Aamby Valley, from some no roads to broken roads coming out at the incredible Tamhini ghat tarmac. From Lonavala onwards I was accompanied by my pal whos just got himself a 1250 GS triple black.



More recently, over the last weekend went to Panchgani for some L1 / L2 (mostly L2) training via Goodwind Moto Tours (GMT) with Adib (of Prospect Panchgani and this years GS trophy finalist), Kamran and Vishal and their fantastic friends who crew for them.



Adib and Prospect are like a home away from home for me - it is by far my [b]go to[b] place in Panchgani. I just love everything about it, the vibe, the food and the lovely riding that region offers. And the GMT boys are also absolutely fantastic fun. So loved the 2 days of banter, insanely good food and some smashing training. They had created lovely mud tracks, an entire slush pit, a 70 degree incline to climb and descend from and some stone and gravel paths to practice those skills with some tight U turns thrown in.



Some pics below from each of these sessions. Special shout to @ay_viisuals for that cracking pick of the bike going through the slush while these boys were spraying us sideways with water hoses (right into our eyes and overall) to unsettle us on that stretch.



The special surprise was that they had lined up the Harley Pan Am and both the 1200 Tigers (GT Pro and Rally Pro) for all the participants to have a go at as they pleased on the track. I took a few rounds on all these bikes and I must say the 1200 Tigers - both of them were pretty darn impressive - specially the quality of their suspension and the incredible balance they sport despite the weight they carry. I was reasonably at ease on both these bikes despite the Rally Pro specially being particularly tall for me.



I love these training sessions in a controlled environment because these help simulate some of the technical portions one encounters while riding these big ADVs up in the mountains. Always good to practice when you can so have that little extra edge of confidence when youre in similar conditions in real world riding.



Will let the pics tell the rest of the story.





Part 1: The ride from Lonavala to Pune via Aamby and Tamhini.







Route map recorded via Garmin





A little before Khandala. Catching the lovely sunrise.

















Ending the nice long ride with a super late lunch at Malaka Spice - very close to the lovely Conrad Pune where I was put up for the night.



Part 2: At Off Piste Racing







Just outside the briefing area before the days training.





The days final exercise - the downslope which was immediately followed by the climb up.







Above and below - general end of day tomfoolery now that the obstacles were done with.









Part 3: At Panchgani with GMT







Above and below - the cracking line up.









Staring into that gorgeous landscape







Above and below: Going through that crazy slush pit. Theyre busy jet spraying your face and body as you navigate through this.









The tractor pulling the water tanker actually got stuck in the slush pit and had to be towed out by their Isuzu.





Group at the base of the slush before the first round. Whos going first boys!





Stunning capture by @ay_viisuals. I just screen grabbed this off insta so forgive the low quality res.





Whats left of the boots at the end of 1.5 days of some fun filled hard riding.



Route map recorded via GarminA little before Khandala. Catching the lovely sunrise.Ending the nice long ride with a super late lunch at Malaka Spice - very close to the lovely Conrad Pune where I was put up for the night.Just outside the briefing area before the days training.The days final exercise - the downslope which was immediately followed by the climb up.Above and below - general end of day tomfoolery now that the obstacles were done with.Above and below - the cracking line up.Staring into that gorgeous landscapeAbove and below: Going through that crazy slush pit. Theyre busy jet spraying your face and body as you navigate through this.The tractor pulling the water tanker actually got stuck in the slush pit and had to be towed out by their Isuzu.Group at the base of the slush before the first round. Whos going first boys!Stunning capture by @ay_viisuals. I just screen grabbed this off insta so forgive the low quality res.Whats left of the boots at the end of 1.5 days of some fun filled hard riding. Odo is currently a little over 26,500 kms and I thought this is as good a time for an update as any.Got the major service for the bike done at just over 25,000 clicks, about a month or so ago. The bike is feeling great. Its on brand new tyres since 24,300 kms or so and now the injectors and throttle body cleaning has been done amongst other things. Im really unsure whether Ill be selling this bike in the next 4 - 6 months or 8 - 12 months. Finally decided to just get the AMC done anyway on the small chance its the latter because the savings would be well worth it. If I sell it sooner, so be it - hopefully a potential buyer appreciates the savings in the immediate term.The detailed job card break up is in the image below. The job itself was smoothly undertaken as always. I wasnt happy with the throttle setting the first time around and sent it back and Shaman sorted that out promptly to my satisfaction.I did some nice riding as well since the bike has been serviced. Did a Sunday Level 2 training end of October with Off Piste Racing (Ashish Raorane). He broke down the day really nicely piecing together riding skills on loose gravelly surfaces for both ascends as well as descends to build the day towards taking a long steep sloping & banked gravelly embankment all the way down which immediately immediately then turns into a similar steep but narrow climb up. The day ended with us goofing around the enclosed dirt track jumping around the bike and what not for pics.The day before this training I took a nice long ride from Bombay to Pune breaking out from Lonavala towards the back of Aamby Valley, from some no roads to broken roads coming out at the incredible Tamhini ghat tarmac. From Lonavala onwards I was accompanied by my pal whos just got himself a 1250 GS triple black.More recently, over the last weekend went to Panchgani for some L1 / L2 (mostly L2) training via Goodwind Moto Tours (GMT) with Adib (of Prospect Panchgani and this years GS trophy finalist), Kamran and Vishal and their fantastic friends who crew for them.Adib and Prospect are like a home away from home for me - it is by far my [b]go to[b] place in Panchgani. I just love everything about it, the vibe, the food and the lovely riding that region offers. And the GMT boys are also absolutely fantastic fun. So loved the 2 days of banter, insanely good food and some smashing training. They had created lovely mud tracks, an entire slush pit, a 70 degree incline to climb and descend from and some stone and gravel paths to practice those skills with some tight U turns thrown in.Some pics below from each of these sessions. Special shout to @ay_viisuals for that cracking pick of the bike going through the slush while these boys were spraying us sideways with water hoses (right into our eyes and overall) to unsettle us on that stretch.The special surprise was that they had lined up the Harley Pan Am and both the 1200 Tigers (GT Pro and Rally Pro) for all the participants to have a go at as they pleased on the track. I took a few rounds on all these bikes and I must say the 1200 Tigers - both of them were pretty darn impressive - specially the quality of their suspension and the incredible balance they sport despite the weight they carry. I was reasonably at ease on both these bikes despite the Rally Pro specially being particularly tall for me.I love these training sessions in a controlled environment because these help simulate some of the technical portions one encounters while riding these big ADVs up in the mountains. Always good to practice when you can so have that little extra edge of confidence when youre in similar conditions in real world riding.Will let the pics tell the rest of the story. Last edited by Axe77 : 30th November 2022 at 16:29 .
The Financial Times recently published a deep look at how Apple built its supply chain in China. It is a deep dive into an important question, and its author Patrick McGee uncovers some amazing detail. Since we provided some color quotes towards the end, we have been getting asked a lot recently about how long it would take to unwind this supply chain  both for China and for the US technology industry. The short answer is  a long time.

The problem with this analysis is that there is no easy way to quantify the problem. We could look at global manufacturing output, of which China has 28.7% share to the US 16.8% share, or just share of consumer electronics which is even more lop-sided. But this is only part of the picture.

South China's electronics complex is built on human capital and intangibles as much as it is on plain, old-fashioned capital and money. This makes it harder for anyone else to replicate.

Much of China's current capabilities go beyond sheer output. One of the most fascinating aspects of the South China electronics complex is the degree to which it has gotten ingrained into total economy. The FT threw up an incredible statistic. They looked at ISO Certifications. ISO is an international standards body which certifies companies based on a detailed set of process qualifications and found that:

China's dominance can partly be quantified. In 2021, the number of organizations in the country that had been audited to confirm best practices in "quality management systems" --- ISO certification 9001 --- was 426,716, or roughly 42 per cent of the global total. For India the figure was 36,505; for the US, it was 25,561. Financial Times: How China Tied its Fortunes to China

In parts of South China, ISO has become such a feature of major employers that local service companies adopt many of these practices with restaurants and night clubs seeking out ISO certification as well, presumably on the assumption that their patrons appreciate quality.

And this really gets to the heart of the matter, China's manufacturing capabilities are measured in intangibles and human capital as much as they are measured in hard statistics and plain, old-fashioned physical capital and money.

Editor's Note:

Guest author Jonathan Goldberg is the founder of D2D Advisory, a multi-functional consulting firm. Jonathan has developed growth strategies and alliances for companies in the mobile, networking, gaming, and software industries.

For companies like Apple this means scale  the ability to manufacture a few hundred million iPhones a year to a high degree of reliability. For smaller companies, it means flexibility and fast turn around. We recently worked with a company looking to source a product from a US manufacturer. Mid way through planning they discovered they needed a specific tool for production, but the contract manufacturer had no experience with the device, which delayed production by months while they sought out a lease and, even harder to find. a team that knew how to use it.

By contrast, in Shenzhen there are a dozen firms that specialize in just that tool which they can have delivered to the factory floor tomorrow, along with a crew to run it. Industry clusters are a well-known phenomenon, but there are no clusters of the scale and depth to compare to Shenzhen today.

That being said, the train has left the station. US companies are doing everything they can to reduce and/or eliminate their reliance on China. We have heard rumors that Apple wants to move the majority of its production out of China within five years. We have no idea if this is true, but only Apple could even contemplate that kind of timeline. There is no ready alternative, and there probably never will be.

The future electronics supply chain is likely to fragment across a dozen countries like Mexico, Vietnam and Malaysia. And that fragmentation will add friction to the system and likely render it more vulnerable to periodic disruptions.

Nor is China standing still. The cost of labor has been growing in China for years on the back of rising incomes and unfavorable demographics. When Apple started producing in China, most Foxconn employees were seasonal, going and back forth to their rural homes during slack periods. Their children working at the plant today are more likely to be raised at least partially in the cities and want iPhones and iPads for themselves. As much as the recent trade disputes between China and the US have been the catalyst to start the process, it was almost certainly inevitable anyway.

Image credit: Robert Bye, CGTN
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP)  Pope Francis, the head of the Anglican Communion and top Presbyterian minister together denounced the criminalization of homosexuality on Sunday and said gay people should be welcomed by their churches.

The three Christian leaders spoke out on LGBTQ rights during an unprecedented joint airborne news conference returning home from South Sudan, where they took part in a three-day ecumenical pilgrimage to try to nudge the young countrys peace process forward.

They were asked about Francis recent comments to The Associated Press, in which he declared that laws that criminalize gay people were unjust and that being homosexual is not a crime.

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalizes homosexuality, 11 of them with the death penalty. LGBTQ advocates say even where such laws are not applied, they contribute to a climate of harassment, discrimination and violence.

Francis referred his Jan. 24 comments to the AP and repeated that such laws are unjust. He also repeated previous comments that parents should never throw their gay children out of the house.

To condemn someone like this is a sin, he said. Criminalizing people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice.

Read more about it here:

Key takeaways from the AP's interview with Pope Francis On guns On 'patience' with China On homosexuality On papal health and retirement
Oleksii Reznikov, the Defense Minister of Ukraine, has said that a "tank coalition" will be made to help Ukraine and that a lot of new tanks from the West will be coming, Ukrinform reports.

The "tank coalition" is comprised of several countries, and the coalition members met recently for an online meeting. According to Reznikov, the Ukrainian ground will soon be "happily" welcoming Leopard 2, Challenger 2, and M1 Abrams tanks.

Ukraine Is Forming a 'Tank Coalition'

The same Ukrinform report tells us that Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs, remarked that the Ukrainian Armed Forces would receive 120 to 140 modern Western tanks, such as the Leopard 2, Challenger 2, and M1 Abrams, in the first wave of deliveries.

The Leopard 2, Challenger 2, and M1 Abrams tanks are some of the most advanced and well-equipped tanks in the world. They are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including advanced armor protection, highly accurate weapons systems, and high-speed mobility.

The arrival of these tanks is expected to significantly improve the Ukrainian military's capabilities while also providing a much-needed morale boost.

Read Also: Hypersonic Missiles No Longer Worth It? New CBO Report Reveals One Major Problem

Reznikov announced the news on Twitter and shared a photo of himself and Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Baszczak. During the online meeting of the "tank coalition" nations, the two ministers are said to have gone into great detail about the particular topic.

It's official: The tank coalition for Ukraine has been born and is actively growing. Soon, we will happily welcome Leopards, Challengers and Abrams on the Ukrainian ground. A lot of them.

Pullover  thanks to @Deepstate_UA for its work and creativity! pic.twitter.com/qHKxdUZ87t  Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) February 3, 2023

The Defense Minister's statement was met with a positive response from the Ukrainian military, which is looking forward to the arrival of the advanced tanks.

Which Tanks are Coming to Ukraine?

In a show of support for Ukraine, NATO countries have pledged to send military tanks to the country. The New York Times reports that the largest donation is coming from the United States, sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks, enough to equip one Ukrainian battalion.

The same report tells us that Britain, Germany, and Poland have each committed to sending 14 tanks, with London estimating delivery of its Challenger 2s within weeks. Germany's defense minister, Boris Pistorius, has forecast that it would take Berlin three to four months to ship its Leopard 2 tanks.

Portugal has said it could give four Leopard 2s, and Norway has stated it could send eight more. Other countries, including Spain, Finland, and the Netherlands, have pledged to send Leopard 2s, while France is considering giving Ukraine an undisclosed number of its Leclerc battle tanks. Denmark has also said it could send 20 Swiss-made Piranha tanks to Ukraine, pending government approval in Bern.According to American and European officials and military experts, the estimated 100 tanks that NATO countries have pledged would require at least three months and up to a year of training before they could be used effectively.

Latest Updates

The Guardian reports that Germany recently greenlighted the export of older Leopard 1 battle tanks, which would increase the number of combat vehicles Berlin promised to send to Ukraine last January.





A spokesperson announced on Friday, Feb. 3, that Olaf Scholz's administration had authorized the export of German-built tanks that were formerly manufactured in the 1960s and replaced by Leopard 2 tanks within Germany's own military in 2003.

Related Article: Ukraine is Now in Fast-Track Talks with Allies for Long-Range Missiles and Other Weapons Supply

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A suspected Chinese spy balloon was taken down by the US military on Saturday, Feb. 4, off the coast of Carolina after flying over military locations. China said there had been an accident involving a civilian aircraft during the flyby, according to a report by AP.

President Joe Biden gave the order even though he preferred the balloon to be taken down earlier. According to US authorities, he was briefed that the operation would be most successful if it were carried out over the water.

China's Response

Military experts deemed that dropping it down over land from a height of 60,000 feet would put people on the ground in unnecessary danger.

China responded to the move by saying that it reserved the right to take action and accused the US of a "violation of international practice."

"China will resolutely uphold the relevant company's legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The balloon's sighting this week raised further concerns about the US's relations with China. It also came at a time when Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postponed a crucial trip to Beijing.

Read also: Pentagon Awards Google, Amazon, Oracle, and Microsoft $9 Billion Contracts to Build a Cloud Computing Network for the US Military

Taking Down the Balloon

The enormous white object was seen Saturday morning as it moved toward the Atlantic coast over the Carolinas. Senior defense authorities reported that an F-22 fighter jet's missile punctured the balloon at 2:39 EST while it was about six nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The wreckage spread over almost seven miles and fell in water about 47 feet deep, which was shallower than officials had anticipated. According to the officials, the recovery activities would be finished in a few days.

According to US defense officials, the balloon first crossed the US air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on January 28. It then traveled primarily over land across Alaska before entering Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday.

After Biden had his initial briefing on the matter, the White House claimed that the balloon had returned to US territory over northern Idaho on Tuesday.

The balloon was seen Wednesday over Montana, where Malmstrom Air Force Base is located, and has a number of nuclear missile silos on its grounds.

Two anonymous senior defense officials told the AP that the US military was able to gather information on the balloon as it passed over the country.

This gave them several days to examine it, figure out how it traveled, and discover what it could spy on.

Related Article: US Military Will Use 'High-Altitude Hot Air Balloons' to Prevent Hypersonic Missiles Against China and Russia

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Industry experts told SCMP that increased US sanctions might cause the Chinese semiconductor and AI sector to lag decades behind as the US works to prevent Beijing from obtaining the most advanced chip-making technologies.

US's Agreement with Japan and the Netherlands

Last week, the United States reached an agreement with the Netherlands and Japan to limit China's access to specific high-tech chip manufacturing machinery, putting an end to Beijing's aspirations of evading earlier restrictions by relying on other suppliers outside the US.

The recent export limitations, similar to the trade restrictions imposed by the US in October 2022, are intended to prevent China from creating high-performance chips crucial for various technologies such as AI, supercomputers, and many more.

Leslie Wu, a Taiwanese semiconductor industry consultant, told SCMP that the recent move by the US with the Netherlands and Japan has shut down the doors for China to supply its chip industry demands.

Wu also noted that resorting to non-US equipment has been China's way of making sure that its chip sector survives for the past two years.

The growth of artificial intelligence in China, which necessitates sophisticated computer processors, is one of the key targets of the US restrictions.

This was evident when the US banned the exports of Nvidia A100 and H100 chips to the Chinese market, citing concerns that US-made chips may be used for "military purposes."

The production of two Chinese-designed AI chips that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is believed may outperform and serve as possible A100 substitutes were halted shortly after the announcement of the restrictions in October.

Read also: China's Semiconductor Industry Sees Huge Demand in Chip Industry for 2024: Here's What The Nation is Doing to Solve it

"Blitz Strike"

According to the founder of an AI software start-up in China, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to SCMP, the sanctions have caused an impending shortage of high-performance chips, driving up the cost of those that are still available, depleting profit margins and deterring potential customers.

He claimed that in the long haul, fears of breaking sanctions might force major companies to rethink their products and possibly halt them. While small and medium-sized businesses would likely suffer the most, they could also shut down their operations.

He added that even the survivors would find their research and development budgets cut, their ability for innovation hampered, and the industry as a whole would decline.

"In my opinion, it was a 'blitz strike' for the Americans to effectively exploit the Chinese AI sector's dependence on US-controlled global design and manufacturing systems," the AI start-up founder said in a statement with SCMP.

Related Article: US-China Tech War: ASML, Lam Research Pulls American Engineers From China Amid New Chip Restrictions

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SpaceX is set to send the Crew-6 astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). The mission will help NASA's preparations for its upcoming crewed moon explorations and other space objectives, according to a report by Space.com.

Crew-6 will undertake studies to advance long-duration off-Earth living in the future. The crew is slated to fly on a Falcon 9 rocket before Feb. 26.

Testing Site for Artemis

According to Crew-6 pilot Warren "Woody" Hoburg, a first-time NASA astronaut, the space station will serve as a testing site for Artemis.

He pointed out that since long-duration astronaut stays there began 22 years ago, the ISS has hosted demonstrations of many kinds of technology. But this time, the studies will focus on how it will help NASA's future missions to the moon.

According to NASA's documents, the moon-related experiments will include a microscope that might function on the lunar surface, a look at space station bacteria that might keep astronauts healthy on the moon, and an experimental high-speed communications system.

Another benefit of long-term mission planning, according to Hoburg, is that the ISS enables personnel to experiment with hobbies that keep them happy and psychologically healthy when they are away from Earth.

The Artemis Accords, a NASA-led international framework for peaceful lunar exploration, was signed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2020. Hence, an astronaut from the UAE will be joining Crew-6 for the upcoming flight.

Sultan Al Neyadi is the first UAE astronaut in the fledgling program to accept a lengthy mission following Hazza Al Mansoori's eight-day inaugural trip in 2019. Al Neyadi obtained his position on Crew-6 after a series of astronaut seat trades among the participating ISS nations.

Read also: NASA Chooses TitanAir and a Pellet-Beam Propulsion Among 14 Concepts That Could Change Space Exploration for Good

ISS' Russian Side

Andrey Fedyaev, a rookie Russian astronaut, will also be one of the members of Crew-6.

Russia is not a member of the Artemis Accords, and after it invaded Ukraine almost a year ago, it is now considering building a new independent space station in collaboration with China.

But science continues on the Russian side of the ISS, and it might be helpful for all long-duration astronauts wherever they go, according to Space.com

Smelting and crystal formation are two continuing Russian ISS projects, according to Fedyaev, which could progress in-situ manufacturing on the moon or elsewhere.

In 2021, the ISS Nauka module arrived to expand Russia's science objectives. The newcomer temporarily disrupted station operations when an accidental engine fire caused the station to tilt. However, everything was swiftly regained, enabling Russia to prioritize operational readiness.

Related Article: NASA Will Land On The Moon For The First Time in 50 Years l Here's Everything You Need To Know About Artemis 1

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
ChatGPT might soon be a new Microsoft Bing feature, as claimed by a leaker.

(Photo : Photo by GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

his photo taken on October 14, 2020 shows sex and relationships advice blogger Yi Heng, who runs discussion groups on the topic of sex toys, using a laptop at her home in Beijing.

Owen Yin, a student and designer, said that he shared videos and screenshots of what he saw.

Via his official Twitter account, he said that Microsoft Bing's ChatGPT integration suddenly appeared on his screen.

Yin said that he didn't do anything to find the ChatGPT enhancement.

"After a couple of minutes it stopped working ... Jaw dropped when I realized what I was looking at!" he added via The Verge.

ChatGPT as Microsoft Bing Feature?

Based on the relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft, there's really a high chance that the Bing search engine could have ChatGPT as its new feature.

(Photo : Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The websites of Bing, Microsoft and Yahoo are displayed on a computer monitor July 29, 2009 in San Anselmo, California. Microsoft and Yahoo have announced a 10-year internet search partnership in an attempt to take away users from search giant Google.

Also Read: ChatGPT Plus Subscription to Priotize Your AI Text-Generation Needs, OpenAI asking $20 Per Month

Recently, Microsoft announced investing more than $10 billion in OpenAI.

This billion-dollar financial assistance is expected to allow Microsoft access to OpenAI's advanced artificial intelligence systems, including ChatGPT.

Now, it seems like the ChatGPT integration in Microsoft Bing could become a reality. If you are among the curious users, here's what Owen shared.

ChatGPT x Microsoft Bing: What to Expect

According to Tech Radar's latest report, ChatGPT's interface would be separate from the traditional Microsoft Bing search bar.

This will allow users to have options so they would not be pressured to use the newer version.

Bing's ChatGPT integration just appeared for me. Replaces the search bar with a composer for natural-language questions pic.twitter.com/NxZ0k9O92C  Owen Yin (@Owen_Yin) February 3, 2023

Yin said that the ChatGPT's text box would allow users to type in 1,000 characters, enabling them to write questions, provide instructions, and provide a list of examples.

Regarding results, the answers that ChatGPT will provide as a Microsoft Bing feature would be more accurate.

This is because the AI can access the latest information from the search engine (the original ChatGPT only relies on 2021 data).

You still get your traditional search results but there's a new tab to start a chat pic.twitter.com/ugeYMCNG1c  Owen Yin (@Owen_Yin) February 3, 2023

A list of sources from Microsoft Bing would support ChatGPT's answers. What makes the Bing-ChatGPT integration better than the traditional search engine is that you can interact with it.

Instead of just providing answers, Microsoft Bing and ChatGPT will talk to you like a human being. You can visit Owen's official blog post to see other details.

Other stories we recently wrote about artificial intelligence:

Google decided to invest in ChatGPT's competitor as it joined the ongoing AI race.

Real estate brokers decided to use ChatGPT for property listings and emails, claiming that AI could soon be an industry standard.

For more news updates about AIs and other similar innovations, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: New Study Claims that ChatGPT Will Serve as Research Aide for Academics, Not a Threat

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
JUBA, South Sudan  Pope Francis warned Saturday that South Sudan's future depends on how it treats its women, as he highlighted their horrific plight in a country where sexual violence is rampant, child brides are common and the maternal mortality rate is the highest in the world.

On his second and penultimate day in Africa, Francis called for women and girls to be respected, protected and honored during a meeting in the South Sudanese capital Juba with some of the 2 million people who have been forced by fighting and flooding to flee their homes. Women, girls and children make up the majority of those displaced.

The encounter was one of the highlights of Francis' three-day visit to the world's youngest country and one of its poorest. Joined by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Presbyterian head of the Church of Scotland, Francis is on an historic ecumenical pilgrimage to draw global attention to the country's plight and encourage its stalled peace process.

The aim of the three-way visit is to encourage South Sudan's political leaders to implement a 2018 peace accord ending a civil war that erupted after the overwhelmingly Christian country gained independence from mostly Muslim Sudan in 2011.

Greeted by song and high-pitched ululation, Francis urged the hundreds of people gathered at Freedom Hall to be "seeds of hope," that will soon bear fruit for the country of 12 million.

"You will be the trees that absorb the pollution of years of violence and restore the oxygen of fraternity," he said.

The head of the United Nations mission in South Sudan, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, told Francis that women and girls were "extremely vulnerable" to sexual and gender-based violence, with U.N. statistics estimating some four out of 10 have been victim to one or more forms of assault. She said women and girls were at risk for rape when they were just out doing their daily routines and chores.

"If the women of South Sudan are given an opportunity to develop, to have space to be productive, South Sudan will be transformed," she told Francis.

The pope picked up her theme in his remarks, saying women were the key to South Sudan's peaceful development.

"Please, protect, respect, appreciate and honor every woman, every girl, young woman, mother and grandmother," he said. "Otherwise, there will be no future."

According to UNICEF, roughly 75% of girls in South Sudan don't go to school because their parents prefer to keep them at home and set them up for a marriage that will bring a dowry for the family.

Half of South Sudan's women are married before age 18, and they then face the world's highest maternal mortality rate. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said in a report last year that overall, women and girls here live a "hellish existence."

"South Sudanese women are physically assaulted while being raped at gunpoint, typically held down by men while being abused by others. They are told not to resist in the slightest way, and not to report what happened, or they will be killed," the report said.

Mariam Nyantabo, a 36-year-old resident of a Juba protection camp, said women were grateful for Francis' visit. "The plight against women is shocking," she said, noting the risk of rape comes from everyday chores like collecting firewood. "His visit is blessed to women of South Sudan, and I believe there will be a great change, the suffering of the women will be reduced."

Welby, too, addressed the plight of women during his remarks at an ecumenical prayer service later Saturday. He praised their "incredible" strength when "on top of the grief of conflict and the responsibility to provide for your families, many of you live with the trauma of sexual violence and the daily fear of mistreatment in your own homes."

To the men in the audience, Welby was more blunt. "You will value and honor women, never raping, never violent, never cruel, never using them as if they were there to satisfy desire," he said to applause from the crowd.

Francis began his day meeting with the priests and nuns who minister to South Sudan's people, urging them to accompany their flocks by joining in their suffering.

At the St. Theresa Cathedral, he heard of the sacrifice nuns have made over the years, including the 2021 ambush killings of Sisters Mary Daniel Abut and Regina Roba Luate of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart Sisters.

Sister Regina Achan, from the same congregation, said Francis' visit would encourage other sisters to keep serving the people of South Sudan. "We stand with them because we are their voices, we don't run away at difficult times," she said.

Upon arrival Friday, Francis issued a blunt warning to President Salva Kiir and his onetime rival and now deputy Riek Machar that history will judge them harshly if they continue to drag their feet on implementing the peace accord.
INTERVIEW - Four years ago, on April 15, 2019, the spire of the famous cathedral collapsed under the onslaught of flames. Since then, the renovation of Notre-Dame has been underway, and in 2023, a team of researchers present on the site was able to find and date iron staples, which make it possible to consolidate the stone structure of the building. The opportunity to return to the history of the reconstruction of Notre-Dame, with Mathieu Lours, architectural historian and specialist in religious buildings, guest of Virginie Girod in Au Coeur de l'Histoire. The construction of Notre Dame began in 1160 and was almost completed nearly a century later. In the nineteenth century, when the architect Viollet-le-Duc discovered Notre-Dame, the building was in very poor condition. He then decided to renovate it and add the famous spire of Notre-Dame. For Mathieu Lours, despite the age of this monument, "Notre-Dame remains one of the least well-known cathedrals. They hadn't been put in there since 1864 for structural restorations. Beyond belief, beyond the imaginary, beyond our relationship to history, every man sees in Our Lady a cathedral of the imagination." "Au Cur de l'Histoire" is a Europe 1 Studio production.
When it comes to school suspensions, Superintendent Tonja M. Williams has an obvious point about the need to protect students, teachers, administration and staff, while ensuring kids in school to learn can do so. Still, that doesnt mean that the district is doing enough on this critical matter, as some critics say.

Are school suspensions effective? Advocates press Buffalo schools to find a better way "We have no evidence that restorative practices are happening, and restorative conferences are extremely rare," said Jessics Bauer Walker president of Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo.

Community Health Worker Network of Buffalo, a parent group led by president Jessica Bauer Walker, appreciates that BPS has committed to implementing the code of conduct, using restorative practices and positive behavior interventions. But Bauer Walker says she has observed cycles in which something happens, the community is activated for a period of time, the district conducts feedback sessions  and not much changes.

District officials say data demonstrate the code of conduct is working. They also believe suspensions will continue to trend down as the district continues building relationships with parents.

Suspensions, overall, have decreased districtwide from 2021 to 2022. There were 570 long-term suspensions in the first half of last school year, and 418 during the same timeframe this year. Short-term suspensions dropped from 2,521 to 2,005.

But Bauer Walkers group remains concerned at what it calls the high rates of suspension and disproportionately how children of color, those who have disabilities and those who are low income are suspended at 2.5 times the rate of their counterparts. Bauer Walker became extremely activated around the issue when her daughter, Serea Walker, 15, was suspended.

The matter is undoubtedly complex. There may often be better ways to deal with disruptive or disrespectful students, but other students also have a right to a safe and encouraging environment. The question is when conduct becomes egregious enough to warrant suspension.

Bauer Walker said she knows of children who are being punished for having mental health issues or dealing with trauma but not getting the help they need. And it is not only suspension but other exclusionary practices such as detention, in-building suspension and calling parents without warning and telling them to come get their child.

Some students believe they are being suspended on a whim.

Yahya Hussein, a junior at Hutchinson Central Technical High School and youth advocate at a December media event, told a reporter: I feel like they could talk to me about like, Why are you acting up? Why are you doing this? and try to figure out what the root of my problem was. Hussein added: Its like they just wanted me gone.

Bauer Walker released her own document, Suspension in Buffalo Public Schools: History, Analysis and a Holistic, Positive Path Forward with Rae Shih of the New York Civil Liberties Union and Carly Hite, a legal professional who represented 60 Buffalo students in their suspension hearings. The 28-page report culls from last years data reported on Buffalo Schools digital dashboard. Her groups complaints extend to whether the district follows state guidelines in handling suspensions on a procedural level as well as language access issues when it comes to families who are refugees and whose students the group says are being discriminated against.

Student advocates hope the Judith S. Kaye Solutions Not Suspensions bill could limit suspensions. The legislation, mired in Albany since 2015, was written by state educators, community activists, education attorneys and others. It has failed to advance beyond committee in the State Senate and a floor vote in the Assembly. The bill is expected to be reintroduced this legislative cycle.

Credit Superintendent Williams with meeting about 20 adult and student Community Health Workers at DYouville University recently to engage in a restorative circle. Students shared their feelings about school discipline and Bauer Walker evaluated the meeting as positive and productive, with Williams affirming the young people.

Its a start.

The goal should be as few suspensions as absolutely needed, achieved by working collaboratively with students, parents and the community  and with full transparency.

  

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.
Native forest logging in Victoria could end sooner than scheduled if a Japanese paper company decides to close down its Latrobe Valley white paper plant, the last of its kind in Australia and one of a few remaining major buyers of the states native timber.

State government and union sources expect Nippon Paper Group to permanently discontinue production of office paper at its subsidiary, Opal Australian Paper Maryvale Mill, this week, citing a lack of native timber supply from state-owned logging agency VicForests.

State government and union sources expect giant Japanese Nippon Paper Group to permanently discontinue production of white paper at Maryvale. Credit: Steven Siewert

VicForests access to the native hardwood timber, which is needed to manufacture white copy paper, has been severely limited over the past few years after court orders and bushfires disrupted logging projects.

The Maryvale Mill, which employs about 1000 people, suspended production this month, and the company said it was seriously considering the potential future closure of white side operations.
At its heart, the proposal to enshrine in the Constitution an Indigenous Voice to parliament is about a desire to improve Indigenous outcomes. So it is concerning to hear David Littleproud, the leader of the Nationals, say that the Voice will not advance the primary aim of Closing the Gap and dealing with the real issues faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Others even argue that the Voice to parliament gives rights to Indigenous Australians not enjoyed by other Australians. They go so far as to suggest that a Voice to parliament is a racist idea.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese and Premiers and Chief Ministers sign a Statement of Intent for First Ministers support for a Voice to Parliament . Credit: James Brickwood

An Indigenous Voice will enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to provide advice on policies and projects that impact their lives. What we are currently witnessing in Alice Springs is a direct result of government decisions taken without reference to or in consultation with Indigenous people.

In 2022, the Stronger Futures agreement between the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments ended. The agreement had created a regime of alcohol restrictions for the duration of the agreement. Key Aboriginal community leaders and experts warned of the need for urgent action to address the end of these restrictions. They feared a rise in crime and a decrease in community safety.
The victim of Saturdays fatal shark attack in the Swan River has been confirmed as Stella Berry, a 16-year-old student from Shenton College.

WA Police Acting Fremantle District Inspector Paul Robinson said authorities believed the teen was jet skiing on the river with friends about 3.20pm when she jumped into the water to swim with a pod of dolphins near the old Fremantle traffic bridge.

Her friends, some of them students from Scotch College, witnessed the attack.

Robinson said the Perth teenager was pulled from the water but died at the scene, despite efforts to revive her. It is the first fatal shark attack in the Swan River in 100 years.
Betsy Kling was faced with a desk full of papers. There were stacks of documents  at least 20 to 40 pages per student. And because there were not enough teachers to match the students individual special education needs, the work kept piling up with no end in sight.

For Kling, what started as a childhood dream eventually made her reach her breaking point. She was responsible for creating individualized education plans for dozens of students in her Milwaukee charter school. She faced relentless expectations from parents. It all had a draining effect on her mental health. She tried a relaxing holiday in Mexico with friends and going to therapy, but nothing worked. She decided to finish out the 2021-22 school year, but then she was done.

I only ever wanted to be a teacher. That was my driving force, said Kling, who taught in Wisconsin charter schools for 10 years. I was getting frustrated with kids for being kids, and that wasnt fair to them, and it wasnt fair to me, so I needed to step away.

Kling is just one of many special education teachers who have left the profession, citing burnout. In 48 states, including Wisconsin, there are not enough special education teachers to meet the needs of children in the classrooms, according to the state Department of Public Instruction.

Ive never seen shortages like this, said John Eisenberg, the executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education. Were in crisis-level shortages.

Within the special education field, teachers are 2 times more likely to leave the profession than general education teachers, according to the DPI. Some reports suggest that up to 50% of new special education teachers leave in the first few years on the job.

More than half of school districts across the country have reported teacher shortages. The problem is especially acute among special education teachers. In a survey of school districts in August, DPI reported that special education has the most frequent staff shortages, at over 50%.

More demand

States face extra pressure to meet the needs of students with disabilities because federal law requires it. Students with disabilities are entitled to special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Their Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, are based on what support the student needs and can range from one-on-one classroom aides to additional resources to address educational and social development deficiencies.

The unavailability of staff to provide services outlined in an individual students IEP does not relieve the district of the responsibility to provide the special education and related services as outlined in the IEP, said DPI spokesperson Chris Bucher.

More students are applying for IEPs, which creates extra paperwork for special education teachers, extending their work days beyond school hours, according to Eisenberg and teachers in Wisconsin and other states.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced children to stay at home for months on end, students lagged in social development. This was especially seen in kindergartners entering school for the first time, and it put an extra strain on teachers. One of the reasons students with disabilities fell behind is because it was harder to meet their needs online, educators say. Platforms like Zoom, Google Classrooms and Google Meet are not always suited for people with hearing or visual impairments.

Pandemic effects

Some exhausted parents see Individualized Education Programs as a way to fix the effects of the last two years, Kling said.

Our only concern is that people are doing that out of a knee jerk reaction because of the pandemic where kids might be behind in their learning or might have exhibited some behavioral issues, but it might not be indicative of a disability, said Eisenberg.

Before the pandemic, about 12% to 13% of students across the country were in special education, Eisenberg said. Now, more children are frequently evaluated for consideration.

Its not a Band-Aid.  Its not a magic wand that (will) automatically fix your child, Kling said. That lack of socialization was very apparent in kids, just the drive that they had for being in a school setting.

Data from the Government Accountability Office in October showed shortages of special education teachers in every region of the U.S. were between 8% to 17% higher than five years earlier. Worse, the number of individuals obtaining special education degrees has declined slightly, while the need has risen substantially.

In terms of the types of paperwork and tracking and reporting, these shortages existed prior to the pandemic. But I think the pandemic sort of exacerbated an already challenging situation, said Jacqueline Nowicki, a director of the GAOs education, workforce and income security team.

For Kling, the stress was too much. She is now in the corporate world. Her workday runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. She goes into her job and completes her tasks, shes actually able to take a lunch break, and after eight hours, Kling is done. Shes not sure when, or if, shell go back to teaching. It kind of strips away who you are as a person, Kling said. I think the education system completely has to break and be rebuilt.
More than 3800 Australians died with COVID-19 in aged-care facilities over the past 12 months, quadrupling the number during the first two years of the pandemic, even though the overall death rate is now far lower.

A federal review of health data over recent months identified a previously unreported 232 deaths in 2022, but the federal government is declining to specify the months in which they occurred.

While the fatality rate is lower, far more Australians are dying from COVID-19 in aged-care homes now than during the first two years of the pandemic. Credit: Shutterstock

The change in reporting was made on the eve of the release of figures that would have revealed more deaths had occurred in aged care in the eight months under Labor than during the first two years of the pandemic under the previous government.

However, the 3.3 per cent fatality rate in aged care homes over the past year is much improved compared to the first 20 months of the pandemic when 23.4 per cent of residents with COVID-19 were dying from the virus.
The fourth week of the 2020 Budget Session came to a close this week. Today, the Wyoming House of Representatives will finish debate on HB0001 also known as the supplemental budget bill. We are focused on determining how the Legislature should allocate a nearly $2 billion budget surplus. Much of this is a one-time windfall, which owes to improved revenues from oil and gas production, smart investments, and federal stimulus spending. I am focused on saving, investing and meeting the needs of Wyoming citizens. Balancing fiscal prudence with strategic investments is a challenging balance to strike-- but the work so far is leading us in that direction.

Highlights from HB0001 follow:

 By adjusting the reimbursement rate to our dentists who provide critical dental health services to 40,000 children and senior citizens in the state, House Republicans are ensuring that these children and senior citizens who qualify for Medicaid will continue to have access to critical dental care.

 Those citizens of our state who have developmental, intellectual disabilities or acquired brain injuries are only able to live in our communities because of the community provider network whose dedicated employees ensure for the protection, wellbeing and happiness of these people. These dedicated and critical services continued services even after significant cuts were made to their budgets in 2021. We restored these cuts and adjusted their reimbursement rates to ensure they can continue to provide these essential services well into the future.

 $5 million to fully fund the property tax refund program.

 Creation of an ombudsman position in the Department of Environmental Quality to enhance the ability and timeliness for industrial permitting processes.

 Funding to assist with retention and recruitment of state agency employees. Wyoming state agencies report significant challenges with recruitment and retention of employees due to current salary rates. Current provisions in the budget increase state employee compensation to bring employee salaries from 83 percent to 98 percent of 2022 market rates.

 Funding trust funds as a savings mechanism and utilizing the interest income to make our communities more livable, develop Wyomings workforce and to enhance the states wildlife.

The House will debate the budget bill a final time today, Friday, February 3, before it moves to

conference committee for reconciliation. Although the supplemental budget takes up a fair

amount of time and energy, during general sessions like this one, we consider hundreds of bills

aimed at improving the lives of Wyoming citizens.

Today, I had the privilege of presenting my bill HB0221 Domestic violence prosecution amendments to the House Labor Committee. The bill seeks to address the problem of domestic violence in our communities.

I would like to cover touch on a few key bills we discussed this week:

HB0103 passed the House on 3rd Reading. This bill changed the date voters must declare or change their party affiliation to May 15. This amendment would have allowed voters, specifically those unaffiliated with a major political party, to participate more freely in a primary. This amendment failed. The bill will soon be heard by the Senate Corporations Committee.

HB0124 passed the House on 3rd Reading. This bill solves an equity issue by bringing an excise tax to solar electrical generation just like it currently exists for wind. Two amendments were heard but failed. One would have added hydroelectrical generation and the second amendment would have changed the assessed tax from $1.00 a megawatt hour to a percentage assessed on the annual gross energy earnings. This bill has moved to the Senate.

HB180 - Brucellosis testing-notification requirements, specifies how to deal with a non-negative Brucellosis test in Wyoming. It specifically requires the establishment of a standard communication protocol to inform all livestock producers, veterinarians and brand inspectors in the county where a nonnegative brucellosis test has been confirmed in a cattle herd. The bill also requires the state veterinarian to provide testing information to the owner of an animal that has tested nonnegative for brucellosis no later than three days after laboratory confirmation. This bill passed second reading in the House.

HB0123 - Collection of antler or horns by residents and nonresidents. This bill allows residents to collect antlers and horns three days before nonresidents in areas of the State that have a designated season. This bill is in response to the growing influx of nonresidents collecting and selling antlers and horns and instead gives Wyoming residents a slight preference to the resource. This bill passed second reading in the House.

HB0103 - Political party affiliation declaration and changes. This bill would change when voters must declare or change their party affiliation. Currently, a voter has until 14 days before an election or on election day to change their party affiliation. In its original version, this bill would require a person to change their party affiliation prior to May 15th for the primary election and 14 days before the General election. On Tuesday, an amendment passed Committee of the Whole that moved the change party affiliation deadline to 45 days prior to the primary election. When the primary election system was put into place in 1911 a voter could change their party affiliation up to 10 days before the primary election. This bill will soon be heard by Senate Corporations.

HB0124 - Electricity generation-taxation. In Wyoming, there is an excise tax on the privilege of generating electricity from wind. This bill adds solar to the statute so that the State could also collect an excise tax on electrical generation from solar. This bill will soon be heard by the Senate.

I am grateful for the opportunity and privilege to represent you. Please contact me at bill.henderson@wyoleg.gov with any questions or concerns you might have about the legislation we are discussing during the 67th General Session of the Wyoming Legislature.
HARRISBURG  Pennsylvania Republican Party officials voted Saturday to endorse a Montgomery County judge, Carolyn Carluccio, to be the partys nominee in this years election for an open state Supreme Court seat.

Party committee members voting at their meeting in Hershey backed Carluccio over two other judges who had sought the endorsement.

Carluccio, the president judge of Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, beat out Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Paula Patrick and Commonwealth Court Judge Patricia McCullough of Allegheny County. Both McCullough and Patrick lost in the partys 2021 primary for another state Supreme Court seat.

The state Democratic Party last weekend voted to endorse an appellate court judge from Philadelphia, Daniel McCaffery, for state Supreme Court. McCaffery serves on the statewide Superior Court, which handles appeals from county courts in criminal and civil cases.

The primary is May 16. The deadline to file petitions to get on the ballot is March 7, and candidates can start gathering voter signatures on Feb. 14.

The winner in November will serve a 10-year term on the states highest court.

Carluccio, 62, announced her candidacy in November for the partys nomination. She was first elected to her current post in 2009 and is a former federal prosecutor and chief public defender of Montgomery County.

The seven-seat high court currently has a majority of four justices elected as Democrats and two justices elected as Republicans.

One seat is open following the death last fall of Max Baer, who was chief justice. Baer died only months before he was to reach the mandatory retirement age of 75.
9 Missing After Fishing Boat Capsizes in South Korea

Members of the rescue team search for people from a capsized boat in waters off the country's southwestern coast in South Korea on Feb. 5, 2023. (Jung Hee-sung/Yonhap via AP)

SEOUL, South KoreaSouth Korean coast guard vessels and aircraft on Sunday were searching for nine fishermen who disappeared after their boat capsized off the countrys southwestern coast.

The coast guard from the southwestern port city of Mokpo said that three crew members were rescued by a nearby commercial vessel following the accident late Saturday near Daebichi Island in the sea county of Sinan.

Survivors said the boats engine room had quickly filled with water before the 24-ton vessel tipped over, according to the coast guard.

Members of a rescue team search for people from a capsized boat in waters off the countrys southwestern coast in South Korea on Feb. 5, 2023. (Jung Hee-sung/Yonhap via AP)

Officials were planning to salvage the boat, but it wasnt known whether the nine missing crew members would be inside. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said seven of the missing were South Korean nationals and the two others were foreigners, but it didnt immediately confirm their nationalities.

More than 30 coast guard vessels and at least eight coast guard and military aircraft were searching the area on Sunday afternoon.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for officials to mobilize all available resources to widen the search and also to provide support to the families of the missing fishermen, his office said.
During two days in May of 1927, Charles Augustus Lindbergh stepped from obscurity into history. His 3,600-mile transatlantic flight from New York to Paris is legendary. Flying solo for 33.5 hours, he became known as the Lone Eagle. Seven months after that fateful flight, the young aviator met someone who would become his partner as he explored new air routes, flying with him for uncharted miles. She was Anne Morrow, daughter of Dwight Whitney Morrow, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.

Birds of a Feather

Mr. and Mrs. Lindbergh on Sept. 18, 1929. Library of Congress. (Public Domain)

After the transatlantic flight, Charles Lindbergh was sent on goodwill trips around the world. On a trip to Mexico City, he was entertained by the ambassador and his daughter Anne, a student at Smith College, who was visiting her parents when the young aviator came to call. Charles and Anne were engaged after just four dates. They married on May 27, 1929 and shortly thereafter they took to the air. Charles taught Anne to fly in a Brunner-Winkle Bird BK biplane.

They might have seemed an unlikely couple: He was the tall, lanky adventurer, reserved and independent, while she was small, shy, and studious. Though she probably never had envisioned herself as an aviator, she took to flying quickly and became a very competent pilot and radio operator. In 1930, while pregnant with their first child, she broke the transcontinental speed record by three hours, flying as co-pilot and navigator with Charles in a Lockheed Sirius low-wing monoplane. She would go on to win the National Geographics Hubbard Medalthe same medal Charles won for his 1927 transatlantic flight.

The Great Circle Route

Charles and Anne Lindbergh inside the Lockheed Sirius. (Public Domain)

In 1931, Pan-American Airlines wanted to chart a commercial air route from New York to Tokyo. Anne and Charles were engaged to embark on a 7,000-mile journey in a custom-made Lockheed Sirius with a dual-controlled tandem cockpit. The plane was equipped with pontoons for water landings, not an unlikely necessity in that day. They dubbed their trip the Great Circle Route, setting a course north. From New York, they landed at North Haven, Maine, before setting off through Canada. The Lindberghs landed in multiple cities in Canada and Alaska before setting out across the Bering Strait and crossing the International Date Lineliterally flying into tomorrow.

Their first stop in Asia was at Karaginsky Island, off of the coast of Russias Kamchatka Peninsula. The sparsely inhabited mountainous island required a water landing. The couple then began island-hopping towards Japan. As they approached the city of Nemuro, on Hokkaido, they flew into a typhoon. This northernmost island of Japan was notorious for bad weather, and Anne and Charles struggled to land. In Charless autobiography he described it, My young wife and I lay braced against the fuselage walls while waves broke across our pontoons and wind howled through the cowlings.

Throughout the night the surf pounded mercilessly, pulling at their anchor rope and threatening to dash their plane on sharp rocks nearby. The Lindberghs slept fitfully for a few hours, but lay awake most of the night waiting for dawn. Their sleeping accommodations were spartanin the luggage compartment atop their parachute packs. Thankfully, the Japanese navy had been monitoring the couples progress and sent the ship Shinshiru Maru to their rescue. The ship sailed into the storm and found the plane. The crew roused the couple by tapping on the plane with an oar. After towing Anne and Charles to safety, the sailors handed the Lindberghs an envelope with this formal message: The Japanese people eagerly welcome you to Japan and await your safe arrival.

After landing in Kasumigaura, a few miles from Tokyo, the Lindberghs were welcomed by the Japanese and presented with flowers by Tokado Nagatsuka, daughter of a member of the Japanese Parliament, on Oct. 2, 1931. (Public Domain)

On Aug. 25, after traveling 7,132 miles in 28 days, the Lindberghs landed on Kasumigaura Bay at the Kasumigaura Naval Airport. They rode a train into Tokyo and stayed until Sept. 13. Charles remarked, I do not know what effect aircraft will eventually have on the world, but I have great confidence in its future. You must not, however, expect too much in one generation.

After the tragic and much publicized death of their first child, the Lindberghs had five more children. Charles died in 1974, and Anne lived to be 94. She passed away in 2001, having lived to see the worldwide commercial air travel she helped pioneer become an everyday reality.
The St. Francois County Commission took part in a lengthy discussion at its Tuesday, Feb. 1 meeting regarding a shortfall of approximately $100,000 in compensation from more than 20 counties that send bodies to the county morgue for autopsies, in addition to others performed for the county.

The subject came up as the commissioners were covering an agenda item regarding updating the one-year contract between the county and the forensic pathologist who uses the autopsy suite located at the Weber Road facility in Farmington.

In the current contract, totaling around $52,000 last year, the forensic pathologist pays the county one-half of the cost for medical waste disposal and the purchase of medical supplies, along with $10,000 per year, plus applicable tax, paid to Morgue Director Dana Shuh for assistance in performing autopsies.

In 2022, the forensic pathologist received $100 for each of the 281 autopsies performed in 2022  276 for St. Francois County, along with the 21 other counties the morgue serves, plus five private autopsies requested by families. In the new contract, the fee for each autopsy will be raised to $150.

Presiding Commissioner Harold Gallaher commented that he had noticed several typos in the previous contract.

For instance, it shows a 5% COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) increase for one employee, and that should have been 3, he said. Thats what everybody else got. It shows the wrong total salary for next year and the wrong amount of rental that the doctor pays the county per body for the autopsies hes performing. So, with the changes in that contract, do you want to see the final written version of it before we have a vote and whats the timeframe?

District 1 Commissioner Kary Buckley replied, I would say we probably need to make sure we have it written down before we approve the final on that, and then this gives us a year to update and maybe change a few things out there.

Noting the morgues financial shortfall, County Clerk Kevin Engler suggested that, following an analysis of the morgue by the auditors office that the morgue had experienced a loss of around $100,000, contracts should be renegotiated with the counties before approving their budgets for next year.

I know its an advantage to us to have the morgue here  and I totally get giving them the rent and utilities  but I talked to other county clerks, and they thought we were making money on the deal; thats why we want to take their bodies, he said. If were losing a substantial amount, I just think at some point in this next two months  before the other counties get into their budgeting, is that we stress to some of them  since we have like, whatever, 20 counties using us  how they should be able to share [in bearing the cost]. We can lose some money on it, but losing this substantial amount so that the others dont have to is pretty generous for our taxpayers.

Gallaher responded that shouldering some of the morgues additional costs wasnt as generous as Engler might think because by doing so, it had opened up a number of opportunities for St. Francois County.

So, having it there is a major, major benefit to us, and if we dont have these other counties, it would be very difficult for us to keep a qualified person like the doctor, he said. [The doctor] isnt going to operate on 59 bodies per year. Hes not going to stay here for 59 bodies a year. So, we need that extra business. Now, I do agree that we should up the income from the use, and I would venture that maybe a membership fee that is based on the per capita of each county.

Engler replied to Gallaher, saying, I dont think that Washington County should bear $15,000 or $20,000, which would be their percentage of our loss, but there should be something.

Gallaher repeated the idea of charging the counties a per capita membership fee.

Engler asserted that asking each county to pay a little more for the morgue service they receive from St. Francois County.

Its a convenience for [the other counties] to bring them here, and its more reasonable, he said. Ours does a good job. We turn ours around in about 24 hours, 36 hours, whereas St. Louis theres only St. Louis, Springfield, Kansas City and us.

Commissioner Buckley asserted that he felt the county was in a good position to negotiate with the counties.

Our morgue basically handles everything to the very southern border of the state, so youre talking about Farmington south  they bring everything to our morgue.

Gallaher asked Engler why he said that renegotiations with the other counties would have to take place within the next two months.

County Auditor Louie Seiberlich interjected, saying, Well, in the next few months

Engler said, Before everybody starts putting their budget process together, we need to reach out and say, Hey, listen, heres a fair way that we think

Buckley broke in, saying, Well look at it this year. Like I said, weve got a year

Engler reiterated that if the counties are contacted too late in the year, they will say theyve already put together their budget for the coming year. Seiberlich offered his opinion that the county would have until June or July to contact the counties about making changes that will result in a more equitable sharing of costs beginning at the start of 2024.

Gallaher mentioned that Buckley was planning to take a trip to Springfield, Missouri, to learn about their morgue operations.

We are looking at it, Gallaher said.

Were just basically going down there to look at their structure, Buckley said. I mean, to upgrade, we have done wonders out at the morgue. Were just looking into the future upgrading it, and basically, talk to them about how they financed their morgue.

Other actions taken during the meeting included the following:

 authorization of hazard pay for road and bridge department personnel.

 appointment of Josh Hall as deputy sheriff at the rate of $21.50 an hour.

 purchase of a vehicle lift for the jail maintenance building at an additional cost of $15,904.

 Adding a flush valve in the maintenance bay to aid in clearing the line and allowing the filling of various tanks, trucks, etc., at a cost of $4,509.

 granted approval for the county to apply for a $250,000 80/20 match recreational trails grant for the Owl Creek project.
ABC Apologises for Biased Report That Town Meeting on Alice Springs Crime Wave Was Show of White Supremacy

The logo for Australia's public broadcaster ABC is seen on its head office building in Sydney on Sept. 27, 2018. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has apologised for its incomplete coverage of an Alice Springs town meeting, in which locals worried about escalating crime rates in the community were accused of being racist.

The partial apology came after the shadow minister for communications revealed she had lodged a formal complaint about the shockingly biased reporting to the media watchdog to ask for an investigation.

On Jan. 30, more than 3,000 residentsincluding business owners, concerned families, and Indigenous leadersgathered for a town hall meeting in Alice Spring, a remote community in Australias Northern Territory, to address ways to manage the ongoing alcohol-fuelled crime wave and increasing youth violence.

The gathering, which was organised by local business owner Garth Thompson, reportedly lasted for around 20 minutes.

Much of the blame has been put on the Northern Territory state governments decision to lift an alcohol ban in the community in 2022, with residents preparing to sue for $1.5 billion (US$1.1 billion) in compensation.

10-year-old Cody Shaw rides a bike in the street outside the home of his aunty and indigenous campaigner Barbara Shaw in the Mount Nancy town camp at Alice Springs in Australias Northern Territory state on Oct. 13, 2013. (Greg Wood/AFP via Getty Images)

However on Jan. 31, the countrys taxpayer-funded national broadcaster aired a report focusing on what it characterised as a divided community and comments regarding race. A description of the meeting as a white supremacist fest to the ABCs flagship Radio National AM program, as well as following TV segments, was aired to Australians nationwide without providing the full context of the situation, the broadcaster later acknowledged.

ABCs Program Criticises Meeting

The radio program featured ABC Indigenous Affairs reporter Carly Williams interviews with people outside the meeting, with one woman who had left claiming it was a really a disgusting show of white supremacy.

It was really, really disappointing. It was scary to be in that room, she said.

Another woman outside the hall said: I am far more concerned about the dangers posed by those people in therethose white people have a choice to live herethan those vulnerable Aboriginal children whose connection to this country cannot be broken.

If they dont like living here, if they have a problem with it, then leave.

In a related TV segment, the ABC decided to air a mans violent language as he spoke about Indigenous people, but no evidence of racism inside the meeting was shown, resulting in the accusations of biased reporting.

The national broadcaster also published an interview with Nareen Young, a professor of Indigenous Policy at the University of Technology Sydney, who claimed that fed-up locals attending the meeting were living off the bounty of the Aboriginal land.

Young likened the Alice Spring town hall to a scene in Mississippi Burning, a 1988 thriller about the disappearance of civil rights workers in the American South in the 1960s.

If you saw that room in Mississippi Burning for example, Australians would say, How terrible, thats terrible that happens there, Young said on Wednesday night.

The racism and infantilisation of First Nations people in that town and the racism that they deal with day in day out is not being talked about and we need to talk about that, she said.

The Apology

ABC opened its apology on Friday evening by defending the views of those it chose to showcase in its program, saying their views were accurately reported and clearly newsworthy.

It then went on to say, we acknowledge that one report on AM was incomplete and did not adequately cover the full context of the meeting or the range of perspectives expressed at it.

ABC News apologises to audiences for providing an incomplete picture of the event in this instance. ABC news management takes responsibility.

The article hasnt been retracted, rather, it remains online with an editors note and links to additional coverage later posted about other points of view in the community and further context.

Over the course of the day, the coverage included information and perspectives that provided a balanced understanding of the event, including additional comments from the meeting and further context regarding allegations of racism.

The public broadcaster noted that it stands by its journalists covering this story.

The ABC has comprehensively covered the issues of substance abuse and public violence in Alice Springs and will continue to do so.

Following this report, ABC News published additional coverage of the issue which included a broader range of perspectives and context.

ABC Bias In the Spotlight

The apology came just hours after Liberal Senator and shadow minister for communications Sarah Henderson, a former ABC journalist, said she would asked the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to investigate the ABC over its Alice Springs meeting coverage.

Rather than tell the full story, the ABC offensively and inaccurately depicted the meeting as clearly all around white supremacy,' she wrote in a Twitter post on Feb. 3.

Not only has it refused to retract the story, apology and investigate how it got to air, the ABC has arrogantly defended it, she said at the time.

A very big ABC fail.

She also told Sky News that the broadcaster has completely and utterly lost the plot.

They clearly do not understand what it takes to be an impartial journalist, Henderson added, calling for a training of journalists.

Senator Sarah Henderson addresses the media in the Press Gallery at Parliament House on March 16, 2021 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Sam Mooy/Getty Images)

After the national broadcaster issued its apology, Henderson said her complaint to the media watchdog would be proceeding.

The ABCs belated apology for its shockingly biased reporting of Mondays Alice Springs town meeting, after arrogantly defending its coverage, reflects very poorly on editor in chief, MD David Anderson, she tweeted on Feb. 4.

Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson, who led calls for stricter punishments on crime in his town, called the ABCs coverage of the community meeting a kick in the teeth to residents who have put up with this for far too long.

Its adding unnecessary anxiety when we are all trying to come together to address the issue and here youve got the ABC lighting the fuse to have a race war, he told reporters.

Paterson had also called on the ABC to retract its story.

Meanwhile, Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Price has criticised the NT and federal governments on their decision to lift alcohol restrictions and said that both governments had been warned about what would happen by Indigenous community groups.

Alcohol bans in central Australia were first implemented in 2007 during the federal governments Northern Territorys Emergency Response, also known as the NT Intervention, under then-Prime Minister John Howard. It aimed to deal with lawlessness and crime in Indigenous townships and communities. Restrictions were continued in 2012 under Prime Minister Julia Gillards Stronger Future legislation (pdf), which expired in July 2022.

In a shared letter, nine local indigenous advocacy groups argued the alcohol restrictions were neither racist or discriminatory and that if the restrictions were lifted, it would lead to a spike in alcohol-related injuries and offending.

Victoria Kelly Clark contributed to this report.
Another Possible Chinese Spy Balloon Detected by Latin American Country

Officials in Colombia confirmed a sighting of an airborne object similar to a balloon flying over its territory, although its not clear if its of Chinese origin.

In a statement Saturday as U.S. officials shot down a Chinese spy balloon near the Carolina coastline, the Colombian military said its air defense service detected an object above 55,000 feet that entered Colombian airspace in the northern sector of the country, according to a translation. The object, it said, was moving at a speed of about 25 knots per hour, or characteristics similar to those of a balloon.

The Colombian Air Force was deployed and it followed the object until it left the countrys airspace.

It was possible to determine that this [object] did not represent a threat to national security and defense, as well as air safety, the statement said. Other details were not provided.

U.S. military officials recently said another Chinese balloon was spotted somewhere over Latin America but did not specify its location. No other official confirmation of unidentified balloons flying over other Latin American countries has been issued as of Sunday.

We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters last week. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) did not comment on reports of a balloon flying over Latin America. The CCP had confirmed last week that the balloon flying over the U.S. belonged to China, but claimed that it was a civilian meteorological device that was blown off coursean assertion that was widely disputed by U.S. military officials.

In recent days, however, balloon sightings have been made in Venezuela and Costa Rica by multiple social media users. Twitter posts show what appears to be another balloon passing over both Venezuela and Colombia in recent days.

A U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft shoots down a Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast on Feb. 4, 2023. (Jason Sellers via AP)

A jet flies by a Chinese spy balloon as it floats off the coast in Surfside Beach, S.C., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Randall Hill/Reuters)

A lawyer from Costa Rica said that he thought it was a UFO, or unidentified flying object.

I have to say, I was pretty excited as I initially thought I was seeing a UFO because the object was big, bright, and absolutely still, Esteban Carranza told CNN. I looked at the object for around 45 minutes from different locations, completely still, and a few hours later went back out again and it was still there, in the exact same place. Lots of people were looking at it from different parts of the city. Even though not a UFO, it was still very unusual and therefore an exciting experience.

Other Details

On Sunday, there were a bevy of reports from Fox News that claimed Chinese surveillance balloons passed over the United States in previous years, while one claimed that a balloon crashed near the Hawaii coast late last year. The Epoch Times has contacted multiple military branches and the Pentagon for comment on those reports.

Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, refuted claims foisted by unnamed Pentagon officials that said at least three balloons passed over the United States while Trump was in office. Several other Trump-era officials, including former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and national security adviser John Bolton, also refuted such claims, saying they were never aware of Chinese balloons transiting through U.S. airspace while they were in office.

The saga of the downed Chinese spy balloon off the U.S. coast captivated public attention for days, and was widely seen as worsening U.S.Chinese relations. CCP officials lashed out at the United States for shooting down the balloon on Saturday and Sunday, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced last week that he wont be making a scheduled trip to China.

On Saturday afternoon, an F-22 Raptor fighter plane shot down the balloon over waters near North and South Carolina, according to the Department of Defense. A Pentagon news release said that President Joe Biden authorized it being shot down as Republicans and some Democrats called for it to be taken down soon after it was spotted near Billings, Montana, late last week.

Some lawmakers suggested the U.S. military shoot down the balloon flying over Latin America.

First, shoot down the Chinese spy balloon over the United States. Second, shoot down the one over Latin America, wrote Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) Third, rebuild our military to stop Chinas global domination.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Another Year of Net Migration Loss for California, New Data Show

A man talks on his cell phone while riding on the back of a moving truck in Pacifica, Calif., on Jan. 26, 2016. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

California experienced the largest net domestic outmigration of any state in 2022, with a decrease of 343,230 people, according to a real estate analysis by the National Association of Realtors published on Jan. 30.

However, the Golden State remains the most populous state in the nation with nearly 39 million residents.

Millions of people moved during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by opportunities for remote work, more space, and affordability, yet the moving rate has decreased over the last six years, according to the analysis.

The association used data from the U.S. Postal Service change-of-address database that shows that 70 percent of ZIP codes experienced fewer inbound moves in 2022 than in 2021. The official census data for 2022 is not yet available.

According to the realtors analysis, in 2022, Florida became the fastest-growing state in the U.S. for the first time since 1957, with more people moving in than out, both domestically and internationally. In contrast, California, New York, and Illinois saw the most people moving out of any state, leading to a population dip.

Leaving California

It is no surprise to me that families are fleeing California, Florida resident Terry Gilliam, founder of the growing Facebook group of almost 100,000 members Leaving California told The Epoch Times. Gilliam moved to Florida almost two years ago and said he could not be happier.

Just about everything is 25 to 50 percent lower in cost here, including housing, he said.

According to a 2022 study from the Public Policy Institute of California, its expected that most Californians moving to less expensive states are leaving the areas where housing costs are highest.

But while some areas such as the Central Coast and the San Joaquin Valley have a somewhat lower rate of loss, every region is a loser when it comes to net migration out of California.

The study noted this trend may have accelerated during the pandemic.

The report found the Bay Area and Los Angeles account for 43 percent of the 3.3 million people who have left the state from 2016 to 2020.

Migration Trends

The postal data analyzed by the realtors group highlighted the nations population trends, showing that the South continues to be a popular destination.

Additionally, 26 states experienced an influx of people, with more people moving in than out. The states with the most net domestic migration gains in 2022 were Florida with 318,855 people moving in, Texas at 230,961, and the CarolinasNorth Carolina at 99,796 and South Carolina at 84,030.

With most of these fast-growing areas located in the South, this region continues to be the most populous region, with nearly 130 million residents, the association wrote.

According to the realtors group, after the pandemic hit, the Sun Belt region saw a strong job market recovery. In the top 10 large areas with the highest rate of inbound migration, the job market has recovered all the jobs that were lost, and there are around 5 percent more jobs now compared to March 2020.

This recovery has been more than double the national rate. For example, the Deltona metro area has seen a 6 percent increase in jobs since pre-pandemic, and an inbound move rate of nearly 56 percent. On the other hand, big city centers such as New York, San Francisco, and Chicago lost movers. Despite these trends, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Washington metro areas have seen migration gains.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 46 percent of moves in 2021 were for housing-related reasons, a 6-percentage point increase from the previous year.

Based on the data, this increase was primarily due to people looking for a better neighborhood, cheaper housing, and the desire for a newer/better/larger home, the report said.
Danniel Oickle (2nd L) with Marc Raper (L), Jean Fortin, and Simon Joly (R) at Shen Yun Performing Arts at Place des Arts in Montreal on Feb. 4, 2023. (Donna He/The Epoch Times)

MONTREAL, CanadaDanniel Oickle, an artist, felt an experience of being uplifted as he watched Shen Yun Performing Arts on the afternoon of Feb. 4.

The overall feeling is one of being sort of uplifted. And its lovelythe colors are beautiful, the dancers are spectacular, said Mr. Oickle, who attended the matinee at the Place des Arts in Montreal in a party of four.

Its spectacular, he said.

New York-based Shen Yun is the worlds top classical Chinese dance company. Its performances showcase classical Chinese dance in its purest form, using it to tell stories from history and transport audiences back through various dynasties.

Mr. Oickle, who danced classical ballet himself until he incurred an injury, conveyed his admiration for the dancers. He enjoyed the expressivity and how the costumes were incorporated into the movements.

Its so graceful, so fluid, he said. Just really elegant.

He found some values noteworthy while watching the story-based dances.

It was a lot of community, he said. Either it was the family versus the invading army, or you had just the dancers dancing together as a sort of harmonious collection. I think that was the feeling for me.

He also noted the themes of protection, and loyalty, which he felt was a lost value in todays world.

They trust, he said, explaining the plot of one of the stories. Loyalty: I trust you, youre loyal, and Im loyal back to you, like it wasnt just like a one-way loyal.

He felt it was a good message.

Reporting by Donna He.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
ASEAN Vows to Conclude Pact With China on Disputed Territory

(LR) Malaysian Foreign Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir, Philippine's Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Thailand's Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, Vietnam's Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Laotian Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affair Erywan Yusof, Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, East Timor's Foreign Minister Adaljiza Magno, and ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn pose for a group photo during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers retreat in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Achmad Ibrahim/AP Photo)

JAKARTA, IndonesiaSoutheast Asian foreign ministers vowed to finalize negotiations with China over a proposed pact aimed at preventing conflicts in the disputed South China Sea in their annual retreat on Saturday in Indonesias capital.

In the final session of their two-day meeting, the ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations also agreed to unite in their approach to implement a five-step agreement made in 2021 between ASEAN leaders and Burmas military leader, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, that seeks to end that countrys worsening crisis.

China and the ASEAN member states, which include four rival claimants to territories in the South China Sea, have been holding sporadic talks for years on a code of conduct, a set of regional norms and rules aimed at preventing a clash the disputed waters.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said that Indonesia, this years ASEAN chair, is ready to host more rounds of negotiations over the proposed pact, the first of which will be held in March. She said ASEAN members are committed to concluding the discussions as soon as possible.

Members are also committed to promote implementation of a declaration of conduct, Marsudi added.

Marsudi did not elaborate, but in the past, the Chinese regime has accused Washington of meddling in what it calls an Asian dispute. The United States has deployed ships and jets to patrol the waters to promote freedom of navigation and overflight. It has often raised alarm over the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) aggressive actions, including its construction of islands where it has placed weapons including surface-to-air missiles.

Sidharto Suryodipuro, head of ASEAN Cooperation at Indonesias Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Jakarta that ASEAN member states will push negotiations this year and explore new approaches.

All of us agreed that it has to be an effective implementable in accordance with international law, and the code of conduct must fulfill this criteria, Suryodipuro said. Its an exploratory stage. We dont know what shape it will take, but as you know negotiation is a key process that is something we intend to intensify, he said.

The CCP has come under intense criticism for its militarization of the strategic waterway but says it has the right to build on its territories and defend them at all costs.

Vietnam, one of the four ASEAN claimant states, has been vocal in expressing concerns over the CCPs transformation of seven disputed reefs into man-made islands, including three with runways, which now resemble small cities armed with weapons systems.

ASEAN members Cambodia and Laos, both Chinese allies, have opposed the use of strong language against Beijing in the disputes.

Indonesia is not among the governments challenging Chinas claim to virtually the entire South China Sea but expressed opposition after China claimed part of Indonesias exclusive economic zone in the northern region of the Natuna Islands.

The edge of the exclusive economic zone overlaps with the CCPs unilaterally declared nine-dash line demarking its claims in the South China Sea.

On the issue of Burma (also known as Myanmar), Marsudi told a news conference Saturday that ASEAN foreign ministers reiterated the urgent need for Burmas military junta to implement the five-point consensus, saying it is very important for ASEAN.

On Friday, the ministers urged Burmas military rulers to reduce violence and allow unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to pave the way for a national dialogue aimed at ending the crisis.

Burma is also an ASEAN member, but its foreign minister was excluded from Fridays annual ministers retreat because of his countrys failure to implement the five-step consensus.

Marsudi said the ministers agreed that an inclusive national dialogue is key to finding a peaceful resolution to the situation in Myanmar, and that reducing violence and providing humanitarian assistance are paramount for building trust and confidence.

She said the lack of progress in Burma tests our credibility as a group, and that ASEANs efforts toward peace would be coordinated with those of other countries and the United Nations.

Burmas military leader promised in the five-point agreement to allow a special ASEAN envoy to meet with jailed ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and others to foster a dialogue aimed at easing the crisis, set off by the militarys seizure of power two years ago.

But Burma refused to let an ASEAN envoy meet with Suu Kyi last year, resulting in Min Aung Hlaings exclusion from an ASEAN summit last November.

The public should expect that Indonesia could provide fresh air for finding a political solution to the worsening conflict in Myanmar, said Dinna Prapto Raharja, an international relations analyst from Synergy Policies, an independent think tank.

The fragmentation of power in Myanmar is worse and so managing the violence has become more complex, she said.

By Niniek Karmini
Chinese Police Sold Organs From Executed Prisoners, Witness Says

Falun Gong demonstrators dramatize the illegal act of paying for human organs during a protest on April 19, 2006, in Washington, in conjunction with the visit by Chinese leader Hu Jintao to the United States. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Its not uncommon to see someone breaking down in tears in hospitals. So when Guo Zhigong, who was being treated for aplastic anemia, tried to help a fellow patient who was crying, he didnt expect to hear a story about Chinas opaque organ transplant business.

The patient, in his 40s, was worried about a kidney transplant scheduled the next day in eastern Chinas Qingdao city. The promised organ was from a prisoner due to be executed hours before the life-saving surgery. They had already undergone blood matches.

But what followed was another eye-opener: the family of the executed appeared to have no knowledge that a part of their loved ones body had been sold by the police.

The patients wife was told to give cash gifts to the police, Gao recalled what the woman told him. The police, according to the womans recount, told the father of the executed prisoner that he didnt have all the necessary documentation to recover the body. This was an excuse the police gave so that they could keep the body for their grisly business.

Once they got the body, the organs were sold to hospitals, Guo, who now lives in the UK, told The Epoch Times. This is the source of the kidney.

That incident occurred in the early 1990s, when there was no voluntary organ donation system in China. Most kidneys, livers, corneas, and other organs for transplantation were taken from executed prisoners, the regime admitted in 2005. Prior to that, the authorities denied that it stripped organs from executed inmates, a practice that has long been criticized by human rights groups given that prisoners lack the ability to provide free consent.

But abuses in Chinas transplant industry do not end there. Over the past decade-and-a-half, detailed accounts from informants and extensive research papers have shown that organs have been removed even before prisoners died.

Guos account adds to mounting evidence of the Chinese regimes systemic transplant abuses that over the past two decades has transformed into a sprawling system in which organs are procured from unwilling prisoners including those detained simply for their spiritual beliefand using them to supply the countrys multibillion transplant trade.

Organ Transplant Business

It was in the summer of 1991 when Guo met the organ recipient for the first time. The patient, a man who was suffering from uremia, was crying in a ward as he feared he might die the next day, when he was scheduled to receive a new kidney.

The patient told Guo the kidney was from a death row prisoner that is due to be executed on the same day.

Transplanting organs from executed prisoners was almost an open secret at that time, though the Chinese authorities denied the practice. It was even allowed under a regulation that took effect in 1984. The dead bodies or organs of the following categories of the executed inmates can be made use ofif family members refuse to collect the body, if the prisoners volunteer their bodies before execution, or if the families consent, read the regulation issued by Chinas highest court.

But in practice, the regulation was only a cover: There would be consent no matter what the actual desire of inmates or their families.

The police authorities had already performed blood tests with the death row prisoner and results show they were [a kidney] match, Guo recounted what the patients family said.

There was a group of police who were responsible for getting the body slated for organ extraction back, Guo said.

They would require family members of the executed to present multiple documents or proofs of identity and relationships, which Guo noted were not required by regulations. He suggested that was part of efforts to make sure the body of the executed could be classified as an abandoned corpse so police could take it away.

Patients due to receive an organ need to pay an additional amount of money to the police. That was what the patients family member told me, Guo said. I also saw [the patients wife] wrapping cash in paper. She said that was for the police. The doctor asked her to give money directly to the public security officers.

I was very, very sad and very angry, Guo described the feelings as he learned hospitals were colluding with the law enforcement department to illegally obtain and sell organs from death row prisoners.

I felt outraged.

Guo Zhigong. (NTD/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Forced Organ Harvesting

That man had a successful kidney transplant, Guo said, though another patient who had a transplantation at the same time died during the operation.

These kidney transplants were performed at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, a major hospital in the eastern port city of Qingdao.

According to its website, the institution was among the first large hospitals in China to carry out organ transplants. Staff at the hospital confirmed with The Epoch Times that doctors at the hospital were performing kidney transplants in 1991.

The first organ transplant operation in China occurred in the 1970s. But there was no official organ donation and distribution system until 2015. Chinese people, meanwhile, are reluctant to donate their organs because of traditional beliefs that view the body as a gift from their parents and prescribes it be left untouched after death.

However, in the early 2000s, a sudden and mysterious boom of Chinas transplant industry started: organ transplant rates shot up. Hundreds of new organ transplant centers opened across the country. A flush of websites advertised waiting times as short as weeks, or even days, for a vital organ transplant, something unheard of in developed countries relying on an voluntary organ donation system.

The industrys tremendous development coincided with the advent of the regimes aggressive campaign to wipe out Falun Gong, a traditional spiritual practice involving meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.

The practice shot up in popularity in the 1990s, with an estimated up to 100 million Chinese having taken up the practice over six years, exceeding the Partys membership at that time. Perceiving this to be a threat to the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) grip on power, then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin launched a brutal persecution targeting the practice and its adherents in July 1999.

Since then, million of adherents have been thrown in detention facilities, where brainwashing and torture is common. For the communist regime, this surge in detainees also effectively created a large captive population of unconsenting organ donors.

In 2019, an independent peoples tribunal concluded that the regime had for years been killing prisoners on a significant scale to supply its transplant market, and that the killing continues to this day. The main victims, the tribunal found, were imprisoned Falun Gong practitioners.

Amid growing scrutiny over its transplant practices, the regime set up an official organ donation system in 2015, claiming it would phase out the practice of sourcing organs from executed prisoners. The tribunal, however, found the organ donation figures did not match the staggering number of transplants occurring.

Break the Silence

Guos account aligned with others who had participated in or witnessed the regimes opaque practice during the same period of time.

Bob (a pseudonym), a former public security officer who guarded execution sites in the mid-1990s, witnessed how death-row prisoners were converted into products for sale in the organ trade. He described it as an industrialized supply chain in which the judicial system, police, and doctors all participated.

The harvesting of death-row prisoners organs was an open secret, Bob, who now lives in the United States said in a 2021 interview with The Epoch Times. But as far as I know, no one told the death row prisoners their organs would be extracted.

Dr. Enver Tohti, while working as a surgeon in Xinjiang Province, China, personally carried out organ harvesting of Uyghur prisoners. Those techniques were later applied to the Falun Gong prison population, according to testimony. (Li Zi/The Epoch Times)

Enver Tohti, a native Uyghur surgeon from the far western Chinese region of Xinjiang, testified about having helped two doctors carve out the liver and two kidneys from a prisoner in 1995 on the order of his immediate superior.

What I recall is, with my scalpel, I tried to cut into his skin, [and] there was blood to be seen. That indicates that the heart was still beating.  At the same time, he was trying to resist my insertion, but he was too weak, he told the independent tribunal in 2019.

The latest piece of evidence was from peer-reviewed research published in the American Journal of Transplantation in April 2022. Researchers identified dozens of papers published in Chinese-language medical journals between 1980 and 2015 in which surgeons procured hearts and lungs without abiding by standard procedures for confirming brain death.

They have procured organs from people who are not proclaimed dead, meaning they became the executioners, said report co-author Dr. Jacob Lavee, director of the Heart Transplantation Unit at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel.

The growing number of reports touched a deep nerve in Guos family. We think we should speak it out, Guos son told The Epoch Times. It has haunted [my father] for over three decades.

But it was not an easy decision. Over the past decades, multiple informants who shed light on the grisly practice did so on the condition of anonymity to protect themselves from the regimes retaliation.

Falun Gong practitioners take part in a parade marking the 22nd year of the persecution of Falun Gong in China, in Brooklyn, N.Y., on July 18, 2021. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)

Gaining courage from his belief, Guo said the decision to use his real name was to encourage more witnesses to break the silence and heightened the exposure of the horrific atrocities.

There were so many Falun Gong practitioners who were subjected to the illegal practice of forced organ harvesting in China. That was against humanity.

I hope more people could be aware of it, especially those who had similar experiences as mine, or had knowledge of the matter. I appeal to you to speak out.

Guo added: The devils powers will never surpass those of the good. Lets believe God will grant us wisdom and protect us.

Chang Chun and Eva Fu contributed to this report.
Companies Continue to Exit China Despite CCPs Overture of Strengthening Economy: Observers

Chinese workers assemble electronic components at the Taiwanese technology giant Foxconn's factory in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, on May 26, 2010. (AFP/Getty Images)

Chinas ruling communist regime has started announcing plans to stimulate the domestic economy after the week-long Chinese Lunar New Year celebration. However, experts arent optimistic about Chinas economic prospects and anticipate another wave of company exits.

Authorities in many provinces and cities across the country have held high-profile meetings since the Lunar New Year holiday to hammer out the key economic tasks for 2023, according to mainland Chinese media. Provincial officials have signaled plans to fight for the economy with full strength during the meetings.

Recently, many top officials at the provincial, city, and county levels also have hosted entrepreneur forums, Mr. Liu, an entrepreneur in Guangdong, the largest Chinese province by gross domestic product, told The Epoch Times. But he feels those gatherings have been useless, because the credibility of the governments has gradually declined in recent years, and many entrepreneurs attended just for show.

In fact, many policies have not been implemented, and enterprises that can receive subsidies or assistance are limited to the few top ones in the industry, he said.

Workers build smartphone chip component circuits at a factory in Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China, on May 8, 2017. (Nicolas Asforui/AFP/Getty Images)

Liu said the fundamentals of the overall Chinese economy are still dominated by manufacturing and exports. In the consumer electronics industry that hes in, factory orders shrank last year by at least 40 percent, without any sign of improvement.

In recent years, Chinese shoemaking, home appliances, and electronic technology companies have invested in manufacturing in Vietnam.

For example, Chinas leading panel maker, BOE, plans to invest $400 million this year to build two factories in Vietnam to supply TV screens for Samsung and LG Electronics, according to Reuters.

Exodus to Southeast Asia

U.S.-based current affairs commentator Wang He told The Epoch Times that the three-year-long COVID-19 epidemic will significantly affect the Chinese economy.

A typical example occurred when a large number of workers at Foxconn, Apples supplier factory for iPhones, fled Zhengzhou city when COVID-19 started spreading at company facilities. The workers couldnt bear the regimes restrictive zero-COVID policy, such as indefinite lockdowns and the fear of group infection because of the regimes lack of transparency on COVID-19 information.

Then, the Chinese regime suddenly abandoned all COVID-19 controls in December 2022, amid increasing infection rates. The virus then spread even more rapidly, with many places reporting 80 percent infection rates within 20 days, which had a massive effect on factory and business operations.

Due to uncertainty created by the U.S.China technology war and the sudden change of the COVID-19 policies by Chinese authorities, Apple accelerated the relocation of its supply chain to India and Vietnam at the end of 2022. The MacBook Pro/Air series products will be produced in Vietnam by Foxconns Hon Hai factory starting in May, while plans call for iPhone production to be moved to India.

People with suitcases and bags leave a Foxconn compound in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, on Oct. 29, 2022, in a still from video. (Hangpai Xingyang via AP)

After COVID restrictions were lifted, many domestic private enterprises who have overseas customers are not sure about their future in China, and they may move their factories to Southeast Asia one after anothermostly to Vietnam, Liu said.

Wang predicted that 2023 will be a very difficult year for Chinas economy, with sluggish domestic demand, bottomed-out investment, and a weak importexport market.

At this time, if small- and medium-sized enterprises want to survive, they must quickly relocate their production bases overseas, especially considering the trend of selective decoupling from China by the United States and other Western countries, according to Wang.

In addition, the real number of people infected with COVID-19 and the death toll in China in the past three years, which has been concealed by the CCP authorities, has become another major variable affecting the Chinese economy, Wang said.

Lin Cenxin, Luo Ya, and Reuters contributed to the report.
Cory Morgan: A Dangerous Double Standard Appears to Be at Play in Canadas Justice System

People opposed to COVID-19 restrictions are given a police escort as they march in Vancouver on Feb. 20, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

Commentary

As criminal justice cases related to the COVID-19 pandemic and citizens responses to it make their way through Canadas agonizingly slow justice system, a disturbing trend of possible judicial bias appears to be emerging. The double standard being applied to prosecutions linked to any form of protests against pandemic restrictions is stark and disturbing. The examples are growing.

In a recent article in the Western Standard, it was reported that Crown counsel would not approve the pursuit of charges against a man who used a bicycle as a weapon and attacked a vehicle and the passenger inside it during a protest against pandemic mandates on March 28, 2021. The B.C. prosecution service told the Standard they determined a conviction wouldnt be likely in the case.

The video evidence from the incident makes the statement from the prosecution service rather hard to believe. A man is clearly seen repeatedly approaching a vehicle and smashing it and the person on the passenger side with his bicycle, until ultimately breaking the glass when the passenger rolled up the window. It was a dangerous act causing substantial damage to the vehicle and could have seriously injured the passenger.

The aggressor was apparently taken into custody at the time and police recommended charges of mischief and assault with a weapon. It beggars belief that somebody could view that video and feel a conviction would be unlikely. The person demonstrated clear violent tendencies, and it should be incumbent on the justice system to follow up on this if only to try to prevent a future incident. The man in the video needs to face consequences and perhaps has some mental health issues that should be addressed, yet he faced no sanction. This sends a signal to extreme-minded people that they can get violent with some protesters, as long as the protesters they attack are in opposition to government restrictions. A dangerous precedent to set, to say the least.

In another case, Stephanie Warriner was viciously restrained by security staff in a hospital for her refusal to wear a mask correctly. A recently released video horrifyingly shows several security guards grabbing the woman and pulling her behind a pillar. The camera is then turned away by another security worker who was remotely operating the camera. The next portion of the video shows the woman being wheeled away limp and motionless. She never regained consciousness and died days later.

Charges of manslaughter were laid against two of the guards, but they were dismissed on Nov. 22, 2022, by Superior Court Justice Sean Dunphy. Warriner was a slight woman who had breathing challenges. The actions of the security guards certainly warranted a day in court to take a deep dive into what happened and why.

On the other side of the coin, Canada is more than willing to use the full force of the law against people charged with protesting against government pandemic restrictions.

Tamara Lich remains in legal limbo as she awaits her trial. Lich spent a total of 48 days in custody following her arrest in Ottawa during the Freedom Convoy protests. It took weeks of legal wrangling for her to get bail initially. Then, due to her having dared to pose in a picture with the wrong people, homicide detectives were assigned to fly across the country to re-arrest Lich and fly her back to Ottawa to be returned to jail for bail violations.

Lich was ultimately released on bail again, but the dedication and zeal committed to incarcerating a non-violent woman with no prior criminal history were unprecedented. Lich presents no threat to society while awaiting trial, and the efforts to keep her behind bars appear to have been driven by political motivation rather than public safety.

While bail is difficult to obtain for peaceful protesters, it appears to be ridiculously easy to get for known violent offenders and it has led to tragic consequences.

OPP Const. Grzegorz (Greg) Pierzchala was murdered in cold blood on Dec. 27, 2022. The alleged killer had been released on bail after having been charged with multiple violent offences, including assaulting a police officer.

Former CBC journalist Michael Finlay died on Jan. 31, 2023, a week after a random attack on a street in Toronto. The man suspected in the crime and being sought was recently released on bail after being charged with violent crimes.

Is it really that difficult to distinguish between violent and non-violent offenders when determining bail?

The justice system is failing to keep the public safe, and it appears politicization of the process is a factor in the problem. There is a dangerous double standard at play and it must be rectified.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Defence Minister Says Canada Supports US Downing of Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon

Defence Minister Anita Anand rises during question period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on April 5, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

The federal defence minister says Canada unequivocally supports the United States governments decision to shoot down a highaltitude surveillance balloon that was suspected of spying for China, noting the balloon violated Canadian airspace.

Fighter jets downed the balloon off the Carolina coast on Saturday afternoon after it had travelled over sensitive military sites across North America.

Anita Anand issued a statement hours later saying she and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were briefed on the operation by the national security and intelligence advisor and the chief of the defence staff beginning on Friday night and continuing Saturday.

She said Canada has been closely engaged with its American counterparts on the decision and went on to thank the U.S. for its close collaboration.

A Pentagon official described the object as a manoeuverable surveillance balloon flying at an altitude of about 18,288 metres, with a payload or basket underneath.

On Friday, Anands office declined to comment on whether the balloon flew over Canadian airspace, but her Saturday statement says it violated U.S. and Canadian airspace and international law.

Officials in the national security community have been working binationally and Canada has been closely engaged with its U.S. counterparts on the decision and unequivocally supports the actions taken, Anand said in the statement.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Saturday he ordered U.S. officials to shoot down the balloon earlier this week and that national security leaders decided the best time for the operation was when it moved over water.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has said the balloon was a civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research that deviated far from its planned course because of winds.

Anand noted Saturday that Norad, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, had been tracking and analyzing the trajectory and actions of the balloon.

The cooperation between Canada and the United States through Norad ensures the security and defense of North American air sovereignty, and we thank its members for having the watch, she said.

Pentagon officials have said one of the places the balloon was spotted was over the state of Montana, which is home to one of Americas three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement the decision to shoot down the balloon safely over U.S. waters was taken in coordination, and with the full support, of the Canadian government.

And we thank Canada for its contribution to tracking and analysis of the balloon through Norad as it transited North America, Austin said in the statement.

Global Affairs Canada said Friday that officials summoned Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu to express disapproval over the balloon.

U.S. officials also announced Secretary of State Antony Blinken was postponing a planned highstakes weekend diplomatic trip to China.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2023.
Doctors Opioid Prescription Conviction Tossed After Supreme Court Ruling

Tablets of the opioid-based Hydrocodone at a pharmacy in Portsmouth, Ohio, on June 21, 2017. (Bryan Woolston/Reuters)

A federal appeals court on Friday overturned the conviction of a doctor accused of unlawfully prescribing addictive opioids in Arizona and Wyoming after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in his favor that made it harder to prosecute such cases.

The Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that under last years Supreme Courts decision, jurors were wrongly instructed on how to determine whether Shakeel Kahn knowingly prescribed powerful drugs in an illegal manner.

He was at the center of a Supreme Court ruling in January 2022 that raised the bar for what prosecutors must prove to secure convictions of doctors accused of fueling the U.S. opioid crisis by turning their medical practices into pill mills.

Kahns lawyer, Beau Brindley, said in a statement Fridays decision should pave the way to finally ending the practice of unfairly scapegoating doctors for an opiate crisis for which they were never responsible.

Kahn, 56, has been serving a 25-year prison sentence after a jury in Wyoming in 2019 found him guilty of unlawfully distributing prescription medications, operating a continuing criminal enterprise and other charges.

Prosecutors said Kahn from 2011 to 2016 prescribed powerful pain drugs to people in Arizona and Wyoming in exchange for money after performing perfunctory or no examinations. They included one woman who died of an oxycodone overdose.

At trial, Kahn did not contest that patients abused their medications but disputed what his intent was in prescribing them drugs, asserting he had a good faith reason to believe his prescriptions were valid.

He took his case to the Supreme Court, which held that prosecutors have to prove that doctors knew they illegally prescribed drugs in violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act.

The justices left to the three-judge 10th Circuit panel to decide whether jurors were properly instructed in Kahns case under that standard.

U.S. Circuit Judge Mary Beck Briscoe wrote that they were not, saying the instructions effectively lowered the governments burden to showing only that Dr. Kahns behavior was objectively unauthorizednot that Dr. Kahn intended to act without authorization.

By Nate Raymond
Global vaccine accessibility urged as Western countries ditch expired doses

Xinhua) 13:39, February 05, 2023

LONDON, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a threat to global public health, the World Health Organization (WHO) last month calls for the momentum for vaccination to be maintained to better cover high-priority groups.

The vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries is still insufficient, which became a concern about the ongoing risk, according to the WHO.

The world has been struggling to tackle the problem of unequal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines between rich and lower-income countries. Yet, years after the outbreak of the pandemic, promises made by many rich countries have yet to be delivered.

"No one is safe until everyone is safe," said Seth Berkley, CEO of the global vaccine alliance Gavi.

EMPTY PROMISES

According to figures from Our World in Data, as early as two years ago, developed countries had already acquired enough doses to vaccinate their population more than one shot for each. But even now, many Western developed countries have not yet fulfilled their promises to deliver vaccines to low-income countries.

There are currently nearly 400 million doses of vaccines announced by the United States but not yet donated, according to the data. For the United Kingdom and Switzerland, the number is 41 million and 6.2 million.

Commenting on the low vaccination rates in low-income countries, Richard Hatchett, CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, told Xinhua in an earlier interview that "the delay in vaccines getting to them has really been intolerable."

Last month at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 in Davos, Switzerland, Hatchett urged countries and manufacturers to prioritize vaccine supply to the global program COVAX.

VACCINES DESTROYED

According to a report by qz.com last October, Canada destroyed nearly 14 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses in early 2022. Switzerland was also reported to destroy more than 14 million doses of vaccines, which was more than four times the doses it donated to low-income countries.

What also worsened the global accessibility of vaccines is that some low-income countries had to turn down the offering of vaccine doses that were due to expire soon, or had to destroy such doses.

In May 2021, Malawi destroyed nearly 20,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, which arrived in the country at the end of March but would expire on April 13.

In an article published in the Sunday Mirror newspaper in 2021, WHO Ambassador for Global Health Financing Gordon Brown said the West's stockpile of COVID-19 vaccine is growing by the day but many poorer parts of the world are missing out.

"We must act now," said the former British prime minister.

IMMUNITY GAP

The obvious gap between immunity in rich and poorer countries has drawn the attention of many experts. Many have warned that the longer the unequal vaccine distribution exists, the wider COVID-19 spreads, and new variants are more likely to emerge.

Extremely unequal vaccine distribution has typified the availability of vaccines across countries, said a study published in August 2022 in the UK journal Communications Medicine. "In an unequal world with open economies, pandemics do not stop at national borders," it stressed.

Since about 85 percent of the global population resides in low- and middle-income countries, most of humanity remains exposed to continued outbreaks, the study said, adding that this situation increases the risk that further virus variants will emerge, possibly undermining the efficacy of existing vaccines.

Most people in the world's poorest countries might not have access to COVID-19 vaccines until at least mid-2023, it said.

"We will only prevent variants from emerging if we are able to protect all of the world's population, not just the wealthy parts," said Berkley.

As long as large portions of the world's population are unvaccinated, variants will continue to appear, and the pandemic will continue to be prolonged, he said.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
When the Brownsville City Council decided last year to write its own news articles for submission in the local weekly paper with the expectation they would run, it was enough to raise our journalistic eyebrows.

But four more recent events locally and across Oregon indicate that the First Amendment is widely misunderstood. That this misunderstanding is made by public officials is beyond troublesome.

Let's review, so we're all on the same page. This is the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Here, we're homing in on the right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press. But most importantly, we can't discuss those without highlighting the first five words: "Congress shall make no law."

Since applied by courts to mean all forms of government  including state and local  the First Amendment restricts government. In the same breath, it grants freedom of the press, which includes all forms of news media these days. Until the newly composed and ardently originalist U.S. Supreme Court decides it doesn't apply to the internet because it wasn't invented yet and does not require actual ink.

But we digress.

Distilling it down: Government can't tell you what and what not to say. It's why hate speech is not illegal. Government can tell you what not to do, which is why criminal actions inspired by hate can be prosecuted. There are very few instances, defined clearly in previous court cases, in which the government can restrict speech.

On the opposite side of the amendment, the press has total freedom to publish or not publish news items, letters to the editor, columns, analyses, etc., as it sees fit. The government cannot dictate coverage, decide what's "fair and balanced," or demand a pro-government slant.

Still on the same page? Good, let's get to the worrisome trend we've spotted.

In October, in the height of a heated campaign for the next elected sheriff of Linn County, a complaint came in that we were unfairly 86-ing the letters to the editor in support of one of the candidates. We weren't; it was a complete fabrication and likely a campaign narrative. But that's not the point.

The complainant is a current employee of the Linn County Sheriff's Office. In his email, he wrote:

"I have always trusted the DH to cover the truth but now being directly involved and seen the one sided censorship of The Peoples First Amendment Constitutional Right saddens me."

As we covered above, the "People's First Amendment Constitutional Right" is abridged by government. Not the press. We don't censor. We exercise editorial discretion.

As the editor replied: "Any arm of the government, including law enforcement, that demands the media include or not include content is an absolute violation of OUR First Amendment rights. I would have expected you to know this. I am indeed the one saddened."

We thought this may be a one-off, and quite frankly, while it would be nice if they had a basic understanding of the Bill of Rights, we wouldn't expect deputies to be constitutional scholars.

But we would expect judges to be.

On Jan. 18, we sent a reporter in to cover the three-day trial of a man accused of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old in Albany. When Circuit Court Judge Brendan Kane suggested the reporter leave during jury selection because the courtroom was too crowded with potential jurors, we were slightly irked but accommodated the request.

Once the panel was seated, we returned to the courtroom to continue our coverage. That's when Kane determined we couldn't report on the case, saying the defendant wouldn't get a fair trial.

Of course, almost all court proceedings are indeed public, as this one was, and transparency requires the press's access to the wheels of justice. We take our role as the Fourth Estate very seriously and attend hearings in court and city council chambers when you can't make it.

As we raced back to the courthouse after the lunch break to lodge a complaint, the reporter received a call from Judge Kane, saying we could attend the public trial. He wouldn't explain his change of heart.

We say this with all the sarcasm we can muster: Thank you.

Then last week, a similar scenario played out in Jefferson County. A Circuit Court judge ordered no media coverage in a manslaughter case until a verdict is reached, according to The Bulletin in Bend, which is defying the gag order. An article includes actual constitutional experts opining how very wrong this is.

"I am unaware of any basis for restricting trial coverage, especially with constitutional protections for open courts and for a free press," said Jack Orchard, a media attorney for the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association.

We are equally baffled.

Finally, we end where we started: Brownsville. A recent Mid-Valley Media article about the felony prosecution of a man who painted a curb red created quite the hubbub, online for us and apparently in town.

So much so that at the Jan. 24 City Council meeting, as Mayor Adam Craven opened the public comments portion of the agenda  the time when (big breath!) members of the community may come before the council and say pretty much anything that's on their minds but without the expectation that the council can do anything about it in the moment if the item is not already on the agenda  with an admonition not to discuss the article.

We understand why the city, which is considered the victim of the alleged crime of felony mischief, might not want its representatives making any pre-trial statements.

But we're befuddled why the council would impose such a restriction on its people. Are they that undisciplined that they'd be tempted to respond? And even if true, is that fear worth compromising the "The Peoples First Amendment Constitutional Right?"

This is what a real violation of the First Amendment looks like. It should shake us all to the core.
Federal Court Rejects AGs Attempt to Dismiss Motion Seeking to Admit More Evidence Concerning Emergencies Act Invocation

A Federal Court judge has ruled against an attempt by Canadas attorney general to dismiss a motion seeking to allow admission of more evidence that would help the court understand how cabinet made decisions regarding invocation of the Emergencies Act and whether it broke the law.

In his ruling on Jan. 27, Justice Richard Mosley ruled in favour of the joint motion filed by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF).

The motion sought to add a selection of documents, transcripts and witness summaries to the judicial review applications filed by the two organizations last February against the feds for its invocation decision that quashed the Freedom Convoy movement.

The records had already been disclosed during the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) proceedings from October to December of 2022. Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada David Lametti contended that they should be kept out of court on grounds of confidentiality and cabinet privilege, noting that the CCLA and CCF had selectively chosen the proposed evidence to support their arguments, the court heard.

The records proposed in the motion include an email from the Clerk of the Privy Council to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attaching a memo in which the clerk provided advice on invoking the Emergencies Act and reasons why Trudeau should use those powers.

They also include evidence relating to a policing plan relevant to the issue of whether the situation could have been effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada, as well as documents relating to threat assessments by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) finding that at no point did CSIS assess that the protests in Ottawa and elsewhere constituted a threat to the security of Canada, among many other records.

The underlying applications involve questions of significant public importance regarding the first invocation of legislation that grants the Government extraordinary powers to deal with a public emergency, Mosley ruled.

The addition of admissible and relevant evidence to the record would help the Court to understand how that decision was made and whether it was lawful.

Decision-Maker Argument Ignores the Reality

The convoy began as a protest by cross-border truck drivers opposed to the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate. It turned into a much larger movement after thousands of Canadians across the country began joining in or voicing their support for ending the various COVID-19 mandates and restrictions.

On Feb. 14, 2022, Trudeau became the first prime minister in Canadian history to invoke the Emergencies Act, giving the government temporary powers to end the protests in Ottawa and elsewhere in Canada and to allow banks to freeze the accounts of convoy organizers and supporters without a court order.

Lametti argued that the decision-maker in invoking the act was not any individual minister or a collective of ministers but the governor-in-council (GIC), the judge heard.

The respondent argues the GIC convened on February 14 and 15, 2022 and made the orders that are the subject of the Applications separately from Cabinet, which met on February 13, 2022.

Mosley said Lametti also contested that none of the documents proposed in the motion, particularly the memo and recommendations sent to Trudeau by the Clerk of the Privy Council, were in front of the decision-maker.

The Respondent argues that the Court cannot assume that documents prepared for the purpose of individual consideration and use by a single minister were brought before or considered by the collective, Mosley wrote.

In November 2022, when Trudeau testified before the POEC, he established that he read the memo and explained how it was essential to him in his decision-making, the judge wrote.

Mosley said even though Lamettis position regarding the decision-maker was constitutionally correct, it ignores the reality that cabinet was the decision-maker responsible for declaring a public order emergency.

Decisions of the GIC are de facto made by Cabinet and not by the GIC itself, he wrote. To conclude otherwise would effectively prevent any Court from reviewing materials relied upon by the Cabinet in making its decisions under any circumstances.

Despite Repeated Requests

Mosley said he accepts the argument by CCLA and CCF that none of the evidence they sought to introduce in the motion was available to them when they commenced the judicial review applications.

Evidence of the Cabinet proceedings that led to the decision to invoke the Act was not disclosed despite repeated requests over the course of these proceedings, he wrote.

The judge agreed with CCLA and CCF that the proposed evidence will provide the relevant background and context for the judicial review.

The evidence, as the Applicants contend, goes directly to the questions of whether the applicable legislative thresholds were met [for invoking the Emergencies Act], he said.
Federal Law Banning Marijuana Users From Having Firearms Is Unconstitutional, Judge Rules

A federal law barring marijuana users from possessing guns violates the Constitution, a federal judge in Oklahoma ruled.

The decision cites last years landmark Supreme Court ruling that affirmed an individual right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.

The ruling came as challenges to gun laws across the nation have escalated since the Supreme Court struck down a restrictive New York firearms law in June 2022. The high court held that there is a constitutional right to carry a gun outside the home, leading states such as New York, New Jersey, California, and Illinois to respond by doubling down on firearms restrictions.

In that precedent, New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Supreme Court held that gun restrictions must be deeply rooted in American history if they are to survive constitutional scrutiny.

On Feb. 3, Oklahoma City-based U.S. District Judge Patrick Wyrick, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, threw out an indictment against Jared Michael Harrison, who was charged with violating the ban.

Harrison was pulled over for a traffic stop on May 20, 2022. Police officers searched the car and found marijuana and a loaded revolver. Officers did not conduct a field sobriety test nor did they seek to draw Harrisons blood for drug testing. On Aug. 17, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted him for possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of marijuana.

As of October 2022, 19 states allowed the recreational use of marijuana while 37 states permitted its medical use, but it remains illegal at the federal level. Oklahoma currently allows medical, but not recreational, use of marijuana.

On March 7, Oklahomans will vote on State Question 820, which would, if passed, legalize recreational use for those 21 and older, permit adults to possess as much as one ounce of marijuana, grow marijuana plants, and enact a tax on marijuana sales, according to Ballotpedia.

Federal law states that it is unlawful for any person  who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance  [to] possess  any firearm or ammunition.

The government may protect the public from various dangers but it cannot argue that Harrisons mere status as a user of marijuana justifies stripping him of his fundamental right to possess a firearm, Wyrick wrote in his 54-page opinion that cited a litany of legal authorities.

The ban runs afoul of the Second Amendment because the mere use of marijuana carries none of the characteristics that the Nations history and tradition of firearms regulation supports.

The use of marijuanawhich can be bought legally (under state law) at more than 2,000 ordinary store fronts in Oklahomais not in and of itself a violent, forceful, or threatening act. It is not a crime of violence. Nor does it involve the actual use or threatened use of force, the judge wrote.

Even though Congress may have passed the law with some vague relation to public safety or the public interest [this] does not change this conclusion. It is not appropriate for a court to reflexively defer to [a legislative] label when a fundamental right is at stake, he wrote.

And the use of marijuana does not become a violent, forceful, or threatening act merely because a legislature says that it is.

Harrisons attorney, Laura K. Deskin of the Office of the Federal Defender in Oklahoma City, told The Epoch Times by email, We believe Judge Wyrick applied Bruen correctly, and that the federal ban prohibiting drug users from gun ownership does not comport with our countrys Second Amendment history and tradition, according to the constitutional analysis required by our Supreme Court.

Deskin added that marijuana is the most commonly used drug in the country that is unlawful at the federal level.

This decision is a step in the right direction for a large number of marijuana-using Americans who deserve the right to bear arms and protect their homes just like any other American. Hopefully this decision will stand to remedy this government overreach that has been ongoing for decades.

The U.S. Department of Justice could appeal the ruling.

The Epoch Times reached out to the agency for comment but had not received a reply by press time.

UPDATE: This article has been updated to include comment from Harrisons attorney.
Former Coast Guardsman Separated for Refusing Vaccine Says He Was Forced to Pay Back Reenlistment Bonus

A former Coast Guard service member who was last year discharged for objecting to the Pentagons vaccine mandate said he was forced to pay back a reenlistment bonus, which another former officer described as an attempt to humiliate members who opposed the vaccine mandate.

Phil Southwell had served the country for almost 13 years before being discharged in August for objecting to the military vaccine mandate once embraced by the Department of Defense (D0D) and adopted by the Coast Guard. On Dec. 23, President Joe Biden signed the Fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law, which prescribed the rescission of the mandate.

But that measure was too little, too late for Southwell, he said, because he was separated on Aug. 12. Within days of losing his job as an operations specialist, Southwell received a memo, stating that he had to pay back an $18,000 reenlistment bonus from 2019. At the time, he had signed up for an additional four-year reenlistment, but due to the militarys actions against those who refused to take the vaccine, he was unable to finish a term of service that would have ended in 2023.

Since I couldnt fulfill the final years of my last reenlistment after getting booted from the Coast Guard, I was immediately required to pay $18,000 back to Coast Guard with only a months notice, he told The Epoch Times.

For Southwell, the experience was not good, he said, adding he was rather disgruntled about it. Yet, he considered himself lucky because he had always placed his reenlistment bonuses into a retirement savings and investment plan. But Im sure there are people out there who didnt do this and had to spend the money right away, and that sickens me, he added.

Other U.S. service members who were let go due to their opposition to the vaccine mandate have also been required to pay back recruitment bonuses, Fox News reported.

Rocky Rogers, a retired Coast Guard IT chief with more than 20 years of service, expressed alarm at the reports. [It] blows my mind, he said. The growing number of members who have had to pay back an enlistment/reenlistment bonus is very concerning.

Rogers considers it an attempt to humiliate those who opposed the vaccine mandate. All in all, the military has done the most harm that they can do to members and thats to hurt them financially, he said. In defense of the service member, he said, Bonuses are supposed to be pro-rated in the event a member does not meet the entire Military Service Obligation of their contract.

Leaders Are No Longer Leading

Southwell once considered a career obligation to the Coast Guard. He joined the military because he wanted to make a positive impact on our world and our country. But he believed that the Coast Guard was changing in recent years, which was disheartening.

When the COVID vaccines came around, it really changed things, he said. For those that stood their ground against the vaccine, he said, military leadership began treating us differently. For example, on some two-month deployments, unvaccinated service members were not able to leave the pier once their ship was docked at port. We had to send people out to get us the basic necessities that were needed during the long deployments, he said. We basically felt like we were in prison for two months.

In addition, he said, we were segregated into wearing N-95 masks when other vaccinated members were allowed privileges, such as wearing no masks at all, or regular cloth masks.

Southwell also recalled seeing everybodys name that was unvaccinated posted on the main passageway of the Cutter [a commissioned vessel] for all to see. Threatened that this may be a HIPPA violation, the list of unvaccinated service members was removed. But the damage was already done, he said. It was embarrassing and coercive, he added.

Southwell believes that the military leaders are no longer leading. Leadership is too bureaucratic and political, today, he said.

And as a result, he said, Getting discharged for refusing to get the jab was 100 percent the right decision, [as] I wouldnt be able to serve in todays Coast Guard which has turned its back on some of its most critical members.

The Pentagon and Coast Guard did not return inquiries from The Epoch Times.
Glendale Firefighter Treats Unconscious 76-Year-Old Woman on Flight

A United Airlines Boeing 737 takes off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles on June 16, 2022. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)

A Glendale Fire Department battalion chief was a hero on flight to Los Angeles International Airport, providing medical aid to an unconscious 76-year-old woman.

Todd Tucker was aboard United Airlines Flight 1789 from Tampa, Florida Sunday, where he and Glendale Police Department Sgt. Sharon Kim had attended an emergency medical services conference.

Two hours into the flight, Tucker heard an announcement requesting assistance from a doctor or medical professional. Tucker, a paramedic, immediately stood up and rushed toward the rear of the plane, where he was joined by Kim, an emergency medical technician.

The woman was lying unconscious in the aisle, according to Anita Shandi, the Glendale Fire Departments deputy director of fire administration.

Tucker immediately requested an automated external defibrillator and medical supply kits that were on board from the flight attendants, Shandi said. He assessed the patient and determined she was suffering from low blood pressure and low blood sugar and was going in and out of consciousness.

Kim quickly cleared the area for the patient in the event they would need to administer CPR, Shandi said.

He quickly started to prep an IV bag for fluids, administer glucose, medication, and utilize the patients sons smartwatch that had EKG abilities, to determine if her heart rhythm was abnormal, Shandi said. After providing fluids and glucose, the patients blood pressure and sugar level began to normalize.

Kim assisted with tracking vital signs administering oxygen, and providing updates to the patients family and flight crew members, Shandi said.

The pilot asked Tucker if the plane needed to be diverted to a closer airport. Tucker confirmed that the woman was stabilized with the medical supplies on board and the flight could continue to Los Angeles International Airport as scheduled.

For the next three hours, Tucker and Kim remained on the floor with the patient continuing to provide medical aid until landing. The woman was taken from the plane by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics and was able to go home from the airport with her family, Shandi said.

Tucker said Kims experience and skill were crucial.

In such an unexpected situation, it was comforting not being alone and having a competent, professional, and friendly partner to share the experience with, Tucker said.
COVID-19 vaccines and treatments that have been free of charge to consumers, due to U.S. government funding, will eventually transition to be provided via the regular health care system.

This means that certain COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and treatments, will cost more for some.

Heres what it means for you:

End of Emergency

Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 response coordinator, said in an interview with UCSF Department of Medicine that when the public health emergency (PHE) ends in May, the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) that have been granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to certain COVID-19 treatments and vaccines will not be affected, he said.

So, if on May 11 when the public health emergency ends, on May 12 you can walk into a CVS, get your bivalent vaccine, and it will be free [for you]. [If] youve got COVID on May 13, you can get your Paxlovid, itll be free. It will be the stuff that the government has bought, he said on Thursday.

The U.S. government has spent more than $30 billion of taxpayer money on COVID-19 vaccines, including new bivalent boosters, to in part ensure they would be provided free of charge, nonprofit KFF reported in December 2022.

It added that the government has so far purchased 1.2 billion doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines combined, at a cost of $25.3 billion, or a weighted average purchase price of $20.69 per dose.

But the Biden administration no longer has money to back the effort due to a lack of support from Congress. This means that manufacturers will be negotiating prices directly with insurers and purchasers, not just the federal government, and prices are expected to rise, per the KFF.

Transition

Jha told the UCSF Department of Medicine: The U.S. government, in an unprecedented way  bought hundreds of millions of vaccines, lots of treatments, theyre bought with taxpayer money, and we have a bunch and were giving it out and were distributing it, and these are mostly emergency use products.

But Congress has not provided further funding to address COVID-19 efforts for over a year he said, adding: It means that were going to stock out at some point, that were going to run out of [government-purchased] vaccines and treatments, and we have to move towards a more regular way of delivering vaccines and treatment.

When is it exactly going to happen? That is going to depend on our stocks.  We dont have the specific date. It can happen some time over this summer over into early fall, he said, adding that while the time frame is unclear, the federal government will give people as much notice as we can.

Vaccines

Once the transition occurs, anyone with health insurancewhether public or privatewill still be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines free of charge. This is because the Affordable Care Act requires that preventative services are available to consumers with no out-of-pocket costs. Vaccines are preventable services, Jha noted.

But health insurance companies are not required to cover treatments under the Affordable Care Act. As such, COVID-19 treatments, once it transitions to the regular market, are expected to have some out-of-pocket costs depending on a persons health insurance coverage.

Paxlovid, an antiviral pill made by Pfizer to treat COVID-19, has been costing the U.S. government about $530 for a five-day treatment course. It is unclear how much Pfizer will charge for a treatment course, and how much health insurance companies will cover for patients.

Treatments are going to through like the way people get them like they get other medicines. Were really committed, Im personally super committed, to making sure that theyre relatively as low as possible out-of-pocket costs, Jha said. Were going to do a bunch of things to try to limit those costs.

Uninsured

Meanwhile, the uninsured will not be able to obtain vaccines or treatments free of charge.

We are creating a whole separate set of efforts for the uninsured because the uninsured will not be able to get vaccines for free and treatments for free, Jha said, adding that the federal government is working on a plan on that.

He said no action needs to be taken right away on the matter because COVID-19 vaccines and treatments that the government purchased will be available for the uninsured and for everybody else for a while.

As for COVID-19 tests, when the PHE ends, insurance companies will no longer be required to cover the cost of free at-home COVID-19 tests. Under the PHE, insurance companies were compelled to cover eight tests per person per month. That does come to an end when the public health emergency ends, Jha said.
Over 1,500 of Canadas publicly funded psychiatrists, pediatricians, medical professors, and general practitioners have joined an organization to fight the governments expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAID). Originally, patients suffering from conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, or any other mental affliction were to gain access to the lethal injection in March 2023. That timeline is likely to be extended to March 2024 after the Liberal government tabled bill C-39 on Feb. 2 to delay implementation.

Some critics argue medical professionals are being pressured to promote MAID because suicide is cheaper than having to provide care under Canadas publicly funded medical system. A group of 1,502 Canadian doctors, including medical professors and specialists, calling themselves Physicians Together with Vulnerable Canadians (PTVC), have publicly expressed their concerns about the situation on their website:

Medicine  has been transformed into a technical occupation that allows physicians to deliberately end the lives of their suffering patients. Forced participation in arranging and facilitating euthanasia and assisted suicide is now required by certain regulatory colleges  patients can no longer unconditionally trust their medical professional to advocate for their life when they are at their weakest and most vulnerable. Suddenly, a lethal injection becomes part of a repertoire of interventions offered to end their pain and suffering.

Dr. Ramona Coelho, a London, Ontario-based family physician and a founding member of PTVC said in an interview in the Ottawa Citizen:

Our profession has been coerced into facilitating suicide rather than preventing it, for ever-increasing numbers of citizens. We watch in utter dismay and horror at how the nature of our medical profession has been so quickly destroyed by the creation of misguided laws.

When Canada passed its first euthanasia law in 2016, the high court ruled that only competent adults suffering from a grievous and irremediable medical condition had a right to receive a lethal injection. There were safeguards in place such as a 10-day waiting period to allow the patient time to change their mind and there was an onus on the physician to provide alternative treatments to euthanasia to alleviate pain and sufferingsuch as government-funded palliative care programs.

In March 2021, Bill C-7 passed and came into immediate effect making it legal for adult and adolescent patients who are not terminally ill to request medically assisted suicide. Under the provisions of Bill C-7, patients can request and receive a lethal injection within the same day without ever having been offered any other treatment options. MAID (medical assistance in dying) has been deemed an essential service under the Canada Health Act and palliative care has not, the signatory doctors stated on their website.

Coelho asserted in the Citizen article:

In an increasing number of reported cases, MAID is taking the place of medical treatment and government assistance for those with social, economic and psychiatric issues  How can we keep MAID from being used as a tool to absolve governments of their obligation to provide for those living in poverty, with disability, or with mental illness their equal rights as citizens to health, economic security, and life?

An article in The Spectator asserts that Canadian authorities are encouraging doctors to adopt MAID solely in order to save costs. In an article titled Why is Canada Euthanizing its Poor? the worlds oldest weekly magazine recounts the cost-cutting impacts of the regimen.

The old MAID regime saved $86.9 million per yeara net cost reduction, in the sterile words of (a Canadian Parliamentary) report. Bill C-7 would create additional net savings of $62 million per year. Health care, in particular for those suffering from chronic conditions, is expensive; but assisted suicide only costs the taxpayer $2,327 per case. And, of course, those who have to rely wholly on government-provided Medicare pose a far greater burden on the exchequer than those who have savings or private insurance  There is already talk of allowing mature minors access to euthanasia toojust think of the lifetime savings.

In March 2023, C-7s full scope will come into effect with the inclusion of mental health conditions. At that point, a Canadian citizen whose sole underlying condition is depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, or any other mental affliction can request MAID if two medical professionals agree, reports the National Post.

Psychiatrist Dr. Grainne Neilson, past president of the Canadian Psychiatric Association told the Post she thinks theres going to be lots of uncertainty about how to apply the new law. She made these comments before the timeline to implement the psychiatric aspects of the bill were extended to March 2024.

The PTVC doctors on their website argue:

The shock of a sudden illness, or an accident resulting in disability, can lead patients into feelings of anger, depression, and guilt for requiring careemotions that, with proper support and attention, can resolve over time. The care and encouragement shown by physicians may be the most powerful force in overcoming despair and providing hope.

Neilson said psychiatrists will be looking for a robust, eligibility assessment process. The Post notes that psychiatrists will want to know that standard treatments have been offered, attempted and failed, with no other reasonable alternatives.

Only 28 percent of physicians recently surveyed by the Ontario Medical Association said that MAID should be permitted with sole mental illness as an underlying condition and only 12 percent said they would support it for their own patients.

The situation is so dire that the stoic, penny-pinching former head of the Hollinger Newspaper empire, Conrad Black, stepped into the fray writing a protest column in The National Post:

When a health-care system is insolvent and inadequate, that fact should be admitted and addressed by comprehensive reforms. Encouraging large numbers of people to consent to die prematurely will neither save the healthcare system nor seriously address the profound philosophical and practical implications of vastly increasing the number of unnatural deaths.

I believe that assisted dying is sometimes appropriate and a right of the individual involved. But the ennobling and promotion of a vast increase in the numbers of suicides in the guise of health-care reform is a fraud, a secular, and ecclesiastical heresy and, in many cases, arguably a crime.

Dr. Paul Saba, a physician from Quebec and co-chair of the Coalition of Physicians for Social Justice, a Quebec-based sister organization to PTVC, stated on his blog, We need to care for people with cognitive impairmentsnot euthanize them. Saba is asking doctors not to perform euthanasia because it contravenes the legal and ethical practice of modern medicine. He said that what the government wants to force doctors to do is illegal and unethical.

Correction: This article was revised to correct quotes that were mistakenly attributed to Dr. Grainne Neilson.
While a new study shows the effectiveness of cyclical breathing, Falun Gong has benefited millions by balancing the immune system, evidenced by a genomics study.

A study with over 100 participants, published in January of 2023 in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, tested the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation against three different breathing exercises.

This study: Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal, was done by a team of scientists at Stanford University from the departments of Neurobiology and Psychiatry, led by Professor Andrew Huberman, Ph.D.

The study found that one of those breathing techniques, called cyclic sighing, was more effective than mindfulness meditation and the other breathing techniques for helping reduce stress and promote good heart health.

The finding is convincing. However, the authors did not provide biochemical evidence for why the cyclical breathing technique appeared to work so well.

Another peer-reviewed study, published in 2005 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, compared gene expressions of six Falun Gong practitioners to six healthy individuals who had never practiced any meditation.

Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) is an ancient Qigong practice. Qigong is a general term referring to practices that cultivate and balance qi (life energy).

That study: Genomic profiling of neutrophil transcripts in Asian Qigong practitioners: a pilot study in gene regulation by mind-body interaction, used DNA microarray technology to determine the genomic profile and function of participants immune systems.

The researchers, who hailed from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the prestigious Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, concluded that Falun Gong practitioners had enhanced immunity, with downregulation of their cellular metabolism, and alteration of apoptotic (cell death) genes in favor of a rapid resolution of inflammation. In other words, certain genes were found to be more active while other genes were less active among Falun Gong practitioners.

Mindful Meditation and the Valuable Vagus Nerve

Both mindfulness and meditation have become popular in the West in recent decades. Mindful meditation has been credited with helping people manage stress as well as helping them reduce the effects of stress on their psychological and physiological well-being.

Hubermans study focused on how effectively different forms of meditation and breathing affected mood and anxiety levels, heart rate, and heart rhythm.

They posited that by stimulating the vagus nerve, breathing alone might help manage stress and yield other health benefits similar to those people experience while meditating.

To test this hypothesis, the researchers compared breathing techniques to meditation techniques that did not involve any kind of special breathing. Neurologically, this isolated the breathwork from the meditation.

It turns out that breathwork has a direct effect on the vagus nerve.

The vagus nerve is the longest of twelve nerves in the body that connect the brain to other parts of the head, neck, and body.

Although we refer to it as the vagus nerve (in the singular), it is actually a pair of nerves that come out from the left and right side of the brain stemthe medulla oblongata.

The vagus nerve controls the autonomic nervous system to regulate both the heart and emotional stimulation levels.

In other words, it is the master switch for calming the heart and soothing the mind.

The study found that a five-minute daily practice, whether of breathwork or mindful meditation, improved mood and reduced anxiety.

People in both the mindfulness meditation and the breathwork groups reduced their anxiety and improved their mood. In addition, 90 percent of the test subjects reported having positive experiences while doing their exercises.

The study also found that breathwork showed more positive results than mindful meditation. And the most effective breathwork was cyclical sighing, a technique that emphasized prolonged exhales.

Sighing is usually taken as a sign of sadness, dissatisfaction, or exasperation.

But sighing is actually the bodys built-in way of regulating its response to stress.

So the technique of cyclical sighing, which consciously used the physiological sigh, is a way to deliberately use the bodys built-in, unconscious way of calming the vagus nerve.

Of all the techniques tested, Hubermans team concluded that cyclical sighing yielded the most positive results.

An Ancient Qigong Practice: 5 Exercises

As a Qigong practice from China, Falun Gong is now practiced all over the world. Chances are that you may find a practice site close to you.

It consists of two main components: 1) self-improvement through the study of its teachings, and 2) a set of five gentle exercises and meditation.

The teachings encourage learners to let go of unhealthy attachments as they strive to attune their lives to three principles: truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.

The gentle exercises and meditation are both easy to learn:

Exercise 1 is a stretching exercise. You stretch your body to 8 different positions that help open all of the bodys energy channels.

Exercise 2 is a standing meditation. You stand still and hold your hands in four positions for as long as you can. This exercise is easy to learn but very difficult to hold, as each position requires you to be still for a long time.

Exercise 3 is a standing exercise with slow-moving hands. It is thought to help purify the body by exchanging qi (energy) with the universe.

Exercise 4 is also a standing exercise, which involves using your hands to gently trace over your body. This exercise helps heal any abnormal conditions your body might have.

Exercise 5 is a sitting meditation without mind or breathing techniques.

Practitioners normally listen to gentle music when doing the exercises. The music also helps calm the mind and prevent thoughts from disturbing a peaceful state.

Falun Dafa books and exercise instruction videos are freely available online. Most people, however, start practicing Falun Gong by going to a local practice site to learn from fellow practitioners.

Falun Gong: Improving Health on a Molecular Level

When I first joined a pharmaceutical company as a research scientist, I started learning Falun Gong in Toronto from a Sicilian family in order to ease my stress at work.

The impact was quick and significant and I have been practicing it daily for the last 24 years.

I searched the scientific literature to find out why and was fascinated to discover that the 2005 study I mentioned above found that Falun Gong positively impacts an essential part of our innate immune system, the neutrophils.

Neutrophils make up 40 to 70 percent of all of our white blood cells. Gene expression (genes are being transcribed into mRNAs and then translated into proteins) profile of neutrophils from six Falun Gong practitioners were compared with those from six healthy non-practitioners.

Neutrophils are the elite troops of our bodys defense system. They are fast-moving cells in the bloodstream and can reach the frontline (that is, the site of injury, or of a bacterial or viral infection) within minutes.

When they get there, these elite troops essentially eat enemies alive. This is a process called phagocytosis. They can also kill infections with powerful weapons by releasing chemicals (degranulation), or releasing traps (neutrophil extracellular traps) to capture and then kill invaders.

As a powerful force in our body, one can imagine that their activity must be well-balanced. Neutrophils must be active enough to fight enemies, but not too active to avoid hurting the body itself.

This balance seems to have been improved among Falun Gong practitioners when compared to non-practitioners.

The Texas scientists examined the activities of 12,000 human genes in all 12 study participants. They found that the activities of most of the genes were similar between the two groups. However, 250 of the 12,000 genes were consistently different between the two groups, with 132 genes downregulated (less active) and 118 genes upregulated (more active) in the six Falun Gong practitioners compared to the six healthy people who did not practice Falun Gong.

Among the 250 genes, the most interesting groups of genes were functionally associated with protein degradation and synthesis. That is, they are important for disposing of misfolded or damaged proteins present in our cells. A less efficient disposing system can result in many disorders, including genetic diseases, neuronal degenerative diseases, cancers, muscle wasting, diabetes, hypertension, sepsis, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and aging-related disorders.

Apoptosis (cell death) is another important function of our bodys metabolic system. The researchers further found that under pressure (such as in the presence of lipopolysaccharide, a proinflammatory agent) the apoptosis-related-genes Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and FKBP 38 were significantly downregulated, resulting in accelerated neutrophil apoptosis, which may lead to a more rapid resolution of inflammation.

Given this, Falun Gong practitioners would suffer less self-injury during inflammation.

Interestingly, gene activities were also found to be different in the absence of pressure (such as lipopolysaccharide), giving neutrophils in Falun Gong practitioners blood a prolonged lifespan.

In other words, under normal conditions, Falun Gong practitioners neutrophils lived longer. No wonder they appear to enjoy better immune systems! And that my own health improved so much once I started practicing it.

Although this was a small study, the results should intrigue anyone interested in improving their health: It seems that practicing Falun Gong actually allows neutrophils to find a more balanced activity level, both in normal conditions and under stress.

Millions of Falun Gong practitioners have benefited from the practice, with many regaining health from terminal illnesses.

However, seeing the popularity of Falun Gong as a threat to its power, the Chinese Communist Party outlawed the practice in 1999. Yet, despite their brutal persecution against Falun Gong practitioners inside China, the practice has been gaining popularity globally.

More information about Falun Gong, its health benefit, the CCPs persecution, and practitioners fight for human rights can all be found at www.faluninfo.net.

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.
LYON, FranceShen Yun Performing Arts opened in Lyon, France Saturday night at LAmphitheatre 3000, welcomed by audience members new and returning alike.

Anthony Fabvre, an engineer, had seen Shen Yun before, and even this time felt reluctant to leave the theater after the experience, wanting to linger and continue to bask in the energy.

Like when youve had a surprisingly good time and you dont want to leave it actually, he said.

What made New York-based Shen Yun so captivating was a number of things.

Its grandiose, its grandiose, there is a magic, there are fantastic musicians too, and the sound, the light, the video, there is all a work here. Even, we feel, that behind the scenes, there is also work, he said.

The sights and sounds come together fluidly, and washed over Mr. Fabvre like a flowing river.

There are torrents, there are quiet moments, and I think its great, he said. Its something that I recommend to my friends, to people who want to discover the Chinese culture rather than the current one. And I think that summarizing 5,000 years in two hours, I think its pretty well done.

It is a return to 5,000 years in the past, and we discover a civilization through a cultural wealth, through artists who are excellent, he said.

It was an emotional experience for Mr. Fabvre, who said the opening showed a scene of the universe, and brought out a natural longing in people to discover the mystery that lies within both man and the universe. He felt the performance moved him so deeply because it put him in phase with the universe. Shen Yun did this through beauty, he added.

The divine side, I would say, it is an overlay for me of the beauty of the world.  Anthony Fabvre

The divine side, I would say, it is an overlay for me of the beauty of the world, he said. It is a way of saying: the world is there, and the divinity, finally, it is there.

It is present, it is the water, it is the air, it is the earth, it is the fire. And I think that through a divinity, we try to show all that, he said.

The name Shen Yun lives up to this description in a way, as it translates into the beauty of divine beings dancing.

When Mr. Fabvre saw Shen Yun previously, he was interested in Falun Gong, which was mentioned in the performance, and looked into it.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual meditation practice that many Shen Yun artists practice, cultivating their character in order to produce spiritually uplifting art. The practice teaches the three principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, and Mr. Fabvre found it very good.

This state of mind of goodness, patience, and kindness, authenticity. I find that it brings something on earth, he said.

Through these choreographies, I really found senses that we lose in our daily life, with life, work, time passing. And I find that these are virtues that are lost.

Thanks to this kind of show, thanks to people who also transmit this richness, we recover. And somehow it reassures for the future, and I think that it is something that we must preserve and share. Indeed, he said.

Reporting by NTD.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Kari Lake Met With Senate Republican Officials in Washington: Spokesperson

The Republican nominee for governor of Arizona, Kari Lake, speaks at Arizona First Rally in Phoenix, Arizona on Nov. 3, 2022. (NTD)

Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake met with National Republican Senatorial Committee officials on Thursday, a spokeswoman for her confirmed.

Caroline Wren, a senior adviser to Lake, confirmed to Politico that she met with Senate Republicans. The meeting lasted an hour, she said, adding that the topics of discussion included how to run a Senate campaign and how it differs from a gubernatorial campaign.

Wren was asked whether Lake has made a decision on a Senate bid, and she told the outlet: I dont think so. I think it was more listening. The Epoch Times has contacted Lakes team for comment.

Lake also spoke to Politico in the Senate building last week, saying she met with Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and others. The GOP candidate who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump said she was in Washington for the National Prayer Breakfast event.

Meanwhile, Lake conducted an interview with the New York Times late last week, offering criticism to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), a former Democrat-turned-independent who is up for reelection in 2024.

Shes the furthest thing from an independent, Lake told the NY Times about Sinema. Someone somewhere said she did a couple of courageous things, well, she should do courageous stuff here every day. If you are blessed to be elected by the people, when you show up in Washington, D.C., you should be doing courageous acts [every single day]. Sinema has not issued a public comment on Lakes remarks.

Despite the speculation that she may run for Senate, Lake has not publicly said whether she would or not. Lake told news outlets, in response to speculation of a Senate run, that shes instead hyper-focused on winning her court case after filing an election-related lawsuit challenging the 2022 midterm results.

And Lake also recently started targeting Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who recently announced he would challenge Sinema for her Senate seat, on Twitter and has described him as the AOC of Arizona, referring to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Gallego responded: We call Kari Lake the Kari Lake of Arizona and yes that is an insult.

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, here in 2019 when she was a Democrat before becoming an Independent, could be embroiled in a three-way race in 2024 in seeking a second term. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo)

After Sinemas decision to become an independent, Gallego also started ramping up his attacks on her. Sinema drew left-wing criticism over the past two years for blocking a number of Democratic initiatives, including ending the 60-vote filibuster rule in the Senate.

Im better for this job than Kyrsten Sinema because I havent forgotten where I came from, Gallego told The Associated Press. I think she clearly has forgotten where she came from. Instead of meeting with the people that need help, she meets with the people that are already powerful.

But at least one top Republican has signaled that Lake wouldnt perform well as a Senate candidate.

Any candidate in 24 that has, as their principal campaign theme, a stolen election, is probably going to have the same issues that some of the 22 candidates had, said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the Senate GOPs No. 2. I just dont think thats where the American public is. Its a swing statewe need to have a good Republican nominee, obviously. You know, whoever gets in, I hope they focus on the future, not the past.

Wren later told Politico that Thune is everything wrong with the Republican establishment and that Washington power-brokers are signaling that theyre willing to hand an Arizona Senate seat to the radical left.

Lawsuits

In December, a Maricopa County judge tossed Lakes lawsuit during a two-day trial in which her lawyers argued that a range of issues in Maricopa on Election Day caused enough problems for voters that the midterm election should be re-done or Lake should be declared the winner. She has since appealed to the Arizona Court of Appeals, while the state Supreme Court has twice rejected a petition to transfer her case.

Her challenge cites statements made by Maricopa County officials on Nov. 8 that dozens of vote tabulation machines suffered printer errors that Lake and GOP officials say caused widespread delays and chaos. Maricopa County has maintained that no Election Day voters were disenfranchised by the errors, which they said were corrected that same day.

Lawyers for Hobbs in late January filed a response that seeks to dismiss Lakes challenge, asserting that the GOP challenger failed to provide enough evidence.
Mr. Kim Jae-chul, the president of Korean famous TV company MBC, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times)

BUSAN, South KoreaThe former president of a leading Korean broadcaster said all his tiredness accumulated in the pandemic was blown away by Shen Yun Performing Arts after seeing it at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan on Feb. 4.

He said he is already looking forward to seeing Shen Yun again the next time it comes around.

Mr. Kim Jae-chul, the former president of MBC, the leading television and radio broadcaster in South Korea, and former director of Busan Traffic Broadcasting Bureau, said Shen Yun is perfect.

Shen Yuns choreography, dancers movements, songs . all are perfectly perfect. All the artists are perfectly trained, he said. I can imagine that Shen Yun is welcomed everywhere in the world.

Mr. Kim enjoyed the Chinese history that Shen Yun presented via its dances.

Shen Yun has a brilliant animated backdrop which presents the backgrounds. The dancers either danced elegantly or vigorously to tell the stories. Suddenly, the 5,000 years of civilization is presented in front of our eyes, he said. Immediately, all my tiredness from the past three years was blown away.

New York-based Shen Yun is the worlds top classical Chinese dance company, and has a mission to show the beauty and goodness of China before communism. For 5,000 years Chinas civilization was built on values and virtues from the spiritual teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

Knowing that the Chinese communist regime doesnt allow Shen Yun to perform in China and has even hired people to prevent the performance from taking place in Busan, Mr. Kim was unhappy.

This is purely art. Why does the Chinese Communist Party keep on disturbing Shen Yun? he said.

Mr. Kim felt Shen Yun had a big mission.

Presenting traditional culture and history using the arts is very meaningful, he said.

Everything About Shen Yun Is Novel

Mr. Jung Sang-mo is an English professor at the Cyber University of Korea. He said he had a magical trip to ancient China attending Shen Yun.

The female dancers danced very gracefully and expressed emotions exquisitely. The male dancers danced very masculinely, and they are full of handsomeness, he said. The music perfectly combined the beauty of Eastern instruments and a Western orchestra. With the support of the animated backdrop, Shen Yun presents Chinese history. This is amazing.

Mr. Jung said he attends performances frequently, but was surprised by Shen Yun.

Everything about Shen Yun is novel, he said. The male dancers movements are very powerful and valiant, and you could feel their energy. This is the first time that Ive seen dance so majestic. Its fantastic!

Mr. Jung was surprised that through dance, Shen Yun was able to present profound concepts like values, and complex information like history.

Im in the education business. I know very well the importance of the humanities. I saw Shen Yun present three words: truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. The meaning of these three words is very profound and thought-provoking. I think maybe all human beings will pursue these in the future.

Mr. Jung repeated that Shen Yun was great, and said he would be strongly recommending it to those around him.

Mr. Jung Sang-mo, a professor at the Cyber University of Korea, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts with his wife at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Wang Jiahui/The Epoch Times)

A Must-See

Mr. Ha Jin-woong operates a transportation business. He attended Shen Yun with his wife and children.

I learned a lot from Shen Yun. The first lesson I learned is being humble, he said. We are used to knowing individual celebrities [in a show], but Shen Yun is different. We are unable to know all the artists. But each of them made me feel warm.

Mr. Ha was very happy that he brought his children to attend Shen Yun.

Even though hes young, my son learned a lot from Shen Yun, he said. How did the dancers enter the backdrop? How can dancers fly? He is curious about many things. I feel this is a very good chance to encourage his interests in the arts.

Mr. Ha felt Shen Yun was valuable for anyone.

I suggest everybody attend Shen Yun, he said. This is a great chance to experience the traditional Chinese civilization.

Mr. Ha Jin-woong, a transportation business owner, and his son attend Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times)

Reporting by Epoch Times Staff in Busan, South Korea.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
During a few months each year for the last decade, a Corvallis man has gone out to grass fields and looked for nests of peeping birds.

Streaked horned larks used to show up in numbers as great as 20 to 50 in a grass field just north of the Benton-Polk county line.

Joel Geier, a hydrogeologist who spends his summers working as a field technician surveying the lark, is looking for a 7-inch, mousey brown songbird whose yellow and black feathers rise into distinct prongs above its head.

Now its been many years since Ive seen a lark there, Geier said in an interview Friday, Feb. 3.

Conservationists sued the U.S. government Tuesday, Jan. 31, in Oregon over federal protections they say dont go far enough, the latest legal maneuver to save the declining streaked horned lark.

The lark once was found in vast numbers from the Rogue River Valley in Southern Oregon to the southernmost reaches of British Columbia.

The bird is native to prairieland in the Puget lowlands and Willamette Valley.

The lark is found nowhere else on Earth, plaintiffs' lawyers for Center for the Biological Diversity and Audubon Society of Portland assert in the lawsuit.

Experts say changes in crops favored by farmers and farming practices have continued impacting the lark despite some federal protections established a decade ago.

The lawsuit claims the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sided with agriculture and failed to account for the lark's declining numbers, which advocates say are too low to ensure the bird survives extinction.

With much of their natural range decimated, the bird tends to thrive in human-disturbed areas like airports and grass seed fields that mimic the larks preferred nesting grounds. The Center in 2019 estimated as few as 1,100 birds of the species are alive.

The Fish and Wildlife Service began considering the lark for listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2001, which could protect the bird from human activity that may impact lark populations.

In 2013, the horned lark was federally listed as threatened, but experts pushed back, saying the bird deserves the more protective endangered listing. They argued Fish and Wildlife ignored the larks steep decline.

The service failed to account for the  best available science demonstrating that lark populations face numerous imminent threats, states the complaint lodged in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon.

USFWS reaffirmed its determination and argued it didnt act arbitrarily or capriciously when it listed the lark as threatened. That's the legal standard the plaintiffs have to prove to be successful, that an agency acted arbitrarily and/or capriciously.

Under the birds threatened status, USFWS established an exemption for agriculture in land use restrictions meant to preserve lark nesting habitat.

Geier said farmers can manage lands for the bird. But they likely wont unless they have incentive.

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Before damming began on tributary rivers to the Willamette River, periodic floods scoured the landscape and scoured grassland to leave behind upturned and disturbed prairie.

Those are the conditions the lark thrives in  open spaces with a minimum 160 acres, "where they can see in all directions, Geier said.

Predators begin to edge in where there are trees, where the grass is too tall, or where prairies fill with shrubs and weeds.

Once things get choked in too much with vegetation, it doesnt work, Geier said.

On grass seed farms in the Willamette Valley, the streaked horned lark loves the patches of ground left behind by vernal pools  the winter lakes and seasonal wetlands that turn otherwise arable land to tractor-swallowing mud pits.

Those swaths of land that are untouched by farmers and left barren by heavy spring rains are ideal for larks.

Except farmers have been switching out grass seeds for food crops and orchards of hazelnut trees.

Geier said the prospect of crop changes were ignored in USFWS rulings, instead seeing grass seed farms as part of the birds conservation strategy.

Advocates have tried offering payments to farmers to disturb land in ways that benefit the bird or not convert vernal wetlands to crops.

With few exceptions, Geier said, lark advocates have been unable to convince farmers to take on responsibility for the bird.

With changes to farming, the grass fields that some regulators saw as a boon to larks have given way to crops that see harvesting equipment running over nests.

Depending on the crop, harvests precede the birds transition from infant to feathered and flying adolescent by a couple of weeks.

They can hop around, but they cant get away from a combine, Geier said. Some are lost to those.

Geier said he grew up on a crop and dairy farm in Minnesota. Now a hydrogeologist by trade, his side gig in bird field biology began as a bird-watching hobby.

His lark surveys assists Bob Altman, an ornithologist whose research helped inform the lawsuit now working its way through federal court.

Geier knows from that experience that crops will change as farmers follow consumer demand.

And he knows that without attractive financial incentive to treat lands for lark habitat or the regulatory prospect of punishment, landowners are unlikely to budge for a songbird.

We dont have much of a carrot, and we dont really have a stick either, Geier said.

Related stories:
Military Experts Issue Warnings on Possible US-China Conflict After Spy Balloon Shot Down

(Left) The Chinese balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, S.C., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Right) The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson participates in a group sail during the Rim of the Pacific exercise off the coast of Hawaii, on July 26, 2018. (Randall Hill/Reuters; Petty Officer 1st Class Arthurgwain L. Marquez/U.S. Navy via AP)

Several former military officials said that the United States could face significant shortfalls if there is ever a conflict with the Chinese regime over Taiwan, coming as U.S. military jets shot down a Chinese spy balloon that drifted across the United States.

Unfortunately, talking broadly and in overall terms, the Chinese have dramatically increased their air, sea, space, cyber, and missile capabilities in the last couple of decades, James Anderson, acting undersecretary of defense for policy under President Donald Trump, told Fox News.

In some of the scenarios that could happen, we might well be at a competitive disadvantage initially because they have home-field advantage in terms of their capacity to quickly mobilize local forces, he said, and thats really important to the [Chinese military].

Last week, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the new chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives, said the odds of conflict with China over Taiwan are very high after a U.S. general released a memo about a potential conflict with the regime in 2025.

Gen. Mike Minihan, who heads the Air Mobility Command, wrote to the leadership of its roughly 110,000 members, saying, My gut tells me we will fight in 2025.

I hope he is wrong  I think he is right, though, McCaul said in an interview last week.

Although the generals views do not represent the Pentagon, it shows concern at the highest levels of the U.S. military over a possible attempt by China to exert control over Taiwan, which Beijing claims as a wayward province. Were preparing for it and we should, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a member of the Senate leadership, told news outlets last week in response to a question about a possible U.S.-China conflict. There are four countries around the world that we watch very carefully in terms of our own security. China is number one.

Soldiers fire 155 mm howitzers during an annual live-fire military exercise in Pingtung county, southern Taiwan, on Aug. 9, 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters)

But those fears were exacerbated after a Chinese spy balloon floated over much of the United States over the past several days before it was shot down off the South Carolina coast by a U.S. F-22 fighter jet. The balloons presence over the United States, first detected in Montana, prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to announce that hes canceling his scheduled trip to China this year.

Meanwhile, the United States hasnt been involved in such a conflict in decades since World War II, it has been noted. A possible conflict would require a large number of warships and aircraft carriers to exert control over the Pacific Ocean.

The United States hasnt been in such a conflict since 1945 and the casualties would come in a very short period of time. The war game covered three or four weeks, Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told WJAR-TV last week. Such a conflict really requires a cultural change in the U.S. military, he said.

One issue, Cancian noted, is U.S. industrial production has slipped in recent decades. A large number of U.S.- and Western-based countries have outsourced manufacturing to China and other countries in recent years, according to economists, namely after China entered the World Trade Organization in 2001.

It certainly is a realistic concern, he told the outlet. Our inventories are not large and our ability to replace them, the surge capability of our defense industry is not great so that in a long conflict we will risk running out of key munitions and weapons.

A high-altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Feb. 1, 2023. (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP)

Heino Klinck, a senior adviser to the National Bureau of Asian Research, told Fox News on Sunday that its difficult to predict what could happen.

There are areas in which they have dominance, and there are also areas in which we have dominance, so its not exactly an apples and oranges type of comparison, Klinck, who previously served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia before leaving in 2021, told the outlet. China certainly has geographic advantages just based on the fact that its only 100 miles from Taiwan, so thats something that requires advanced logistical planning, he added.

Anderson noted that China hasnt conducted a significant military operation in decades. Beijing last fought a conflict with Vietnam in 1979 along the two countries borders, while the United States has partaken in many conflicts since the end of World War II.

The fact is they have no experience conducting a major amphibious assault on the scale that would be required to take the island of Taiwan, Anderson told Fox. Yes, they did attack various outlying islands of Taiwan during multiple crises in the 1950s, but those were very small-scale operations.

He added: There are no good parallels, and  from our perspective, the fact that the Chinese dont have a good parallel is good news because this is a competitive disadvantage for them.
Naval Recovery Mission Underway to Find Chinese Spy Balloon Debris

A jet flies by a Chinese spy balloon after shooting it down off the coast in Surfside Beach, S.C., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Randall Hill/Reuters)

The U.S. military has started a recovery mission for debris from the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet on Feb. 4, according to the Pentagon.

Several U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels established a security perimeter where the balloon hit the water, about six nautical miles off the coast of South Carolina, and were searching for debris, a senior defense official and a senior military official said on Feb. 4.

The nature of the debris is still being assessed. But recovery options will seek to recover all debris and any material of intelligence value, the defense official said. And well make sure that were working closely with the FBI on the chain of custody as we do so.

The two officials didnt give an estimate of how long the recovery will last but noted that the mission should be fairly easy, since the balloon came down in a shallow area.

The recovery of the balloon will allow analysts to examine any sensitive Chinese equipment, according to the defense official.

I would also note that while we took all necessary steps to protect against the PRC surveillance balloons collection of sensitive information, the surveillance balloons overflight of U.S. territory was of intelligence value to us, the defense official said, using the acronym for the Peoples Republic of China.

I cant go into more detail, but we were able to study and scrutinize the balloon and its equipment, which has been valuable.

Navy divers and a salvage vessel under U.S. Northern Command will join the recovery effort, the military official noted.

We have learned technical things about this balloon and its surveillance capabilities. And I suspect if we are successful in recovering aspects of the debris, we will learn even more, the military official said.

President Joe Biden arrives to board Air Force One at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, N.Y., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

Balloon

President Joe Biden gave the order to shoot down the balloon, the defense official said, and an F-22 Raptor fighter from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at the balloon at 2:39 p.m. local time, causing the balloon to crash.

The fighter jet fired from an altitude of 58,000 feet, while the balloon at the time was between 60,000 and 65,000 feet, according to the defense official.

The defense official also provided a timeline of when the Pentagon began tracking the balloon. The balloon entered the U.S. air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska on Jan. 28, then entered Canadian airspace on Jan. 30, before reentering U.S. airspace over Idaho on Jan. 31.

The balloon was spotted above Montanahome to one of the U.S. nuclear siloson Feb. 2, the day that Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder revealed the existence of the balloon.

The balloon then flew over several Midwest states before passing over South Carolina.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in a statement after the balloon was shot down, said the Pentagon ruled out downing the balloon over land due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload, which would pose an undue risk to people across a wide area.

Austin noted that the decision to shoot down the balloon was taken in coordination, and with the full support, of the Canadian government.

Anita Anand, Canadas minister of national defense, said in a statement that Canada unequivocally supports the U.S. action.

Canadas Minister of National Defence Anita Anand attends the 15th Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (CDMA) in Brasilia, on July 26, 2022. (Evaristo Sa/AFP via Getty Images)

China

The defense official also noted that it wasnt the first Chinese surveillance balloon that had flown over the United States.

PRC government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration, but never for this duration of time, the defense official said.

However, former President Donald Trump and some top national security and defense officials from his administration dismissed that claim and criticized the Biden administration for spreading disinformation.

The defense official also rejected Chinas claim that the balloon was a weather balloon that had been blown off-course.

This surveillance balloon purposefully traversed the United States and Canada. And we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites. Its route over the United States, near many potential sensitive sites, contradicts the PRC governments explanation that it was a weather balloon, the defense official said.

Another Chinese spy balloon has been spotted transiting Latin America.

These balloons are all part of a PRC fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations, which have also violated the sovereignty of other countries, the defense official said.

These kinds of activities are often undertaken at the direction of the Peoples Liberation Army, or PLA. Over the past several years, Chinese balloons have previously been spotted over countries across five continents, including in East Asia, South Asia, and Europe. PRC intrusions violating our sovereignty and the sovereignty of other countries are unacceptable.

In response to its balloon being shot down, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement threatening what it calls further responses.

The U.S. use of force is a clear overreaction, the ministry stated, before noting that China reserves the right to make further responses if necessary.

South Carolinas North Myrtle Beach Police Department, in a post on Facebook on Feb. 4, warned local residents that some pieces of the balloon may wash ashore.

If a piece is located, please contact your local law enforcement agency for collection, the police department stated.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) speaks at a campaign rally she held in East Lansing, Mich., on Oct. 16, 2022. (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Congress

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) wrote on Twitter on Feb. 4 that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) must face consequences for its incursion into U.S. airspace.

Im glad we shot it down now that theres no risk of civilian casualties, but there need to be consequences for the CCP beyond the postponement of [Secretary of State Antony Blinkens] trip to Beijing, Slotkin wrote.

She noted that the United States needs to take steps to demonstrate to the Chinese regime the seriousness of their actions.

Whether through new sanctions or tighter restrictions on U.S. exports to China, the message needs to be loud and clear, Slotkin wrote.

Blinken was originally scheduled to arrive in China on Feb. 5 for a two-day visit. He postponed the trip, telling China that its action was irresponsible and a clear violation of U.S. sovereignty.

I look forward to receiving a briefing from the Admin on the balloons capabilities, what if any assets have been surveilled, and our plan to stop this from happening in the future, Slotkin said.

Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.) also called for a briefing from the administration.

We need to know how this balloon was able to penetrate our airspace, what sensitive material it was able to capture, and how we will prevent future breaches, he wrote in a statement. I call on the Biden Administration to hold a classified briefing for Members of Congress to answer these questions and propose a path forward.

We must work together to hold China accountable and better protect our national security.
NJ Schools Point to State Guidelines as Excuse to Allow Boys in Girls Locker Rooms

Jean Ballard protests Fairfax County school boards pro-transgender policy outside of the Luther Jackson Middle School in Falls Church, Va., on June 16, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

New Jerseys Department of Education (NJDOE) has issued guidelines instructing schools to be supportive of gender transition and to let transgender-identifying students use opposite-sex locker rooms and wear opposite-sex clothing at school.

Moreover, a childs choice to change gender should remain secret from parents if the child wants, the guidelines say.

There is no affirmative duty for any school district personnel to notify a students parent or guardian of the students gender identity or expression, the guidelines say.

All these radical recommendations are only guidelines, according to Daniel, a Mantua Township parent who asked to withhold his last name out of fear of retaliation.

An LGBT safe zone banner in Long Valley Middle School in Long Valley, New Jersey. (Courtesy of John Holly)

Even so, schools told parents that the guidelines are the law of the land.

The board attorney said, This is law from the state. We have to follow it,' Daniel said of the district boards views on the matter. They just keep lying to the parents of the district.

New Jersey law demands that schools call transgender-identifying students by their preferred names and pronouns, let transgender-identifying students dress as the opposite sex, not force transgender-identifying students to use the locker room of their birth sex, and create an appropriate confidentiality plan for students.

But the law doesnt demand that schools put transgender-identifying students in opposite-sex bathrooms or hide students transgenderism from their parents.

This arrangement allows local schools to secretly promote radical gender ideology without parents ever getting a say, Daniel said.

Read More Detransitioning Teen Shares Regret for Gender Transition

He said that parents have attempted to fight this issue at many meetings with Mantua Townships school board.

The superintendent would just keep telling us, This is not an open dialogue. I will not discuss this with you,' he said. Thats been going on for the last two years.

Already, the guidelines have exposed children as young as second grade to transgender influence, Daniel added.

[My daughter] comes home and she tells me every day, Theres a boy that wears a dress in the school,' he said. If that kid wanted to, he could go to the bathroom with my daughter.

No Parental Consent Required

The NJDOEs transgender guidelines, titled Transgender Student Guidance for School Districts, make a few references to law.

They say that under law, its unlawful to discriminate based on gender identity.

The law also requires the department to establish guidelines to provide direction for schools in addressing common issues concerning the needs of transgender students, and to assist schools in establishing policies and procedures that ensure a supportive and nondiscriminatory environment for transgender students.

Then, the guidance defines many radical gender ideology terms, including gender identity, transition, transgender, gender expansive, gender diverse, gender fluid, gender nonbinary, and many others.

It is recommended that school personnel discuss with the student the terminology and pronouns each student has chosen, it says.

Although schools should discuss radical gender terms with children, they shouldnt talk with parents, the guidance adds. Parental consent to a childs gender transition isnt even required.

A sign outside restrooms in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Jan. 13, 2023, seems to indicate that women and men should use separate facilities. (Jackson Elliott/The Epoch Times)

Without parental knowledge, schools should let students wear opposite-sex clothes, reject their birth names, use opposite-sex bathrooms, and change in opposite-sex locker rooms. All these changes can happen without any medical diagnosis or legal decision, the guidance adds.

A student need not meet any threshold diagnosis or treatment requirements to have his or her gender identity recognized and respected by the district, school or school personnel. Nor is a legal or court-ordered name change required, it reads.

If a school has to disclose a students transgender identity, school districts should use counselors to make families accept the students choice, the guidance reads.

The counselors should facilitate the familys acceptance and support of the students transgender status, according to the document.

Potential for Abuse

Daniel said this policy doesnt just threaten the rights of parents regarding their children, but also leaves loopholes for sexual assault and abuse.

Under this policy, if a teenage boy wants to watch his female classmates change for gym, he need only say he identifies as a woman today.

They dont have a single answer on how to prevent something like that from happening, he said. Theres nothing more drastic than having a 15-year-old kid going through puberty with hormones walking into a girls bathroom and showering next to them. Because what if they have ill intentions like we saw in Virginia?

Read More A Journey From Pain to Peace: Father of Virginia Rape Victim Tells His Story

Hundreds rallied to protest against Loudoun County Public Schools adopting the Virginia Department of Educations 2021 transgender student model policies outside the Loudoun County Public Schools administration building in Ashburn, Va., on Sept. 28, 2021. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

In May 2021, in Loudon County, Virginia, a boy in a skirt raped a girl in a schools womens bathroom, as previously reported.

Under this system, parents have no way to stop a boy from changing in the girls locker room, he said. The best they can do is ask for a separate changing room for their child.

All students are entitled to have access to restrooms, locker rooms, and changing facilities in accordance with their gender identity to allow for involvement in various school programs and activities, the guidance reads.

It later adds, Non-transgender students should also be afforded the option to use a private facility, such as a unisex facility or the nurses restroom, should they feel uncomfortable.

Statutes or Suggestions?

When Daniel contacted Mantua Township School District, they told him in a letter that they had to follow the guidance from the NJDOE. He provided the letter to The Epoch Times.

The New Jersey Department of Educations (NJDOE) guidance not only requires that transgender students be afforded access to restrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity, but also guarantees access to a unisex or single stall restroom, depending on the students preference, Mantuas letter reads.

The same letter also claimed that the school planned to follow the law by secretly using a different name for a child during school hours.

Even if parents are aware and object to a students chosen name and pronouns, the District is still legally obligated to use the name, pronouns, and gender identity expressed by the student, the districts letter reads.

A little boy reaches for candy from the Chattanooga Pride parade in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Oct. 2, 2022. (Jackson Elliott/The Epoch Times)

The letter linked this policy to the NJDOEs guidance.

The guidance from the NJDOE has directed school districts to maintain a student-centered approach, the letter states.

When Daniel contacted the NJDOE, it told him by email that the Transgender Student Guidance for School Districts document was only a recommendation. Daniel also provided this email to the Epoch Times.

Though the NJDOE was glad to provide guidance to schools on this topic, please note that local school districts adopt their own policies, it reads.

The email states that the document in its entirety is not a requirement.

The Epoch Times contacted the NJDOE and Mantua Township School District, but neither commented.
By Amanda Yeager

From Baltimore Sun

BaltimoreScott Lanphear wasnt expecting much of a reaction when he fired off a Facebook post earlier this month about the nonalcoholic cocktails available at Patterson Public House.

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, Lanphear said. The owner of the bar and restaurant in Patterson Park was just having fun coming up with clever mocktail names like the Nojito and the Cosnopolitan, and figured hed share the list with his online following.

To his surprise, the short message and grainy picture of a mocktail list ended up gaining more traction than a lot of his other missives, including those with professionally photographed food and drink. Some commenters praised the nonalcoholic offerings, while others made plans for a visit to the tavern.

Hope you continue this each month! one person wrote.

Lanphear does, in fact, offer nonalcoholic options year-round at Patterson Public House. His business is among a growing number of bars and restaurants in Baltimore, and across the country, that are turning Dry January specials into an everyday staple.

Theres no reason for us not to do that, Lanphear said. Its easy enough and it means a lot to people.

Going Alcohol-Free as a Lifestyle

A recent survey by the market research firm Morning Consult found that nearly a quarter of American adults have heard about Dry January, a month-long challenge to abstain from alcohol that was started a decade ago by the British charity Alcohol Change UK.

The survey also found that participation in Dry January dipped slightly this year, with 15% of respondents saying they were partaking in the challenge compared to 19% in 2022. That might be, in part, because the month-long event has turned into a lifestyle change for some participants.

Morning Consults research found that three in 10 respondents planned to drink less in 2023.

Millennials, a generation of frequent drinkers, are also abstaining in higher numbers, with 62% saying they drink alcoholdown from 69% last year.

Bars, restaurantsand even some breweries, wineries and distilleriesare taking note. Cocktail bars like Dutch Courage, Sugarvale and the Bluebird Cocktail Room are promoting spirit-free drinks alongside alcohol-filled ones. So are more casual spots, like Chucks Trading Post and Melanies Griffiths Tavern, where you can find a pickleback mocktailbig taste, no boozefor $6. Waverly Brewing Co., a Hampden brewery, has curated a roster of nonalcoholic options, from nonalcoholic brews to other fizzy drinks like seltzer water and sparkling cider.

Though Dry January is far from a new movement, I think this is probably the biggest year that weve seen with it, Amie Ward, the president of the Baltimore Bartenders Guild, said. Every person is promoting it.

Reasons for not drinking alcohol vary: some people are dealing with addiction, some are pregnant and others may simply not like the taste. Health was a major motivator for participants surveyed by Morning Consult, and medical researchers have found the benefits of giving up alcohol can be significant, yielding better sleep and better metabolic health.

But while turning down a drink used to be taboo, theres a lot less stigma around the sober lifestyle these days, Ward said.

Were seeing more options and it being a more normalized thing where people arent being chastised or mocked for their choice not to drink, she said. Its more of a celebration.

Anna Welker, the bar manager for Topside at the Hotel Revival in Mt. Vernon, has seen the landscape evolve in just a few short years. In 2020, she launched the Zero Proof Zero Judgment menu at Topside with five spirit-free cocktails. Now, the bar and restaurant offers nonalcoholic beer and even two nonalcoholic winesa sparkling rose and a redas well.

Yellow Balloons is one of the spirit-free offerings at Topside, a restaurant bar on the top floor of Hotel Revival in Mount Vernon. The drink is made with Ritual Tequila alternative, cinnamon-infused ginger tumeric tea, spiced pineapple shrub and grapefruit bitters. (Amy Davis/The Baltimore Sun/TNS)

The pandemic really kind of forced people to take a look at their relationship with alcohol, for better or for worse, Welker said. Its definitely a trend that I think people are recognizing as being here to stay, both from a social standpoint and also from a business perspective.

Making Mocktails More Creative

One big development for mocktails has been the steadily improving quality and availability of alcohol alternatives. Sales of nonalcoholic drinks in the U.S. totaled $395 million between August 2021 and August 2022, according to research by NielsenIQa year-over-year growth of 20.6%. And those numbers are expected to grow, per Statista, which projects that the U.S. nonalcoholic drinks market will grow annually by 3.9% between 2023 and 2027.

Welker and her staff use a brand called Ritual in many of their drinks, including Dorothy in the Daytime, a mix of the gin alternative, elderflower tonic, lime and ginger beer. Other zero-proof cocktails infuse ingredients like ginger turmeric tea and pineapple shrubmuch more complex flavors than the lemonades and Shirley Temples that used to be the only alcohol alternatives on the menu.

It definitely pushes us to be creative, said Christian Parent, a bartender at Topside.

Bartender Christian Parent mixes a spirit-free drink called Dorothy in the Daytime at Topside, a restaurant bar on the top floor of Hotel Revival in Mount Vernon. (Amy Davis/The Baltimore Sun/TNS)

Lanphear dresses his mocktails up with ingredients from the restaurant, like nutmeg, lime and molasses. Fresh, creative garnishes also justify a higher price point for alcohol-free beverages, which help to make up for slower sales in the early months of the year.

Lanphear and others in the industry said its hard to tell if Dry January has much of an impact on sales. Business is generally slower in January and February across the board.

People have essentially spent all of their money over the last two months prior to that because of the holidays and because of parties, Ward said.

Lanphear said New Years resolutions to spend less money on eating and drinking out are a direct hit to his business. But, he added, I can definitely accommodate the mocktail thing very easily.

Bars can benefit by leaning into the trend and spreading the word about alcohol-free offerings, Welker said: a good way to stay competitive is to participateeven just running specials for the month.

Craft breweriesknown for high-alcohol-by-volume brewsmight be next to jump on the trend.

While the zero-proof ODouls has been on the market for years, more breweries are starting to produce nonalcoholic options, like Guinness 0, an alcohol-free stout, and Flying Dog Brewerys Deep Fake, a nonalcoholic IPA.

The nonalcoholic pursuit is definitely something that a lot of breweries are looking into, said Jim Bauckman, the director of communications for Grow & Fortify, an umbrella organization that includes the Brewers Association of Maryland, the Maryland Wineries Association and the Maryland Distillers Guild. Theres an acute awareness that the alcohol consumer is becoming more health-conscious.

Welker likens the growing ubiquity of alcohol-free options to having vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free items on the menu.

Its a valid choice that people are looking for, that people from all walks of life are choosing, she said.

Lanphear, meanwhile, plans to keep adding to his mocktail list. He thinks Dry January is here to stay: Its right up there with No-Shave November now.

Copyright 2023 Baltimore Sun. Visit baltimoresun.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Officials Issue Warning Not to Touch Chinese Spy Balloon Debris

A large balloon drifts above the Kingstown, N.C. area, with an airplane and its contrail seen below it. (Brian Branch via AP)

Local officials in North and South Carolina issued warnings to locals not to touch a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by U.S. jets over the Atlantic Ocean.

If debris from the balloon washes ashore, people should contact local authorities. Warnings were issued by local municipalities over the weekend after the balloon went down on Saturday afternoon.

Please be advised we are aware of the destruction of the balloon that was over the ocean near our City, said the North Myrtle Beach Police Department in a statement. Pieces of this balloon are being collected by the U.S. military however it is possible some of those pieces may wash ashore. Any stray pieces are expected in the NC area but could wash ashore in [North Myrtle Beach].

If a piece is located please contact your local law enforcement agency for collection, according to the statement. Debris should not be touched, moved, or removed. Such items are part of a federal investigation and tampering with them could interfere with that investigation. Our non-emergency number is 843-280-5511.

Sunset Beach police said in a news release Saturday afternoon that these stray pieces are expected to wash ashore in the North Carolina area. Its not clear when, however, and U.S. military recovery efforts are underway.

Members of the U.S. Military are coordinating to collect debris from the ocean; however, it is possible fragments may make it to the coastline, Horry County Police said in a post.

It came as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement that the Biden administration approved the shootdown of the aerial device on Wednesday, claiming that it was done as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloons path.

Austins statement said that due to the high altitude and significant size the balloonwhich was moving at around 60,000 feet in the airthe U.S. military determined that it would be too risky to shoot it down over U.S. territory. The balloon was first reported over Billings, Montana, last week, which prompted calls from Republicans and Democrats to take it down.

Montana, notably, is home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which has fields of nuclear missile silos.

In this picture obtained from social media, a balloon flies in the sky over Billings, Montana, on Feb. 1, 2023. (Chase Doak/via Reuters)

Allowing a spy balloon from the Communist Party of China to travel across the entire continental United States before contesting its presence is a disastrous projection of weakness by the White House, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote in a statement.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) had a more positive tone, writing on Twitter: Thank you to the men and women of the United States military who were responsible for completing the mission to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon. The Biden Administration did the right thing in bringing it down.

Response

They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it, President Joe Biden said after getting off Air Force One en route to Camp David on Saturday, reported The Associated Press.

The balloon, resembling a giant white orb, was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. At about 2:39 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said.

The spectacle had Americans looking to the skies all week, wondering whether the mysterious balloon had floated over them.

On Saturday, Ashlyn Preaux, 33, went out to get her mail in Forestbrook, South Carolina, and noticed her neighbors looking upand there it was, the balloon in the cloudless blue sky. Then she saw fighter jets circling and the balloon getting hit.

I did not anticipate waking up to be in a Top Gun movie today, she said.

U.S. defense and military officials said Saturday that the balloon entered the U.S. air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 and moved largely over land across Alaska and then into Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday. It crossed back into U.S. territory over northern Idaho on Tuesday, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Operation Love Wins Will Fund Travel for Families to Visit Jan. 6 Detainees at DC Jail

Demonstrators with the group 'Look Ahead America' light candles in front of the D.C. Correctional Facility during an Aug. 30, 2022, demonstration for the people who have been imprisoned for their participation in the Jan. 6 breach at the U.S. Capitol. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

A Jan. 6 defendant wants to make it easier for families to visit with their loved ones who are being held in pretrial detention or as prisoners at the District of Columbia jail, some for more than two years, in connection with the 2021 U.S. Capitol breach.

Shane Jenkins, who faces trial next month on 10 criminal counts from his presence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, hopes to raise enough money so that every Jan. 6 detainee or inmate in the jail can receive a family visit.

Its been almost two years for most of us, Jenkins said, in announcing the creation of Operation Love Wins, sponsored by his organization The Real J6.

Shane Jenkins, a Jan. 6 defendant and District of Columbia jail detainee, founded Operation Love Wins to bring Jan. 6 families to D.C. for jail visits. (U.S. DOJ/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

We are asking fellow patriots to donate money, airline miles, hotel points, or other travel resources to aid us in this mission. Every penny of this will go to our cause, he said in the statement.

Donations will provide airfare, lodging, food, and local transportation for up to four members per family of the more than two dozen J6ers held in the Correctional Treatment Facility in the District of Columbia.

A recent visit to the DC Gulag by U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) helped secure approval for family visits to the facility.

We started with a goal of $50,000 to get each individual at least one visit, Sarah McAbee, director of public affairs for The Real J6, told The Epoch Times. If it takes off and there is more money, we will be able to fund more than one trip. If not, we will evenly distribute the leftover money to their commissary accounts.

McAbee, whose husband Ronald Colt McAbee had been held in the D.C. correctional facility before being moved to a Virginia jail in late 2022, said the program is needed because most of the J6ers held in D.C. are the family breadwinners; the incarcerations have put a huge financial strain on families. She told Jenkins they could appeal to frequent travelers to donate miles or hotel points.

I explained to him that many corporate people, like myself, travel often and collect travel rewards, whether it be airline miles or hotel points, McAbee said. There are some people that I know personally that have so many rewards that they will never be able to use all of them even if they wanted to, so they would like to donate them to a good cause.

Those who want to donate airline miles or hotel points should send an email to info@therealJ6.com.

McAbee said the in-person visits are supremely important to detainees and family members because they cant experience a hug or a touch via letters or video calls. The D.C. facility hasnt yet set up a video-chat system for families.

Physical touch is so powerful, she said. It has health benefits such as boosting the immune system, lowering blood pressure, decreasing stress hormones, and even triggering the release of feel good chemicals such as oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine.

Something that we on the outside take for granted, such as reaching out to grab anothers hand, can convey a wide range of emotions for themreassurance, empathy, comfort, love, and compassion.

Operation Love Wins seeks to be an antidote to the dark cloud that has hung over the jail complex since the first Jan. 6, 2021, defendant was sent there.

A demonstrator holds a U.S. flag in front of the D.C. Correctional Facility during a demonstration for Jan. 6ers held in the facility on August 30, 2022. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

Detainees have reported being beaten by staff, deprived of food, forced to sleep under bright lights, enduring filthy conditions such as black mold and backed-up toilets, and being held in solitary confinement for months at a time.

Defense attorney Joseph D. McBride wrote an 11-page report on jail conditions and filed it with the human-rights group Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union. Neither group has responded to the report.

Pretrial detainees are being tortured while in federal custody in violation of Supreme Court precedent, McBride wrote, as well as the United Nations Standard Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, otherwise known as the Nelson Mandela Rules, which were recently incorporated by reference and codified as law, in New York State.

After her visits to the jail complex in 2021, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) issued a 28-page report, Unusually Cruel: An Eyewitness Report from Inside the D.C. Jail.

A group that includes Micki Witthoeft, whose daughter Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, holds a prayer vigil every night outside the jail. Inside the facility, the detainees sing the National Anthem together every night.
Pakistans Former President Musharraf, Key US Ally Against Al-Qaeda, Dies at 79

Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf salutes during the playing of Pakistan's national anthem at the Joint Staff Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, on Nov. 27, 2007. (Mian Khursheed/Reuters)

ISLAMABAD/DUBAIPakistans former president, Pervez Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the campaign against al-Qaeda following the terrorist groups Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, died in Dubai on Feb. 5 after a prolonged illness. He was 79.

Musharraf, a former four-star general who seized power after a 1999 military coup, died at a hospital in Dubai, where he was living in self-imposed exile since 2016. His body will be flown to Pakistan for burial on Feb. 6, Geo News reported.

I offer my condolences to the family of General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on Twitter. May the departed soul rest in peace.

Musharraf was suffering from a rare organ disease called amyloidosis, and was admitted to the hospital last year after he became critically ill, his family said.

He was credited with attracting foreign investment to Pakistan, which saw the strongest economic growth in nearly 30 years during his rule, and he enjoyed the support of the military and Pakistanis who backed his crackdown against militant groups.

However, his decade-long rule was also marred by a heavy-handed approach to dissent, which included arresting rivals such as the current prime minister and the imposition of an almost six-week-long state of emergency in which he suspended the constitution and censored the media.

Musharraf, a graduate of a Christian high school, was keen for Pakistan to embrace liberal Islam, an approach that increased his appeal in the West following the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

Musharraf joined what Washington called its war on terror, giving U.S. forces ground and air access into landlocked Afghanistan to chase down al-Qaeda terrorists.

That decision contradicted Pakistans long-standing support for the Taliban terrorist group, which at that point controlled Afghanistan, and made Musharraf a target for domestic militant groups. He survived at least four assassination attempts.

In a 2006 memoir, Musharraf said he saved Pakistan by joining the campaign against al-Qaeda. He also successfully lobbied the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush to pour money into the nuclear-armed nations military, which remains one of the most powerful in South Asia.

Pakistans former President and head of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) political party Pervez Musharraf speaks as he unveils his party manifesto for the forthcoming general election at his residence in Islamabad on April 15, 2013. (Mian Khursheed/Reuters)

Domestically, Musharrafs iron-fisted rule created turmoil. A state of emergency in 2007 aimed to quell protests triggered by a clampdown on the judiciary and the media. That same year, his government was criticized for not providing enough security ahead of the assassination by the Pakistani Taliban of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, a political rival killed while campaigning for national elections.

The Musharraf-backed party lost the vote, held months later in 2008. Facing impeachment by parliament, he resigned and fled to London.

Musharraf returned to Pakistan in 2013 to run for parliament but was immediately disqualified. He left for Dubai in 2016, and was sentenced to death in absentia three years later because of the state of emergency. The verdict was later overturned.

One of Musharrafs former political aides told Geo News that he would either be buried in Karachi, his familys hometown, or Rawalpindi, home of the armys headquarters.
This rainbow-striped mountain in Peru may resemble an abstract painting but is, in fact, an entirely natural phenomenon, drawing visitors from far and wide committed to finding out if the candy-colored rumors are true.

Vinicunca, otherwise known as Rainbow Mountain or Montana de Siete Colores (Mountain of Seven Colors), is part of the South American Andes mountain range in the Cusco region of Peru. Its peak rises 17,060 feet (approx. 5,200 meters) above sea level.

(Michaellbrawn/CC BY 4.0)

The mountains colorful facade owes to exposed sedimentary rock layers. As ice covering Vinicunca gradually melted, the ground continued to erode, and different mineral layers were uncovered leaving a myriad of colors.

The red is oxidized iron, the pink is clay, mud, and sand, the white is various forms of calcium carbonate, the earthy brown owes to rocks rich in magnesium, the yellow is due to the presence of iron sulphide, the purple is from goethite, or oxidized limonite, and the turquoise is due to the presence of chlorite and not due to vegetation, Peru Grand Travel explains.

Yet while the rainbow phenomenon is real, viewers need to be aware that some photos can be misleading, since many have been tempted to use editing software to augment the colors before posting photos to social media.

Tourists can access Vinicuncas trailhead at Qesoyuno by driving three hours from Cusco by car or a tour bus. The most spectacular lookout point is accessible by hiking a challenging six-mile round trip and its best to head out before dawn, according to Pure Wow.

The best views will be present on a bright, clear day, and the colors will appear most vibrant in photos taken at the golden hours of dawn or dusk. Rainbow Mountain Peru suggests visiting between March and November when the sky is blue and the weather is warm.

Historically, lithium miners have targeted the mountain, but all mining activity at Vinicunca stopped in 2018. The site was declared a Regional Conservation Area the following year.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Pornographic and Racially Divisive Books Removed From Florida Schools Despite Pushback

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addresses the media in Miami, in April 2022. (Courtesy, The Florida Governor's Office)

Public school districts across Florida are working to comply with several new state laws designed to stop the sexualizing of young school children and the indoctrination of students with racially prejudicial theories.

As a result of the legislation, all books and other materials in school libraries and classroom book collections must be inventoried and reviewed by state-certified media specialists.

Recommended reading lists, newly purchased books, and donated books also are to be scrutinized.

The specialists are expected to be drawn from working or retired librarians and media-certified school personnel who have undergone compulsory training from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE).

The Florida State Capitol building in Tallahassee, Fla., on Nov. 10, 2018. (Mark Wallheiser/Getty Images)

According to an FDOE memorandum, by July 1, and annually thereafter, every school district superintendent must certify that all librarians and media specialists in their employment have completed the required online book evaluation training.

The training prepares the specialists to evaluate a schools literature and multi-media materials to determine if they can be made available to students without violating the following state-specified standards of appropriateness.

No materials, printed or digital, including books on recommended reading lists, may contain pornography, according to the standards.

The training program uses this Merriam-Webster Dictionarys definition of the word pornography as a guide: The depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement.

According to the FDOE training guide, the material must not predominantly appeal to a prurient, shameful, or morbid interest, or be obviously offensive to the communitys prevailing standards of what is suitable for minors.

All material must be appropriate for the grade level and age group to whom it is made available.

Florida law prohibits K3 students from receiving any type of teaching or instructional materials dealing with sexual orientation or gender identity.

Chloe Cole, an 18-year-old woman who regrets surgically removing her breasts, holds testosterone medication used for transgender patients in Northern California on Aug. 26, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Only materials that are deemed age-appropriate can be made available to students in higher grade levels.

The statute also gives parents the right to appeal an age-appropriate determination they disagree with in court.

It is a third-degree felony in the state of Florida for any adult to provide pornography to a minor.

The FDOE has advised school personnel to err on the side of caution when determining if a book is developmentally appropriate for student use.

Teachers found guilty of offering to students a book deemed inappropriate could face up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Given the rapid spread of book bans across the country, it seems inevitable that the resulting climate of caution and fear will result in a reluctance of teachers, administrators, and librarians to take risks that could affect their own employment, their budgets, their reputations, and their personal safety, according to a report issued by PEN America, a national civil liberties advocacy group.

PEN America is a New York-based, non-profit organization, describing its mission as being dedicated to championing the freedom to write [and] recognizing the power of the word to transform the world.

The group strongly opposes removing books from school libraries.

Stirring Nationwide Controversy

Recently, many state legislatures and school boards have begun requiring the removal of school library and classroom library books that do not meet specified standards.

The Florida Citizens Alliance applauds the measures.

In an online statement, the group defended efforts to shield school children from pornography, saying, it is reasonable to temper individual rights with some form of moral principles and values.

They dont allow the students to have drugs or guns in school. Why should they be provided with illegal, inappropriate, and harmful materials and books? said the groups co-founder and CEO Keith Flaugh in an interview with The Epoch Times.

Newly donated LGBT books are displayed in the library at Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond, Calif., on May 17, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

PEN America compares the scrutiny of school library books to the anti-communist fervor that swept through America in the 1950s known as The Red Scare. The group calls the present situation The Ed Scare.

PEN America documented at least 15 cases, including one in Florida, of criminal charges filed in the 20212022 school year over the distribution of obscene or pornographic material in school and public libraries.

Local law enforcement eventually dropped those cases.

Social media has exploded with pushback from Florida educators objecting to the new laws, which some describe as book banning and censorship. Some say the book evaluations waste of time and resources.

Our schools dont need to go back to the 1950s; we need to move forward toward 2050, Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association, wrote in a recent statement in support of further liberalizing sexual norms.

He believes students have the freedom to read a wide spectrum of books.

But Flaugh believes that working to prevent the damaging of school kids outweighs the cost.

Parents speak out against a proposal to recognize October as LGBTQ History Month during a meeting of the school board of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, on Sept. 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Alex Serrano, County Citizens Defending Freedom)

Many parents agree, and have worked with mixed results to have explicit books removed from their childrens school libraries. Theyve shocked school board members around the country by reading aloud graphic passages from school library books during the time for public comment. Often, theyve been shouted down, had their microphones turned off, or been escorted out while reading from the books approved in those districts for children.

Hannah Petersen, a mother from Lakeland, Florida, told The Epoch Times, They could make an X-rated film out of the school library books I examined.

I thought Id find a few swear words. Instead, I found bestiality, sexual assault, and child rape.

Exposure to these things can have life-long ramifications for a young, developing mind.

No More Critical Race Theory

The book evaluation training guide also requires that the approved print and digital material support the broad racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity of Floridas students.

The content of the material should not reflect unfairly upon persons because of their race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, or occupation, according to the FDOE guidelines.

The training program urges evaluators to avoid titles that contain unsolicited theories that may lead to student indoctrination.

Parents concerned about Critical Race Theory took home these buttons from a school board activist training Jan. 19, 2022 in Sarasota, Florida. (Alexis Spiegelman)

Materials that teach the principles of critical race theory (CRT)that an individual, by virtue of his or her race, color, sex, or national origin, is inherently racist or oppressivenow must be rejected in Florida.

Instead, instructional materials chosen must be accurate, objective, balanced, noninflammatory, and current, according to the states guidelines.

Titles selected must adhere to the principles of individual freedom as outlined in Florida state law:

No person is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex.

No race is inherently superior to another race.

No person should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, or sex.

Meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are not racist but fundamental to the right to pursue happiness and be rewarded for industry.

A person, by virtue of his or her race or sex, does not bear responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.

A person should not be instructed that he or she must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress for actions, in which he or she played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.

Bringing Back Founding Principles

The Florida training asks the specialists to look for books that advocate good stewardship of the environment, promote humane treatment of animals, highlight thrift, and expound on the dangers of substance abuse.

Whenever appropriate for social science, history, or civics courses, the materials submitted must contain the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States, reads the training guide.

During a stop on his reelection on Nov. 3, 2022 in North Florida, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, scorns left-wing ideology, saying Florida is where woke goes to die. (Nanette Holt/The Epoch Times)

Florida law mandates that school librarians and media directors compile a list of all books and digital materials that is available to their students. The online database of titles must be accessible to parents and community members.

By statute, any parent or community member may challenge any book, pamphlet, video, or recording, with the exception of a Teachers Edition of a textbook.

Which Books Are Being Removed?

The compilers of PEN Americas Index of School Book Bans found that 41 percent of the banned titles contained LGBT themes and 40 percent had main characters that were people of color. In recent years, an increasing number of books containing LGBT themes and more racially-diverse characters have been published.

Twenty-two percent were removed because of sexual content and 21 percent for focusing on racism.

The most frequently removed book was Gender Queer: A Memoir, by Maia Kobabe. Parents across the country have called for its removal from their childrens school libraries because of graphic descriptions and illustrations of sex acts.

Fairfax County parents and residents protested against a library holiday display featuring the Bible next to the sexually explicit books Gender Queer and Lawn Boy outside Dolley Madison Public Library in McLean, Va., on Dec. 11, 2021. (Lisa Fan/The Epoch Times)

Ellen Hopkins was the most frequently banned author.

The index analyzed 2,552 instances of books being removed from libraries nationwide from July 2021 to June 2022, a figure researchers say they believe is underreported.

Since the completion of the initial study, PEN America reports an additional 139 instances of book removals nationally.

Which States Are Removing Books?

Book removals were reported in 138 school districts across 32 states.

Of the 32 states, Texas had the most instances, with 801 removals of books in 22 school districts. Florida posted 566 in 21 districts, Pennsylvania had 457 in 11 districts, and Tennessee rounded off the top four with 349 rejected in six school districts.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a meeting in Houston, Texas, on Oct. 27, 2021. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The PEN America report asserted that the resulting harm is widespread, affecting pedagogy and intellectual freedom and placing limits on the professional autonomy of school librarians and teachers.

Public schools that ban books reflecting diverse identities risk creating an environment in which students feel excluded, with potentially profound effects on how students learn  in a pluralistic and diverse society.

Pressure from Parent Groups

As an indication of the recent rise and impact of the parental rights movement on school policies and legislation, the PEN America analysis identified more than 50 citizen groupspushing to remove books they deem unfit for children.

The top eight of those groups have more than 300 local chapters across 38 states. Seventy-three percent of the organizations were formed in the last two years.

One of the largest is Moms for Liberty, with more than 200 chapters nationwide.

A mother and daughter protest Woke ideology at a Moms for Liberty rally in Troy, Mich., on Oct. 14, 2022. (Steven Kovac/The Epoch Times)

April Borton, a Michigan grandmother attending a Moms for Liberty rally, said it broke her heart to see what her local school board did to students in her school district.

They confused my five-year-old granddaughter when her kindergarten teacher told her she can be a boy if she wants to, Borton told The Epoch Times.

Now, thats disturbing. Weve always gone along to get along, but now we have to stand up, or it will be too late.

PEN America condemns the groups efforts, writing that these parental and community groups have played a role in at least half of the book bans enacted across the country during the 20212022 school year.

The report added that such parent-led groups are swarming school board meetings, demanding newfangled rating systems  using inflammatory language about grooming and pornography, and even filing criminal complaints against school officials, teachers, and librarians.

The success of the Florida Citizens Alliance in pressuring a school system to apply warning labels to more than 100 books was cited by the index as an example of the effectiveness of such organizations.

PEN America warns that some of these groups espouse Christian nationalist views.

Many group members heartily agree with that depiction and consider it a badge of honor.

School Officials Surprised by Furor

PEN America warns the atmosphere of intimidation created by the parents groups undermines the ability of communities to discourse in a measured way.

[Book] challenges are coming with such increased frequency  that [school officials] struggle to keep up, as well as to withstand the heightened political pressure and public scrutiny,

Educators have been taken by surprise by the degree of focus and determination displayed by citizen groups in the pursuit of their objectives, PEN America researchers wrote in their report.

Public libraries are also being targeted with calls to ban books; efforts to intimidate, harass, or fire librarians; and even attempts to suspend or defund entire libraries, according to the report.

The PEN American Index characterized the movement to remove books as undemocratic, because it imposes restrictions on all students based on the preferences of those calling for the bans.

Holding a copy of Gender Queer, Lin-Dai Kendall criticizes school book policy at a rally before a Fairfax County Public Schools board meeting in Falls Church, Va., on Sept. 15, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

Parents say they aim to protect children from unrestricted access to inappropriate materials that could harm them. They point out that the books still are available through other sources, but should not be provided at schools. Thats an environment parents should be able to trust, they say.

The Marginalized Hurt the Most

PEN America activists say they worry that book bans harm students who have a right to access a diverse range of stories and perspectives  and especially [harms] those from historically marginalized backgrounds who are watching their library shelves emptied.

The effect of the book removals, together with the punitive, surveillance-oriented attitudes of those in some states who are advocating them is chilling to teaching and learning, according to groups report.

It cited a recent public opinion poll that shows a majority of Americans across the political spectrum oppose book bans.

Many parents question the validity of that poll, and say PEN America has greatly exaggerated the danger or harm of removing sexually graphic and racially charged materials from school library shelves.

This story has been updated to include additional information provided to The Epoch Times after publication.
Shen Yun Performing Arts World Companys curtain call at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times)

BUSAN, South KoreaA Korean business owner said he forgot all his worries and troubles, and was with happiness after attending Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan on Feb. 4.

The male dancers are powerful, valiant, but not stiff. They are full of masculinity, said Mr. Kim Il-gon. The female dancers seem to be angels flying down from the heavens. They are gentle, elegant, and graceful.

Mr. Kim is the owner of five chain bookstores in Busan. He said hed wanted to attend Shen Yun for a long time.

The show is magnificent, I love it, he said. Ive always liked Chinese culture and have only gained more interest now, its fantastic.

Mr. Kim said Shen Yun is great not only because of the dancers, but also many other aspects.

The animated 3-D backdrop coordinates with the stage, which is a fantastic design. I have never seen this kind of idea. I was surprised in the beginning. I wondered how the figures in the backdrop could land on stage, he said.

Mr. Kim laughed happily and said Shen Yun could convey human values using dances.

The traditional stories that Shen Yun presented delivered a lot of information, he said. I like them. I think these are the values we should think about.

Mr. Kim said Shen Yun was a sort of therapy.

Anybody who hasnt watched Shen Yun, attend it as soon as possible. Dont think too much. We are very busy everyday. Watching Shen Yun can help us forget all our troubles. We can easily enjoy the relaxation and happiness that Shen Yun brings to us, he said. Shen Yun can cure our body and soul.

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.

Shen Yun Is Formidable

From the scale of the cast and stage, to the connotation it presents, Shen Yun is formidable, said Ms. Kwon Young-hee, the chairwoman of the Busanjin Regional Tax Association. I was in awe.

Ms. Kwon has visited China and Mongolia many times. She felt Shen Yun is a must-see because of the rich history, culture, and values in it, which she had never seen anywhere else in her life.

Whether the male dancers or female dancers, their movements are simply gorgeous. Its majestic! she said. The backdrop is very unique. Its well connected with the dancers on stage.

Ms. Kwon said she was amazed by the Chinese culture that Shen Yun presents via the historical story-based dances.

Lets inherit the traditional cultures without any change, she said. I hope Shen Yun can perform more in our country. Then more of our people can attend. I hope more people in the world have the chance to watch Shen Yun. That will be great.

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.

A Must-See

Mr. Kang Jin- hak, the president of the Hanwool Urban Design Group, and his wife Mrs. Lee Seung-hee, an urban design professor at Dong-A University attended Shen Yun on Feb. 3.

Everything in Shen Yun is in order. Its naturally wonderful. There are no words that can describe its beauty, said Mr. Kang. He said he was ecstatic after watching Shen Yun.

I had very high expectations. But the performance is much better than my imagination, he said. I was mesmerized by it since the beginning.

Mrs. Lee was amazed by the Shen Yun dancers.

I always thought dancers are feminine and soft. But all Shen Yun dancers are full of energy, she said. I felt refreshed and excited.

Mrs. Lee enjoyed the stories they told.

You dont need to know the dance. The story-based dances are very interesting and captivating. I enjoyed them a lot, she said.

The couple said they would attend next year as well.

I will share my experience on social media. I will try to convince whoever hasnt attended Shen Yun to come. This is a must-see, said Mr. Kang.

Mr. Kang Jin-hak and his wife, Mrs. Lee Seung-hee, at Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 3, 2023. (Lee You-jung/The Epoch Times)

Reporting by Epoch Times Staff in Busan, South Korea.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Ms. Yoo Min-na, a flute virtuoso, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times)

BUSAN, South KoreaMs. Yoo Min-na, a South Korean flute virtuoso, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan on Feb. 4, and was amazed by Shen Yuns music.

The orchestra of Shen Yun gave a strong performance, she said. I hope I can take my students here to attend Shen Yun, and then they can see what a great performance should be.

Shen Yun is a comprehensive artistic performance. Overall, its perfect, she said. The live orchestras performance accurately coordinates with the dances. Actually, everything cooperates seamlessly with each other to make Shen Yun perfect as a whole.

Shen Yun is one of the top performances in the world, said Ms. Yoo, I feel Shen Yun can reach the deep end of audiences souls. Its majestic and splendid!

Ms. Yoo appreciated Shen Yuns artistry and the values it conveyed through art.

Its great to use art to pass down traditional culture. Its admirable, she said. I was inspired by Shen Yun. Now I want to know more about China before communism.

New York-based Shen Yun is the worlds top classical Chinese dance company, and has a mission to show the beauty and goodness of China before communism. For 5,000 years Chinas civilization was built on values and virtues from the spiritual teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

I Really Admire Them

I had a wish to attend Shen Yun when I first saw a video introducing Shen Yun, in which it said Shen Yun dancers would stand up again even after falling down for thousand times, said Mr. Choi Chang-im, a representative of a construction design company.

After attending Shen Yun, Mr. Choi said he saw a magnificent performance, behind which is the hard training of the artists.

I focused on each dancers movements. They are exquisite. They showed the great result of their hard work, he said. I deeply appreciate the dancers efforts. I really admire them.

Mr. Choi was impressed with the coordination between different aspects of Shen Yun.

The music, dance, costumes, and all the others. Everything in Shen Yun is well-designed. It presented a very real world, he said. I felt I was inside the stories.

Mr. Choi was surprised by Shen Yuns animated backdrop, where the dancers can travel back and forth from the stage.

I have never experienced the 3-D backdrop that Shen Yun has. It coordinates accurately and magically with the dancers at any given second. I really enjoyed it, he said.

Mr. Choi Chang-im, a representative of a construction design company, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times)

Mr. Choi said he was inspired by the Shen Yun dancers.

In the future, I want to learn from Shen Yun dancers. I would like to continue even after one thousand times of failure, he said. I want to attend Shen Yun again and again. I will encourage my friends to attend as well.

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.

A Beautiful Dream

Attending Shen Yun is like having a beautiful dream. It made me feel extremely happy, said fashion designer Ms. Kang Da-won. Being able to attend Shen Yun, I felt I was blessed. Im very luckily.

Mr. Kang said she felt like she had entered a time tunnel, and experienced Chinas history.

I was very touched. Each scene is as beautiful as a painting. I didnt know the Chinese civilization is so fabulous. Now I know. Its amazing! she said. Since the pandemic, our lives have been very sad. Now I watched this fantastic performance, and I will carry forward this happiness with me into the future.

Ms. Kang appreciated Shen Yuns efforts. I shared on social media platforms immediately after I saw the show. I said, this is a life experience. Everybody must see Shen Yun.

Reporting by Epoch Times Staff in Busan, South Korea.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Ms. Yoon Doo-a, a professor at the Seoul National University of Education, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Kim Guk-hwan/The Epoch Times)

BUSAN, South KoreaA Korean law professor was touched by Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan on Feb. 4. He said Shen Yun is like a show from the heavens and is as glorious as a divine creation. Extremely beautiful.

Mr. Kim Man-woong, a law professor at Silla University, was wowed by the skills and techniques of Shen Yun dancers.

I was sitting in the front row, and I could see their movements clearly. Wow! Their skills are superb! This is a really world-class show, he said. Regular dancers move softly. But Shen Yun dancers have this powerful force, like martial artists. Their dances have both energetic spirit and artistic value.

Mr. Kim was impressed by the difference between Shen Yuns male and female dancers, as well as the harmonious cooperation among them.

The male dancers danced vigorously and valiantly. The female dancers movements are very elegant, he said. Shen Yun is a performance surpasses all other performances. Its very unique.

Mr. Kim used a sentence to conclude his feeling about Shen Yun: Majestica comprehensive artistic feast full of amazing elements.

Mr. Kim Man-woong, the law professor at the Silla University, attends Shen Yun Performing Arts with his wife at the Sohyang Theatre in Busan, South Korea, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Lee You-jung/The Epoch Times)

New York-based Shen Yun is the worlds top classical Chinese dance company, and has a mission to show the beauty and goodness of China before communism. For 5,000 years Chinas civilization was built on values and virtues from the spiritual teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

Its Captivating

Ms. Yoon Doo-a is a professor at the Seoul National University of Education. She admired Shen Yuns beauty.

The colors are very rich and saturated. The dances are enchanting and touching. Its formidably beautiful, she said. I have been deeply mesmerized by the beauty.

Ms. Yoon said she likes the female dances, in which all dancers are like heavenly maidens and simply gorgeous.

For example, they dressed in long-sleeve costumes in light green colors in one dance. Their movements are flowing in the air. Its captivating, she said. I didnt blink my eyes during the entire dance. I was completely mesmerized.

Shen Yun story-based dances tell stories from different eras in Chinas history. Ms. Yoon enjoyed the stories and said, Its like reading the whole process of Chinese cultures in different dynasties.

After giving her comments, Ms. Yoon moved her arms and said that is a movement she learned from Shen Yun.

I still feel very touched when I move my hands like Shen Yun female dancers, she said. They are very beautiful.

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.

A Splendid and Magic Backdrop

Mr. Ko Young-sam, a sociology professor at Tongmyong University, admired Shen Yuns dynamic backdrop.

The dancers can travel back and forth between the backdrop and stage freely and easily. Its magic. I have never seen anything like this in South Korea or abroad, he said. Its splendid and magnificent.

Mr. Ko was surprised that Shen Yun follows traditional values and standards.

The show is very rich. It completely follows tradition and is very elegant, easy to understand, and beautiful, he said. I saw the factors of Buddhism and heaven in Shen Yun. We are familiar with these factors.

Mr. Ko said he appreciated Shen Yun dancers high techniques and skills, and he saw the universal values in the dances presented. Chinese tradition cherishes virtues like loyalty, propriety, wisdom, justice, and benevolencevalues that are universal and shared the world over.

I love the dance about loyalty. I felt the strong spiritual values in Shen Yun, he said. The performance uses advanced technologies with the excellent dances to present traditional culture. This is very attractive.

Mr. Ko said he would suggest all his friends attend Shen Yun.

Reporting by Epoch Times Staff in Busan, South Korea.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
SACRAMENTO, Calif.Guitarist and songwriter Ivan Najera and his wife Karen attended Shen Yun Performing Arts on the afternoon of Feb. 4 at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center in Sacramento, California.

I was super attracted to this show for the music, said Mr. Najera, who composes Latin jazz dance music and whose performances showcase the polish, precision, and passion of his concerts. I play Latin American, Spanish and world music, and [Shen Yuns music] is just so beautiful.

I was amazed to see so many young people playing so well, incredibly well, really tight and the compositions were phenomenal.  Ivan Najera

I was amazed to see so many young people playing so well, incredibly well, really tight and the compositions were phenomenal; I was taken by the harpist and then the two-stringed violin, I thought that was phenomenal, phenomenal! Mr. Najera was referring to the erhu, a two-stringed instrument that is thousands of years old. Each Shen Yun company tours with its own orchestra, which plays all-original compositions accompanying the dances.

The music so inspired him that Mrs. Najera said, Most definitely music is good for the soul. Hell go home and write music tonight.

Mr. Najera felt many emotions during the performance. There were some parts that were sad, but they had a meaning to it. And theres always hope, like the battles, the struggles with the freedom, and the oppression from the communistic government, and at the end with the cell phones: Oh my gosh, the things that we are living through right now!

Mrs. Najera also expressed her reactions. The emotions range from happiness to elation. It fills my heart. It gives me almost a spiritual moment.

Mr. Najera said its so sad that many Chinese are oppressed.

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded in 2006 by a group of leading Chinese artists who had fled the persecution of Chinas ruling communist party. Following the regimes violent takeover of China in 1949, the countrys traditional culture underwent a period of mass destruction.

Mrs. Najera spoke of the gift of freedom and what a privilege it is to see Shen Yun. Its a privilege. Its a great privilege. Actually, its an honor, she said.

People do not realize what freedom really means here in the United States, Mrs. Najera said. They have so much of it, and theres so many places in the world that cannot do anything unless its what is expected of them. If they do something different thats when they have trouble for themselves, so its great to have freedom.

Mr. Najera spoke of the need for freedom worldwide. We wish that for everybody so much. We have Russia, we have China, we have all the Middle East. Women dont have any liberties, and here we have all that. Sometimes [Americans] take it for granted, but shows like this are an awakening for people.

Mrs. Najera appreciated how Shen Yun keeps Chinas traditional culture vibrant. Its fabulous that you are keeping the traditional culture from the past alive. Thats very important to keep what took place a long a time ago, and how things took place, and how they expressed themselves. Freedom of expression is very important.

Mr. Najera was drawn by the beautiful landscape. Its just gorgeous. Mrs. Najera noted the lovely costumes, how the women were so light on their feet, and the men so robust and strong. That gives a good expression.

The couple will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next year. Mr. Najera could only say of the performance, Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!

Artist Says Respect of Tradition Comes Through in Shen Yun Performance

Wende Obata, a teaching artist in mixed media art therapy, and artist and her friend Ginger Weichel were very impressed by Shen Yun. The dancing is fabulous, the synchronization. The commitment to the dancing was beautiful.

She also noted whats happening in China today. The honesty about the stories in the perspective of whats happening in Chinaand I totally support, [I feel] sadness of not being able to do this type of dance in their own country.

Ms. Obata noted the relationships and the generations. You know, all the parental relationships.

Wende Obata (L) and her friend, Ginger Weicatl, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center in Sacramento, California. (NTD)

Ms. Weichel said, It amazed me that so much culture comes out of China, but theres such limitation to what it can be said and done.

Respect, Ms. Obata said. Its a pretty big word that comes foremost here. Seeing the respect, how they respect life, respect death, they respect tradition, respect for elders, birth, the whole sequence.

Ms. Obata spoke of a friend from China who gave her a massage. Every time she comes, she talks about her life in China. Of course she came here, how she had to. They took away her daughters. How she could not become a teacher because she was too short.

Ms. Obata was told how all spiritual belief was forbidden. So, obviously, we feel really strong about whats happening in the United States. We feel strongly its happening anywhere where freedom isnt number one. And, actually today, weve got something looking over us from China, and so were going home and seeing thatballoon in the sky and spying on us, and then coming here and supporting this, it all seemed to kind of have a continuum of flow.

Ms. Weichel said, I think there is a spirituality about it. The way they brought that up at the very beginning and how it was going to be presented. And I think in a lot of cases, people need to see more of that. And Im not talking about a specific religion.

For Ms. Obata, Shen Yun was more than information about China. Full disclosure: Its not here to just educate us. Its here to enlighten us and to share that, and then they took risks in doing that. So I feel very proud. I sense the proudness.

Reported by NTD, Steve Ispas and Yvonne Marcotte.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006. Creative Director of Shen Yun, Mr. Li Hongzhi, has recently published Why There is Mankind in various independent media.
By Emma Patch

From Kiplingers Personal Finance

Traveling abroad for lower-cost cosmetic procedures remains a burgeoning industry, and hundreds of thousands of Americans do so each year.

Most cosmetic surgery is elective and not covered by insurance, and it costs a pretty penny. Travelers having cosmetic surgery should heed the advice of their doctors regarding how long they should wait before air travel after surgery.

So where are the popular destinations for affordable cosmetic surgery?

Thailand, which is fast becoming a global hub for medical tourism.

Although it may seem a far-flung destination for serious procedures, the accessibility of affordable and high-quality care makes it a popular choice for many.

Thailand attracted just short of 2 million overseas patients in 2019 for surgery ranging from gender reassignment to heart procedures, according to Patients Beyond Borders. Bangkok, the capital, can be reached via direct flights from most major cities around the world, although most U.S. flights require at least one connection. Round-trip flights from Houston via Tokyo were recently available for just over $2,000.

Francesca Landsberg, 65, of Philadelphia, was able to secure even-greater-than-average savings when she traveled to Bangkok for multiple cosmetic surgeries in 2022. Landsberg, who traveled for gender-affirming care, received breast-augmentation surgery and multiple cosmetic procedures as part of facial feminization surgery.

I was very pleased with the results, she says. I was greeted with respect, and the care there is very good. Landsbergs package also included a 30-day stay in a VIP hotel room on location, allowing the appropriate time for recovery before returning home to Pennsylvania.

Cosmetic-surgery patients can expect to save anywhere from 25 percent to 50 percent on popular cosmetic procedures in Thailand. For example, one unit of Botox, which goes for an average of $16 in the United States, averages just $9 in Thailand, according to Medical Departures. Similarly, the average cost of breast augmentation in the United States is roughly $8,000, but in Thailand it averages $4,350. And rhinoplasty (nose surgery), which costs an average of almost $8,500 in the states, goes for an average of $6,500 in Thailand.

Turkey is another popular destination for patients. In 2018, Turkey welcomed more than 850,000 medical tourists from 149 countries, according to the Turkish Healthcare Travel Council. That figure has increased tenfold in 10 years. And although the pandemic caused a sizable dip in those numbers, just in the first half of 2022, Turkey attracted nearly 600,000 people for medical services, according to the website of USHAS, a Turkish state-owned healthcare company.

The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery also ranks Turkey among the top 10 countries performing the most popular cosmetic surgeries, including breast augmentation, liposuction and rhinoplasty. The average costs for those surgeries in Turkey are $3,720, $2,655 and $3,100, respectively; Americans can expect to save anywhere from 50 percent to 65 percent, on average, on the most popular cosmetic surgeries. Turkey also notably offers affordable options for patients seeking bariatric surgery, such as gastric band or gastric bypass procedures.

(Emma Patch is a staff writer at Kiplingers Personal Finance magazine. For more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com.)

2023 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The Epoch Times Copyright  2022 The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
Spongiest City Auckland Still No Match for Floods

Emergency workers and a man wade through flood waters in Auckland, New Zealand, on Jan. 27, 2023. (Hayden Woodward/New Zealand Herald via AP)

A barrage of floods in Australia and record-breaking rain in New Zealand are devastating usually resilient communitiesand slugging insurers.

The severity and frequency of devastation also call into question the design of cities meant to keep millions of citizens out of harms way.

Global design firm Arup has used artificial intelligence tools to study eight major international cities, including New Zealands biggest city Auckland, to give them a so-called sponge rating.

Arup found the urban centre of Sydney was the least sponge-like, or naturally able to absorb rainwater, of the eight cities.

Auckland ranked top, at 35 percent sponginess, based on the modelling of its stormwater systems and extensive green space.

And yet it has been overwhelmed.

An Insurance Council of New Zealand spokesman told AAP that it is already clear that it is the biggest climate event to have ever hit New Zealand.

More than 20,000 claims have been lodged, including 15,000 with Insurance Australia Group, which is a big provider in the market along with Australias Suncorp Group.

More than 1,600 Auckland houses have been yellow- and red-stickered by council inspectors as hazardous and unsafe, including some of the citys most expensive harbour-side homes hanging over the edge of landslides.

Sporting ground Eden Park, home to many trans-Tasman clashes, was underwater as more rain mid-week added to the damage after the unprecedented deluge of just over a week ago.

Climate scientists say atmospheric rivers can bring beneficial drought-busting rain but are also responsible for some of the most severe flood events.

Read More Tonga Volcano Ejected Record Amount of Water Into Stratosphere, Could Have Warming Effect

The streams of moist air are thousands of kilometres long and transport water vapour around the world, contributing to flooding in Australia and devastating Auckland.

Sydney is predicted to experience more frequent intense atmospheric river events by the end of the century, increasing the risk of heavy rainfall and flooding, according to the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes.

Changes to building codes to require flood-proof doors and windows, brick walls and floodgates, and using steel frames rather than wood may help.

More extreme measures that may be pursued by governments include rezoning and moving whole communities.

Plans to Increase Propertys Flood Resilience

Georgina Woods, head of impact at risk consultancy Climate Valuation says some risks can be mitigated by making a property more resilient, and some by adaptation or resilience at a municipal level, such as a river levee or sea walls.

But Woods says some homes and communities cannot be protected on an ongoing basis, and planned retreats and buybacks must be on the table.

Different hazards require different adaptation measures: engineering works, raised floors and planning specifications can mitigate flood risk, but there are high risk places where building homes is not appropriate, she said.

A Queensland town in the Lockyer Valley has been moved to higher ground after the mayor championed a $30 million land swap following deadly floods.

The floods of 2010/11 damaged nearly every building on the Grantham flood plain and swept across three-quarters of Queenslandkilling 33.

Meanwhile, once in a century floods keep coming, hitting New South Wales (NSW), Queensland, South Australia and Victoria last year, and most recently Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Urban planning expert Timothy Welch said every new building or road replaces the planets natural stormwater system of plants and soil, and channels for runoff.

Auckland-based Dr. Welch still backs the idea of a sponge city, devised in the early 2000s by Chinese landscape architect Kongjian Yu and approved by Chinas communist regime. The approach has proven controversial in China over its effectiveness.

Less concrete and asphaltand more trees, ponds and soilwould allow urban areas to hold more water and evaporate less, making cities more resilient to heatwaves and drought.

Physical geography professor James Renwick wants cities to shift away from being concrete jungles.

Re-expose streams that have been forced into culverts and buried, he said.

Create or re-create some wetlands in the urban mix, areas that can soak up some water.

He says cities could create more nature strips, plant more trees and include more areas of open ground with vegetation.

Upgrading existing storm water infrastructure to have a larger flow capacity is also crucial, requiring significant taxpayer funds.

This is the really expensive option, Renwick noted.

Woods says theres also a crucial need to address under-insurance in Australian regional areas at high and escalating risk of flooding.

The solutions to this will require the cooperation of the insurance industry, banks, government and local communities.

The Insurance Council of Australia has called for state governments to amend land use laws.

The industry body and five leading insurers met federal ministers in Brisbane last week to work out how to make insurance affordable, or possible.

Last years south east Queensland, northern NSW and western Sydney flood event conclusively demonstrated that there are parts of Australia where existing housing must be relocated, adapted and the land not used, a spokesperson told AAP.

The Epoch Times contributed to this report.
The Torres Strait Islands are like a tropical paradise to outsiders but for many Aboriginal Australians, it has more in common with a failed state as they struggle to survive amid the soaring cost of living.

Indigenous families are being forced to leave their archipelago homes in Queenslands north because of a lack of affordable housing and extortionate food prices that are impacting physical and mental health.

This region has a high dependence on social security, yet the cost of living is way beyond what you see in mainland urban areas, Aleita Twist, chief executive of Mura Kosker Sorority social service group, told AAP.

With large families and overcrowded housing, or poor access to housing, its not a happy environment for people to continue to be able to stay in the region.

Basic supermarket items, which are often far from fresh by the time they hit the shelves, such as fruit and vegetables, milk and eggs, are about 20 to 40 per cent more expensive than average mainland prices.

Shoppers also pay considerably more for electrical goods, furniture and luxury food, such as savoury and sweet snacks, and fuel is about 25 per cent more expensive.

Were paying A$7 (US$4.86) for a loaf of bread. You can get one for A$2 (US$1.38) in Cairns. Thats the staple food that fills kids bellies but if you have five kids and you need two loaves a day for lunches its not sustainable, Twist said.

We know its expensive down south too but up here we havent got a choice, we have to take what is given to us because the suppliers operate in a near monopoly.

The Housing Crisis

The housing problem is worst on tiny Thursday Island, the regions administrative centre, where dozens of state and federal government departments employing expatriate mainland workers are outbidding locals trying to buy and rent properties.

Government swoops in and they pay whatever price is necessary and locals just cant afford it, Twist said.

An example is A$1,800 (US$1,246) per week for a three-bedroom house, only government can afford that.

Public housing is also in short supply, with several traditional owners, including Joseph Passi, saying they have been on waiting lists for more than a decade.

I applied when I turned 18 and Im still waiting, Passi, 33, said.

The council pool manager lives in a tiny three-room donga next to the shire depot with his partner and three children.

As tough as it is, Passi said it was a step up from the previous seven years when the family was homeless and lived in overcrowded houses with relatives or in hostels.

The whole system is messed up, its a struggle within a struggle, he said of the islands housing market. People are getting forced down south, Cairns, Townsville, wherever.

Motel housekeeper Johanna Sabatino-Garnier, 28, lives in temporary accommodation on neighbouring Hammond Island with her two sons and catches a ferry to and from Thursday Island for work.

Its pretty tough and a struggle as a single parent, she said.

The ferry, fuel prices are going up now so we fish and buy the cheaper brands to help us get through, but the drag week before I get paid can be a real stress.

Torres Strait Regional Authority chair Napau Pedro Stephen said a two-tier economy had been created by the remote area allowances paid to attract skilled workers to the region.

Its lopsided with haves and have-nots, he said.

He likened the situation to the pearl boom in the late-1800s when outsiders exploited the region but shared little of the profit with traditional owners.

Everybody who has benefited from the cream here, they are not from here, he said.

The complicated system of land tenure also needed to be unravelled so more local families could buy land and homes and build wealth, instead of renting them generation after generation, he said.

Government Scrambles to Address Issues

The Queensland government has said it plans to hold a cost-of-living summit in the Torres Strait Islands to work out ways to reduce astronomically high food prices and deal with other problems islanders face.

A date for the summit has not been set.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last year acknowledged the issues.

The cost of living pressures are probably three times that of what were seeing in the southeast of our state and something has to be done about that, she said in September.

Torres Strait Island Regional Council chief executive James William said the high living costs and the lack of affordable housing were a symptom of successive government policies that failed to foster economic development for the benefit of traditional owners.

He said the last internationally significant industry, pearling, collapsed in the 1950s and the profits it brought to the region hadnt been replaced by newer industries, such as tourism and the rock lobster fishery.

The funding model that government has typically delivered since, through the various tiers, has been subsistence at best, he said.

William said Torres Strait Islands, which has a population of about 7,000 people living in remote and ultra-remote communities, were unlikely to be able to grow a sustainable economy without significant government support.

Theyre low-income, small-population communities with a strategic location that makes it the only local government area with an international border that has to manage local, state and international issues on a daily basis, he said.

It is in all of our interests that the region thrives and operates well.

He said more government investment was needed to help create a circular economy that employs Torres Strait Islanders, who will in turn spend their wages in their communities to make them more economically sustainable.

Were still sourcing goods and services externally, we dont have a robust healthy local economy capable of supplying the local population, he said.

As a consequence, everything we buy comes from outside the region and the price inflates as it travels through the supply chain due to the cost of transport and logistics.

Weve got to re-engineer this economy so it benefits the Torres Strait people.

This article was made possible by support from the Meta Australian News Fund and The Walkley Foundation.
Teenage Girl Killed in Suspected Shark Attack in Western Australia

A boat (C) cruises on Swan River in Perth, Australia, on Oct. 15, 2006. (Greg Wood/AFP via Getty Images)

A teenager has been killed in a suspected shark attack in Perth, the capital of Western Australia (WA).

Police were called after reports of a potential shark attack near the Fremantle traffic bridge in North Fremantle about 3.20pm on Saturday.

WA Police Acting Inspector Paul Robinson said a 16-year-old girl was pulled from the Swan River with critical injuries.

Emergency personnel provided medical assistance to the victim who died at the scene from her injuries.

Acting Insp Robinson said witness accounts indicated the girls death appears to be a shark-related incident.

Were being advised she was with friends on the river, he told reporters on Saturday.

They were on jet skis. There was possibly a pod of dolphins seen nearby and the young female jumped in the water to swim nearby the dolphins.

The family werent there when this took place however, her friends were and as you can imagine this is an extremely traumatic incident for anyone to witness so obviously were offering counselling services to anyone who did witness it or is affected by the incident.

Acting Insp Robinson described it as an extremely traumatic event for everyone involved and anyone who knew the young girl.

This is a very traumatic incident and the family is absolutely devastated by the news, he said.

Acting Insp Robinson said the Department of Fisheries had advised him it was unusual for a shark to be so far down the river.

Ive spoken to fisheries and water police and unfortunately we have no idea what type of shark it is, he said.
Leocadio and Regina Muniz at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Sonia Wu/The Epoch Times)

SAN ANTONIO, TexasLeocadio and Regina Muniz were captivated by Shen Yun Performing Arts dancing and storylines after seeing the performance at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

Its absolutely beautiful, and the dancing is extraordinary, said Mrs. Muniz, who is retired. I love the storylines.  Im very much enjoying this.

Mr. Muniz, who is a retired U.S. military colonel, also made reference to the different storylines in Shen Yun, including ones that depict perseverance in the face of present-day atrocities under the communist regime in China.

Thats so powerful, Mr. Muniz said. It is a message that needs to be revealed to the world.

Shen Yun is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance company. Established in 2006 in New York, the company aims to revive the beauty and goodness of China before communism, as stated on its website.

Reflecting on the themes in some of the dance pieces, Mr. Muniz said that theres always hope, and in the end, the right will win out.

Enlightening

Robert Reyna at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Nancy Ma/The Epoch Times)

Robert Reyna, who has also retired from the military, said that Shen Yun is the best performance he has seen.

I thought it was great. Ive been to other performances. But this one topstops of all tops, he said. It was enlightening to see the show.

Mr. Reyna said besides the dances, he enjoyed Shen Yuns orchestra, which combines traditional Chinese instruments with classical Western instruments.

It relaxes me because it was so in tune with the dancers, Mr. Reyna said.

He said he also enjoyed the animated backdrops, which through patented technology interact with the dancers on the stage.

Ive never seen anything like that, he said.

In one word, Shen Yun is a compelling performance, Mr. Reyna said.

Very Passionate

Eric Garza and Raquel Perez-Colvin at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Sonia Wu/The Epoch Times)

Eric Garza, who works as a director of human resources, thought Shen Yun is a very exciting performance.

Very interesting; very exciting; very passionate, he said, adding that the choreography in the performance is exceptional.

The costumes are beautiful. The colors are just  very energized, he said. Theres so much to see.

Mr. Garzas wife, Raquel Perez-Colvin, said she also found Shen Yun to be a wonderful performance.

We really enjoyed it, its amazing, she said. Beautiful, extraordinary. I would say everyone [should] come and see this show.

Reporting by Sonia Wu and Nancy Ma.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
By Stephanie Breijo

From Los Angeles Times

Los AngelesRounds of sliced-thin, pink, white-speckled mortadella are popping up on sandwiches, on charcuterie plates and even in the occasional cocktail in Los Angeles, but its hard to view any food item depicted in ancient Roman carvings as a flash in the pan. The Italian deli meat that traces its roots to Bologna and as far back as the Etruscans isnt new, but of late its been gaining the kind of star power that salami and prosciutto have hogged for too long.

At Grandmaster Recorders the aromatic deli meat is draped gently around piping hot, freshly fried cacio e pepe-flavored zeppole (doughnuts) all buried under freshly grated pecorino. At Pizzeria Bianco, it takes sandwich form on a round of focaccia with goat cheese and arugula, while La Sorteds showcases the thin slices on even fluffier focaccia with burrata and a slick of slightly sweet pistachio cream. Its served as an option on the cured-meat plate at Capri Club, a new addition to the best bars in L.A., and cocktail bar Thunderbolt even recently experimented with crafting a cocktail employing the deli meat, creating an old-fashioned that featured mortadella-washed bourbon.

At Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood, mortadella comes plated with cacio e pepe-seasoned zeppole and pecorino. (Stephanie Breijo/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Mortadellaa popular cold cut throughout Italy for centuriesis making meaty waves in the U.S., where a maligned derivative, bologna, lacks the nuance in texture and flavor of its inspiration. A blend of pork cuts and fat, originally ground together in a mortar in the Emilia-Romagna region, mortadella is essentially a large cooked pork sausage spiced with myrtle, garlic and pepper. In 1998, it received its own Protected Geographical Indicationmeaning its ingredients and methods must adhere to a strict set of criteria to be considered authentically regional. L.A. chefs and diners have taken note of the appeal of mortadella.

To Felix and Mother Wolf chef Evan Funke, mortadellas time was long overdue. I [expletive] love mortadella, he says. I think its great that L.A. is having a moment, but Mortadella is the moment, always has been. I think its one of the most underrated salumi to come out of anywhere in the world; its underutilized, underappreciated, super versatile, and I think its the best, so I love that its getting a little bit of traction.

At Mother Wolf, Funke features mortadella made by Verona-based Leoncini, which adheres to the PGI regulations, on La Mortazza: a kind of inverted Napolitano pizza dough that results in a pillowy interior and a lightly crisp exterior. It forms an almost sandwich-like base for mortadella, which ribbons out in folds along the edge, and for lemon-scented ricotta, drizzled with lemon agrumato, sprinkled with cracked black pepper and scattered with pistachios.

When the chef moved to Bologna in 2007, the extent of his knowledge was that mortadella could be found in the Godmother sandwich at Bay Cities. That year marked the first time that he tasted mortadella di Bologna, which doesnt include pistachios (a more modern additionand an unwelcome one by a wide sect of mortadella purists).

Once, while training with Alessandra Spisni at the School of Sfoglia Bolognese Traditional Cuisine, Funke saw her vendor send mortadella studded with pistachios; the chef-instructor immediately called upon all the saints in heaven and cursed her vendor. She was so mad, Funke says, she immediately sent it back and said, This is not mortadella, it has pistachios in it. Thats Sicilian.

While some skew traditionalist, mortadellas variances have been embraced across continents, giving the meat even more audience as it made its way into a range of cultures. Late 19th century Italian immigrants in Brazil made mortadella a staple for pockets of South America, later proving a childhood mainstay of restaurateur John Borghetti, co-owner of Los Felizs Nossa Caipirinha Bar.

Nossa Caipirinha Bars mortadella sandwich incorporates flavors from the Italian diaspora in Brazil with biquinho and guindilla peppers. (Stephanie Breijo/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Last summer Borghetti informed chef-partner Rory Cameron that he regularly ate mortadella sandwiches when growing up in Brazil, and Cameron knew he wanted to add one to the new bars menu.

Cameron tasted four or five varieties of mortadella, ordering whole, deli-sized tubes at a time, and landed on maker FraMani in Berkeley. Its served on a locally made, toasted Homeboy Industries bun and gets topped with burrata. Biquinho peppers and their juice are incorporated into mayo thats slicked over the bun, while chopped guindilla peppers form a kind of slaw for crunch.

That cross-cultural appeal is a benefit for Travis Hayden, one of the few chefs in Los Angeles making his own mortadella.

You find it in Brazil, or Portugal has a version of it, or France or throughout Italy, he says, which is nice because it gives me some leeway.

At Virgil Village wine bar Voodoo Vin, Hayden drapes several slices over one another on a plate, pistachios and fat on full display, brightened by whatever pickled peppers hes sourced from the farmers market. The recipe is always evolving but is now roughly one year in progress and often involves splashes of dry white wine and spices such as nutmeg, coriander and mace.

At wine bar Voodoo Vin, chef Travis Haydens mortadella, on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022, in Los Angeles. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

Hayden began with small batches. Then he needed to scale up. At first, one of his larger batches would last three weeks. Now he makes a large loaf roughly once a weekweighing in at around eight poundsbut he runs through it in just four or five days.

People have started talking about mortadella, Hayden says. Its like the tinned fish of charcuterie. Some nights nearly every table orders the mortadella, despite multiple other varieties of house charcuterie also being available.

It takes Hayden about eight hours to prepare mortadella: He weighs out and either grinds or slices pork shoulder and fatback, all from heritage-breed pig farm Peads & Barnetts. He blanches the pistachios, then peels them from their casing by hand, which takes about an hour and a half. He measures out the wine and dry components, readying his station and finally setting his high-powered mixer in motion.

He begins by emulsifying the pork meat, adding the garlic and wine. Then come the aromatics and spices, the milk powder and the fat. He pauses occasionally to take its temperature, ensuring his emulsification wont break. The more the blades spin, the hotter it gets; he adds ice, little by little, as the temperature climbs. As it spins, the emulsification turns from a bright pink to a creamy white and forms a kind of paste; its emptied into a large metal bowl, where he folds in the fat cubes and blanched pistachios.

Hayden unveils a large metal contraption to compress the sausage into the casing, where an airlock at one end pushes the air out, while an attached tube at the other extrudes the meat into the synthetic casing.. Without use of a full kitchen, he cooks the mortadella in a water-filled catering pan atop portable electric burners, slowly bringing the temperature up, then hangs it in the refrigerator for three days before its ready for the wine bars customers.

Shea Montanez, who refers to it as kind of the next prosciutto frontier, has gone through years of trial and error. The chef and co-owner of pop-up Happy Mediums Deli cut his teeth on charcuterie making during his time at Chicagos Sepia. He gravitates toward mortadella due to its nostalgic nature, harking back to the old-school delis his grandma used to bring him to as a child.

At Happy Mediumswhere he and his partner, Bonnie Hernandez, serve cheffy spins on classic sandwiches, soups, dips and other deli farehe says his method is constantly developing. He grinds pork shoulder and fatback separately, so that the blend is fine, then adds spices such as mace, cinnamon, black pepper, garlic and cayenne. Its served sliced thick on the McDuffuletta, the pop-ups signature sandwich, along with house-made porchetta di testa and salami (the latter not made by Montanez).

Chef Samuel Schiffers been tracking the popularity boom of mortadella not only because he serves it in sandwich form at Pasadena shop Semolina Artisanal Pasta but because people have begun paying him for bright pink hats emblazoned with the word.

In early 2022 he co-founded pasta-focused apparel brand Mister Parmesan, and in August launched the mortadella hat in collaboration with illustrator Marianna Fierro. The people who know, know, he says. The people who have mortadella inside of them already, whether figuratively or literally, you see peoples eyes light up unbelievably. Hes jokingly started calling it mortadellacore, as if a kind of lifestyle.

For Semolinas sandwich, a citrusy pistachio aillade riff on a Suzanne Goin recipe is used to play up the pistachios in the Olympia Provisions mortadella. Its served on a Bub and Grandmas baguette with stracciatella cheese.

As our regional Italian-food culture has become much more robust and more thoughtful, its that desire to be able to introduce people to something that might be unfamiliar, Semolina owner Leah Ferrazzani says. Its a combination, to me, of: A bunch of East Coasters moved here in COVID, and then you have these chefs wanting to push the limitits not particularly expensive so its not something thats a huge risk financially, but it offers a lot in complexity and flavor and texture that you can play around with.

As with any trend, no one can predict where the growing ubiquity of mortadella will lead. (Ferrazzani, at least, is waiting for guanciale have its mortadella momentagain.) Wherever it does, call it a phase with 1,000 years of global staying power, call it a flash in the pan or call it mortadellacorejust so long as you dont call it bologna.

Copyright 2023 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Trump Responds After Anonymous Official Claims Chinese Spy Balloons Flew Over US on His Watch

Former President Donald Trump responded to claims that Chinese regime spy balloons entered U.S. airspace during his administration, saying such alleged events never happened.

An anonymous U.S. Defense Department official said over the weekend that spy balloons transited over U.S. territory under the Trump administration. But Trump, in a Fox News interview on Sunday, pushed back.

This never happened. It would have never happened, Trump told the outlet, adding that the Chinese regime respected us greatly under his leadership. It never happened with us under the Trump administration and if it did, we would have shot it down immediately, added Trump. Its disinformation.

Before the balloon was shot down, Trump on his social media platform Truth Social had called for the U.S. military to shoot down the balloon last week after it was spotted near Billings, Montana.

Now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the heat off the Biden administration, Trump wrote Sunday. China had too much respect for TRUMP for this to have happened, and it NEVER did.

Other Officials Respond

Mark Esper, who served under Trump as secretary of defense, refuted claims about balloons flying over the United States under the previous administration.

I dont ever recall somebody coming into my office or reading anything that the Chinese had a surveillance balloon above the United States, he told CNN. I would remember that for sure.

John Bolton, a former U.S. national security adviser under Trump, said that he never heard of any spy balloons entering U.S. airspace or hovering over U.S. territory while Trump was in office. Bolton, also a Bush administration official when he was in office, also said that he never heard of anything like this happening before he joined the Trump administration in 2018.

I dont know of any balloon flights by any power over the United States during my tenure, and Id never heard of any of that occurring before I joined in 2018, Bolton told Fox News on Sunday. I havent heard of anything that occurred after I left either.

Responding to claims made over the weekend, Bolton said that the current administration needs to tell Congress about any specific examples. He added that I can say with 100 percent certainty not during my tenure.

The Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, S.C., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Randall Hill/Reuters)

Unequivocally, I have never been briefed on the issue, added Robert OBrien, who served as White House national security adviser under Trump. It never came up, he said. If a balloon had come up, we would have known. Someone in the intelligence community would have known, and it would have bubbled up to me to brief the president, former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell told Fox.

Its not true. I can refute it, former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe also said. The American people can refute it for themselves. Do you remember during the Trump administration, when photographers on the ground and commercial airline pilots were talking about a spy balloon over the United States that people could look up and see, even with the naked eye, and that a media that hated Donald Trump wasnt reporting?

What Was Claimed

A top Defense official, who was not identified, said Saturday that the Chinese regimes surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration, but never for this duration of time, according to a transcript released by the Pentagon.

We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the [Chinese regime] put out an explanation that lacked any credibility, the official said.

On Saturday, officials said President Joe Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier on Wednesday. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.

The giant white orb was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. At about 2:39 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Uncontrolled Bushfire Danger Downgraded in Southwest Western Australia

An aerial Firefighting helicopter drops fire retardant in an attempt to contain a bushfire in Wooroloo in Perth, Australia on Feb. 2, 2021. (Evan Collis/Department of Fire and Emergency Services via Getty Images)

A bushfire emergency warning for communities in the shire of Nannup in Western Australias southwest has been downgraded to a watch and act alert, with residents told it could still pose a threat to lives and homes.

The Parks and Wildlife Service warning is in place for people in areas bounded by Cundinup-Kirup Road and Cundinup-Dudinyillup Road in the Maidment locality and Dudinyillup.

People have been advised to leave the area while routes are clear unless they are prepared to stay and defend their homes.

The fire was contained but not controlled following multiple ignitions and there was still a possible threat to lives and homes, the parks service said.

Bushfire advisories are also in place for surrounding districts in the Nannup shire.

Around 50 firefighters are battling the blaze and strengthening containment lines, with aerial support sent to assist ground crews.

The warnings have been issued as extreme or high fire danger ratings are in place for multiple weather districts across WA.

In late January, firefighters have found a mans body in a vehicle while battling an out-of-control blaze in country Western Australia.

The discovery was made on Jan. 25 at a bushfire in the Mount Gibson Reserve northeast of Dalwallinu, about 350 kilometres northeast of Perth.

The blaze continues to burn west of the Great Northern Highway and has burned through about 800 hectares in the reserve

Arson Squad detectives and Department of Fire and Emergency Services fire investigators have travelled to the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

The mans role within the fire ground and the circumstances leading up to his death will form part of the investigation.
US Extends Protection for Hong Kong Residents, Citing Chinese Repression

Hong Kong residents in the US protected from deportation

Italian Catholic priest Franco Mella holds a sit-in outside Hong Kong's Stanley Prison, pleading for the Hong Kong government to release political prisoners, on Jan. 9, 2023. (Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times)

On Jan. 26, President Joe Biden announced the extension of Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for eligible Hong Kong residents for two years. The DED had been set to expire on Feb. 5.

DED is a program authorized at the discretion of the U.S. president, which protects certain individuals from deportation and allows them to live in the United States for a designated period of time.

The United States supports the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the residents of Hong Kong. The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has continued to erode those rights and freedoms, and as such I am directing an extension and expansion of the deferral of removal of certain Hong Kong residents who are present in the United States, said the White House memorandum that announced the programs extension.

By unilaterally imposing on Hong Kong the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (NSL) in June 2020, the PRC has undermined the enjoyment of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including those protected under the Basic Law and the Sino-British Joint Declaration, it added.

The memorandum noted that at least 150 opposition politicians, activists, and protesters have been detained on politically motivated NSL-related charges since June of 2020, including secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign state or external power. More than 1,200 political prisoners are now behind bars on the island, and more than 10,000 have been arrested on other charges related to anti-government protests.

The White House stressed that The United States will continue to stand firm in our support of the people in Hong Kong.

Rapidly Deteriorating Human Rights Situation

A survey released by the Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI) last June indicated that Hong Kongs human rights situation has rapidly deteriorated following anti-government protests that erupted in 2019 and were suppressed by Chinese Communist authorities.

The HRMI survey measured the human rights situation using criteria outlined in United Nations treaties. Respondents included local human rights workers, human rights lawyers, and journalists who report on human rights issues. Many of the respondents had already emigrated from Hong Kong. HRMI did not disclose respondents identities to protect them from reprisal.

(L-R) Lord David Alton of Liverpool, former Hong Kong pro-democracy District Councillor Timothy Hin-Long Lee, international human rights campaigner and Head of Global Magnitsky Justice campaign Bill Browder, and pro-democracy activists Venus and Francis at a Stand With Hong Kong report launch in Parliament in Westminster, London, on Nov. 14, 2022. (V/The Epoch Times)

Under the category right to be free from arbitrary detention, Hong Kong scored only 3.5 on a 10 point scale. Its performance under right to be free from torture was 5.5 out of 10. The two scores fell into the very bad and bad categories, respectively.

Hong Kongs score for freedom of assembly and association dropped from 4.5 in 2019 to 2.5 in 2021. Meanwhile, its score for freedom of speech dropped from 4.7 to 2.7, and its score for electoral rights dropped from 4 to 2.4.

Hong Kongs scores in the three aspects are now close to Chinas, which scored 2, 2.3, and 1.9 in the three areas respectively.

HKs Political Freedom Is Being Destroyed

According to a 2022 Freedom House Freedom in the World report, Hong Kongs total freedom score dropped by 9 points, from 52 in 2021 to 43 out of 100.

The report says the environment for freedom of speech and political freedom in Hong Kong deteriorated dramatically after the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) was passed and implemented by the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) National Peoples Congress in late June 2020.

In January 2021, more than 50 political activists were arrested in Hong Kong for participating in the 2020 pro-democracy primary election. The unofficial primaries in June of 2020 had aimed to select legislature candidates for a city election that was ultimately postponed. In March 2021, 47 of the activists were charged with subversion of state power.

This and other incidents have put some of Hong Kongs most prominent and outspoken pro-democracy opponents behind bars.

Public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), once known for its independent reporting, has also become a mouthpiece for the authorities, losing its independent editorial rights. In February of 2021, RTHKs content older than a year on YouTube and Facebook was removed, depriving Hong Kong residents of access to historical archives.

A protester lays flowers at Chinas embassy in Paris in support of Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper that was forced to close under Hong Kongs National Security Law, on June 25, 2021. (Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images)

In June 2021, police froze the bank accounts of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, searched its offices, and arrested its top editor on charges of violating the NSL. Shortly thereafter, Apple Daily shut down its website and social media accounts and announced its closure.

In December of the same year, pro-democracy media outlet Stand News was raided and six senior staff members were arrested on charges of sedition, leading to the closure of the outlet.

In addition, Hong Kongs long-held environment of religious freedom came under attack. Falun Gong groups were harassed in Hong Kong by members of the CCP-linked Hong Kong Youth Caring Association (HKYCA). Falun Gong practitioners were denied entry into Hong Kong.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient Chinese spiritual practice consisting of simple, slow-moving meditation exercises and moral teachings incorporating the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance in everyday life.

Hong Kongs retired Catholic bishop, 90-year-old Cardinal Joseph Zen, was detained in May of 2022 under the NSL for his ties to the pro-democracy movement.

Moreover, dozens of civil and societal organizations and unions have disbanded since the NSLs implementation, including the Civil Human Rights Front, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions, and the Hong Kong Professional Teachers Union (HKPTU).

A Changed Election System

Hong Kongs election system was drastically modified by the CCPs National Congress in 2021, allowing China to easily manipulate Hong Kongs election results.

This new system, known as patriots ruling Hong Kong, enables Beijing to screen candidates for Hong Kongs Legislative Council (LegCo) and the Election Committee that elects the Chief Executive. This ensures that Beijing has almost complete control over local elections in Hong Kong.

Under the new system, the Election Committeenow almost entirely composed of pro-Beijing representativeshas overwhelming power to shape the LegCo election, in addition to selecting Hong Kongs chief executive. The council has only 20 directly elected seats.

In the first patriots only election under the new system in September 2021, select Hong Kong residents voted for members of the Election Committee, with the result that only one opposition-leaning member was elected to the 1,500-member panel.

Not surprisingly, pro-Beijing patriots swept to victory in the ensuing December legislative election.

Massive Brain Drain

The deterioration of political freedom and the social environment has led many to leave Hong Kong.

In his first policy address in mid-October 2022, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu admitted that Hong Kong had lost about 140,000 people from the workforce in the past two years. He said he wanted to proactively trawl the world for talents.

Hong Kong International Airport fills with the sound of tearful goodbyes as residents fearful for their future under Hong Kongs increasingly authoritarian rule leave to start a new life overseas, on July 22, 2021. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP via Getty Images)

At a press conference on Nov. 4 last year, Chung Kim-wah, honorary director of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, cited census numbers indicating that nearly 300,000 people had left Hong Kong over the past three years. Of that number, 135,000accounting for 45 percentwere young people aged 15 to 29.

Chung predicted that the number of Hong Kongers emigrating will continue to increase.

He believes that the main reason is the implementation of the National Security Law. The law has damaged Hong Kong at its foundation, Chung said, and people of talent no longer feel that it is a place where they can make a living.

Addressing Lees statement about trawling the world for talents, Chung asked, If you are a talent, would you choose to work in a place where injustice prevails, where information is not free, where there is political persecution and suppression everywhere, where you cant even see real information when you read a newspaper, and where you are afraid of being accused of inciting or colluding with foreign powers when you speak?
WestJet Temporarily Suspends Summer Transatlantic Flights Between Halifax and Europe

A WestJet flight from Calgary arrives at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield, N.S., Canada, on July 6, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Andrew Vaughan)

WestJet has announced it will temporarily suspend its summer transatlantic service for all flights between Halifax and Europe due to capacity constraints.

In a Jan. 30 statement, the airline said it would engage with local stakeholders and community members to reconsider the return of transatlantic service in 2024.

Halifax remains an integral part of our network and we understand this is disappointing news for our guests and the local community, said John Weatherill, WestJet Group executive vice-president and chief commercial officer.

He said the airline had to make these difficult decisions now in order to responsibly balance our schedule alongside operational requirements, capacity constraints and the deployment of our aircraft across Canada.

Meanwhile, WestJet said it would be enhancing domestic flights, including increasing service between Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Western Canada.

The Calgary-based airline had recently suspended flights headed to Europe from Toronto and Vancouver, in December 2022. This followed its announcement of service between Toronto and Edinburgh, Scotland, just six months earlier.

And in May 2022, the airline had reinstated flights from Halifax to Dublin, London, Glasgow, and Paris.

WestJet said the decision to temporarily cancel services from Halifax was a result of the airlines strategic decision  to responsibly manage and recover its network in response to capacity constraints impacting the aviation ecosystem.

WestJet flights have departed from Halifax for 19 years. The airline said it intended to focus its services across Eastern Canada on sun and leisure destinations, noting that it had purchased an additional 42 MAX aircraft from Boeing in September 2022, with options for 22 more.

The purchase was in addition to 23 MAX airplanes already on order, which WestJet said extended the companys growth plan out to 2028.

The new order was for the Boeing 737-10 aircraft, the largest model that Boeing offers in its MAX family. The single-aisle airplane boasts a quieter airplane, larger overhead stowage compartments for luggage, and greater fuel efficiency.

With this additional order, the WestJet Group will accept delivery of no fewer than 65 aircraft in the next six years, at least 50 will be 737-10 aircraft, furthering our commitment to affordable travel options for Canadians and jobs for our company and the aerospace industry, said Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of WestJet Group.

He said WestJet plans to grow in Eastern Canada with more direct routes to sun and leisure destinations.

Westjet said the plan would be further strengthened once our Sunwing transaction has been approved.

The airline announced its intent to acquire Sunwing Vacations and Sunwing Airlines in March 2022. In a statement issued by WestJet on Oct. 26, 2022, the company said the transaction is expected to close by spring 2023 pending remaining regulatory and government approvals.

On Dec. 9, 2022, Westjet announced it would increase weekly flights departing from Calgary International Airport (YYC) to Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas starting in 2023, noting there was high demand for popular transborder sun destinations.
Idris Elba has promised the Ghanian president that he would develop the face of Ghana film academy.

His intention was revealed when he paid a courtesy visit to the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House in Accra, the capital of Ghana.

Idrissa Akuna Elba OBE is an English actor. An alumnus of the National Youth Theatre in London, he is known for roles including Stringer Bell in the HBO series The Wire, DCI John Luther in the BBC One series Luther, and Nelson Mandela in the biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

Frankly, the actor spoke about the nerd for a thorough strategy to advance Ghana into the forefront of the film industry.

Elba took to his Facebook page and reposted a statement from Akufo-Addo which read;

On Friday, 3rd February 2023, I received English actor, Idris Elba OBE, to Jubilee House, the seat of the nations presidency, as part of efforts to promote the Beyond the Return initiative.

The time has come to engage Africans in the diaspora and all persons of African descent more positively in areas such as trade and investment co-operation, and skills and knowledge development.

The Taken actor contends that strong and thriving film industries start with sound public policy. He said that because they recognize the financial worth of the film business, nations like South Africa, Europe, Greece, and Morocco have made investments in their policies.

He said: The National Film Authority has done the work. Put together a comprehensive plan to propel Ghana into the forefront. It needs to be robust. It needs to be competitive. We believe for sure, and I know you believe in your legacy that you want to leave behind, that Ghana should step up to start attracting those filmmakers.

What I want to do is that I have a film that Im directing, and Im hoping to bring that film, or at least some of that film, to shoot it in Ghana. That film will be here in December. We start pre-production in August. Some of the films, in two or three weeks, will be in Ghana by December.
The discrimination against persons with disabilities is a global phenomenon. However, most countries of the world have moved from such discriminatory practices to an inclusive society for persons with disabilities. The population of persons with disabilities in Nigeria, which is about 30 million, is higher than the entire population of five countries in the West African sub-region. Unfortunately, Nigeria is one of the major countries in Africa where little or no attention is paid to the plight of persons with disabilities, hence their exclusion from governance, electoral process, healthcare, education, employment, and social and community life.

With a plethora of legislations at the international, regional,and national levels for the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, one would have expected persons with disabilities in Nigeria to be on the same pedestal with persons with disabilities in other countries in terms of access to healthcare, education, employment and political process. Nigeria signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and Optional Protocol as far back as 28th May 2007 and 27th October 2008 respectively, but the level of compliance is not significant to alleviate the sufferings of persons with disabilities.

Article 4 of the Convention sets out the general obligations of State parties, which include the adoption or modification of relevant law and policy to ensure and promote the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for persons with disabilities, without discrimination of any kind. It further states that State parties must closely consult with and actively involve persons with disabilities through their representative organizations in the development and implementation of relevant legislative, policy, and other decision-making processes. Though Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and its Optional Protocol, the provision in section 12 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria limits the potentials of these instruments. (Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution: (1) No treaty between the Federation and any other country shall have the force of law except to the extent to which any such treaty has been enacted into law by the National Assembly.

The executive and legislative arms of the government of Nigeria never thought of the importance of this instrument and the need to push it for domestication, hence the continuous denial, stigmatization, discrimination and abuse of persons with disabilities in the country. The response of state and non-state actors on disability issues is based on the charity model. Kudos must, however, be given to organisations of persons with disabilities and other civil society organisations who pushed rigorously for the passage of the Disability Bill and its assent into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 23, 2019.

The Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 was only signed into on January 17, 2019. The actualization of this legal framework on disability was a struggle of 18 years. Although about seven states had Disability Law prior to this Disability Act, most of the states passed the Bill and secured the assent of their governors for political reasons. The population of persons with disabilities in Nigeria is a good number for any political thinker to give them legislation or policy to woo their votes during elections. Unfortunately, the electoral process does not accommodate persons with disabilities. A particular state with Disability Law since 2009 has yet to constitute a commission or a board for the implementation of that law. In fact, setting up a commission or a board may not change the status quo as the letters of the legislation/law adopt a charity model instead of a rights-based approach in addressing the needs of persons with disabilities.

Lagos State is known for setting the pace in law and development issues. The Lagos State Special Peoples Law 2011 addresses disability issues from a rights-based approach. The law also sets up a commission to oversee the affairs of persons with disabilities. Unfortunately, the implementation of the letters of the law is still a challenge 12 years after.

Government at the local, state, and federal levels pay little or no attention to the need for inclusive education for children with disabilities, hence many of them are out of school and on the streets soliciting for financial help from society. When the exceptionally brilliant ones among this community of people painstakingly complete elementary and secondary education, they find it difficult to access tertiary education. Buildings in tertiary institutions are constructed without regard for persons with disabilities. These buildings like many public buildings are not accessible. Employment discrimination based ondisability occurs among state and non-state sectors. It is even more challenging for women with disability.

Generally, little attention is paid to the health and welfare of ordinary Nigerians. It is worse for people with disabilities.The poor health infrastructure in the country has not been able to guarantee inclusion for persons with disabilities. The stigmatization and discrimination from most medical personnel from a misinformed perspective about persons with disabilities pushes them into self-medication or use of alternative medicine rather than face humiliation in the hands of medical personnel.

Unfortunately, many of the health workers have no basic knowledge of human rights and the right to healthcare of persons with disability. This has in a way taken a toll on their right to health. Persons with disabilities are discriminated against based on their status and denied medical attention at various rural and urban health centres as they are in most cases treated with disdain by health workers. Almost all the hospitals in urban and rural areas are not accessible for persons with disabilities.

There is nothing about us without us, is the popular saying in the disability community. Unfortunately, the exclusion of persons with disabilities in political processes and practice negates this saying. Though the Act uses the word shall be encouraged to fully participate in politics and public life the concomitant relevance of this law can only be activated where there is political will. The political card is not played on merit or in the interest of the society. This is the more reason little or no attention is paid to inclusion of persons with disabilities in the political process.

The politics of exclusion of PWDs in the socio-political life of the country has to be addressed squarely. They not only deserve a place at the table of national development, they cancontribute effectively to the growth of the country. The idea that government shall actively promote an environment in which persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs without discrimination is practically and obviously jettisoned with the exclusion of PWDs in the leadership of any of the political parties.

With the 2023 general elections around the corner, and with the exclusion of PWDs in the past elections, shall we expect anything different from what we witnessed in the past? Only time will tell.

Kolawole Ogunbiyi is an Abuja-based lawyer and the Programme Manager for African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL).
The Chief Executive Officer, Nigerdock, Maher Jarmakani, says the company has discussed plans to focus more on renewable energy.

Jarmakani, in a statement on Friday said that the company had completed the first phase of its shift to renewable energy sources through the installation of solar solutions at Snake Island Integrated Free Zone.

He said, Current solar operations enable Nigerdock to displace 40 per cent of its daytime energy consumption, reduce CO2 output by about 2,000 metric tons, and achieve significant emission reduction targets.

Jarmakani said the project was part of a wider push by Nigerdock to develop 20megawatts of sustainable, cost-effective, and reliable power within the free zone.

He said the solar power expansion is the next step in Nigerdocks journey towards green port status.

The CEO highlighted the companys vision and commitment to Nigerias climate change act, the blue economy, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Engine fire aborts takeoff at Phuket airport

PHUKET: An engine fire on an Azur Air flight to Moscow saw the Boeing 767-300ER abort takeoff and the passengers and crew safely evacuated from the aircraft at Phuket International Airport late yesterday afternoon (Feb 4).

tourismtransportSafetyRussian

By The Phuket News

Sunday 5 February 2023, 10:42AM

The incident occurred at about 4:30pm, reported the Phuket Info Center (PIC) in what it called a preliminary report this morning (Feb 5).

Phuket airport, operated by Airports of Thailand (AoT), and local Phuket officials have yet to publicly comment on the incident.

The runway was closed for 40 minutes and apparently the plane was later able to take off**, the report said.

** CORRECTION: The plane was later moved from the taxiway to a different area of the airport.

However, the incident caused many flight delays, with as many as 47 flights affected, PIC noted.

After the aircraft was moved to a safe location, repair crews attended to cleaning the runway, a process which took several hours.

Flights from 6:30pm to 9:30pm were affected, PIC noted in its report.

Seven flights were diverted to Krabi airport, one flight was diverted to Samui airport, and one flight was redirected to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok.

Information provided to PIC reported that a fire started in one of the engines, which was followed by two explosions, or at least the sound of two explosions.

The pilot took quick action and activated the fire-suppression system, which cut the fuel supply to the engine.

At the same time, the engine has already reached a certain speed. The pilot had to brake quickly, causing the brakes to heat up and smoke to rise from the wheels Some of the tyres broke [sic].

Waiting for the results of the investigation to find out what caused the engine to explode, PIC noted.

The pilot tried to taxi the plane to a taxiway off the runway, but was unsuccessful, the report added.

Firefighters arrived at the aircraft very quickly, PIC noted in its report. The response time was apparently well within ICAO specifications.
Fighting flesh-eating bacteria

Long-term expat Ed Olieslagers is on a mission to raise awareness about necrotizing fasciitis, better known as flesh-eating bacteria, after a mosquito bite ended up costing him the lower half of his left leg.

CommunityHealth

By The Phuket News

Sunday 5 February 2023, 11:00AM

LEFT: Ed Olieslagers foot pictured when he arrived at hospital. RIGHT: Ed with his lower left leg amputated four months later. Photos: Supplied

It can happen to anyone at any moment. The medical world has too little experience of it and the symptoms are often identified too late. Negligence of people to pay attention to a small harmless wound is the start of the problem, Ed warns.

Ed, originally from the Netherlands, is 62 years old and has been living in Thailand since 2006. During that time he lived in Phuket from 2010-2014. The former global/strategical purchaser for Volvo Car / Volvo Bus is now living in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima, but will be moving back to Phuket this year.

The diagnosis came on April 17 last year after a mosquito bite had become inflamed and just got worse. The first signs were terrible pains, which were similar to gout symptoms, Ed recalled.

After becoming worried about the continuing signs of infection, he first saw a rheumatologist, and four hours later he was at a hospital. In one way, Ed was lucky; the doctors at the hospital correctly diagnosed the infection after just two hours. That said, the disturbing rate of infection was easy to identify. Ed provided photos showing the damage done to his foot in those two hours.

And that was only the beginning of a long period of operations, medications and terrible pains that I still cannot describe in words, said Ed.

In total Ed underwent nine operations, finally resulting in the amputation of his left leg above knee. His lower right leg was also amputated, below the knee, due to related complications with thrombosis.

I was finally discharged from the hospital on August 15, 2022. In total, I lost 25kg of weight over the course of four months, Ed noted. During that time, there were several periods where serious concerns were raised about whether he would survive.

I woke up the next day [Aug 16], and found myself wondering what am I going to do? Ed recalled. The emotional impact was deep, and took quite some time for him to come to terms with his new situation. Acceptance of the status and solve the problems as they appear, he said.

Physical and financial recovery were also key priorities. Make a plan to survive in order to become independent and train the body back in shape as soon as possible, Ed noted.

The infection and hospitalisation had hit Ed financially. Before COVID-19, he ran a successful swimming pool design and construction business, Samui Water Solutions Co Ltd. However, like many other businesses, the impact of the pandemic saw his business collapse.

His savings depleted and with no income resulting in his social insurance falling short, Ed has launched an appeal on Go Fund Me. The appeal, Ed Olieslagerss Road to Mobility, has a target of 50,000 (about B1.78 million). So far he has received donations of only about 780 (about B27,802).



The goal is to pay the outstanding medical bills, which so far have been covered by Australian friend Judy, for which Ed wants to pay back a total of B650,000. A further B500,000 is sought for prosthetics and mobility solutions. Prosthetics are expensive. I am also planning on using an ATV to get around, said Ed.

The rest is for support and living expenses, only for the short term. I am starting a new business, but that is taking time to get off the ground, Ed explained.

The option of returning home is riddled with deep holes, Ed noted. Airlines will not allow me to travel alone without prosthetics. On returning home it will take four weeks just for a formal notification of address and a request for social welfare will take at least eight weeks to process. After that health insurance for a returning expat will take a further eight weeks, and any evaluations for prosthetics will take eight to 12 weeks before they start, he said.

To support his appeal, the Immortals motorbike club held a fundraising event for Ed in Nakhon Ratchasmia last Saturday (Jan 28), during which the dangers of necrotizing fasciitis were highlighted.

Through his appeal, Ed explains at length how vital awareness of necrotizing fasciitis, a form of strep bacterial infection, is. There is no awareness of this disease and even little knowledge in the medical world in general. Treatment starts often with trial and error, Ed notes.

In my specific case, the body started reacting positively and then a new infection developed again and again I finally ended up twice in a sepsis situation, meaning the body started switching off non-vital parts, which results in death unless you take emergency action like amputations, he explained.

My case came from a mosquito bite. It can start from any damage of the skin tissue, he added, noting that necrotizing fasciitis infections can come from cat scratches, an open wound on the foot from a misstep and even shaving.

People are happy in ignorance, thinking, Oh, its nothing. Why bother? It will not happen to me. That is a big risk, not only for people with diabetes and cellulitis, but anybody like you and me, he said. And although rare, Children not excluded! he added.

The emotional part of this I can handle now but nobody is raising awareness about it. I have to do it myself, and tomorrow I have to do better than today! said Ed.
Hotels, condos warned of B1mn fine for failing to submit environmental reports

PHUKET: Hotels, condominiums, large housing projects and other accommodation establishments face fines of up to B1 million if they fail to provide their required annual environmental impact reports, the Phuket Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office (MNRE Phuket) has warned.

tourismpollutionenvironmentnatural-resources

By The Phuket News

Sunday 5 February 2023, 11:41AM

More than 2,000 venues in Phuket are required to file Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and Environmental Impact Assessment report (EIA) monitoring reports each year, explained MNRE Phuket Director Wattanapong Suksai.

Most locations are required to file IEE and EIA monitoring reports annually, but some must file such reports twice a year, he added.

However, so far the MNRE Phuket office has received only hundreds of reports, he said.

The MNRE Phuket office sent notices on Jan 6 to inform operators of the deadline to file their report, Mr Wattanapong said.

The MNRE Phuket office will not take legal action against any operators who file their reports before Mar 2, he noted.

Under Section 101/2 of the Environment Act 1992, revised in 2018, failing to submit the annual and IEE and EIA monitoring reports can incur a maximum fine of B1mn, Mr Wattanapong warned.

All 19 municipalities of local administration organisations on the island have been instructed to inform the MNRE Phuket office of any operators who fail to submit their reports, he said.

Implementation of the EIA and IEE measures is very important for Phuket, which is a world-class tourist city, in order to take care of the environment, especially regarding the problem of wastewater, Mr Wattanapong said.

We will follow up if a project is a source of pollution, including hotels, condos and others. If they do not take care of this matter, wastewater problems will surely follow from the increasing number of tourists coming [to Phuket], he added.

As far as we know, Phuket now has more than 40,000 tourists coming in every day and it is estimated that in 2023 there will be at least 12 million tourists. If establishments do not take care of wastewater, I believe this problem will inevitably follow, Mr Wattanapong said.

After this [deadline], we will take serious action against establishments that do not comply with the law because notifications have been sent several times, and the last date for submission of the monitoring report is January 31, 2023.

Pressure is rising on the MNRE Phuket office to take action against those who fail to submit their reports, Mr Wattanapong noted.

Although in the past in Phuket there has never been a fine for those who do not submit an annual monitoring report, in the Bangkok area more than 1,800 places have been fined, he said.
Industry president urges long-term fix to PM2.5

BANGKOK: The president of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) is urging the government to speed up solving Bangkoks PM2.5 problems in the long term, fearing that if the situation remains unchanged, it will affect the economy and tourism.

pollutionhealtheconomics

By Bangkok Post

Sunday 5 February 2023, 10:03AM

Foreign tourists walk past an outdoor air purifier installed by the Rajaprajanugroh Foundation under the Royal Patronage on Maharat Road near Grand Palace in Bangkoks Phra Nakhon district. Meanwhile, the Royal Thai Navy is also speeding up the installation of 13 air purifiers across Bangkok to help deal with a high volume of PM 2.5 particles in the capital. Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut / Bangkok Post

FTI president Kriengkrai Thiennukul on Saturday (Feb 4) said the PM2.5 dust particles have surpassed the safe threshold of 50 microgrammes per cubic metre (g/m), reports the Bangkok Post.

On Friday, Bangkok ranked as the fourth-most polluted city in the world from IQ Airs Air Quality Index.

Mr Kriengkrai said the fine dust problems will badly affect the health of vulnerable groups, particularly children, the elderly and those who suffer respiratory issues.

In light of the unsafe dust levels in the capital, many private sector companies also cooperated with Bangkok City Hall to allow workers to work from home to mitigate the dust levels.

Mr Kriengkrai urged the government to solve the dust problem and seek a long-term solution, in response to what he saw as the governments minimal response to date: only asking people to wear N95 masks or work from home over the past two days.

Extremely high levels of fine dust will hit the economy and tourism just as they are recovering from Covid-19 -- and working from home and a decrease in outdoor activities would affect the amount of cash circulating in the economy.

Also, tourists may postpone their travel or choose to visit other countries with cleaner air, he said.

Speaking after a dust prevention and solution committee meeting, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said the dust problems were expected to improve over the weekend.

He had received a report that artificial rain would be made in Rayong by the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agriculture Aviation.

This may lead to rainfall in Bangkoks areas including Lat Krabang, Prawet and Bang Na districts.

In addition, the navy also started setting up 13 PM2.5 air purifiers in the city, particularly in crowded areas.
Phuket Opinion: Power drive

PHUKET: The protest by green plate taxi drivers on Thursday (Feb 2) calling for action to be taken against illegal taxis was better marked by what was absent from the grandstanding than what was actually presented to the media by the publicity stunt.

opiniontourism

By The Phuket News

Sunday 5 February 2023, 09:00AM

First and foremost was the absence of any mention of the airport, which was exactly where officers from the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) turned up the next day to conduct random inspections.

By happenstance, PLTO officers on Friday caught one green-plate taxi driver from Bangkok and one individual using a car still fitted with red licence plates, which are issued to brand-new vehicles while waiting for official licence plates to arrive.

Also missing from the simultaneous grandstanding by officials and the taxi cartel members on Thursday was the penalty for being caught illegally using a vehicle registered for private use as a taxi.

Only last September, when issuing yet another warning against illegal taxi drivers, did PLTO Chief Adcha Buachan warn that any people found using vehicles not registered as taxis to provide a taxi service would be prosecuted under the full extent of the law. People caught doing so faced up to five years in jail or a fine of B20,000 to B100,000, or both, Mr Adcha said.

No mention was made this time that this "full extent of the law" will be enforced.

But most noticeable from the protest was the absence of fellow taxi drivers who also stand to suffer from loss of income from illegal taxis  namely metered taxi drivers and people operating fully legal, registered taxis through apps.

There was no solidarity in this protest. The public antics on Thursday were by one group, and one group alone: green-plate taxi drivers operating at the airport.

It was not lost on any observer that an official notice in support of the aggrieved taxi drivers was issued by provincial officials on the same day that the protest was held, only further entrenching the public image of collusion by officials in preserving one group of taxi drivers above others  all in the name of protecting their legal rights.

The fact that the drivers at the protest were claiming that illegal taxis were undercutting their prices screams loudly as to where the problem truly lies  its in the money to be made by forcing or duping tourists through lack of options or lack of information to use selected taxi services at the airport.

Thinking that theyre clever, the players in this sham do enough to avoid any clear cut definitions that will land them on the wrong side of specifically crafted regulations, enforced fully as laws. There are metered taxis at the airport, arrivals just have to learn where to find them, and taxi app drivers are allowed to drop passengers off, but not pick them up, at the airport.

As for the money the green plate taxi drivers are losing, it is this group that charges the highest fares at the airport. (See image gallery for list of maximum fares agreed to by drivers of taxis with green licence plates at the airport, or download the full list for the whole island here.)

Metered taxis in Phuket still charge nearly double than their counterparts in Bangkok since new fare rates for the capital were introduced on Jan 16 (see image gallery)  and yet there is still little incentive, financial or otherwise, for more taxi drivers to join their ranks.

The current rates for metered taxis in Phuket are: B50 for the first 2km; B12/km for km 2-15; and B10/km for km 15 and beyond. The fare also increases by B1 per minute when taxis move at speeds not exceeding 6km per hour. Another B50 is charged for booking taxis via a call centre and 100 baht for passengers picking up taxis at a designated area at the airport.

Taxi app drivers are among the cheapest (see image gallery), and still saw no reason to join the protest on Thursday.

Among the key points not raised by the green plate taxi drivers during their media presentation on Thursday is that there are more than 6,300 of them on the island. In comparison, there are only 277 metered taxis in Phuket. That might point officials in the right direction if they ever have an inclination to finally address the core issues regarding taxi turf wars in Phuket.

If the green plate taxi drivers want to hold a protest that might actually improve their situation, they might want to consider calling out Airports of Thailand (AoT) on their policy for making selective taxi services available at Phuket airport  a practice not observed at the two main international airports in Bangkok, which AoT also operates.

In the meantime, if green plate taxi drivers are having trouble finding work, there are still thousands of vacancies at hotels and other tourism-related businesses waiting to be filled. However, they might need to undergo some service mind training first.
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, Sophomore; 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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An off-duty New York Police Department (NYPD) officer from Boro Parks 66 Precinct, was critically injured in a shooting incident that took place in Brooklyn on Saturday evening. The incident, which occurred near Ruby Street and Linden Boulevard around 7 p.m., appears to have been an attempted robbery during a vehicle purchase.

The off-duty NYPD officer and a relative went to Ruby Street near Linden Boulevard after making arrangements on social media to buy a car. When they arrived, police say the suspect almost immediately pulled out a gun and announced a robbery. Police say there was an exchange of gunfire and the off-duty officer was shot. The suspect then fled.

During a press conference at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, Mayor Eric Adams expressed his condolences and called for the person responsible to be removed from the streets. Adams also pointed out that shootings like these are too common in the city, as there are too many illegal guns in the hands of dangerous individuals.

NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said that the officer had coordinated the vehicle purchase over social media and had gone to the meeting with a family member. The officer was shot during an exchange of gunfire with the suspect.

Patrick Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, spoke at the press conference and expressed his frustration with politicians for living in a fantasy world and not taking enough action to stop attacks on police officers. He asked for the publics help in bringing the suspect to justice.

The injured officers identity has not been disclosed, but Mayor Adams said he had met with the officers wife and children and was keeping them in his prayers.

The NYPD has asked for the publics assistance in locating the suspect and has emphasized that the shooting is under investigation.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




The US government has confirmed that a Chinese surveillance balloon that was recently shot down by an F-22 fighter jet had crossed into US airspace three times during the Trump administration and once earlier in the Biden administration. The balloon spent several days flying over the US before it was shot down, leading to criticism from Republicans who claimed that the Biden administration was slow to respond and that no previous leader, including Donald Trump, would have allowed such a foreign object to fly over the country.

Despite this criticism, senior defense officials stated that the high-altitude object was large enough to create a large debris field and that the President was advised against immediately shooting it down due to safety concerns for civilians.

While it is unclear what information the suspected Chinese spy balloon could have gathered, US officials stated that it posed little threat in terms of intelligence gathering. The dimensions of the device have not been disclosed, but it was sighted near US military bases in Hawaii in the past five years.

Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, stated that suspected surveillance balloons have been sighted several times in the past five years, though no official announcement was made during the Trump administration.

Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker claimed that if press reports were correct, the Biden administration had hoped to hide the incident from the public. South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott also chimed in, stating that the balloon should have been shot down before it crossed the US and that the incident was a dereliction of Bidens duty.

Despite the criticism from Republicans, it is unclear if balloons spotted during the Trump administration were shot down. A Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on this matter.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Martyr Cao Van Tuat from the central province of Ha Tinh has been identified as the owner of a Vietnam War notebook that American veteran Peter Matthews has kept for decades.

The information of martyr Cao Van Tuat in a medal certification. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Hung

A source of VnExpress from Ky Anh District, Ha Tinh said that based on information in the notebook, extracts, archives, lists of martyrs and information provided by witnesses and relatives, the authorities have determined Cao Xuan Tuat, who was named as the owner of the notebook kept by Mathews, was martyr Cao Van Tuat registered in Ky Xuan Commune, Ky Anh District, Ha Tinh.

"The archived martyr profile of the district matches information about Cao Xuan Tuat's relatives recorded in the notebook," the source said.

According to the source, the notebook belonged to martyr Tuat, but the content could have been written by many other people. In the past, soldiers often kept memories of family and friends in a notebook and handed it over to someone to keep. The agency will continue to contact Mathews and request the full content of the notebook for clarification.

Ky Anh District authorities have sent an official dispatch on the incident related to martyr Cao Van Tuat to all levels of the military for advice on the next move.

Cao Thi Nong, 78, the younger sister of Cao Van Tuat, who resides in Ky Xuan Commune, said that she realized her brothers handwriting in many pages of the notebook. The difference from the middle name Van and Xuan came from the fact that her brother and many people liked to change their middle names in the past. Her brother is a romantic person, so he may have written his name in the diary as Cao Xuan Tuat. "Van" is a common middle name given to male children while "Xuan" means "springtime."

Nguyen Tien Hue, a native of Ky Xuan Commune, who joined the army on the same day as Cao Van Tuat, said that he grew up with Tuat, so he understood his love for art. Sometimes in the army, Tuat often showed Hue pages written about poetry and music, so he still remembers his friends handwriting.

When looking at the notebook, Hue recognized some of his friends lines, confirming this is the writing of Tuat, and that Cao Van Tuat and Cao Xuan Tuat are the same person.

Tuat was born in 1942 as the second child of a family in Cao Thang Village, Ky Xuan Commune. He enlisted in the army in 1963, participated in battlefields from central Vietnam to the Central Highlands, died in 1967 and was buried in a cemetery in Hoai Nhon Town, Binh Dinh Province. It was not until 1972 that the family received a death notice from the unit. Over time, the file on martyr Tuat was lost, his relatives only kept his martyrs book and medal certification.

In late January, Mathews, a 77-year-old American veteran living in New Jersey, announced on his social media account that he "found a north Vietnamese diary, 93 pages, November 1967 during the battle of DakTo on hill 724 while with the 1st Cav" and that he "would like to find relatives and return it."

Peter Matthews and Cao Van Tuat's notebook. Photo by VnExpress/Dang Huyen

In an interview with North Jersey reporter Megan Burrow, Mathews said he has kept the diary for 56 years, although he does not know who the owner is. He only knew that inside the notebook were the notes of a soldier named Cao Xuan Tuat, from Ky Anh District, Ha Tinh.

He set up a website with the desire to find contact as well as return to Vietnam and find the owner, or at least give it to his relatives.

"I want to find that soldier, go to his place and give him back the diary. I want closure for my past. At this age, I think it's time to do that," Mathews said in the interview.

On January 30, Tran Nhat Tan, Chairman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Ha Tinh, contacted Mathews via social network to discuss the matter.

Tan sent the data that the American veteran provided to the authorities for verification. Authorities later found that martyr Cao Van Tuat had information about his parents and siblings that matched the content in the notebook that Matthews is keeping.




A judge has dropped a murder charge against a state trooper in the death of an 11-year-old girl during a high-speed chase on the New York State Thruway.

Christopher Baldner still faces a second-degree manslaughter charge and other counts stemming from the Dec. 22, 2020 highway chase north of New York City that led to the death of Monica Goods.

Baldner pepper sprayed the vehicle during a stop for speeding and Monicas father, Tristin Goods, drove off. Baldner pursued and rammed his police vehicle into the SUV twice. The SUV flipped over several times and came to rest upside down, according to prosecutors.

Monica was ejected from the vehicle and died.

Ulster County Judge Bryan Rounds ruled Thursday that evidence was unable to prove Baldner acted with depraved indifference to human life when he rammed the vehicle.

Evidence supports only the conclusion that this defendant ignored agency protocols and exercised extremely poor judgment in a foolish attempt to perform his job, Rounds wrote, according to the Times-Herald Record.

The attorney generals office said it was reviewing the ruling.

Baldner is currently suspended without pay.

(AP)




As the Manhattan district attorneys office ramps up its yearslong investigation of Donald Trump, a new book by a former prosecutor details just how close the former president came to getting indicted  and laments friction with the new D.A. that put that plan on ice.

Mark Pomerantz, who oversaw the investigation until early last year, writes in People vs. Donald Trump: An Inside Account that then-District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. authorized him in December 2021 to seek Trumps indictment.

After scouring Trumps life and business, Pomerantz writes that prosecutors agreed on a case involving allegations that Trump falsified records by inflating the value of assets on financial statements he provided lenders.

Vance was leaving office within weeks, but he expressed confidence that his successor, Alvin Bragg, would agree with his assessment, Pomerantz writes. But Bragg and his team had other ideas  expressing trepidation about the strength of evidence and the credibility of a key witness.

They decided not to proceed, at least not with the speed Pomerantz and co-lead prosecutor Carey Dunne wanted. Pomerantz writes. The stagnation compelled both men to leave the office.

Once again, Donald Trump had managed to dance between the raindrops of accountability, Pomerantz writes in the book, which is set to be published Tuesday by Simon & Schuster.

The Associated Press and other news outlets received copies of the book Friday.

Trump has threatened legal action against Pomerantz and Simon & Schuster for what he contends are defamatory statements and groundless falsehoods about his alleged criminal conduct.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said the New York investigations are attempts by Democrats to keep him out of the White House.

In a post to his Trump Social platform, Trump said Pomerantzs book is turning out to be a hit on the District Attorney and the weak case with many fatal flaws.

Pomerantzs 304-page volume weaves his behind-the-scenes account of the spirited battle over whether to charge Trump with anecdotes from his decades-long career as a mafia prosecutor and white-collar litigator. Those experiences contrast with Braggs work as a former federal prosecutor, law professor and, in the years prior to his election, pursuing civil cases against Trump as a top official in the state attorney generals office.

The book also works to temper the drama surrounding Pomerantzs split from Bragg, which spilled into the public last year when his resignation letter appeared in The New York Times.

Pomerantz portrays the dispute not as a brawl, but as a legitimate difference of opinion shaped by lengthy Zoom calls and telephone conversations. During the sessions, Pomerantz writes that he and Dunne would detail the pros and cons of pursuing a Trump indictment, while Bragg or members of his team pushed back with questions and concerns.

At first, Pomerantz writes, Bragg seemed overwhelmed by other matters  managing the massive D.A.s office and dealing with blowback from his approach to prosecuting certain crimes. He writes that Bragg showed up late to an initial meeting where he laid out the case and that Bragg ended up looking at his phone most of the time. The D.A. was more attentive at subsequent sessions, Pomerantz said.

At one point, he writes, Bragg said that he could not see a world in which he would indict Trump and call Trumps long-estranged former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen as a witness.

Cohen, who claims to have intimate knowledge of Trumps financial dealings, was convicted in a parallel federal case of lying to Congress.

Cohens lawyer, Lanny Davis, said in a statement Friday: We were treated respectfully and professionally by Mr. Mark Pomerantz and his team. We appreciated their integrity and hard work. Despite the denied allegations concerning Mr. Cohens credibility, I can confirm that Mr. Cohen will continue to cooperate with DA Bragg and his team, speaking truth to power  as he has always done.

Aside from a few blunt emails he wrote criticizing Braggs deliberateness, Pomerantz said his rift with the D.A. was civil.

There was never any yelling or screaming, he writes of their final conversation in February 2022. He defended Bragg against people suggesting he had an ulterior motive not to indict, saying that they had no clue about how these prosecutorial decisions are made or were bloodthirsty for some action against Trump, Pomerantz writes.

Braggs office sought last month to delay the books publication, saying in a letter to Pomerantz and Simon & Schuster that he was violating a confidentiality agreement he signed upon joining the D.A.s office and that the book could materially prejudice the investigation. Pomerantz said nothing in the book jeopardizes the probe. Simon & Schuster said it will release the book as scheduled.

In a statement Friday, Bragg said he hasnt read the book, and wont comment on any ongoing investigation because of the harm it could cause to the case. He defended his decision to refrain from charging Trump.

After closely reviewing all the evidence from Mr. Pomerantzs investigation, I came to the same conclusion as several senior prosecutors involved in the case, and also those I brought on: more work was needed. Put another way, Mr. Pomerantzs plane wasnt ready for takeoff, Bragg said. Our skilled and professional legal team continues to follow the facts of this case wherever they may lead, without fear or favor. Mr. Pomerantz decided to quit a year ago and sign a book deal.

The District Attorneys Association of the State of New York also expressed concerns, writing in a statement Friday that it was unfortunate and unprecedented for a former prosecutor to speak out during an ongoing investigation.

Pomerantz joined the D.A.s office in 2021 as a special assistant district attorney to lead the Trump probe. He writes that early in his involvement they weighed charging Trump and his company under the states version of the federal racketeering law, given the array of tax, fraud and other potential crimes they were investigating.

Pomerantz likened Trumps cunning, charisma and ability to stay one step ahead of the law to that of late Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, whose son, John A. Gotti, he prosecuted while an assistant U.S. attorney.

When he arrived at the D.A.s office, Pomerantz writes, the investigation was so broad it seemed unfocused and sprawling.

In 2021, Pomerantzs team charged Trumps company, the Trump Organization, and its longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, with evading taxes on fringe benefits given to company executives, but it was Bragg and his team who saw the cases through, securing Weisselbergs guilty plea in August and the Trump Organizations conviction in December. Weisselberg is serving a five-month jail sentence and the company was fined $1.6 million.

Under Braggs direction, the district attorneys office recently returned to a part of the investigation that had long-ago stalled: payments made to two women on Trumps behalf in 2016 to keep them quiet about alleged affairs.

Pomerantz portrays the hush-money payments  made or arranged by Cohen  as perhaps the most challenging, legally fraught of the potential cases against Trump.

He writes that while a case could be made that Trump falsified business records by logging Cohens reimbursement for one of the payoffs as legal fees, he could only be charged with a misdemeanor under New York law  unless prosecutors could prove he falsified records to conceal another crime.

Vance abandoned the hush-money angle in 2019, pivoting the investigations focus to other matters, but Pomerantz said he revisited it when he joined the office in January 2021, looking for a way to make more serious felony charges stick. He considered whether Trump could be charged with money laundering and explored if one of the women who got money, Stormy Daniels, had demanded payment to remain quiet, thereby extorting him.

Pomerantz said the hush-money matter became known around the office as the zombie case.

Still, Pomerantz wrote, Over the months that I and others worked on the case, we developed evidence convincing us that Donald Trump had committed serious crimes, Pomerantz writes.

Even if a conviction wasnt a certainty, Pomerantz said he thought they owed it the public to bring the case to trial.

Losing it would be better than not even trying, he wrote.

(AP)




The Democratic Party on Saturday approved reordering its 2024 presidential primary, replacing Iowa with South Carolina in the leadoff spot as part of a major shake-up meant to empower Black and other minority voters critical to its base of support.

Although more changes are possible later this year, the formal endorsement by the Democratic National Committee during its meeting in Philadelphia is an acknowledgement that the start of the 2024 primary will look very different from the one in 2020. Hundreds of party stalwarts climbed to their feet and cheered after the easy passage by voice vote.

States with early contests play a major role in determining the nominee because White House hopefuls struggling to raise money or gain political traction often drop out before visiting states outside the first five. Media attention and policy debates concentrate in those areas, too.

The new plan was championed by President Joe Biden, who is expected to formally announce his reelection campaign in the coming months. The reconfiguring would have South Carolina hold its primary on Feb. 3, followed three days later by New Hampshire and Nevada, which is swapping the caucus it used to hold in favor of a primary.

Georgia would vote fourth on Feb. 13, followed by Michigan on Feb. 27, with much of the rest of the nation set to vote on Super Tuesday in early March.

The Democratic Party looks like America and so does this proposal, said DNC chair Jaime Harrison, a South Carolinian. The change continues to make us stronger and elevates the backbone of our party, he said.

Biden wrote the DNC rules committee in December, saying, We must ensure that voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process and throughout the entire early window. That committee approved the new lineup, setting up Saturdays vote.

The move remakes the current calendar, which saw Iowa start with its caucus, followed by New Hampshire and then Nevada and South Carolina. The Republican Party has voted not to change its 2024 primary order, meaning the campaign has already began in Iowa.

The DNC has decided to break a half-century precedent and cause chaos by altering their primary process, and ultimately abandoning millions of Americans in Iowa and New Hampshire, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement Saturday.

Four of the first five new states under Democrats new plan are battlegrounds, meaning the eventual party winner would be able to lay groundwork in important general election spots. Thats especially true for Michigan and Georgia, both of which voted for Republican Donald Trump in 2016 before flipping to Biden in 2020.

The exception is South Carolina, which hasnt backed a Democrat in a presidential race since 1976, leading some to argue that the party shouldnt be concentrating so many early primary resources there. But the states population is nearly 27% Black, and African American voters represent Democrats most consistent base of support. Iowa and New Hampshire are each more than 90% white.

The revamped calendar could be largely meaningless for 2024 because Biden is expected to run for a second term without a major primary challenge. Also, the DNC has already pledged to revisit the voting calendar before the 2028 presidential election.

Still, this years changes could establish precedent, just as a new lineup that moved Nevada and South Carolina into the first states to vote did when the DNC approved a new primary calendar before the 2008 presidential election.

These things may be symbolic, but theyre realistic, South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, assistant Democratic leader in the House and a close Biden ally, told The Associated Press.

The new order follows technical glitches that caused Iowas 2020 caucus to meltdown. It also gives Biden the chance to repay South Carolina, where he scored a decisive 2020 primary win that revived his presidential campaign after losses in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.

Democrats have worked on overhauling their primary lineup for months. On Saturday, nearly an hour of final debate turned raw at times.

Some Black members of the DNC said those arguing to abide by tradition could be seen as implying that states with larger African American populations were incapable of handling the responsibility of going early in the primary.

If were really a family, it means some of yall got to shift to make room at the table for others, said Leah Daughtry, a DNC rules committee member from New York.

Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart argued that Republicans in her state were already accusing Democrats of have turned their back on Iowa and on rural America. But Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell, to sustained applause, countered: No one state should have a lock on going first.

Despite the approval, the final slate is not yet set. South Carolina, Nevada and Michigan have met party requirements to join the partys new top five. But in Georgia may not change its Democratic primary calendar date without the Republicans also doing so.

Iowa argued that continued uncertainty could cause other states to try and jump ahead of the new DNC calendar, as happened before the 2008 presidential race. The new rules include penalties for states trying to move up without permission, including possibly losing delegates to the partys national convention.

New Hampshire has a state law mandating that it hold the nations first presidential primary, which Iowa circumvented since 1972 by holding a caucus. New Hampshire Democrats have joined with top state Republicans in pledging to go forward with the nations first presidential primary next year regardless of the DNC calendar.

No major challenger has yet emerged from his own party to run against Biden for president next year. Still, top New Hampshire Democrats have warned that another Democrat could run in an unsanctioned primary the state stages and, if Biden skips it in accordance with party rules, could win and embarrass the president  prolonging a primary process that wasnt supposed to be competitive.

Respecting our state law and lifting up diverse voices need not be mutually exclusive, said Joanne Dowdell, a DNC rules committee member from New Hampshire.

(AP)




A man who entered a crowded Target store in Nebraska armed with an AR-15-style weapon was shot by police less than 10 minutes after firing his first round, according to a timeline released Friday.

No one else was hurt, and the timeline made no mention of Joseph Jones firing directly at any of the customers or workers. Jones uncle, Larry Derksen Jr., said his nephew had schizophrenia and that his mental illness left him isolated. Police offered no motive, but Derksen said he suspected his nephew wanted police to kill him.

It all started Tuesday morning when Jones, 32, pulled up to the Omaha store. He removed a cardboard shipping box from his vehicle and walked into the grocery entrance at 11:56 a.m. wearing a dark colored coat and hat, according to police.

Once inside, he walked through the pharmacy area, abandoning the shipping box. At 11:58 a.m., Jones pointed a rifle at a Target employee. He then aimed it at the air, firing one round, before walking toward the front of the store. There, he fired another two rounds before taking off his coat, and shooting at the self-checkout and a drink cooler.

Thats when Douglas County officials got the first 911 call from one of the approximately 250 guests and workers inside the store, according to the timeline.

Police said Jones fired multiple rounds from inside the grocery store vestibule, briefly exiting and reentering the store. Then he started to walk through the store with the rifle.

Police said that the first officers on the scene included Officer Brian Vanderheiden, a 20-year veteran of the citys police force, along with a Nebraska State trooper, who entered at 12:05 p.m. and encountered Jones.

Vanderheiden and the trooper ordered him to drop the rifle more than 20 times.

Jones refused, saying three times, Come on! After Jones said Ill kill you, Vanderheiden fired one round, striking and killing Jones.

Mental health experts say that most people with mental illness are not violent. They are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators, and access to firearms is a big part of the problem.

If he wanted to hurt anybody, he had time to. This was really, in my mind, suicide by cop, Derksen said. I dont think there was any intention in his mind that he actually thought he was going to harm anybody at any given time even though his actions did traumatize people.

Police said that Jones obtained the weapon just four day earlier at a Cabelas sporting goods store.

Vanderheiden was immediately placed on paid administrative leave per department policy.

State law requires that a grand jury is convened when someone dies while being apprehended. And once the investigation is complete, the case will be presented to the jury, police said.

(AP)




A jury on Friday decided Elon Musk didnt defraud investors with his 2018 tweets about electric automaker Tesla in a proposed deal that quickly unraveled and raised questions about whether the billionaire had misled investors.

The nine-member jury reached its verdict after less that two hours of deliberation following a three-week trial. It represents a major vindication for Musk, who spent about eight hours on the witness stand defending his motives for the August 2018 tweets at the center of the trial.

Musk, 51, wasnt on hand for the brief reading of the verdict but he made a surprise appearance earlier Friday for closing arguments that drew starkly different portraits of him.

Not long after the verdict came down, Musk took to Twitter  the bully pulpit he now owns  to celebrate.

Thank goodness, the wisdom of the people has prevailed! Musk tweeted.

Musks decision to break away from his other responsibilities to sit in on the closing arguments even though he didnt have to be there may have had an impact on the jurors, said Michael Freedman, a former federal prosecutor who is now in private practice working for a law firm that has represented celebrities and business executives.

It shows he has a presence, Freedman said.

Nicholas Porritt, an attorney who represented aggrieved Tesla investors, said he was disappointed after urging the jurors in his closing arguments to rebuke Musk for reckless behavior that threatened to create anarchy.

I dont think this is the kind of conduct we expect from a large public company, a downcast Porritt said after discussing the verdict with a few jurors who gathered to talk to him. People can draw their own conclusion on whether they think its OK or not.

During their discussion with Porritt, the jurors told them they found Musks testimony that he believed he had lined up the money from Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund without a written commitment to be credible. They also expressed doubt about whether Musks tweeting was the sole reason for the swings in Teslas stock price during a 10-day period in August 2018 covered in the case.

The trial pitted Tesla investors represented in a class-action lawsuit against Musk, who is CEO of both the electric automaker and the Twitter service he bought for $44 billion a few months ago.

Shortly before boarding his private jet on Aug. 7, 2018, Musk tweeted that he had the financing to take Tesla private, even though it turned out he hadnt gotten an iron-clad commitment for a deal that would have cost $20 billion to $70 billion to pull off. A few hours later, Musk sent another tweet indicating that the deal was imminent.

Musks integrity was at stake at the trial as well part of a fortune that has established him as one of the worlds richest people. He could have been saddled with a bill for billions of dollars in damages had the jury found him liable for the 2018 tweets that had already been deemed falsehoods by the judge presiding over the trial.

That determination, made last year by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen, left the jury to decide whether Musk had been reckless with his tweeting and acted in a way that hurt Tesla shareholders.

It may have not been that difficult for the jury, Freedman said, because it sort of became like an up-or-down vote.

Earlier Friday, Musk sat stoically in court during the trials closing arguments while he was both vilified as a rich and reckless narcissist and hailed as a visionary looking out for the little guy.

Over the course of a one-hour presentation, Porritt had implored the jurors to rebuke Musk for his loose relationship with the truth.

Our society is based on rules, Porritt said. We need rules to save us from anarchy. Rules should apply to Elon Musk like everyone else.

Alex Spiro, Musks attorney, conceded the 2018 tweets were technically inaccurate. But he told the jurors, Just because its a bad tweet doesnt make it a fraud.

During roughly eight hours on the stand earlier in the trial, Musk insisted he believed he had lined up the funds from Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund to take Tesla private after eight years as a publicly held company. He defended his initial August 2018 tweet as well-intentioned and aimed at ensuring all Tesla investors knew the automaker might be on its way to ending its run as a publicly held company.

I had no ill motive, Musk testified. My intent was to do the right thing for all shareholders.

Spiro echoed that theme in his closing argument.

He was trying to include the retail shareholder, the mom and pop, the little guy, and not seize more power for himself, Spiro said.

Porritt, meanwhile, scoffed at the notion that Musk could have concluded he had a firm commitment after a 45-minute meeting at a Tesla factory on July 31, 2018, with Yasir al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabias wealth fund, given there was no written documentation.

In his 90 minute presentation, Spiro emphasized Musks track record helping to start and run a list of companies that include digital payment pioneer PayPal and rocket ship maker SpaceX, in addition to Tesla. The automaker based in Austin, Texas, is now worth nearly $600 billion, despite a steep decline in its stock price last year amid concerns that Musks purchase of Twitter would distract him from Tesla.

Recalling Musks roots as a South African immigrant who came to Silicon Valley to create revolutionary tech companies, Spiro described his client as the kind of person who believes the impossible is possible.

(AP)




After the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdos launched a cartoon contest to mock Irans ruling cleric, a state-backed Iranian cyber unit struck back with a hack-and-leak campaign that was designed to provoke fear with the claimed pilfering of a big subscriber database, Microsoft security researchers say.

The FBI blames the same Iranian cyber operators, Emennet Pasargad, for an influence operation that sought to interfere in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the tech giant said in a blog published Friday. Iran has in recent years stepped up false-flag cyber operations as a tool for discrediting foes.

Calling itself Holy Souls and posing as hacktivists, the group claimed in early January to have obtained personal information on 200,000 subscribers and Charlie Hebdo merchandise buyers, according to Microsofts Digital Threat Analysis Center.

As proof of the data theft, Holy Souls released a 200-record sample with names, phone numbers and home and email addresses of Charlie Hebdo subscribers that could put the magazines subscribers at risk for online or physical targeting by extremists. The group then advertised the supposed complete data cache on several dark web sites for $340,000.

Microsoft said it did not know whether anyone purchased the cache.

A representative for Charlie Hebdo said Friday that the newspaper would not comment on the Microsoft research. Irans mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

The Jan. 4 sample release coincided with the publication of Charlie Hebdos cartoon contest issue. Entrants were asked to draw offensive caricatures of Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The French newspaper Le Monde verified multiple victims of the leak from the sample, Microsoft said. The Iranian cyber operators sought to boost news of the hack-and-leak operation  and fuel outrage at the cartoon edition  through fake French sock-puppet accounts on social media platforms that included Twitter, Microsoft said.

The operation coincided with verbal attacks by Tehran condemning Charlie Hebdos insult.

The provocatively irreverent magazine has a long history of publishing vulgar cartoons which critics consider deeply insulting to Muslims. Two French-born al-Qaida extremists attacked the newspapers office in 2015, killing 12 cartoonists, and it Charlie Hebdo has been the target of other attacks over the years.

The magazine billed the Khamenei caricature contest as a show of support for nationwide antigovernment protests that have convulsed Iran since the mid-September death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained by Irans morality police for allegedly violating the countrys strict Islamic dress code.

After the cartoon issue was published, Iran shut down a decades-old French research institute. Last week, it announced sanctions targeting more than 30 European individuals and entities, including three senior Charlie Hebdo staffers. The sanctions are largely symbolic as they bar travel to Iran and allow its authorities to block bank accounts and confiscate property in Iran.

According to the FBI, Emennet Pasargad authored what amounted to a relatively ham-fisted campaign to interfere with the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The group obtained confidential U.S. voter information from at least one state election website and sent threatening email messages to intimidate voters posing as the far-right group Proud Boys, the FBI says.

Emennet Pasargad has also, since 2018, conducted cyber-operations targeting news, shipping, airlines, oil and petrochemical, financial, and telecommunications, in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, the FBI says. The U.S. newspaper chain Lee Enterprises was among the suspected targets, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

The groups attacks since 2020 have primarily targeted Israel, the FBI says. They follow a pattern of intrusion, theft, data leak and then amplification through social media and online forums. In some cases destructive malware has been used.

(AP)




Honda and the U.S. government are urging owners of about 8,200 older vehicles not to drive them until dangerous air bag inflators are replaced.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday issued a Do Not Drive advisory for the 2001 through 2003 vehicles with Takata inflators that have a high possibility of exploding and hurling shrapnel in a crash.

The safety agency says the risk to drivers and passengers is dire because the so-called Alpha inflators have a 50% chance of exploding in a crash. If the inflators blow apart, they can shoot shrapnel toward a drivers face that could kill them or cause serious injuries.

The agency says the Honda and Acura vehicles were recalled previously but records show that repairs have not been made in the affected vehicles. Honda already has replaced 99% of the dangerous inflators.

Vehicles affected include the 2001 and 2002 Honda Accord and Civic, the 2002Honda CR-V and Odyssey SUVs, the 2003 Honda Pilot, the 2002 and 2003 Acura 3.2 TL and the 2003 Acura 3.2 CL.

Owners can check to see if their cars are covered by going to https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and keying in their 17-digit vehicle identification number.

These inflators are two decades old now, and they pose a 50% chance of rupturing in even a minor crash, NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson said in a statement. Dont gamble with your life or the life of someone you love  schedule your free repair today before its too late.

Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash. But the chemical can become more volatile over time when exposed to moisture in the air and repeated high temperatures. The explosion can rupture a metal canister and hurl shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

Since 2009, the exploding air bags have killed at least 33 people worldwide, including 24 in the United States.

Most of the deaths and about 400 injuries have happened in U.S., but they also have occurred in Australia and Malaysia.

Honda said it has reached out to the owners more than 18 million times with mailed notices, emails, phone calls and even home visits. The company says repairs are free and parts are available. Its offering free towing and loaner vehicles if needed.

Potential for the dangerous malfunction led to the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators recalled. The U.S. government says that millions have not been repaired. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide. The exploding air bags sent Takata Corp. of Japan into bankruptcy.

Honda by far had the highest number of vehicles with Takata inflators.

(AP)




Navy ships are getting fewer steaming hours because of growing maintenance delays and costs, a troubling trend that comes as at time when the U.S. is struggling to keep pace with Chinas growing fleet.

Operating and support costs grew by about $2.5 billion across 10 ship classes while the number of propulsion hours in which ships were operating or training dipped during a 10-year period that ended in 2021, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.

The Navy saw increased maintenance delays, breakdowns and cannibalization of parts  moving them from one ship to keep another one going  during the period.

The analysis shows persistent sustainment challenges that have worsened, compounded by maintenance delays and deferred maintenance noted in previous reports by the GAO, a congressional agency that audits federal programs.

Over time this situation has resulted in worsening ship conditions and increased costs to repair and sustain ships, the GAO said.

A spokesperson for Naval Surface Forces said the Navy appreciates the GAOs recommendations for improving maintenance delivery times. The goal is 75 mission capable ships  this figure doesnt include aircraft carriers, sealift ships or submarines  among the 164 ships assigned to the Surface Force, said Cmdr. Arlo Abrahamson.

This imperative for 75 mission capable ships drives every program and action we take, and across our force, the enterprise is aligned to reach this north star, Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, commander of Naval Surface Forces, said this month at a Surface Navy Association event.

The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship and littoral combat ships experienced the greatest number of severe casualty reports that impair a ships ability to operate effectively, the GAO report said. San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers experienced the biggest maintenance delays, the report said.

The maintenance delays and other problems were troubling at a time when the Navy is struggling not only to keep up with China, which already has a larger fleet, but also is facing other adversaries at sea  including Russia.

But Diana Maurer, director of defense capabilities and management at the GAO, said the Navys leadership understands there is a problem and is focused on making improvements. Its encouraging that its not business as usual, she said.

The report, released on Wednesday, focused on surface ships and did not look at the submarine fleet. The next report will likely expand to include both surface and undersea vessels.

(AP)




By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times

Well, if the Lakewood Roshei Yeshiva are doing it already, we might as well be learning the halachos of it. And so, below we find a brief overview.

GRINDING THE WHEAT

Pious people observe the grinding of the wheat themselves carefully to ensure that there is no concern of the wheat becoming Chometz during the grinding process (Ramah citing the Mordechai 453:8). At a minimum, a G-d fearing individual with some knowledge of the halachos should be performing it. A child or someone without such knowledge should not be the one performing the grinding (MB 453:41 citing the PMG).

The wording of the Ramah seems to differ from that of the Pri Magadim. Are the pious people watching it or doing it? Is it sufficient merely to ensure that the grains are ground properly or does the very act of grinding itself need to be done with the proper intentions?

INTENT REGARDING GRINDING

Just as there is a debate regarding the nature of proper intent regarding harvesting, there exists a debate about the proper intent regarding the grinding of the grains as well. Ideally, one should follow the stricter view requiring that the flour be ground with the proper intent.

Therefore, the grinding should be done by hand rather than by machine. This is more of a serious issue than having the harvesting done by machine. More Poskim hold that grinding is not an action attributed to the operator of the machine as much as the harvesting would be. When the term hand-ground is used, it refers to manpower rather than power by machine. Therefore, grinding done by a bicycle would also be permitted.

We find that the stringencies in regard to the grinding of the Matzah have been practiced for thousands of years. Indeed, the Talmud Yerushalmi (Psachim 20) relates that Rabbi Yossi the son of Rabbi Abun did not wish to use a grinder who had been grounding wheat not destined for Matzoh because he was afraid that the grinders clothing may have had other wheat on it that was not designated for Matzoh use .

The machine used for grinding should be for exclusive Passover use. The reason is that other grinding machinery processes grains that were washed. The liquid from this water can gather in the machines and cause the flour to become Chometz.

GRINDER AND ROOM MUST BE CLEAN AND DRY

To be sure, the flour also has moisture content, and if the stones of the grinder are not cleaned from this moisture, the stones may also cause the flour to become Chometz. Many G-d-fearing individuals replace the stones of Passover grinders each year, on this account.

If moist grains were ground in the room, the walls and ceilings must be cleaned in order to grind flour for Pesach, as the flour particles can fall and mix into the Passover flour.

When the grinding takes place in the rainy season, care must be taken to make sure that water is not tracked in with raincoats, wet boots and umbrellas. The workers should make sure that their clothing is clean and that their hands and beards are clean and dry as well. The concern is that a particle of flour will have mixed with the Pesach flour. Although it will be nullified by the more than sixty times the amount of kosher flour, during the holiday of Pesach itself it is reinstated. (MB 467:16)

ALLOWING THE FLOUR TO COOL

The grinding itself causes the flour to be warm. Therefore, a dough that is made on the day that the flour is actually ground is more susceptible to becoming Chometz on account of the additional heat in the flour. Therefore, one should not knead the flour on the day that the flour was ground  one should wait at least a day or two. Ideally, it should be two days later.

At a minimum one should allow the flour to cool overnight (SA 453:9 and MB 453:42). If, however, it was done sooner than that, the dough is not forbidden. Rather, one should take extra precautions and handle the dough even more often so that it not be given a chance to rise.

When dealing with high speed grinders and a large volume of grain, the machinery can get very hot. The BaDatz Yerushalayim issued guidelines that the machine be slwed down so that the grinder temperature not reach more than 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), and certainly never above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).

When grinding the wheat by hand, however, the flour does not warm up to any significant degree, and technically, one does not have to wait. However, it is good to be stringent in this matter (Beer Heitev 453:20).

THE FORMULA RECITED

When grinding the wheat one should recite the formula, LeShaim Matzos Mitzvah for the sake of the Mitzvah of Matzoh. (extension of Beer Heitev 456:4 regarding drawing of the water).

THE FLOUR BAGS

Ideally, one should be careful not to place the bags of flour one on top of the other. One should also avoid sitting on top of the bags because the additional warmth can cause them to become Chometz faster (See Ramah 453:7). If a person did place the bags on top of each other for a significant amount of time, they should be separated and the kneading should not begin until 24 hours have elapsed (MB 453:35).

It is permitted to place them next to each other even if they are touching, because in this manner they do not warm up to any significant degree. Likewise, it is permitted to stack the bags of wheat before they have been ground, because until they are ground they will cool.

It is also worthwhile to keep the bags of wheat elevated above the ground in case of a water leak or flood.

SIFTING THE FLOUR

Before the flour is kneaded it should be sifted. The sifter should either be new or one used exclusively for Pesach. One may not kosherize a sifter and use it for Pesach.

If a new sifter is not available, it is preferable not to sift according to the Mishna Brurah.

Preferably a 40 mesh sifter should be used for hand-ground flour and a 60 mesh sifter should be used for machine ground flour.

Nowadays most facilities use electric sifters.

When sifting the flour, one should avoid speaking because saliva may come out of his mouth and ruin the flour (See Ritva Psachim 35a).

After the flour is sifted it is important not to force down the flour into the bags. Forced flour does not knead well (Ramah 456:1).

DOUGH SIZE

The Shulchan Aruch rules that one should not make a dough that is too large at one time, i.e. larger than the shiur of Challah without a bracha. This size is 1200 grams according to the Chazon Ish and 1250 grams according to Rav Chaim Noeh. Chazal felt that a person would not be able to adequately work the dough from all sides on account of its large size (SA 456:1). If one had done so, however, it does not cause the dough to be forbidden (SA 456:2).

Some hold that the size restrictions are specific to when one individual was making the Matzos, and the ovens were small ovens. Nowadays, however, the production of Matzos involves numerous people and the ovens are much larger. Therefore, nowadays a larger dough could be made without a concern that it be too large to handle. Nonetheless, G-d fearing individuals are still strict, like the first opinion.

TWO SEPARATE ROOMS FOR DOUGH MIXING

One person should be appointed to place the flour into the mixing bowl, and a different person should be appointed to place the water in (See MB 459:45). One person should not perform both tasks because the water can drip onto the flour and cause it to become Chometz. On account of this, it is worthwhile to have two separate rooms for this, where the person pours in the water through a portal.

When the flour is placed in the bowl one should recite the formula, Leshaim Matzas Mitzvah. (SA 456:1)

THE BOWL

One should make sure that there are no cracks or lines on the bowl in which one kneads the Matzah dough, as it will not be possible to clean it effectively afterward. It does not matter whether the crack is in the middle of the bowl or on the outer lip, there is a chance that some dough will enter the crack and become Chometz and will contaminate a later dough (Ramah 459:4). One should also be careful in this matter regarding the other means of production, such as the table, etc. (MB 459:39).

THE WATER REQUIREMENTS

One may only knead Matzos with water that is called Mayim Shelanu (SA 455:1). This is a Rabbinic requirement because regular water is warmed in the underground spring. Mayim shelanu is water that has been drawn before sunset from a spring, and allowed to have rested in pitchers for a full night. These waters have been cooled and will not cause the dough to become Chometz.

One may not place ones hand in the mayim shelanu, because it will warm up the water.

In a very pressing situation, as long as the water was drawn before midnight, and twelve hours have elapsed since the drawing, the water may be used (MB 455:4).

When it is difficult to draw the water, it is preferable to draw it before twilight than after Tzais HaKochavim  when the stars emerge (MB 455:5).

Before the water is drawn, one should recite the formula LeShaim Mitzvas Matzah. (Beer Heitev 456:4).

If there is not enough Mayim Shelanu, then it is permitted to add a smaller amount of regular water to the Mayim Shelanu to increase its volume. There is a debate as to whether one may add up to 33% (opinion of Bais Yoseph) or up to 49%. The Mishna Brurah rules leniently and permits up to 49%. (MB 455:38) It must be done before the kneading process and may not be done during the kneading process.

One may draw the water once for a number of days of baking. One should just take care that the water be kept in a cool location (SA 455:1).

The water should not be drawn by a gentile or by a child for perhaps they may not be so careful regarding Chometz. This is true whether it is for regular Matzah or for the Matzos that will be used on the Seder night. If it was drawn by them, the water is not forbidden to be used (Ramah 455:1 and MB 455:21).

One should filter the Mayim Shelanu. Some therefore place a cloth over the spigot of the container where the water is kept.

One should measure the amount of water that one will put in the dough. In Israel, for every half kilo one uses 250 grams of water. However, this changes based upon the flour and the climate.

One may also use rainwater instead of Mayim Shelanu (MB 455:28). The reason is that the sun does not heat up water when it is in the air . Tap water, however, is forbidden because chemicals are added into the water suplly for various reasons.

Before one pours the water onto the flour one should recite the formula, LeShaim Mitzvas Matzah. (Beer Heitev 456:4).

THE PREP AREA

One must cover up the windows in the area where one is baking. This is true even on a day when there is no sun. The concern is that it may be cloudy and the sun will emerge without one noticing.

Nowadays, when the oven heat is quite strong, one should ensure that there is an air conditioning unit where the workers are for two reasons: So that the dough not get excessively warm and so that the workers will not be unduly stressed by the heat.

It is a custom in Klal Yisroel to appoint a supervisor Mashgiach to oversee the process of baking (MB 459:33). He should oversee that every worker has clean hands and has his nails cut short.

The tables where the Matzoh dough is worked are covered with paper that is replaced every eighteen minutes. This paper should be stored in an elevated area rather than on the ground. One can make a tacit assumption that the floor of a bakery is considered Chometz.

THE FLOUR MAN

The person who handles the flour should not be the same person who puts the water in the flour. The reason is that he is filled with the flour dust and there is a chance that some of the flour could enter the mixture and become Chometz (MB 459:45).

THE WATER MAN

The water man should carefully measure the amount of water that he puts in the flour.

THE FARNEMER (THE MEGABEL)

This is the person who does the initial mix of the water and flour. The initial mix is central to the smooth flow of the rest of the process. The goal is to spread the water as evenly as possible throughout the mixture. Experience demonstrates that the key is not to use the palm of ones hand to do the initial mix, but rather to utilize the fingers.

If he uses the palms of his hand what ends up happening is that some of the dough becomes soft and some of it becomes hard, making the job of the subsequent workers much harder.

He should also try to gather all the spread out particles of flour and push them toward the middle.

The process works best when the Farnemer digs a pit in the flour. He then spreads the water as evenly as possible.

It is also best if the Farnemer wears a pair of Kosher for Pesach latex gloves.

THE FINNER (LOSH)

This is the person who does the actual mixing. He must continue working with the dough until it is handed to the people who will form the raw Matzos. He must pound the dough with either his hand or with a device. After he is done with it he should continue to handle it. Just touching it is not sufficient to prevent the dough from becoming Chometz.

THE WORKERS

The workers must be adults and must have the capability of performing the activities of Matzah making with the correct intentions  Lishma. Someone who is not religious does have the capability of performing the acts of Matzah baking Lishma  with the correct intentions. However, there is the additional factor of making sure that the activities are performed with meticulous adherence to Halacha. The Pri Magadim (AA 460:1) rules that someone who does not observe the commandments is suspected of not adhering to halacha meticulously in regard to Matzah baking. Therefore, one should only consume Matzah produced by non-religious Jews if there was someone strictly observing them at all times.

Similarly, if the worker is not knowledgeable in halacha, there is also a concern. In such a situation there must be someone strictly observing the workers at all times.

THE KNEADING

The author of the Shulchan Aruch (459:2) writes that ideally, one should not leave the dough to remain without activity even for one moment. He goes on to explain that one it is touched by hand, if one leaves it without activity it becomes chometz, immediately. The term immediately needs to be defined

Matzah that was needed by a gentile or a deaf-mute, a child or someone who is mentally ill is invalid for use for the Seder itself. The same is true if it is baked by one of them (MB 460:3).

When a Jew stands over a gentile or a deaf-mute, child, or one who is mentally ill and tells them to have in in mind for the Mitzvah it is a debate as to whether it is kosher  even post facto. Some are lenient relying upon the daas of the adult Jew. If there is a choice between the gentile or the latter, one should opt for the latter.

One should not knead the dough in a sunny place, but should only do it in the shade. The reason is that the sun warms the dough and can make it Chometz.

THE EIGHTEEN MINUTE CLEAN UP

The manager should set a special clock or timer to indicate when the 18 minutes will elapse after the initial mixing of the water and flour.

THE WOODS TRANSPORTING THE MATZAH

After the Matzos are scored they are placed on poles to transport them to the oven. These poles are covered with a disposable paper. Even though the poles are covered, the woods are scraped afterward.

The woods that transport the Matzos to the oven each time must be different woods for each round of Matzos baked, as they get hot and could cause the other Matzos to become Chometz (Ramah 459:4 and MB 459:32).

THE OVEN

The Chayei Adam (128:27) writes that the oven should be kosherized since there is a concern that the previous bakers may not have been so careful in the baking.

THE BAKING

How long should the Matzah bake? If the Matzah were to be cut or broken and there are no strings of dough that could be pulled out it does not become Chometz after this point (SA 461:3). This sign, however, only works when the Matzah is still warm, but if it cooled down, the dough hardens and it is no longer an effective means of determining (MB 461:13) whether it was indeed fully baked.

The person baking the Matzah should be careful not to remove the Matzos prematurely  it should be baked to completion. If he did remove it early, he should not place it back into the oven, as it may have become Chometz in the interim (Ramah 461:3). If it was taken out and put back in by accident, the Matzah is not forbidden (MB 461:16).

Matzah that became folded and or stuck in a manner that the fire cannot reach the place where it became stuck is forbidden. If it was during Pesach, the entire Matzah is forbidden. If it was before Pesach one must remove Kdei Netilah 2.4 centimeters from the surrounding area where it was stuck (Ramah 461:5. Note: Rav Chaim Noeh requires only 2 centimeters, and Rav Moshe Feinstein requires 2.2 centimeters).

One must be careful that the Matzos in the oven not touch each other before they are fully baked. If they do touch each other and they are not immediately separated  they have the halachic status of folded Matzos. If it is before Pesach the amount of Kdei Netilah must be removed from both of them. If it happened on Pesach itself both Matzos are forbidden. If the person baking them separated them immediately and it was before they were inserted in the oven, it is permitted (Ramah 461:5).

A SWOLLEN MATZAH

A Matzoh that has become swollen in the middle of it, and the height of the swelling is above that of an Etzbah, the entire Matzoh is forbidden (Ramah 461 and MB).

One should not place the Matzoh at the very edge of the oven, because the front of the oven is not as hot, and Matzos placed there are not baked sufficiently with this heat. There is therefore a likelihood of it becoming Chometz. All Matzos that have become invalid, either on account of swelling, or folding or for some other reason should be completely removed from the work area so that the other Matzos not come in contact with them.

The author can be reached at [email protected]




Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai spoke at a left-wing protest against the Netanyahu government on Motzei Shabbos.

I want to warn you  as much as you become more extreme, youre bound to spur responses against extremism  which endangers the unity weve all built with great effort, Huldai said. This is the opportunity to reach broad agreements and if words end  the actions will begin. We wont stop at [protests in town] squares. We wont be indifferent, we wont respond with resignation.

Likud MK Boaz Bismuth stated in response: I never would have believed that such statements would be made by an incumbent mayor in the State of Israel. Busha! Huldai, your call to move to actions is wild and unbridled incitement no different from Adv. Hodeks threat to open live fire, and Col. Zeev Razs statement to assassinate the Prime Minister and his ministers!! Youve gone off the deep end! Where else will we go? Thats what you want  the spilling of your brothers blood?

Transportation Minister Miri Regev (Likud) said: Theyve gone completely crazy. Theyre calling for the assassination of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the ministers. They dont know how to lose! Theyre trying to burn the country! Harm the Israeli economy and incite the use of live fire. Huldai should be arrested for incitement with Hodek and Zeev Raz! We cant overlook this. The left is inciteful and dangerous!

The editor of Kfar Chabad, Rav Aharon Dov Halperin, stated: Only in the last week: [Former PM Ehud] Barak compares Herzog, who offered a compromise with Netanyahu, to Chamberlain, who offered a compromise with Hitler. A senior lawyer calls on the crowds to use live fire. A retired colonel calls for the assassination of Netanyahu and his ministers. Ron Huldai declares that they will move from demonstrations to actions.

Its not for nothing that the democratic Israeli left called Stalin the Sunshine of the Nations.'

Communications Minister Dr. Shlomo Karhi (Likud) on Thursday filed a complaint to the police against Zeev Raz and David Hodek.

This morning I filed a complaint with the Israel Police against Zeev Raz and David Hodek for inciting the murder of the Prime Minister and the ministers, Karhi stated. Unfortunately, the law enforcement officials are procrastinating, none of the instigators have been arrested and other people like Huldai have joined the circle of incitement. The writing is on the wall and it is written in red ink. They must be punished with the full severity of the law.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
City of Elko Planning Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Elko City Hall. The panel will consider a request from Elko County to vacate a block of Sixth Street between Idaho and Court streets for the planned construction of a Judicial Center complex. Elko County has purchased all of the parcels on Block 4 of the Elko town map and would like to merge them within the existing courthouse and administration complex. Vacating the street and alley is the first step in this process.



Elko Convention and Visitors Authority Marketing Committee will meet at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Elko Conference Centers Ruby Room. The committee will hear an update on an ordinance amending the allocation and use of room tax funds, and hear the following requests for marketing funds: Silver State Stampede, $30,000; Ruby Mountain Race Series, $8,000; Haunted Elko LLC, $20,000; Benavides Bucking Bulls, $6,350; Basque Festival, $5,000; Ruby Mountain Hot Air Inc., $10,000; Boys and Girls Club Country Under the Stars, $20,000; Rotary Club of Elko Robin Hood Renaissance Fair, $8,500; Elko County Fair Board, $10,000; 2XS Productions Barrel Racing, $10,000; Rides and Rods Inc. Elko Classic Car Show, $10,000; Nevada Stock Dog Trail, $10,000; Friends for Life, $5,000.



Elko County Roads Committee meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, in the Nannini Administration Building. The agenda includes a review of the intergovernmental road maintenance agreement with the U.S. Forest Service and the unbudgeted purchase of a $171,000 loader-mounted snowblower.



Elko County Budget Committee will meet at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Nannini Administration Building. The panel will consider transferring $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to the general fund to cover operational costs. If approved, a resolution will be drafted for the next Elko County Commissioners meeting.



City of Elko Arts and Culture Advisory Board has scheduled a special meeting at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Elko City Hall. The panel will review unfinished projects and receive updates on the art pedestal and block ends construction project and from the Redevelopment Advisory Council.



Elko County Enhanced 911 Board will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, in the Nannini Administration Building.



Elko County Local Emergency Planning Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, in the Nannini Administration Building. The board will arrange nominations to fill the vice chairman position being vacated by Fire Chief Jack Snyder.




Shin Bet head Ronen Bar on Motzei Shabbos spoke with Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai about the increase in violence and incitement against elected officials in general and the Prime Minister in particular.

An increase in the scope and severity of public statements has been identified in recent days with an emphasis on social networks which contain calls for physical harm and violent acts against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and other elected officials, Bar said.

It was agreed that the law enforcement system will adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward those who incite violence or call for harm to individuals and elected officials as well as those who call for harm to protesters.

The right to demonstrate and protest is a legal and important right in a democratic country and at the same time it must be clarified that calls for harm and violence are outside the legitimate discourse.

The State Attorneys Office stated: The State Attorneys Office takes a serious view of the radicalization of public discourse, with the infiltration of more and more extreme and blatant statements that clearly go beyond legitimate and objective criticism and the limits of freedom of expression.

In recent days, the State Attorneys Office has authorized Israel Police to open an investigation in a number of cases of severe statements, which allegedly violated the crime of incitement to violence.

The State Attorneys Office will not hesitate to authorize criminal investigations in cases of statements that exceed the boundaries of freedom of expression, whether they were heard from a person belonging to one camp or another, and in the appropriate cases will even prosecute.

On Thursday, Israel Police recommended to the State Attorneys Office that a criminal investigation be launched against Adv. David Hodek, who said last week that he wouldnt hesitate to use live fire against the government if it actualizes its plan for judicial reforms.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




Israel Police are examining the possibility of arming gabbaim of shuls in Bnei Brak with weapons in the wake of the recent terror attacks in Israel in Chareidi areas.

The murderous terror attack last Friday night in Neve Yaakov, which took the lives of seven victims, reignited the issue of the lack of armed civilians in Chareidi areas and the populations reduced ability to thwart armed terrorists. Superintendent Sigal Bar-Tzvi, the head of Israel Polices Operations Department, told the press last week that the police received over 40 warnings of potential terrorist attacks, mostly in Chareidi areas.

The police understand that the terrorists may see Chareidi areas as a weak point, both due to the minimal number of people carrying weapons in addition to the delay in calling the police on Shabbatot and Yamim Tovim since the residents arent carrying cell phones.

The issue has been under discussion in recent months and was brought up in a recent meeting of the members of the Chassidish Representatives Forum in Bnei Brak with the chiefs of the police and the municipal police.

According to the police, arming shul gabbaim will be carried out as part of a pilot that will begin in Bnei Brak and soon expand to other cities.

Due to the bureaucracy involved in issuing a firearms license, the local police district is currently examining several options with the aim of speeding up the procedure, including the possibility of Gabbaim who carry weapons doing so as part of a framework of volunteer work for the police, on Shabatot and Yamim Tovim only.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)




Dozens of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war have returned home following a prisoner swap, officials on both sides said Saturday.

Top Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak said in a Telegram post that 116 Ukrainians were freed.

He said the released POWs include troops who held out in Mariupol during Moscows monthslong siege that reduced the southern port city to ruins, as well as guerrilla fighters from the Kherson region and snipers captured during the ongoing fierce battles for the eastern city of Bakhmut.

Russian defense officials, meanwhile, announced that 63 Russian troops had returned from Ukraine following the swap, including some special category prisoners whose release was secured following mediation by the United Arab Emirates.

A statement issued Saturday by the Russian Defense Ministry did not provide details about these special category captives.

At least three civilians have been killed in Ukraine over the past 24 hours as Russian forces struck nine regions in the countrys south, north and east, according to reports on Ukrainian TV by regional governors on Saturday morning.

Two people were killed and 14 others wounded in Ukraines eastern Donetsk region by Russian shelling and missile strikes, local Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko said in a Telegram update on Saturday morning.

The casualty toll included a man who was killed and seven others who were wounded Friday after Russian missiles slammed into Toretsk, a town in the Donetsk region. Kyrylenko said that 34 houses, two kindergartens, an outpatient clinic, a library, a cultural centre and other buildings were damaged in the strike.

Seven teenagers received shrapnel wounds after an anti-personnel mine exploded late on Friday in the northeastern city of Izium, local Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram. He said they were all hospitalized but their lives were not in danger.

Elsewhere, regional Ukrainian officials reported overnight shelling by Russia of border settlements in the northern Sumy region, as well as the town of Marhanets, which neighbors the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Kyiv has long accused Moscow of using the plant, which Russian forces seized early in the war, as a base for launching attacks on Ukrainian-held territory across the Dnieper river.

Elsewhere, Ukraines Black Sea port of Odesa and surrounding areas were plunged into the dark following a large-scale network failure, the countrys grid operator reported.

Ukrenergo said in a Telegram update that the failure involved equipment repeatedly repaired after Russias savage strikes on Ukraines energy grid, and that residents should brace themselves for lengthy blackouts.

Unfortunately, the scale of the accident is quite significant, and this time, the power supply restrictions will be longer. It is not yet possible to determine a specific time when (power) will be fully restored, the company said.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the energy ministry was sending all the powerful generators it has in stock to Odesa within 24 hours and that both the Ukrainian energy minister and the head of Ukrenergo were on their way to Odesa to oversee repair works.

(AP)




U.S. officials have offered to brief congressional leaders on their investigation into the classified documents found at former President Donald Trumps Florida residence, people familiar with the matter said Sunday.

A briefing could come as soon as this week. But it may not meet demands from lawmakers who want to review the documents taken not just from Mar-a-Lago but also from the Wilmington, Delaware, home and former private office in Washington belonging to President Joe Biden and the Indiana home of former Vice President Mike Pence.

Six months after federal agents conducted an unprecedented search of a former presidents home for classified documents, the White House faces bipartisan pressure to share what it found with lawmakers who say the are concerned about the potential damage to national security and intelligence sources. Separate special counsels are investigating the documents found in the possession of Trump and Biden.

Officials have declined to answer most questions in public or private about what they found citing the ongoing criminal investigation and a separate risk assessment of the possible damage to intelligence sources.

Rep. Mike Turner, who heads the House Intelligence Committee, told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday that the administration notified him it would brief on the documents this week.

This administration needs to understand we do have national security urgent matters, said Turner, R-Ohio. he also called on the White House to brief him on the Chinese balloon shot down Saturday.

Whats interesting is that the moment this balloon became public, I got a notice not from the administration that Im going to get a briefing on this balloon, but they have to rush to Congress now to talk to us about Donald Trumps documents, he said.

Three people familiar with the matter confirmed a congressional briefing was offered to the Gang of Eight  the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate and of both intelligence committees. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

Any briefing is not expected to include direct access to the documents that were seized, the people said.

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee, asked for that access in a letter last week to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

Its also unclear whether the administration will discuss the records found in Bidens and Pences possession. Turner told NBC that the records linked to Biden and Pence would be included, while two people familiar said the briefing was expected to focus only on Trump.

The director of national intelligences office and Department of Justice both declined to comment Sunday.

The Justice Department says roughly 300 documents with classified markings, including at the top-secret level, have been recovered from Mar-a-Lago after being taken there after Trump left the White House. Last August, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the property after developing evidence that led them to believe that Trump and his representatives had not returned all the classified files.

The material taken at that time included roughly 13,000 government documents, including about 100 bearing classification markings. Some of the material was so sensitive that Justice Department prosecutors and FBI counterintelligence investigators required additional security clearances to review them.

A special counsel, Jack Smith, is investigating whether to bring charges against Trump or anyone else related to the documents. Prosecutors have revealed that they are investigating possible violations of multiple criminal statutes, including willful retention of national defense information and obstruction. A grand jury in Washington has been hearing evidence and federal prosecutors have interviewed multiple Trump associates. It is not clear how much longer that investigation will last.

Trump has claimed that the materials were declassified and that he had the power to do so just by thinking about it, though his lawyers have not repeated that claim. They tried to have an independent arbiter conduct an outside review of the documents, though a federal appeals court late last year ended that work and said Trumps team was not entitled to that assessment.

(AP)
The UK is set for an unwelcome barrage of new scams as fraudsters exploit QR code technology to steal from unsuspecting victims.

The codes are the latest weapon in scammers' armoury and are being used in a growing number of pernicious ways, fraud experts warn.

QR  or 'Quick Response'  codes are small, jumbled boxes of black and white squares, which operate much like a barcode. When used legitimately, they can be very useful.

You simply point the camera on your smartphone at a QR code (such as those in your Mail on Sunday) and it directs you to a website automatically without you having to tap the details into your browser.

- Get up to date with all the latest scam stories here

Hidden menace: Scammers have found ways that QR codes can be used to trick victims into sharing personal information and bank details

The use of QR codes has grown since the pandemic, when they became a popular way for smartphone users to share contact information and vaccination status with restaurants and other venues.

But scammers have found ways that QR codes can be used to trick victims into sharing personal information and bank details.

Nick Hunn, a strategist at the technology company WiFore Wireless Consulting, says: 'Criminals love QR codes as, for the moment, people have confidence in them. Also, because they are new and hard to fathom, people assume they are safe.

'But accessing a QR code is like clicking on an unsolicited email attachment  and you could be opening a can of worms. They should be treated with caution.'

QR code scams operate in a number of ways. Here are some to watch out for:

HOW 'QR CODE JACKING' WORKS

This is when fraudsters stick a fake QR code over a genuine one to snare unsuspecting victims.

For example, a fake QR code can be put on a parking meter, electric charging point or even on a restaurant menu. The unsuspecting victim uses the code to access what is presumed to be a genuine website to pay for parking, car charging or for a meal.

However, although the website may look authentic, it has been set up by scammers. When the victim enters their bank details to make a payment, this information is quickly siphoned off by the scammer and used to steal money from the victim's bank account.

Alternatively, the scammer may use this personal information to trick the victim at a later date. They may phone and pretend to be from their bank  and knowing the victim's personal information gives their story an air of legitimacy.

Some motorists on the Isle of Wight fell prey to this crime last year when a fake QR code was stuck on parking meters in a council car park. The code sent car owners to a fake website that asked them to tap in their details to pay for the parking spot. Payments were then siphoned off by crooks.

It is hard to discern a fake QR code from a real one, which is a key reason why people are especially vulnerable.

But Stephen Burke, product director at the cyber security company Titan HQ, believes a careful look at the placing of the code offers clues as to whether it might be a fraud.

He says: 'Always take a close look at any QR code to see if there are signs it has been plastered over a genuine one, perhaps on different paper or is peeling off.' Always scrutinise websites accessed by a QR code before entering personal information.

Look out for signs it may be a fake, such as bad graphics or misspelling. Only click on websites that have an 'https' as the beginning of the address as this means it is more likely to be safe from hacking.

If in doubt, shut the webpage accessed by the QR code and look up the website directly by typing the correct web address into your browser.

'QUISHING' EMAIL WITH A DODGY LINK

This is when a scammer sends an email containing a QR code purporting to be from a genuine organisation such as a high street bank, the taxman or from an online retailer such as Amazon.

The crook has made up a story to encourage you to use the QR code. For example, they could claim that you can use the code to enter a competition, take advantage of a special offer or buy a product.

But when the victim uses the QR code, it takes them to a bogus website where any personal information they input can be harvested by the fraudster.

Burke says one of the most common versions doing the rounds is scammers sending emails pretending to be from a bank and claiming that they are updating their security process.

Burke says: 'Fraudsters explain that the bank is doing away with their current security system such as two-factor authentication  and upgrading to use QR codes instead.'

The QR code takes the victim to a website where they are asked to input the security codes or password used to access their online banking to set up the new security system. The crook then uses this information to log on to the bank account and steal savings.

Burke adds: 'Everyone finds authentication codes and remembering different passwords a headache  so it is easy to fall for the scam as it not only sounds believable but makes logging in easier and more appealing.'

NEW PARCEL DELIVERY SCAMS

Warning: Security expert Stephen Burke

Parcel delivery firms increasingly use QR codes to interact with their customers  a trend that is being exploited by scammers.

For example, if you miss a parcel delivery, genuine firms will often put a note through your letterbox containing a QR code to scan to reschedule the delivery.

But scammers can also mock up fake notes containing QR codes that lead to bogus websites.

The fake website may be used to harvest private data or charge a fake 'shipping fee'.

Zulfikar Ramzan, chief scientist at cyber security firm Aura Labs, explains that thieves might even send a gift in the post, purporting to be from Amazon or another online shop. The parcel will contain a QR code, which claims to offer information about how to return it or find out more information.

'Scan it and you will be directed to a website that tries to capture your personal information,' he says.

'Never scan links if you are unsure where they have come from and, instead, visit the genuine company's website.'

SOFTWARE UPDATES THAT ARE BOGUS

Criminals have also developed a way to use QR codes to download malware software on to your computer or smartphone.

Malware is like a computer virus, which, when installed on your device, can be used to plunder your personal information.

Be careful when downloading a QR code app if it asks you to install a software 'update' after scanning. If you are in any doubt about its legitimacy, refuse installation and shut down any web pages the QR code has opened.
When reader Jean, a retired teacher from London, opened her latest home insurance renewal letter, she was so delighted she did a little dance.

The letter read: Last year your cover cost 303.25. This year your price is 145.89.

Jean had expected a hike to her premiums. After all, they have risen every year since she can remember. So she was shocked  and thrilled  when this year's quote came in at under half the cost.

Her lower premium seems particularly fortunate when you consider what so many other readers are experiencing.

Group Wealth and Personal Finance Editor Jeff Prestridge has been investigating the latest wave of premium hikes through these pages and Money Mail. Scores of readers have been writing in to share their experiences.

Safe as houses: Jean's lower premium seems particularly fortunate when you consider what so many other readers are experiencing

As Jeff has discovered, although not all are facing rising premiums, many of you have seen price rises of 30 per cent or more. One home cover customer told Jeff he was quoted 76 per cent more than last year, even though he had not made a single change or claim.

The rises are a kick in the teeth to loyal insurance customers, many of whom may struggle to pay them when budgets are already overstretched.

Jean was curious to know why her premium had plummeted and was tempted to ask her insurer. But she worried they would turn around and say: Yes, you're right, that drop is a bit much, now you mention it  and promptly change their mind. So she contacted me for an answer instead.

I asked her if there were any changes since last year that may explain the reduction. 'I just celebrated my 80th birthday,' she said. 'But surely that can't be why?'

I asked price comparison website Comparethemarket to crunch the numbers, and I think Jean may be on to something.

Home insurance quotes for under-80s hit 157 last month on average  but over-80s were quoted just 131.

People aged between 35 and 44 received the highest quotes at 177 on average  over a third more than over-80s.

Comparethemarket confirmed that customers often see a drop-off in their home insurance bills when they turn 80. It explained that premiums are calculated on how risky an insurer thinks you are, and older customers tend to be less likely to make claims  and claim for less when they do.

I told Jean, who is tickled by this logic. She laughs: 'Maybe they imagine that because I'm retired I'm sitting at home all day and so unlikely to get burgled or to be away when a pipe bursts or something. However, nothing could be further from the truth.'

That's because Jean likes being out and about and travelling as much as she can. 'Now, if only my travel insurance fell as much as my home insurance,' she says. 'That's where I'd make the best savings.'

I think this is a good example of why you should never take an insurance hike lying down. As premiums are rising on average, it may be tempting to assume that an increase in your own bills is inevitable.

But there are some people out there who are enjoying significant falls. If you're not one of them, shop around and ask your insurer for a better deal.

Paying for parking getting harder

Paying for parking used to be simple. Put coins in the machine, press green button, wait for ticket to be printed.

But increasingly, there is not an option to pay with cash, nor sometimes with a credit or debit card. Instead, you need to download an app, go on a website or phone an automated number.

When in Exeter recently, I saw a woman close to tears while trying to pay for parking. She told me she wanted to visit the cathedral, but had spent 20 minutes trying to make the payment on her smartphone and was close to giving up.

As Toby Walne reveals, fraudsters are now taking advantage of these new hoops we have to jump through to pay for parking by putting QR codes on parking machines that link to bogus websites.

Fraudsters thrive where people are forced into using new technology that they are not comfortable with. We need to be careful when scanning QR codes on parking machines. But it would also help  for ease and security  if motorists were able to pay for parking with cash or card as well.
When parliamentary committees haul in chief executives for a grilling, it can be great theatre.

The drama usually derives from the way business leaders, who are used to being treated with extreme deference, react to a mauling by MPs.

So we have the spectacle of Sir Philip Green asking a Tory politician to stop staring at him, or Barclays boss Bob Diamond being goaded into declaring the time to apologise for the financial crisis was over.

Diamond was wrong then and he remains wrong now. Bosses of the big four are due to appear at a Treasury committee hearing tomorrow into the behaviour of the banks.

The furore over the initial refusal to attend by NatWest chief Dame Alison Rose shows they are still on thin ice, even after 15 years.

Scrutiny: The banks may have lost their position as corporate public enemy number one to the oil companies and British Gas, but they are not yet rehabilitated

Rose, who rarely puts a foot wrong, has sensibly decided she is not too busy to turn up after all. Wise move, since the taxpayer is still saddled with a 46 per cent holding in her bank. She and her peers  Charlie Nunn of Lloyds, Ian Stuart, CEO of HSBC in the UK and Matt Hammerstein of Barclays  face an uncomfortable session.

The banks may have lost their position as corporate public enemy number one to the oil companies and British Gas.

But they are not yet rehabilitated. The huge popularity of the Netflix movie Bank of Dave  a version of It's a Wonderful Life set in modern-day Lancashire  is testament to how badly people feel let down. Businessman Dave Fishwick, the real 'Dave' of the title, fears mainstream lenders are opening the door to loan sharks, as we report today.

Big four bank profits this year are expected to be embarrassingly fat, thanks in large part to a rise in net interest income  the difference between what they receive in loan interest and what they pay out to depositors. An expected rise in bad debts has yet to make itself felt.

This may lead to louder calls for a windfall levy on lenders. Windfall taxes, whether on oil companies or banks, are not a panacea.

But it can be hard for politicians to ignore voter sentiment as the banks seem to disregard their customers. They continue to close branches, to the annoyance of many.

The new National Savings & Investments one-year bond paying 4 per cent ought to put on pressure for banks to compete, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Of perhaps even greater concern is the manoeuvring to water down rules brought in after the financial crisis so that taxpayers were protected from having to bail them out in future.

Lenders say the regime to hold senior managers accountable for misconduct on their watch makes it hard to hire talent. 'Ring-fencing,' which separates retail banking from the risky casino variety, is also up for debate.

MPs should be concerned about the scrapping of the cap on banker bonuses. Kwasi Kwarteng planned to abolish the limit on payouts, which was imposed by the EU after the crisis. Jeremy Hunt appears to be pressing ahead with this. The cap was largely ineffectual, but giving bankers free rein on bonuses in the middle of a cost of living crisis offers Labour an open goal.

Even more concerning are the new risks that have emerged since Covid, the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis.

The mayhem caused by Liability Driven Investment strategies after the doomed mini-Budget makes one wonder about obscure pockets of danger to which the banks are exposed. The next disaster may strike before they have fully recovered from the last.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

M.L. writes: I am sending you details of an investment I have been offered.

It appears to come from Credit Suisse, offering bonds from National Grid Gas yielding 8.75 per cent.

Is this for real, or is it a scam?

Tony Hetherington replies: Let's get straight to the point: it's a scam. The cunning part is that these bonds do exist. They were issued many years ago and mature in 2025, so if you Google them, you will find they are real.

However, the only way to get your hands on them today is through the stock market, where you would have to pay a lot more than face value so would get a lot less than 8.75 per cent. The fraudsters who called you and then emailed the details have dressed this up to look like a savings account.

Digging deep: The gas bonds were issued  but many years ago

They have faked the Credit Suisse letterhead and logo and told you that your investment is protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. They even say: 'You can make additional deposits into your new account throughout the entire period of your investment.'

In reality, there is no account.

The crooks say they are at 1 Cabot Square in Canary Wharf in London. This is the address of the real Credit Suisse, but when I contacted it earlier this week it was clear the investment offer was not from the bank.

A spokesman told me: 'There has been an increase in recent years of consumers being targeted by fraudsters who are exploiting the brands of international banks, sometimes through the use of fake websites or impersonating employees.

'Credit Suisse actively plays its part in protecting people who are being targeted by fraudsters to prevent them suffering financial harm, and to help maintain the integrity of the financial markets.'

The bank is investigating and may take action to shut down the fraudsters' website. In fact, this scam is so new that the fraudsters have not even set up a proper website.

- Read This is Money's Beat the Scammers for more news stories

They are just using their web address for emails to prospective victims. Their emails come from cs-asset management.co.uk  an address that was registered just two weeks ago, with fees paid for only one year's use, showing the crooks do not plan to stick around.

Beware too of being tricked into calling the crooks on the number they are using: 0207 043 4509. This does not belong to the real Credit Suisse.

When I rang to invite the tricksters to comment, they were polite and friendly, right up to the moment they asked for my name. When I told them, the line went dead. I wonder why.

National Grid was given details of the fraud involving the use of its name and bonds.

Letters from HMRC make no sense to me

D.H. writes: In March 2021, I applied to HM Revenue & Customs for part of my wife's unused tax allowance to be transferred to me for future and previous years. Revenue & Customs transferred this going forward, but said checks were needed for previous years.

In December 2021, staff wrote, saying I had not filed a self-assessment tax return for 2020. I reminded them I had retired and my income was taxed at source. I was told to disregard the letter.

Since then, I have had three letters, one saying I had no tax liability for 2018-19, one demanding 267 for the same year, and a third enclosing a cheque for 10 with no explanation.

Payback: The taxman has coughed up a further 224 in refunds going back to 2016

Tony Hetherington replies: As I discovered myself recently, tax staff dealing with self-assessment and staff dealing with Pay As You Earn are not the same. Staff told me they do not even have access to each other's records. It is a recipe for chaos, confirmed when the same post brought me two Revenue & Customs letters, one saying the taxman owed me about 900 but was keeping it to cover tax due soon, while the other told me my PAYE deductions were to rocket to collect exactly the same 900.

When you chased the tax office about earlier year refunds due to you, the answer was that your claims were too old to be valid. This was nonsense. You had made the claims 16 months earlier, when they were valid. You won a refund of 670.

After I questioned this, staff admitted that the 267 demand was simply wrong. They owed you 10, hence the cheque. Revenue & Customs told me: 'We have apologised to Mr H for providing incorrect advice when he contacted us'. And the taxman has coughed up a further 224 in refunds going back to 2016.

Delay in pension rise

C.A. writes: Following a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions, I paid 1,580 six months ago to HMRC as voluntary National Insurance contributions.

This was to increase my state pension, but despite writing and calling DWP monthly since then, I have had no increase.

It appears DWP and HMRC do not communicate effectively.

It's good to talk: It appears DWP and HMRC do not communicate effectively

Tony Hetherington replies: The letter you received from DWP said that if you paid the extra contributions, your state pension would rise by more than 10 a week.

I asked officials at DWP to look into why you had not been paid. They reviewed your state pension entitlement and have increased it by just over 15 a week. A spokesman told me: 'We apologise for the delay in processing Mr A's voluntary National Insurance contributions. His updated state pension award has now been finalised'. You have also received arrears of 232. Excellent.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Healthy profits: Haleon's brands range from Centrum vitamin pills to Panadol pain relief

In 2016, a group of more than 2,000 American men and women, aged 65 and over, agreed to take part in a trial to see whether vitamin pills could make their brains work better.

Over three years, half the volunteers took Centrum Silver, a supplement for the over-50s, and half took a placebo. The results were conclusive. Centrum Silver helped senior citizens to remember more, solve problems faster and reason better.

Released late last year, the news was particularly welcome to Haleon , the consumer health group, which split off from drugs giant GSK in the summer of 2022. Haleon focuses on what might be called the serious side of everyday health.

Its over-the-counter remedies span pain relief, such as Panadol and Voltaren, cold and flu medication such as Day Nurse, Night Nurse and Otrivin, Tums for indigestion, even Nicorette gum for smokers and ChapStick for sufferers of dry lips. It also makes Polident for dentures and Sensodyne for sensitive teeth, the world's second biggest toothpaste brand after Colgate.

Then there are the supplements, including Caltrate, a calcium tablet, and Centrum, whose vitamin blends offer to help insomnia, sore muscles, eyesight and a whole lot more besides.

Haleon is one of a kind  the only listed business exclusively devoted to consumer health. The shares have been a lacklustre performer since demerging from GSK and are now 3.30, a price which reflects neither current performance nor future prospects.

Looking ahead, the stock should pick up as the business proves its mettle, free from its pharmaceutical parent.

Haleon is big. Valued on the stock market at almost 30 billion, the group has 23,000 employees and its products are sold all over the world. Some brands are global, including Sensodyne, Panadol and the nasal spray Otrivin.

Some are more popular in certain parts of the world than others. Caltrate, for example, used to be handed out for free in China because calcium deficiency is such a big issue there and even now the government runs programmes encouraging citizens to take it.

Many brands go under different names in different places. Corsodyl mouthwash here is known as Parodontax in most other countries. Ibuprofen drug Advil is big in America but less known here.

Across the business though, Haleon prides itself on taking a therapeutic approach to healthcare  making stuff designed to help users feel stronger and healthier than they otherwise would.

Chief executive Brian McNamara spends around 300 million every year  3 per cent of sales  on research and development, not just making sure that Haleon's wares do what they say on the tin but also ensuring that the company stays up to date with trends and tastes.

This can mean new formulations, chewable medication as opposed to pills, new blends, toothpaste that helps bleeding gums as well as reducing sensitivity, and recyclable packaging rather than heavy tins.

The company also works hard on its relationships with dentists and pharmacists so they recommend Haleon products to their patients. Most are sold in supermarkets too but professional recommendations can give Haleon's goods an edge. And in many parts of the world, including continental Europe, even headache pills are only sold by chemists.

Haleon reports its first full-year figures as an independent business next month but McNamara has already told investors that trading in the first nine months of last year was better than expected. Analysts expect a 15 per cent increase in turnover to 10.9 billion for 2022, with profits up 5 per cent to 2.3 billion and a dividend of 3p, doubling to 6p this year.

Some followers worry that Haleon will be hit by the cost-of-living crisis, with consumers turning to cheaper alternatives, such as supermarkets' own brands of medicine.

Evidence to date suggests otherwise and sales were little affected in past downturns. When it comes to health, consumers are often prepared to pay up, particularly if they are buying for unwell children or elderly parents. And many of us are remarkably loyal to the brands we grew up with. Tums, for instance, was launched more than 60 years ago and is still going strong.

Economic worries aside, Haleon shares have also been blighted by a lawsuit relating to Zantac, the GSK antacid drug, with fears that the legal action might affect Haleon. In December last year, however, a US judge dismissed thousands of cases, citing lack of evidence.

Midas verdict: Across the world, consumers are spending more on their health, as populations age and emerging markets grow richer. Haleon is well placed to benefit with a stable of famous brands, trusted from Beijing to Birmingham. At 3.30 the shares are a buy and the dividend offers a bit of extra income too.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: HLN Contact: haleon.com or 01932 822 000
'The Butcher': Hedge fund boss Christer Gardell

An activist hedge fund that targeted insurer Aviva has slashed its holding after its campaign to return more cash to shareholders paid off.

The move by Cevian, which has cut its stake to less than 5 per cent, is likely to be seen by the FTSE 100 giant as a vote of confidence in its strategy under chief executive Amanda Blanc.

Cevian  a Swedish outfit led by Christer Gardell, known by some as 'The Butcher'  revealed in 2021 that it had taken a 5 per cent stake.

Gardell wasted little time declaring the company had been 'poorly managed for years' and that its businesses had been held back by 'a series of bad strategic decisions'. He also demanded cost cuts of at least 500 million.

In March last year, Aviva said it was returning 4.75 billion to shareholders after a turnaround under Blanc, who became boss in 2020. She raised 7.5 billion through the sale of eight 'non-core' businesses in Singapore, Italy, France, Poland and Turkey.

In August, Aviva said it would return even more money  after unveiling a bumper set of half-year results  with analysts speculating it could be 250 million to 300 million.

Aviva said it would commence the additional capital returns when full-year results are published next month.

Cevian had built up its holding to 6.6 per cent. It has cut that in recent weeks but is still Aviva's second biggest shareholder.

Niko Pakalen, partner at Cevian, said: 'The reduction of our holding is a portfolio reallocation following Aviva's strong absolute and relative returns. We continue to see significant return potential.'

Cevian will also have benefited from a rising share price, up nearly 60 per cent since Blanc took over, and regular dividends.

And Cevian will have earned 188 million from the 3.75 billion cash that Aviva has distributed to shareholders as well as benefiting from its 1 billion share buyback. Aviva declined to comment.

Insurers have been hit by rising claims. But Aviva recently said its combined operating ratio  a measure of profitability  will be in line with previous guidance.
When Unilever made Hein Schumacher its new chief executive last week, the appointment was received coolly.

Analysts and investors had been expecting a big name hire for the job  one of the most prestigious in the corporate world. Instead they got a boss from a Dutch dairy co-operative called FrieslandCampina.

Leading consumer analyst Bruno Monteyne said: 'Investors we spoke to in recent weeks were hopeful for a more familiar name.'

But one man knew exactly what Schumacher was about: renowned billionaire and Unilever investor Nelson Peltz  whose daughter Nicola married Brooklyn Beckham in a lavish ceremony last spring.

Shortly after the appointment, Peltz, who is sparing in his dealings with the media, told The Mail on Sunday: 'I knew him when he worked at Heinz. I was impressed by his leadership skills and business acumen.'

Bold: Nelson Peltz with wife Claudia and daughter Nicola. Right: Hein Schumacher

The statement confirmed Peltz had got his man. The two have worked closely together before. Schumacher rose through the ranks at Heinz for more than a decade until 2014, holding a number of senior roles and ultimately running the group's Asia business. Peltz acquired Heinz stock in 2006 and joined the board until the firm was sold for 23 billion in 2013.

Now the pair are back together at Unilever. Peltz set his sights on the consumer giant early last year. He snapped up a stake through his investment company Trian Partners and, by summer, had worked his way on to the board.

A turnaround specialist  he was the architect behind the break-up of Cadbury Schweppes and streamlined Heinz  Peltz could see Unilever was ripe for his aggressive 'shedding and splitting' strategy.

Unilever has struggled with sluggish growth and caused upset by continuing to sell goods in Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine.

Last year, it was blasted by a major shareholder, Fundsmith's Terry Smith, for 'ludicrous' virtue-signalling on everything from sustainability to Knorr stock cubes 'at the expense of focusing on the fundamentals of the business'.

Unilever's current chief executive Alan Jope has, to critics, become a bungling boss who lacks direction. Then, in January last year, his attempt and subsequent failure to buy GSK's consumer unit for 50 billion leaked in a press report. After that, the writing was on the wall for the Scotsman.

Peltz seized the moment. But he needed a general to implement his strategy. Just a month after Peltz took his board seat, Schumacher, 51, was appointed. He quickly impressed with his clear vision. So when Jope announced his retirement in September, Schumacher was already an obvious candidate to replace him. Neil Wilson, analyst at Markets.com, said: 'Peltz has his man. Schumacher is an acolyte.'

The most likely next move for the pair, according to Jefferies analyst Martin Deboo, is the sale of the food division, separating it from Unilever's household products arm.

Many in the City are convinced Peltz and Schumacher can pull it off. Investors are likely to back the plan and Jope's faster than planned departure signals the company is looking to move quickly. More management changes are expected.

Evidence suggests change is overdue and that the rot set in long before Jope. His predecessor Paul Polman tried to get the company to list in the Netherlands and abolish its London HQ. But huge investor opposition and pressure from this newspaper forced the pompous Polman into a climbdown.

People who have followed Schumacher's career predict that, although he is not so well known as his predecessors, he will move decisively. They say his boyish good looks and easy-going manner mask a ruthless operator.

His restructuring at FrieslandCampina has involved asset disposals, factory closures and job cuts.

Former Asda chief executive Allan Leighton, who has worked with Schumacher, said: 'He tells it as it is. He's very Dutch in that way. Very practical: 'This is how it is and this is what we're going to do about it.' '

Maybe, finally, Unilever has the boss it sorely needs.
Founder: Andy Bell

Fans of Andy Bell's down-to-earth style will be disappointed this week when the AJ Bell founder misses the investment platform's annual meeting for the first time.

His absence follows a row with regulators that saw him blocked from taking a new board role, but he will act as a 150,000 a year consultant.

Bell stepped down last year as chief executive of the 1.4 billion fund supermarket business he started from scratch in 1995.

The Financial Conduct Authority raised concerns he might still call the shots if he remained.

The ruling prompted City grandee Helena Morrissey to quit as chairwoman after just nine months. She had wanted Bell to stay as her part-time deputy.

Bell, 56, retains a 23 per cent stake worth more than 300 million. His decision to stay away from the meeting highlights the challenges that founders face when they step back from the helm.

One analyst said Morrissey's climbdown over Bell had been 'embarrassing' and his consultancy role left some unanswered questions.

It will see him work with the business for two days a week on advertising, brand and lobbying work. But the analyst said: 'It's difficult to tell how engaged he will be in six months' time.'

He retains the right to nominate a director to represent his interests, but this has been put on hold until a new chair is in post. He was succeeded as chief executive by Michael Summersgill, who was previously finance chief.
An art performance to celebrate the 93rd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - 2023) (Photo: VNA)

The article wrote every time when spring comes, in the jubilant atmosphere of the Lunar New Year, the Vietnamese people joyfully welcome the founding day of the CPV. Over the past 93 springs, the CPV has led its people to fight foreign invaders, gain independence and reunify the country, as well as in nation building and development, contributing to bringing a prosperous and happy life to the people.

Under the leadership of the Party, Vietnam has developed from a poor and backward country, and a colonised country to a developing country with middle income; and its role, position and reputation are increasingly enhanced in the international arena.

The article cited CPV General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as saying that over the past more than 90 years, the Party has established, consolidated and increasingly improved its leadership role, strength and reputation with its own bravery, energy, wisdom and pioneering theories; in the right direction; by tireless efforts of the contingent of officials and party members; by an organisation of solidarity and; and with the wholehearted support and protection by the people.

In fact, since the founding of the Party, Vietnamese people have had a right and clearheaded leader, and therefore they have won various victories and made miracles in the twentieth century, General Secretary Trong said./.
Pakistani former President Pervez Musharraf died on Sunday following a prolonged illness at a hospital in Dubai, after years in self-imposed exile.

Pakistans military and the countrys mission in the United Arab Emirates announced the death of the former army chief, 79, who was pushed from power in 2008.

I can confirm that he passed away this morning, Shazia Siraj, spokesperson for Pakistans consulate in Dubai and embassy in Abu Dhabi, told Reuters.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Arif Alvi and the chiefs of Pakistans army, navy and air force each expressed condolences on his death.

A special flight will be made to Dubai on Monday to bring Musharrafs body back to Pakistan for burial, local TV channel Geo News reported.

The former four-star general, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, oversaw rapid economic growth and attempted to usher in socially liberal values in the conservative Muslim country.

Musharraf enjoyed strong support for many years, his greatest threat al Qaeda and other militant Islamists who tried to kill him at least three times.

But his heavy-handed use of the military to quell dissent as well as his continued backing of the United States in its fight against al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban ultimately led to his downfall.

He is called a military dictator, but there has never been a stronger democratic system than that under him, said former close Musharraf aide Fawad Chaudhry, a leader of former Prime Minister Imran Khans party.

He gave Pakistan a free media and he stressed on diversity of opinion in Pakistan, Chaudhry said in a video message.

History will always remember him, he said. Pervez Musharraf, we will miss you.

Musharraf joined what Washington called its war on terror after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Pakistan provided U.S. forces ground and air access to landlocked Afghanistan to chase down the al Qaeda militants identified as being behind the plot.

The support was contrary to Pakistans longstanding policy of support for the Taliban, who then as now controlled neighbouring Afghanistan. This made Musharraf a target for militants in Pakistan as well as causing him to lose support among conservative elements in Pakistan.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella group of Pakistani militant organisations formed in reaction to Musharrafs crackdown on extremist elements, celebrated his death, criticising his policy of siding with the West.

This was the infamous army chief who sold off the countrys honour and respect, it said a statement. The group, which has launched a fresh spate of attacks across Pakistan in recent days, warned the current military leadership against following Musharrafs policies.

Allowed abroad for medical treatment even as he faced a treason case in Pakistan, Musharraf last flew to Dubai in 2016.

SOURCE: REUTERS
A mental health advocate who attended child mental health services 10 years ago has urged that the problems with the system are not ignored again.

Emma OSullivan said that problems highlighted by the recent Mental Health Commission report into child and adolescent mental health services were familiar, and seemed stuck in the same cycle.

Ms OSullivan, from Co Cork, was diagnosed with an eating disorder in her mid-teens, which resulted in her being admitted to hospital for six months.

She said she was left to deteriorate to a stage where she became very unwell, and has appealed for young people suffering from mental health issues to speak out.

I was just being seen as not an individual and more of a number, more of a case file, she told the PA news agency.

Before accessing acute services, she also faced delays with referrals and wait-times to be seen, though she adds she does not think the delays were as severe as they are now.

I definitely did have that kind of problem of the initial waiting time.

I think whats a massive problem now is people are waiting years and years to be seen, but once they do get seen, its just that shock of theres actually no proper services and care, youve waited this long and its just for nothing.

I feel like its just absolutely detrimental to the future of kids in Ireland right now.

She said that she became an inpatient and was placed in a locked unit, which she said both saved her life and was traumatising.

The MHC has published an Interim Report from an Independent Review of the Provision of CAMHS services, has found that children and young people accessing these services have been "lost" to follow-up care. https://t.co/GevzyudAHe#MentalHealthMatters #CAMHSInterimReport pic.twitter.com/z7gSSJHghQ  Mental Health Commission Ireland (@MHCIreland) January 23, 2023

It did save my life because I was so ill. But its not a way of sustainable recovery. Its definitely not an environment for young people  its a very traumatising environment.

You have your own voice, but youre not really allowed to in a certain way, so its definitely very difficult.

Political pressure has been mounting for action to be taken since a report into Irelands Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) found it to be disjointed, difficult to access and with a lack of monitoring in some cases.

Acceptance rates of referrals varied regionally between 38% and 81%, according to the Mental Health Commissions report.

It also found that some teams were not monitoring children on antipsychotic medication, that most services had no IT system to manage appointments, and there was no ring-fenced funding for CAMHS.

This follows a 2022 report into the care received by young people in South Kerry CAMHS, which found 240 minors received unreliable diagnoses, inappropriate prescriptions and poor monitoring of treatment which resulted in adverse effects in 46 cases  including weight gain, sedation and elevated blood pressure.

A similar review is being carried out into North Kerry CAMHS.

Opposition TDs have called the CAMHS report one of the most damning reports to have been presented to government in living memory, and have demanded a better IT system and dedicated annual funding.

Ms OSullivan said one of the most striking things about the report is that the various problems with CAMHS have been known about for so long.

This is just coming out now, and I think it was so known for a long time beforehand.

We are sharing some of the key findings from an Interim Report into an Independent Review of CAMHS Members of CAMHS Staff are experiencing "stress" and "burn out", often working past contracted hours. For morehttps://t.co/k9CHiT9sMj #MentalHealthMatters #CAMHSInterimReport pic.twitter.com/IkTT0Vlm6W  Mental Health Commission Ireland (@MHCIreland) February 3, 2023

But also the scariness of, OK its coming out now, but what is being done about it? Who is going to change it or alter it, or quality control that? I think thats the main thing. The fear of OK where do we go from from here?'

She added: Im advocating for young people to be able to have their own voice because its something that theyve lost, I think, through the system.

You dont have a voice, you dont have anyone to advocate for you, so youre just kind of falling through a gap.

I just want to reach people and for them to realise the empowerment of being able to have your own opinion and have your own voice can actually change your recovery.

She urged people to try to understand what is going on with CAMHS and not to ignore it this time.

(That) really would be my hope.
A killing this afternoon brings us to an important turning point early in the year . . .

ALREADY KANSAS CITY HOMICIDES STATS ARE PUSHING AHEAD OF LAST YEAR'S HISTORIC NUMBERS!!!

At this date on the calendar in February 2021 there were only 15 homicides . . . This latest fatality offers yet another indication that the local crisis isn't getting any better and, even worse, the topic isn't a major focus of upcoming elections.

And all of this in spite of a HISTORIC 4 year homicide uptick wherein KCMO suffered the deadliest & 2nd deadliest years in all of this cowtown's history.



Here's the first report . . .



Homicide 3800 Block of Bales

Just before noon today officers were called to the 3800 block of Bales on a reported cutting. Upon arrival, officers located the victim, an adult male, was suffering from apparent trauma wounds. EMS responded and declared the victim deceased at the scene.



Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Personnel have responded to the scene. They will be processing the scene to recover any evidence and speaking to any potential witnesses.



Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 816-234-5043. Or if you wish to remain anonymous you can do so by calling the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information provided to TIPS which leads to an arrest in the case.



We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents.

#############



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

1 dead after homicide in 3800 block of Bales Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri KANSAS CITY, Mo. - One person died after a homicide Saturday in the 3800 block of Bales Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri. KCMO police responded to the report of a cutting shortly after 11:50 a.m. Upon arrival, police located one victim, an adult male, suffering from apparent trauma wounds.

KCPD investigating deadly stabbing near Bales KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City Police Department says a person is dead after a stabbing Saturday morning. Investigators responded to the 3800 block of Bales Avenue around 11:53 a.m. when they found an adult male suffering from apparent trauma wounds. EMS responded and declared the victim deceased at the scene.

Developing . . .


Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno at the meeting (Photo: VNA)

FM Son made the statement during a a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno on February 4 on the sideslines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat (AMM Retreat) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

The two sides agreed to promote exchange of delegations at all levels, soon hold the first meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation at the ministerial level as agreed in the Framework Agreement on Technical and Economic Cooperation in April 2010, implement signed agreements, and accelerate negotiations and signing of new agreements in order to boost tourism cooperation and people-to-people exchange.

The Timor Leste minister spoke highly of Vietnam's important socio-economic development achievements, and said that leaders of Timor Leste are very pleased with the investment of Vietnams telecoms group Viettel in Timor Leste, which contributes to the local development.

There is great potential for the two nations to expand cooperation in trade, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, she said.

She affirmed that she would work to promote cooperation between the two countries in the coming time, not only in the bilateral channels but also within ASEAN.

On this occasion, FM Son had short meetings with his counterparts of Indonesia, Laos, Singapore and Brunei to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations./.
U.S. announces additional security assistance for Ukraine worth over 2 bln USD

Xinhua) 13:41, February 05, 2023

This photo taken on Feb. 3, 2023 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced Friday an additional round of security assistance for Ukraine with a total value of 2.2 billion U.S. dollars. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced Friday an additional round of security assistance for Ukraine with a total value of 2.2 billion U.S. dollars.

The latest package was divided into two parts - 425 million dollars through the Presidential Drawdown Authority, and 1.75 billion dollars from the congressionally-approved Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, according to a statement from the Defense Department.

What's particularly noticeable in the materiel are long-range rockets for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS missile launchers that the United States have provided for Ukraine.

The new rockets are GPS-guided Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) with a range of roughly 90 miles, more than doubling the 40-mile range that previous U.S.-provided HIMARS-compatible missiles have.

The GLSDB's range, however, falls short compared to that of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has long been sought by Ukraine but refused by the United States for fear of escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The ATACMS has a range of nearly 200 miles.

The U.S. government will contract with weapons manufacturers to provide the GLSDB, as well as two HAWK air defense firing units and unspecified "equipment to integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles, and radars with Ukraine's air defense systems." That means it will be months away from the actual delivery of these weapons.

The United Sates has committed more than 29.3 billion dollars in security assistance for Ukraine since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out nearly a year ago, according to the Pentagon's statement.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday urged the West to turn the Black Sea into a "sea of NATO" a year after the sinking of a flagship Russian warship.
SHARJAH, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 05th Feb, 2023) The Expo Centre Sharjah has made a noteworthy appearance at the 2023 Global CEO Summit, hosted by the prestigious Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI).

The summit, held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 1st to 3rd February, brought together more than 100 influential CEOs, executives, and directors from the exhibitions and conferences industry globally.

Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah, chairman of the Arab Union for Exhibitions, and board member of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, represented the centre at the event.

The Centres participation was nothing but a testament to its steadfast commitment to promoting international collaboration and shaping the future of the exhibitions and conference sector. By attending the summit, the centre sought to improve its competitiveness in a rapidly changing global economy, promote sustainable development, and create opportunities for partnership and collaboration between businesses.

During the event, Al Midfa engaged in discussions with several CEO participants on the current state and future prospects of the exhibitions and conferences sector. The talks covered different topics, including ways to develop sustainable practices and the need to foster cooperation and integration between exhibition centres globally, as well as the prospects of building strategic partnerships and organising joint exhibitions.

He emphasised that the Expo Centre Sharjah's participation in the Summit aimed to fuel the global efforts being made to advance the exhibition and conferences industry, adding that the centre looks forward to improving coordination and collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure that the sector can play a vital role in promoting sustainable economic growth.

"With companies around the world spending approximately US$32 billion annually on participating in conferences, the exhibitions and conferences industry has become a significant contributor to economic growth and a key source of national income. The Expo Centre Sharjah's participation in the summit underscores its commitment to contributing to the industry's success," Al Midfa noted.

While at the 2023 Global CEO Summit, Al Midfa highlighted the upcoming development plans for the Expo Centre Sharjah, as well as its event and exhibition schedule for the current year. The centre is set to host 49 economic, commercial, and cultural exhibitions, showcasing its commitment to a diverse range of industries and sectors.

The Global CEO Summit 2023, which concluded on Friday, 3rd February, brought together top economists and specialists in the exhibitions and conferences industry who presented working papers, addressing the need to boost mergers and partnerships among global exhibition organisers.
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.
(@FahadShabbir)

MIRPUR (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Feb, 2023 ) :Feb 05 (APP)::'Kashmir Solidarity Day' being observed amidst full throat slogans of "Kashmir Baney Ga Pakistan" by the people across AJK on Sunday with unprecedented zeal and fervor to express solidarity with Kashmiri brethren fighting against the tyranny of occupational forces in the Indian Illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIoJK).

The day was primarily marked with capacious programs including day-long rallies and demonstrations through making human chains joining hands with Pakistani brethren gathered at all the entry points of AJK.

By observing the day, people renewed their resolve to continue extending the fullest moral, political and diplomatic support, shoulder to shoulder Pakistan to freedom-loving brethren in the Indian Illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir in their just and principled struggle for the achievement of Kashmiris' legitimate right to self-determination and liberation of the motherland from the Indian clutches.

As a public holiday, people representing various walks of life including political, social and human rights organization took out rallies in all big and small cities across AJK including the capital city of Muzaffarabad and at the district and tehsil headquarters of all ten AJK districts including Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimbher, Rawalakot, Bagh, Palandri, Haveili, Hattiyan and Neelam Valley held seminars and vowed to be with their oppressed brethren in their hour of trial.

The Day was observed with renewed pledges and commitments to continue diplomatic, moral and political support to Jammu Kashmir people in their just and principled struggle for the achievement of the right to self-determination and the cause of Kashmir.

Observance of this day was also aimed at highlighting the long-standing unsettled dispute of Jammu & Kashmir at International and apprising the people of Jammu & Kashmir that they are not alone in this hour of trial and turmoil as people of Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir are wholehearted with them.

One-minute silence: As a mark of respect to the valiant struggle of Kashmiris in Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, a one-minute silence was observed at 9.58 a.m. to pay respects and homage to the martyrs of Kashmir, as all rail and road traffic came to a standstill.

Human Chain: Human chain was formed on all seven bridges, including at Mangla, Kohala, Dhalkot, Azad Pattan, Bhimbher and Holar besides at Bararkot the entry and ex points that connect AJK with Pakistan. Thousands of people belonging to AJK and Pakistan areas and gathered at these bridges and formed a huma chain in to reiterate complete solidarity between them.

The human hands chain formed both by Pakistani and Kashmiri people was aimed at to reiterate the unity and fraternity of this fact that both people have bonds of love and affection towards each other.

Flowing of rivers towards Pakistan and ways linked with land transpire the natural accession with the country, a center of Kashmiri people's hopes and expectations.

In Mirpur district, a large number of people from adjoining Punjab province led reached at Mangla bridge, the gateway to this part of Jammu & Kashmir State, and mada e human chain to express solidarity with the people of AJK who had also gathered at the bridge to make human chain joining hands with the people of Pakistan to mark the day.

Thousands of people belonging to all walks of life from Mirpur division earlier drove to Mangla bridge through big processions, led by Commissioner Mirpur Division Ch. Shoukat Mahmud, Deputy Commissioner Ch. Amjad Iqbal, Acting DIG Police Mirpur Division Raja Irfan Saleem, ADC (G) Yasir Riaz, AC Sardar Abdul Qadir, MS Div. HQ Hospital Sardar Aamer Aziz, Divisional Chief PID AJK Javed Malik President Insaf Traders wing Mirpur Raja Khalid Mahmood Khan, Senior Kashmiri journalist and Secretary General National Events Organising Committee Altaf Hamid Rao, AJK Muslim Conference leaders Raja Zaffar Maharoof and Shakoor Mughal ex-President hamber of Commerce & Industry , Sohail Shujah Mujahid and other heads of various private and public representative organizations and the civil society.

A big congregation of masses from adjoining town Dina of Jhelum district led by Assistant Commissioner Dina Muhammad Farooq reached Mangla bridge and joined human chain with AJK people to mark solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir State.

AC Dina Muhammad Farooq presented national flag of Pakistan to Mirpur Div. Commissioner Ch. Shoukat who, besides DC Mirpur Ch. Amjad Iqbal, presented AJK flag to AC Dina as a mark of reiteration of solidarity between people of Pakistan and Kashmir.

A large number of people belonging to various walks of life including the elders of various segments of the civil society from adjoining Jhelum district reached Mangla bridge, gateway to this part of the Himalayan Jammu Kashmir State, to join the human chain with locals to mark the solidarity on behalf of the people and government of Paksitan with the people of Jammu Kasyhmir.

While airing their views to media on this occasion mark the Kashmir Solidarity Day key participants called upon the world community to ensure early peaceful solution of Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Resolutions and Kashmiri people's wishes, speakers said that Kashmiris struggle for freedom is in fact the struggle for completion of Pakistan  since Pakistan is incomplete without its jugular vein  Kashmir, they declared.

They said that the hearts of the people of Pakistan and Kashmir beat in unison. Pakistan, he declared, would continue full moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu & Kashmir in their just and principled struggle for freedom till it reaches to its logical end.

Speakers paid glowing tributes to the valiant struggling people for facing large-scale Indian atrocities in the held territory. They said the sacrifices being offered by the valiant Kashmiri people would not go waste as the time was not far off when their struggle would be crowned with success very soon.

Speakers called upon the United Nations besides the international powers including the United States of America to exert pressure on India to give a matching response to Pakistan's persistent offer for an early peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue through the resumption of composite dialogue process in line with the aspirations of Jammu Kashmir people without further loss of time.

Speakers demanded that India should immediately stop human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and must give the right of freedom to the people of Kashmir according to the UN charter.

A rally organized by the Azad Jammu Kashmir Jamaat-e-Islami was held here at Shaheed Chowk on Saturday which started from Allama Iqbal Road and culminated at Mangla bridge where they joined the human chain to express solidarity to the people of occupied Kashmir.

The participants of the rally demanded of the global forces to pressurize India to give the right of freedom according to the UN charter to the people of Kashmir.

Through various unanimously passed resolutions the mammoth Congregations called for early peaceful settlement of Kashmir problem through the resumption of proposed comprehensive bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan without further delay to avert the threat of any conflict between the two nuclear neighboring arch-rivals.

Through another resolution the rally expressed full solidarity with the people, government and valiant armed forces of Pakistan with a resolve to go shoulder-to-shoulder the people, government and brave armed forces of Pakistan to safeguard the ideological and geographical frontiers of Pakistan by making defense of inch after inch of the country.

In Kotli and Bhimbher districts of Mirpur division, Kashmir Solidarity Day was also observed in Kotli and Bhimbher districts in this division with traditional zeal and fervor. The grand public rallies was taken out in both of the districts to mark the day. Addressing rallies on this occasion, speakers said that Kashmir is the lifeline of Pakistan and Pakistani people fully share the joys and sorrows of their Kashmiri brethren of the Indian-held State.

All three radio stations of Azad Kashmir including Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Tarakheil and AJK tv aired special programmes and the national and AJK State Press brought out special supplements to highlight the struggle of Kashmiris besides to express their solidarity with Kashmir freedom movement.
(@FahadShabbir)

Concepcin, Chile, Feb 6 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Feb, 2023 ) :Forest fires have killed 24 people, injured nearly 1,000 and destroyed 800 homes in five days as a blistering heat wave grips south-central Chile, authorities said Sunday.

Fueled by strong winds and temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), hundreds of fires have razed some 270,000 hectares in a region about 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of the capital Santiago.

The toll increased by one since Saturday with the death of a person who was being treated for injuries in hospital, said interior ministry official Manuel Monsalve.

The fatalities included one firefighter as well as two crew members of a helicopter that crashed on Friday.

Monsalve also reported 997 people with fire-related injuries, 26 of them in serious condition.

Eight firefighters are among the injured.

There were scenes of devastation Sunday in areas surrounded by burning forests, with farming plots reduced to ashes, dead animals and rural people who lost everything overnight.

"It was hell," Maria Ines, a 55-year-old social worker in Santa Juana in the hard-hit Biobio region told AFP after numerous houses were razed by the flames.

"It is a miracle that some of the houses were spared," she said, but "now we are afraid that the fire will return.... Where will we find refuge? Where? How?" Miguel Angel Henriquez, a 58-year-old farmer from Santa Juana in the same region, told AFP that he saw a neighbor brave the flames to try and rescue some of his animals. "He did not come out. I yelled at him to come out of the fire, but he didn't listen." A woman from El Santo, in the municipality of Tome, described that "most of the houses" in her settlement were burnt.

"The people did not manage to save anything, they left with what they wore, because the fire advanced very quickly."President Gabriel Boric attended the wake of a firefighter in the town of Coronel, telling mourners: "The whole of Chile cries with you. I am here to tell you that you are not alone."
Kinshasa, Feb 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Feb, 2023 ) :A United Nations peacekeeper from South Africa was killed and another wounded in an attack on their helicopter in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday, the organisation said.

The aircraft came under fire at around 3:00 pm (1200 GMT) during a flight to Goma, the provincial capital of Nord-Kivu province, where it was able to land, a spokesman told AFP.

The source of the fire that struck the helicopter was not yet known and its precise location had yet to be determined, said Amadou Ba, a spokesman for the UN mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).

South Africa's military also confirmed the incident.

"An Oryx helicopter came under fire in Goma, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday February 5, 2023," the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said in a statement.

"A crew member was fatally shot, another suffered injuries but managed to continue flying the chopper and landed safely at Goma Airport.

"The SANDF is in the process of informing family members of the soldiers who were involved in this unfortunate incident."MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita said she "strongly condemns this cowardly attack on an aircraft bearing the UN emblem", adding that "attacks against peacekeepers can constitute a war crime".
(@FahadShabbir)

MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Feb, 2023 ) :The University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK) organized different programmes to mark the 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' and pay tribute to the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) for their matchless sacrifices for freedom and right to self- determination.

The events hosted by the university including solidarity march, posters and pictorial exhibition and Kashmir cultural show were aim at to highlight the different aspects of Kashmir freedom struggle and regional cultural affinity with the Indian occupied part of Kashmir. A conference was also held in the afternoon which was addressed by different speakers.

Addressing the event, Registrar Professor Dr. Ayesha Sohail termed the Kashmir issue as an incomplete agenda of the partition of subcontinent and said that peace and security in South Asia could not be assured without resolving the Kashmir conflict in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiris and the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

She said that three generations of Kashmiris have made immense sacrifices for the materializing the dream of freedom. Their supreme sacrifices unparalleled in human history will never go in vain and the day is not far when the dawn of freedom will dawn in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir", she said.

Dr. Ayesha Sohail urged the students and teachers of the departments of Kashmir Studies, International Relations and Law of the University to carry out research work to find a viable and legal solution for Kashmir conflict in the changed global scenario.

Chairperson Institute of Kashmir Studies Dr. Sumaira, Director of Student Affairs Dr. Imtiaz Awan, Professor Dr. Wajid Aziz Lone and other speakers emphasized that Kashmiris have been offering sacrifices for the last two centuries in general and for the last 75 years in particular. The freedom loving people of Kashmir laid down their lives, sacrificed their honour and dignity but have never abandoned their struggle for freedom and demand for their right to self-determination.

They said that the freedom struggle of Kashmiris will continue relentlessly until Kashmiris get their democratic right, the right to self-determination.

The speakers also expressed their profound gratitude to the government of Pakistan, the people of Pakistan and AJK for expressing unprecedented solidarity with the people of IIOJK A photo exhibition was also jointly organized by the Department of Art and Design of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Commission and the district administration. The exhibition was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan.

In the event, the students of the Department of Art and Design of the University of Kashmir effectively highlighted the various aspects of the freedom movement of Kashmir through photographs and the art work.

On this occasion, the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir also announced an award of seven lakh rupees to encourage the students of the Department of Art and Design of UAJK.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Feb, 2023 ) :The international community has failed to stop India from committing massive human rights violations in IIOJ&K.

Chairman Tehreek Jawanaan Pakistan and Kashmir (TJPK) Mohammad Abdullah Gul on Sunday said the world powers' failure to stop Indian atrocities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) was a global dilemma as the international community has also failed to stop India from committing massive human rights violations in IIOJK.

In a statement regarding the Kashmir Solidarity Day, the Chairman TJPK said that the United Nations was an effective forum to highlight the Kashmir issue on the international front. However, the United Nations showed no interest in solving the problems of the Muslim community.

Gul said that unfortunately the world powers have closed their eyes towards solving the Kashmir issue according to the UN resolutions.

"Now is the time for the international community to implement the UN resolutions at the IIOJK. India is increasing military pressure on the Kashmiri people to suppress their indigenous independence movement.

The brave people of Kashmir are making unprecedented sacrifices for their legitimate right to self-determination," Abdullah Gul added.

The TJPK chairman added that India was trying to change its demographic position by giving Kashmiri domicile to non-Kashmiri residents.

"India is playing the role of disrupting peace in the region. India's expansionist policies are a serious threat to regional peace. India should understand that Pakistan's security forces are alert enough to give a strong response to any adventure. Global media has exposed the nexus of RAW and terrorists to destabilize the region," he warned.

Being united and relying on our own resources, he said it was the need of the hour to resolve the Kashmir issue.

"Pakistan is determined to raise the Kashmir issue with full force at every international forum. Pakistan will continue to provide diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people until their independence," he ended.
(@FahadShabbir)

CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2023) The funeral of former Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail were held in Cairo on Sunday, with the country's current political and military leaders taking part in it, Egyptian media reported.

On Saturday, Ismail died at the age of 67. Media reported that the late prime minister had been ill for some time.

Ismail's funeral took place at El-Mosheer Tantawy Mosque, according to The Egyptian Gazette, with President Abdel Fattah Sisi, Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli, Speaker of the House of Representatives Hanfy Gebaly, Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki as well as other senior officials attending the ceremony.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi expressed his condolences to Ismail's family and fellow citizens, praising the role the former prime minister had played in Egyptian politics.

"I deeply grieve for this virtuous person, one of the best people in Egypt, a person who embodied the conscience of the nation - former Prime Minister Sherif Ismail... I express my condolences to the Egyptian people over the loss of this honest man," Sisi tweeted on Saturday.

Ismail served as Egypt's prime minister from 2015-2018. Before that, he was the country's petroleum minister from 2013 to 2015. After stepping down as the prime minister, the Egyptian official was nominated as top presidential aide to Sisi.
BAGHDAD (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2023) Iraq is expecting a Russian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with a visit on Sunday evening, Iraqi news Agency (INA) reported, citing Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Al-Sahhaf.

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Baghdad this evening," Al-Sahhaf told INA.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed this information to Sputnik, saying that "a high-level delegation will arrive, it will include major oil and gas investment companies."

Al-Sahhaf specified that a meeting between Lavrov and his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, was scheduled for Monday. The parties will discuss a number of issues and bilateral relations, as well as the importance of supporting and strengthening cooperation, the INA reported.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th February, 2023) Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russian military company the Wagner Group that is fighting in the Russian operation in Ukraine, said on Sunday that battles for the city of Bakhmut, also known as Artyomovsk, are waged for each street and house as Ukrainian troops are not backing down.

"Let me clarify the situation. The Ukrainian armed forces are not retreating anywhere. They fight to the last. Fierce battles are waged for every street, house and stairwell in the northern quarters of Artyomovsk," Prigozhin told reporters when asked to confirm reports about Ukrainian troops were retreating from Bakhmut, as quoted by the press service of his group Concord.

Prigozhin added that it was certainly reassuring to see media reports about Ukrainian servicemen withdrawing from the city, but in fact that was not the case.

The hotly contested Bakhmut, located north of the city of Donetsk, has been the center for fighting for months. It is an important transport hub for supplying Ukrainian troops stationed in Donbas amid the military operation launched by Russia in Ukraine a year ago.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni is looking to boost already strong energy ties with Algeria to further wean Italy off Russian energy, a focus of her two-day visit to the North African nation starting on Sunday.

Russia's war in Ukraine, which upset global strategic and economic dynamics, gave a new and urgent dimension to ties between Algiers and Rome, long dependent on Russian energy. Other European Union nations also have scrambled to find sources of replacement for Russian energy.

Italy and gas-rich Algeria now want to build on then Premier Mario Draghi's successful initiatives last year to boost Algerian energy supplies to Italy and, an Algerian diplomat said, "push beyond that.''

"We want Italy to become a European hub for Algerian gas. A junction for other EU countries,'' Algeria's ambassador to Rome, Abdelkrim Touahria, said in an interview with Rome daily Il Messaggero, published on Saturday.

Algeria has replaced Russia as Italy's No. 1 energy supplier, sending natural gas via the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline.

An initial deal last year concluded by Draghi added 9 billion cubic meters of gas by 2023-2024, Eni said at the time. Months later, in July, a $4 billion agreement between the companies Eni, the Italian energy company, Occidental and Total was concluded.

Meloni is expected to meet with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as well as the nation's prime minister. Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi is to be among those in the delegation.

"Today we are the leading energy partner of Italy,'' Touahria said. "But we aim to push beyond that.''

Touahria, the Algerian ambassador, said that Italy's Eni and the Algerian oil company Sonatrach are also looking together to the future with projects like oil and gas exploration in the south Sahara.

Besides energy, a raft of topics also will be discussed during Meloni's visit, from naval construction to cars and startups.

Meloni's far-right-led coalition won a September national election, and it was likely that immigration and migrant issues, dear to the European far-right, would be on the agenda.

Italy is a magnet for migrants escaping poverty, war and other woes in their home countries, and North Africans, often from Tunisia and Algeria, are among them.

Algeria's ambassador to Italy met this week with Italy's interior minister before Meloni's visit. Italian consular officials in Rome regularly try to identify illegal migrants thought to be Algerian held in Sardinia and southern Italy, the official Algerian news agency APS quoted Touahria as saying.

Meloni and Tebboune met in November on the sidelines of a climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, the Egyptian resort town.

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A political partisan divide quickly emerged Sunday over the U.S. shoot-down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon, with the Biden administration defending its safe takedown offshore over the Atlantic Ocean while Republicans contended it should have been shot down more than a week ago before it could fly across the country over key military installations.

Pete Buttigieg, President Joe Bidens transportation chief, told CNNs State of the Union show that Chinas deployment of the balloon was an unacceptable intrusion on American sovereignty. But he said the U.S. military, on Bidens order last Wednesday, shot it down Saturday without any damage to people or propertyafter assessment of the risks of doing it over the U.S. mainland.

This was done in a very effective way, he said.

The debris from the missile strike on the balloon, which had been drifting at an altitude of more than 18,000 meters (11 miles), landed about 10 kilometers (6 miles) off the shoreline of the southern U.S. state of South Carolina. Buttigieg said the debris field stretched for more than 11 kilometers (7 miles).

Watch related video by Veronica Balderas Iglesias:

U.S. Navy ships were collecting the debris from the ocean, and it was being sent to the FBIs laboratory outside Washington for analysis.

Republican lawmakers criticized Biden for not shooting down the balloon when it was first sighted January 28 over the Aleutian Islands, part of the far northwestern state of Alaska, rather than let it drift west to east for a week over the entire U.S. mainland, including numerous military bases.

China said the balloon was gathering meteorological data and driven off course by wind currents, sending it over the United States, which the U.S. dismissed as a cover for an intelligence-gathering mission. China has not said where it had intended for the balloon to go.

U.S. military officials said, however, that whatever intelligence the balloon may have transmitted back to China was inconsequential and no different from what China and the U.S. collect from spy satellites both deployed over each others territory.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a frequent Biden critic, told Fox News Sunday that the balloon mission was a reminder of what the Chinese are capable of and that it had inflicted humiliation  an embarrassment on the United States.

Another Republican, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, told CNN, There was messaging behind this from China.

This is a failure I dont understand, Rubio said. Why let it fly across the middle of the country over military bases? If we fly anything over China, theyre going to shoot it down.

Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement that the U.S. shoot-down of the balloon was an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international standard practice, and repeated its claim that the balloon was being used for meteorological research.

The airship first entered the U.S. air identification zone more than a week ago, then crossed into Canadian airspace. The U.S. Department of Defense said the balloon reentered U.S. airspace January 31. It was seen Thursday flying over Montana where U.S. nuclear missiles are siloed.

The U.S. has said it took technological measures to prevent the balloon from gathering any information as it crossed the country.

The discovery of the Chinese balloon is seen as ill-timed for Beijing. It happened right before Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to visit China and meet with President Xi Jinping. Blinken canceled his trip after the discovery of the balloon.

Dennis Wilder, a former China analyst with the CIA, told VOA that the incident comes at a sensitive time for Chinas leader.

President Xi Jinping is on what I would call a charm offensive right now that started after [the] zero-COVID [policy] was lifted, ending COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Wilder said, ... he wants to tell the world that China is open for business again. He wants very much to see American investors come back.

Wilder said he thinks the incident will set off a new round of tension between the U.S. and China.

If the United States is able to recover from the ocean information that shows that this indeed was a spy mission and not a meteorological mission and shows that evidence to the Chinese, we are going to embarrass the Chinese, he said. We may well very much embarrass the People's Liberation Army. And so, I think that that will be difficult to manage, particularly if the United States comes out very publicly with this information. So, there's going to be a tense period here.

Another Chinese balloon was spotted flying over Latin America.
Pushing her son on a swing at a playground on a sunny winter's day in Madrid, former Afghan prosecutor Obaida Sharar expresses relief that she found asylum in Spain after fleeing Afghanistan shortly after the Taliban took over.

Sharar, who arrived in Madrid with her family, is one of 19 female prosecutors to have found asylum in the country after being left in limbo in Pakistan without official refugee status for up to a year after the Taliban's return to power.

She feels selfish being happy while her fellow women suffer, she said.

"Most Afghan women and girls that remain in Afghanistan don't have the right to study, to have a social life or even go to a beauty salon," Sharar said. "I cannot be happy."

Women's freedoms in her home country were abruptly curtailed in 2021 with the arrival of a government that enforces a strict interpretation of Islam.

The Taliban administration has banned most female aid workers and last year stopped women and girls from attending high school and university.

Sharar's work and that of her female peers while they lived in Afghanistan was dangerous. Female judges and prosecutors were threatened and became the target of revenge attacks as they undertook work overseeing the trial and conviction of men accused of gender crimes, including rape and murder.

She was part of a group of 32 women judges and prosecutors that left Afghanistan only to be stuck in Pakistan for up to a year trying to find asylum.

A prosecutor, who gave only her initials as S.M. due to fears over her safety and who specialized in gender violence and violence against children said, "I was the only female prosecutor in the province ... I received threats from Taliban members and the criminals who I had sent to prison."

Now she and her family are also in Spain.

Many of the women have said they felt abandoned by Western governments and international organizations.

Ignacio Rodriguez, a Spanish lawyer and president of Bilbao-based 14 Lawyers, a non-governmental organization which defends prosecuted lawyers, said the women had been held up as symbols of democratic success only to be discarded.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was not in a position to comment on specific cases.

"The Government of Pakistan has not agreed to recognize newly arriving Afghans as refugees," UNHCR said in a statement. "Since 2021, UNHCR has been in discussions with the government on measures and mechanisms to support vulnerable Afghans. Regrettably, no progress has been made."

The foreign ministry of Pakistan did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Pakistan is home to millions of refugees from Afghanistan who fled after the Soviet Union's invasion in 1979 and during the subsequent civil war. Most of them are yet to return despite Pakistan's push to repatriate them under different programs.

The Taliban has said any Afghan who fled the country since it took power in 2021 can return safely through a repatriation council.

"Afghanistan is the joint home of all Afghans," said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban administration. "They can live here without any threat."
Beijing on Friday accused U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken of propagating an egregious lie about Xinjiang in his remarks to the International Religious Freedom Summit.

This past November, I named a dozen nations as Countries of Particular Concern because of their egregious violations of religious freedom, from Russian authorities  to the Peoples Republic of China perpetrating an ongoing genocide against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs, Blinken said Tuesday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Blinkens remarks are contrary to the basic facts and deeply rooted in ideological bias.

The accusation that China has been perpetrating genocide is nothing but an egregious lie propagated by the U.S. side, Mao said Friday at a news conference in Beijing. Xinjiang enjoys social stability, economic development, ethnic solidarity, religious harmony and rising living standards.

Contrary to Beijings claims of harmony in Xinjiang, some Uyghurs living abroad, who have been unable to freely contact their family members in Xinjiang for years, say that Chinese authorities have recently detained their loved ones.

Kewser Wayit, a 26-year-old Uyghur mechanical engineer, has lived in the United States since 2013. In 2019, he posted a video on YouTube asking the Chinese government to allow him to communicate with his family.

Last year, a person added me on WeChat and introduced himself as the Chinese security official and let me talk to my parents for a few times through his WeChat, Wayit told VOA. However, my communication with my family was not a free one.

In recent years, some countries, including the United States, have accused China of committing genocide: arbitrarily detaining more than 1 million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim groups in internment camps, where forced labor, forced sterilization of women, and forced marriage of Uyghur women to Chinese men is common.

China denies the accusations, saying that Xinjiang is safe and stable with good momentum of development.

People there live a peaceful and happy life and their human rights, regardless of their ethnic background, have received better protection, Mao told reporters in Beijing during a news conference this week.

According to Wayit, even though he couldnt freely call his family members in China, he could know of their safety through WeChat posts from his 19-year-old sister, Kamile Wayit, who attends university in Henan province in Central China.

My sister deleted me from her WeChat contact list, for her safety Wayit said. Though I couldnt communicate directly with her on WeChat, I was still able to see her latest 10 posts.

But since Dec. 12, Wayits sister has stopped posting on WeChat, he said. He has contacted friends and even called the police station where his family lived in Xinjiang and confirmed that his sister was arrested that day by the Chinese police for allegedly sharing a video about a protest in China on her WeChat account.

In late November, protests erupted in China against its zero-COVID policies after a fatal apartment building fire in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang.

Im devastated to learn that my 19-year-old sister, Kamile Wayit, has been detained recently by the Chinese authorities when she returned home for winter break, Wayit told VOA in a video interview. I demand Chinese authorities release her immediately and let her speak to me.

According to Wayit, his cousin, a 23-year-old university student from Jiaotong University, was also arrested last summer when he returned to Urumqi from Shanghai.

He heard that his cousin, Zulpikar Kudret, might have been sentenced to five or seven years in prison for allegedly using Western social media apps on his phone when he was a high school student, Wayit told VOA.

Wayit is not the only Uyghur exile whose family members have been detained recently by the Chinese authorities in Xinjiang.

Two siblings who live in Sweden, Munawar Sadir, a 49-year-old bus driver, and Saidin Sadir, a 40-year-old assistant nurse, told VOA their brother, Behtiyar Sadir, was detained by the Chinese police in Urumqi last October.

According to Saidin Sadir, his older brother, Behtiyar, a 47-year-old businessman and a nutritionist living in Urumqi, had severed all ties with his brothers and sister in Sweden in 2017 when China began, in the name of cracking down on terrorism in Xinjiang, arbitrarily detaining Uyghurs and members of other majority Muslim ethnic groups.

I was only able to learn about his existence through the latest 10 posts on his WeChat account even though he deleted me from his contact list, Saidin Sadir told VOA. My brother stopped posting on his social media on October 13, 2022.

After a few weeks, Saidin Sadir said, he contacted his friends in Urumqi and learned that his brother was arrested by Chinese police at his home in Urumqi in October.

I called the police officer who was in charge of my brothers residential community, Saidin Sadir told VOA. The Chinese police officer whom I called didnt deny my brothers arrest and when I asked whereabouts of my brother and why he was under arrest, he demanded I come to his police station and learn the details and hung up the phone.

Munawar Sadir said that when their father died in 2021 in Urumqi, she and Saidin were not even able to talk on the phone with their brother Behtiyar.

When my dad passed away in November 2021, I was crying here and I called my younger brother in China, and he immediately hung up the phone, Munawar told VOA. He didn't dare to answer my phone call.

Munawar Sadir said she and Saidin want the Chinese Communist Party to immediately release their brother from arbitrary detention.

My brother and I can't accept this kind of slander for no reason, so I ask that the Chinese Communist Party should not go too far, and should not be too bullying, Munawar told VOA. We now ask you to let him come out quickly and healthy, live his life, and we will live ours. As he is also a citizen of China, you should treat him fairly.
Authorities in Nigeria's Katsina state have launched a joint security operation after 41 people were killed when a vigilante group clashed with bandits who attacked their village.

This is the latest violence ahead of the February 25 presidential and parliamentary election where insecurity has become a major concern of voters.

Katsina state police spokesman Gambo Isah said that, as of Saturday, a joint security team that includes the military, air force and police were still searching for the perpetrators.

The bandits are believed to be holed up in the nearby Yargoje Forest, where many of the victims were found.

50 cows, 30 sheep stolen

The local vigilante group known as Yankasai was drawn from 11 communities in the Bakori area, where bandits stole 50 cows and 30 sheep before fleeing into the bush.

The vigilante group traced the suspects to the Yargoje Forest to recover the animals but were ambushed by the bandits, killing 41 and injuring two others.

"Our men are still there and as I am speaking with you presently an operation is ongoing," Isah told Voice of America by phone. "But I cannot say there is no arrest being made but we're waiting for the result of that operation."

The bodies of slain vigilantes have been recovered and taken to the mortuary. The injured are being treated at the Kankara General Hospital.

Crime a concern

Katsina state is the home state of Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari, and one of the most affected by growing violence perpetrated by armed gangs in northwest Nigeria.

Attacks in the region have led to criticism of Buhari's eight-year tenure built on a promise to fix insecurity in Nigeria.

The Katsina state special adviser on security said the village attack and the killings have sparked outrage in the community. Authorities have called for calm.

Last week, Katsina state residents hurled stones at the presidents motorcade during his visit to commission projects started by the states governor.
The Democratic Party approved reordering its 2024 presidential primary Saturday, replacing Iowa with South Carolina in the leadoff spot as part of a major shake-up meant to empower Black and other minority voters critical to its base of support.

Although more changes are possible later this year, the formal endorsement by the Democratic National Committee during its meeting in Philadelphia is an acknowledgement that the start of the 2024 primary will look very different from the one in 2020. Hundreds of party stalwarts cheered after the easy passage by voice vote.

States with early contests play a major role in determining the nominee because White House hopefuls struggling to raise money or gain political traction often drop out before visiting states outside the first five. Media attention and policy debates concentrate in those areas, too.

The new plan was championed by President Joe Biden, who is expected to formally announce his reelection campaign in the coming months. The reconfiguring would have South Carolina hold its primary Feb. 3, followed three days later by New Hampshire and Nevada, which is swapping the caucus it used to hold in favor of a primary.

Georgia would vote fourth on Feb. 13, followed by Michigan on Feb. 27, with much of the rest of the nation set to vote on Super Tuesday in early March.

"The Democratic Party looks like America and so does this proposal," said DNC chair Jaime Harrison, a South Carolinian. The change "continues to make us stronger and elevates the backbone of our party," he said.

Biden wrote the DNC rules committee in December, saying, "We must ensure that voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process and throughout the entire early window." That committee approved the new lineup, setting up Saturday's vote.

The move remakes the current calendar, which saw Iowa start with its caucus, followed by New Hampshire and then Nevada and South Carolina. The Republican Party has voted not to change its 2024 primary order, meaning the campaign has already begun in Iowa.

"The DNC has decided to break a half-century precedent and cause chaos by altering their primary process, and ultimately abandoning millions of Americans in Iowa and New Hampshire," Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement Saturday.

Four of the first five new states under Democrats' new plan are battlegrounds, meaning the eventual party winner would be able to lay groundwork in important general election spots. That's especially true for Michigan and Georgia, both of which voted for Republican Donald Trump in 2016 before flipping to Biden in 2020.

The exception is South Carolina, which hasn't backed a Democrat in a presidential race since 1976, leading some to argue that the party shouldn't be concentrating so many early primary resources there. But the state's population is nearly 27% Black, and African American voters represent Democrats' most consistent base of support. Iowa and New Hampshire are each more than 90% white.

The revamped calendar could be largely meaningless for 2024 because Biden is expected to run for a second term without a major primary challenge. Also, the DNC has already pledged to revisit the voting calendar before the 2028 presidential election.

Still, this year's changes could establish precedent, just as a new lineup that moved Nevada and South Carolina into the first states to vote did when the DNC approved a new primary calendar before the 2008 presidential election.

"These things may be symbolic, but they're realistic," South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, assistant Democratic leader in the House and a close Biden ally, told The Associated Press.

The new order follows technical glitches that caused Iowa's 2020 caucus to meltdown. It also gives Biden the chance to repay South Carolina, where he scored a decisive 2020 primary win that revived his presidential campaign after losses in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.

Democrats have worked on overhauling their primary lineup for months. On Saturday, nearly an hour of final debate turned raw at times.

Some Black members of the DNC said those arguing to abide by tradition could be seen as implying that states with larger African American populations were incapable of handling the responsibility of going early in the primary.

"If we're really a family, it means some of y'all got to shift to make room at the table for others," said Leah Daughtry, a DNC rules committee member from New York.

Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart argued that Republicans in her state were already accusing Democrats of "have turned their back on Iowa and on rural America." But Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell, to sustained applause, countered: "No one state should have a lock on going first."

Despite the approval, the final slate is not yet set. South Carolina, Nevada and Michigan have met party requirements to join the party's new top five. But Georgia may not change its Democratic primary calendar date without the Republicans also doing so.

Iowa argued that continued uncertainty could cause other states to try and jump ahead of the new DNC calendar, as happened before the 2008 presidential race. The new rules include penalties for states trying to move up without permission, including possibly losing delegates to the party's national convention.

New Hampshire has a state law mandating that it hold the nation's first presidential primary, which Iowa circumvented since 1972 by holding a caucus. New Hampshire Democrats have joined with top state Republicans in pledging to go forward with the nation's first presidential primary next year regardless of the DNC calendar.

No major challenger has yet emerged from his own party to run against Biden for president next year. Still, top New Hampshire Democrats have warned that another Democrat could run in an unsanctioned primary the state stages and, if Biden skips it in accordance with party rules, could win and embarrass the president  prolonging a primary process that wasn't supposed to be competitive.

"Respecting our state law and lifting up diverse voices need not be mutually exclusive," said Joanne Dowdell, a DNC rules committee member from New Hampshire.
During the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, millions of people adopted dogs for comfort and companionship, and because they had the time to care for them at home since they were not commuting to work.

As many companies reopen to a hybrid work schedule  allowing their employees to work both at home and in the office  many pet owners want to keep their canine companions nearby and are taking them to work.

Our pets are becoming our families, and it makes sense they should come to work with us, said Steve Weinrauch, chief veterinarian at Trupanion, a pet insurance provider based in Seattle.

It's really important to me to be able to bring my dogs to the office, said Diana Cross, partner support manager at Trupanion. I love having both of them here, so I can pet them and play with them.

Trupanion, like some other companies, allows well-behaved dogs to join their owners at the office during the workday. Trupanion was even doing that before the pandemic.

As we go back into the office environment, the dogs are helping people adjust, said Bridger McGaw, executive director of global security and services at athenahealth, an electronic medical records software company near Boston. He told VOA that pets are also beneficial to the company because they help build camaraderie and people are more engaged at meetings when the pets are there.

Helping to improve morale

Amazon, the worlds largest online retailer, began its Dogs at Work program more than 25 years ago at its headquarters in Seattle. Today, some 10,000 dogs are registered at more than 140 Amazon buildings, according to Amy Neumeister, global services senior manager.

Having pets in the office helps with morale and engagement at work and provides emotional support from bringing your best four-legged friend to work, she told VOA.

They also bring joy to colleagues who may not have a dog.

It brings smiles to peoples faces when they see a dog rolling around or chasing its tail, said Weinrauch.

During meetings, folks will drop in to see the dogs and get a cuddle, and I think thats important in the workplace, McGaw said. He noted the company even hosts yappy hours  a happy hour for employees and pets which includes special dog treats.

Lorelei Pate, a program manager at Amazons Herndon, Virginia office, said she will be bringing in her dog soon. After working remotely and then returning to the office part of the time, this will help maintain the balance between my work and personal life.

Social benefits

Having a dog in the office can also be an ice breaker.

Its been awesome bringing in my green-eyed Labrador named Pistachio, said Logan Cunningham, a senior financial analyst at Amazons second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. As a newer employee, Pistachio has allowed me to meet a ton of new people since dogs are usually a great conversation starter.

I have met people at work who I didnt know because they came up to me and said they would like to pet my dog, Chai, an adopted pit bull, who wears a pearl necklace, said Molly McLaughlin Soha, a senior marketing associate for athenahealth.

Health benefits as well

Studies have shown that pets can improve mental and physical health by reducing loneliness, relieving anxiety and lowering blood pressure.

A study by Virginia Commonwealth University found that employees who brought their dogs to work experienced less stress during their workday and had a higher level of job satisfaction.

My dogs bring me comfort, especially if Im having a hectic day with a lot of phone calls or meetings, Trupanions Cross told VOA. Taking a few minutes to snuggle or play fetch with them is really relaxing.

The animals offer real value to athenahealth, McGaw said, by lowering the stress in the office and helping people to really connect with each other.

Keeping employees

Having dogs in the office may also encourage employees to stay at their workplace.

A recent survey by Rover.com found that 75% of dog owners said they were more likely to remain with an employer that lets them bring their pet to work.

Amazons Cunningham said being able to bring a dog to the office was a big selling point when she accepted her position. She said its been nice making friends with some colleagues who take a break from their work to play with her dog.

McGaw at athenahealth is encouraging other companies to consider allowing dogs at work.

I think it helps with the recruitment and retention of employees and provides a valuable benefit for employees with the care of their pets, he said.
Indonesia plans to intensify talks with China and other Southeast Asian countries to finalize a code of conduct (COC) for the disputed South China Sea, its foreign minister said Saturday, amid escalating tensions in the strategic waterway.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi was speaking in Jakarta at the close of a meeting between foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the 10-member regional bloc chaired by Indonesia this year.

"ASEAN's outlook on the Indo-Pacific was central to the discussion," she said. "We also discussed about the COC, the commitment of members to conclude the negotiation of the COC as soon as possible."

Negotiations on the COC  a proposed framework to help tackle territorial and maritime disputes in the waterway  have stalled for years as some members states prioritized bilateral ties with China over a regional consensus.

Indonesia is preparing to host a round of negotiations on the COC this year, the first taking place in March, the foreign minister said.

China claims jurisdiction over almost the entire South China Sea based on its U-shaped "nine-dash line," a boundary found to have no legal basis by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in 2016.

Earlier this week, the Philippines granted the United States greater access to its military bases, in part due to Beijing's extensive claims in the resource-rich maritime area.

ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have overlapping claims with China in the strategic waterway.

Indonesia is not an official claimant but has faced pushback from China over its exploration of oil and gas reserves in the North Natuna Sea. Last month the country sent a warship to the area to monitor a lingering Chinese coast guard vessel.

"New approaches" would be explored by all ASEAN member states and Chinese counterparts to make progress on the COC, Sidharto R. Suryodipuro, director of ASEAN cooperation at Indonesia's foreign ministry, said on the sidelines of the event.

"What's important is that all agree that this should be an outlook that is implementable and in accordance with international law," he said.

Separately, ASEAN members wrapped up talks having only reiterated support for the bloc's five-point peace plan on Myanmar which includes the cessation of conflict in the conflict-torn nation and the start of dialog.
Iran's supreme leader on Sunday reportedly ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for "tens of thousands" of people detained amid nationwide anti-government protests shaking the country, acknowledging for the first time the scale of the crackdown.

The decree by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, part of a yearly pardoning the supreme leader does before the anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, comes as authorities have yet to say how many people they detained in the demonstrations. State media also published a list of caveats over the order that would disqualify those with ties abroad or facing spying charges  allegations which have been met with wide international criticism.

Khamenei "agreed to offer amnesty and reduce the sentences of tens of thousands accused and convicted in the recent incidents," the state-run IRNA news agency said in a Farsi report. A later IRNA report carried by its English-language service said the pardons and commuted sentences were for "tens of thousands of convicts, including the arrestees of the recent riots in Iran." Authorities did not immediately acknowledge the discrepancy in the reports.

The reports about the decree offered no explanation for the decision by Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state in Iran. However, prisons and detention facilities already had faced overcrowding in the country after years of protests over economic issues and other matters.

Activists immediately dismissed Khamenei's decree.

"Khamenei's hypocritical pardon doesn't change anything," wrote Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam of the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights. "Not only all protesters must be released unconditionally, but also it is a public right that those who ordered the bloody repression and their agents are held accountable."

Authorities also did not name any of those who had been pardoned or seen shorter sentences. Instead, state television continued to refer to the demonstrations as being a "foreign-backed riot," rather than homegrown anger over the September death of Masha Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman detained by the country's morality police. Anger also has been spreading over the collapse of the Iranian rial against the U.S. dollar, as well as Tehran arming Russia with bomb-carrying drones in its war on Ukraine.

More than 19,600 people have been arrested during the protests, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that's been tracking the crackdown. At least 527 people have been killed as authorities violently suppressed demonstrations, the group said. Iran hasn't offered a death toll for months. It already has executed at least four people detained amid the protests after internationally criticized trials.

All this comes as Iran's nuclear deal has collapsed and Tehran has enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build "several" atomic bombs if it chooses, the United Nations' top nuclear envoy has said. A shadow war between Iran and Israel has risen out of the chaos, with Tehran blaming Israel for a drone attack on a military workshop in Isfahan last week as well.

Meanwhile, a long-detained opposition leader in Iran is calling for a nationwide referendum about whether to write a new constitution for the Islamic Republic.

Mir Hossein Mousavi's call, posted late Saturday by the opposition Kaleme website, included him saying he didn't believe Iran's current system giving final say to a supreme leader worked any longer. He also called for the formation of a constitutional assembly of "real representatives" to write a new constitution.

It remains unlikely Iran's theocracy will heed the 80-year-old politician's call. He and his wife have been under house arrest for years after his disputed presidential election loss in 2009 led to the widespread Green Movement protests that security forces also put down. However, he himself had supported and served in Iran's theocracy for decades.

In 2019, Mousavi compared Khamenei to the former Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whose rule saw troops gun down demonstrators in an event that led to the Islamic Revolution.

Separately, former reformist President Mohammad Khatami urged "free and competitive elections" after the release of political prisoners both imprisoned and under house arrest.

"Reformism at least has faced a ... dead end, so people have a right to be frustrated about it as they are about the ruling system," Khatami said in a statement circulated online.

Currently, hard-liners control all levers of power in the country. Reformists like Khatami and Mousavi previously sought to change and open up Iran's Islamic Republic while maintaining its system. But increasingly, protesters have demanded an end to theocratic rule in the country.
Iran's former President Mohammad Khatami and former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi have both called for political changes amid the protests triggered by the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini.

As the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution approaches, one of the country's main opposition figures, Mousavi, called Saturday for the "fundamental transformation" of a political system he said was facing a crisis of legitimacy.

And Sunday, Khatami, the leader of the reformist movement, in a statement said, "What is evident today is widespread discontent."

Khatami said he hoped that the use of "non-violent civil methods" can "force the governing system to change its approach and accept reforms.

In a statement carried by local media, Mousavi said, "Iran and Iranians need and are ready for a fundamental transformation whose outline is drawn by the pure 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement."

He was referring to the main slogan chanted in demonstrations sparked by the death on September 16 of Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd.

She had been arrested three days earlier by the morality police in Tehran for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's dress code for women.

Mousavi, 80, said the protest movement began in the context of "interdependent crises" and proposed holding a "free and healthy referendum on the need to change or draft a new constitution.

He called the current system's structure "unsustainable.

An unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2009, Mousavi alleged large-scale fraud in favor of populist incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, leading to mass protests.

He has been under house arrest without charge in Tehran for 12 years, along with his wife, Zahra Rahnavard.

A close confidant of the Islamic republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Mousavi was prime minister from 1981 to 1989.

"People have the right to make fundamental revisions in order to overcome crises and pave the way for freedom, justice, democracy and development," Mousavi said in his statement.

"The refusal to take the smallest step towards realizing the rights of citizens as defined in the constitution... has discouraged the community from carrying out reforms."

Khatami, 79, made similar remarks, warning that "there is no sign of the ruling system's desire for reform and avoiding the mistakes of the past and present."

President from 1997 to 2005 before being forced into silence, Khatami said he regretted that Iran's population was "disappointed with reformism as well as with the ruling system."
The Israeli army raided a refugee camp near the Palestinian city of Jericho on Saturday, besieging houses it said were being used as hideouts for Palestinian attackers and shooting at residents who opened fire. The fighting wounded six Palestinians, two seriously, said the Palestinian Health Ministry, and jolted a generally quiet oasis town that has seen less violence than other West Bank cities.

The army said it entered the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp southwest of Jericho in the occupied West Bank to search for suspects involved in a shooting attack last week at a nearby Israeli settlement.

Last Saturday, with the West Bank on edge after the deadliest Israeli military raid in two decades and two subsequent Palestinian attacks in east Jerusalem that killed seven people, the army said a Palestinian gunman had opened fire in a restaurant at a settlement near Jericho. After firing one bullet, the gunman fled the scene, the army said. No one was wounded.

The army said several Palestinians had holed up in their homes after the shooting with the help of family and were planning future attacks.

To force the fugitives to surrender, a military bulldozer clawed at the walls of one of the homes as an Israeli commander shouted threats over a loudspeaker. Camp residents reported receiving text messages urging families to keep their children inside and avoid clashing with Israeli troops.

The suspects and family members trickled out of one of the homes and turned themselves in, the military said. Security forces had leveled much of the house, leaving a pile of rubble and twisted metal. Palestinian protesters threw rocks and Molotov cocktails at military jeeps as they rumbled down the camp streets, while some gunmen opened fire. The Israeli military fired back, wounding six, none critically, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

More violence

The incursion comes as violence rises in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank under Israel's new far-right government, which has taken a combative stance against the Palestinians. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state.

The Israeli army has ramped up near-nightly raids in the occupied West Bank since a series of deadly Palestinian attacks within Israel last spring. Over the last year and a half of escalating raids, Jericho has remained a sort of sleepy desert town, spared much of the violence.

Since last week's shooting at the nearby settlement, the Israeli military has blocked access to several roads into Jericho  a closure that has placed the city under a semi-blockade, disrupting business and creating hourslong bottlenecks at checkpoints that affected even Palestinian security forces, footage showed.

The Palestinian Authority, in retaliation for last week's raid into the Jenin refugee camp that killed 10 Palestinians, declared a halt to security coordination with Israel.

Deadliest year since 2004

Nearly 150 Palestinians were killed last year in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, making it the deadliest in those areas since 2004, according to figures by the Israeli rights group BTselem. Some 30 people were killed in Israel by Palestinians in 2022.

The Israeli army says most of the Palestinians killed have been militants. But stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in confrontations have also been killed.

In the evening Saturday, the Israeli military said air defenses shot down a drone launched from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip into the country's south. No Palestinian group said it was behind launching the drone, which set off warning sirens on the Israeli side of the frontier.

The increasing violence in the West Bank has cast a shadow over Gaza-Israel borders in recent days after months of quietness, with several rocket launches and airstrikes.
The world has enough rare earth minerals and other critical raw materials to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy to produce electricity and limit global warming, according to a new study that counters concerns about the supply of such minerals.

With a push to get more electricity from solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric and nuclear power plants, some people have worried that there wont be enough key minerals to make the decarbonization switch.

Rare earth minerals, also called rare earth elements, actually arent that rare. The U.S. Geological Survey describes them as a relatively abundant. Theyre essential for the strong magnets necessary for wind turbines; they also show up in smartphones, computer displays and LED light bulbs. This new study looks at not only those elements but 17 different raw materials required to make electricity that include some downright common resources such as steel, cement and glass.

A team of scientists looked at the materials  many not often mined heavily in the past  and 20 different power sources. They calculated supplies and pollution from mining if green power surged to meet global goals to cut heat-trapping carbon emissions from fossil fuel.

Much more mining is needed, but there are enough minerals to go around and drilling for them will not significantly worsen warming, the study in Fridays scientific journal Joule concluded.

Decarbonization is going to be big and messy, but at the same time we can do it, said study co-author Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the tech company Stripe and Berkeley Earth. Im not worried were going to run out of these materials.

Much of the global concern about raw materials for decarbonization has to do with batteries and transportation, especially electric cars that rely on lithium for batteries. This study doesnt look at that.

Looking at mineral demands for batteries is much more complicated than for electric power and thats what the team will do next, Hausfather said. The power sector is still about one-third to half of the resource issue, he said.

A lot depends on how fast the world switches to green energy.

There will be short supplies. For example, dysprosium is a mineral used for magnets in wind turbines and a big push for cleaner electricity would require three times as much dysprosium as currently produced, the paper said. But theres more than 12 times as much dysprosium in reserves than would be needed in that clean energy push.

Another close call is tellurium, which is used in industrial solar farms and where there may be only slightly more estimated resources than what would be required in a big green push. But Hausfather said there are substitutions available in all these materials cases.

There are enough materials in reserves. The analysis is robust and this study debunks those (running out of minerals) concerns, said Daniel Ibarra, an environment professor at Brown University, who wasnt part of the study but looks at lithium shortages. But he said production capacity has to grow for some key metals and one issue is how fast can it grow.

Another concern is whether the mining will add more heat-trapping carbon emissions to the atmosphere. It will, maybe as much as 10 billion metric tons, which is one-quarter of the annual global carbon emissions, Hausfather said. Renewables require more materials per energy output than fossil fuels because they are more decentralized, he said.

But the increase in carbon pollution from more mining will be more than offset by a huge reduction in pollution from heavy carbon emitting fossil fuels, Hausfeather said.

Stanford Universitys Rob Jackson, who wasnt part of the study, said while multiple lines of evidence show there are enough rare earth minerals, balance is needed: Along with mining more, we should be using less.

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After the EU border agency Frontex said more migrants and asylum seekers are now taking the Balkan route to western Europe than any other, research groups argue its because sea routes are becoming more dangerous. Meanwhile, at the land routes terminus in Trieste, Italy, nonprofits say systems for housing migrants are being overwhelmed. Henry Wilkins reports. Camera: Henry Wilkins
R'Bonney Gabriel is the first Filipina American to wear the Miss Universe crown in the pageant's seven-decade history and, at 28, the oldest entrant ever crowned.

Gabriel, the first American to win the contest since 2012, believes her success was shaped by her biracial background, which she describes as a combination of her "big, loud and fun" paternal Filipino family and her "charming, small and reserved" maternal Texan family.

"The two different sides of my family really, really shaped me to be open-minded and realize people have different ways of going about things and showing their love," Gabriel told VOA's Thai Service during an interview in New York days after her victory on January 14. "It really helped me to be more of a dynamic person and really just accept anybody for who they are."

Gabriel, however, said she could not help but feel like a minority as she grew up in two Texas cities in the Houston area, Missouri City and Friendswood, where there were few Asian Americans even though that cohort is now the state's fastest-growing demographic.

"Sometimes I wondered where I fit in, especially as a kid. We always just want to fit in and feel cool and accepted," she said, adding that as an adult she's come to see the importance of embracing one's own culture.

Gabriel hopes that her victory as the oldest Miss Universe will show people that they should love themselves for being who they are.

"As a woman, I believe age does not define us," the 28-year-old said during the Top 5 round of the final competition. "It's not tomorrow, it's not yesterday, but it's now. The time is now that you can go after what you want."



And she says she didn't realize she would be the first Filipina American to be Miss Universe until she won the pageant which she entered, in part, to promote her sustainable clothing line, R'Bonney Nola.

Gabriel, who earned a bachelor's degree in fashion design at the University of North Texas, displayed her design sensibility on the final day of competition. She wore a dramatic black-and-blue evening gown with glass beaded fringe by Filipino designer Rian Fernandez for the Top 5 round. She stood out from others who competed in lighter-colored confections.

"I told him that I wanted something bold, something dark and strong. And we went with black because not a lot of girls have won Miss Universe in a black gown," she said.

"People may be fans of it or not but that doesn't matter because at the end of the day, I love it and I own it, and that's really a message that everybody can really resonate with," she said. "I think we all have different styles that we need to play into different personalities to not be scared, to express it. Never play it safe in life."

Three months before being selected as Miss Universe, Gabriel won the Miss USA 2022 contest with another unique outfit dubbed "A Beautiful Storm." Having begun experimenting with textiles when she was 15, Gabriel painted a midnight blue tank top and trousers with "storm and rain clouds" in white, gray and blue to reflect the turmoil she felt.

"I think everybody in life, when they're going through a storm, they're either entering a storm or leaving a storm," she said. "But we have to find beauty in the darkness and beauty in the chaos."

Her turmoil was only exacerbated when allegations emerged that the voting in the Miss USA contest had been rigged to ensure her victory. The contest organizers told the Los Angeles Times the allegations were "false" and "absurd."

Keeping that mind positive on days when the world felt like I cheated to win Miss USA even though it wasn't true."

Moving forward, Gabriel continued to promote sustainable fashion, the hallmark of her R'Bonney Nola line. A fluffy white top designed by fine artist Rene Garza that Gabriel wore for a Miss Universe photoshoot at the Empire State Building was made with recycled plastic-mesh flower protectors.

"I want to continue promoting that all over the world, showing how you can upcycle pieces and make something fabulous," said Gabriel, who also teaches sewing classes for low-income women who have suffered domestic violence or human trafficking.

"Women are so talented," she said. "If we provide those learning opportunities, it really equals empowerment and opportunity to continue on in life and change the financial ecosystem that they've grown up in."
Islamabad will ask the secretive supreme leader of Afghanistan's Taliban to rein in militants in Pakistan after a suicide bombing killed scores of police in a mosque, officials said Saturday.

Since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul, Pakistan has witnessed a dramatic uptick in attacks in regions bordering Afghanistan, where militants use rugged terrain to stage assaults and escape detection.

Detectives have blamed an affiliate of the Pakistani Taliban  the most notorious militant outfit in the area  for the Monday blast in Peshawar which killed 101 people inside a fortified police headquarters.

The Pakistani Taliban share common lineage and ideals with the Afghan Taliban, led by Hibatullah Akhundzada who issues edicts from his hideaway in the southern city of Kandahar.

Special assistant to Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Faisal Karim Kundi, said delegations would be sent to Tehran and Kabul to "ask them to ensure that their soil is not used by terrorists against Pakistan."

A senior Pakistani police official in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where Monday's blast took place told AFP the Kabul delegation would hold "talks with the top brass."

"When we say top brass, it means... Afghan Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada," he said on condition of anonymity.

Afghan officials did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.

But Wednesday, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi warned Pakistan should "not pass the blame to others."

"They should see the problems in their own house," he said. "Afghanistan should not be blamed."

During the 20-year U.S.-led intervention in Afghanistan, Islamabad was accused of giving covert support to the Afghan Taliban even as the country proclaimed a military alliance with the United States.

But since the ultra-conservatives seized Kabul in 2021, relations with Pakistan have soured, in part over the resurgence of the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The TTP  formed in 2007 by Pakistani militants who splintered off from the Afghan Taliban  once held sway over swathes of northwest Pakistan but were routed by an army offensive after 2014.

But over the first year of Taliban rule, Pakistan witnessed a 50% uptick in militant attacks, concentrated in the border regions with Afghanistan and Iran, according to the Pak Institute for Peace Studies.

The TTP, notorious for shooting schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, has "arguably benefitted the most of all the foreign extremist groups in Afghanistan from the Taliban takeover," a U.N. Security Council report said in May 2022.

Last year Kabul brokered peace talks between Islamabad and the TTP, but the shaky truce collapsed.
Pakistani police killed two commanders from a militant group in the country's northwest, a local officer said Saturday.

Pakistan has increased its operations against militants after a surge in violence by the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, particularly in the northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The TTP ended its cease-fire with the government in November, ordering its fighters to carry out attacks across the country.

Regional police officer Muhammad Ali Gandapur said the slain TTP fighters were wanted in connection with the killing of five police officers and were also involved in attacks on security checkpoints.

The government had a bounty of $7,259 on the two men.

Police arrested four fighters and recovered gunpowder, hand grenades, electronic detonators and Kalashnikov rifles in the same intelligence operation in Hund village, Swabi district.

The operation came days after a suicide bomber attacked a mosque within a police and government compound in the city of Peshawar, the provincial capital, killing 101 people and wounding at least 225. The attack was one of the deadliest in years in the volatile region.
Pope Francis, the head of the Anglican Communion and top Presbyterian minister together denounced the criminalization of homosexuality on Sunday and said gay people should be welcomed by their churches.

The three Christian leaders spoke out on LGBTQ rights during an unprecedented joint airborne news conference returning home from South Sudan, where they took part in a three-day ecumenical pilgrimage to try to nudge the young country's peace process forward.

They were asked about Francis' recent comments to The Associated Press, in which he declared that laws that criminalize gay people were "unjust" and that "being homosexual is not a crime."

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalizes homosexuality, 11 of them with the death penalty. LGBTQ advocates say even where such laws are not applied, they contribute to a climate of harassment, discrimination and violence.

Francis referred his Jan. 24 comments to the AP and repeated that such laws are "unjust." He also repeated previous comments that parents should never throw their gay children out of the house.

"To condemn someone like this is a sin," he said. "Criminalizing people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice."

"People with homosexual tendencies are children of God. God Loves them. God accompanies them," he added.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, recalled that LGBTQ rights were very much on the current agenda of the Church of England, and said he would quote the pope's own words when the issue is discussed at the church's upcoming General Synod.

"I wish I had spoken as eloquently and clearly as the pope. I entirely agree with every word he said," Welby said.

Recently, the Church of England decided to allow blessings for same-sex civil marriages but said same-sex couples could not marry in its churches. The Vatican forbids both gay marriage and blessings for same-sex unions.

Welby told reporters that the issue of criminalization had been taken up at two previous Lambeth Conferences of the broader Anglican Communion, which includes churches in Africa and the Middle East where such anti-gay laws are most common and often enjoy support by conservative bishops.

The broader Lambeth Conference has come out twice opposing criminalization, "But it has not really changed many people's minds," Welby said.

The Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshields, the Presbyterian moderator of the Church of Scotland who also participated in the pilgrimage and news conference, offered an observation.

"There is nowhere in my reading of the four Gospels where I see Jesus turning anyone away," he said. "There is nowhere in the four Gospels where I see anything other than Jesus expressing love to whomever he meets.

"And as Christians, that is the only expression that we can possibly give to any human being, in any circumstance."

The Church of Scotland allows same-sex marriages. Catholic teaching holds that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that homosexual acts are "intrinsically disordered."
Pope Francis flew back to Rome on Sunday after a three-day tour of South Sudan. The pope concluded his visit with a Mass before an estimated 100,000 people at the John Garang Mausoleum, where he reiterated a message of peace for the country's faithful.

"Jesus knows your anguish and the hope you bear in your hearts, the joys and struggles that mark your lives, the darkness that assails you and the faith that, like a song in the night, you raise to heaven.

This was Pope Francis's message during a Mass for South Sudan's faithful in the nation's capital of Juba Sunday morning. It was the final day of his African pilgrimage of peace.

The pope's homily wove around the themes of mutual forgiveness for past wrongs and reconciliation.

Archbishop Stephen Ameyu says the popes message is timely and one the nation needs to hear. South Sudan has endured nearly a decade of civil war.

It is discouraging that the peace process has moved forward so slowly, war has brought the indiscriminate destruction of human lives  we have been experiencing looting, raping, economic distortion and the displacement of countless people, Ameyu said.

The pope asked worshippers to shun the "blind fury of violence."

Speaking through an interpreter, Francis said that today, I'd like to thank you because you are the salt of the Earth in this country. Yet, when you consider its many wounds the violence that increases the venom of hearted and injustice that causes misery and poverty, you may feel small and powerless at times when violence increases the venom of hatred, and injustice causes misery and poverty."

During an earlier stop Saturday at Jubas Freedom Hall, Pope Francis met with internally displaced people and listened to the testimonies of children, including that of 16-year-old Joseph.

We have been affected by floods since 2020; many people have lost their livestock and crops, said Joseph. We urge the leaders to bring us peace and prosperity continue to pray for lasting peace in South Sudan.

Johnson Juma Alex, another teenager at the IDP camp from Malakal said this to the pope:

Peace is good, problems are not, said Alex. We want peace so that people can go back to their homes; there is no space to play football. I want to have a good future where there is peace... We thank the U.N. because they gave us peace and they gave us protection.

The pope discussed his desire for a resumption of the peace process for South Sudan immediately.

Again, speaking through an interpreter, he said:

This is my appeal to end all conflict and resume [the] peace process in a serious way and people can return to their homes and live in dignity. There is no room for delay.

The pope was joined on his ecumenical peace mission by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshields, moderator of the Church of Scotland, representing the Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian religions that make up most of the population in South Sudan.
Regional heads of state have called for an immediate cease-fire by all parties in eastern Congo, where tensions have grown amid talk of war as Congo and neighboring Rwanda trade allegations of backing armed rebels.

The communique issued Saturday at the end of an East African Community summit also directed troop-contributing countries to immediately deploy more troops to a regional force created and sent to eastern Congo last year. It also directed defense chiefs to meet within one week and called for more dialogue and de-escalation of tensions.

The heads of state of both Congo and Rwanda attended in a "cordial and friendly atmosphere," the communique said.

Some observers fear the toll and regional effects if the two countries slide again into all-out conflict as they did in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Alarm soared last month after Rwanda fired on a Congolese military aircraft it alleged violated its airspace. Congo called it "a deliberate act of aggression that equals an act of war" with the goal of sabotaging regional peace efforts.

Congo for months has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 armed group  whose origins lie in the region's ethnic fighting  and powerful voices in the West have openly agreed. Rwanda denies backing the M23 group, which is one of dozens operating in mineral-rich eastern Congo, and accuses Congo of backing another rebel group that reportedly includes ethnic Hutus who participated in the 1994 Rwanda genocide that killed more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

United Nations experts have said they have "substantial evidence" of Rwandan government forces crossing into Congo to reinforce M23 rebels or to conduct operations against the other rebel group. The United States, France and Germany have urged Rwanda to stop supporting the rebels.

Saturday's regional summit occurred days after Pope Francis visited Congo's capital, Kinshasa, to highlight the toll that decades of conflict have taken on the country, particularly eastern Congo, a volatile region rich in minerals critical to much of the world's technology. A planned visit by the pope to Goma in eastern Congo was called off because of the insecurity.

At a Nov. 23 summit in Angola, which included Congo's president and Rwanda's foreign minister, regional leaders called for a cease-fire in eastern Congo to be followed by a withdrawal of rebels from major towns under M23 control. The group said it would leave some of the occupied territories before Jan. 15, but some areas remain under its control and fighting has intensified in some areas.
A Royal Navy warship has returned to port in Britain after several sailors got sick from the vessels drinking water, officials said Saturday.

The navy said, frigate HMS Portland had returned to its base at Portsmouth on Englands south coast Friday as a precautionary measure, following an issue with one of the ships freshwater systems.

It said, a small number of personnel were taken to hospital as a precaution.

The Daily Telegraph reported that a crew member put the wrong chemicals into the system that converts sea water to drinking water, but quickly realized the mistake and reported it to their superiors.

In recent months HMS Portland, a Type 23 frigate, has tracked Russian submarines in the North Sea, and helped monitor a Russian frigate and accompanying tanker as they sailed in international waters near the U.K.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in Iraq on Sunday for talks on energy and food security in view of the Ukraine conflict, an Iraqi foreign ministry spokesman said.

He landed in Baghdad late on Sunday at the head of a large delegation that includes "oil and gas companies and investors," Ahmed al-Sahhaf told AFP.

On Monday, Lavrov will meet Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein, the state news agency INA quoted Sahhaf as saying.

He will also meet Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, President Abdul Latif Rashid, and parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbussi.

INA quoted Sahhaf as saying Lavrov's visit "confirms Iraq's openness to all of its partners and friends.

He also underlined the importance of "attracting investment... notably in energy.

Sahhaf had previously told AFP that Lavrov and Hussein "will also discuss transformations related to the security and stability of the region, and the Iraqi point of view regarding military operations in Ukraine.

He noted that Baghdad favored "any dialogue making it possible to defuse this escalation and alleviate crises... particularly in the food and energy sectors.

His remarks came amid soaring food and energy prices on international markets since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.

Iraq, a close ally of Iran, also has strategic relations with the United States, which still has soldiers in the country as part of the international coalition facing the Islamic State group.

On Thursday, Hussein hosted Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
Sri Lanka marked its 75th independence anniversary Saturday as a bankrupt nation, with many citizens angry, anxious and in no mood to celebrate.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has started to improve some but not all the acute shortages, acknowledged the somber state of the nation, saying in a televised speech, "We have reached the point of destruction."

"Let's seek to heal this wound though it's difficult and painful. If we endure the suffering and pain for a short period of time, we can get the wound healed completely," Wickremesinghe said, adding that the first six months of the year will be difficult.

Silent protest

Many Buddhists and Christian clergy had announced a boycott of the celebration in the capital, while activists and others expressed anger at what they see as a waste of money in a time of severe economic crisis.

A group of activists began a silent protest Friday in the capital, condemning the government's independence celebration and failure to ease the economic burden. University students also attempted a protest march later Saturday, but police blocked them. Troops with assault rifles were stationed every few meters (yards) surrounding the site of the independence ceremony and riot police stood ready to prevent anti-government demonstrations.

Despite the criticism, armed troops paraded along the main esplanade in Colombo, showcasing military equipment as navy ships sailed nearby and helicopters and aircraft flew over the city.

Catholic priest Rev. Cyril Gamini called this year's ceremony commemorating independence from British rule a "crime and waste" at a time when the country is experiencing such economic hardship.

"We ask the government what independence they are going to proudly celebrate by spending a sum of 200 million rupees ($548,000)," said Gamini, adding the Catholic Church does not condone spending public money on the celebration and that no priest would attend the ceremony.

About 7% of Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka's 22 million people are Christians, most of them Catholics. Despite being a minority, the church's views are respected.

Prominent Buddhist monk Omalpe Sobitha also said there was no reason to celebrate and that the ceremony was just an exhibition of weapons made in other countries.

Sri Lanka is effectively bankrupt and has suspended repayment of nearly $7 billion in foreign debt due this year pending the outcome of talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout package.

The country's total foreign debt exceeds $51 billion, of which $28 billion has to be repaid by 2027. Unsustainable debt and a severe balance of payment crisis, on top of lingering scars from the COVID-19 pandemic, have led to a severe shortage of essentials such as fuel, medicine and food. Massive protests last year forced Wickremesinghe's predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to flee the country and resign.

Despite some improvements, power cuts continue due to the fuel shortages, hospitals struggle with a lack of medicines, and the treasury cannot raise money to pay government employees.

To manage the country's expenses, the government has increased income taxes sharply and has announced a 6% cut in funds allocated to each ministry. Also, the military, which had swelled to more than 200,000 members amid a long civil war, will be downsized by nearly half by 2030.

Wickremesinghe said that everyone, politicians and citizens alike, were to blame for the country's woes. He said from the early days of independence, Sri Lankans were divided in terms of race, religion and region.

"We worked for political candidates expecting personal favors in return. Most of us contested not for the country, but for personal power, for greater perks and to earn a little more."

Wickremesinghe also said steps were being taken to restore ethnic amity in the country by releasing military-occupied land in the ethnic Tamil-majority north and releasing suspects detained for alleged connections with a now-defunct separatist rebel movement. He also promised to devolve maximum power to the Tamil regions.

Tamil rebels fought for an independent state in the country's northeast for more than 25 years until they were crushed by the military in 2009. More than 100,000 people were killed in the conflict by conservative U.N estimates.

Successive governments pledged maximum power-sharing with Tamils, short of a separate homeland, but have not followed up on them.
Egypt and Qatar held on Sunday the first meeting of their diplomatic teams in charge of coordinating regional affairs, the Egyptian and Qatari foreign ministries said in separate statements.

Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs Alaa Moussa and Qatari Assistant Foreign Minister for Regional Affairs Mohammed bin Abdul-Aziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi chaired the meeting.

The meeting discussed the latest developments of international and Arab issues of mutual concern, especially the Palestinian cause, the Qatari ministry said.

The two sides stressed the importance of enhancing joint efforts to achieve prosperity and development to overcome the challenges facing the Arab region, the Qatari ministry added.

The Egyptian ministry said the meeting comes in light of the momentum that the bilateral relations between Egypt and Qatar witness and the [two countries] desire to build on this rapprochement by coordinating and exchanging views on issues of mutual concern.

The meeting, which is held for the first time, is considered a basis for a joint mechanism for communication and coordinating stances and visions on all issues of priority to both sides, the Egyptian ministry added.

Egypt and Qatar have boosted their relations on all levels and exchanged high-level visits in the wake of the Al-Ula declaration for Arab reconciliation with Qatar, which Egypt signed in Saudi Arabia in January 2021.

Egyptian-Qatari relations

Egypt and Qatar celebrated last December the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

In September, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi made his first visit to Doha since assuming the presidency in 2014, where he held talks with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and witnessed the signing of a number of MoUs between the two countries.

Last June, the Qatari leader also made his first visit to Egypt since the two countries resumed their diplomatic relations.

The speakers of Egypt's House of Representatives and Qatar's Consultative Assembly (Shura Council) also signed in December a protocol of parliamentary cooperation in Doha.

Egypt and Qatar signed in June an MoU in Doha on financial policy coordination, to foster cooperation and coordinate financial visions, positions, and policies at the bilateral and international levels.

Also, the two countries announced in March 2022 establishing a high joint committee headed by their foreign ministers to boost cooperation and coordination in all fields as well as to continue consultation. The announcement came during a visit by Qatari Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Thani to Cairo.

During the visit, Cairo and Doha also agreed on $5 billion in Qatari investments in Egypt.

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Three people have been killed Saturday in attacks on a church in southern Ethiopia, according to reports by a religious media outlet.

The violence erupted against a backdrop of tensions in the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church after rebel bishops created their own synod in Oromia, the country's most populous region.

Abune Henok, Archbishop of Addis Ababa Diocese, described the incidents in the Oromia city of Shashamene as "shameful and heart-wrenching," according to the Church-affiliated Tewahedo Media Center (TMC).

The TMC said two Orthodox Christian youths had been killed, and another four people injured, when Oromia special forces attacked the church in Shashamene, which lies about 250 kilometers (150 miles) south of Addis Ababa.

It later said there had been sniper fire on the church from nearby high-rise buildings that had killed a woman and injured others.

It was not possible to independently verify the reports.

Henok called on the authorities in Oromia, also the largest geographic region in Ethiopia, to stop the "persecution" of Orthodox Christians, according to the TMC.

A statement issued by the Holy Synod later urged clergy and the faithful to wear black in protest and called for peaceful demonstrations at churches at home and abroad on February 12.

The unity of the Ethiopian Church, one of the oldest in the world and which accounts for about 40 percent of the country's 115 million population, is under threat after the move by the rebel clergy last month.

The Church, headed by Patriarch Abune Mathias for a decade, has declared the breakaway synod illegal and excommunicated the bishops involved.

It has also accused the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of interfering in its affairs and making comments that effectively recognized the "illegitimate group.

Addressing cabinet members earlier in the week, Abiy  who is himself from the Oromo community  called for the rivals to engage in dialogue and said both sides had their "own truths.

The breakaway bishops accuse the church of discrimination and linguistic and cultural hegemony, saying congregations in Oromia are not served in their native language, claims rejected by the patriarchate.

Orthodox leaders have long complained of religious persecution, including the burning of churches several years ago, and relations with the government have been tense in the past, including over the Tigray conflict.

The World Council of Churches issued a statement Friday voicing "deep concern" about the developments in the Ethiopian institution.

"We call upon all political leaders in Ethiopia to support the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in its efforts to achieve unity and peace among its members," WCC general secretary Jerry Pillay said.
The thermometer sinks below zero as a blizzard of fine snow descends on two houses freshly built inside a massive laboratory in northern England.

Despite the icy conditions, the two energy-efficient homes remain cozy and warm due to their use of cutting-edge heating and insulation technology.

Welcome to Energy House 2.0 -- a science experiment designed to help the world's housebuilders slash carbon emissions, save energy and tackle climate change.

The project, based in a laboratory resembling a giant warehouse on Salford University campus near the center of Manchester, opened last month.

Rain, wind, sunshine and snow can be recreated in temperatures ranging from 40 degrees Celsius to 20 Celsius, operated from a control center.

Replicating weather

"What we've tried to achieve here is to be able to replicate the weather conditions that would be experienced around 95% of the populated Earth," Professor Will Swan, head of energy house laboratories at the university, told AFP.

The facility, comprising two chambers that can experience different weather at the same time, will test types of housing from all over the world "to understand how we deliver their net-zero and energy-efficient homes," he added.

The two houses, which are quintessentially British and constructed by firms with U.K. operations, will remain in place for a few years.

Other builders will then be able to rent space in the lab to put their own properties under the spotlight.

The project's first house was built by U.K. property firm Barratt Developments and French materials giant Saint-Gobain.

It is clad with decorative bricks over a frame of wood panels and insulation, with solar panels on the roof.

Scientists are examining the efficiency of several different types of heating systems, including air-source heat pumps.

In the living room, a hot-water circuit is located along the bottom of the walls, while further heat is provided via infrared technology in the molding and from a wall panel.

Mirrors also act as infrared radiators while numerous sensors monitor which rooms are in use.

Residents will be able to manage the technology via one single control system similar to Amazon's voice-activated Alexa interface.

Builders estimate the cutting-edge tech will mean that the energy bill will be just one quarter of what the average U.K. home currently pays, a boon to customers reeling from sky-high energy prices.

It will also make an important contribution to Britain's efforts to reach zero carbon emissions by 2050 to combat climate change.

A parliamentary report found that, in 2019, 17% of heating emissions from buildings came from homes -- making their contribution similar to all the petrol and diesel cars driving on Britain's roads.

Environmental campaigners have long called on the U.K. government to increase energy efficiency and insulation support for existing homes across Britain.

'Alexa of home energy'

"One of the key technologies that we're trying on this house is almost like a building management system for residential buildings," said Tom Cox, U.K. technical director at Saint-Gobain.

"It's almost like the Alexa of the home energy system -- and that can be automated as much as the occupant wants."

And now with their mega-laboratory, scientists and companies no longer have to wait for extreme swings in the weather.

"We can test a year's worth of weather conditions in a week," added Cox.

The "ultimate goal is to create that environment which is comfortable and cost effective and commercially viable to deliver," added Cox.

"At the same time (we are) addressing the sustainability issues that we have in construction."
Ukraine said Sunday it is planning for the possibility of a major Russian offensive this month to coincide with the anniversary of Russias February 24 invasion, but says it has the reserves to hold off Moscows forces.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told a news conference that Russia could launch the attack for symbolic reasons, even though Moscow's forces are not prepared militarily.

"Despite everything, we expect a possible Russian offensive in February, Reznikov said. This is only from the point of view of symbolism; it's not logical from a military view. Because not all of their resources are ready. But they're doing it anyway.

Reznikov said the Russian offensive would likely be launched in the east  where fighting has been centered for months and Russia is trying to capture all the heavily-industrialized Donbas region  or possibly the south, where it wants to widen its land corridor to the occupied Crimean Peninsula that it illegally annexed in 2014.

The defense chief estimated that Russia had 12,000 troops stationed at Belarusian military bases, a number too small to launch a significant attack into Ukraine's north.

Russian forces have been making incremental advances in the east as Moscow tries to capture the embattled city of Bakhmut, where fighting has raged for weeks.

The United States and other Western governments have pledged billions of dollars in new military assistance, including tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to help Ukraine withstand a new attack as well as to help Kyiv launch a counteroffensive.

"Not all of the Western weaponry will arrive in time, Reznikov said. But we are ready. We have created our resources and reserves, which we are able to deploy and with which we are able to hold back the attack."

On the battlefront Sunday, Ukraine said five people were injured in Russian rocket attacks in the central area of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

Kharkivs regional governor, Oleh Syniehubov, said four people were injured when a Russian S-300 missile fell near an apartment block, and another was hurt when a missile hit a university building.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday the situation is becoming tougher in eastern Ukraine, with a fresh wave of Russian shelling in Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk and the Mykolaiv regions.

In his nightly video address, the Ukrainian leader said Russia was throwing more and more of its forces at breaking down our defense.

Ukrainian officials said they repelled a renewed Russian assault on the besieged eastern city of Bakhmut on Saturday. Zelenskyy Friday pledged not to surrender Bakhmut. We will fight as long as we can.

In a phone conversation Saturday, Zelenskyy discussed the latest situation on the ground in Ukraine with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, with both agreeing on the need to accelerate the arrival of additional military support from the West. They also discussed the long-term capabilities of Ukraines armed forces.

The Ukrainian president thanked Sunak and Britain for helping Ukraine. Now, in the UK, our guys have already started training on Challenger tanks. It's a good vehicle. And it will be a big thing on the battlefield, Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said recently the country would receive 120 to 140 Western tanks in a "first wave" of deliveries from a coalition of 12 countries.

Kyiv secured pledges from the West to supply main battle tanks to help fend off Russia's full-scale invasion, with Moscow mounting huge efforts to make incremental advances in eastern Ukraine.

The United States announced Friday it would provide an additional $2.175 billion worth of military aid for Ukraine, including conventional and long-range rockets for U.S.-provided HIMARs, as well as other munitions and weapons. According to a U.S. official, the longer-range, precision-guided rockets would double Ukraine's strike range for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
In the lead up to the first anniversary of Russias invasion of Ukraine on February 24, United Nations aid agencies have been stepping up lifesaving relief to thousands of people living in conflict hot spots.

Two inter-agency convoys reached communities in acute need on the front lines this past week. A six-truck convoy arrived in the eastern Ukrainian town of Toretsk, about 10 kilometers from the combat zone in the Donetsk region, last Tuesday.

Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, said the convoy carried essential relief, including water, medicine, and emergency shelter materials.

The convoy also delivered trauma and emergency surgery kit supplies, he said. Approximately 15,000 people of the 75,000 residents who lived there before the war are still in that town and nearby communities.

Pro-Russian separatists briefly seized Toretsk after the war between the Russian-backed rebels and Ukrainian government broke out in the Donbas region in 2014. While Ukrainian forces retook Toretsk later that year, the town has been in the line of fire since then and has had its critical water supply cut multiple times.

On Thursday, a second five-truck inter-agency convoy reached the town of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhzhia region, where some 3,000 people remain close to the contact line and are exposed to regular shelling.

Laerke said access to basic services has been disrupted, causing enormous hardship for the vulnerable residents, particularly the elderly, people with disabilities, and families with children.

Since March last year, the residents have had no electricity as the facilities were damaged by fighting and cannot be repaired due to ongoing hostilities, he said.

Because there is no power, water facilities cannot operate, and water has to be delivered in bottles or pumped from the wells.

Marco Rotelli, OCHA deputy humanitarian coordinator, supervised the unloading of relief supplies in Huliaipole. He said U.N. agencies and non-governmental agencies were urgently working to repair damaged homes to protect people against the savage winter.

This is very important because of the harsh conditions and due to the shelling and mass destruction.

He said, The temperature is below zero, the conditions are very harsh, and this intervention is very timely because we could not come here for quite a long time because of the ongoing hostilities.

Russian forces have intensified fighting in the region in recent weeks, in what is seen as a departure from what has been a months-long frozen conflict.

Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraines defense minister, told French media Wednesday that he believed Russia was planning a major offensive to mark the first anniversary of the war and could be massing as many as half a million troops at the border.

We do not underestimate our enemy. Officially they announced 300,000 [conscripted soldiers], but when we see the troops at the borders, according to our assessments it is much more, he said.

OCHA spokesman Laerke said his agency was constantly monitoring the situation in Ukraine and preparing for the future, but the primary focus for now was on providing support for people currently in need.

Focus is really now shifting to reaching as many people as we can as close to the frontline as we can.

What is happening right now in Ukraine is we are seeing more and more of these inter-agency convoys pushing closer to the front lines, delivering to people in dire need, he said.

He said that convoy planning is a constant process conditioned by security on the ground and that current and future relief convoys could be forced to turn back if fighting on the ground escalates.

Laerke said OCHA notifies parties to the conflict about impending convoys and reminds them of their international obligations to help the convoys reach their destinations safely.

He noted that more than 30 inter-agency convoys have delivered humanitarian supplies to vulnerable communities in Ukraines eastern oblasts in the last 11 months and that none has been attacked.

Separately, he said several notifications have gone out to reach areas under the current control of the military of the Russian Federation.

But up until today, he said no U.N. relief convoys have been provided in the sense that we have not been given the adequate assurances of security to go to these areas.
Dennis Wilder, a former China analyst with the CIA, discussed the suspected Chinese spy balloon that was spotted drifting across the United States this week with VOA on Saturday.

Wilder, now a professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University, spoke with VOAs State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching shortly after the U.S. military shot down the balloon over the Atlantic Ocean.

Asked if the U.S. had missed the opportunity to collect intelligence of whats inside the balloon, Wilder said, No, not at all. The balloon was shot down in U.S. territorial waters off the coast of the Carolinas. The Navy and Coast Guard are at this time working on recovery of the package that was on board.

China said it was a weather research vessel blown off course, a claim rejected by U.S. officials who said the craft earlier this week had been over areas of Montana where nuclear missiles are siloed.

The State Department has declined to comment on if theres further diplomatic communication following the downing of China's balloon.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

VOA: The PRC surveillance balloon has been shot down. What is the U.S. calculation? Did the U.S. miss the opportunity to collect intelligence on whats inside the balloon?

DENNIS WILDER, FORMER CHINA ANALYST WITH THE CIA: No, not at all. The balloon was shot down in U.S. territorial waters off the coast of the Carolinas. The Navy and Coast Guard are at this time working on recovery of the package that was on board. Now, whether that package of sensors is intact, or was broken up upon entry into the sea, we won't know. But they have divers out there. If it fell into the water and went deep in the water, they may be able to recover it from the ocean floor. But they will certainly make an effort to recover whatever the sensor package was on board.

VOA: Do you see an internal divergence within the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) government, a disconnection between the PRCs Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on the balloon operation?

WILDER: Well, first of all, what I know to be fact is that there was definitely a disconnect between the foreign ministry and the military. My understanding is when first approached, the foreign ministry had no idea of this balloon system being over the United States. So, they were taken completely by surprise. My analysis is that this, because it was a spy operation, and because it was probably handled by the People's Liberation Army, could well have been stovepipe. It could well be that it wasn't well coordinated within the Chinese system.

Often when you have covert operations, and even here in the United States it's the same way. Often when there's a covert action or a covert operation that you're trying to keep secret, you don't inform everybody within the political system. So, there's a real question of how high up the chain of command in Beijing, this was approved. Who knew about it? Were they given a chance to comment on it? Or was this really very much an operation of the People's Liberation Army?

VOA: You have been watching PLA for more than three decades, is it typical for PLA to act alone without looping in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Within the PRC political system, does Chinese military have more influence on policy direction, more so than Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs?

WILDER: When it comes to an area like this, that's in the PLA's area of both expertise and authority. Then, yes, it has much more influence within the system than the foreign ministry.

I can tell you that there were several different times when we found that the Chinese foreign ministry and others were not informed. Let me give you a couple of examples. When Robert Gates as secretary of defense went to Beijing in January of 2011, immediately before his meeting with President Hu Jintao, the Chinese military announced that it had tested its new stealth fighter aircraft and released pictures of that aircraft for the first time. Secretary Gates felt that the PLA was trying to embarrass him. And so he decided to embarrass the PLA, because he thought that this might well not be a coordinated operation. So when he met with President Hu Jintao, he immediately said: Your military has just tested a new stealth fighter on the eve of my visit. I will be asked whether this was done to embarrass me. President Hu, was this done to embarrass me? President Hu laughed nervously and then turned to his PLA advisers, and asked, Is this true? Bob Gates, very well knew from seeing the body language, that President Hu Jintao had no idea that the military was going to do this kind of thing.

Another example is when the Chinese tested an anti-satellite missile against one of their own satellites. It was very apparent to the U.S. side, and Secretary Robert Gates was the defense secretary at that point, as well, it was very clear that the foreign ministry had no idea that this test was going to occur and was very embarrassed about it.

So I could give you more examples, but there is a clear history of the PLA not running these things through the foreign ministry and running it through very, very few people in Beijing.

VOA: In your assessment, how badly does the PRC want a high-profile visit from the United States secretary of state? And why?

WILDER: (Chinese) President Xi Jinping himself has indicated how important this visit was to him. President Xi Jinping is on what I would call a charm offensive right now that started after zero-COVID was lifted, where he wants to tell the world that China is open for business again. He wants very much to see American investors come back. He wants to see American companies not thinking of moving their supply chains and diversifying them away from China to places like India, Vietnam, other Southeast Asian nations.

And so, I think that the rapid speed of an apology from the Chinese yesterday is an indicator that he hoped to keep the visit of Secretary (of State Antony) Blinken on track. It is very unusual, in fact, I can't give you an example of a time when the Chinese have apologized to the United States for anything.

And so this was unprecedented, and it showed how much China actually wanted that visit to occur. Of course, Secretary Blinken canceled the visit and now you see a bit of a harder edge out of Beijing rhetorically. But there was an attempt on the Chinese side to keep this visit in place.

VOA: What needs to be done before Secretary of State Blinken is to reschedule his trip to China?

WILDER: Well, I think we are in a new period of heightened tensions between the United States and China. Because if the United States is able to recover from the ocean information that shows that this indeed was a spy mission and not a meteorological mission and shows that evidence to the Chinese, we are going to embarrass the Chinese. We may well very much embarrass the People's Liberation Army. And so I think that that will be difficult to manage, particularly if the United States comes out very publicly with this information. So there's going to be a tense period here.

One of my concerns is that as these tensions rise in the next week or two, there could be difficulties in the East China Sea and in the South China Sea. Because Chinese military may feel they need to be more aggressive than they have been against U.S. reconnaissance flights in the area.

And you will recall that in December the United States accused a Chinese pilot of flying unsafely near an American aircraft. Now I was in the government and very involved in April of 2001. Actually, it was on April 1, 2001, when a Chinese pilot, flying very unsafely, collided with an American reconnaissance aircraft, forcing the aircraft, the American aircraft to land at Lingshui Airfield on Hainan Island, a military airfield. Fortunately, none of the crew are killed. Unfortunately, the pilot of the Chinese jet was killed.

It took us 11 days of negotiating with the Chinese to get that crew back. And in part, the problem was, that the Chinese government claimed that we had been at fault, that our pilot had done unsafe things, which was absolutely untrue. And the video camera footage that we had from the plane proved this decisively. Nonetheless, the Chinese insisted on an apology from the United States at that time, and we gave them a letter of regret from our ambassador in Beijing and that seemed sufficient to get the pilot and the crew home.
A World Health Organization doctor abducted in Mali has been freed, authorities told Agence France-Presse on Saturday.

"Diawara Mahamadou, a WHO support doctor with the regional health directorate in Menaka, was released on February 2," said a health official in the town of Menaka in northern Mali. "He is doing well."

A regional official said the WHO medic had been freed not far from Gao city, further west. "He told us he was not mistreated," he said.

It was unclear who had taken the doctor hostage, he said.

Since 2012, Mali has been in the grip of a serious security crisis and violence. Kidnappings of foreigners and Malians is common.

Motives range from ransom demands to acts of reprisal.

The WHO doctor, who has worked for the organization in Menaka since early 2020, providing medical care to often isolated communities at risk of insecurity and violence.

In October 2022, the WHO quoted the surgeon as saying: "A patient is a patient... Our job is to go where people are and need health care."

After several years in Gao, also in eastern Mali, the doctor asked to be assigned to Menaka, near the border with Niger, where more than 25,500 displaced Malians lived as of last October.

They were located across six sites in precarious conditions and with limited access to health care.
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN  Pope Francis sought Saturday to console the long-suffering people of South Sudan as he opened his first full day in a country beset by conflict, poverty and humanitarian crises by encouraging priests and nuns to serve their flocks by joining in their tears.

After arriving in the worlds newest country on the first-ever papal visit Friday, Francis was spending Saturday ministering first to church personnel and then to South Sudanese who have been forced by fighting, flooding and other crises to leave their homes.

Francis was highlighting in particular the plight of South Sudanese women, half of whom are married before age 18, are subject to rampant sexual violence and then face the worlds highest maternal mortality rate.

Let us ask ourselves what it means for us to be ministers of God in a land scarred by war, hatred, violence, and poverty, Francis said in St. Theresa Cathedral in the capital, Juba. How can we exercise our ministry in this land, along the banks of a river bathed in so much innocent blood, among the tear-stained faces of the people entrusted to us?

Lush in oil and other natural resources but beset by years of civil war and conflict, South Sudan is one of the worlds poorest countries and is responsible for Africas worst refugee crisis: More than 2 million people have fled the country and another 2 million are displaced within its borders.

Joined by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Presbyterian head of the Church of Scotland, Francis is seeking to draw global attention to the countrys plight.

The aim of the novel ecumenical visit is to encourage South Sudans political leaders to implement a 2018 peace accord ending a civil war that erupted after the overwhelmingly Christian country gained independence from mostly Muslim Sudan in 2011.

The deal and many of its key provisions, including the formation of a national unified army, has stalled amid political infighting and continued clashes around the country that have forced the postponement of the first presidential election for another two years.

At the cathedral Saturday, Francis urged South Sudans bishops, priests, nuns and seminarians not to join religious life for social prestige, but to serve their flocks by accompanying them.

It is precisely this art of stepping into the middle of our brothers and sisters that the churchs pastors need to cultivate: the ability to step into the middle of their sufferings and tears, into the middle of their hunger for God and their thirst for love, he said.

On a day when South Sudans suffering women are expected to take the pride of place, Francis heard of the horrific sacrifices some nuns have made. Sisters Mary Daniel Abut and Regina Roba Luate of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart Sisters were killed in a 2021 ambush along with two others.

Thank you, on behalf of the entire Church, for your dedication, your courage, your sacrifices and your patience, Francis said.

Women and girls in South Sudan live a hellish existence, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan said in a report last year based on several years of interviews.

South Sudanese women are physically assaulted while being raped at gunpoint, typically held down by men while being abused by others. They are told not to resist in the slightest way, and not to report what happened, or they will be killed, the report said.

Its hard to convey the level of trauma of South Sudanese women whose bodies are literally the war zone, commission chair Yasmin Sooka said late last year.

In his arrival speech Friday, Francis raised the plight of women and called for them to be protected and promoted.

Among those on hand for his visit to the cathedral on Saturday was Sister Regina Achan, who said Francis visit would encourage other sisters to keep serving.

We stand with them because we are their voices, we dont run away at difficult times, said Achan.

Francis visit, she added, would awaken serenity and peace in our hearts that we may work for peace and justice in this country.

Francis issued a blunt warning on Friday to President Salva Kiir and his onetime rival and now deputy Riek Machar that history will judge them harshly if they continue to drag their feet on implementing the peace accord.

Kiir for his part committed the government to return to peace talks  suspended last year  with groups that didnt sign onto the 2018 accord. And late Friday, the Catholic president granted presidential pardons to 71 inmates at Jubas central prison in honor of the ecumenical pilgrimage, including 36 on death row.

Francis has changed Catholic Church teaching to hold that capital punishment is inadmissible in all circumstances.
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The Jewellery Museum in Alexandria inaugurated a temporary exhibition on ornamental tools used by King Farouk called Royal Jewelleries of Mohamed Ali Family, while the Coptic museum in Old Cairo will open their exhibition titled Ark, Harmony Between Religions on Monday.

Safaa Farouk, the Jewellery Museums director general, explained that the exhibition, which is running until April, consists of a collection of 13 artefacts from the collection of King Farouk, who ruled Egypt from 1936 to 1952.

They are being exhibited for the first time as they were previously stored in the museums treasury.

The collection comprises four boxes for the kings shaving tools, some of which are gold-plated silver, with others made of crystal with gold plated silver lids.

It also includes two crystal perfume containers with a gold plated cover, an ink container with a silver cover, two rectangular crystal boxes and the kings Primus stove.

In Old Cairo, the Coptic Museum is set to open its Ark, Harmony Between Religions, which will last for two weeks

Gihan Atef, director general of the museum, explained that the exhibition will shed light on the common and related worshiping traditions of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam within the story of the Prophet Noah and his ark.

Among the objects to be displayed are three manuscripts written in Arabic, including a text meant to be read during Christianity's Holy Week, the story of the Prophet Moses in the Torah when God commands him to take his shoes off because the land he was standing on is sacred, while the third relates the story of Moses with his population.

The exhibition will also show a holder for holy books made of wood decorated with foliage scenes, a silver rounded plate decorated with the external facade of a church and icon for the Coptic martyr Saint Damiana with 40 virgins.

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The journey of Gautam Adani, a small-time importer of plastics granules into India in the 1980s, had begun along the coast of Gujarat  in a swamp he would go on to turn into the countrys largest trading outpost. And now, with his fortune back home under attack from a New York-based short seller, the tycoon posed for cameras with Benjamin Netanyahu in the Haifa Port, which he had come to buy for $1.2 billion.

To bondholders, theres a symbolism in the beleaguered billionaires Jan. 31 photo-op with the Israeli prime minister. The ambition that had propelled his odyssey from the Gulf of Kutch 25 years earlier was intact as he stood on the edges of the Mediterranean. But did he still have the ability to keep it all together?

When debt investors ask such existential questions, they tend to take a more nuanced view than their equity counterparts. On the one hand, a sudden wipeout of more than $100 billion in stock-market wealth will have some impact on the creditworthiness of an empire with $20 billion in net debt, or three times full-year Ebitda(1). On the other hand, the conglomerate controls ports, airports, power plants, coal mines, solar farms, roads, electricity and gas distribution, cement factories, edible-oil refineries, grain silos, and even Indias largest supply chain for apples. These are all hard assets, powered by the beating heart of the behemoth: the Mundra port in Gujarat, the home state of both Adani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two men are said to be close, even though the businessman denies seeking or receiving political favors.

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The group has also rejected Hindenburg Researchs allegations of market manipulation and accounting fraud as baseless. While their impact on investor sentiment lingers, Adani could perhaps use internal cash generation to keep going. Short-term refinancing needs are modest; the next dollar bond maturity is in June 2024.

To know whether Adani is more likely to float than sink, bondholders are turning to rating companies, advisers and lawyers. There is no immediate impact on rated Adani entities credit profile from the short sellers report, Fitch Ratings said Friday, adding that it expects no material changes to the groups forecast cash flow. Moodys Investors Service sidestepped the question of whether it may change its assessment. However, the ongoing adverse developments, it said, are likely to reduce the groups ability to raise capital to fund committed capital expenditure or refinance maturing debt over the next one to two years.

S&P Global Inc. went the farthest by slashing its outlook on two of Adanis dollar bonds to negative. (The rating, though, continues to be BBB minus, the last rung of investment grade.) One of these two notes happens to be debt issued by Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd., the same company that is going to modernize the terminal at Haifa.

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In many ways, Adani Ports embodies the bondholders predicament. Heres a business in a tearing hurry. In the past couple of years, it has bought three Indian seaports by spending $2.6 billion. It wants to set up another on Indias eastern coast, and potentially acquire the state-run railway logistics firm Container Corp. of India, CreditSights, a Fitch Group unit, said in a report in August.

To show that bonds of this strong but acquisitive franchise dont deserve to be cut to junk or trade in distressed territory, Adani must demonstrate that the cash from ports wont be funneled to other corners of his realm via significant related-party transactions outside the normal course of business, as S&P puts it. He also needs to stitch up the financing for expansion.

But with Bloomberg News reporting over the weekend that Adani Enterprises Ltd., the flagship, has decided to cancel a 10 billion rupee ($122 million) bond issue  its first public sale of debt in the local market  the ability to tap more demanding overseas investors is rather low at the moment. The infrastructure czar may not go ahead with a planned $500 million bond offer abroad to refinance some of the $4.5 billion debt he took last year to buy Holcim Ltd.s cement business in India, the Economic Times has reported.

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Ultimately, bondholders will do what they can afford to. The political and regulatory temperatures around the saga have risen, with Indias opposition parties noisily demanding a parliamentary discussion, the central bank seeking to calm nerves around local lenders exposure and questions being asked of Indias Life Insurance Corp. and Frances TotalEnergies SE for their entanglement in the equity of the highly leveraged conglomerate. The governance risk is now too great for credit desks at large Wall Street institutions to ignore, lest their own bosses freak out over a scandal showing no sign of abating. Although Adani has given a 413-page rebuttal to Hindenburgs allegations, international media is now independently reporting on them.

Wealthy individuals may be drawn to attractive yields. But for them to obtain financing from private banks has become challenging. That leaves hedge funds as the potential knife-catchers. Perhaps the group itself will call back some notes to shore up confidence. Or Adani could consider selling a few assets to demonstrate how good they are. But that latter decision wont just be about financial ability. The former centi-billionaire has lost nearly half his personal wealth over six days, but has he also lost half his ambition? By showing up in Haifa on what was possibly one of the most anxious days of his life  he was kidnapped for ransom in 1998 and holed up a Mumbai hotel during a lethal November 2008 terrorist attack  he seems to be signaling the opposite.

 Hindenburg Gives a Master Class. Adani Flunks: Andy Mukherjee

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 Adani Short Seller Hindenburg Opened a Pandoras Box: Shuli Ren

 Indias Billionaires Banded Together for Adani: Andy Mukherjee

(1) Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Andy Mukherjee is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies and financial services in Asia. Previously, he worked for Reuters, the Straits Times and Bloomberg News.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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It takes a clinical case of solipsism to behave as irresponsibly as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan does. Then again, maybe hes doing it on purpose. Erdogan faces an election in May or June  one that, despite his strongman machinations, he could theoretically lose. In the run-up, hes apparently trying to energize his hardline and Islamist bases. To him that seems to mean acting like a geopolitical orc.

Officially, his country is one of the 30 members of NATO and, on paper, even a candidate to join the European Union one day. In reality, hes more often undermining the Western alliance and the EU, as part of his anti-Western and neo-Ottoman shtick. That even includes threatening war against Greece, a NATO ally. But it mainly means blocking the accession to NATO of two formerly neutral EU countries, Finland and Sweden.

Eight months after the Nordic neighbors applied for entry into the alliance, only Hungary and Turkey have yet to ratify their accession, which was supposed to be finalized at the NATO summit in Vilnius this July. Hungary has now signaled that it wont stand in the way. That leaves Turkey  which is to say, Erdogan.

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Erdogan has been hinting that he might be fine with the Finns joining, but that hes in no mood to stomach the Swedes. And that poses a new dilemma, both for the two Nordic countries and the alliance. Should the Finns go ahead and join without the Swedes?

Geographically, culturally, historically, politically and strategically, Sweden and Finland nowadays think of themselves not as a union, but as a pair. The Finns, who share an 800-mile border with Russia, are militarily strong on land, the Swedes at sea and in the air. Together, they could secure  for each other and NATO  the Baltic Sea against a Russian attack, and help defend Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. For all these reasons, the two countries applied to NATO jointly. In turn, most of the allies enthusiastically embraced them as the dynamic duo in the North.

Not Erdogan. He spotted an opportunity to blackmail the entire alliance. The Swedes, in his book, have been too lenient toward Kurdish groups he deems terrorists. And they havent been selling Turkey the weapons hed like. So Ankara sent Stockholm a laundry list of demands.

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The Swedes have complied with almost all of those requests. Theyve cracked down on Kurdish groups and indicated that theyll relax restrictions on arms exports, so that Turkey can buy their kit. Shockingly, though, they still believe in the rule of law and freedom of speech. Thats why they cant accommodate Erdogan on two particular points.

First, they cant simply extradite to Turkey anybody Erdogan would like to jail. That includes Bulent Kenes, a journalist who has nothing whatsoever to do with Kurdish terrorists. Erdogan alleges that Kenes has links to Fetullah Gulen, an Islamic scholar whom Erdogan blames for an attempted coup in 2016. Kenes denies any involvement. Nor has he committed anything that amounts to a crime in Sweden. In effect, hed be a political prisoner in Turkey. So the Swedish supreme court blocked the extradition. In a country with an independent judiciary, thats the end of the story, as Turks might  wistfully  appreciate.

Then theres a truly regrettable incident of wanton idiocy that nonetheless passes as legal in Sweden on grounds of freedom of speech. The other day, Rasmus Paludan, a far-right rabble-rouser with Danish and Swedish passports whos been convicted in Denmark of racism and defamation, burned a copy of the Koran near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm. This was stupid and offensive. But in a free country, being offensively stupid is allowed. The Swedes said sorry. Erdogan pretended not to understand the nuances, and declared their NATO bid dead.

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What makes Erdogans antics so scandalous is the geopolitical context. Heres the only thing that matters: Russian President Vladimir Putin is waging a genocidal war of imperialist aggression against Ukraine, and wastes no opportunity to tell Russians that he considers Ukraine a mere proxy for NATO and the West.

Instead of understanding this turn as a Zeitenwende and closing ranks with his allies, however, Erdogan keeps playing both sides, NATO and Moscow. Hes even using a Russian anti-missile system, the S-400, which subverts NATOs defense infrastructure. Heres a fair question: In the event that Putin attacked a NATO country, would Erdogan actually participate in defending that ally?

What, then, should the Finns, Swedes and NATO do about this mess? First, they should wait out Turkeys elections in May. Erdogan could be defeated for the presidency, or his political bloc lose parliament, or both. A new Turkish leader or legislature may well be more sagacious. And even if Erdogan stays in power, he may rediscover reason once the campaign is over. Either way, theres still a chance that NATO could formally welcome both Sweden and Finland at Vilnius in July.

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If, on the other hand, Erdogan holds on to office and keeps breathing fire, Finland should go ahead on its own  with Swedens blessing  and become a NATO member. At the same time, Sweden, which already has deep logistical ties with NATO and bilateral accords with the US and other Western powers, should keep integrating into the alliance as though it were a member, with a view to formalizing its accession as soon as possible. What matters is that Putin is left in no doubt that an attack on either Sweden or Finland, or any NATO country, will be answered by the whole league. In short, Putin needs to know that he would lose.

Aside from all that, while gathering at Vilnius, the allies should also catch up on some long-overdue housekeeping. Like the EU but unlike almost any other club  from the United Nations to the Council of Europe  NATO has no mechanism for kicking out an errant member that turns into a saboteur. Its high time to introduce such a clause. It wouldnt be aimed at any member in particular. It would simply clarify that the alliance will defend itself, even when the foe is internal.

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics. A former editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of Hannibal and Me.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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The United States is finally ready to take the plunge when it comes to electric vehicles. But our flawed EV charging system is standing in the way.
Ismail, who had been assistant to President El-Sisi for national projects since June 2018, died on Saturday at the age of 67.

The funeral prayers were held at Lt. Gen. Hussein Tantawi Mosque in New Cairo in the presence of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Speaker of the House of Representatives Hanafy El-Gebaly and Minister of Defence Mohamed Zaki.

El-Sisi offered condolences to the family of the deceased. He said Ismail was a brilliant national figure and had sincerely served the nation during a critical phase. Ismail is greatly appreciated by Egypt and its people, Sisi noted in a tweet yesterday.

Ismail was born on 6 July, 1955. He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering at Ain Shams University in 1978. He worked for Egypts Engineering for the Petroleum and Process Industries (ENPPI) from 1979 until 2000.

Ismail also served as undersecretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources from 2000 until 2005. He served as the board chairman of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) from 2005 until 2007. He then chaired the board of the South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company (Ganope) from 2007 until 2013.

Ismail served as petroleum minister from July 2013 through September 2015.

In September 2015, he was named prime minister and served until June 2018.

From his side, Madbouly asserted on Sunday that the deceased had given much in the service of the nation through the public positions he had assumed.

The premier noted that the nation will not forget these great contributions and will always remember them with gratitude, loyalty and appreciation.

Ismail was a model of loyalty, giving and sincerity, Madbouly said, adding that he who continued to serve his country until his death.

We learned a lot from him, Madbouly concluded.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry also expressed condolences to Ismails family and friends on Sunday, stating that Ismail was a great man who led the nation during difficult times in the face of tremendous challenges.

























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This story is part of the February 5 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories . 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 As a blizzard blew on a February afternoon in 2010, a 22-year-old US army intelligence officer on leave from Iraq sat down in the cafe of a Barnes & Noble store in Rockville, Maryland. Over the following hours, Bradley Manning wrestled with the shops stuttering Wi-Fi to upload stashes of military files to WikiLeaks, the whistleblowing site set up by Julian Assange. By the time she was done, she had released nearly half a million reports of enemy engagements, explosions and body counts. On her return, she made WikiLeaks other offerings, including videos of apparently gratuitous killings during a US helicopter attack on Baghdad and of a strike on an Afghan village that killed perhaps 147 civilians. Her hope, hoped against hope perhaps, was that by airing these disasters, the consoling, half-accepted narratives of Americas wars of liberation would skew towards her perception of things, which was that they were a chaotic, self-inflaming and unwinnable attempt to establish American regional hegemony by fear. Instead, most verifiably, her torrential leak changed Mannings life. The Pentagon and US president Barack Obama saw in their young, unhappy, perhaps misguided, but undoubtedly brave recruit, another enemy. Arrested that May, she was confined for 49 days to a cage she believed better suited to a large animal. There followed incarceration in a marine base in Quantico, Virginia, where, a United Nations investigation later ruled, her treatment violated her human right not to be tortured. In 2011, she was transferred to Fort Leavenworth military prison in Kansas, her home for the next six years. Loading At her 2012 court martial, Manning was convicted of espionage and theft (although exonerated of abetting the enemy) and sentenced to 35 years in jail. Twice in 2016 she tried to take her own life, the second time while in solitary confinement  a punishment, as she saw it, for surviving her first attempt.

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Bradley Manning is now Chelsea Manning. I wont be using her deadname again. For continuitys sake and out of respect, Ill also keep to feminine pronouns even though much of her story happened before her transition from male to female. She was released in 2017 when Obama, conceding the punishment had been disproportionate, used presidential clemency to commute her sentence and release her. But during those seven years in jail, had she not wished she had never stepped into the bookshop? Thats not how I saw it, the 35-year-old says. I thought for sure that my life was never going to take off in general. I had been homeless. I had been working two jobs to try to make ends meet and feeling like I had no direction. Thats what drove me into the military. Ive always had this sense of futility that nothing will ever go right, that Ill never be successful, that nothing will ever work and that bad things are just always going to happen to me. Thats how I feel. I think that my life could have been better if a few things had been different. Ive always had this sense of futility that nothing will ever go right, that Ill never be successful, that nothing will ever work and that bad things are just always going to happen to me. By a few things, she must mean her parents. Her father is a violent former navy man about the same height as her (158cm) with extreme notions of masculinity. Her Welsh mother was an alcoholic. Her history  family estrangement, homelessness, low-paid jobs, dropping out of college, relationships formed mainly online, gender confusion  was, she thinks, merely an extreme version of what many people in my generation went through. Yet how hard her life must have been for her to believe the US military might offer respite. Her backstory lies at odds with the petite and elegant young woman I am sitting with. She wears her hair long, undoubtedly a reaction to the crew cuts enforced in jail. She began transitional hormone therapy in prison but received bottom surgery in 2018. It was pretty straightforward. I had a good doctor. I dont talk about it much. I think theres a hesitancy for the military to acknowledge that its training is a PTSD factor: it is essentially putting people under conditions that give them traumatic amounts of stress. Credit:Daniel Kennedy/The Times Magazine/News Licensing

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The army had diagnosed her with mild Aspergers syndrome. Does she think she is neurotypical? I dont think Im as neuro-atypical as Ive been portrayed. The two diagnoses that Ive been able to address now are complex PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and, obviously, gender dysphoria, which I spent the subsequent years after the court martial addressing finally. My life is just so much better now and so much more functional. Although the army had to be persuaded of the gender dysphoria? Yes, but shockingly I think I was more successful getting treatment for that than getting acknowledgement of the fact that I had complex PTSD. I think theres a hesitancy for the military to acknowledge that its training is a PTSD factor: it is essentially putting people under conditions that give them traumatic amounts of stress. Loading And surely, I say, there would have been something wrong if she had not been sent slightly crazy by what she had seen in her job. The intelligence she analysed was not just numerical data but video footage, written reports, and testimony from enemy prisoners and informers. A particular incident hit her hard and personally. In December 2009, a night raid to capture a target she had been tracking for weeks went badly wrong because the soldiers used two-year-old information rather than the data she had newly updated. In consequence, they stormed the wrong address in east Baghdad, killing a dozen presumably innocent people while the intended target disappeared. I felt my head being done in every single day. It was chaos. It was drinking from a fire hose. To her superiors it was a dry haul, a mission fail. To her it was a trail of unnecessary deaths that might have been avoided had she not gone on a dinner break at the crucial moment. Was that when she realised the job was doing her head in? No, I felt my head being done in every single day. It was chaos. It was drinking from a fire hose.

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A few weeks later, on New Years Eve, she decided to act. Her downloaded Iraq and Afghanistan war logs were transferred to a storage card. Thirty-six days later she was in Barnes & Noble. She sent her README.txt file with a cover note to WikiLeaks explaining it revealed the true nature of 21st-century asymmetric warfare but adding that the files had been sanitised of any source-identifying information. Her view remains that the data cost no US lives, and her eventual prosecutors singularly failed to prove otherwise. The damage to the reputation of the United States was another matter. Did she assume she would be found out and punished? I mean, yes and no. I think I knew it would be found out. At the very least, forensics could get you down to my office. But the consequences? Nobody had ever gone to prison for this before. I was the first, and there were no examples of a person being confined in solitary confinement for a year. People ask me why my book stops at 2017, at the commutation of my sentence. Its because thats where my life really begins. Credit:Daniel Kennedy/The Times Magazine/News Licensing The isolation was brutal. In the cage, she did not know what she had been charged with, had no access to a lawyer, no access to the news. Of all her later punishments in prison  sleep deprivation, verbal abuse, fights  her spells of solitary confinement were what she feared and hated most. Her greatest consolation was mail from well-wishers; she received 270,000 letters in custody. Shes not sure why the army treated her so viciously, but her guess is that the idea of leaking secrets online was new and the government wished to strangle it at birth. Nevertheless at Fort Leavenworth, Manning, who describes herself as an extrovert, gradually regained her ability to socialise. Preparing for the court martial with her lawyers provided another route back to civilisation. Some of the legal conversations were about her gender dysphoria. She announced she was trans in 2013 and, following legal petitions, in 2015 she became the first person in a US military prison to receive feminising hormone therapy.

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Two years after being released from prison in 2017, while recovering from her gender reassignment surgery, she was held in contempt of court for refusing to testify before a grand jury into the 2010 leaks. For one more year she was jailed, this time in a civilian womens prison, but again she suffered a period of solitary confinement. I spent so many years trying to earn his love and it just was never going to work out. I assume prison is also a microcosm of the toxic masculinity she had first experienced from her father? Yeah, definitely. My father was very harsh with me, very intense. I wanted him to love me and to respect me. I wanted to feel unconditional love but I felt it was very conditional and dependent on what I did. I spent so many years trying to earn his love and it just was never going to work out. He was quite abusive with me. She has no relationship with him now. Her mother died two years ago, from alcoholism. Not unexpectedly. She had previously survived two major strokes. Mannings belief that bad things are always going to happen has translated into fears for America in general. Secrecy, she thinks, is no longer the real battle, but verification is. Everything is online, but far from everything is true. She feels less inclined these days to engage with social media or share information and would prefer to give a lecture than compose a post that goes viral. She lives in Brooklyn in a neighbourhood peopled by musicians, writers and artists but keeps a place in Maryland where her fathers sister, to whom she is close, lives. For a living, she owns a small private security consultancy that assesses risks for private clients and provides security, physical and digital.

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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 This story is part of the February 5 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories . The bright bathroom lights werent helping my confidence as I stared at myself in the mirror. I still looked tired, despite the layers of foundation Id applied to fill in the dark semicircles under my eyes. My mother had tried her best that morning to straighten my thick, curly hair, but the bits around my face had already started to frizz. I tried to focus on counting my breaths. Four seconds in, hold, exhale for longer, just like I was taught. I didnt have much time, and I needed to get it together. I was at the London headquarters of the largest human rights organisation in the world, and I had one shot at convincing them to hire me. But this was not where I had thought I would be today. I was meant to be at home in Cairo, waking up next to him, still giggling about the night before and recounting stories of the funny things that had happened. I was meant to be wearing my new white Mrs pyjama shirt and getting excited about having brunch with family who had flown in to be with us for our special day. Instead, here I was. Alone, with grief overwhelming my entire body, in this overlit bathroom. I moved my right thumb to the back of my ring finger. For the past year, it had been what Id done in difficult moments to calm myself. Id twist the thin bit of metal until I sensed the sharp edges of the diamond and then push it back around again. It reminded me that somebody loved me, that a new life was awaiting me. Now, rough skin had replaced the feeling of my ring, another cruel reminder of what Id so suddenly lost. Loading I heard a knock on the door. Are you ready for your interview, Sherine? said a voice, with a mixture of confusion and concern. They are all waiting. I had asked to use the bathroom as soon as I arrived in the building, 15 minutes ago. I wasnt sure it was a good idea to sit in a waiting room; I wanted to avoid people for as long as possible.

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Yes. Im ready, I answered, grabbing the handle of the bathroom door and letting myself out. I was led up two wide flights of stairs and into a conference room. Sherine Tadros is here to interview for the head of office position at the United Nations, announced the woman as she opened the door, revealing a large man wearing a brightly coloured African shirt known as a dashiki, and a slight woman with fine brown hair. They were both sitting behind a long desk. On the wall behind them was a photo of a life raft in turbulent waters, filled with terrified women and children holding on to their belongings. In the corner of the photo, #IStandWithRefugees was written in big black letters against a yellow background. I recognised the hashtag as one of the organisations main campaigns. I sat down in front of the two interviewers and realised there was a laptop on the desk with another mans face staring at me. He had a wide smile. Our colleague from the Kenya office is joining us on Skype for the interview, the woman with the fine hair explained. She introduced herself as Audrey, head of the refugee and migrants team. I recognised the man next to her with the African shirt: Id spoken with him on the phone a few weeks earlier when I was thinking of applying for the job, and he had patiently talked me through the steps. He was much taller than I had imagined, with a round, full face that was imposing yet gentle. His name was Tawanda and he was a prominent Zimbabwean lawyer and human rights advocate who was now a senior director. Im glad you reached out and could make this interview. What a lucky coincidence that you are in London today, Tawanda said. Lucky, I thought. If he only knew the truth of why I was here, how my life had been ripped away from me without warning two days ago when my fiance left on what should have been our wedding day. How I had spent most of the time since in bed, on a cocktail of anxiety medication and sleeping pills, numb to the world. Thanks. Yes, very lucky, I replied, trying not to make eye contact.

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For the next hour, the three interviewers took turns asking me questions. My body started to relax, my hands let go of the arms of the chair, and my back sank into the hard plastic supporting it. This was familiar territory, being asked questions and having to think quickly while looking thoughtful. For the past decade, I had been a foreign news correspondent, covering wars and conflicts across the Middle East for two big television networks. Id learnt to keep my cool in front of the camera, crafting clever answers to complex questions even when I could barely hear them over the sound of gunfire or the shouts of protesters. I knew how to shut everything else out: conflict reporting is about looking in control when you are anything but, and I had mastered that art. As the interview went on, I became more animated. For the first time in days, I felt like myself. I was almost enjoying it. My mind was busy picking the right words and arranging them in the perfect order. I didnt have to work out what to do about the mess my life was in; I just had to focus on what to say next. As the interview went on, I became more animated. For the first time in days, I felt like myself. I was almost enjoying it. Audrey was asking me about the growing Syrian crisis that had arrived on Europes shores. It was mid-2016, and according to the UN there were now over four million Syrian refugees. The world had been shocked into action the previous year after seeing a photo of the body of a two-year-old boy called Alan Kurdi, who had washed up on a Turkish beach as he and his family tried to reach Greece. I had been there. Deployed to the beach that afternoon to report the story, I had found one of the guys who was first on the scene and had taken photos of Alans dead body. The toddlers blue shorts were by his ankles and his nappy was barely hanging on, covered in kelp. He was face down in the sand, but you could still see red marks on his cheek.

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I remember thinking about the more sanitised photo of Alan that went viral. Perhaps that was the only way to make people care about what was happening  to clean him up and hide his brown, scarred face so that Western mothers and fathers could imagine him as one of their own, rather than just another desperate, dark-skinned child. One of the interviewers asked me what the refugees I had spoken to wanted from the international community, and specifically what the UN could do to try to help them. These were the kinds of questions Id been asking myself for a long time, and the answers came easily. They were more relevant and important than the sterile questions I had spent years being asked by news presenters sitting in studios. I answered honestly and simply: The refugees wanted to go home safely. In the meantime, they wanted to be treated with dignity, and for their basic rights to be respected in their host countries. Sherine Tadros on assignment in Tunisia in 2015, when she was working as a Middle East correspondent. Credit:Zein JaFar The final question was one I had prepared for, but it still took me by surprise. Why do you want to leave journalism for activism? Tawanda said. Youre the Middle East correspondent for Sky News. That sounds like a job many people would want. Fair question. I was at the top of my game, my team had just won multiple awards, and there was no way this new job would offer anywhere near the salary I was on. Part of the reason I wanted out was that I was exhausted by the constant travel, by living in dangerous places, by the daily stress and pressure. And I was afraid of the person I was turning into. But that wasnt the whole truth. Loading My job ends at the wrong point, I replied, realising as the words came out that I wasnt making sense, a suspicion confirmed by the look on Tawandas face. What I mean is, I went on, I ask questions and try to expose whats going on. But then I leave and move on to the next story before anything is done. Before the refugees resettle or go back to their homes. Im tired of reporting and moving on. I want it to be my job to do something about the suffering Ive witnessed.

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has affirmed that Egypt fully backs the Federation of Arab Journalists' (FAJ) role in supporting journalism and Arab readers.

El-Sisi's remarks came during his meeting on Sunday with the members of the new General Secretariat of FAJ, headed by Moayad Al-Lami, the president of the federation and the head of the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate.

Diaa Rashwan, head of the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists and the honorary president of FAJ, and Karam Gabr, head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation, also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, El-Sisi ordered allocating a new building for the Cairo-based federation and announced his support for the federation's preparations to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its founding, Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported, citing a statement by the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate.

El-Sisi also praised the development of Egyptian-Iraqi relations on all levels and hailed FAJs role in advancing Arab media and unifying the media discourse.

During the elections that took place in Cairo in October, Al-Lami was elected as president of FAJ for the second time and Rashwan was elected as the honorary president of the federation.

During the meeting, El-Sisi highlighted the need for Arab journalism in particular to continue modernising its role and to adapt, especially in light of the challenges to journalism posed by the wide spreading of social media, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.

The president affirmed the need for journalism to strike a balance between the requirements of competitiveness and the depth and objectivity that characterise journalistic work.

El-Sisi also affirmed that journalism should contribute to developing a serious and effective vision to tackle the common challenges facing Arab countries, most importantly achieving peace, stability, and comprehensive economic and social development.

He highlighted the importance of words as a great responsibility due to its impact on shaping public awareness and peoples minds.

El-Sisi also underscored Egypts unwavering stance towards Arab issues and its keenness to uphold Arab solidarity and consolidate national institutions.

The president also stressed rejection of interference in the domestic affairs of any country and affirmed Egypt's commitment to relations with other countries based on good neighbourliness and on strengthening the bonds of brotherhood and love between Arab peoples.

El-Sisi affirmed the importance of collaborative Arab effort in dealing with existing crises and in focusing the efforts aiming to resolve them peacefully. He stressed the importance of promoting the vital interests of Arab peoples and conserving their resources at a time when the global system faces so many challenges.

In a statement by FAJ, Al-Lami hailed the federations meeting with El-Sisi, saying it gave the federation a true impetus to play its full role after the election of the new general secretariat.

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Three Bethlehem Lutheran churches are moving forward with merging their congregations and selling their properties to Lehigh University.

The vote by the congregations happened during a meeting Sunday at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church.

The United Proclamation of the Gospel said St. Peter's and St. John's Windish in South Bethlehem and Light of Christ Church off of Easton Avenue are becoming Blessed Trinity Lutheran Church.

"This was a long time coming and it's a blessed day," said Carol Henn, the communications representative for the newly merged congregation.

Church officials called Sunday's vote a precise and meticulous voting process." The merger was approved by a vote of 124-10. The acceptance of the offer by Lehigh University was approved by a vote of 120-9.

Church officials said the newly formed congregation will meet temporarily at Light of Christ Church until a permanent home is found.

Originally, the merger of the three congregations and sale of church properties to Lehigh were planned to be approved in January.

But they were delayed after the Bethlehem Parking Authority said it might consider eminent domain to take the St. John's parking lot located in the city's southside. The parking authority later backed away from the plan. The city also submitted bids to purchase the properties.

Lehigh University submitted a bid of $3.7 million for the church properties.

Originally, the Lehigh bid beat out a city bid by about $200,000. City officials said they submitted another offer this past week to match what they believed to be the offer from Lehigh. City officials and several residents in South Bethlehem argued the future of the properties would be better served with the city as the owner.

As for Lehigh's plans for its new properties in South Bethlehem, Henn said: "They haven't been very specific about that; they have told us clearly what they're not going to do. They're not going to build dormitory style housing."

Shortly after the churches agreed to the sale, Lehigh University said in a statement: "We are pleased with the outcome of the vote and would like to thank the congregations leadership and members for their acceptance of Lehighs offer, a demonstration of their confidence in the university to be thoughtful owners of the properties. The success of Lehigh is inextricably tied to the success of the Bethlehem community. We remain committed to our collaboration with community partners and the City to ensure a bright future for all."

The city was hoping to get ahold of the properties, most notably the southside ones.

During a City Council meeting last month, Mayor J. William Reynolds said he thought it would be in the best interest of the community if the properties were purchased by the city instead.

During the Jan. 17 council meeting, the mayor said the city sent a letter Tuesday to congregants of the merged entity to be known as Blessed Trinity Lutheran Church, urging them to accept the city's counteroffer matching Lehigh's $3.7 million offer to buy their church properties. The mayor said he supported using the southside land to build affordable housing.

Shortly after the churches voted Sunday to accept Lehigh's offer, the mayor issued the following statement:

South Bethlehem lost an opportunity today to determine its own future," Reynolds said. "We share the residents disappointment in the vote and what it means for the future of their neighborhoods. We remain resolute in our mission of building a city for everyone.
STROUDSBURG, Pa. - Pocono Township Police seeks help to identify suspect in credit card fraud case.

The individual, whose picture is provided, allegedly used a stolen credit card to buy $702 worth of items from Ulta Beauty in Stroudsburg on December 18th, 2022.

Anyone with information regarding the suspect is asked to contact Officer Iannazzo at miannazzo@poconopd.org or 570-629-7200 ext 231.
Due to the ongoing global economic crises, the World Youth Forum (WYF) has announced that it is cancelling this years edition of the annual event and that its budget will be redirected to supporting five development initiatives.

The WYF was launched in 2017 under the auspices of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to bring together young people from around the world to promote dialogue and discuss development issues. The forum has since been held annually in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh.

This years WYF budget will be used to support initiatives with direct impact on citizens, and youth in particular, in Egypt and abroad, Rascha Ragheb, executive director of the WYF, said at a press conference in Cairo on Saturday at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation.

An initiative will be launched to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), helping entrepreneurs start their businesses or expand their activities through business incubators. The initiative will also include funded training programs where technical support is provided to industrial workers in Egypt, especially in villages and towns that fall under the Decent Life presidential initiative.

The initiative will be launched in cooperation with different development partners including the Decent Life Foundation, the Presidential National Initiative for Developing Egyptian Industry (Ebda), the Federation of Egyptian Industries, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, the United Nations Development Programme, and the International Labour Organisation.

The second initiative, dubbed Learning to Earn, aims to qualify Egyptian, Arab and African youth for the labour market and empower them to obtain decent jobs. This initiative will be implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Childrens Fund and Egypts National Training Academy.

The third initiative addresses food security challenges by offering support programs to develop the capacities of farmers and those in charge of food industries in Egypt and Africa. This program will be carried out in cooperation with Ebda Presidential Initiative, the National Alliance for Civil Development Work, the Decent Life Foundation, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

The WYF will also launch a mental health support program to provide psychological, health, and community care support for refugees, migrants and displaced people and their families. This initiative will be carried out in cooperation with the Egyptian Fahem Foundation for mental health and the World Health Organisation.

The fifth initiative is an international project to support and empower refugees and migrants by helping them integrate into educational systems and ease their access to healthcare services and social protection programmes. The initiative will be carried out in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Egypt, the International Organisation for Migration, and Save the Children.

The budget allocated to sponsor these initiatives has not been revealed.

The WYF also announced that it will launch a platform to promote volunteering culture and support and qualify volunteers to participate in humanitarian and development work, especially in poor and countries affected by conflict or climate change.

The platform will also implement exchange programs of volunteers between different countries, in cooperation with the Foundation for a Decent Life, the National Alliance for Civil Development Work, the Arab Union for Volunteering and the United Nations Volunteers Program.

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WASHINGTON TWP., N.J. - A fire caused heavy damage to a home in Warren County, New Jersey.

First responders were called to Deer Run in Washington Township just before noontime Saturday.

The fire chief said the call came in as a garage fire and quickly spread into the home.

At least a dozen trucks and tankers from nearby towns were called in for assistance.

The fire chief said everyone made it out of the house.

The homeowner was taken to the hospital for minor smoke inhalation.

Two cats were seen being rescued. An EMS worker was seen giving them oxygen and 69 News was told they're okay.

An investigation is underway to figure out exactly what caused the fire.
Columbus Area Historical Society

1973

Why did Columbus need a bypass? Pictured is a lineup of cars and trucks lined up back to Mullins Drive-Inn waiting a train to clear the highway.

Farmers & Merchants Union Bank announced the hiring of Mrs. Ray Grueneberg as a teller and Miss Rae Marie Link in the bookkeeping department.

1983

The Columbus Department of Public Works requested up to four deer from the Wisconsin DNR to replace the six deer that escaped when vandals cut a chain at the gate releasing the deer. Public Works employee Bob OBrion noted that the park had a deer pen since the early 1940s. The Columbus Journal Republican printed a picture of Freddy, a well-liked tame deer that was killed and removed from the pen by a vandal in November 1981.

The Aetna Life Insurance Company of Madison announced the appointment of Ronald Balfanz as a sales representative in Columbus.

1993

For 12 years Fred A. Stares story graced the pages of the Columbus Journal Republican starting on April 5, 1951. Stare every week gave the readers an installment on the community called home with his Story of Columbus. Stares final article appeared in May 1963. Stare was 86 at the time and the Journal Republican decided to rerun the articles beginning the following week.

The Columbus High School Concert Choir was taking orders for singing Valentines that would be delivered on Feb. 14.

2003

Kathys Kreations, a local flower shop at 125 S. Ludington Ave., added a second store in Juneau.

The Columbus Chamber of Commerce honored member Sally Price in recognition of the three years she served on the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Visit www.columbuswiareahistory.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/columbuswiareahistory or email info@columbuswiareahistory.com to reach us.

The Columbus WI Area Historical Society is looking for a new home for its museum. If anyone has ideas on where to locate, please contact the society.
Facing a projected surplus of more than $7 billion this year, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say one thing Wisconsinites can count on in upcoming budget negotiations is a cut in their income taxes.

How much, and what form that takes, are important details yet to be ironed out.

The two options currently on the table are Democratic Gov. Tony Evers call for tweaking the states more than 110-year-old progressive income tax to benefit middle class earners and legislative Republicans proposal to eliminate the current tax structure entirely and collapse it into one flat rate of 3.25% for everyone.

While the dueling proposals appear to set the stage for yet another impasse between the states Democratic governor and GOP-controlled Legislature, Department of Revenue Secretary Peter Barca said the end result could end up somewhere in the middle.

I think theres room for compromise, so thats the good news, Barca said at the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forums annual forum in Milwaukee on Wednesday. Barca added later that, I think we could do something on the top rate while also helping more low- and middle-income wage earners.

Rick Chandler, who served as revenue secretary under former Republican governors Scott McCallum and Scott Walker, said shifting to a flat tax would put Wisconsin on a par with other states and help make the Badger State more attractive to out-of-state business owners and individuals.

While Wisconsins three lower tax brackets have seen reductions over the years, the top bracket, which applies a rate of 7.65% for individual income above about $280,000 annually, has remained largely unchanged for more than a decade. If the top bracket had been reduced at the same rate as the lower brackets, it would be under 6%, Chandler added.

I think theres an argument for doing a tax package that does both middle class tax cuts and would address our top rate, which is where were sticking out like a sore thumb right now, Chandler said.

Evers has called for a 10% tax cut for individuals earning $100,000 or less a year and married filers making $150,000 or less, while Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, has proposed replacing the graduated income tax, which he described as uncompetitive and mediocre, with the flat tax  something Evers has vowed to veto if it reaches his desk.

First in the nation

In 1911, Wisconsin became the first state in the nation to create an individual tax structure composed of 13 income brackets. Under the states progressive income tax, the income richer people earn above a certain threshold is taxed at a higher rate.

The number of tax brackets grew to 16 in 1962 before gradually being reduced to four income brackets in 1986. The state added a fifth bracket in 2009, but returned to the current four bracket structure four years later.

While most residents have seen their tax rates drop over the last 40 years, those with the lowest incomes have seen their rates increase, according to a March 2022 report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. The report underscores that, while Wisconsins income tax remains one of the more progressive in the nation, it has become less progressive over time.

Between 1980 and 2020, the report found, the average income tax rate fell by just over 30%  from 7.9% to 5.5%  for the wealthiest 1% of taxpayers. The average income tax rate for the middle 20% of taxpayers fell by 20%  from 3.1% to 2.5%  over that span, while the bottom 20% of taxpayers saw their average tax rate more than double, from 0.2% in 1980 to 0.5% in 2020.

Between 2009 and 2011, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle and the Democratic-led Legislature raised taxes to cover an expected shortfall in the state budget. Those increases were primarily targeted toward the states top earners with the creation of a new individual income bracket of 7.75% for income above $300,000.

From 2011 to 2023, the Republican-controlled Legislature took 21 actions to increase total tax collections by a combined $1 billion, according to the Policy Forum. Over that same period, 60 laws passed by the Legislature reduced tax revenues by a combined $8.09 billion, the fiscal bureau found.

Currently, the states lowest bracket of 3.54% applies to individuals earning less than $12,760 per year or married filers earning less than about $17,000, while Wisconsins top tax bracket of 7.65% applies to individuals earning more than $280,000 or married filers earning more than $374,600.

Wisconsin income tax brackets Rate Individuals Joint filers 2021 returns 3.54% $0 - $12,760 0 - $17,010 400,244 4.65% $12,760 - $25,520 $17,010 - $34,030 359,646 5.30% $25,520 - $280,950 $34,030 - $374,600 1,637,783 7.65% $280,950 and over $374,600 and over 72,254

About 97% of Wisconsin taxpayers paid 5.3% in income taxes or less in 2021, according to the state Department of Revenue. Just 3% of filers were in the highest tax bracket.

The share of taxes paid by different income groups has also shifted over the years, with the bottom 80% of taxpayers owing 37.2% of all state income taxes in 1980, compared with that same group of taxpayers owing 27% of all income taxes in 2020. In the same span, the top 1% of taxpayers in the state owed 22.2% of all income taxes in 2020, compared with 13.5% owed in 1980.

Wisconsins income tax rates apply only to income that falls within each individual bracket, meaning a person earning $300,000 would be taxed at the top brackets rate of 7.65% only on the $20,000 earned above the $280,000 threshold. All income below that threshold would be taxed at the rates for those lower brackets.

A flat tax

Under LeMahieus proposal, all four of Wisconsins income tax brackets would begin phasing down this year until the state reaches a flat 3.25% income tax for all earners in 2026.

Individuals earning up to $100,000 represent almost 70% of state taxpayers but would see about 18% of the overall tax decrease under a 3.25% flat tax in 2026, according to the fiscal bureau. Those earning $500,000 or more, who represent about 1.4% of taxpayers, would receive more than 32% of the tax decrease.

And while those in the lowest bracket would see their tax rate drop by about a quarter of a percentage point, the tax rate for the states wealthiest residents would be cut roughly in half, with a 3.25% flat tax.

In dollar terms, that means that a person earning between $40,000 and $50,000 annually would see an average tax cut of $290 in 2026, under the flat tax proposal, while those earning $1 million or more would see more than $112,000 in average tax cuts.

We have to find better ways to market our tax system. A flat tax would do that, Chandler said. On the other hand, it would direct a large share of the cuts to the people at the upper end of the tax bracket, not as much to the middle class, so thats where the debate is.

A nonpartisan review by the fiscal bureau of a 3.25% flat income tax found such a measure would reduce state general fund tax revenues by about $2.1 billion in the first year. That reduction would increase over the three-year period to about $5 billion in 2026, a reduction that would apply to all following years, according to an estimate by the fiscal bureau.

The challenge with a flat tax, as its been presented, is it would break the bank, Barca said. We could afford it with the phase-in for this biennium, but when you get to the next biennium thats when were going to go back to a structural deficit.

Speaking with the conservative Badger Institutes Free Exchange podcast on Jan. 19, LeMahieu said fiscal bureau projections are considered static, meaning they do not take into account any potential economic growth or revenue that results from a flat tax.

As youre ratcheting down (the tax rate) theres more and more money going back into the economy thats going to be spent on goods, he said.

Chris Reader, executive vice president of the conservative Institute for Reforming Government and a proponent of either eliminating or flattening the states income tax, said such a transformational tax change would make Wisconsin a magnet in the Midwest and predicted tax revenue lost under the shift would likely be made up through increased economic development.

It would be easier for a family or for a small-business owner or entrepreneur to decide to move here from Illinois or one of our other neighbors, Reader said. That would also help address the workforce issue that we are hearing from every sector.

Dueling proposals

Speaking with WKOW over the weekend, Evers said hed consider vetoing the entire 2023-25 biennial budget if it comes with a 3.25% flat income tax attached.

(A flat tax is) kind of a death knell for me, Evers said. I think our progressive tax system is a good one. And we dont need to be spending our time and effort to provide the wealthiest Wisconsinites with some extraordinary, large tax cut.

Evers $600 million proposal also includes a repeal of the states minimum markup law, which requires gas station owners to set fuel prices at a certain level above what they pay for it wholesale. Under that proposal, the price of gas would drop by about 30 cents per gallon. The governor also has proposed capping insulin copays at $35 and spending $100 million to create a caregiver tax credit for those caring for a family member.

Speaking with WISNs Upfront last weekend, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he supports the proposal for a 3.25% flat income tax, but added he wont force the matter with Evers, given the veto threat.

That would be my preference, but I understand Gov. Evers has concerns with that, Vos said. But the most important thing for us to do, we have to make big efforts toward reducing our tax burden. Flat tax would be ideal. If we cant get to ideal, there are other ways to get there.

Vos has said hed like to see tax cuts for everybody, though he also has expressed interest in lowering taxes for those in the states highest bracket.

Evers will unveil his 2023-25 biennial budget proposal later this month. From there, Republicans, who control the powerful budget committee, will rewrite the document before sending it to the governor.

The current budget, drafted by Republicans and signed by Evers in 2021, included more than $1 billion in income tax cuts, focused primarily on middle-income residents.
Egypts former Prime Minister Sherif Ismail passed away on Saturday in Cairo after a long struggle with illness at the age of 67.

Born in July 1955, Sherif Ismail graduated as a mechanical engineer in 1978 from Ain Shams University and started his career in oil exploration at the multinational oil company Mobil.

In 1979, he moved to Egypts Engineering for the Petroleum and Process Industries (ENPPI), eventually joining its board of directors.

He then served as the deputy minister of petroleum in charge of oil and gas operations from 2000 to 2005.

In 2005, he became the chairman of the Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS), where he served until 2007 when he was appointed as the chairman of the Ganoub El-Wadi Petroleum Holding Company (GANOPE).

Ismail served as petroleum minister from July 2013 onward, first under Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi, and then under Ibrahim Mahlab after February 2014.

In September 2015, Sherif Ismail was appointed as p rime m inister.

On 5 June 2018, Ismail presented his resignation. This came on the heels of gastrointestinal tract surgery in Germany earlier the same year that forced the prime minister to take two months medical leave.

On 18 June 2018, the former prime minister was appointed as the president's assistant for national projects.

Following the news of his death, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi mourned Sherif Ismail on his official Facebook and Twitter accounts, expressing his condolences to the Egyptian nation for the death of a loyal statesman.

With sincere sadness and sorrow, I mourn a real great man who reflected the Egyptian nation's conscience, El-Sisi said, adding that the deceased carried responsibilities in the most difficult situations and times and was equal to the difficult task.

I observed in Sherif Ismail all imperiality, sincerity, honesty and a willingness to offer, disregarding all advantages and pursuing only the best interests of his nation and his people, El-Sisi stated.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly also mourned his predecessor, saying Sherif Ismail will forever be remembered and much appreciated for all his merits and the great services he offered to the nation.

Sherif Ismail is survived by his wife and two children.

The time and place of the funeral have not yet been declared.

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Pictured here is the scene where six people, including a 10-month-old baby, were killed on January 16 in Goshen, California.
Black smoke rises after shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 3. An American volunteer aid worker was killed in Bakhmut on February 2 while aiding civilians.
Julia Naldjian, 24, is charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash involving death.
C.Chinas Hunan to roll out antibody testing services to help get overall picture of immunity among population

By Global Times (Global Times) 14:54, February 05, 2023

Medical workers work in a COVID-19 testing lab in east China's Shanghai, April 15, 2022. Photo:Xinhua

Central China's Hunan Province will roll out antibody testing services to the public starting from February 7, becoming the latest region in China to conduct such testing after cities such as Beijing and Wuhan in a bid to get an overall picture of immunity among the population and resistance against secondary infection.

The antibody testing service will be a user-pays model and cost 32 yuan ($4.74) per test. The daily reservation quota limitation is 100, according to a statement released by the Hunan provincial disease prevention and control center.

"The test is helpful to scientifically evaluate the immune status of COVID-19 recovery among the public and their resistance to secondary infection. It can serve as a reference to auxiliary diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, and receiving vaccination," the center noted.

Beijing is also set to conduct serum antibody investigation for novel coronavirusduring February and March this year. A total of roughly 5,000 people will be randomly chosen across all of Beijing's sub-districts, requiring information of their nucleic acid and vaccination status, to complete the investigation.

Similar antibody testing has been conducted in Wuhan by the city disease prevention and control center since January 15.

The antibody investigation should be conducted across the country to obtain a full picture of infection among the country's population, an expert from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chinese CDC), who requested anonymity, told the Global Times.

According to the China CDC, some provinces have set up mobile applications to collect antigen testing results provided by the public where people can upload their test results on a voluntary basis.

It showed the testing amount in each province was quite low, and demonstrated a downward trend. Testing amount dropped from a peak of 1.89 million on December 19, 2022 to 105,000 on January 23, 2023, rebounding to 132,000 on January 30.

The positive rate of antigen detection increased rapidly from December 9, 2022, reached a peak on December 22, then fluctuated and decreased, and fell to the lowest level on January 30, 2023 with positive rate standing at 2.2 percent, data released by the China CDC on February 1 showed.

This investigation will answer some important questions, for example, how many individuals are asymptomatic, as well as the antibody levels of people inoculated with different vaccines. If the sample is big enough, it will also tell health officials the proportion of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms and even the number of deaths, the expert said.

"This [serum antibody] is important for the country to prepare for any further outbreak. The next wave won't overwhelm the medical system, but it will help us better prepare for the next wave and possible other endemic to come," the anonymous CDC expert said.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
Pope Francis appealed Sunday to the people of South Sudan to lay down their "weapons of hatred" at an open-air mass on the final day of his pilgrimage to a country blighted by violence and poverty.

Large crowds of ecstatic worshippers streamed into the John Garang Mausoleum in the capital Juba to see the 86-year-old pontiff, who has made peace and reconciliation the theme of his three-day trip to the world's newest nation.

"Let us lay down the weapons of hatred and revenge... Let us overcome the dislikes and aversions that over time have become chronic and risk pitting tribes and ethnic groups against one another," he said in his homily.

People waved national flags and sang "Welcome holy father to South Sudan" as the Argentine pontiff moved through the crowds in his popemobile before delivering the mass to an audience local authorities put at around 70,000.

Francis is on the first papal visit to the largely Christian country since it achieved independence from mainly Muslim Sudan in 2011 and plunged into a civil war that killed nearly 400,000 people.

Despite a peace deal signed in 2018 between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar, many of its conditions remain unmet and violence continues to roil the country, driving people from their homes into displacement camps.

Hope for change

The wheelchair-bound pontiff, who himself tried to broker peace during the civil war, has received a rapturous welcome throughout his visit.

"I came to see the pope bring change to the country. For many years we've been at war, but we need peace. We want the pope to pray for us," said James Agiu, 24.

He was among the many who stayed overnight to join the mass at the John Garang mausoleum -- built in honour of South Sudan's rebel hero who was killed in a helicopter crash in 2005.

"I arrived last night. I've been waiting here. All night, sitting and waiting," Agiu said, laughing. "After he goes, I sleep."

On Saturday, Francis met victims of the civil war, who were brought to Juba from various camps, and urged the government to resume the peace process and restore "dignity" to the millions affected by conflict.

With 2.2 million internally displaced people (IDPs), and another two million outside the country, South Sudan is witness to the worst refugee crisis in Africa.

"A new start"

"I have been suffering in my life. That is why I'm here, so the pope can bless me and my family," said 32-year-old Josephine James at Sunday's mass.

"Ever since he arrived, people have been happy. I am very happy."

The papal visit has been closely followed in the devoutly Christian country of 12 million people, where church leaders played a key role in protecting civilians during the push for independence and the 2013-18 ethnic conflict.

He made a pointed speech on Friday telling the country's leaders they need to make "a new start" toward reconciliation and end the greed and power struggles tearing the nation apart.

"Future generations will either venerate your names or cancel their memory, based on what you now do," he told an audience that included Kiir and Machar. "No more bloodshed, no more conflicts, no more violence."

War crimes

The pope had promised in 2019 to travel to South Sudan, when he hosted Kiir and Machar at a Vatican retreat and asked them to respect the ceasefire.

In scenes that reverberated in South Sudan, Francis knelt and kissed the feet of two foes whose personal armies had been accused of horrific war crimes.

But four years later, the oil-rich country remains mired in intractable conflict, compounded by poverty, hunger and natural disasters.

In a sign of the challenges, at least 21 people were killed in a cattle raid on the eve of Francis's visit in what local authorities termed a reprisal attack in Central Equatoria state.

The pope's stop in South Sudan followed a four-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, another resource-rich country plagued by persistent conflict and also often overlooked by the world.

The trip -- Francis's fifth to Africa -- was initially scheduled for 2022 but had to be postponed because of problems with the pope's knee.

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In the wake of the January 8 storming of government buildings in Brasilia by fascist supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro, the Workers Party (PT) government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has made successive concessions to rabidly right-wing sections of the military and the state apparatus. It is seeking to accommodate itself to the promoters of what amounted to a coup attempt.

The pseudo-left parties and the trade unions are playing key roles in the PTs reactionary efforts, working not only to suppress the class struggle but to give a left-wing cover to Brazilian militarism and chauvinism. At the forefront of this right-wing policy is the Morenoite Unified Socialist Workers Party (PSTU).

While working for the last five months to isolate a strike at weapons manufacturer Avibras, the PSTU-led Metalworkers Union of Sao Jose dos Campos (SindMetalSJC) has spearheaded a campaign to identify the defense of workers wages and rights with the massive arming of the Brazilian state.

Back in March 2022, Avibras started bankruptcy proceedings after declaring an accumulated debt of R$640 million (US$124 million). The company announced 420 layoffs on the same day as part of a recovery plan for its main plant in Jacarei, near the industrial city of Sao Jose dos Campos, which employs 1,400 workers.

The SindMetalSJC union officials kept silent for days, only to announce a trip to Brasilia to demand that then President Bolsonaro and his generals agree to a meeting. Meanwhile, they prevented opposition from reaching workers in other factories and promoted the courts as the sole arbiters of the job cuts.

In September, when it became clear that opposition to years of job insecurity and overdue wages could not be contained and that the Bolsonaro government would not make concessions, the union called a strike in order to let off steam.

Once Lula won the elections, the SindMetalSJC immediately issued appeals for a meeting with the new PT administration to discuss an increase in military spending. In the third week of January, alongside representatives of the PSTU-led CSP-Conlutas and other trade union federations, the SindMetalSJC unionists traveled to Brasilia to hold meetings with Lula and other government officials.

PSTU leader and SindMetalSJC official Luiz Carlos Prates Mancha embraced by Lula on January 15, 2023. [Photo: CSP-Conlutas, Facebook]

The government talks with the unions took place at a critical moment, when Lula was to meet the military commanders to, in his own words, discuss the strengthening of the defense industry in this country. Among the likely topics of conversation with the generals was, according to Estado de Sao Paulo, the purchase of a new batch of missiles developed by Avibras.

On January 25, SindMetalSJC officials were granted a meeting with military heads of the Defense Ministry in which they presented a 50-page document titled Dossier Avibras. According to union President Weller Goncalves, They really liked the dossier because it contains technical data they need to sit with the Defense minister. Its enough to tell them to invest in Avibras. They wish to know what are the investments and projects.

The dossier produced by the Morenoites is a viciously militaristic and nationalist statement. Its language emits a conspicuous fascistic stench.

The PSTU praises the company as Brazils leading manufacturer of heavy war material: missiles, rocket launchers, armored vehicles, smart bombs, satellite communication systems, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and celebrates its position as a big contender in the global arms trade. It dominates 25 percent of the world market for its products, similar to the market that the United States, followed by Russia, with 20 percent, and China, with 10 percent, the document claims.

But they complain that today 85 percent of its revenue comes from exports to the Armed Forces of other countries, and that this subjugates all the technological development produced for decades  to the will and instability of the world market.

In response, the PSTU proposes a massive program of public investments and a large reorientation of the countrys economic and intellectual activities toward the erection of a gigantic war machine. They declare:

The strategic planning of national defense involves nationalizing the companies of the sector, integrating them with the scientific institutes and federal universities, to allow the manufacture of fighter planes, heavy weapons, military cargo ships, warships, combat helicopters, rockets, missiles, submarines, its own aerospace and naval technology, electronic systems and command and control systems. Such a company with state funding could even design modern fighter jets and large aircraft to compete with Boeing and Airbus.

The Morenoites bellicose campaign in Brazil is directly linked to the rapid escalation toward a new world war by the imperialist powers. Alongside most of the pseudo-left in the world, the PSTU and its International Workers League (IWL-FI) have enthusiastically supported the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine.

As the war in Ukraine develops ever more clearly into a direct confrontation between nuclear-armed powers, the Morenoites demand an escalation against Russia. In its most recent statement The Shipment of Tanks and Weapons to Ukraine Is Insufficient the IWL-FI writes:

It is imperative that we demand the necessary weaponry and military technology be sent to Ukraine to defeat Putin. In addition to the HIMARS multiple missile launcher system, the Ukrainians demand MGM-140 ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 kilometers. The Ukrainians are also asking for F-15, F-16, and A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter jets (specifically for infantry air support). Without these aircraft, it is impossible to control Ukrainian airspace.

The IWL-FI concludes that The campaign Weapons for Ukraine for Putins military defeat needs to be intensified and taken up by all trade unions and workers organizations. This statement helps to shed light on the objectives and opportunities detected by the PSTU as it demands a massive buildup of the war industry in Brazil.

Just last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Brazil and other Latin American countries in a campaign for support for the NATO war in Ukraine. While bowing to the demands to blame Russia as the culprit for the war, Lula has refused to send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. The pseudo-left, with the PSTU at its head, is the strongest advocate that Brazil and other Latin American governments take part in this war.

As the PSTU and its union apparatus orient themselves to such counterrevolutionary activities, they seek to create confusion about their real political character with demands such as workers control and nationalization of Avibras. They declare in their dossier that their aim is to make Avibras a state-owned company, which is controlled with the participation of the workers and is not at the mercy of the instabilities of the global defense market.

With such rhetoric, the Morenoites attempt to lend a left veneer to an absolutely right-wing militarist program. Opposed to the interests of the working class, the PSTU and its union apparatus stand for the interests of a privileged bureaucracy, which seeks to expand its income and influence over the companies administration and the state. Bearing the official title of workers organizations, they are in fact corporatist unions.

For more than a decade, the SindMetalSJC union bureaucrats declared that investments in Avibras through arms deals with the government would protect jobs and wages, while extolling the military apparatus. Programs promoted as central to national sovereignty include the Astros 2020 rocket-launcher system and the A-Darter air-to-air missile projected to equip the Swedish-made Gripen jet fighters, whose purchase was negotiated under the PT.

Such programs were sustained throughout the PT and Bolsonaro administrations as the military apparatus was evermore frequently used against the working class in major law-and-order operations in the poor districts and slums in the country. During the January 8 attack in Brasilia, armored cars were used by the military command to protect the fascists in the pro-Bolsonaro encampments outside the army headquarters from being arrested.

Under conditions in which the Brazilian military is being exposed as direct agents in a recent coup attempt and a breeding ground for fascist forces, the PSTUs attempt to expand its connections to the armed forces make it a direct accomplice in the authoritarian preparations of the ruling class.

In the coming weeks, the latest temporary layoff agreement with Avibras is coming to an end, while other workers have endured four months without wages. The machinations of the PSTU unionists with the government are completely opposed to workers interests in fighting for their jobs and wages. To develop that fight, workers at Avibras must appeal not to the bourgeoisie and its state but to their class brothers and sisters.

In Brazil and internationally, workers are waging a growing wave of strikes and protests against the attempts of the capitalist oligarchies to make them pay for the economic crisis and the war. Breaking with the corporatist unions and the pseudo-left forces, this global movement requires a new revolutionary leadership, which will find political expression in the building of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) and the International Committee of the Fourth International.
A former Israeli prime minister who served briefly as a mediator at the start of Russia's war with Ukraine says he drew a promise from the Russian president not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett became an unlikely intermediary in the war's first weeks, becoming one of the few Western leaders to meet President Vladimir Putin during the war in a snap trip to Moscow last March.

While Bennett's mediation efforts appear to have done little to end the bloodshed that continues until today, his remarks, in an interview posted online late Saturday, shed light on the backroom diplomacy and urgent efforts that were underway to try to bring the conflict to a speedy conclusion in its early days.

In the five-hour interview, which touched on numerous other subjects, Bennett says he asked Putin about whether he intended to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"I asked 'what's up with this? Are you planning to kill Zelenskyy?' He said 'I won't kill Zelenskyy.' I then said to him 'I have to understand that you're giving me your word that you won't kill Zelenskyy.' He said 'I'm not going to kill Zelenskyy.'''

Bennett said he then called Zelenskyy to inform him of Putin's pledge.

"'Listen, I came out of a meeting, he's not going to kill you.' He asks, 'are you sure?' I said '100% he won't kill you.'"

Bennett said that during his mediation, Putin dropped his vow to seek Ukraine's disarmament and Zelenskyy promised not to join NATO.

Bennett, a largely untested leader who had served as prime minister for just over six months when the war broke out, unexpectedly thrust himself into international diplomacy after he had positioned Israel into an uncomfortable middle ground between Russia and Ukraine. Israel views its good ties with the Kremlin as strategic in the face of threats from Iran but it aligns itself with Western nations and also seeks to show support for Ukraine.

An observant Jew and little known internationally, he flew to Moscow for his meeting with Putin during the Jewish Sabbath, breaking his religious commitments and putting himself at the forefront of global efforts to halt the war.

But his peacemaking efforts did not appear to take off and his time in power was short-lived. Bennett's government, an ideologically diverse union that sent current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a brief political exile, collapsed in the summer over infighting. Bennett stepped away from politics and is now a private citizen.

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A former Israeli prime minister who served briefly as a mediator at the start of Russia's war with Ukraine says he drew a promise from the Russian president not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart.

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett emerged as an unlikely intermediary in the war's first weeks, becoming one of the few Western leaders to meet President Vladimir Putin during the war in a snap trip to Moscow last March.

While Bennett's mediation efforts appear to have done little to end the bloodshed that continues until today, his remarks, in an interview posted online late Saturday, shed light on the backroom diplomacy and urgent efforts that were underway to try to bring the conflict to a speedy conclusion in its early days.

In the five-hour interview, which touched on numerous other subjects, Bennett says he asked Putin about whether he intended to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

I asked whats with this? Are you planning to kill Zelenskyy? He said I wont kill Zelenskyy. I then said to him I have to understand that youre giving me your word that you wont kill Zelenskyy. He said Im not going to kill Zelenskyy.

Bennett said he then called Zelenskyy to inform him of Putin's pledge.

'Listen, I came out of a meeting, hes not going to kill you. He asks, are you sure? I said 100% he wont kill you."

Bennett said that during his mediation, Putin dropped his vow to seek Ukraine's disarmament and Zelenskyy promised not to join NATO.

There was no immediate response from the Kremlin, which has previously denied Ukrainian claims that Russia intended to assassinate Zelenskyy.

Reacting to Bennett's comments in his widely reported interview, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote Sunday on Twitter: Do not be fooled: He is an expert liar. Every time he has promised not to do something, it has been exactly part of his plan.

Bennett, a largely untested leader who had served as prime minister for just over six months when the war broke out, unexpectedly thrust himself into international diplomacy after he had positioned Israel into an uncomfortable middle ground between Russia and Ukraine. Israel views its good ties with the Kremlin as strategic in the face of threats from Iran but it aligns itself with Western nations and also seeks to show support for Ukraine.

An observant Jew and little known internationally, he flew to Moscow for his meeting with Putin during the Jewish Sabbath, breaking his religious commitments and putting himself at the forefront of global efforts to halt the war.

But his peacemaking efforts did not appear to take off and his time in power was short-lived. Bennett's government, an ideologically diverse union that sent current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into a brief political exile, collapsed in the summer over infighting. Bennett stepped away from politics and is now a private citizen.

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Amid record-breaking cold temperatures in the Northeast, a large shark washed ashore on a Cape Cod beach and became encrusted in ice.

The image of the frozen shark, as some are describing it on social media, provides a stark illustration of just how cold it has been.

The shark rests on one side, mouth agape and bristling with teeth, on a mostly deserted beach turned white by sub-freezing temperatures.

The image was captured Saturday afternoon by Amie Medeiros at Cold Storage Beach in Dennis, Mass.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cape Cod, MA Photography by Amie (@capeimagesbyamie)

Experts have identified the shark as a porbeagle, a species similar in appearance to great white sharks. Porbeagle sharks can measure 12 feet and weigh about 500 pounds.

Despite the timing of the stranding, the recent cold spell likely had nothing to do with the death of the shark. (The air temperature was 10 degrees when Medeiros snapped the photo.)

As Cape Wide News reported, the image reveals a severe injury on the sharks side.

Amie Medeiros

John Chisholm, a Massachusetts-based shark researcher, tweeted that he was pretty sure this is one that originally washed up last week and has been moving around with the big tides.

Chisholm alluded to other mysterious porbeagle shark standings that occurred earlier this winter. Unlike the others, this one is a male, Chisholm added.

Medeiros told FTW Outdoors that as of Sunday morning nobody had arrived to collect the carcass. Its still there, stinky now, and people have taken its teeth, she said.

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An ongoing outbreak of a deadly avian flu strain has already killed millions of birds, and its becoming an even greater cause for concern as it spills over into mammalian species.

This is an infection that has epidemic and pandemic potential, Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a Toronto-based infectious disease specialist, told the CBC. I dont know if people recognize how big a deal this is.

The H5N1 avian influenza virus is not brand-new. But previously, it infected mostly birds on poultry farms. In 2020, however, gene-swapping between poultry and wild bird viruses created a wild bird-adapted version of the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This made it much easier for migrating wild birds to spread the virus to each other and domestic birds in their paths.

A rooster is held in a cage on a farm on Jan. 23, 2023, in Austin, Texas. An avian flu strain is becoming a cause for concern as it spills over into mammalian species.

A rooster is held in a cage on a farm on Jan. 23, 2023, in Austin, Texas. An avian flu strain is becoming a cause for concern as it spills over into mammalian species.

Since 2022, H5N1 has led to the deaths of more than 58 million domestic birds like chickens, ducks and turkeys in the United States alone. When the deadly virus hits poultry or egg farms  some of which have more than a million birds on the premises  the facility typically kills the entire flock to prevent further spread.

In the same time span, there have been nearly 6,000 cases in wild birds in the U.S.

Scientists have also found various wild mammals infected with the virus, including bears, foxes, otters and seals. Since October 2021, there have been five confirmed human cases worldwide and one death, according to the BBC.

Ian Brown, the U.K.s Animal and Plant Health Agency director of scientific services, told the BBC that he was acutely aware of the risks of avian flu turning into a pandemic among humans.

This global spread is a concern, he said. We do need globally to look at new strategies, those international partnerships, to get on top of this disease. If we dont solve the problem across the globe, were going to continue to have that risk.

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A dead pelican, possibly infected with H5N1 avian flu is seen in Lima, Peru on Dec. 7, 2022.

A dead pelican, possibly infected with H5N1 avian flu is seen in Lima, Peru on Dec. 7, 2022.

In October, a large outbreak occurred on a mink fur farm in Spain. Researchers who described the outbreak in a paper published last month believe that wild birds initially transmitted H5N1 to the mink farm, but once there, it spread from mink to mink.

This outbreak signals the very real potential for the emergence of mammal-to-mammal transmission, Michelle Wille, a wild bird virus researcher at the University of Sydney, told the CBC.

None of the workers, who wore protective gear, at the farm seem to have gotten infected. But some scientists worry that minks could be a kind of stepping stone for the virus to make a jump to humans.

This is incredibly concerning, Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, told Science Magazine. This is a clear mechanism for an H5 pandemic to start.

Journalist Zeynep Tufekci, who has extensively covered the COVID-19 pandemic, wrote in a New York Times opinion piece published this week titled An Even Deadlier Pandemic Could Soon Be Here. She also spoke to Peacock, who noted that minks respiratory systems make them particularly good host species for viruses that can infect humans.

In her op-ed, Tufekci calls for a slew of cautionary measures, including expanding testing capabilities and ramping up vaccine development and production. She also calls for mink farms to be shut down  something somecountries have already done due to a combination of animal cruelty concerns and the fact that the farms were also hotbeds for COVID-19.

Related...
Jimmy Barnes Shares Health Update Following "Urgent Surgery"

Jimmy Barnes has posted an update on social media regarding his current health condition. Barnes let his followers know that hes been given the all clear  in November Barnes was forced to cancel his summer touring schedule in order to undergo urgent surgery.

At the time, Barnes said it was against [his] religion to blow out gigs, but 50 years of jumping off PAs and stomping around stages had caught up with him, necessitating back and hip surgery to alleviate the constant and severe pain he was experiencing.

Jimmy Barnes: Weve got 10 out of 10

Weve got 10 out of 10, and an all clear to get on the next plane. Land of Smiles here we come. The kids will look after the veggies, roses and geese. Our next phase of Physio will be in a pool by the Gulf of Siam. Luckiest man in the world right now pic.twitter.com/9MNuoGHFnl  Jimmy Barnes (@JimmyBarnes) February 2, 2023

Barnes is now on the mend, having completed his most recent round of treatment before heading to Thailand. Weve got 10 out of 10, and an all clear to get on the next plane, he said.

Land of Smiles here we come, he wrote, referring to his wifes home country of Thailand. The kids will look after the veggies, roses and geese. Our next phase of physio will be in a pool by the Gulf of Siam. Luckiest man in the world right now.

Were through the rigmarole of check in and customs, ready to board, Barnes wrote in another post several hours later. Thanks for cheering me on, so much positivity has definitely helped. Ill be working on my book, writing new music between physio work in the pool.

Barnes hasnt announced when hell return to the stage, but his postponed tour is due to begin in August. Among the cancelled gigs was a planned appearance at Bluesfest, where Barnes was set to premiere his newest project, The Barnestormers.

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Further Reading

Jimmy Barnes Announces Christmas Album, Shares Blue Christmas Cover

Jimmy Barnes Cancels QLD Tour Dates After Testing COVID-Positive

Watch Jimmy Barnes and Family Celebrate Our Paralympians with We Are the Champions

The post Jimmy Barnes Shares Health Update Following Urgent Surgery appeared first on Music Feeds.
Key To The Highway is one of those many blues songs with murky origins and controversy about who exactly penned the lyrics. Though the song is associated with Big Bill Broonzy, it was first recorded by piano player Charlie Segar  who was known as the Key Board Wizard Supreme  in February 1940. A few months later, Broonzy played guitar on a version by Jazz Gillum before recording his own version in 1941 (with Gillum returning the musical favor and playing harmonica on that cover). All three claimed a hand in the authorship of the song, though Broonzys acoustic eight-bar-blues version (the original was 12-bar) became the standard-bearer.

Listen to the evolution of Key To The Highway on Spotify.

The song is about an itinerant bluesman who leaves home to travel the highways after splitting from his lover. Mance Lipscomb, who recorded a version in the 50s, said that the phrase key to the highway referred to a persons feet. Broonzy told historian Studs Terkel that the melody he used was the one he first heard as a young boy in Arkansas, played on the banjo by his uncle. Broonzy is credited as co-writer (with Segar), and he told Terkel that all blues writers took songs and made others from them by changing a little bit. Of Key To The Highway he said: Yeah, I wrote it, yeah. In a way  Ill say I wrote it; and Charles Segar  he was in it too.

I got the key to the highway

Billed out and bound to go

Im gonna leave here runnin

Because walkin is much too slow



Give me one more kiss, mama

Just before I go

Cause when Im leavin here

I wont be back no more

An anthem of the homeless

As well as a lament about leaving a lover to roam the US, the song was praised as an anthem of the homeless when Broonzys original version was inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame in 2010. Broonzy also recorded a remarkably moving adaptation on The Big Bill Broonzy Story, the record he cut months before his death in 1958.

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Among the dozens of leading blues musicians who have subsequently recorded versions are John Lee Hooker, BB King, Freddie King, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, Buddy Guy, and Muddy Waters. Yet despite its status as a blues classic, the song has only made the Billboard charts once, in 1958, in a stunning version by Little Walter.

Harmonica maestro Walter adapted the song for the Chicago blues sound, playing with a talented band that included Otis Spann on piano, revered songwriter Willie Dixon on bass, and Muddy Waters on slide guitar. Walters sizzling, gnarly version spent 14 weeks on the charts and influenced a host of musicians, including Keith Richards. The Rolling Stones guitarist chose the track as one of his BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs songs in 2015, saying, Its top-of-the line rhythmnblues by Little Walter. If Im on a desert island, wheres the highway?

The Rolling Stones recorded a highly credible version of Key To The Highway at Chess Studios in November 1964, though it remained unreleased for years. In addition, their album Dirty Work features a hidden track with Ian Stewart playing 30 seconds of the song, while Richards has also revisited the song live with Eric Clapton.

Key To The Highway has appeared in different genres over the years (including an accordion version by Clifton Chenier and a big-band-style take by Dinah Washington). Arguably one of the finest versions is by Jimmy Witherspoon, with gorgeous tenor saxophone accompaniment from the jazz giant Ben Webster.

Perhaps, the most interesting version of Key To The Highway appeared in a landmark rock album from 1970: Derek And The Dominos Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. The album features a nine-minute jam version of the song, as Eric Clapton and Duane Allman take dazzling turns with beautiful chord changes. It has a hypnotic power.

Clapton has returned to the song numerous times over the years, including separate duet versions with BB King and The Allman Brothers. When I was about 14, I saw Big Bill Broonzy on TV and that was an incredible thing, Clapton told Guitarist Magazine in 2003. This was a real blues artist and I felt like I was looking into heaven. That was it for me, and then, when I went to explore his music, the song that always came back to me was an incredible version of Key To The Highway. That was the one that I thought somehow would, like Crossroads, capture the whole journey of being a musician and a traveling journeyman.

Listen to the best blues songs on Spotify.

For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music.

uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG.
The League of Arab states will host a conference in support of Jerusalem next week at the headquarters of the Arab League in the Egyptian capital, and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will take part in it, Palestines Ambassador in Cairo and its permanent representative to the Arab League, Diab al-Louh, said on Sunday.

The conference is scheduled to be held on the 12th of this month, the WAFA news agency said.

Al-Louh said in a statement that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and the League of Arab States have invited the leaders of member states as well as a number of world figures and representatives of international organisations, Arab funds, Arab development agencies, civil society organisations, and a number of foreign diplomatic missions in Cairo to participate in the conference.

The Palestinian news agency reported that the high-level international conference on Jerusalem had already been approved by the Arab League at the level of foreign ministers in its 158th session, as well as the Arab Summit in Algeria in its 31st session.

It was decided to hold the conference at this critical time, specifically in an attempt to internationalise the issue of Jerusalem and support the steadfastness of its Palestinian residents and to place it on the agenda of joint Arab action, he said.

The conference aims to unify the Arab position to confront the Israeli occupation practices in light of the targeting of the city of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian sanctities and its residents, as well as the increase in the pace of Judaisation, foremost of which is Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially after the formation of the far-right government that wants to destroy the two-state solution, singling out the city of Jerusalem, and trying to isolate it and obliterate its identity, he explained.

Al-Louh said that the purpose of this international conference is to discuss ways to support the steadfastness of the Palestinians in the Holy City in terms of development and investment by presenting a study for financing development and investment projects proposed by the State of Palestine. They are estimated at between 25-30 projects in the health, education, housing and empowerment of women sectors, and to submit a proposal to establish an Arab voluntary fund in which member states, Arab funds, the private sector and Arab development agencies contribute to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the city of Jerusalem.

He expressed hope that the conference would culminate in forming a committee of Arab experts specialised in international law to provide legal advice on cases violated by the Israeli occupation forces and that this committee would meet periodically to discuss legal issues and violations in Jerusalem.

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LOS ANGELES  Auto Club Speedway will not host a NASCAR race next year because of plans to convert the 2-mile speedway into a short track.

It will mark only the second time the Cup Series has not raced at the Southern California track since first competing there in 1997. Cup did not race at the track in 2021 because of the pandemic.

Dave Allen, Auto Club Speedway president, also said Saturday that its possible that the track might not host a NASCAR race in 2025 because of how long it could take to make the conversion.

NASCAR came to the Fontana, California, track during the sports expansion in the late 1990s that also saw Cup debut at Texas (1997), Las Vegas (1998) and Homestead (1999).

Auto Club Speedway begins the West Coast swing this season, hosting the Cup Series on Feb. 26, a week after the Daytona 500. The series then goes to Las Vegas and Phoenix the following two weeks.

Auto Club Speedway has been among a favorite of drivers because of its aging pavement that put more of the cars control in the hands of competitors.

Allen said that officials continue to work on the tracks design. It is expected to be a half-mile track. With NASCAR already having a half-mile high-banked track (Bristol) and half-mile low-banked track (Martinsville), Allen said that a goal is to make Auto Club Speedway stand out.

It has to make a statement, and making sure that we have a racetrack that is unique to itself here and different than any of the tracks they go to is very important, Allen said. Having said that, its equally important  to make sure that the fan experience part is unique.

Kyle Larson, who won last years Cup race at Auto Club Speedway, said that he talked to Allen on Saturday was told the track project likely will take about 18 months.

I dont know exactly the extent of what theyre doing with the track, how big its going to be, the shape or banking and all that, and I love the 2-mile track, but I think the more short tracks we can have, the better off our sport is going to be, Larson said.

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With Auto Club Speedway off the schedule in 2024, it would mean the only time Cup raced in the Los Angeles area would be at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. NASCAR has a three-year contract with the Coliseum to race there and holds the option to return.

Sundays Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum marks the second year of that agreement. Last years inaugural event at the Coliseum drew about 50,000 fans. NASCAR has not publicly stated if it will return to the Coliseum next year.

Read more about NASCAR

Sunday Clash at the Coliseum: Start time, TV info, race format NASCAR Saturday schedule at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum New NASCAR Cup season features several changes

NASCAR will not race at Auto Club Speedway in 2024 originally appeared on NBCSports.com
Back in the 1980s, I was teaching English at a private school in Vermont when one of my seniors lost his temper.

Youre saying we need to know all this stuff, he said, but we dont. Look, my fathers secretary is already fixing my papers for me. I already have a private secretary. Why should I assume, if I already have one now, that I wont have one later? I dont need this!

And there, dear reader is the question. Forty years of technology have put a service once available to a rich mans son into the hands of us all. Your childrens teachers want your kids to be able to think, find reliable information and write intelligently about it on their own. But theyve always found shortcuts.

Lawrence Brown

Back in the day, they could copy verbatim from books and offer bogus footnotes that looked scholarly but referred to nothing. The chances of an over-burdened teacher actually checking were close to nil. Kids at that same school threw their library books in the dumpster in June  or razored the incriminating pages out  affluent teenagers honing their skills at white-collar crime.

The internet made it far easier, but soon, academics purchased software that could scan the web too  and flag plagiarized content. What our schools have always wanted is to train our children how to research new information, how to use it honestly and how to cite the sources so readers could be reassured the papers were factual  and were being directed to the reliable source material if they wanted to learn more. Thats the whole idea.

Joy ride:Brewster couple retools 70-year-old bus into an RV

Meanwhile, computer technology pushes for machines that can solve problems for us faster and more reliably than humans can. For the layperson, this has seemed like trying to create a brain in a box  like a super-bright Hollywood robot. But artificial intelligence (AI) isnt like that. Its an attempt to scan all writings on all subjects, everything we can find today when we search for it specifically and teach computers how to synthesize all of this on demand.

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While Im writing, Microsoft Word is constantly offering me suggestions for my next word or phrase. When I get emails, Google offers me a short menu of appropriate replies. In short, my computer is pre-reading my mail and trying to read my mind  and getting better at both all the time.

OK, back to school. Teachers and professors give their students assignments to research something, or analyze it or just think about it. Not that long ago, the lazy ones could scan for papers written by others and purchase them online for their own use. And often, academic software could catch them at it. Now, were entering an age when AI can, at the speed of light, research their topics and write a paper for them. And the result will be unique  and thus untraceable. What are we to do?

Curious Cape:Worker entombed in the Sagamore Bridge? We unravel a Cape Cod urban legend

God forbid we raise a generation of children whod become helpless if the power went off. So lets imagine a research paper with an interesting topic a kid could work on. The first task is to assemble a fact-pile of useful facts, statistics and quotes. The site is listed and under it, the facts and quotes are listed. Not a reprint, just the useful tidbits  quotes in blue ink and facts in red. That will be track #1, the data track.

That completed, the kids spend a class period writing longhand what they think the problem is theyre looking at, and what solutions to it might look like. Its what theyd say out loud if you had a conversation about it. This will become the narrative track. Teachers read the handwritten draft, make a few written suggestions, then the kids type it up and the teacher keeps these, the handwritten and typed drafts.

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Only then will the students merge their supporting data into their narrative tracks, quotes in blue, data in red and their narrative track in black. The result is an anatomy chart of how the original thinking is supported by research  and it all belongs to the student. Its plagiarism- and AI-proof. All the teacher needs to do is compare the finished products to the handwritten drafts. This works. My Cape seventh-grade students did this for years.

In 1968, Robert Kennedy was about to deliver a campaign speech when someone told him Dr. King had been murdered. You can Google his resulting speech. What Kennedy did was what you want a good education to do. He told stories; he quoted ancient Greek playwrights; he touched the heart; he made sense. Its what we want our kids to do: synthesize reality all by themselves.

Lawrence Brown is a columnist for the Cape Cod Times. Email him at columnresponse@gmail.com.

Stay connected with Cape Cod news, sports, restaurants and breaking news. Download our free app.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Opinion: Artificial intelligence a threat to critical thinking skills
New York District Attorney Alvin Braggs latest moves suggest prosecutors are nearing a decision about charging former President Trump in connection with a $130,000 hush payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election.

The Manhattan district attorneys office this week escalated the fight by empaneling another grand jury in the case and presenting witnesses.

Legal experts and a former colleague of Braggs said the Democratic attorneys actions indicate prosecutors are edging closer to possible charges against Trump.

If they actually are presenting witnesses, the first thing I said is, Oh, this is real. Theyre going for it, said Catherine Christian, a former financial fraud prosecutor in Braggs office who was not involved in the investigation.

Trump has downplayed the development in a series of Truth Social posts, arguing Bragg should focus on fighting crime in New York.

The former president painted the investigation as a witch hunt and warned about statutes of limitations, referring to the time window in which prosecutors can bring charges.

Some Radical Left crazies, coupled with ratings crushed and failing Fake News, are trying to get [Bragg] to go the prosecutorial misconduct route, and take on certain very weak cases which are dead anyway based on the Statute of Limitations. FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME! Trump posted on Wednesday.

Trump attorney Ronald Fischetti and Bragg spokeswoman Danielle Filson did not return requests for comment for this story.

The controversy surrounding Trump and Daniels began when Trumps longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, made a $130,000 payment to Daniels in October 2016 to stop her from publicly alleging she had an affair with Trump. Trump has denied the affair.

Cohen later pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations. He claimed that Trump directed him to make the payment and that Trump reimbursed him in monthly installments that included a bonus, even presenting one of the purported checks to lawmakers at a 2019 committee hearing.

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Bragg could attempt to bring state charges of falsifying business records against the former president if prosecutors can show that Trump, with an intent to defraud, was personally involved in unlawfully designating Cohens reimbursements a legal expense.

That misdemeanor would carry up to a year in jail, but a felony version of the crime could carry up to four years.

For prosecutors to pursue the charge, they would additionally need to show the fraud included an intent to commit another crime.

Legal experts suggest that could involve breaking state campaign finance or tax laws, but they questioned if a federal campaign finance violation would suffice.

Prosecutors would also need to grapple with the five-year statute of limitations on most New York felonies. Many known allegations involve transactions in 2016 and 2017.

Christian insisted Bragg wouldnt have moved forward with the grand jury if he was too late, suggesting a legal doctrine might be in play that allows prosecutors to bring charges after the deadline in certain circumstances, known as tolling.

I assume  these are very competent people  they found a reason why it was tolled in this case, possibly because hes been out of the jurisdiction, said Christian, who is now a partner at Liston Abramson.

If the case gets to the merits, proving either charge could also heavily rely on the testimony of Cohen, a convicted felon.

I do think Michael Cohen comes with some credibility, given his current track record of cooperation. But well see. Hell definitely be attacked, said William Widge Devaney, a former assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey who is now a partner at Baker & McKenzie.

Cohen said on Wednesday that he recently spoke to Braggs office and provided his cellphone, describing it as a reinvigorated investigation.

Ive said all along that I thought the DAs case is by far the simplest to prove, and it is the most destructive to Donald Trump individually, and to his business as well, Cohen told CNNs Don Lemon. I do believe that he will see repercussions for the first time in almost his entire life.

The grand jury could also end without bringing any charges, as did one earlier in the investigation.

Cyrus Vance Jr., Braggs predecessor and the one who began the probe, convened a previous grand jury as the investigation expanded from the hush payment to an additional prong of whether Trump and his businesses unlawfully manipulated asset values for tax and loan benefits.

After Bragg took over, that grand jury expired without levying any charges against the former president.

At the time, the investigation seemed to lose steam. Two top prosecutors who expressed a desire to charge Trump resigned, indicating that Bragg had stopped pursuing the indictment.

In the months since, Bragg has secured convictions for the Trump Organization and its former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, on charges related to executive perks.

Now, the hush payment and the president himself have reemerged as a focus in just one of multiple legal battles involving the former president. Trump could become the first former president to face an indictment.

Federal investigations into the mishandling of classified records at Mar-a-Lago and efforts to block the 2020 transition of power also continue. A district attorney in Georgia is investigating Trumps actions following the 2020 election, and the New York attorney general is also pursuing a civil lawsuit against the former president.

On one level, I think Bragg doesnt want to be left out of the party if there are going to be additional criminal charges brought against Trump, said Devaney.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Campbell

Rural North Carolina has some of the most beautiful scenery in America, as documented by the growing numbers of tourists. Almost 40 percent of our 10.5 million residents live in the 80 counties considered rural, defined as having a population density of 250 people or fewer per square mile. Demographers tell us rural citizens are older, poorer, more obese, have higher blood pressures, greater instances of diabetes, and a lower life expectancy than state averages.

Why such a gap in health outcomes when our state is known for world-class healthcare facilities and schools training care providers?

While rural residents can do much to improve their health, such as getting more exercise, having more regular examinations, stopping smoking and eating better foods, there are some things residents cant do. Chief among them is having adequate healthcare access. In the vast majority of cases, there is limited access to hospitals, clinics and care providers. Many areas lack pharmacies or sufficient options for buying healthy groceries.

Nationwide, 121 rural hospitals have closed since 2010 and another 600 are close to being insolvent. Five North Carolina rural hospitals have closed since 2010 and a handful are teetering. On January 1, the federal government announced a new payment plan to help struggling hospitals. But many question whether the cure may be worse than the disease. Under this plan rural hospitals would become little more than emergency rooms and primary care outpatient clinics, because no patient stay could exceed 24 hours. Any patient requiring longer inpatient care would be transferred elsewhere, providing they could get a room. In accepting these mandates, the Center for Medicaid and Medicare would pay rural hospitals an additional five percent for outpatient services and $3 million a year for a facilities payment.

There are several problems with this payment plan. First, it will likely create staffing shortages, since a nurse or other professional in the emergency department at smaller hospitals typically also works in inpatient care. Its a triple whammy  the hospital loses revenues from impatient services, resulting in funding shortfalls needed to pay sufficient numbers of nurses and staff and further impedes adequate healthcare access to rural citizens. And what if larger hospitals refuse to accept patient transfers? Weve heard too many stories of patients waiting in hallways for a bed. Maybe there were good intentions to help struggling rural hospitals, but this plan isnt the solution.

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Then theres the problem of care provider shortages. Twenty of the 80 rural counties in our state do not have a pediatrician, 26 dont have an OB-GYN, 32 are without a psychiatrist and finding a dentist in many is like pulling teeth, to use a very bad pun. North Carolina has a sufficient number of doctors were told, but too few in rural areas.

Several North Carolina medical schools have placed an emphasis on accepting applicants from rural sections, anticipating they will opt to return home to practice. UNC and Campbell provide targeted training for students, but the ECU Brody School of Medicine has made this their primary focus. From its earliest beginnings in the 1970s, Brody gives admission preferences to North Carolina residents from rural areas. Throughout their four years of med school ECU students work with primary care physicians, frequently in rural areas, so as to learn both the benefits and stresses of rural doctors. Brody ranks in the 90th percentile for graduates practicing in rural areas.

But more primary care physicians are needed. ECU Chancellor Phillip Rogers says one of the universitys primary goals for this General Assembly session is to get additional funding so Brody can increase the number of students they can accept and train. Lets hope lawmakers respond to this important request.

Leaders in rural sections have an important role to play. Community Care North Carolina has been trained by MIT to establish a new mentoring program. New doctors generally know little about business matters and this mentoring will help them manage their practices. Rural leaders get mentoring to learn what they can do to attract and retain family physicians. Financial assistance in obtaining office space, student debt retirement (typically around $200,000 upon graduation) and other support services will ensure the new physician not only survives but thrives.

To improve rural health, we must have successful rural hospitals and clinics, more primary care physicians, nurses and support staff, and improved partnerships between care providers and rural communities.

I was born and spent much of my life in rural North Carolina and can testify to the great beauty and wonderful way of life in these areas. We often lament the decline in rural populations and once vibrant small towns, but it is a fact that people will not move to and live where they cannot get adequate healthcare. We have a great opportunity to improve rural health. Do we have the will to do so?

Tom Campbell is a Hall of Fame North Carolina Broadcaster and columnist who has covered North Carolina public policy issues since 1965. He recently retired from writing, producing and moderating the statewide half-hour TV program NC SPIN that aired 22  years. Contact him at tomcamp@carolinabroadcasting.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Tom Campbell column: Why NC needs rural hospitals and health clinics
The US will accelerate its deployment of advanced weapons including fighter warplanes and bombers on the Korean peninsula, the countrys defence secretary Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday after arriving for talks in South Korea.

Washington is looking to bolster its joint training and operational planning with its ally as the region witnesses the rising threat of nuclear test and missile launches from North Korea.

The US defence secretary met with his South Korean counterpart Lee Jong-Sup in Seoul and pledged to further expand and bolster the level and scale of this years combined exercises and training, according to a statement from the US Department of Defense.

To this end, the two leaders concurred on the need to take into account changes in the security environment, including the DPRKs [North Korea] recent steps with respect to its nuclear and missile programmes, to strengthen combined exercises and training, including the upcoming combined bilateral exercises, the statement added.

The two leaders agreed to expand the scope and scale of combined field training exercises and to conduct a large-scale combined joint fires demonstration this year, it added.

Both the ministers vowed to continue to deploy US strategic assets in a timely and coordinated manner in the future.

Mr Austin and Mr Lee also spoke about an upcoming simulated exercise between the allies in February, which is aimed at sharpening their response if North Korea uses nuclear weapons.

Experts monitoring tensions in the region say North Korea has been building towards a full-scale nuclear test by conducting close to 100 short- and long-range missile launches last year.

The top US defence officials visit comes at a time when South Korea has publicly raised its concerns about Pyongyangs escalatory test launches as well as provocative statements from Kim Jong-un and his regime.

Dozens of missiles tested by the country in 2022 were confirmed to be nuclear capable and having the potential to strike targets as far afield as the US mainland.

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Reassuring the South of the USs continued military backing, Mr Austin said: We deployed fifth-generation aircraft, F-22s and F-35s, we deployed a carrier strike group to visit the peninsula, you can look for more of that kind of activity going forward.

The USs commitment to protecting its allies with its full range of military capabilities, including nuclear ones, remains ironclad, he added.

This weeks visit is expected to spark tensions in the coming months as Mr Kim had pledged to deliver on promises over North Koreas nuclear ambitions for 2023.

In an address at the end of last year, he had called for an exponential increase in nuclear warheads, mass production of battlefield tactical nuclear weapons targeting South Korea and the development of more powerful long-range missiles designed to reach the US mainland.

Analysts say Mr Kim is attempting to force the US to accept the idea of North Korea as a nuclear power and negotiate urgently needed economic concessions from a position of strength.
Like a number of recent high-profile cases of police brutality, the fatal encounter between Tyre Nichols and Memphis, Tennessee, police officers began with what appeared to be a simple traffic stop.

Nichols is one of the hundreds of people including Patrick Lyoya, Daunte Wright, Jayland Walker, Philando Castile, Sandra Bland and Walter Scott who were killed after being stopped by police for traffic violations.

Traffic stops are among the most common interactions between police and civilians, and the vast majority of them end uneventfully. But policing experts say Nichols' death again highlights the potential for traffic stops to quickly escalate into violent and even fatal struggles  particularly for people of color  in part, due to the way officers are trained.

"What the encounter shows is just how quickly these encounters can escalate from zero to 100," said Jordan Blair Woods, professor at the University of Arizona College of Law. "It really does raise all sorts of questions about not only just de-escalation tactics during traffic stops and training but what we're allowing police officers to do in the traffic space to begin with."

How often are people killed after traffic stops?

On average, police pull over more than 50,000 people daily and more than 20 million motorists annually, according to the Stanford Open Policing Project. Black drivers are more likely to be stopped and searched, the study found.

Since 2017, more than 600 people have been killed by police after an initial encounter related to a traffic violation or traffic-related offense, according to Mapping Police Violence, which collects data on police killings.

More than a quarter of fatal police shootings of unarmed Black men and women between 2015 and 2021 occurred during traffic stops, an NPR investigation of the killings found.

A California Highway Patrol officer stops a motorist who was suspected of speeding along Interstate 405 freeway on April 23, 2020, in Westminster, Calif. California law enforcement was more than twice as likely to use force against people they perceived as Black during vehicle and pedestrian stops in 2021, as compared to people believed to be white, according to a state report.

Why do traffic stops turn violent?

Part of the reason traffic stops can become violent is that officers are trained to view the routine encounters as "especially dangerous" because they "never know who's going to be behind the wheel," Woods said. But his research suggests traffic stops rarely result in random violence, and when they do, it's often because of officers' reactions.

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Our View: Police should stop making minor traffic stops that too often turn into major tragedies

Opinion: How do you want to be remembered? Why we should make this the enduring image of Tyre Nichols.

Stops can escalate when officers don't like the way drivers or passengers respond to their commands, a reaction which "is very much tied to perceptions about danger and race," Woods said. He pointed to footage of the stop of Nichols, who was Black, noting how officers can be heard yelling multiple commands at him even though he appears to be complying and restrained.

Memphis police Chief Cerelyn Davis said the department hasn't been able to substantiate its initial statement saying Nichols engaged in reckless driving necessitating a traffic stop.

Lauren Bonds, executive director of the National Police Accountability Project, said this is "something that unfortunately happens a lot where officers are insisting on 100% compliance when they're getting 99%."

Bonds and Woods said that law enforcement, particularly specialized violent crime units like the one linked to Nichols' death, use traffic stops as a pretext to search for evidence of other crimes.

"If that's your intent when you see someone who is a reckless driver or has expired tags, it's going to be a situation where you're maybe even trying to escalate it," Bonds said.

Bonds said it's also important to remember that the stops can cause anxiety for drivers too.

"There's been some criticism about 'why did (Nichols) run?'" she said. "It's really scary and dangerous to just go along and be detained."

How can police make traffic stops safer?

Both Bonds and Woods said police departments and local leaders need to reconsider having armed officers involved in traffic stops.

"The real solutions are not viewing this as an isolated incident and thinking about this as a systemic problem that's occurring across the country," Woods said.

Bonds pointed to cities like Philadelphia which have banned minor traffic stops to reduce negative interactions with police. Virginia passed a similar law in 2020 and Minneapolis police announced a similar policy in 2021.

"What this really comes down to is we just need to limit these interactions between officers and civilians," she said. "I just don't think this is a problem you can train yourself out of."

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Contributing: The Associated Press

Contact Breaking News Reporter N'dea Yancey-Bragg at nyanceybra@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyre Nichols death: Why experts say routine traffic stops turn deadly
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (right) speaks with Ron Colwell (left), general manager of Montana Renewables, and Health, Safety and Security Manager Clint Bishop (center) during a tour of the Calumet Montana refinery in Great Falls on Wednesday.

The Calumet Montana oil refinery in Great Falls has completed the multi-million dollar expansion project it began more than a year ago and is now poised to become the largest producer of sustainable aviation fuel in the United States, if not the world.

That promising news was revealed by Calumet Montana plant manager Carlos Centurion on Wednesday, following a tour of the refinery with Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte.

Reducing air transportation carbon emissions is one of the most challenging goals, not only for the U.S. but worldwide, Centurion said. In response to that challenge  we are going to begin supplying sustainable aviation fuels this spring.

Calumet announced last November that a refinery conversion project begun in January 2022 was completed in October, and that the $90 million project would enable Calumet to become a major player in emerging national and international markets for bio-based diesel and sustainable aviation fuel.

Late last year we began producing renewable diesel, which leads to reduction in overall carbon emissions from tailpipes, Centurion said before a gathering of refinery employees. Its running well right now and we have future plans for the expansion of that, as we debug and continue to add equipment to that side of the plant.

Plant Manager Carlos Centurion presents remarks during a gubernatorial tour of the Calumet refinery last Wednesday.

S&P Global, a financial forecasting company, predicts the demand for bio-based diesel in the United States and Canada will jump from 1.9 billion gallons a year in 2022 to 2.9 billion gallons per year by 2025. Last November the trade magazine Biobased Diesel Daily forecast that when at full production the refinery at Great Falls would be capable of producing 12,000 barrels of bio-based diesel a day.

What was new at Wednesdays presentation was news of Calumet Montanas imminent entry into the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry.

Were in the midst of starting that up  finishing a little bit of the construction, Centurion said of the SAF production facility. Well be starting that up in the next couple of months. We expect to become one of the largest, if not the largest sustainable aviation fuel producer in the world, right here in Great Falls.

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Centurion explained that SAF is created using animal fat and vegetable oil, and that some of those base ingredients will almost certainly come from ag producers in Montana and the surrounding region. Montana Renewables General Manager Ron Colwell, said biofuels like the ones produced at Calumet frequently use crops such as canola, camelina, soybeans and corn as part of the production process.

According to Centurion, refinery expansion projects in both 2016 and 2022 have more than doubled Calumet Montana's workforce at the refinery in Great Falls in the last seven years.

Back in 2016 we had about 100 full-time employees, he said. Were now approaching 240 and climbing, with a large economic impact not only in Great Falls but for the entire region."

"Because of this latest renewable project, weve hired about 40 full-time employees," Centurion continued. "Id say 80% of them are local and 20% are people who lived here at one time and moved away because the jobs were somewhere else. Theyve come back because the jobs are back here now.

Its a point the governor was quick to seize upon.

One of the accomplishments Im most proud of is, over the past two years the private sector has created 31,000 new jobs in Montana," Gianforte said of his first two years in office. "Thats more than has ever been created in any two-year period in the states history."

Calumets presence here impacts 4,000 livelihoods across the state, which is tremendous," he continued, "but all of their innovative leadership and job creation would not be possible without a stable, predictable regulatory process that they can rely on. Our Red Tape Relief efforts are focused on creating that reliable environment for business.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte speaks to employees of the Calumet Montana refinery in Great Falls following a tour of the plant last Wednesday.

A large portion of Gianfortes gubernatorial election campaign in 2020 focused on job creation and regulatory reform. The governor cited that emphasis as an important component in bringing the Calumet expansion project to Great Falls.

As much as our tax cuts and reforms help hardworking Montanans, we recognize our states regulatory schemes are really a wet blanket on business, he said during a speech in the Calumet Montana maintenance shop. Thats why on my second day in office I signed my first executive order for the Red Tape Relief Task Force.

The task force is being led by Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras, who is a resident of Great Falls.

Shes worked with each state agency, weve gone through all the regulations in the state, to roll back and repeal unnecessary regulations, Gianforte said of Juras. She worked with industry stakeholders and incorporated widespread public input into that process and their results are really clear. Right now, because of that work, we have about 170 red tape relief bills from the legislature, and many of them have already passed from the House or the Senate.

Gianforte credited his administration's success in cutting regulatory red tape for facilitating the speed in constructing a biofuels plant in Great Falls.

Praise for the Red Tape Relief Task Force is not universal. Critics have described it as a one size fits all approach to occupational licensing, and warn that while the wholesale elimination of diverse state regulations may be good for business, its bad for environmental preservation, worker safety and business transparency.

At the refinerys maintenance shop on Wednesday, there was nothing but praise for the Governors efforts to eliminate burdensome regulations.

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) helped streamline the existing environmental permit process for the renewable fuels project, Centurion said of the state agencys efforts to smooth the way for Calumet. It was a very collaborative effort that resulted in one the most efficient permits anywhere.

The speed of the permitting process is what allowed us to get to the market sooner and it allowed a streamlined project schedule, he added There was definitely a cost savings with an expedited schedule that would have been, in some states, a multi-year process to get permits. It didnt happen here. It is the best that Ive seen.

Calumet Montana and Montana Renewables are divisions of parent company Calumet Specialty Products, headquartered in Indianapolis. Calumet Specialty Products produces oils, solvents, fuels and asphalt at plants across the U.S. gulf coast, the Midwest, in Montana and Mexico.

This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Great Falls refinery may become top producer of bio jet fuel
The Democratic National Committee will follow President Joe Bidens recommendation to have South Carolina vote first in the 2024 presidential primaries.

The Democratic National Committee will follow President Joe Bidens recommendation to have South Carolina vote first in the 2024 presidential primaries.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) voted Saturday to follow President Joe Bidens recommendation and drastically alter the partys early presidential primary schedule, elevating South Carolina, sidelining Iowa and angering New Hampshire.

The new calendar passed by a voice vote at the DNCs winter meeting in Philadelphia, signaling overwhelming support for Bidens plan. This would amount to the largest shake-up in the presidential nominating process since then-Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter put Iowa caucuses on the political map in 1976.

Saturdays vote was largely a formality after the DNCs Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to approve the new schedule in early December.

It would also give early voting status to Michigan and Georgia for the first time, significantly increasing the racial and geographic diversity of the early-voting states. With Biden unlikely to face a significant primary challenge in 2024  and with the DNC likely to revisit the changes before the next primary in 2028  its unclear how much effect they will have.

Under the new calendar, Democratic primary voting would begin one year from this week. South Carolina would vote first on Feb. 3, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on Feb. 6, Georgia on Feb. 13 and Michigan on Feb. 27.

But the elevation of South Carolina to first place has proved the most controversial, setting up a direct clash with New Hampshire. The Granite States first-in-the-nation primary status is written into its state law, giving its secretary of state wide leeway to protect its prized status.

You can try to come and take it, but that is never going to happen, Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said in his inauguration speech last month. Its just not in our DNA to take orders from Washington. We will not be blackmailed. We will not be threatened, and we will not give up.

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Neither New Hampshire nor Georgia  both controlled by the GOP at the state level  is likely to switch their primary to align with the new calendar. So instead, the DNC will likely vote on whether to somehow sanction either state at its next meeting this summer.

In a statement after the vote, New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley suggested the DNC was making a Biden victory in the state in 2024 infinitely harder.

Despite todays vote, the fight is not over. As we have repeatedly pointed out, New Hampshire law requires us to hold the first-in-the-nation primary, and state Republican leaders have made clear that will not change, Buckley said. We sincerely hope that the DNC will join us in understanding this reality and work with us to elect  not punish  Democrats in our state.

Beyond New Hampshire, national progressives have also questioned South Carolinas elevation, noting its deeply conservative electorate and history of fierce anti-union sentiment.

South Carolina is already first in the nation at something that it shouldnt be proud of; it is the lowest-density union state in America, Faiz Shakir, the 2020 presidential campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), wrote in a New York Times opinion piece in December. It should thus never be in contention to be first on our calendar.

Supporters of the changes argue they would empower South Carolinas Black voters, rewarding the most loyal members of the Democratic base.

Black voters, in particular, have been the backbone of the Democratic Party but have been pushed to the back of the early primary process, Biden wrote in a letter to DNC members in December. We rely on these voters in elections but have not recognized their importance in our nominating calendar. It is time to stop taking these voters for granted and time to give them a louder and earlier voice in the process.

Iowa, whose first-in-the-nation caucuses have long been derided as undemocratic and where voting went haywire in 2020, will no longer have a spot in the early voting calendar.

Related...
Democrats and Republicans found themselves on Sunday morning pressed over the suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down off the South Carolina coast.

The balloon debacle comes ahead of President Joe Bidens State of the Union address where he's expected to lay out his administration's priorities for the remainder of his term and give America answers about what his political future holds.

The operation took place without any damage or injury to any American lives or property, said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on CNNs State of the Union, defending the White House over the balloon.

Here's what else is going on in politics:

Buttigieg defends the White House over Chinese spy balloon: Buttigieg defended the Biden administration's downing of a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast telling NBC's Meet the Press, "This thing was brought down in a safe manner."

Shot down sooner: While the administration shot down the balloon on Saturday, Rep, Mike Turner, R-Ohio, told NBC's "Meet That Press" that the interception should have taken place a lot earlier, "before it entered U.S. airspace."

Bye, Iowa: Democrats approved a plan Saturday to reorder their 2024 presidential primary calendar, displacing Iowa's caucus, which has traditionally served as the starting-gun for the presidential election and bumping up four other states.

New poll on Biden: 58% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents prefer another nominee over Biden, according to a poll from the Washington Post and ABC News.

Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

Biden aide: Republicans have no debt ceiling/spending cut plan of their own

During his Sunday show tour, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg repeated the president's pledge that he would not negotiate a necessary debt ceiling increase with Republicans  and added that the GOP hasn't proposed anything to negotiate about anyway.

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House Republicans have said they will block a debt ceiling hike unless the Biden administrations cuts overall spending, but they have not offered a specific set of cuts.

"It's very hard to understand what exactly they're proposing to cut," Buttigieg said on ABC's This Week, adding that a refusal to act on the debt ceiling would lead to a government default on existing debt that would wreck the economy.

The debt ceiling standoff is expected to be discussed during Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday.

 David Jackson

Schumer: Senate will get a classified briefing Feb 15 on the Chinese balloon

The full U.S. Senate will receive a classified briefing Feb. 15 on the Chinese surveillance balloon threat, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Sunday.

In announcing the briefing, Schumer praised the Biden administration for taking out the Chinese balloon and criticized Republicans for second-guessing.

"The bottom line here is that shooting down the balloon over water wasnt just the safest option, but it was the one that maximized our intel gain," Schumer told reporters.

While Republicans said Biden waited too long to take out the balloon, Schumer said the critics "were breathless, political, and premature."

 David Jackson

'Too late:' McConnell attacks Biden over Chinese balloon

Mitch McConnell, the Senate's top Republican, weighed in on the Chinese balloon affair Sunday, saying it reflected habitual slowness by the Biden administration.

"As usual when it comes to national defense and foreign policy, the Biden Administration reacted at first too indecisively and then too late," McConnell said in a written statement. "We should not have let the Peoples Republic of China make a mockery of our airspace."

McConnell, the Senate minority leader, said the incident may well be part of an upcoming budget debate with Biden over military spending: "Lets hope his budget proposal this year is more decisive, serious, and strong than the embarrassment that just played out in our skies."

 David Jackson

President Joe Biden arrives in Hagerstown, Md., on Feb. 4, 2023.

House GOP opens investigation into Hunter Bidens art

Hunter Bidens paintings have drawn the eye of House Republicans, but not for the art.

The House Oversight and Accountability Committee wants to know who bought the art and how much they paid, after list prices initially ranged up to $500,000. The chair called the figures "exorbitant" for a "novice artist" and questioned whether it amounted to influence peddling over federal policy.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the committee, wrote to George Berges, Hunter Bidens art dealer, requesting a transcribed interview by Feb. 15.

Despite being a novice artist, Hunter Biden received exorbitant amounts of money selling his artwork, the buyers identities remain unknown, and you appear to be the sole record keeper of these lucrative transactions, Comer wrote.

 Bart Jansen

Hunter Biden and Georges Berges at Hunter Bidens art studio in Malibu, Calif. Georges Berges Gallery in New York sells Hunter Bidens paintings.

Gallagher, chair of House committee on China, attacks White House over balloon

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., chair of the House select committee aimed at increasing the United States competitiveness with China, compared the suspected spy balloon to a robber on your front porch.

Letting a Chinese surveillance balloon lazily drift over America is like seeing a robber on your front porch and inviting him in, said Gallagher on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures.

Gallagher warned the balloon could signal future aggression from China, saying It's time to push back before it's too late, before something far more dangerous than a balloon is flying over American territory.

 Ken Tran

Republicans: Biden team should have shot down the Chinese balloon earlier

Congressional Republicans took to the Sunday shows to bash Biden over the China surveillance balloon, saying the entire incident reflected administration weakness toward an increasingly aggressive China.

While the administration shot down the balloon on Saturday, Rep, Mike Turner, R-Ohio, told NBC's "Meet That Press" that the interception should have taken place a lot earlier.

"This should have been taken down before it entered U.S. airspace when it was over Alaska," said Turner, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Administration officials said they waited until the balloon was over the ocean so as to minimize the risk to aircraft and people on the ground.

 David Jackson

How China's spy balloon isn't so unique for espionage technology

Rubio: Balloon not a coincidence

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, criticized the Biden administration over the suspected Chinese spy balloon, saying the timing was not a coincidence.

Its not a coincidence this happens leading up to the State of the Union address, leading up to Blinkens visit to China, Rubio said on CNNs State of the Union.

The Biden administration is scheduled to brief the Gang of Eight this week about the balloon. The group is comprised of Congress four party leaders and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees, which includes Rubio.

 Ken Tran

Ex-Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, crucial supporter of U.S. after 9/11, dies at 79

Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan leader who provided crucial support to the U.S.-led "war on terror" following the 9/11 attacks, has died at 79, the Pakistan military announced Sunday.

No cause of death was revealed, but Musharraf, had been battling a rare disease, amyloidosis, and was being treated at a hospital in Dubai, Pakistani media reported.

Musharraf seized power in 1999 from then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup. Sharif had tried to remove Musharraf from his position as military leader  a year after Sharif had appointed him.

The Pakistan military issued a statement expressing "heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of General Pervez Musharraf. ... May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to bereaved family."

 John Bacon

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is escorted by soldiers on his arrival at an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on April 20, 2013.

Buttigieg say Biden will use State of the Union to promote his economic policies; stays mum on 2024

Buttigieg went on the Sunday shows to promote President Biden's prime time State of the Union speech on Tuesday  and to avoid discussing Biden's plans to seek re-election in 2024.

"That's out of my lane," Buttigieg said on ABC's "This Week."

Buttigieg, who said it wouldn't be appropriate to discuss politics in his position as Transportation Secretary, said Biden would use the State of the Union to argue that his economic policies are working; the Cabinet member also made it clear that he hopes Biden will stay on the job after 2024.

"I'm humbled and honored to be part of his team," Buttigieg said.

 David Jackson

Buttigieg: The U.S. waited to shoot down the Chinese balloon until it drifted out over the ocean

Responding to Republican criticism, Buttigieg said Sunday the Biden administration waited several days to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon because it was over American land and air space.

Shooting the huge and heavily-equipped balloon over land would have been risky for aircraft and people on the ground, Buttigieg said on NBC's Meet The Press.

Related: US downs suspected Chinese spy balloon off Carolina coast

So the U.S. waited until it drifted out over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.

The Federal Aviation Administration "worked closely with the Pentagon," Buttigieg said. "This thing was brought down in a safe manner, and flights are back to normal in the U.S."

 David Jackson

In this photo provided by Brian Branch, a large balloon drifts above the Kingstown, N.C. area, with an airplane and its contrail seen below it. The United States says it is a Chinese spy balloon moving east over America at an altitude of about 60,000 feet (18,600 meters), but China insists the balloon is just an errant civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research that went off course due to winds and has only limited self-steering capabilities.

Ahead of State of the Union, Democratic voters aren't keen on Biden: poll

Democratic voters arent keen on Biden running for reelection in 2024, with 58% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents saying they would prefer another nominee rather than Biden, according to a poll released by the Washington Post and ABC News on Sunday.

The poll comes ahead of Bidens State of the Union address on Tuesday, where he is expected to also make the case for his 2024 campaign, which he has yet to formally announce.

On the Republican side, 49% of GOP voters and GOP-leaning independents would prefer if a candidate other than former President Donald Trump compared to the 44% that do support Trump. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

 Ken Tran

Is he running?: 5 big questions Joe Biden will answer in the State of the Union

Biden to answer America's questions in the State of the Union

The State of the Union address Biden is slated to deliver Tuesday night is likely to draw his biggest audience of the year and provide a blueprint for the rest of his presidency  from his stance toward the Republicans who have taken control of the House to the political question looming over his future.

Is he running for re-election?

He's not likely to directly answer that, of course. A formal announcement of his intensions isn't expected until later this month or next. But the balance he strikes between seeking common ground with the GOP and promoting Democratic causes that have limited prospects of passage will be a clue.

 Susan Page

Chinese spy balloon shot down

The United States on Saturday downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America and became the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing.

An operation was underway in U.S. territorial waters to recover debris from the balloon, which had been flying at about 60,000 feet and estimated to be about the size of three school buses.

Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon descending toward the water.

 Associated Press

On Chinese spy balloon, the question of 'why'

Among the many lingering questions about the Chinese spy balloon drifting over the United States is why the balloon was in U.S. airspace  and why now.

What are they signaling? And what do they hope to achieve?" said Kari Bingen, a former deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security. "Because this is something that you can't miss. They were going to get caught. That's what's so brazen about it."

In his first remarks about the balloon, which the Chinese maintain is a civilian airship used mostly for weather research that was blown off course, Biden projected confidence: "Were gonna take care of it," he told reporters Saturday.

 Josh Meyer, Maureen Groppe, Tom Vanden Brook, Ella Lee

Democrats approve 2024 primary calendar

Democrats approved a plan Saturday to reorder their 2024 presidential primary calendar, displacing Iowa's caucus, which has traditionally served as the starting-gun for the presidential election.

The national party green-lit a calendar that makes South Carolina the initial contest, elevates Nevada to the second position alongside New Hampshire and welcomes Georgia and Michigan to the early primary window for the first time.

Democrats are seeking to amplify diverse voices earlier in their presidential selection process. The calendar Democrats approved on Saturday will only apply to 2024. They have vowed to revisit it before the 2028 election.

 Francesca Chambers

Contributing: Associated Press

'Four more years': Biden hints at 2024 as he rallies Democratic Party leaders in Philadelphia

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden's State of the Union, China spy balloon downed: recap
MACEDONIA  City Council adopted a resolution of appreciation Jan. 26 for Police Chief Jon Golden, who is retiring after nearly 33 years of employment with the city.

Goldens official retirement date is Feb. 3. He began his career with the city on April 30, 1990, as a full-time patrolman, was promoted to sergeant in mid-1998 and has served as chief since Feb. 1, 2002.

Macedonia Police Chief Jon Golden is retiring after serving more than three decades on the police department.

During his tenure, he has worked closely with the mayors office, department heads and various city staff to ensure that the department provides the professional and courteous policing services that residents and businesses have come to expect, rely on and appreciate, said the resolution.

It goes on to say that Golden plans to spend time enjoying his favorite hobbies of fishing and traveling around the country with his family.

Councilwoman Jan Tulley credited Golden with instituting 12-hour shifts and community policing, updating equipment and computers and being instrumental in bringing the Nixle alert system to the city.

We are going to miss him, added Fire Chief Brian Riley.

Thirty-three years is a long time, Golden said. Its been an adventure, and there were so many people who got me here. I owe a lot of people a lot of things. Im very lucky. Our dispatchers especially have done a great job.

And speaking of dispatchers, council ratified a collective bargaining agreement for those represented by the Ohio Patrolmens Benevolent Association. It is effective through Dec. 31, 2025.

The contract provides for pay hikes of 4% in 2023 and 3% each in 2024 and 2025, with hourly rates ranging from $23.16 to $28.82 in the first year and $24.57 to $30.37 in the third year.

One-time payments of between $500 and $1,000 are offered for dispatchers who complete a college degree, and longevity payments of between $400 and $2,000 are offered for those who have worked between three years and 30-plus years, respectively.

Each member of the bargaining unit is entitled to an annual allowance of $900 for necessary uniforms or parts thereof. Other parts of agreement cover insurance, sick and bereavement leave, overtime, vacations, grievances, seniority and pensions.

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Other business

The following were appointed to the charter review commission: Councilman Jeff Garvas, Vincent Milianta, Paul Bender, Luis Gonzalez, Julie Nicholson, Linda Biber and Tom Dirmyer. The citys charter calls for such a body to be convened every five years.

Council also added Independence Bank to be a public depository for city funds, with active and interim deposit limits of $25 million each.

Heading to second reading is an ordinance to accept the donation of 5.8 acres at 9150 Valley View Road from 9150 Group LLC for future public purposes.

It was noted the former Aerosol Systems property has sat largely dormant for an extended period with little to no beneficial use made of it. Aerosol Systems, which made degreasers and cleaners, closed in 2002.

Law Director Mark Guidetti said the city would assume some continuing obligations with the Ohio EPA. Most site cleanup work has been done. Additional work may be necessary, and Guidetti said he will try to provide an estimated cost before council acts on the donation.

Sent to third reading was an ordinance to purchase a 2023 Endurance CC1L electric pickup truck for the service department from Lordstown EV Corp. The cost would be $65,235. Residents can provide input about the purchase by emailing clerk Jon Hoover at jhoover@macedona,oh.us.

Council President Jessica Brandt reported that former Councilman Mike Menhart died recently. He served in the 1990s and early 2000s and also was on the civil service commission. He will be missed; our thoughts are with his family, said Brandt.

Finance Director John Veres announced July 17 will be the deadline for residents to apply for 2022 city income tax refunds.

Contact the newspaper at newsleader@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Macedonia council resolution honors retiring Police Chief Jon Golden
Some refugees and asylum-seekers in Brussels have been spending months in between the Street of Palaces and the Small Castle, quite literally.

Unfortunately, it's not a dream come true at the end of their fearful flight from halfway across the globe. It's a perpetual nightmare.

Petit Chateau, which means small castle, is a government reception center that often does anything but welcome arrivals. The Rue des Palais, street of palaces, has the city's worst squat, where the smell of urine and the prevalence of scurvy have come to symbolize how the European Union's migration policy is failing.

They are only 2 miles (four kilometers) from the sleek Europa Building where EU leaders will hold a two-day summit starting Thursday to deal with migration issues that have vexed the 27 member nations for more than a decade.

Shinwari, an Afghan army captain who long helped Western powers try to stave off the Taliban, now lives in a makeshift tent camp right on the canal opposite Petit Chateau.

It's a place as desolate as it is hopeless.

"It is very cold. Some guys have different diseases and many of us are suffering from depression, because we don't know what will happen tomorrow,'' said the 31-year-old, who left behind his wife and four children, convinced that Taliban forces that took over in August 2021 would kill soldiers like him who worked with NATO countries.

"They search houses. No one's life was safe,'' Shinwari said. ''They have already once told my family 'your son has taken refuge in an infidel country.'"

Even now, far from home, he's too scared to be identified beyond his last name and with only the vaguest military details. He doesn't want his face shown in photos or video, for fear the Taliban might hurt his family.

Exacerbating his plight is the reception he's been given in the wealthy EU, largely marked by indifference, sometimes even hostility.

"Unfortunately, no one gets to hear our voices,'' he said from his tent, surrounded by a half-dozen ex-members of the Afghan military.

Instead, the vocabulary of EU leaders before the summit is much more about "strengthening external borders,'' "border fences'' and "return procedures'' than it is about immediately making life better for people like Shinwari.

And with 330,000 unauthorized attempts made to enter the EU last year, a six-year record, projecting a warm embrace for refugees doesn't win many elections on the continent these days.

Many Afghans also look with envy at the swift measures that the EU took after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 to grant Ukrainians temporary protection measures such as residency rights, labor market access, medical aid and social welfare assistance, things that all largely pass them by.

"The issue of Afghans and Ukrainians are the same, but they don't get treated the same way," Shinwari said. "When Ukrainians come here, they are provided with all the facilities ... on the first day of their arrival, but we Afghans who have left our country due to security threats, we don't get anything.

"It is surprising because human rights are not the same for everyone and that upsets us and makes us feel disappointed and neglected.''

EU leaders have already said that a full breakthrough on their migration policies won't come before bloc-wide elections in June 2024.

Shinwari said he was lucky to puncture the EU's beefed up borders to use his right to asylum after an eight-month trek through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia and eventually Belgium. It included beatings, arrest and escape in Iran, and hunger and fear along much of the trail.

Shinwari made it to Europe alive, "but now that I am here, I am homeless like a nomad'' with a flimsy blue tent to keep out Belgium's many rain showers, he said.

Other Afghan former soldiers settled in the Rue des Palais, where their stories of trauma, depression, drugs and violence were just as bleak.

"The situation is not good here. If the Red Cross brings food, we will have something to eat, but if not, then many don't have anything,'' said Roz Amin Khan, who fled Laghman province to arrive in Belgium two months ago.

Since arriving four months ago, Shinwari said that he had one interview with asylum processing authorities and has been waiting ever since.

The lack of help for most refugees has been driving nongovernmental organizations and volunteers to despair.

"Between the legal framework and the situation on the ground there is a world of difference,'' said Clement Valentin, a legal advocacy officer at the CIRE refugee foundation. "There is this gap and it is tough to understand, for me and for the NGOs.

"But I cannot even begin to comprehend how tough it must be for Afghans here in Belgium, or other European nations, to understand this.''

The legal sloth isn't limited to Belgium. The EU's Agency for Asylum said in its latest trends report of November 2022 that "the gap between applications and decisions had reached the largest extent since 2015,'' and was widening still. Overall, it said, more than 920,000 cases were still pending, a 14% annual increase.

Such was the bureaucratic backlog at the Petit Chateau when Shinwari arrived, that would-be asylum-seekers had to wait sometimes for days in the rain and cold just to get in the front door. Citizens living close by brought food and set up fire pits, because the government didn't act.

Even if the situation has improved, the physical and mental scars are easy to see, said Michel Genet, director of Doctors of the World Belgium.

"People have been through big traumas and a very difficult situation and they expect to come here and be taken care of," but they're not, Genet said.

During many sleepless nights in the freezing cold, with the dull buzz of passing cars in the background, Shinwari's thoughts drift back home.

"Sometimes I think about the future, and I think how much longer I have to live on the streets," he said. "My mind is surrounded with problems. I think of the safety of my family and my future.''

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WASHINGTON  Politicians who planned to use Sunday talk shows to discuss President Joe Biden's State of the Union address found themselves instead arguing about the shoot-down of a Chinese surveillance balloon.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Biden showed strength and patience in taking down the spy balloon after it had drifted over the ocean; Republicans said the entire balloon incident reflected Biden weakness toward an increasingly aggressive China.

"The president allowed this to go across our most sensitive (military) sites," said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee speaking on NBC's "Meet The Press."

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., chair of the newly established House select committee aimed at increasing the United States' competitiveness with China, said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures" that the balloon was akin to "a robber on your front porch and inviting him in."

Buttigieg, who appeared on CNN, NBC, and ABC, said that shooting down the huge and heavily equipped balloon over land would have been risky for aircraft and people on the ground; so, the U.S. waited until it drifted out over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.

Stay in the conversation on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

"There's reporting now that the debris field that was created by this balloon when it was shot down was about 7 miles long," Buttigieg said on CNN's "State of the Union."

He added, "The U.S. has made clear this is an unacceptable intrusion into American sovereignty."

US President Joe Biden arrives at Hagerstown Regional Airport in Hagerstown, Maryland, on February 4, 2023. Biden on Saturday congratulated fighter pilots for taking down a Chinese spy balloon off the east coast after it spent several days flying over the US. "They successfully took it down. And I want to compliment our aviators who did it," Biden told reporters in Maryland.

Shoot-down:US downs suspected Chinese spy balloon off Carolina coast

State of the Union goals:Is he running? 5 big questions Joe Biden will answer in the State of the Union

Discovery of the balloon prompted Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to cancel a diplomatic trip to Beijing. Meanwhile, relations between the U.S. and China continue to worsen as Xi Jinping's government steps up threats to an independent Taiwan.

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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the balloon's timing with Blinken's now postponed trip and Biden's upcoming State of the Union address was "not a coincidence."

"It's not just the balloon," Rubio said of China on CNN's "State of the Union." "It's the message they're trying to send the world that 'We can do whatever we want and America can't stop us.'"

China is expected to be a topic when Biden delivers his prime-time State of the Union speech Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during an event with the South Korean foreign minister about the Chinese surveillance balloon identified in U.S. airspace February 3, 2023 in Washington, DC. Blinken canceled a planned diplomatic trip to China as a result of the incident.

Promoting the speech during his Sunday show interviews, Buttigieg said Biden would use the State of the Union to argue that his economic policies are working.

Biden has indicated that he plans to seek reelection next year, though Buttigieg declined to discuss the president's 2024 plans.

"That's out of my lane," Buttigieg said on ABC's "This Week."

Democratic lawmakers defended Biden over the balloon incident.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., speaking on NBC's "Meet The Press," said "the military made a thoughtful decision" in waiting until the balloon was beyond U.S. territory and a possible threat to people.

Booker also noted that Chinese surveillance balloons also appeared in American skies during the Donald Trump administration.

Republicans said country's standing is shaky, given uncertainty of the economy and an apparent Cold War with China.

"If we can't detect a balloon, we're in a world of hurt as far as defending this country," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures."

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., from left, with Sens. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, talks about debt ceiling during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Downed Chinese spy balloon deepens rift ahead of Biden's SOTU
Former President Donald Trump on Sunday flat-out denied that Chinese balloons ever entered U.S. airspace during his administration, despite the Pentagon saying it happened at least three times.

China had too much respect for TRUMP for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION! the former president posted on Truth Social.

Trump also described the Biden administrations handling of the suspected spy balloon  which the military shot down Saturday after it crossed the continental U.S.  as a disgrace.

They are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation, Trump wrote, in apparent reference to his ongoing unsubstantiated claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.

Former President Donald Trump on Sunday denied that Chinese balloons ever entered U.S. airspace during his administration, though the Pentagon says it happened at least three times.

Former President Donald Trump on Sunday denied that Chinese balloons ever entered U.S. airspace during his administration, though the Pentagon says it happened at least three times.

Despite Trumps denial, a senior defense official speaking on background said in a statement released by the Pentagon on Saturday that Chinese balloons did travel over the continental U.S. while Trump was president, albeit briefly.

Several other current and former Republican officials have also either denied that this ever happened or tried to shift blame onto Democrats for any past balloon incidents.

Its possible, maybe, that it happened first during the Obama administration and the military was told at the time that this is no big deal and they shouldnt raise the alarm bells on it, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told Fox News Sunday.

Its not true, former National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News.

A suspected Chinese spy balloon is seen flying over Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday. The balloon was later shot down over the ocean.

A suspected Chinese spy balloon is seen flying over Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday. The balloon was later shot down over the ocean.

Do you remember during the Trump administration, when photographers on the ground and commercial airline pilots were talking about a spy balloon over the United States that people could look up and see? Ratcliffe asked. I dont remember that either, because it didnt happen.

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The U.S. said it shot down the balloon off the Carolina coast on Saturday after waiting until it was over water so falling debris would not pose a threat to people on the ground. President Joe Biden was first alerted to the balloons presence on Tuesday, after it crossed into U.S. territory from Canadian airspace, U.S. defense and military officials said.

China, which had said that the aircraft was merely a civilian weather balloon, called the balloons destruction an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice. Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it reserves the right to take further actions in response.

Related...
Feb. 4Napheesa Collier has been busy this WNBA offseason getting herself in shape for her fifth season as a catalyst for the Minnesota Lynx.

The bigger challenge for Collier  keeping up with Mila, her eight-month old daughter.

"She's so fast," Collier said with a laugh during a recent phone interview. "It's hard because I can't look away from her for a second. She gets into everything.

"It's really fun to see (that) anything and everything is so interesting to her. You can give her anything and it'll keep her occupied for at least 10 minutes."

Mila and Napheesa Collier are both in Connecticut this weekend as Napheesa supports UConn, her alma mater, when the fifth-ranked Huskies host to defending national champion and top-ranked South Carolina on Sunday at the XL Center in Hartford.

"I'm super-excited," Collier said. "We owe them a game for sure."

Collier will return to Minnesota after the game for USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp from Feb. 6-9 in Minneapolis.

Collier missed all but the final four Lynx games last season after giving birth to Mila Sarah Collier on May 25, 2022.

Motherhood was something she wanted in her life although she didn't set a timetable.

"My mom and dad had my brother and I really young," Collier said. "I always liked the idea of growing up with kids. Mom was 22 when she had me, and then I got to that age, and I was like 'no (not yet).'

"Then I started playing (professionally) and they never say, 'now's the right time' (to be a mother).' It just kind of happened."

Collier has enjoyed having time to be home with Mila and her family instead of playing overseas this winter, something most WNBA players do in order to supplement their income which is nowhere close to what their male peers earn.

"Mila is so big, and she changes every single day," Collier said. "She's definitely very, very happy. She's laughing all the time. She's also super-stubborn so that's been like a give-and-take, so it's kind of it's kind of cool to see. My mom said I was stubborn, and I don't know if I believe it. Her dad (Alex Bazzell) is definitely stubborn so that's where I say she gets it from.

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"(Motherhood) has definitely made me more responsible and (to) just take things into perspective; just what's really important to me in my life and it's definitely my family."

Collier was determined to get back to the Lynx last season in order to play one last time with Sylvia Fowles, who had announced prior to last season that it would be her last. It was a daunting goal because Collier wasn't allowed to exercise for the first month after giving birth.

Collier made her season debut on Aug. 7, a mere 74 days after Mila was born. She worked out as much as she could prior to that time but, as she quickly found out, there was no way she could get back into basketball condition so fast.

"Oh my gosh," Collier said. "It was harder than I thought it was going to be.

"At that point I'm still carrying extra baby weight. (Your) ligaments, they loosen up when you're pregnant, so all those were loose. I had no core because that spreads out. I had no muscle because I couldn't lift for months-and-months. So just my whole body was just out of whack. ... I've been really blessed with, knock on wood, I haven't had injuries so (it was) definitely the hardest rehab I've had to do."

Collier, as much as she cherishes family, missed being with the Lynx. She became one of their best players upon her arrival as she scored 27 points with six rebounds in her first regular season game on May 25, 2019. She earned Rookie of the Year honors that season over the likes of Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces), the first pick in the 2019 draft, and Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings).

Collier was named a team captain for her second season and is one of Minnesota's most indispensable players as it rebuilds. Forwards Bridget Carleton, Damiris Dantas, Nikolina Milic and guard Lindsay Allen re-signed with the Lynx on Friday and veteran free agent guard Tiffany Mitchell is leaving the Indiana Fever to play for the Lynx.

"I'm really excited," Collier said. "We're being really aggressive in free agency, and I think we have the opportunity to do something really special this year. I think it's going to be fun and hopefully we can turn a few heads with our signings in the offseason."

n.griffen@theday.com
Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan leader who provided crucial support to the U.S.-led war on terror following the 9/11 attacks, has died at 79, the Pakistan military announced Sunday.

No cause of death was revealed, but Musharraf had been battling a rare disease, amyloidosis, and was being treated at a hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Pakistani media reported.

The Pakistan military issued a statement expressing "heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of General Pervez Musharraf. ... May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to bereaved family."

Musharraf seized power in 1999 from then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup after Sharif tried to oust him as leader of the army. After 9/11, Musharraf condemned extremism and terrorism, banned foreign funding of mosques and Islamic centers and limited the number of foreign students coming to Pakistan for Islamic studies. Joint U.S.-Pakistani operations led to the arrests of dozens of leading Al Qaeda figures, including ringleader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is escorted by soldiers on his arrival at an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on April 20, 2013.

Musharraf forged close ties with US , George W. Bush

Musharraf served as president of the Islamic country from 1999-2008 and was a close ally of the U.S. and President George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks. Bush referred to him as a "best buddy, Musharraf earned the praise, providing land routes for NATO forces to enter landlocked Afghanistan, allowing U.S. air bases in his country and sending troops to tribal areas to combat al Qaeda and its affiliates. But Musharraf's partnership with Washington during its military intervention in Afghanistan drew at best mixed reviews at home. Musharraf walked a political tightrope between pressure from the U.S. to crack down on extremism in Pakistan and the increasingly vocal demands of a broad, anti-American Islamist constituency.

Musharraf denied knowing where bin Laden was hiding

In the later years of his rule, Musharraf denied claims by NATO and the U.S.-backed Afghan government that he was allowing free movement of al Qaeda and the Taliban militants from Pakistan's tribal areas into Afghanistan. He was further vilified in 2011 when U.S. forces killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan  in the fortress home near a Pakistan military academy where the Al Qaeda leader apparently had been living for years. Musharraf denied he knew bin Laden had been hiding there.

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Death sentence handed down, revoked

Musharraf was defeated at the polls in 2008 and soon after left the country. He returned in 2013, but was arrested and barred from running for office. A Pakistani court sentenced Musharraf to death in 2019 after a six-year treason trial tied to the harsh state of emergency he imposed while clinging to power in 2007.

Musharraf was sentenced in absentia, having left the country while on bail in 2016 to seek medical treatment. Shortly after his conviction, another Pakistani court threw out the death sentence, citing legal issues with the trial.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pervez Musharraf dies: Pakistan leader backed war on terror after 9/11
Dr. Hal Higdon

Talk to any employer in the Ozarks about how their business is going, and they will probably say something like, "I can't grow because I can't find anyone qualified to do the work!"

According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, 60% of employers reported a lack of skills among their current employees as a barrier to growth.

We can close the skills gap by using a relatively new financial aid grant to help students access the education and training we offer at Ozarks Technical Community College.

The Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant. Fast Track debuted in 2019 as a way for non-traditional students to pay for higher education in high-demand fields like nursing, welding and teaching. As initially conceived, Fast Track was a forgivable loan. Now, it is a no-strings-attached grant for qualified individuals. However, only some people are using it. More adoption of this free college opportunity would provide the state with the educated workforce it needs.

Short-term training. The Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant pays for apprenticeships and short-term courses. A study published by Rutgers University last year found that two-thirds of respondents, especially adults, prefer job-specific courses that can be completed quickly. OTC's Center for Workforce Development offers courses that last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Classes like certified nurse assistant, phlebotomist or pharmacy tech are all Fast Track eligible.

Grow your own talent. Rather than waiting for the perfect employee to walk through the doors, companies like CoxHealth and SRC are investing in talent development. They take current staff and pay for their classes at OTC. Businesses throughout Missouri should scale this model and encourage their employees to apply for Fast Track to pay for the training.

While we cannot do much about the number of people seeking jobs in the Ozarks, we can help those who want to work earn the skills they need to do their jobs well. The Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant is a financial aid tool that can help turn underqualified job applicants into capable employees and boost Missouri's economic future.

Dr. Hal Higdon is the chancellor of Ozarks Technical Community College.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Fast Track helps people get education to improve their skills
Many business leaders, like you and me, employ young adults. We can both agree that they are the future of our businesses and our local economy.

Scott Fischer

Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida's Business Hall of Fame Ceremony.

Take a moment to imagine what a difference it would make to teach our young leaders the basic soft skills to prepare them for work after school. Imagine these leaders with the entrepreneurial mindset and drive that we have. This is possible.

Back in 2012, I was named Laureate of Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida (JA SWFL). I was honored to join a circle of the top influential business professionals in our area, yet I was not familiar with JA. Therefore, I made it my mission to understand the organization and the impact it had on our community. JA strives to improve work and career readiness and financial literacy within our community. JA directly affects and grows youth, economic and educational development nationally.

Angela Fisher, CEO of JA SWFL, shared this exciting concept of JA Inspire which was being developed and executed in a few major cities in the United States. We flew up to Indianapolis, Indiana to see the impact of JA Inspire firsthand.

Upon arrival, we walked into an event full of hundreds of businesses and thousands of eighth-graders interacting with each other learning about each organization and their purpose. These eighth graders were interviewing these businesses as they wore VR goggles to immerse into day-to-day business operations, built small projects with hammer and nail, sat in tractors, tested equipment and tried on S.W.A.T. gear. The joy, curiosity, and energy were contagious, and I knew we needed this in Southwest Florida.

The capstone experience of JA Inspire is an interactive, hands-on, career exploration for eighth-grade students. The event on April 26-28 at FGCUs Alico Arena will feature a showcase of careers at regional businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and educational organizations. Exhibits will include interactive career stations with mentors who will share their career advice with students and engage students with equipment, technology, and the opportunity to step into the shoes of employees from all industries.

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Why JA Inspire? JA Inspire offers students the opportunity to learn about careers from caring mentors in time to plan their high school coursework. For businesses, this is a chance to build your future workforce through experiential and hands-on learning.

As business leaders, we need to cultivate our community and nurture our future leaders. Theres no better way to impact thousands of children and impact their future than through JA Inspire. We need our business community to get involved. It starts with you and me. It starts with us, Southwest Floridas business leaders.

I ask you once more; can you imagine every eighth graders future in Southwest Florida impacted by our local business community, entrepreneurs, and business leaders? This is possible with JA Inspire and will become reality here in SWFL.

Can I count on you to help spread the good news about JA Inspire and to get involved? Just imagine.

Scott Fischer is CEO of Scott Fischer Enterprises, current board member and former board chair of Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Help young students explore careers
US downs suspected Chinese spy balloon off South Carolina coast

Four days after entering U.S. territory, a suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the South Carolina coast Saturday afternoon, Pentagon officials announced. The balloon, which carried a large payload of spy gear according to U.S. officials, had soared over several strategic sites, including nuclear missile silos, and became the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing. An F-22 warplane struck the balloon with a missile about 6 nautical miles off the coast in U.S. territorial waters, according to Pentagon officials. Recovery efforts immediately began. Chinese officials, who claim the balloon was collecting weather data and had been blown off course, said that the country has the right to "take further actions" against the U.S. for taking down the balloon.

In this photo provided by Chad Fish, the remnants of a large balloon drift above the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of South Carolina, with a fighter jet and its contrail seen below it, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. The downing of the suspected Chinese spy balloon by a missile from an F-22 fighter jet created a spectacle over one of the states tourism hubs and drew crowds reacting with a mixture of bewildered gazing, distress and cheering.

Beyonce breaks Grammys all-time wins record

Beyonce now is truly the queen  of the Grammys. By winning the best electronic/dance album Grammy midway through Sunday's telecast, the singer brought her 22-year total to 32, topping the 31 statues claimed by legendary Hungarian conductor Georg Solti and making her the all-time awards champ of the Recording Industry Association of America. Solti died in 1997. More history was made earlier in the evening when Sam Smith and Kim Petras won the award for best pop duo/group performance for their hit, "Unholy." With the win, Petras became the first transgender woman to win in the category. For more on Sunday's Grammys, see the latest winners and highlights here.

Brutally honest reviews of every Grammys 2023 performance , including Brandi Carlile, Bad Bunny

2023 Grammy winners: See which stars took home the gold, from Harry Styles to Beyonce

Beyonce performs on stage at Dubai's new luxury hotel, Atlantis The Royal on January 21, 2023 in the United Arab Emirates. Beyonce has nine nominations at Sunday's Grammy Awards, and is likely to become the most awarded artist in Grammy history.

New Hampshire may have seen coldest recorded wind chill in US history

Bitter cold temperatures hit record-breaking lows in the Northeast over the weekend. The wind chill  what the temperature feels like  on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, dropped to minus 108 F on Friday. That's likely the lowest wind chill ever recorded in the United States since meteorologists began calculating them, said climate scientist Brian Brettschneider. The temperature on Mount Washington dropped as low as minus 46 degrees F on Friday night, with 97 mph winds, the National Weather Service said. The Arctic blast has been blamed for at least one death, when high winds brought down a tree branch that crushed a vehicle in Massachusetts and killed an infant riding inside. The region saw a dramatic warmup Sunday, however, with highs in the 30s and 40s.

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Polar vortex releases grip: From zero to 60 in days as Northeast warms up

The summit of New Hampshire's Mount Washington is seen on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. The peak experienced a wind chill temperature of minus 108 F on Friday, possibly the lowest ever recorded in the United States.

Real quick

Ex-Pakistan President Musharraf, key supporter of US after 9/11, dies

Pervez Musharraf, the former president of Pakistan who provided crucial support to the U.S.-led "war on terror" following the 9/11 attacks, has died at 79, the Pakistan military announced Sunday. No cause of death was revealed, but Musharraf had been battling a rare disease and was being treated at a hospital in Dubai, Pakistani media reported. Musharraf seized power in 1999 from then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup, and served as president of the country until 2008. He was a close ally of the U.S. and President George W. Bush after the 9/11 attacks, but his partnership with Washington during its military intervention in neighboring Afghanistan drew mixed reviews at home.

Democrats shake up 2024 primary calendar

Democrats on Saturday approved a plan to reorder their 2024 presidential primary calendar in an effort to amplify diverse voices earlier in the presidential selection process. Overruling objections from two states that have traditionally held the first contests, Iowa and New Hampshire, the national party greenlit a schedule that moves South Carolina to the front of the line. The revamped calendar elevates Nevada to the second position alongside New Hampshire and welcomes Georgia and Michigan to the early primary window for the first time.

Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden hold hands at the Democratic National Committee 2023 Winter meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Feb. 3, 2023. The DNC approved a new lineup for the party's presidential primaries at the meeting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spy balloon shot down, Grammys, record cold temps: This weekend's news
A fisherman in Australia made a costly blunder when he went to fill up the gas tank of his boat at a 7-Eleven in West Pennant Hills, New South Wales. He mistook a rod holder for the gas tank, and the end result was not pretty.

With the nozzle securely sitting in the rod holder, 231.46 liters of gasoline poured onto the floor of the boat and into the bilge, as reported by Yahoo! News Australia.

The total cost? $536.76.

A man shot a video posted on Facebook showing the floor of the boat filled with petrol. It later shows the gas pouring out the back of the boat like a waterfall. A man is seen hosing away the gasoline. The video also shows where the mistake was made.

Remarkably, a similar incident occurred in January 2021, as reported by Marine Rescue NSW. That time, the fisherman pumped 150 liters through the fishing rod holder.

Though it is a bit mind-boggling, this sort of mistake has happened many times before, and some commenters on the Fishing Sydney Facebook page confessed having done the same thing. Among the comments:

Not even gonna lie. I did that same thing once.

I did that once, bloody stainless rod holder right next to my stainless fuel cap. Fortunately, only a couple of liters before I realized.

Ive seen it happen, fuel cap on the gunnel next to a rod holder in the gunnel.

More common than you may think, working in the boating game I can tell you it happens way too often.

Done it before but not to that degree.

It happened to a mate in Mandurah over Christmas. He took another guy with him and my mate took the cap off and went on doing something else. He only put about $40 down the rod holder into the bilge. He turned the bilge pump on [and] it caught fire at the bouser. Burnt the rear of the boat before they put it out.

Youre not the first and wont be the last. I feel sorry for your wallet.

My partner did it years ago with his Kevlacat, but realized after about 50c not $500.

Dont worry thats happened plenty of times.

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Have heard of it happening. Bloody expensive mistake.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Deadly octopus is served to a diner at a hot pot restaurant

Other commenters werent as sympathetic or kind, as evidenced by their comments. Some didnt believe it even happened:

Shouldnt have a boat if you dont know how to fill up the tank.

And it took 231 liters to realize [it]!

Thats unbelievable. I wonder what he was on. Must have been very strong to scramble the brain for him to do that. I still cant believe it.

So many people dont engage their brains before doing something. Thankfully it hasnt cost anyone else yet.

Wow is all I have.

Some people cannot be helped.

Dont you have to unscrew a fuel cap to start? Just saying.

This has gotta be staged for clicks. Doubt anyone is that stupid.

Photos courtesy of Fishing Sydney.

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The 50 best movies streaming on Netflix (February 2023)

Story originally appeared on For The Win
U.S. officials have offered to brief congressional leaders on their investigation into the classified documents found at former President Donald Trump's Florida residence, people familiar with the matter said Sunday.

A briefing could come as soon as this week. But it may not meet demands from lawmakers who want to review the documents taken not just from Mar-a-Lago but also from the Wilmington, Delaware, home and former private office in Washington belonging to President Joe Biden and the Indiana home of former Vice President Mike Pence.

Six months after federal agents conducted an unprecedented search of a former president's home for classified documents, the White House faces bipartisan pressure to share what it found with lawmakers who say the are concerned about the potential damage to national security and intelligence sources. Separate special counsels are investigating the documents found in the possession of Trump and Biden.

Officials have declined to answer most questions in public or private about what they found citing the ongoing criminal investigation and a separate ``risk assessment'' of the possible damage to intelligence sources.

Rep. Mike Turner, who heads the House Intelligence Committee, told NBC's "Meet the Press'' on Sunday that the administration notified him it would brief on the documents this week.

"This administration needs to understand we do have national security urgent matters,'' said Turner, R-Ohio. he also called on the White House to brief him on the Chinese balloon shot down Saturday.

"What's interesting is that the moment this balloon became public, I got a notice not from the administration that I'm going to get a briefing on this balloon, but they have to rush to Congress now to talk to us about Donald Trump's documents,'' he said.

Three people familiar with the matter confirmed a congressional briefing was offered to the "Gang of Eight'' _ the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate and of both intelligence committees. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

Any briefing is not expected to include direct access to the documents that were seized, the people said.

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee, asked for that access in a letter last week to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

It's also unclear whether the administration will discuss the records found in Biden's and Pence's possession. Turner told NBC that the records linked to Biden and Pence would be included, while two people familiar said the briefing was expected to focus only on Trump.

The director of national intelligence's office and Department of Justice both declined to comment Sunday.

The Justice Department says roughly 300 documents with classified markings, including at the top-secret level, have been recovered from Mar-a-Lago after being taken there after Trump left the White House. Last August, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the property after developing evidence that led them to believe that Trump and his representatives had not returned all the classified files.

The material taken at that time included roughly 13,000 government documents, including about 100 bearing classification markings. Some of the material was so sensitive that Justice Department prosecutors and FBI counterintelligence investigators required additional security clearances to review them.

A special counsel, Jack Smith, is investigating whether to bring charges against Trump or anyone else related to the documents. Prosecutors have revealed that they are investigating possible violations of multiple criminal statutes, including willful retention of national defense information and obstruction. A grand jury in Washington has been hearing evidence and federal prosecutors have interviewed multiple Trump associates. It is not clear how much longer that investigation will last.

Trump has claimed that the materials were declassified and that he had the power to do so just by thinking about it, though his lawyers have not repeated that claim. They tried to have an independent arbiter conduct an outside review of the documents, though a federal appeals court late last year ended that work and said Trump's team was not entitled to that assessment.

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP/Shutterstock (9052523n) Actor Charles Kimbrough attends "Murphy Brown: A 25th Anniversary Event" presented by ENCORE, in New York ENCORE Presents Murphy Brown: A 25th Anniversary Event, New York, USA

Andy Kropa/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Charles Kimbrough, best known for his work on CBS's hit sitcom Murphy Brown, has died. He was 86.

Per his family, Kimbrough died of natural causes Jan. 11 at Southern California Hospital in Culver City, Calif.

Kimbrough's agent, Donna Massetti of SMS Talent, said in a statement: "[We] mourn the loss of Charles Kimbrough, a client and friend for over 30 years. Whether on stage or in front of the camera he was a joy to behold."

Kimbrough's portrayal of straight-faced anchorman Jim Dial on Murphy Brown earned him an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series in 1990, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

He appeared on all 247 original episodes of the series when it aired from 1988 to 1998, and reprised his character for three episodes in the 2018 reboot, per The New York Times.

RELATED: Melinda Dillon, Actress Known for A Christmas Story, Dead at 83

In a 2007 clip for The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, Murphy Brown creator Diane English said that Kimbrough "wrote a whole biography for his character before he started to play him."

"Charlie is the most lovable, lanky, rubbery, sweet, adorable man," English added. "When he came in to read for us as Jim Dial, he brought it all there: ramrod posture, anchor voice, slicked-back hair. He brought a credibility to the character."

In 2012, Kimbrough told The Wall Street Journal, "Unfortunately, I'm really good at playing jackasses of one kind or another. I've always been slightly self-conscious as an actor, and I guess that sometimes reads as pomposity."

"Starting when I was 30, I somehow gave off an impression at an audition that had them mentally put me in a three-piece suit or put an attache case in my hand," he continued. "If there was a stiff-guy part, the director would brighten up when I came in. That wasn't the response I wanted. I was in anguish."

RELATED: George R. Robertson, Chief Hurst Actor in Police Academy Franchise, Dead at 89

LOS ANGELES - JANUARY 1: Murphy Brown, a CBS television situation comedy program featuring topical current events and satire. Pictured is Charles Kimbrough (as Jim Dial, news anchor). January 1, 1993. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)

CBS via Getty

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Kimbrough also voiced the puritanical gargoyle Victor in both of Disney's animated The Hunchback of Notre Dame films and its several video game iterations.

Before his film and TV roles, Kimbrough was a seasoned Broadway veteran, majoring in music and theater at Indian University. He earned a Master's degree from the Yale School of Drama before he took the stage, NYT reported.

He received a Tony Award nomination for best featured actor in a musical in 1971 for his portrayal of Harry in the original production of Stephen Sondheim's Company, according to THR. He also played two characters in Sondheim's Pulitzer Prize-winning Sunday with George, which opened in 1984.

In 1995, Kimbrough starred opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in the original off-Broadway production of Sylvia. His most recent stage appearance was with Jim Parson in a 2012 revival of Harvey, per THR.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Kimbrough is survived by his son John, granddaughter Cody, sister Linda, nephew Colin and stepdaughter Holly.
By Michele Kambas

NICOSIA (Reuters) -Former foreign minister Nikos Christodoulides took the lead in Cyprus's presidential election on Sunday and will face off against leftist-backed candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis in a runoff on Feb. 12.

Christodoulides, running as an independent, took 32% of the vote, with career diplomat Andreas Mavroyiannis, backed by the left-wing AKEL party and generally considered an outsider by opinion polls, presenting the surprise at 29.6%.

Mavroyiannis's showing defied opinion polls which had shown he would likely trail in third place and would be left out of the runoff. But he had the backing of AKEL, a well-organised party which had cranked up the rallying of its supporters in the past month.

"It comes down to Mavroyiannis having the full backing of a party and that Averof (Neophytou) probably didn't," said analyst Fiona Mullen of Sapienta Economics, referring to third-placed Averof Neophytou, leader of the ruling right-wing DISY party. "Its an extraordinary result," she added.

Neophytou had been publicly endorsed by incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades, who by law cannot seek a second five-year term, but his candidacy was overshadowed by Christodoulides, a party member who broke ranks with DISY to run.

Opinion polls had shown Christodoulides gaining roughly one-third of the DISY votes.

The two frontrunners from Sunday's vote will now have a week to win over voters, after which the victor will have to wrestle with how to break a deadlock in reunification talks on ethnically split Cyprus, as well as with irregular migration, labour disputes, and repairing the country's image tarnished by corruption scandals.

Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974 after a brief Greek-inspired coup. The last round of peace talks collapsed in 2017.

(Reporting by Michele Kambas; Editing by Jan Harvey and David Holmes)
Matthieu Jalibert scored a crucial late try for France in their narrow win over Italy (REUTERS)

Ethan Dumortier scored a try on his France debut as the Les Bleus kick-started their Six Nations title defence with a 29-24 bonus-point victory over Italy at the Stadio Olimpico.

Thibault Flament, Thomas Ramos and Matthieu Jalibert also got on the scoresheet for the Grand Slam champions, while Ange Capuozzo dotted down for Italy and Tommaso Allan added four penalties.

The visitors were dealt a second-half scare when Charles Ollivon was sent to the sin bin and Italy were awarded a penalty try, at one point taking a second-half lead through Allan.

Les Bleus fended off the threat and will look to extend their winning streak to 15 when they travel to Ireland next weekend.

France were on the scoresheet after four minutes when Italy scrum-half Stephen Varney attempted a box-kick only to be thwarted by the six-foot-eight Flament, who intercepted before going on an unstoppable run over the whitewash, with Ramos adding the extras.

Allan booted in a penalty to narrow the deficit before France had a try ruled out, but Les Bleus soon restored their advantage through Ramos.

Allan added another penalty for the Azzurri before Dumortier collected Romain Ntamacks cross-field kick and dotted down to open his account for France.

Italy responded through Capuozzo, who went on a sprightly run and was able to evade Gregory Alldritt before getting the ball down in the left corner, with Allan adding a penalty to make it 19-14 at the halfway point.

Ange Capuozzo spectacularly scored in the corner for Italy as the Azzurri fought hard (AFP via Getty Images)

Ramos added three more but Ollivon was soon punished for bringing down the maul and the penalty try was awarded after a review. Allan soon made no mistake to slot his fourth penalty through the posts to give his side the lead for the first time in the 61st minute.

Five minutes later, however, France displayed their depth when Jalibert came off the bench and made an instant impact, scoring with his first touch to secure the bonus point.
Roland Conner never imagined that getting arrested for marijuana in the 90s would lead to where he is now: the owner of a new cannabis dispensary in the heart of Greenwich Village.

The blocks surrounding his shop, Smacked Village, are bustling with potential customers among the NYU students and people coming in for the citys nightlife  and New York took extraordinary steps to make it work.

By far the biggest perk is that a state agency located, leased and willrenovate a storefront on one of the priciest slabs of real estate in the world to help someone sell a drug that once landed people in prison.

But Connersfledgling cannabis business is also vastly outnumbered by illicitcompetitors that have sprouted all over the city since the state legalized weed for adults nearly two years ago. New Yorkers are buying weed from behind the counter of bodegas, shopping in unlicensed stores and ordering from underground delivery services.

Smackeds soft launch last week marked a milestone for New Yorks uniquely interventionist marijuana program, which prioritizes dispensary licenses for entrepreneurs with past pot offenses andtakes care oftheirreal estatechallenges. And whileConner is the first such entrepreneur to open his dispensarys doors to the public, its unclear how the state will follow through on the promises its made to these small businesses.

The slow drip of dispensary openings  Housing Works opened one on Dec. 29 and Smacked nearly a month later  underscores the challenges the state faces in securing real estate and raising capital for entrepreneurs.

Unlike comparing prices for comparable office space, theres no equivalent, transparent system for retail, explained Kristin Jordan, CEO of cannabis-focused brokerage firm Park Jordan.

It's really a wild west, she said. Retail is not an open book.

Other legal weed states that have attempted social equity programs have encountered numerous problems: Entrepreneurs often struggle to raise capital or find landlords willing to rent to them, and licensees with little business experience find themselves entering a market already dominated by large cannabis companies.

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But theres nothing quite like New Yorks weed experiment.

This is the boldest and most extreme social equity program thats ever been attempted, said University of California, Davis economist Robin Goldstein, co-author of the book Can Legal Weed Win? Its an experiment and nobody knows how it will turn out.

Smacked might be open, but only on a pop-up basis. After about one month of sales, the location will be closed again for construction.

Even so, Conner is undaunted by the challenges ahead.

Sometimes, I pinch myself, he said in an interview outside the shop ahead of the recent opening. I just can't believe it.

How it works

Conner is the recipient of a Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license. These licenses are reserved for people who have been convicted of a marijuana offense prior to legalization or have an immediate family member who was convicted for cannabis. They must also have prior small business experience. Nonprofits that serve formerly incarcerated populations are also eligible for the first round of licenses.

The state will license 150 applicants to open up dispensaries across the state. So far, 66 licenses have been doled out, with 56 going to justice-impacted entrepreneurs and another 10 going to nonprofits.

The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, an agency that typically provides financing and construction for schools and hospitals, is tasked with finding locations and building them out for CAURD applicants.

DASNY will sign a lease with the landlord, and sublease the location to the applicant. The agency also selected 10 firms to construct the dispensaries. Temeka Group, one of the 10 firms who won the contract with DASNY, will be working with Conner to build out Smacked. The company has constructed more than 400 dispensaries throughout the U.S., said its CEO, Mike Wilson.



Meanwhile, DASNY is raising money for a $200 million public-private fund that will go toward standing up these dispensaries and providing a variety of other services beyond real estate and construction. The funds are treated like a loan, so licensees like Conner will eventually have to pay the state back, with market-rate interest.

The fund got $50 million from the state and needs to raise another $150 million from the private sector. During a recent press conference, DASNY President Reuben McDaniel declined to say how much money the fund has raised.

Weve had significant conversations, significant investors, who are very interested in this program, McDaniel said. Im sure we'll have plenty of money to do what we need to do.

CAURD licensees have been promised turnkey dispensaries. But that is taking time to implement. In DASNY's original request for proposals, the agency anticipated raising $150 million by September 2022.

This is an economic opportunity to give people access they wouldnt have otherwise. McDaniel said. In programs like this  capital is always a problem.

Potential pitfalls

The fastest way to launch a recreational weed market is to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to start serving adult-use customers, which is the path recently taken in nearby states such as Connecticut and Rhode Island.

For New York, where the Big Apple was already home to one of the largest illicit marijuana markets in the world, taking nearly two years to launch recreational sales has prompted a proliferation of unlicensed dispensaries, drawing a variety of public health concerns, including sales to minors and products tainted with contaminants.

New Yorks two open licensed dispensaries can hardly compete with an estimated 1,400 unlicensed cannabis retailers that are getting California weed and selling the stuff without paying cannabis taxes.

Faced with delays in securing and building out real estate, regulators have made several changes to the program. Most notably, the state is now allowing CAURD applicants to find their own real estate instead of waiting for a DASNY location.

Clearly, theres been a lack of progress, said Rob DiPisa, co-chair of the cannabis law group at Cole Schotz, of the changing guidance.

If applicants opt to find their own location, it will put them in competition with DASNY for a limited pool of spaces that meet state regulatory standards. For example, retail dispensaries must be located a certain distance away from houses of worship, school grounds and other dispensaries. Plus, if they sign their own leases, they risk their eligibility for the $200 million fund that was designed to help them.

Thats leaving applicants in a bit of a bind: Strike out on their own to find a location and give up state funding, or wait in line for a DASNY location without clarity on when they will be given a shop?

Thats a tragic choice between two bad options, Goldstein said.

A spokesperson for DASNY did not answer questions about the specifics of the process.

During a Cannabis Control Board meeting Wednesday, McDaniel acknowledged that allowing CAURD applicants to find their own locations has added some complexity to the work that we're doing, he said. But were very excited that the recent retail real estate component of this is actually being accelerated.

Landlords are apprehensive about working with DASNY because the social equity fund has yet to raise the full $200 million. Thats making potential landlords wary of participating in the program.

Not only that, but many landlords have lenders to answer to  and those lenders are wary of entering into the cannabis industry due to its federal illegality.

With the growth of the state-regulated cannabis industry in the past decade, both landlords and lenders have become more sophisticated when it comes to working with the cannabis industry, said DiPisa, who is working with a landlord in negotiations with DASNY.

[Multistate operators] understand that there's certain language that needs to go in these lease agreements that the lenders want to see, DiPisa said. I think theres a bit of a learning curve [for DASNY].

And unlike cannabis companies that are just negotiating for their own operations, DASNY is trying to enter into a large number of leases and build out facilities in a short amount of time.

The concept is great, DiPisa said. The problem is  its a very difficult thing to actually implement.

Jeremy Rivera is one CAURD applicant whose company, Kush Culture Industries, is debating whether it should fund its own construction or wait for a state-leased location.

Are you willing to wait for [DASNY] or do you want to get first to sale? he said.

Rivera recently co-founded the CAURD Coalition, along with three other applicants, in hopes of helping other like them navigate an at-times confusing process with shifting timelines and changing regulatory guidance.

Capitalism has ruined cannabis, Rivera said. Were figuring out how we can all help each other.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this report misstated the name of the New York CAURD Coalition.
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - The blueprint for a vast network of marine protected areas (MPAs) across the northern third of Canada's West Coast is being unveiled after more than a decade of work. Today, 15 First Nations, the Government of Canada, and the Government of British Columbia (B.C.) are jointly announcing the endorsement of the Marine Protected Area Network Action Plan (the Action Plan) for the Northern Shelf Bioregion (NSB).

Northern Shelf Bioregion (CNW Group/Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada)

The Action Plan is a model of collaborative governance and provides a planned approach to the establishment of new MPAs in the NSB. It includes a proposed design for the network, and recommendations for potential designation tools, conservation objectives and implementation timelines for the protection of future sites. The completion of the Action Plan represents the output of a truly collaborative partnership by Indigenous governments, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada working closely with industry and community stakeholders. The process has been guided by Indigenous knowledge and robust science to inform the identification of sites and their ecological and cultural conservation objectives.

In addition to endorsing the Action Plan, the partners will work together to advance the establishment of a sustainable conservation finance arrangement  using the internationally recognized Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) model to support long-term funding for ongoing network implementation, management and stewardship.

First Nations on the Pacific North Coast have been stewards of the lands and waters for more than 14,000 years and are deeply committed to protecting the rich diversity of marine life as well as traditional practices and wellbeing, while supporting a healthy local economy for all. The Government of Canada is working with First Nations, the Province of British Columbia and partners to conserve 25 per cent of Canada's oceans by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030. This collaboratively developed Action Plan is a meaningful contribution to achieving these goals and targets.

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The Action Plan will guide joint efforts to protect our oceans and their marine wildlife and environments. It will also demonstrate how collaboration between First Nations, federal and provincial governments, citizens and stakeholders can achieve resilient and healthy ecosystems that are necessary to support sustainable industries, prosperous economies and healthy communities.

Quotes

"The endorsement of the Marine Protected Area Network Action Plan for the Northern Shelf Bioregion demonstrates what we can accomplish together to conserve biodiversity when we rely on science, conservation and Indigenous and local knowledge. This is an important step towards meeting our goal of protecting 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030."

The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

"We reached out to British Columbians and incorporated their values in this Action Plan that amplifies the Province's efforts to conserve biodiverse marine environments along B.C.'s coast from northern Vancouver Island to the Alaska border. This Action Plan also builds on our Government's commitment to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and guides action in co-creating policy and making decisions together with milestones set for 2025 and 2030."

The Honourable Nathan Cullen, BC Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship

"This action plan lays the foundation for meaningful protection of the valuable marine environment off the Northern Coast of British Columbia. It is closely related to the new $800 million Indigenous-led conservation initiative we announced at COP15, which will follow a Project Finance for Permanence model. And this is one more big step forward toward reaching our goal of protecting 30 percent of Canada's lands and waters by 2030, an undertaking that will only be possible if we achieve the kind of collaboration we had with this plan."

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"We are honoured to showcase this Marine Protected Areas Network Action Plana milestone for ocean conservation that will protect and restore marine ecosystems across the North and Central Coast and Haida Gwaii. Our shared commitment to collaborative governance and management, based on sound science and traditional knowledge, is an example of true Reconciliation in action, and provides a blueprint for improving marine management and ocean stewardship worldwide."

Chief Marilyn Slett, President of Coastal First Nations

"Our Nations have a solid track record proving that Indigenous-led conservation works for nature and for people. Our Marine Protected Area network, together with our collaborative governance agreement, extends our vision for conservation and human well-being from the Great Bear Rainforest into the adjoining waters. Our shared commitment to durable finance, and to the Great Bear Sea PFP, is core to a model that will deliver healthier seas while creating jobs, supporting economic development, and bringing people home to healthier communities. As we tackle the urgent challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change, this is the model the world needs now."

Dallas Smith, President of N a nwa k olas Council

Quick Facts

MPAs are an important tool to protect and conserve marine habitats that support biodiversity, community well-being and economic prosperity.

The MPA Network Action Plan for the Northern Shelf Bioregion combines Indigenous, provincial and federal marine management tools to protect and conserve key habitats, species, and areas of cultural importance to First Nations. It is also the first planned approach for an MPA Network in Canada and is a world-leading model for collaborative governance.

The rich ocean waters, expansive coastline, and aquatic vegetation of the Northern Shelf Bioregion are home to an abundance of marine species. This region supports over 64 species of fish (e.g. salmon and rockfish), 70 species of marine birds (e.g. puffins and auklets), 30 species of marine mammals including orcas, sea otters, dolphins, and 52 species of invertebrates like shellfish, sea urchins, octopus, and squid.

All of these species play a critical role in the health of the food chain and have supported people and wildlife in the region for thousands of years.

The Northern Shelf Bioregion extends from the top of Vancouver Island to the Canada-Alaska border.

The Action Plan will inform the establishment of new protections and enhancement of existing protections to ensure the future health and abundance of the Bioregion's marine environment.

Throughout the planning process, the planning partners engaged stakeholders through advisory boards to receive feedback to inform and improve the proposed network design. Canada and British Columbia have also consulted with Indigenous communities not currently partnering in the process to build awareness and capacity to engage, and incorporate input into the network design and the Action Plan. Partners conducted public engagement on the draft Action Plan between September and November 2022.

Indigenous, provincial, and federal tools will be used for the implementation of future sites, which may contribute to the Government of Canada's targets to conserve 25 per cent of Canada's oceans by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030.

The PFP conservation finance tool was first developed in the Great Bear Rainforest in 2007, and has since been adapted to support large-scale conservation in countries all around the world.

Associated Links

Marine Protected Area Network partners endorse plan to protect British Columbias North Coast (CNW Group/Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada)

SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2023/05/c6186.html
NEW YORK  Brooklyn Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn, and the rest of the team for that matter, had a tough task trying to beat the Washington Wizards without the services of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, and TJ Warren because of injuries. Not to mention that after the third quarter, Vaughn could not turn to Seth Curry or Markieff Morris because of their injuries that occurred in the game.

Its proof, its evidence of who we want to be as a team, Vaughn said after Saturdays 125-123 win over the Washington Wizards. We talked about it. What day of the week, what state were in, how many guys are available. It just doesnt matter. You have the ability and the choice to lock in and play. And, the group that we had tonight, they did that.

Despite being down as many as 23 points, Vaughn was able to guide his players to a win despite a sluggish first half that was probably the result of Kyrie Irvings trade request becoming public on Friday. One could tell that something was on the teams mind if the first half was any indication.

You get today. Were not promised tomorrow. And, what if this was your last game? What would your approach be? How would your mentality be? How would your performance be? And so, this group really made a shift at halftime and showed a lot of, you know that word I use all the time, resolve. And, they showed up and they got rewarded.

Vaughn will have to make some magic happen again when the Nets play against the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

List

Player grades: Cam Thomas scores 44 points in 23-point comeback win over the Wizards

List

NBA Twitter reacts to Nets' 23-point comeback win over the Wizards

Story originally appeared on Nets Wire
A judge ruled that New York Citys controversial plan to allow first responders to involuntarily hospitalize homeless people with mental illnesses can proceed, according to CNN.

Under Mayor Eric Adams plan, which faced backlash and legal challenges shortly after it was introduced in November, first responders would have the authority to remove and involuntarily hospitalize anyone on the streets who appears to be mentally ill or displays an inability to meet basic living needs. Removal would be allowed even if the person doesnt appear to be a danger to themselves or others.

Mental health advocates, organizations and individuals alleged that the citys plan was too broad and violated constitutional rights, according to The New York Times. In December, a motion was filed as a part of an existing lawsuit, calling on U.S. District Judge Paul Crotty to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the plan.

Crotty denied the motion on Monday.

These legal challenges came soon after Adams plan was announced, as part of an effort to address issues surrounding homelessness, mental health and crime.

According to the Coalition for the Homeless, 22,697 single adults were sleeping in the citys shelters each night in November 2022  a near-record since the Great Depression. Within the U.S., 20.8% of homeless people have a serious mental illness.

The city also faced a surge of attacks  some of which involved homeless people  on subways and streets in recent years. Adams previously claimed these attacks were linked to mental illnesses.

During a news conference in November, Adams said the city has a moral obligation to help homeless people with mental illnesses get treatment.

But the plan immediately raised concerns. Mental health and disability advocates previously told HuffPost that the plan isnt the safest option, and that it fails to respect the autonomy of homeless people with mental illnesses. They also shared concerns about how it reflects past legislation  such as the Ugly Laws  that have historically targeted disabled and homeless people.

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Mental illness, they added, cant be detected simply by looking at someone. The New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, a civil rights law firm and one of the plaintiffs in the December lawsuit, said in a press release that the plan lowers the standard for involuntary detentions and hospitalizations to such a level that almost anyone can be forcibly detained and hospitalized against their will.

The firm sent a statement to CNN that said it was disappointed by the judges ruling this week.

The rights of New Yorkers with mental disabilities, particularly those who are unhoused, remain imperiled by the citys new involuntary removal policy. Our litigation challenging the citys use of New York Police Department officers as first responders when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis continues, the statement said, according to CNN.

Related...
The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com spearhead two of Arizona's largest giving-back initiatives each year, including our flagship Season for Sharing campaign.

Last year, nonprofits statewide shared nearly $1.8 million that was donated by Republic readers and others to Season for Sharing.

Grants ranging from $7,500 to $40,000 were distributed to 164 organizations that support teachers and students, aid older adults and help struggling families. The funds were donated by subscribers, by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and others during the holiday season.

Since 1993, Season for Sharing has raised more than $72 million for struggling children and families, older adults, teachers and students around Arizona. Donations primarily come from readers of The Arizona Republic and are partially matched by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Since it began in 1993, Season for Sharing has raised and given away almost $72 million to Arizona nonprofits. Because The Republic pays administrative and promotional costs, 100% of donations goes back to the community.

"Arizonans' generosity and caring cannot be overstated," said Republic executive editor Greg Burton. "So many people are struggling with housing issues, food issues and general economic pressures. The work that these nonprofits do to help our neighbors in need is vital."

Applications for Season for Sharing grants are reviewed by a group of Republic employees and representatives from the Arizona Community Foundation, the Pulliam Trust and ASU's Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation.

Last year, a theme emerged from the grant applicants: a need for ongoing relief from COVID-19-related food and housing insecurity. New asks came from organizations that help refugees from Afghanistan and other war-torn areas. Tempe-based Welcome to America is using a $7,500 grant to support more than 1,500 refugee families with emergency needs, for instance.

Mike Sullivan of the Welcome to America Project talks with a family of Iraqi refugees who were recently resettled in Arizona.

The majority of grantees were located in Maricopa County, but nonprofits in Pinal County, Parker, Flagstaff, Payson and Sedona also benefitted.

The largest grant  $40,000  went to Arizona Food Bank Network. The network is a coalition of food banks that feeds more than 450,000 people statewide.

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Follow the next Season for Sharing campaign at sharing.azcentral.com or facebook.com/seasonforsharing.

Nonprofits benefit from Republic's A Community Thrives grants

Foster360 received a $50,000 grant from A Community Thrives, the national grantmaking and crowdfunding program sponsored by The Arizona Republic and the Gannett Foundation. Gannett Co., Inc., is The Republic's parent company.

It is the largest grant given to an Arizona nonprofit in the six years of the Community Thrives program's existence. Additionally, 15 other Arizona nonprofits will share more than $516,000 in local operating grants.

"This work can feel lonely and isolating, to get that call was just this moment of feeling seen and bringing awareness to this community," co-Director Sommer Knight said.

To qualify for final consideration for A Community Thrives grants, organizations had to crowdfund a minimum amount of donations from supporters. Backers gave $17,700 to Foster360, bringing its Community Thrives total to $67,700.

A Community Thrives supports education, arts and culture, wellness and community building in USA Today Network cities around the country. More than $6 million (grants plus crowdfunding) went to nonprofits this year.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Charitable efforts include Season for Sharing, A Community Thrives grants
Dubai, United Arab Emirates--(Newsfile Corp. - February 3, 2023) - SM Share Management AG has announced plans to bring the world's largest sapphire, the Priceless Sapphire, to Dubai this spring. The 90.3 kilogram, 451,000-carat gem entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2022.





SM Share Management AG



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8203/153572_8932489ec4067969_001full.jpg

The sapphire was found in 2019 in the Manandzari region of Madagascar. It is now at the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia.

Before the official display, which will take place in the spring, a business meeting will be held in February at which leading businessmen and investors in Dubai will assess the possibilities of monetizing the gem. The event will be held on February 8 at 11 a.m. at Richman House Business Center (Opus by Omniyat Building, Busines Bay). Admission for business people and press is free.

"The world's biggest sapphire is going to the world's most expensive city," Leon Pogelshek, founder of SM Share Management AG and an art connoisseur, explains the choice of the venue. "We want to showcase the potential of the Priceless, a unique natural sapphire."

At the event, the owner of the sapphire will tell the history of the stone, interesting facts about it and hold a series of meetings with potential partners. Also, the participants will discuss options for monetization of the stone.

Learn more about the sapphire here: http://priceless-sapphire.com/

ontacts for press:

Artem Dushkin, Development Director of SM SHARE MANAGEMENT AG

dushkinartem@gmail.com

+385992147653 - What's App

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/153572
KYODO NEWS - Feb 5, 2023 - 11:04 | All, Japan

Japan is planning to expand offshore wind power generation beyond its territorial waters to its exclusive economic zone, in a push to achieve carbon neutrality and ensure energy security amid Russia's war in Ukraine.

A panel of experts who looked into the feasibility of building wind power facilities in the EEZ has recently concluded that such construction is possible as long as Japan backs it with domestic law. Based on the view, the government is planning to prepare necessary legislation or a legal revision, officials said, just as the country is set to update its marine strategy around May.

Russia's war in Ukraine has fueled energy supply concerns globally and heightened the need to diversify energy sources.

Resource-scarce Japan has relied heavily on thermal power but the rising global momentum toward decarbonization means it needs to secure more energy from alternative sources like renewables, which account for only a small portion of the nation's energy mix.

Some European nations, including Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands, already have offshore wind farms in their EEZs. China and South Korea are also stepping up offshore wind power generation.

"We have the responsibility of taking steps in line with global efforts toward carbon neutrality," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in December as he received proposals. "We will make better use of marine resources to realize a decarbonized society by expanding offshore wind power to the EEZ."

Wind electricity generation achieved the highest growth among renewable sources in 2021 but annual output capacity needs to increase to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050, according to the International Energy Agency, which noted that further cost reductions are required for offshore wind power.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has been urging the government to come up with a strategy to make better use of the sea, which is critical for transport, resource development and national security.

Japan's biggest business lobby Keidanren has also stressed the need for the island nation that has the world's sixth largest marine area, to boost its maritime competitiveness. The Japan Business Federation, as the body is formally known, singled out offshore wind power as a key area that requires support to build necessary supply chains and develop technology that will help curb costs.

Japan already has offshore wind turbines fixed to the seabed within its territorial waters. In the EEZ extending up to 200 nautical miles, or around 370 kilometers, from the coastal baseline, where water is deep, floating wind turbines are seen as suitable.

The recent go-ahead by the government panel is a step forward in Japan's future installation of offshore wind turbines in the EEZ but experts say it will likely take years for them to become operational.

By 2040, Japan is aiming to boost offshore wind power generation to 30 to 45 gigawatts, equivalent to roughly 45 nuclear reactors.

In the broader energy mix, the government aims for renewables to account for 36 to 38 percent in fiscal 2030, doubling from fiscal 2019. Japan will get around 20 percent each from nuclear power and coal.

The offshore wind power push could become a sensitive issue when national security comes into the equation. The government will need to decide where in the EEZ to allow such equipment to be installed and consult with relevant parties.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the coastal state has "sovereign rights" when "exploring, exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources" in the EEZ.

The state can set safety zones around installations and structures like wind turbines but freedom of navigation should be ensured for all states. The law also calls for "due regard" to the rights of other states.

"When it comes to 'due regard,' it's important to ensure the freedom of navigation for other states. Before that, what is more important is to decide what Japan intends to do," the report by the government panel said.
Whether through a Faustian bargain or the unwitting possession of a cursed monkey paw, the Republican Party has taken Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene  arguably the most ludicrous lawmaker in an age of pervasive ludicrousness  and awarded her legitimacy.

She now sits on important congressional committees. Her Id-like-to-speak-with-your-manager voice will be heard, and the questions that lurk in her mind, a place of cobwebs and dust, will be asked. She has become, to the consternation of a dwindling number of "normal" Republicans, the face of the GOP.

Last week, during a House Oversight and Accountability Hearing, she asked U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro how much COVID-19 relief money was used to teach critical race theory. She explained that critical race theory is a racist curriculum used to teach children that somehow their white skin is not equal to black skin and other things in education, which sounds like something an ignorant and mildly racist white person would say if you asked them to define critical race theory and they tried, and failed, to make up a definition.

Marjorie Taylor Greene and the mysterious $5.1 billion Illinois school

She then told Dodaro, with great confidence, that one Illinois elementary school received $5.1 billion for equity and diversity. I live in Illinois. That figure is more than half the entire state budget for K-12 education, and unless theres an elementary school with solid gold stairwells and limousine bus service that Im unaware of, that number is nonsense.

Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) takes a photo with U.S. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) after being elected Speaker of the House in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 07, 2023.

And therein lies the problem. For those who dont consider algebra a form of liberal indoctrination, Greenes unerring stupidity and ease with dishonesty are frustrating. How on earth is a person like this being taken seriously?

Republicans have built MTG a pedestal

Id argue we need to stop asking that question. Its an attempt to apply logic to something wholly illogical, and its an inquiry that will never pierce the membrane of the right-wing bubble Greene inhabits.

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Big day for conspiracy theorists: Marjorie Taylor Greene on Homeland Security Committee

Stop trying to make sense of her, because she lives in a world of nonsense and speaks a language most regular Americans will, thankfully, never understand.

Comparing Tyre Nichols to Ashli Babbitt?

During a House Oversight Committee meeting last week, Republican lawmakers decided to do away with the civil rights subcommittee, because apparently America faces no more civil rights issues.

One Democrat brought up the horrific beating death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers as an example of why the civil rights subcommittee was still necessary.

Greene responded in a way that suggested she had swallowed a Fox News Tucker Carlson pill whole: Id like to also point something that Id hope you share with me: Theres a woman in this room whose daughter was murdered on January 6, Ashli Babbitt.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., pretends to console Brandon Straka, who is pretending to cry in a cell at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas on Aug. 5, 2022.

Preparing for this performative moment, Greene had invited Babbitts mother to the meeting. Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by a police officer during the domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. She and other members of a mob seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election faced off with police officers near the Speaker's Lobby. Warned to stop by the police, Babbitt tried to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door when she was shot.

Nichols, on the other hand, was brutally beaten by a group of police officers for no apparent reason.

Reality means nothing to lawmakers like Greene

Greene continued to dissemble about Babbitt: As a matter of fact, no one has cared about the person that shot and killed her. And no one in this Congress has really addressed that issue. And I believe that there are many people that came into the Capitol on Jan. 6, whose civil rights and liberties are being violated heavily.

John O'Kelly of New York, is among those charged with participating in the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot. O'Kelly was arrested in October 2022.

Thats a bunch of pro-insurrection gibberish. Babbitts death was thoroughly investigated, the police officers action was deemed lawful and, in fact, an internal U.S. Capitol Police investigation said the shooting potentially saved Members and staff from serious injury and possible death from a large crowd of rioters who forced their way into the U.S. Capitol and to the House Chamber where Members and staff were steps away.

There is zero equivalence between a Black man getting beaten to death by police officers following a routine traffic stop and an insurrectionist, part of a group that had already beaten several police officers half to death, getting shot because she and her mob were literally attacking the U.S. government.

Anything can make sense if Fox News tells you it makes sense

But in Greenes world, this is a legitimate gripe. Its as if she doesnt speak our native tongue, but spins words and conspiracies embraced as gospel among an insular swath of Americans whose lives are defined by lies and bent reality.

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Feeling exasperated that Greene is where she is, that she somehow overcame Jewish-space-laser comments and an obvious absence of intellect, is a waste of energy. She wont make sense to people outside that spooky, Fox News-fed world any more than the rest of us will make sense to them.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., arrives for a closed-door meeting with the GOP Conference during opening day of the 118th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.

We are the enemy. We are nonbelievers. We are Marxist or socialists or communists or woke or whatever the derisive term of the day happens to be.

Stop trying to figure out people like Greene - just give them the derision they deserve

We should mock Republicans like Greene, as they are unerringly mockable and undeserving of respect. We should fight against their bizarro worldview and invariably white-centric policies and do all we can to elect lawmakers who recognize fact from fiction.

But slapping our foreheads in frustration over the pedestal Republicans built for Greene, trying to figure out how anyone with a pulse could possibly take her seriously? Thats just a waste of time. That requires a deeper understanding of the fever swamps Greene and other likes her call home.

And trust me, you dont want to go there. Youll end up dumber, wet and covered in muck.

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Twitter @RexHuppke and Facebook facebook.com/RexIsAJerk, or contact him at rhuppke@usatoday.com

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Voters have clearly told Republicans to change their ways. GOP has said, 'Nope.'

You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marjorie Taylor Greene's conspiracies deserve mockery, not respect
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As you've probably heard, the rich keep getting richer, and one way they do it is with a strategy called tax avoidance.

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In 2021, nonprofit newsroom ProPublica revealed that between 2014 and 2018, the United States' 25 wealthiest individuals got $401 billion richer -- but the income taxes they paid covered only 3.4% of their new net worth.

Unlike tax evasion, which can land you in prison, tax avoidance is perfectly legal, and it's a strategy you can implement to reduce your own tax bill. It requires only that you take advantage of some of the tax loopholes the wealthy use to reduce their yearly tax burden. Find out what you might be able to write off to save more.

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1. Claim Depreciation

Depreciation is one way the wealthy save on taxes. So, what exactly is it?

"For federal income tax purposes, depreciation is a deduction that allows you to recover the cost or other basis of certain property," tax expert Kelly Phillips Erb wrote in a post for Forbes. "It can be tricky but generally, you begin to depreciate your property when you place it in service for the first time. The IRS considers property 'placed in service' when it is ready and available for use, not when you actually begin using it. You depreciate the cost of the item over its useful life (based on the kind of property) unless an exception applies."

Take Our Poll: What Do You Plan To Use Your Tax Refund For?

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How To Get the Deduction

Depreciation can be claimed for both tangible and intangible property. Property that may be eligible for this deduction includes buildings, rental properties, machines, cars and trucks, furnishings, equipment, patents, copyrights and some kinds of software, according to TaxGirl.com. To qualify for the deduction, the property must meet three requirements:

It's used for a business or income-producing activity.

You own the property.

It has a determinable "useful life" of more than one year.

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Depreciation claims are made in section 179 of your federal tax returns. For tax year 2023, the maximum expense deduction is $1,160,000 for most property. For tax year 2022, you can deduct up to $1,080,000.

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2. Deduct Business Expenses

If you run a business, you might reap big tax benefits. Business owners who are filing taxes can claim potential tax deductions for some business expenses, including those tied to:

Travel

Vehicle

Office supplies

Work-related education expenses

A home office

Not every venture qualifies as a business entitled to such tax write-offs, however. To qualify, you must intend to try to make a profit in your business rather than engaging in what the IRS considers to be merely a "hobby."

However, sometimes the lines are blurred between business and hobby. It's important to know the difference so you don't miss out on a legitimate deduction -- or claim a deduction you're not entitled to receive.

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How To Get the Deduction

How do you distinguish between a hobby that produces some income and a bona fide business? The IRS considers many factors that can be found on the organization's website. A few of them include:

Whether you carry on the activity in a businesslike manner, maintaining complete and accurate books and records

Whether the time and effort you put into the activity indicate you intend to make it profitable

Whether you depend on income from the activity for your livelihood

Whether the activity makes a profit some years and how much profit it makes

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3. Hire Your Kids

Business owners who turn their venture into a "family affair" can put more money back into their pockets. For example, hiring your kids to do legitimate work in your business offers potential tax benefits.

According to the IRS: "Payments for the services of a child under age 18 who works for his or her parent in a trade or business are not subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes if the trade or business is a sole proprietorship or a partnership in which each partner is a parent of the child."

What's more, your kids' income won't be taxed unless it exceeds the standard deduction. The standard deduction is $12,950 for tax year 2022 and increases to $13,850 for 2023.

Putting your kids to work in your business has an additional tax benefit: You can deduct their wages as a business expense.

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How To Get the Deduction

Instead of paying high taxes on your business income, transfer some of that income to your child as wages for services they perform. Your child's work must be "legitimate," however, and the salary must be "reasonable," said Gail Rosen, a Martinsville, New Jersey-based certified public accountant.

Check Your $2 Bills: They Could Be Worth Upwards of $4,500

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4. Roll Forward Business Losses

Even the wealthy lose money in business sometimes, but they use those losses to their advantage. An IRS rule called a "net operating loss carryforward" allows business owners whose business lost money one year to carry the loss forward to a future year when the deduction would be more advantageous.

"Business losses are sometimes called net operating losses (NOL)," Phillips Erb wrote in the Forbes post. "An NOL generally results when your tax deductions exceed your taxable income. If that number is negative in one year -- but has been positive in other years resulting in tax payable -- that doesn't quite seem fair. The NOL exists so that you can balance that inequity. In other words, you can use the loss in one year to lower your taxable income and reduce your tax burden in another year."

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How To Get the Deduction

In tax years 2018 through 2020, the IRS allowed NOL carrybacks, whereby you would first carry back the entire NOL amount for up to five years, and if you still had an NOL remaining after carrying those losses back, you could carry the losses forward.

Beginning in tax year 2021, those loses are only carried forward for most businesses. "A carry forward means that you can apply the loss towards your income in a future year." Erb wrote.

5. Earn Income From Investments, Not Your Job

Instead of working for their money, wealthy people can make their money work for them, said Pompano Beach, Florida-based accountant Eric J. Nisall, founder of AccountLancer, which specializes in accounting for freelancers.

Investments that offer distributions such as real estate investment trusts (REITs) and master limited partnerships (MLPs) are set up in ways that can bring in a steady generated income.

Other options include investing in stocks or investing in real estate by purchasing rental properties. Remember you'll have to make significant upfront investments before you start seeing returns, and returns are never guaranteed.

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How To Get the Deduction

The tax on earned income can be as high as 37%. Invest in high-yielding dividend stocks and collect dividends that the companies pay at regular intervals. Later, you can sell the stock after it has appreciated and pay a relatively low capital gains tax rate. Depending on how much was earned in a particular year, long-term capital gains tax rates are 0%, 15% and 20% for 2022 and 2023.

If you own property that you rent out as a landlord, you'll be able to deduct your property taxes. Remember, though, you have to find tenants who will pay the rent on time and won't trash your property. Urgent repairs and periodic improvements can be costly, as well.

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6. Sell Real Estate You Inherit

If you inherit a piece of property, you can minimize the capital gains taxes by taking advantage of the "step-up in basis." Normally, if you buy a piece of land for $200,000 and then sell that land for $450,000, you'll owe tax on that $250,000 gain. However, if your parents purchase the land for $200,000 and you inherit it, your new basis will be the fair market value of the property at the time you inherit it. If you sell it immediately, you won't owe any tax at all on that $250,000 gain.

See: Why Stealth Wealth Is the Best Way To Handle Your Money

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How To Get the Deduction

The stepped-up basis is an automatic process that happens to all property that passes by way of inheritance. For tax purposes, it's like you're starting over, purchasing the property anew at the current price.

In the previous example, if you inherit the property from your parents when they die, you won't be liable to pay capital gains tax on the $250,000 increase in the property's value when you sell it using the step-up basis. Make sure your parents don't give the property to you before they die, however. If they do, they'll owe hefty taxes during their lifetime, and any financial benefit to you will be vastly diminished.

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7. Buy Whole Life Insurance

You ordinarily associate life insurance policies with the need to provide for your dependents if you die. A secret strategy that the wealthy take advantage of is buying whole life insurance, however. It's a combination of an insurance policy and an investment account.

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How To Get the Deduction

You can receive tax-deferred growth as your policy grows. It's also possible to receive tax-free distributions under certain conditions.

The double benefit is that the wealthy policy owner gets this tax break during their lifetime. After their death, the amount of the policy benefit goes directly to the lucky beneficiary they named, who receives it tax-free.

Consult a qualified and experienced financial planner or insurance agent. Also, consult an expert to find out if whole life insurance is right for you. Some experts believe it's a bad investment, partly because of the expensive fees.

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8. Buy a Yacht or Second Home

Most Americans don't have the cash to buy a boat or a second home. But having multiple residences can lessen a rich person's tax bill.

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How To Get the Deduction

If you own a home and itemize your deductions on your tax return, you can usually deduct the property taxes and the interest you pay on the mortgage -- though there is an upper limit of $10,000 that taxpayers are allowed to deduct for property taxes. If you buy a second home, you can deduct the taxes and mortgage interest on that property, as well.

The IRS notes that a yacht can qualify as a home, provided it includes sleeping quarters, a kitchen and a toilet. This strategy probably isn't practical for those who can't afford a second home -- particularly an expensive one that floats. But even if you own just one home, you should learn about the tax breaks for homeowners.

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9. Open an HSA

A health savings account is a tax-deferred account that was originally designed for healthcare expenses. However, when used properly, the account can become triple tax-free.

For starters, contributions to an HSA are tax-deductible, even if you don't itemize deductions. Next, earnings in the account grow tax-free.

Finally, distributions are tax-free if they are used for qualifying healthcare expenses, according to the same requirements as deductible medical and dental expenses on Schedule A. Distributions for nonhealthcare expenses generally trigger a 20% penalty.

There's one additional kicker that the rich and tax-savvy can also use to their advantage: After you turn age 65, you can withdraw your HSA money for any purpose at all without penalty, although you'll still owe ordinary income tax if you spend the money on nonhealth expenses.

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How To Get the Deduction

You can get the HSA deduction by opening an HSA and making contributions. HSAs are not available to all taxpayers; you must participate in a high-deductible medical insurance plan. Contributions are limited to $3,650 for individuals in the tax year 2022, or $7,300 for family coverage. Those limits increase to $3,850 or $7,750 for tax year 2023.

Report your HSA contributions, calculate your deduction, report distributions and figure your HSA taxes and penalties on Form 8889.

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10. Open a Solo 401(k) Plan

Most employees for larger corporations have heard of a 401(k) plan, which allows for tax-deductible contributions and tax-deferred growth of investment earnings. Those who contribute may be familiar with the annual contribution limit, which is $20,500 for the tax year 2022 and $22,500 for tax year 2023.

If you work for yourself, you may think that you're out of luck when it comes to contributing to a 401(k). The truth is if you're self-employed, you should consider it a stroke of good fortune. Individuals can open up their own solo 401(k) plans, and they can also contribute up to a whopping $61,000 -- $66,000 for 2023.

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How To Get the Deduction

You'll have to set up a solo 401(k) plan at a bank or brokerage account to get started. When you file your taxes, submit IRS Form 5500 to report your contributions.

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11. Defer Income

You only pay taxes on the amount of income that you receive in any given year. Even if you complete work and are entitled to payment, if you don't actually receive the payment until the following year, you won't owe taxes on it until then. Thus, if you can defer receiving income even a single day, from Dec. 31 until Jan. 1 of the following year, you can wait another full year before you have to pay tax on it.

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How To Get the Deduction

This is probably the easiest "deduction" of all to claim. When you defer income into a future year, you simply don't include it in a given year's income tax filing.

For example, if you're due a bonus on Dec. 31 but ask your employer to pay it on Jan. 1 instead, you simply include that income on your following year's tax return.

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12. Harvest Tax Losses

U.S tax law states that you have to pay capital gains tax on profits you take in taxable accounts. Worse still, if your gains are short-term in nature, meaning you held them for one year or less, you'll have to pay tax at your ordinary income tax rate. If you're in the top federal tax bracket, that means you'll owe 37% in federal tax alone on your short-term gains, according to the standards from tax years 2022 and 2023.

The smart way around this short-term gains tax is to harvest your capital losses to offset those gains.

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How To Get the Deduction

If you have any investments trading at a loss, you can sell them, realize those losses and use them to offset your capital gains. If your losses exceed your gains, you can even write off up to $3,000 of ordinary income using those losses. In this way, a paper loss on security can translate into thousands of dollars in tax savings if you use it to offset your gains.

You'll have to report your capital transactions on Form 8949 before summarizing your capital gains and deductible losses on Schedule D.

The wealthy might try to keep these and other tax strategies as their secrets. But, if used correctly, these tax breaks and tax loopholes can benefit everyone else in cutting state and federal taxes.

More From GOBankingRates

Daria Uhlig and Gabrielle Olya contributed to the reporting for this article.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Tax Tricks and Loopholes Only the Rich Know
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said Sunday he doesnt think former President Donald Trump could beat President Joe Biden in a 2024 rematch.

Unfortunately, at the end of the day, November of 22 showed us that, right? Trump is going to be seen as a very extreme candidate. The country is going to push back against it, the Republican governor said.

Sununu, speaking on ABCs This Week, was responding to a question about a new Washington Post-ABC poll that showed Trump ahead of Biden when it comes to the 2024 election. Sununu was not persuaded by those numbers.

It can't get done. He could get the nomination, but he can't get [it] done, Sununu said of the former president.

Sununu, who offered pointed criticisms of Bidens handling of the economy, said Republicans need to nominate the most electable conservative they can find.

He said that a solid GOP field was shaping up and that he was also thinking about it when it comes to entering the race himself.

Definitely thinking about it, having those conversations, Sununu said, but at the end of the day, you're going to have a lot of Republicans that get in that race. They're all really good people; theyre really good candidates. You have Nikki Haley and Mike Pompeo and Governor [Ron] DeSantis and a lot of folks who are going to get in.



Speaking later on the same program, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie agreed with Sununu that Trump was unlikely to defeat Biden.

"I don't think so," he said during a panel discussion.

The Post-ABC poll gave Trump a 48-44 edge over Biden. But it also showed that a majority of Democrats do not want Biden to be the Democratic nominee in 2024 and that a plurality of Republicans feel the same way about Trump. The poll, released two days before Bidens State of the Union address, was conducted Jan. 27-Feb. 1 among a national sample of 1,003 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Viola Davis may have been left out of this year's controversial Best Actress Oscar race, but she has at least one reason to celebrate: She just became an EGOT winner.

Davis picked up a Grammy Award on Sunday for Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording for narrating her audiobook Finding Me: A Memoir, making her just the 18th person to win all four major entertainment awards in competition.

"I just EGOT!" Davis said accepting her award, calling this her best chapter yet.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 05: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Viola Davis accepts the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling award for "Finding Me" onstage during the 65th GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Frazer Harrison/Getty Viola Davis at the 2023 Grammys

Davis has more shiny metal than a smelting plant, having won her first Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2001 for King Hedley II, and a Best Leading Actress in a Play in 2010 for Fences. In 2015, she made history as the first Black woman to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the Emmy Awards for How to Get Away With Murder.

She reprised her role in Fences for the film, opposite her Broadway costar Denzel Washington (who also handled directing duties), winning the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 2017, thus completing the "Triple Crown of Acting." With four nominations to her name, Davis is the most nominated Black actress in Oscar history.

Jennifer Hudson was the last person to EGOT, a term which originated, interestingly enough, with Miami Vice actor Philip Michael Thomas. In 1984, after Miami Vice thrust him into the spotlight, Thomas declared that he wanted to win all four awards within five years. He never got there, EGOT bless 'im.

The "EGOT" grew further in popularity when Tracy Morgan's 30 Rock character, Tracy Jordan, made it his mission to secure the EGOT  and unlike Thomas, succeeded  rocking a baller chain to commemorate it. Here's hoping Davis will pull a Jordan and do the same.

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Dr. James McKinney, medical director of the Novant Health Neurosciences Institute in the Coastal region, stands in a procedure room inside the new Novant Health Neurosciences Institute - New Hanover.

It was almost too much for a hospital team to bear.

A stroke patient whod arrived at New Hanover Regional Medical Center desperately needed advanced treatment that was simply not available. We had to transport the patient quickly to a hospital in the Triangle. But our medical helicopter was grounded by a storm.

Though the patient recovered, our team was incredibly frustrated. Weve devoted our lives to caring for people in their darkest hours. And yet we were not able to provide that care in our own facility  a problem we later remedied by adding specialists.

Still, that story illustrates why were so honored to mark the recent opening of the Novant Health Neurosciences Institute - New Hanover in Wilmington. This hospital within a hospital offers the latest in stroke, brain, spine and neurological care for patients from seven counties. Its the result of years of planning that harnesses exciting advancements in the treatment of strokes and other neurological diseases.

In the past, we routinely sent individuals with the most serious neurological ailments to the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. Weve had great partnerships with hospitals in those cities. Theres no question, though, that patients want to stay close to home. Some families don't have the resources to travel more than two hours to get care, or go back and forth to support seriously ill loved ones.

Its deeply meaningful to me that patients and families battling stroke, brain tumors, spine injuries, epilepsy, MS, Parkinsons, Alzheimers and more can now receive care near family and friends. This is the kind of facility I envisioned for our city when my wife and I moved from New Jersey to Wilmington in 2015.

Dr. James McKinney is medical director for the Novant Health Neurosciences Institute - New Hanover in Wilmington.

My wife is a graduate of UNC Wilmington and she always wanted to settle here. When I was a kid, I read a book by Wilmington native Robert Ruark in which he described hunting, fishing and being outdoors with his grandfather in southeast North Carolina. Though my medical education and training in stroke and vascular neurology were completed elsewhere, I always thought Wilmington would be a terrific place to live.

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I quickly realized when I began work here that our hospital could  and should  offer more sophisticated care in neurology, especially given our location in the stroke belt. The southeastern U.S. sees more strokes and higher mortality from strokes than anywhere else in the nation. Our hospital not only had the responsibility to care for strokes in our community, we were also the referral center for all of southeastern North Carolina. Patients were depending on us.

Ive witnessed in my own family how health care outcomes may vary depending upon the services provided in your community.

My dad died of encephalitis, a viral brain infection. He was initially treated at a small community hospital. The physicians did their best, but the diagnosis was missed or unclear for about a week before Dad was transferred to a larger system with more resources. I still cant stop thinking about it: With faster diagnosis and treatment, he might be alive today.

Compare that to my moms experience. She fell down a flight of stairs and experienced a subdural hematoma, or bleeding on the surface of the brain. Mom was rushed to a hospital with a neurocritical care unit and specialists who treated trauma every day. Shes back at home, living a normal life.

Patients at the Neurosciences Institute will have access to such specialists, including neurohospitalists, neurointerventionalists, neurosurgeons and specially trained nurses and support staff. The new facility with state-of-the-art equipment is helping us recruit top talent.

When we or someone we love faces a complex medical problem, we want to know there are experts close at hand, with the teams and technology to restore health. That's the level of care that saved my mom. And that's what we at the Novant Health Neurosciences Institute - New Hanover are grateful to offer to our region today.

James McKinney, MD, is medical director for the Novant Health Neurosciences Institute - New Hanover in Wilmington.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Why NHRMC is honored to present its new neurosciences hospital
This blueprint will guide the implementation of the worlds largest Indigenous-led, collaboratively developed marine protected area network

VANCOUVER, Feb. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After years of work by First Nations, provincial, and federal governments, an action plan for a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Northern Shelf Bioregion has been adopted.

WWF-Canada applauds progress on this Indigenous-led and collaboratively developed effort that will double coverage of MPAs in this 100,000-square-kilometre region, also known as the Great Bear Sea, to 30 per cent and guide the creation of what will become Canadas first-ever planned MPA network.

WWF-Canada looks forward to Canadas swift implementation of priority sites by 2025 and formal designation of these areas as MPAs alongside robust protections and management plans.

The Northern Shelf Bioregion is a place where fin whales, humpbacks and orcas swim past deep fjords, rocky islands and glass sponge reefs; where sea birds forage in coastal estuaries, giant kelp beds and along rocky coastlines; and where wolves and the pale spirit bear roam the seas neighbouring namesake, the Great Bear Rainforest.

The proposed areas identified in the Northern Shelf Bioregion MPA Network Action Plan, when implemented with existing MPAs, will collectively conserve the regions unique wildlife and diverse habitats, rebuild abundance and ecosystem resilience, and deliver positive outcomes for communities across the entire region.

While this is a big step forward, there is a lot of work to be done. The implementation of sites will require formalizing protection measures to limit incompatible activities. With declines in species and ecosystem healthand as the Great Bear Sea braces for increases in shipping and development as well as climate variabilityprotections are needed sooner rather than later.

WWF-Canada hopes to see a similar approach to the establishment of future protected areas and networks that prioritizes both Indigenous governance and stewardship along with systematic conservation planning.

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Hussein Alidina, lead specialist for marine conservation at WWF-Canada, says:

The Northern Shelf Bioregion MPA Network Action Plan will lead to the creation of Canadas first systematically planned marine protected area network and is a groundbreaking model for collaborative governance. In a process that is being led and implemented with Indigenous nations, the action plan is an important step in advancing both marine conservation and Indigenous reconciliation. We now need to rapidly shift our attention to implementation of these marine protected areas and do what needs to be done to make them a reality.

For more information on the Great Bear Sea MPA Network: https://wwf.ca/great-bear-sea/

About World Wildlife Fund Canada

WWF-Canada is committed to equitable and effective conservation actions that restore nature, reverse wildlife loss and fight climate change. We draw on scientific analysis and Indigenous guidance to ensure all our efforts connect to a single goal: a future where wildlife, nature and people thrive. For more information visit wwf.ca.

CONTACT: Emily Vandermeer WWF-Canada 5196161556 evandermeer@wwfcanada.org




Features/The Vanished Editor

Tammy Ayer has worked at the Yakima Herald-Republic since 2015. This is her fourth newspaper gig. Alongside general assignment reporting and profiles, she writes about the centuries-long crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, focusing on those who have gone missing, been murdered and have died mysteriously on and around the Yakama Reservation. Ayer grew up in Indiana, lived in Florida for 13 years and has a masters degree in history.
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KYODO NEWS - Feb 5, 2023 - 09:09 | All, Japan

An 85-year-old woman has been found dead in her home in northeastern Japan and police are investigating the incident as a possible robbery and murder, officials said Saturday.

Yasuko Komatsu's son found her collapsed in the hallway near the front door of her home in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, when he visited Friday after being unable to contact her. Autopsy results showed her death was caused by head trauma resulting from her being struck with some kind of weapon, police said.

The entire house had also been ransacked, police said. Komatsu lived alone.

Police said there is no indication at this stage that this incident is related to a string of robberies that have taken place across Japan since last year, including a Jan. 19 case in the city of Komae in Tokyo that led to the death of a 90-year-old woman.

Related coverage:

Philippines may send 2 robbery suspects to Japan early next week
An American Airlines flight from Delhi to New York allegedly had a female cancer patient who had recently undergone surgery offloaded from it after asking a flight attendant for help stowing her handbag in the overhead compartment. Meenakshi Sengupta, a passenger from the United States, filed a complaint against the flight attendant on January 30, alleging that they refused to assist her in placing her handbag, which weighed more than 5 pounds, in the overhead compartment because she was unable to do so due to weak limbs. The complaint was made public on January 31.

In her complaint to the Delhi Police and the Civil Air, Meenakshi Sengupta said that she had also requested wheelchair assistance to her seat, "I was also wearing a brace which was visible to everyone, and they would know that I have some discomfort...because I CANNOT carry any weight in my hands at all, and I`m weak from the surgery and don`t need to strain myself by walking a lot."

Also read: Explained: How India's Improving Road, Rail Network Has Dented Bengaluru-Mysuru Flight Services?

She said, "The ground staff was very supportive and helped me get into the aircraft and put my handbag on the side of the seat. Once inside the flight, I had a conversation with the air hostess, and I explained my health condition to them...None of them mentioned putting my handbag away. After the flight was about to take off, cabin lights were dimmed. At that time, an air hostess came to put my handbag in the overhead compartment. I requested her to help me put it, but she refused and told me it`s not her job to do it."

Sengupta further mentioned that she "repeatedly" asked her to assist, but the latter rudely declined her request, asked her to do it on her own, and walked away.

"She was extremely rude and arrogant with her words," Sengupta alleged, adding when she went to complain about the incident, the aircraft members were "largely indifferent" and told her that they did not want to interfere at all, she alleged.

"They said that if I`m so uncomfortable, I should just de-board the flight. They were collective in their decision to deboard me," Sengupta said. The incident also went viral on social media, and people urging the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) to take note of the matter.

"Disgusting behavior from @AmericanAir staff towards a #cancerpatient - Meenakshi Sengupta who was de-boarded from the flight for not putting her handbag up because cancer has made her arms weak and the crew won`t help. Shameful @DCWDelhi @SwatiJaiHind kindly note @Pib_MoCA," tweeted.

Quoting the incident, a Twitter user said. Meanwhile, India`s regulator- the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has taken cognisance of the case and asked American Airlines to submit its report. The airline, in its official statement, said that its Customer Relations team has reached out to Sengupta to refund the unused portion of her ticket.

"On Jan. 30, before the departure of American Airlines flight 293 from Delhi (DEL) to New York (JFK), a disruptive customer was removed from the aircraft for failure to follow crew member instructions. Our Customer Relations team has reached out to the customer to refund the unused portion of their ticket," the airline said, adding that a probe into the matter is underway.

(With ANI Inputs)
The flight services between Bengaluru and Mysuru are suffering because people are extensively using other modes of transport like Bengaluru-Mysuru express highway and train to travel between the two cities, as per Deccan Herald's report. It is to be noted that the distance between the two cities is 140 km. Furthermore, the time to cover the distance is shortened because of the Bengaluru-Mysuru highway on the outskirts of Mysuru, and it takes them around 70 minutes to cover the distance.

Bengaluru Traffic Snarls

Adding to the short distance, another reason for not using the flight to commute between the cities is the traffic snarls one has to face to reach Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport because of bottlenecks surrounding the area.

Also read: Meet Avani Chaturvedi, IAF's First Woman Fighter Jet Pilot to Fly Sukhoi Su-30MKI in Aerial Wargame Abroad

Train Services Between Bengaluru-Mysuru

The frequency of trains between Bengaluru and Mysuru, at 33, must be highlighted as being among the highest in the entire country. Furthermore, the train network is aided by the recently launched Vande Bharat Express train on the route.

Since many travellers would rather take the Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway or trains like the Wadiyar Express, Shatabdi, and Vande Bharat Express to travel to Bengaluru, airport officials acknowledged that the demand for Mysuru-Bengaluru flights is improbable.

Dent in Bengaluru-Mysuru Flight Services

As per a report of the Deccan Herald, there has been no flight between Mysuru-Bengaluru since November 2022. Deccan Herald quotes Mysuru Airport Director saying, "It was necessary earlier, when there were no direct flights to various destinations. It helped the passengers to catch connecting flights without going out of the KIA. Now, we have a few direct flights."

Currently, Mysuru Airport operates flights to five destinations in the nation, including two daily flights to Hyderabad and Chennai, one daily flight to Goa, two weekly flights to Hubbali, and the recently launched route to Sindhudurg in Maharashtra.

The flight on Mysuru-Sindhudurg route was inaugurated on February 1. However, reports suggested that the flight operated by Alliance Air did not get any bookings, and the route might be set to fail in the coming future.
Weeks after scripting history by becoming the first woman fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to take part in an aerial wargame abroad, Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi says flying combat aircraft is exciting and the sky is the limit for young people wanting to pursue a career in the force. Chaturvedi, a Su-30MKI pilot, was part of the IAF contingent that participated in a 16-day mega air combat exercise with the Japan Air Self Defence Force (JASDF) at the Japanese airbase of Hyakuri from January 12 to 26. "It is always a good experience to participate in flying exercises, especially with a foreign air force. This is more so because this was the first time that I was involved in an international exercise. It was a huge opportunity for me and a wonderful learning experience," Chaturvedi told PTI.

The exercise, "Veer Guardian-2023", was the first such wargame between the IAF and the JASDF with a focus on air-combat manoeuvring, interception and air-defence missions. "I would like to convey to all the young, aspiring girls and boys that the sky is the limit for you. The IAF is a wonderful career option and flying fighter aircraft is really exciting," Chaturvedi said.

"I would like to tell all IAF aspirants that you should set your eyes on the goal and go for it with dogged determination," she said when asked how arduous was the path for her to become a fighter pilot.

A B.Tech in computer science, Squadron Leader Chaturvedi was among the first three women fighter pilots commissioned into the IAF in June 2016. The other two were Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh.

"This exercise has given us a great opportunity to learn from each other. The endeavour is to understand each other's working philosophies, planning processes or any good practice in general. It is a mutual learning exercise," Chaturvedi said.

According to officials, women fighter pilots in the IAF had participated in air exercises within the country, but this was the first time that one of them was part of a military drill abroad.

In February 2018, Chaturvedi, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo when she flew a MiG-21 bison. She undertook the sortie from the IAF's Jamnagar base.

Chaturvedi, Kanth and Singh were commissioned into the IAF in 2016, less than a year after the government decided to open the fighter stream for women on an experimental basis. The IAF currently has around 20 women fighter pilots.

Last year, the defence ministry said it had decided to convert the experimental scheme for the induction of women fighter pilots in the IAF into a permanent one. In 2020, the Navy announced deploying its first batch of women pilots on the Dornier maritime aircraft.

In the "Veer Guardian" exercise in Japan, India had deployed the Su-30MKI aircraft, one IL-78 flight refuelling aircraft and two C-17 Globemaster strategic airlift transport aircraft. The JASDF participated in the exercise with its F-2 and F-15 aircraft.

During the exercise, the two air forces engaged in complex and comprehensive aerial manoeuvres in multiple simulated operational scenarios. The IAF and the JASDF engaged in air-combat manoeuvring, interception and air-defence missions, both in visual and beyond-visual range settings, officials said.

The aircrew of the two air forces also flew in each other's fighter aircraft to gain a deeper understanding of each other's operating philosophies.
As per a report on Zee Kannada, SpiceJet has been fined Rs 63,457 for not letting three passengers board a flight back in 2021. As per the report, three passengers, Shakeel, Shaukata Ali Mulla and Mahmud Mawajan of Malapur had booked a flight ticket from Hyderabad to Belgaum on December 29, 2021. The flight was scheduled to depart at 1.30 PM on the scheduled date. Although the passengers arrived at the airport 75 minutes before the departure of the flight, the security on duty refused entry at the airport.

Despite repeated requests to let them enter the airport and having time on hand to board the flight, the security didn't let the victims enter the Hyderabad airport. The complainant says they were not given a reason for not letting them to enter the building.

As a result, one of the three passengers filed a complaint in the Dharwad District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. The commission said that this is a case of service deficiency and is against consumer protection act.

Commission Chairman Eashappa Bhute, members Vishalakshi Bolashetti and Prabhu Hiremath, conducted an inquiry into the said complaint, and ruled in favour of the complainant.

The commission ordered the airline to pay to the plaintiff the entire fare of the air ticket paid by him of Rs 8,457, compensation of Rs 50,000 for the inconvenience and mental distress and damage suffered by him along with the cost of the case Rs 5,000 within 30 days from the date of this order.
New Delhi: Actress Pooja Hegde, who will be soon seen in the upcoming Salman Khan-starrer film 'Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan', recently shared that she has wrapped up the film. The film is an action thriller in which Pooja will be playing the lead role opposite superstar Salman Khan.

Pooja took to her Instagram stories to share the update with her fans notifying them of the wrap-up. The actor captivated the audience with her looks in the teaser that was released a week ago, fans are eagerly waiting to witness her on the big screen again.

The film is directed by Farhad Samji and is set to have a release on April 21, 2023.

Apart from this, the actress will soon begin shooting for her next 'SSMB 28' with Mahesh Babu. She also shared a few pictures from the make-up session of another project.
New Delhi: Apple CEO Tim Cook has praised the Indian director Vishal Bhardwajs sci-fi short film that was entirely shot on iPhone 14. The short film named 'Fursat' is exploring what might happen if someone could see into the future. Hailing the incredible cinematography and choreography of the short film, Cook said it all shot on iPhone. He also shared the link of the short film that is available on YouTube.

Check out this beautiful Bollywood film from director @VishalBhardwaj that explores what might happen if you could see into the future. Incredible cinematography and choreography, and all #ShotoniPhone, Tim Cook tweeted on February 4, 2023.

Check out this beautiful Bollywood film from director @VishalBhardwaj that explores what might happen if you could see into the future. Incredible cinematography and choreography, and all #ShotoniPhone. https://t.co/32LODwy3vb  Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 4, 2023

Twitteratis flood Praise Reactions

Twitter user Satish Badugu commented, Love it when a CEO of a trillion $ company while marketing his product (iPhone) also endorses an artist that makes movies on a moderate to shoe-string budget! I hope @Vishal Bhardwaj can always raise capital to make his movies that way he wants to!.

World Movie Awards (WMAs) praised Vishal Bhardwajs short film in the comment and said fantastic work coming from Vishal Bhardwaj of India.

Fantastic work coming from @VishalBhardwaj of #India!



Best, from all of us at the #worldmovieawards pic.twitter.com/q3NHyCnQaa  World Movie Awards (WMAs) (@WorldMovieAward) February 4, 2023

A Twitter user, Lorena Toledo, commented, Its a beautifully made film. You dont even need to speak the language to understand it & that is what makes it amazing! The scenery & all the colour that comes thru is captured by all these amazing products @Apple.

Twitterati George Salib called it Amazing.
KYODO NEWS - Feb 5, 2023 - 10:50 | All, World

The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina and is now moving to recover fallen debris, an episode that has derailed efforts to ease tensions between the two countries.

President Joe Biden praised aviators who were involved in the mission conducted in U.S. airspace above its territorial waters, telling reporters that he ordered national security officials on Wednesday to have the balloon shot down.

Biden said the balloon was not immediately downed as officials "said to me let's wait to the safest place to do it."

China has claimed the balloon, which was flying at an altitude well above that used by air traffic, is a "civilian" weather research balloon that was blown off course.

But Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reiterated in a statement on Saturday that it was being used by China "in attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States."

"Today's deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Biden and his national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC's unacceptable violation of our sovereignty," Austin said, referring to China by the acronym for its official name the People's Republic of China.

According to a senior defense official, the balloon, which was estimated to be the size of three buses, was taken down in the afternoon by an F-22 fighter with a single missile when it was at an altitude of nearly 20 kilometers.

The official said the United States will look into the balloon's payload and what kind of sensitive information it was collecting during the week it spent above U.S. and Canadian territory.

The Pentagon publicly disclosed the presence of the balloon over the United States on Thursday, leading to the abrupt postponement the following day of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's high-profile visit to China.

Hours after the downing of the balloon, China released a statement voicing its "strong dissatisfaction and protest over the use of force by the United States to attack the civilian unmanned airship."

The country's Foreign Ministry said the United States has overreacted to the incident and urged Washington to handle the situation in a "professional and restrained manner."

Blinken, who was due to depart for Beijing on Friday night, called its flight an "irresponsible act" and criticized China for violating U.S. sovereignty and international law.

The long-planned trip by Blinken was part of efforts to improve ties between the world's two biggest economies. Biden met Chinese President Xi Jinping in person in November for the first time since taking office.

During the meeting in Indonesia, the two presidents agreed to facilitate communication, despite significant disagreements about Taiwan, human rights and many other issues.

But the discovery of the balloon became a new flashpoint between Washington and Beijing.

The Pentagon said Friday a second Chinese balloon had been detected over Latin America, without providing details.

Related coverage:

Blinken puts off China trip after spy balloon detected over U.S.

Suspected Chinese spy balloon in U.S. airspace, China says for weather use
New Delhi: Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra has believed in Indias capability to come out unscathed and to be a global economic force despite of current challenges in the business sector. He concluded by saying, "Never, ever bet against India". His remark came after global media is speculating whether the emerging challenges will flounder Indias ambition to be a global economic force. He futher said, lived long enough to see us face earthquake, droughts, recessions, wars, terror attacks.

Global media is speculating whether current challenges in the business sector will trip Indias ambitions to be a global economic force. Ive lived long enough to see us face earthquakes, droughts, recessions, wars, terror attacks. All I will say is: never, ever bet against India, Anand Mahindra tweeted on February 4.

Global media is speculating whether current challenges in the business sector will trip Indias ambitions to be a global economic force. Ive lived long enough to see us face earthquakes, droughts, recessions, wars, terror attacks. All I will say is: never, ever bet against India  anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 4, 2023

Mahindras NEW EnterpRiseBharat Initiative

Mahindra has announced to launch a new initiative in order to help MSMEs across India to get investment and fund for the developments. He said, Im creating an initiative #EnterpRISEBharat with a corpus of Rs 10 cr. He further explained that the it would invest up to Rs 25 lakh each in deserving micro enterprises.

Given the focus on MSMEs in the budget, its important for the pvt. sector to step up to bat & support innovative micro- businesses. So Im creating an initiative #EnterpRISEBharat with a corpus of 10cr. It will invest up to 25L each in deserving micro enterprises. (3/4) pic.twitter.com/AbS8YoZiHO  anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 3, 2023

In an infographic, it is written steps to participate in #EnterpRISEBharat.
Mumbai: Conscience and consciousness are all the same in the country, just the opinions differ, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Sunday. He was addressing an event at the auditorium of Ravindra Natya Mandir on the occasion of the 647th birth anniversary of Saint Shiromani Rohidas. Bhagwat said, "When we earn a livelihood, we have also a responsibility towards society. When every work is for the greater good of the society, how can any work be big, small, or different?"

"To our maker, we are equal. There is no caste or sect. These differences were created by our priests, which was wrong," he added.

Also Read: Theres no Pick and Choose, no Appeasement: UP CM Yogi Adityanath Backs RSS Chiefs Remark on Indian Muslims

He said that conscience and consciousness are all the same in the country, and only the opinions are different. The RSS chief said Saint Rohidas has a stature greater than Tulsidas, Kabir, and Surdas, which is why he is considered Saint Shiromani.

"Although he couldn`t win over the Brahmins in Shastrath, he was able to touch many hearts and made them believe in God," he said.

He invoked Saint Rohidas to say that religion is not just about filling up one`s stomach. "Do your work, and do it according to your religion. Unite society and work for its progress, as that is what religion is about. It is because of such thoughts and high ideals that many big names became disciples of Saint Rohidas," the RSS chief said.

Bhagwat added that Saint Rohidas gave four mantras to the society -- truth, compassion, inner purity, and continuous hard work and effort.

"Pay attention to all that is happening around you but don`t leave your religion under any circumstances. While the manner of conveying the religious messages is different, the messages, themselves, are one and the same. One should practice his or her religion without malice for other faiths," he added.
The issue is just 13 decimals of land. But that piece of land within the premises of the iconic Visva Bharati University at Bolpur-Santiniketan in Birbhum district of West Bengal, which was founded by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, has led to a bitter political slugfest involving Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen.

Visva Bharati Row: How It All Started

It started when the vice chancellor of Visva Bharati University, Bidyut Chakraborty started accusing Sen of illegally occupying 1.38 acres of land which is in excess of his legal entitlement of 1.25 acres. However, the Nobel laureate refuted the allegation claiming the original 1.25 acres was gifted to his grandfather late Kshitimohan Sen who was the second vice- chancellor of Visva Bharati University. Later Sen`s father late Asutosh Sen, who was also a professor with the same university, purchased the remaining 13 decimals of land, which is at the centre of the dispute.

Things Changed After Amartya Sen's Interview

Till the beginning of last month the row between the university vice-chancellor and the Nobel laureate was within some basic limits of decency, restricted to two-way communication. However, things changed last month when Sen in an interview acknowledged the quality of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to occupy the chair of the Prime Minister of the country. A political hullabaloo erupted over this observation of Sen, ignoring his supplementary observations on this point. While Sen's acknowledgment of the quality of the chief minister was highlighted, his related observations where he expressed doubts about how far Mamata Banerjee would be a uniting factor for the anti-BJP opposition were totally ignored. Later Sen explained that although he acknowledged the quality of Mamata Banerjee on this count he never said that she was the only political leader possessing such quality.

Visva Bharati Row: Re-Entry Of Vice Chancellor

In the midst of the debate between the different political parties over Sen's observation, Bidyut Chakraborty made a re-entry with his attacks against Sen this time being more vociferous and personal in nature. Besides sending notices to Sen to vacate the reportedly excess land or come to a settlement, the V-C started giving media bytes attacking the Nobel laureate. Besides describing Sen as "an illegal occupant despite being a scholar," the V-C raised questions about his Nobel award. He claimed that Sen is not actually a Nobel laureate, but rather a recipient of an award somewhat equivalent to that.

BJP`s national vice-president and Lok Sabha member Dilip Ghosh echoed Bidyut Chakraborty claiming that he was the first one to point out that Sen was actually not a Nobel laureate. Sen reacted to the allegation by saying that everyone has the right to his or her opinion.

Mamata Banerjee Visits Sen's House

As this clash was going on, Mamata Banerjee reached Sen's residence at Bolpur-Santiniketan on January 30 and handed over to him the land holding records of the state Land & Land Reforms Department, which shows his legal entitlement over the entire 1.38 acres of land that he is occupying. She also described the developments as a "definite attempt by a section of the educationists to saffronise everything and insult the Nobel laureate."

Visva Bharati Row: University vs Mamata

Just a couple of days later, the university's chief public relations officer Mahua Ganguly issued a statement accusing the chief minister "of seeing through her ears". In the statement it was also said that the university would be better off without the chief minister`s blessings as it is walking on the path shown by the Prime Minister.

Calcutta High Court counsel Kaushik Gupta feels that the reaction of the vice-chancellor was not only eccentric but also a kind of disregard towards the legal system of the country. "If the university authorities feel that their point is correct on this count, they have every right to approach the court and adopt the legal discourse. But instead of doing that the university vice-chancellor is making an attempt to develop a public opinion about the globally-acclaimed economist and educationist. As a legal practitioner for a long time I wonder whether there is any legal sanctity to these claims of unauthorized occupation," Gupta said.



Educationist Pabitra Sarkar said that the award in economics is given by the Nobel committee and hence Bidyut Chakraborty`s argument on this count does not stand. "Professor Sen`s contribution as an economist has been acclaimed by all reputed global universities and study centres. His knowledge and achievements cannot be quantified by an award just as Rabindra Nath Tagore`s greatness cannot be quantified by his Nobel award," Sarkar said.



He also slammed the statement issued by the university accusing the chief minister "of seeing through her ears". "This cannot be the language of a statement from a university. What had the chief minister done? She just went to Professor Sen`s residence to handover the legal papers," said Sarkar, known for his leftist beliefs.
New Delhi: Asia's richest civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday (February 4, 2023) presented Rs 52,619.07 crore budget for the year 2023-24 with an emphasis on health, education and infrastructure. The budgetary estimates crossed the Rs 50,000-crore mark for the first time and Shiv Sena (UBT) called it the "path to financial bankruptcy". The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, termed the budget as "truly for Mumbaikars".

"This is the first time in the history of the country's richest civic body that the budgetary estimates for FY 2023-24 have crossed the Rs 50,000 crore mark and the capital expenditure is more than 50 per cent," BMC commissioner and administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal said.

The budget estimates for the financial year 2023-24 are proposed at Rs 52,619.07 crore, which exceeds the budget estimates for 2022-23, that is Rs 45,949.21 crore, by 14.52 per cent.

Chahal said that he had received 8-9 written suggestions from Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadanvis and most of them have been incorporated.

"One such feature based on these suggestions will be the launch of the 'Aarogyam Kutumbam? (Family Health). Chahal said 15,000 health workers will go door to door and screen 35.1 lakh families living in the BMC jurisdiction for hypertension and diabetic patients. "This will be a permanent scheme in BMC," he stated.

BMC budget: Health gets Rs 6,309.38 crore, primary education Rs 2,319.37 crore

As per the budget documents, the total expenditure for health is estimated at Rs 6,309.38 crore, which is 12 per cent of the total budget, while the same for primary education is Rs 2,319.37 crore and Rs 10,015.92 crore for water supply and sewage disposal.

The BMC has made a provision of RS 3,545 crore for the Coastal Road Project, which is expected to be completed by this year-end, Rs 2,825 crore for traffic operations and roads, Rs 800 crore for BEST undertaking as against Rs 1,382.28 crore in FY 22-23 and Rs 227.07 crore for Fire Brigade as against Rs 300 crore in FY 22-23.

At least 12 new projects, including the construction of footpaths on either side of roads with 9-meter width, digitisation of classrooms in civic-run schools, air quality monitoring, and family health scheme, were announced in the budget.

The BMC will launch a scheme for 41,774 students studying classes 9 and 10 in 249 civic-run schools under which the existing schools will be renamed as "Mumbai Public Schools and Skill Centers" and students will be provided vocational training for AI, parallel fashion designing, robotics, automobile technology, electronics, tourism etc, to make them employment-ready.

Chahal said 1,300 of 7,934 classrooms in BMC schools will be made digital in the next financial year as per the suggestion made by the CM.

Under the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan, the civic body will install 14 air purification towers for Rs 3.5 crore in each of the seven administrative zones, apart from setting up air purifying machines at another five locations in the city. For installing these towers, a sum of Rs 50 crore has been earmarked in the budget.

Chahal said the number of E-buses in the BEST fleet will go up to 3,400 by the end of 2023.

The BMC will come up with the "pedestrian first" policy wherein footpaths will be constructed on either side of roads whose width is 9 metres or more.

According to Chahal, the civic body's fixed deposits stood at Rs 88,000 crore.

As per the budget document, the BMC, from its FDs, will withdraw Rs 7,400 crore for the coastal road project, as well as the construction of the Goregaon-Mulund link road and sewage treatment plants. The BMC would withdraw Rs 5,376 crore for other expenditures and Rs 5,970 crore for "internal temporary transfers".

The civic chief also said the BMC will also use money from the Rs 15,600 crore infrastructure fund that has been created by levying a host of premiums.

"Big infrastructure projects cannot be accomplished by levying of tax on the public. Ultimately, these FDs are made from public money. Hence if we have to give the public the concrete roads, coastal roads, STPs, we will spend from it," Chahal said.

BMC budget paves way for Mumbai's financial bankruptcy: Shiv Sena's Aaditya Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said that the BMC is "pro-contractor" which will lead to the financial bankruptcy of Mumbai.

He also demanded the BMC explain the "hiked expenses in the pro contractor" budget.

"Todays BMC budget shows that it has begun to pave way for Mumbais financial bankruptcy," he said.

While its good that theres no big ticket project announcement, through the budget, as demanded by @advanilparab ji earlier and me through a letter to BMC, the BMC has shown higher expenditure on old projects, which is uncalled for.

It is a contractor driven budget, evidently February 4, 2023

BMC budget 'truly' for Mumbaikars: BJP's Ashish Shelar

Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said the budget is not for people working for cuts, commissions and contractors, but it is "truly" for the Mumbaikars.

"The budget is not the one favouring only the contractors but it is a budget made to address the demands of Mumbaikars," he added.
New Delhi: Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly will begin a two-day visit to India on Monday to hold wide-ranging talks with her Indian counterpart S Jaishankar. The talks between the two foreign ministers will be held on Monday evening, officials said. Besides ways to boost bilateral ties, the two sides are also expected to focus on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of growing global concern over China's increasing military muscle-flexing in the region.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Melanie Joly, is to visit India on February 6-7. She will be meeting EAM S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House in Delhi on February 6.



(File Pic) pic.twitter.com/uPYLn9uL6l February 5, 2023

In November, Canada came out with a comprehensive strategy for the Indo-Pacific that aimed to promote peace, resilience, and security. Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy also listed India as a key player in the region and said Ottawa will focus on expanding economic engagement with New Delhi, including through deeper trade and investment as well as cooperating on building resilient supply chains.

Also read: EAM Jaishankar Meets Thai Counterpart Don Pramudwinai, Discusses Boosting Bilateral Ties

"India's strategic importance and leadership -- both across the region and globally -- will only increase as India, the world's biggest democracy, becomes the most populous country in the world and continues to grow its economy," the Canadian policy mentioned. Separately, Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji Biman Prasad began a six-day visit to India on Sunday (February 5).

(With inputs from PTI)
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh today hit out against the Modi government over the ongoing Adani row accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of maintaining 'eloquent silence' on the issue. He said that Congress has decided to pose three questions to the Modi government every day on the issue under the series named 'Hum Adanike Hai Kaun'.

Ramesh had earlier alleged that the Opposition is not being allowed to demand Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Adani-Hindenburg issue.

"The eloquent silence of the PM on the Adani MahaMegaScam has forced us to start a series, HAHK-Hum Adanike Hain Kaun. We will be posing 3 questions to the PM daily beginning today. Here are the first three. Chuppi Todiye Pradhan Mantriji," said Ramesh in a tweet today.

The eloquent silence of the PM on the Adani MahaMegaScam has forced us to start a series, HAHK-Hum Adanike Hain Kaun. We will be posing 3 question to the PM daily beginning today. Here are the first three.



Chuppi Todiye Pradhan Mantriji pic.twitter.com/qUxt6eJVec  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 5, 2023

On the other hand, the Congress party said in a tweet that the Congress is standing with the people while PM Modi is not visible anywhere.

"The whole world is seeing the result of PM Modi's kindness towards Adani. Crores of rupees of the general public are at stake, and their hard-earned money is getting drowned. Today, while the Congress is standing with the public in this difficult situation, PM Modi, who is visible everywhere on odd days, is not visible anywhere in this case," said Congress.

A report by a US-based Hindenburg Research surfaced on January 24, claiming that the Adani Group had weak business fundamentals, and was involved in stock manipulation and accounting fraud, among others. The report triggered a sell-off of shares of all Adani Group companies.

Earlier on Friday, the Opposition members raised the demand for a JPC inquiry into the Hindunberg report against the Adani Group, alleging a scam. A number of Opposition leaders had given the suspension of Business notice to their respective Houses to hold a discussion on the allegations levelled by Hindenburg against the Adani Group.
New Delhi: Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf died today (February 5) after a prolonged illness. The four-star general -- who ruled Pakistan for nearly a decade after seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1999 -- was suffering from a rare disease known as amyloidosis and died aged 79 at a hospital in Dubai.

The former Pakistan Army General was born in New Delhi in 1943. Musharraf was the second of three brothers and used to live at the Neharwali Haveli in Old Delhi's Daryaganj area.

The Haveli is now located behind Daryaganj's famous Golcha cinema.

While it is said that there are over 20 families living in the Haveli these days, the original structure had two parts and was occupied by two families.

WATCH: Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's old interview with Zee News

As per media reports, Musharraf's grandmother Ameena Begum and her sister used to live in one portion, while his granduncles and Ameena's three brothers were the occupants of the other part.

Ameena had reportedly got her portion from her father.

Pervez Musharraf's family left India after partition in 1947

Musharraf was four-year-old when his family moved to the newly created state of Pakistan after the partition in 1947.

Some media reports claim that Musharraf's family had left the Haveli in the custody of a Jain family.

From 1949 to 1956, Musharraf was in Turkey, as his father Syed Musharrafu-ud-din was posted in Ankara.

On his return from Turkey, Musharraf studied at Saint Patrick's High School, Karachi, and then at FC College, Lahore.

Pervez Musharraf joined Pakistan Military Academy in 1961

Pervez Musharraf then joined the Pakistan Military Academy in 1961 and was commissioned into the Artillery Regiment in 1964.

He fought in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 as a young officer, and also participated in the Indo-Pak War of 1971 as a Company Commander in the Commando Battalion.

IN PICS | From Army Chief to Treason Convict, Ex-Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's Journey

Musharraf rose to the rank of General and was appointed as the Chief of Army Staff on October 7, 1998, by then prime minister Sharif.

He was given additional charge of the Chairman Joint Chiefs Staff Committee on April 9, 1999. Six months later, he toppled the Nawaz Sharif government and became the head of the state designated as Chief Executive.
Bengal: Another blow to the saffron camp in Bengal after Alipurduar BJP MLA Suman Kanjilal joined Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) party on Sunday. Trinamool All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee invited him to join the party in his Camac Street office. With this now, the sixth BJP MLA switched sides and joined the TMC in Bengal.

BJP Comes Down to 69

Let us inform you that, in the last assembly election, the BJP won 77 seats out of 294. Two MPs of the party contested assembly election also won MLA posts back in 2021. However, they later resigned as MLAs and Trinamool won the by-elections of those two constituencies. Currently, the BJP has 75 MLAs on record in the Assembly, but this number has actually come down to 69 after 6 BJP MLAs switched sides and changed party. TMC on it's official Facebook page wrote, 'Rejecting the anti-people policies & hate-laden agenda of BJP, Shri Suman Kanjilal, MLA Alipurduars joined the AITC family today, in the presence of our National General Secretary Shri Abhishek Banerjee. Yet another BJP West Bengal MLA realises the truth that BJP has no intention of serving people!'

Breakthrough In Alipurduars

In 2021, the Trinamool failed to win a single seat in Alipuduar district despite winning across the state. The BJP won all five seats in that district. This time, the ruling party succeeded in breaking the saffron camp in that district as well.

Suman, a journalist by profession, joined politics in 2020. The BJP first announced the name of economist Ashok Lahiri for Alipurduar seat. Later, Suman was nominated for that seat and Ashok was taken to Balurghat. A source from the BJP parliamentary party, said that Suman has been in Kolkata for the last three days. He switched parties with the intervention of another MLA who left the BJP and joined the Trinamool. However, BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya claimed that the BJP will not lose its relevance in state politics due to the MLA's change of party.

After the 2021 assembly polls, Krishnanagar North BJP MLA and BJP Central Committee Vice President Mukul Roy joined the Trinamool. After that, Kaliaganj MLA Soumen Roy, Raiganj MLA Krishna Kalyani, Bagdah MLA Biswajit Das and Bishnupur MLA Tanmoy Ghosh joined Trinamool. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari has appealed to Speaker Biman Banerjee to disqualify them as MLAs. He also appealed to court, but those matters are still pending.
Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf passed away today in a Dubai hospital after a prolonged illness. He was 79 years old and was suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body. Musharraf was born on August 11, 1943 in Delhi.

Reacting to the demise of former Pakistani Army General, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that though Musharraf was an implacable foe of India, he became a real force of peace between 2002 and 2007.

Pervez Musharraf, Former Pakistani President, Dies of Rare Disease: once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace 2002-2007. I met him annually in those days at the UN & found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP," said Tharoor.

The military ruler had been undergoing treatment at American Hospital Dubai, Geo News reported.

He assumed the post of Chief Executive after imposing martial law in the country in 1999 and served as the president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. The former president's family moved from New Delhi to Karachi in 1947. He joined the Pakistan Army in 1964 and was a graduate of the Army Staff and Command College, Quetta.

Musharraf was the tenth president of the South Asian nation after the successful military coup in 1999. He served as the 10th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan (CJCSC) from 1998 to 2001 and the 7th top general from 1998 to 2007. (With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait has asked farmers to reach Muzaffarnagar for a Maha Panchayat on February 10 in `expired` 10-year-old tractors. This, he said, will send out a message that many in the farming community are upset over the ban on diesel vehicles, including tractors that are over 10 years old. Tikait accused the Centre of misleading people over the minimum support price for crops and said the stir for it will continue. Scores of farmers affiliated to BKU launched an indefinite strike, led by Tikait, last week in Muzaffarnagar district, seeking a resolution to their issues.

"We are going to discuss the government's unfulfilled promises on pending sugarcane issues, new sugarcane state advised price (SAP), electricity meter installed on tube well, and most importantly MSP (Minimum Support Price)," Tikait said about the agenda for the Maha Panchayat.

Also read: Chhattisgarh farmers protest, MSP issues discussed during Rahul Gandhi-Rakesh Tikait meeting

Meanwhile, national general secretary of BKU, Yudhveer Singh, said, "The farmers did not get anything even in the budget. The government is not talking about sugarcane prices and the pending cane payments. They are just misleading the farmers."

Sources in BKU said several farmer leaders from across Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut, Saharanpur, etc, associated with Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) will also attend the Maha Panchayat.

(With inputs from IANS)
KYODO NEWS - Feb 5, 2023 - 11:56 | All, Japan

A project is under way in the heart of Nagoya to produce local wine as soon as this summer while overcoming the difficulties of meeting strict content requirements in a quest to get the metropolis's name on its label.

On the ground floor of what used to be a mahjong parlor in a dated three-story building in the central Japan city's Nishi Ward, Noriyuki Baba, 55, and others have been preparing to make what would be called "Nagoya wine."

The winemaker's goal is to make casual wine and establish a new culture of urban wineries.

The Nagoya Winery project originally started among business owners and others from a local shopping street, but it fell apart as the coronavirus pandemic hit their own businesses hard.

Baba, who runs a tourist farm, a farmer's restaurant and a winery in Tokoname, an Aichi Prefecture city to the south, learned of the situation and thrust himself into the project in their stead.

He started wine-making around 15 years ago after visiting Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon, where wineries are set up in urban areas. "Locals were enjoying drinking wine," he said. "That was a happy scene."

Baba felt that his project in Nagoya, a metropolis with a population of some 2.3 million, would be close to what he had seen in Portland.

Under National Tax Agency regulations, for a wine brand to have a locality's name on its label in Japan, locally produced grapes must make up more than 85 percent of its contents and be produced there.

Baba will initially purchase grapes from local farmers until his vineyard is ready.

At the 2,000-square-meter vineyard in Nagoya's Midori Ward, he has planted 100 saplings of Albarino, a type of grape that is widely cultivated in Spain. Spain's high temperatures and humidity are similar to the climate in Nagoya.

Baba aims to start harvesting grapes from his vineyard in the summer of 2025.

Wine made using a row of stainless tanks installed at the

60-sq-meter winery on the ground floor is scheduled to be served at a restaurant on the second floor.

Baba's goal is to make wine that can be enjoyed by ordinary people who are not particularly steeped in wine.

"Cities are full of innovative people who are willing to try new things. As a winery, we want to try new things while learning from mistakes," Baba said.

Related coverage:

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FOCUS: Alcohol hikes add to bars' woes as they adapt to reopening Japan

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Nadiad (Gujarat): The police have arrested two persons for assaulting an employee at Bank of India's (BOI) Nadiad branch. Manish Dhangar is serving as an officer with the Bank of India's Nadiad-Kapadwanj branch, handling the loan desk. In his complaint, Dhangar said, "On Friday afternoon, a customer named Samarth Brahmbhatt reached the branch and started beating me. He slapped me three to four times and even kicked me. When the other staff tried to intervene, Samarth`s friend Parth, who was accompanying him, kicked me."

Also Read: Noida: Goons brutally thrash poor fruit vendor over Rs 5, VIDEO will boil your blood!

According to Dhangar, Samarth was angry with him and the bank because repeated calls were made to him to submit a copy of his house insurance policy.

Today in Nadiad Branch of BoI two customers entered the branch and badly assaulted the officer on duty. In full public view they called the name of the caste and threatened to murder the officer concerned outside the premises. Where is the safety for Banker's?@nsitharaman pic.twitter.com/a0S7i7SFIv  Sunil Kumar (@SunilKu92687431) February 3, 2023

Samarth had threatened over phone that he will not submit the insurance policy.

Samarth had taken a home loan from the bank. During audit, it was found that the customer had not submitted his house insurance policy, which was required since the house was not mortgaged with the bank.

The police have arrested both accused persons.
NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has endorsed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent remark that Indian Muslims have nothing to fear, but they must abandon their boisterous rhetoric of supremacy. Backing the RSS chiefs statement, the Chief Minister said that I agree with Mohan Bhagwats statement. There is no pick and choose. There is no appeasement.'' CM Yogi  the Hindutva poster boy of the ruling BJP  made these remarks while talking to a private TV news channel.

The chief minister stated that improving law and order and better governance has helped all communities in Uttar Pradesh, adding, All religious festivals are now conducted in peace across the state.

The monk-politician also stressed that the schemes and the welfare policies of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre or BJP governments in different states benefit every person, including Muslims.

In an interview with Organiser and Panchjanya, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that Muslims have nothing to fear in India, but they must abandon their "boisterous rhetoric of supremacy." He also spoke in support of the LGBT community, saying that they too should have their own private space and the Sangh will have to promote this view.

Bhagwat said the new-found aggression among Hindus the world over was due to an awakening in the society that has been at war for over 1,000 years. "You see, Hindu society has been at war for over 1,000 years, this fight has been going on against foreign aggressions, foreign influences and foreign conspiracies. Sangh has offered its support to this cause, so have others.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief said India has been undivided (Akhand) from the earliest times of recorded history, but was divided whenever the core Hindu sense was forgotten.

"The simple truth is this -- Hindustan should remain Hindustan. There is no harm to the Muslims living today in Bharat... Islam has nothing to fear. But at the same time, Muslims must abandon their boisterous rhetoric of supremacy. We are of an exalted race; we once ruled over this land, and shall rule it again; only our path is right, rest everyone is wrong; we are different, therefore we will continue to be so; we cannot live together -- they (Muslims) must abandon this narrative. In fact, all those who live here -- whether a Hindu or a communist -- must give up this logic," he said.
AGARTALA: Asserting that fulfilling the demand of Greater Tipraland by the Tipra Motha will not be possible, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said the opposition party was trying to create division between tribals and non-tribals in the state. Addressing the BJP's 'Vijay Sankalp' rally in South Tripura's Belonia on Saturday, he claimed that Tipra Motha was trying to fish in troubled waters in the upcoming assembly elections.

"What is the boundary of Greater Tipraland? I heard that its proposed boundary passes through not only Assam and Mizoram but also neighbouring Bangladesh. Will they accept the proposal of Greater Tipraland? It is not possible," he said.

Accusing the Tipra Motha of trying to create a division between people, Saha said the state has a tradition of good relations between tribals and non-tribals. Elections to the 60-member Tripura assembly will be held on February 16, and the counting of votes will be on March 2.

Saha claimed that the Centre is focusing on the development of all the Northeastern states.

In a veiled attack on the CPI(M), the CM said, "What the BJP-IPFT government has done in five years, the others could not achieve in 35 years."

Saha said the CPI(M) and the Congress have forged an alliance because of the vibrant democracy prevailing in the state.

"It is very strange that Congress leaders are coming out of CPI(M) offices and Communist workers are visiting Congress offices. How has the Congress joined hands with the CPI(M) which had killed 69 Congress leaders and workers," he asked.

The chief minister, who addressed two more rallies, urged Congress leaders and workers to join the BJP.

Earlier, Saha visited the Tripureswari temple in Gomati district and offered prayers there.
Agartala: The Trinamool Congress released its manifesto for the Tripura assembly elections on Sunday, promising 2 lakh new jobs, Rs 1,000 per month for school students in classes 4 to 8 and unemployed youths, and social welfare schemes on the lines of those in West Bengal. The manifesto was launched a day ahead of party chief Mamata Banerjee's visit to the state. The TMC is fighting 28 assembly seats in the February 16 election.

Mamata Banerjee to visit Tripura on Feb 6

Addressing a press conference, West Bengal education minister Bratya Basu said that if the party is voted to power in the state, it will create 2 lakh jobs in five years with 50,000 new jobs in the first year itself.

Agartala | Trinamool Congress releases its election manifesto for upcoming Tripura elections, in the presence of TMC Tripura incharge, Rajib Banerjee, State TMC President, Pijush Kanti Biswas and party MP Sushmita Dev pic.twitter.com/PmABddClkJ  ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2023

"All vacant posts in the government departments will be filled up on mission mode," he said.

Also Read: Tripura Assembly Elections 2023: In BJP vs Left Battle, Will Newly Formed Tipra Motha Emerge as Kingmaker?

"The TMC will provide assistance of Rs 1,000 per month to jobless youths, and 10,323 retrenched teachers will also get the benefit until their legal matter is resolved," he said.

The TMC promised a skill university, student credit cards and easy loans for those who want to pursue higher education.

"Rs 1,000 annual stipend will be given to the students in classes 4 to 8," he said.

West Bengal Industries Minister Shashi Panja said the Trinamool Congress is committed to implement welfare schemes such as Kanyashri and Lakkhir Bhandar, among others, in the Northeastern state.

TMC's state in-charge Rajib Banerjee said the promises made in the manifesto will be implemented in true spirit if the party is voted to power.

"Our leaders Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee do what they promise unlike others," he said.

TMC promises 'Bengal mode of development'

Claiming that no other state in the country has seen as much growth as West Bengal in the last 11 years, he said the manifesto has been formulated in accordance with the "Bengal model of development".

The West Bengal chief minister will reach Tripura on Monday to lead the party's election campaign, state TMC president Pijush Kanti Biswas said, adding that during her visit, she will hold a roadshow and address a rally.
NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan military chief and President General Pervez Musharraf, who is also viewed by many as the main architect of the Kargil conflict in 1999 that almost brought India and Pakistan closer to full-scale war, had visited Agra in July 2001 for the historic summit with the then-former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with an aim to turn a ''new leaf in bilateral relations'' between the two nuclear-powered nations.

The Agra Summit was extremely significant as it was the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries after Vajpayees historic bus trip to Lahore which was followed by the infiltrations in Kargil several months later. It may be recalled that on February 19, 1999, Vajpayee boarded the inaugural bus to Lahore at Amritsar and reached the India-Pakistan border at Attari-Wagah.

On 20-21 February 1999, Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, made a brilliant effort to rewrite the history of South Asia. During his Pakistan tour, which later came to be known as Lahore Diplomacy, Vajpayee also later visited the Minar-e-Pakistan and Maharaja Ranjit Singhs Samadhi - which commemorates the foundation of the Islamic Republic, thereby changing the narrative created by the Jana Sangh that India would never recognise the existence of Pakistan.

The two countries later signed the Lahore Declaration and to mark the historic occasion, Vajpayee said that it was time for the two countries to end five decades of hostility and move towards peace and stability in the Indian subcontinent. However, just days after Vajpayees Lahore trip, Pakistani troops disguised as irregular fighters secretly infiltrated the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kargil sector, triggering a fierce border conflict that ended disastrously for the Pakistani side.

In addition to humiliation at the hands of the Indian Army and Air Force, Pakistan was forced to withdraw its troops after then US president Bill Clinton also threw his weight on the Indian side instead of brokering a peace deal as sought by Nawaz Sharif.

Musharraf, who was believed to have designed the Kargil conflict, wrote in his memoir later that he saw a golden opportunity to break the ice in Pakistans relationship with India in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Gujarat in early 2001. As a goodwill gesture, General Musharraf, called on Vajpayee and expressed his condolences over the loss of lives and also despatched relief material, including medicines to India. In his memoir, Gen Musharraf later said, "That broke the ice and led to an invitation for meeting to visit India."

After his arrival in India, amid unprecedented security, Vajpayee hosted a lunch in his honour, which was followed by a meeting with President Narayanan, then Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other top political leaders. Later in the day, he visited Rajghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, to lay a wreath followed by a High Tea reception by the Pakistani High Commissioner, and an evening banquet hosted by President Narayanan.

Ahead of the Agra Summit, the two leaders said they would approach the meeting with an open mind and expressed their desire to repair the broken bilateral ties. But shortly before that, the two sides hardened their positions on the highly vexed issue of Kashmir, with Vajpayee saying that "Kashmir would always remain an integral part of India" of nationhood and rejected any suggestion of third-party mediation.

Despite high expectations from the meeting, the Agra Summit collapsed - one of the reason being Musharrafs grandstanding at a breakfast meeting with Indian journalists. Despite hectic meetings, the two sides failed to sign a joint agreement, which angered Gen Musharraf and he left Agra for Pakistan. However, in between his meetings with the Indian leaders, Musharraf also took his wife on a tour of the iconic Taj Mahal.

Several reasons were attributed to the failure of the Agra Summit, particularly, Musharraf's off-the-record interaction with Indian journalists, the videos of which were later broadcast by news channels. Years later, Musharraf met Vajpayee again at a regional summit in Nepal when he approached him and offered his hand to Vajpayee. The Indian Prime Minister also later reciprocated this gesture of ''handshake'' by visiting Pakistan for a summit meeting in January 2004. The two countries expressed their sincere desire to take the peace process forward but a few months later Vajpayee's NDA alliance lost the elections and the Congress-led UPA government came to power in India.

In his book Neither a Hawk nor a Dove, former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri wrote that the solution to Kashmir was in the grasp of both governments, but a great opportunity was missed.

Former Pakistan President and Army Chief Pervez Musharraf died after a prolonged illness at the American Hospital in UAE's Dubai after spending several years in self-imposed exile. He was 79. He had survived numerous assassination bids and found himself on the front line of the struggle between militant Islamists and the West.
New Delhi: Samajwadi Party's Swami Prasad Maurya is currently facing the heat from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders over his comments on the Hindu epic 'Ramcharitmanas'. The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council member had recently courted controversy after commenting that portions of the Hindu text "denigrated" Dalits and women. Following his remarks, at least two FIRs were registered against Maurya in the state capital Lucknow, one of them after photocopies of some portions of the sacred text were burned in a protest held by an OBC organisation.

In an interview with Zee News on Saturday (February 4, 2023), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also spoke on the ongoing controversy. The senior BJP leader said that the issue of Ramcharitmanas issue is being raised by Samajwadi Party to divert attention from Uttar Pradesh's development.

"The public is not going to pay heed to this," Adityanath told Zee News' Deepak Chaurasia.

He also slammed the Akhilesh Yadav-led party for the atmosphere it created in Uttar Pradesh from 1989-90 till 2017.

ALSO READ | Swami Prasad Maurya Made General Secretary in new SP National Executive, BJP Says 'Rewarded for Insulting Ramcharitmanas'

"Development, obviously, has not been their agenda," the UP CM said.

"The politics of 'parivarvad' and 'jativaad' won't be successful," he added.

He also spoke on Swami Prasad Maurya's possible arrest and said, "Let the investigation carry on."

Adityanath said that the agencies will take action "when the time comes".

A cabinet minister in the previous BJP government in the state, Swami Prasad Maurya had resigned and joined the SP before the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

He then contested the election from the Fazilnagar Assembly seat in the Kushinagar district but lost.

He was later sent to the legislative council by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Watch Yogi Adityanath's full interview with Zee News
MUMBAI: Actor Babil Khan, who made his screen debut with the streaming film 'Qala' is attending an acting workshop by veteran theatre director and acting teacher Prasanna. Prasanna is one of the most revered personalities of the Indian theatre circle. He has taught at National School of Drama (NSD), and had also mentored Babil's father, the legendary Irrfan Khan during his NSD days.

A source said, "Babil is excited to attend this workshop and totally immerse himself in Prasanna's process. The workshop is unlike any other in the country, one that teaches the Indian method of acting and is accessible to working actors from all backgrounds. This will certainly be an enriching experience for Babil."

Babil has reached Mysore where he will attend the acting workshop at Prasanna's academy Acting Shastra from February 1 through February 7.
NEW DELHI: Less than a month after making an announcement of her marriage to beau and businessman Adil Khan Durrani, the controversy queen broke down in front of the paps and hinted at her husband for cheating on her. Rakhi also claimed that a woman has caused havoc in their marital life and has been blackmailing Adil. Rakhi, who is also known as a Bigg Boss star, was in complete tears and told the media that she is threatening the woman to stay away from her and her husband. She also requested the paps to not interview her husband Adil as she doesn't want him to gain any publicity through her.

Now, her husband Adil took to social media and shared a lengthy note reacting to Rakhi Sawant's allegations of cheating on her. He accused her of mistreating him too. Sharing the message on his Instagram Stories, he wrote, "Doesn't mean if I don't talk about a woman back I am wrong. It's only because I respect my religion and I have learned to respect women," he wrote.

He added, "The day I open my mouth and speak what I am going through and what is she doing with me she can't even open her mouth after that. So the only reason she wants to come every day and tell people that Adil is bad bad and bad."

In her statement to the media, Rakhi had said that Adil has another woman in his life. She had added that she doesn't want to end up in a 'fridge'. Adil reacted to that statement of hers as well. "The way she tell's I'll be in fridge even I can say I don't want to be Sushant Singh Rajput." Reacting to her statement that she introduced him to the media and different stars, he said, "A sensible guy like me who stood for her who give her a life style and everything easy to tell he didn't come with 1 rupee to Mumbai. Hats off to you nice exit plan but not smart enough," he wrote.

Adil added that Rakhi has asked media not to cover him anymore as he would tell them the truth. "'Main hero be banana janti houn zero be (I can make you are hero or a zero), media I will hold your legs don't go to Adil'. Why? Because he will come up with facts. Why are you afraid of that?"

Speaking to the media earlier this week, Rakhi had said, "Through you all, I would like to warn the girl in Adil's life, who took advantage of the situation, when I was in Bigg Boss Marathi 4. I won't take her name, but when the time is right, I will show all their photos. Adil made me remain silent about our marriage for eight months because of his affair with that woman. I was silent till now. He denied our marriage, and later because of media he got scared and accepted our wedding." She added she will not let Adil divorce her for his alleged girlfriend.

Rakhi Sawant and Adil Khan Durrani got married in secret in July last year. They revealed their marriage to the world last month.
New Delhi: The central government is likely to increase dearness allowance (DA) for its over one crore employees and pensioners by four percentage points to 42 per cent from existing 38 per cent as per the agreed formula for the purpose. The dearness allowance for employees and pensioners are worked out on the basis of the latest Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) brought out by the Labour Bureau every month. The Labour Bureau is a wing of the Labour Ministry.

Talking to PTI, All India Railwaymen Federation, General Secretary, Shiva Gopal Mishra said, "The CPI-IW for December 2022 was released on January 31, 2023. The dearness allowance hike works out to be 4.23 per cent. But the government does not factor in hiking DA beyond decimal point. Thus DA is likely to be increased by four percentage points to 42 per cent."

He further explained that the expenditure department of the Finance Ministry will formulate a proposal to hike DA along with its revenue implication and will put up the proposal before the Union Cabinet for approval. The DA hike will be effective from January 1, 2023.

Presently over one crore central government employees and pensioners are getting 38 per cent dearness allowance. Last revision in DA was done on September 28, 2022, which was effective from July 1, 2022. The Centre had increased DA by four percentage points to 38 per cent based on the percentage increase in 12 monthly average of All. India Consumer Price Index for the period ending June, 2022. The DA is provided to employees and pensioners to compensate them for rising prices. The cost of living increases over a period of time and is reflected through CPI-IW. The allowance is revised periodically twice a year.
New Delhi: The premium smartphone maker OnePlus is all ready to unveil a bunch of new products including flagship smartphone OnePlus 11, OnePlus Pad with a magnetic keyboard, OnePlus new ear buds, more. The company will launch all these products on February 7, 2023 in its Cloud 11 event in India. The company has been trying to create a buzz among Indians via giving little insights about the upcoming products in its social media handles. In the latest latest tweet, OnePlus India has revealed that OnePlus Tab, the companys first tablet, will have a magnetic keyboard 81 Pro with support of stylus.

OnePlus Tab Features

In the latest new video teaser, OnePlus has revealed the design of the upcoming tablet. It hints that OnePlus Pad will be available in a green colour option with OnePlus branding on the back. However, it is expected to be available in more colour variants. It will feature a single rear camera and an LED flash.

OnePlus Pad Expected Specs, Price

An 11.6-inch screen is anticipated for OnePlus' first tablet. According to the renderings, it will have a metal unibody construction. When it comes to the OnePlus Pad's specifications, the firm has been quite quiet. On the right edge of the tablet, the volume controls are anticipated to be located. It is anticipated that the tablet will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC, up to 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage.

Price-wise, the tablet is probably going to cost CNY 2,999 in China (approx Rs 34,500). At the event, OnePlus is also anticipated to unveil the OnePlus 11 5G, which will reportedly have a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 2K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, a 50MP triple-camera configuration, and all of the aforementioned features.

The Company has moreover declared that it will be accessible for pre-order on Amazon starting on February 7. The OnePlus 11R 5G is a different smartphone that will undoubtedly launch on the same day. It is anticipated to have a 5,000 mAh battery that enables 100W fast charging, a 50MP triple back camera array, and a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 CPU.
West implements price caps on Russian oil products as Moscow vows to safeguard interests

Xinhua) 15:09, February 05, 2023

BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The implementation of further price caps for seaborne Russian petroleum products, adopted Saturday by the European Union (EU) and the Group of Seven, began Sunday, despite Russia's vow to take measures to protect its interests.

The price cap for "premium-to-crude" petroleum products, such as diesel, kerosene and gasoline, is set at 100 U.S. dollars per barrel, while the cap for "discount-to-crude" petroleum products, such as fuel oil and naphtha, is set at 45 dollars per barrel, the European Commission said in a press release.

It includes "a 55-day wind-down period" for seaborne Russian petroleum products purchased above the price cap, provided it is loaded onto a vessel at the loading port before Feb. 5, 2023, and unloaded at the final port of destination before April 1, 2023, the commission added.

Meanwhile, the EU's ban in June 2022 on imports of Russian petroleum products also took effect Sunday.

The Kremlin warned Friday of a "further imbalance" in global energy markets. "Naturally this will lead to a further imbalance of the international energy markets, but we are taking measures to hedge our interests against the risks associated," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

In December 2022, the EU placed a price cap of 60 U.S. dollars per barrel on Russian seaborne crude oil, a move adopted by the Group of Seven.

Under the price cap, insurance, finance and other services for Russian oil shipments will be banned if oil sells for more than 60 U.S. dollars a barrel.

In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Dec. 27, 2022, announcing countermeasures to the price ceiling on Russian oil.

According to the decree, the supply of Russian oil and petroleum products to foreign legal entities and individuals will be banned if a price cap is directly or indirectly stipulated in the contracts.

The Russian president could grant special permission to deliver oil and petroleum products otherwise prohibited under the decree.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
By Junko Horiuchi, KYODO NEWS - Feb 5, 2023 - 09:55 | Feature, All, Japan, Travel/Tourism

Japan has long led the way in making shopping easier with vending machines but one company is now extending that convenience to foreign visitors purchasing tax-free goods, which can often be a time-consuming process.

Travelers can preorder items online and pick them up at automated retail machines at airports or other transport hubs in major cities including Tokyo, removing the hassle of filling in tax-free documents, waiting in line at stores to get refunds, or carrying around purchases during stays.

WAmazing Inc., an online platform for foreign tourists, offers 6,900 items, including popular sweets and snacks, Japanese-brand cosmetics, baby food and baby formula, shampoos, conditioners and detergents.

The website is offered in Chinese and English, with the products mainly targeting young female visitors from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan as the age of visitors from those countries drops due to the effects of the pandemic, WAmazing said.

"If they make an order online, shoppers no longer need to take time searching for their favorite items at a drugstore, which may only be labeled in Japanese," said Kaori Kishino, WAmazing's marketing manager.

Since October, the company has set up its machines, which resemble lockers, at Haneda Airport Terminal 3 Station in Tokyo, Kansai Airport Station in Osaka Prefecture, Central Japan International Airport Station near Nagoya, New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido and Nishitetsu Tenjin Expressway Bus Terminal in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Two more machines are expected to be set up at Narita Airport Station and Airport Terminal 2 Station, both directly connected to Narita airport buildings, by March this year.

Orders need to be placed at least three days in advance. It takes less than three minutes to pick up the purchased items at the outlets. The process includes scanning a QR code, identification verification through facial recognition and passport data, and payment.

For manufacturers of the items, the service is another channel to extend their visibility. For makers based in rural areas, where establishing tax-free outlets is difficult due to labor shortages and the language barrier, the service helps connect them to a lucrative market they might otherwise miss.

WAmazing, which also offers free SIM cards to visitors, said it aims to install the tax-free vending machines at all airports in Japan where international arrivals are expected.

"The number of users has been on the uptrend since the government relaxed border restrictions in October and we expect more in the months ahead," said Satomi Aoki, business development manager at WAmazing.

Aoki is pinning hope on the recovery in the number of people visiting from mainland China, previously making up a large portion of arrivals.

China had until recently severely restricted overseas travel under its strict "zero-COVID" policy, while Japan has also strengthened its border controls for arrivals from the country after coronavirus cases exploded there.

The government hopes that the pickup in travelers to Japan will stimulate tourist consumption. It has maintained its goal of welcoming 60 million inbound travelers in 2030, hoping their total consumption in Japan will reach 15 trillion yen ($116 billion).

So far, the most spent by travelers to Japan was 4.81 trillion yen in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, when foreign visitors hit a record high of 31.88 million.

The number of tax-free shops across the country reached 52,000 in 2021, compared to fewer than 40,000 in 2016, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

Kishino said some stores at Japanese airports remain closed due to manpower shortages, leaving inbound tourists disappointed.

The tax-free vending machines will be "a convenient way to use (their) time while staying in Japan when travelers are already required to wait in line to get in and out of the country due to the coronavirus pandemic," she said.

Related coverage:

Hotel-shopping complex opens at Tokyo's Haneda airport
New Delhi: A US military fighter jet on Saturday (February 4, 2023) shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina, a week after it entered American airspace and triggered a dramatic spying saga that worsened US-Sino tensions.

"They successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it," US President Joe Biden said.

Biden said that he had issued an order on Wednesday to take down the balloon, but the Pentagon had recommended waiting until it could be done over open water to safeguard civilians from debris crashing to Earth from thousands of feet (meters) above commercial air traffic.

The balloon, which was estimated to be about the size of three school buses, was shot down about six nautical miles off the US coast, over relatively shallow water, potentially aiding efforts to recover elements of the Chinese surveillance equipment in the coming days, officials said.

Multiple fighter and refueling aircraft were involved in the mission, but only one -- an F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia -- took the shot at 1939 GMT, using a single AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile, news agecy Reuters reported citing a senior US military official.

WATCH: Video Shows US Air Force's F-22 Raptor Fighter Jet Shooting Down Chinese Spy Balloon

Video of the Chinese surveillance balloon shoot-down. Looks like a F-22 was the aircraft that was utilized. pic.twitter.com/bLPPEM3FN6  Global: Military-Info (@Global_Mil_Info) February 4, 2023

The shootdown came shortly after the Biden administration ordered a halt to flights in and out of three regional airports -- Wilmington, Myrtle Beach and Charleston -- due to what it said at the time was an undisclosed "national security effort."

It is noteworthy that the balloon first entered US airspace in Alaska on January 28 before moving into Canadian airspace on January 30. It then re-entered US airspace over northern Idaho on January 31 and once it crossed over US land, it did not return to the open waters, making a shootdown difficult.

Earlier this week, China expressed regret that an "airship" used for civilian meteorological and other scientific purposes had strayed into US airspace.

China's foreign ministry said on Saturday that the flight of the airship over the United States was a force majeure accident, and accused US politicians and media of taking advantage of the situation to discredit Beijing.

(With agency inputs)
KYODO NEWS - Feb 5, 2023 - 21:33 | All, Japan

A total of 120 child abuse and other mistreatment cases at nurseries and kindergartens have been reported at 37 local governments over the past decade, prompting administrative actions, according to a Kyodo News survey released Sunday.

The cases have generally been on an uptrend on the back of increased workloads on teachers and as corporal punishment and discipline come under greater scrutiny, experts said.

The survey, which covered 95 prefectural and city governments across Japan, followed a series of child mistreatment incidents, including one that led to the arrest in December of three women working as teachers at a nursery school in Shizuoka Prefecture for alleged repetitive abuse.

The high-profile incident involved acts such as teachers hitting toddlers and hanging them upside down by their feet.

One of the teachers at the Shizuoka nursery school linked her behavior to an increased workload amid the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, the local government was criticized for not disclosing the incident for around three months.

According to the survey, 64 of the local authorities surveyed carried out a total of 301 so-called special audits, where authorities visit facilities and conduct hearings on employees when there are severe risks to a child's life, health and mind, during the 10-year period.

The number of such audits jumped to 52 in fiscal 2021 from eight in fiscal 2013, while that of administrative actions increased to 27 in fiscal 2021 from two in fiscal 2013.

Of the 120 administrative actions that have been imposed on child care facilities, 63 had not been disclosed due to reasons such as the level of inappropriate child care being "minor" or treatment "having improved due to administrative instructions," the survey found.

The central government does not have a disclosure standard on administrative actions, so it is up to municipalities to decide what to disclose.

Of the total administrative actions, 96 were verbal or written instructions and 21 were recommendations to make improvements. There were also two administrative orders -- one to halt operations and a case where a facility's certification was revoked.

The survey, carried out from December to January, received responses from 95 local authorities, including 47 prefectural governments as well as major city governments with power to investigate nurseries, certified child care facilities and kindergartens.

Nearly 70 percent of the child mistreatment cases were grasped by the provision of information, including from whistleblowers.

Commenting on the survey results, Haruka Shibata, an associate professor of sociology at Kyoto University, said, "The main reason for inappropriate childcare is poor treatment of teachers and improper ratio of children to caregivers."

"The treatment of teachers and the ratios should be improved," Shibata said.

Yuichi Murayama, a nursery operator, expressed a similar view, saying that nursery teachers lack sufficient time to talk about and resolve issues occurring at their facilities themselves due to the tight ratio of children to caregivers.

Other experts said that the content of municipalities' audits and administrative actions related to child care facilities should be disclosed to provide reference materials to parents seeking to select the facilities.

Related coverage:

FEATURE: Children's basketball meet aims to end Japan's abusive coach issue

Japan eyes increasing subsidy for nurseries hiring more teachers

Japan to probe handling of abuse cases at nurseries nationwide
KYODO NEWS - Feb 5, 2023 - 22:00 | All, Japan, World

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Former Pakistan ruler Musharraf, U.S. ally after 9/11 attacks, dies

ISLAMABAD - Former Pakistan ruler Pervez Musharraf, who served as a key U.S. ally following the 2001 terror attacks, has died at a hospital in Dubai after living in self-imposed exile there for years, the country's military said Sunday. He was 79.

The former military general took over the government in a bloodless coup in 1999 and ruled Pakistan until his 2008 resignation as president amid the threat of impeachment.

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Football: Kaoru Mitoma repays manager's trust with late winner

BRIGHTON, England - Even with Kaoru Mitoma not at his best, Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi stuck with the Japan winger and he delivered a late winner in a 1-0 home victory Saturday over Bournemouth in the English Premier League.

After Mitoma netted a memorable game-sealing goal late Sunday against Liverpool in the FA Cup, Brighton struggled to break down a stubborn Bournemouth, but with the 25-year-old having scored in two straight games, the Brighton manager kept the faith.

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Football: Former Japan star Shinji Kagawa buoyant upon Cerezo return

TOKYO - Former Japan, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United star Shinji Kagawa on Sunday promised to deliver upon his J-League return after sealing his recent move back to his first club, Cerezo Osaka.

The playmaker joined Cerezo in 2006 and is back in the J-League for the first time since departing for Dortmund in the summer of 2010, having left Sint-Truiden in Belgium this winter.

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Athletics: Djibouti's Ibrahim Hassan wins Beppu-Oita Marathon

OITA, Japan - Ibrahim Hassan of Djibouti won the Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in Oita, southwestern Japan, with a meet record of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 43 seconds Sunday.

Kenya's Daniel Kipchumba crossed the finish line five seconds later for second place, and Japan's Tsubasa Ichiyama placed third in 2:07:44.

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Tennis: Japanese doubles pair clinches Davis Cup tie against Poland

MIKI, Japan - Doubles pair Ben McLachlan and Yosuke Watanuki secured victory for Japan in its Davis Cup World Group I playoff against Poland on Sunday, beating Lukasz Kubot and Jan Zielinski 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(2) to take a decisive 3-0 lead in the best-of-five tie.

Japan came into the third rubber in a commanding position thanks to singles wins by Yoshihito Nishioka and Taro Daniel the previous day at Bourbon Beans Dome in Miki, Hyogo Prefecture.

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Rugby: Seiya Ozaki hat-trick lifts Sungoliath over Brave Lupus

TOKYO - Seiya Ozaki's second hat-trick of the season earned him man-of-the-match honors Sunday in Tokyo Sungoliath's 40-34 derby win over Brave Lupus Tokyo in Japan Rugby League One.

The Sungoliath wing, who has 13 tries this season, made the most of his open-field running ability, while Brave Lupus' Fiji-born pair of center Seta Tamanivalu and wing Jone Naikabula combined for four electric tries to keep the game in doubt.

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Prisoners are released from the Welikada prison in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Feb. 4, 2023. Sri Lanka released 622 prisoners on Saturday on presidential amnesty to mark the country's 75th Independence Day. (Photo by Gayan Sameera/Xinhua)

COLOMBO, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will release 588 prisoners on Saturday on presidential amnesty to mark the country's 75th Independence Day, a senior official said on Friday.

Commissioner of the Department of Prisons and Spokesman Chandana Ekanayake said 557 of them are those rehabilitated by courts on drug-related offences.

He said 31 inmates, who were jailed for other offenses but deemed to have displayed good behavior during their imprisonment, will be released too.

The presidential amnesty was granted by President Ranil Wickremesinghe under the powers vested on him under Article 34 of the country's constitution.

The amnesty does not apply to those convicted of murder, serious drug offences, rape and armed robbery, Ekanayake said.

Sri Lanka gave amnesty to 197 prisoners on its Independence Day last year.

Sri Lanka got its independence from British rule on Feb. 4 of 1948. 
International students in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, are celebrating the Chinese Lantern Festival which falls on Sunday.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
LANZHOU, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Holding a lantern in his hand, 51-year-old Jiao Wenjie stepped onto the stage, clad in golden armor, like a proud soldier in ancient China. He was here to light the meandering array of lanterns adorning his hometown in China's Gansu Province, a traditional cultural event on the eve of the Lantern Festival, which falls on Sunday this year.

As Jiao and other performers intoned prayers for a blessed new year, the winding array of golden lights took on the shape of a large square maze. Gongs and drums were beaten, and the flock of tourists was allowed to file into the lantern maze and guess the riddles planted there.

The Jiuqu Yellow River Lantern Array, which takes place annually in Ganzhou District, in the city of Zhangye, is centuries old. In 2012, it was listed as an item of intangible cultural heritage for Gansu Province.

"My father always says to me that the completion of the lantern ceremony symbolizes the beginning of a good new year," said Jiao, a third-generation inheritor of this cultural tradition.

The Jiuqu Yellow River Lantern Array consists of 365 lanterns arranged according to the Nine Palaces and the Eight Trigrams Formation, which was used for divination in ancient China. In the past, people believed that walking around the lantern array would bring them a good harvest and a better life in the coming year.

The custom was introduced to Ganzhou from the Yellow River basin as early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Passing down from generation to generation, it has become a local ritual to celebrate the Lantern Festival.

During the final 10 days before the Lantern Festival, all villagers in Gucheng Village in Ganzhou, where Jiao hails from, gather together to make paper lanterns. As a child, Jiao used to follow his father to find the spot where the lantern maze would be located, define its range, and set up the 365 poles on which to hang the lanterns.

In his thirties, Jiao began to fully shoulder the responsibility of passing on the heritage. However, unlike his father's generation, who tended to follow ancient traditions closely, Jiao is keen on making innovations.

In the first year that Jiao led the ceremony, he used iron wire instead of traditional wicker to build the lantern skeleton and replaced the colored paper on the lanterns with flex banners printed with scenes from classic Chinese novels.

Jiao's debut was a hit, drawing more visitors to see his "comic lanterns." Since then, he has often racked his brain for new ways to decorate the maze and has tried various shapes of lantern.

"As an inheritor of this tradition, I must ensure that more people see and come to love our array of lamps," explained Jiao.

In 2018, the local government initiated a project to build a scenic spot themed on the lantern array, aiming to support the inheritance, protection and utilization of the tradition. The new lantern array now covers an area of 10 hectares, with the tourist trail alone stretching 2.4 km.

Besides the traditional lanterns, the scenic spot integrates the lantern array with modern light settings and sound technologies like laser lamps and computer lights. Other recreational activities like firework shows, live-action drama and Chinese puppet shows are also on offer, providing a comprehensive cultural feast for the public, according to Wang Wei, who is in charge of the Zhangye Wulan ancient town scenic spot.

Such a combination of modern and ancient has won the hearts of tourists, with the maximum daily number of tourists exceeding 80,000, Wang added.

Ding Qian, 42, has taken her 10-year-old daughter, Fan Shuyao, to visit the lantern maze several times.

Ding said the maze includes various elements of traditional Chinese culture, such as the zodiac animals, cultural celebrities, ancient poetry and lantern riddles. All the cultural elements on the lanterns and the surrounding walls have greatly aroused the curiosity of her daughter.

"Now I can figure out the answer to more than half of the lantern riddles," said Fan, brimming with confidence.

Jin Wei, director of the district's intangible cultural heritage protection center, said the combination of such elements will help rejuvenate the traditional culture, adding new charm and injecting a new impetus into folk history and culture.

These days, Jiao also participates in the scenic spot's live-action dramas. He said he is happy to see the lantern array remain lit beyond the traditional time frame, attracting more and more visitors. 
This aerial photo taken on Feb. 4, 2023 shows masked monks performing religious dance during a ritual at the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County, northwest China's Gansu Province. The ritual was held here on Saturday to pray for good luck in the new year. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhimin)

A monk band accompanies the religious dance performed by masked monks during a ritual at the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 4, 2023. The ritual was held here on Saturday to pray for good luck in the new year. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhimin)

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 4, 2023 shows masked monks performing religious dance during a ritual at the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County, northwest China's Gansu Province. The ritual was held here on Saturday to pray for good luck in the new year. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhimin)

Masked monks perform religious dance during a ritual at the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 4, 2023. The ritual was held here on Saturday to pray for good luck in the new year. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhimin)

Masked monks performing religious dance head to a square at the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 4, 2023. The ritual was held here on Saturday to pray for good luck in the new year. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhimin)

Masked monks perform religious dance during a ritual at the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 4, 2023. The ritual was held here on Saturday to pray for good luck in the new year. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhimin)

A masked monk performs religious dance during a ritual at the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 4, 2023. The ritual was held here on Saturday to pray for good luck in the new year. (Xinhua/Zhang Zhimin)
This aerial photo taken on Feb. 4, 2023 shows Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

Tourists pose for photos with lanterns during a Lantern Festival fair held in Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Feb. 4, 2023. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

Tourists visit Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Feb. 4, 2023. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

A kid is pictured at a Lantern Festival fair held in Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Feb. 4, 2023. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

This aerial photo taken on Feb. 4, 2023 shows Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

Tourists visit a Lantern Festival fair held in Nantou ancient town in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, on Feb. 4, 2023. A fair was held in Nantou ancient town to celebrate the upcoming Lantern Festival, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)
Visitors paint Chinese opera masks at a special celebratory event held at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

"For us, to be able to share a genuine, authentic experience with Australians on what it means to the Chinese and the Chinese Australian, to get an authentic experience of the music and the dance, and to have people understand the rich complexity of different cultures is a really important part of what we want to do," the museum's director and CEO Daryl Karp told Xinhua.



SYDNEY, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- As the Chinese Lantern Festival is approaching, a special celebratory event is held in Australia's National Maritime Museum over the weekend, providing a unique opportunity for local residents to experience China's fascinating culture and tradition.

The two-day event, jointly hosted by the museum and the China Cultural Center in Sydney, features several workshops including Chinese calligraphy and painting, Chinese opera mask painting, folding fan painting, as well as traditional Chinese musical instrument performances.

A visitor paints a Chinese opera mask at a special celebratory event held at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

Visitors could also wear Hanfu, the traditional Chinese clothing, watch the tea art show, and create their own paper lanterns, shadow puppets and dragon boat models.

The event is also a part of the museum's Lunar Sea program to celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year.

"For us, to be able to share a genuine, authentic experience with Australians on what it means to the Chinese and the Chinese Australian, to get an authentic experience of the music and the dance, and to have people understand the rich complexity of different cultures is a really important part of what we want to do," the museum's director and CEO Daryl Karp told Xinhua.

"The festival also allows us to attract more people who normally don't come to a museum. We'd love to have far more Chinese and international visitors."

A staff member presents a rabbit mascot at a special celebratory event held at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

Wearing a dress drawing inspiration from the design of Qipao, the traditional Chinese clothing in Qing Dynasty, Sydney resident Fabiola Sepulveda has a keen interest in Chinese culture.

She used to study in China for about one year and has some basic knowledge about those traditional festivals, but some of the cultural programs are still new to her.

"I was searching about what was going on for the Year of the Rabbit and I found the event here. I really want to enjoy this activity, and try those that I haven't tried before," Sepulveda said.

"I like a lot of things from the Chinese culture, like the dance, the music, the traditional instrument and the Chinese food, and especially the respect and connection they have with other people."

For the local Australian Chinese, the event also presents a good opportunity to find more about their cultural background.

Children try the art of paper folding at a special celebratory event held at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

"We were born in Australia so we weren't really exposed to a lot of the things about the Chinese culture when we were younger. I think right now is a good opportunity for us to learn more about our culture," said Angela who came to the event with her mum.

As a student studying art and architecture in the university, she thought the most fascinating ones would be the things related to the arts, like Hanfu, embroidery and ink painting.

"I'm trying to get a grasp of the Chinese culture, exposing myself more to this ... Hopefully, it may give me inspiration to start doing more things related to the Chinese culture and being influenced by the Chinese culture more, whether that be in my artworks or my design," she said. 
Malaysia's GDP will increase by at least 1 percentage point thanks to stronger tourism activities, which are boosted by the resumption of China's outbound travel, says UOB Global Economics & Market Research.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service




The U.S. has been addicted to slowing and even cutting China's development through decoupling from China over the recent years. It increased tariffs on imported goods from China and maintained the policy to date. It not only restricted investment from Chinese enterprises in the U.S., but also attempted to limit U.S. companies' investment in China for political purposes. Besides, the U.S. oppressed Chinese high-tech firms with political means, abused export controls, and coerced and incited other countries to form cliques to contain China. These practices have severely undermined market rules and international economic and trade order, threatened the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and impeded global recovery. The U.S. should realize that it's impractical to decouple from China. Based on their comparative strengths and the choices of the market, China-U.S. economic and trade ties are a mutually beneficial relationship featuring structural synergy and convergence of interests, which enjoy strong internal dynamics through win-win cooperation. China-U.S. trade has set record highs in the recent two years, reaching $750 billion in 2021 and nearly $760 billion last year, much higher than the $583.7 billion in 2017. Trade between the U.S. and China is on track to break records, a signal of resilient links between the world's top economies amid fears of "decoupling," Bloomberg has reported. China boasts a complete industrial supporting system and well-developed infrastructure. It has more than 1.4 billion people including over 400 million middle-income earners, and is the world's largest market with huge consumption potential. Due to the enormous attractiveness of the Chinese market, it's been a consensus in the business world that investing in China is investing in the future. U.S. attempts to move industrial chains out of China are not in line with the interests of American enterprises. According to the 2022 American Business in China White Paper issued by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, China is still a prioritized market for U.S. companies - 83 percent of the chamber's members report they are not considering relocating manufacturing or sourcing outside of China. The U.S. would lose more than it gains by forcing decoupling. Pinelopi Goldberg, the Elihu Professor of Economics at Yale University, said in an article that the U.S. seems to have forgotten how much it benefitted from China's opening over the past few decades. She pointed out it is wrong to presume that global welfare is a zero-sum game, and that China's ascent implies America's decline. By provoking a trade war and building barriers with a zero-sum game mindset, the U.S. will only harm others without benefiting itself. Studies have indicated that the cost of the trade war unilaterally started by the U.S. is by large shouldered by U.S. enterprises and consumers. According to a report released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, decoupling from China severely threatens the interests of the U.S. in trade, investment, services and industry. The report said U.S. investors would lose $25 billion per year in capital gains, and American GDP would see a one-time loss of up to $500 billion. An American semiconductor manufacturer predicted that the new round of export control measures against China could result in billions of dollars lost in its revenue and reduce its R&D spending which helps it maintain global competitiveness. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers said it would be an enormous and staggering error for the U.S. to decide that it was its policy to suppress Chinese economic growth in the name of national security. Facts have once again proved that China and the U.S. cannot decouple from each other. The U.S. practice to force decoupling from China, even at the sacrifice of itself and its allies, is an irrational and unsustainable choice against economic laws. Economic globalization is a response to development of productivity and, as such, represents an unstoppable historical trend. Despite the oppression by the U.S., China has maintained the world's largest trading country in goods for six years in a row. Over 73 million yuan (about $10.8 million) of cargo are traded between China and other countries every minute on average. The decoupling strategy of the U.S. cannot stop economic globalization, but will only give up the opportunities to cooperate with China to other countries. China has the world's most complete industrial system and a domestic demand market that boasts the largest potential. It is able to achieve domestic circulation, which gives guarantee and confidence for China to cope with external oppression. Decoupling will not stop China's steps to make innovations, nor will it hinder the country's high-quality economic development. The U.S., following unilateralism and protectionism to contain and suppress China, hurts the global economy. Australia's East Asia Forum said in a recent article published on its website that U.S. policy looks very much like crude protectionism industrial policy, and the U.S. has become "spoiler-in-chief" of the international trade regime. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva warned that the longer-term cost of trade fragmentation could reach almost 7 percent of global output in a severe scenario. If technological decoupling is added to the mix, some countries could see losses of up to 12 percent of GDP, she added. World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also said that decoupling and severing supply chains is not conducive to the development of the world economy and international trade. The U.S. and China are vital and irreplaceable components of the global economic system, and the cost will be too high for both countries and the global economy if the worst fears about decoupling materialized, said Singapore's former top diplomat Bilahari Kausikan. The Chinese and American economies are deeply integrated, and both countries can benefit from each other's development. As the world's two largest economies, China and the U.S. should deepen cooperation to promote their relations. The two sides need to respect each other, pursue mutual benefit, focus on the larger picture, and nurture a sound atmosphere and stable relations for cooperation. (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)
As the Chinese Lantern Festival is coming, a special celebratory event is held in Australia's National Maritime Museum over the weekend, providing a unique opportunity for local residents to experience China's fascinating culture and tradition.

"For us, to be able to share a genuine, authentic experience with Australians on what it means to the Chinese and the Chinese Australian, to get an authentic experience of the music and the dance, and to have people understand the rich complexity of different cultures is a really important part of what we want to do," the museum's director and CEO Daryl Karp has said.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
People watch a dragon dance performance in Puchang Town of Suiyang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 4, 2023. Various events are held across the country to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Photo by Li Qianyong/Xinhua)

People perform dragon dance in Puchang Town of Suiyang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 4, 2023. Various events are held across the country to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Photo by Li Qianyong/Xinhua)

Folk artists perform lion dance at Xiangfeng Town of Laifeng County, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 4, 2023. Various events are held across the country to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Photo by Tang Jun/Xinhua)

People perform dragon dance in Chengguan Town of Shibing County in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 4, 2023. Various events are held across the country to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Photo by Mo Guibin/Xinhua)

Folk artists perform a fire dragon dance in Baojing County, central China's Hunan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. Various events are held across the country to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Photo by Long Enze/Xinhua)

People perform dragon dance in Pingtou Town of Songtao Miao Autonomous County in Tongren, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 4, 2023. Various events are held across the country to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Photo by Long Yuanbin/Xinhua)

People perform lion dance in Dingxi, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 4, 2023. Various events are held across the country to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Photo by Wang Kexian/Xinhua)

Folk artists perform in Haiqing Town of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 4, 2023. Various events are held across the country to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Photo by Wang Peike/Xinhua)

People beat drums and gongs in Yuping Dong Autonomous County of Tongren City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 4, 2023. Various events are held across the country to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Photo by Hu Panxue/Xinhua)

People perform dragon dance in Bincheng District of Binzhou, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 4, 2023. Various events are held across the country to celebrate the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Photo by Li Rongxin/Xinhua)
JERUSALEM, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Secondary School Teachers' Association on Sunday staged a one-day strike in high schools in the country for a pay increase.

Some middle school teachers who are members of the association also took part in the strike, which aimed to pressure the Finance Ministry into reaching a new collective agreement with teachers in time, as the previous one had expired more than a year ago.

The association said in a statement that the ministry had yet to negotiate such an agreement, leaving the teachers with "no one to talk to."

The organization demands, among other things, that the minimum salary of a secondary education teacher be raised to 12,000 new shekels (3,511 U.S. dollars).

Responding in a statement, the ministry claimed that it was not avoiding the talks and called on the teacher's association to get back to the negotiations. 
JERUSALEM, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated Saturday evening in several cities to protest the government's plan to reform the judicial system.

The largest protest is being held in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, which was attended by thousands of people.

Demonstrators have rallied for five weeks in a row to voice their discontent with the judicial reforms proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. They say the reforms will weaken the courts and give the ruling coalition more power.

"These people (protestors) came to save our country," said former Prime Minister Yair Lapid at the demonstration in Haifa, northern Israel. "We will fight this in the parliament and the courts ... and we will save our country."

Netanyahu and his partners say the changes are necessary in order to limit the judicial system's power, which has become too powerful in recent decades. They also say the supreme court often intervenes in political issues that should be determined by the parliament.

Netanyahu has vowed to push forward with the reforms despite the protests.

Netanyahu himself is facing a trial on corruption charges. While he denies any wrongdoing, his opponents say the reforms are personally motivated.

The reforms include giving the parliament the ability to override supreme court rulings with a simple majority, greater influence for politicians in the appointment of supreme court judges. In addition, legal advisers to ministries will be political appointments instead of civil servants. All could enable Netanyahu to influence the outcome of his own case.

According to Israeli media reports, doctors and lawyers will stage symbolic strikes next week to protest against the reforms.

Israel's tech sector has also staged demonstrations against the plans, claiming they will harm the economy. 




* Time-honored brands, which have been through a decades-long or even a centuries-long journey, either serve as a reminder of people's old childhood flavors, or relate to festival traditions and nostalgic memories.

* They are embodiments of China's traditional culture and a majority of them own at least one intangible cultural heritage. It is the traditional skills and craftsmanship passed from generation to generation, as well as credibility, that make time-honored brands endure the changes of the times.

* While some brands have sustained their classic style and ancient beauty, others have innovated their products and tapped into digital platforms to win the hearts of younger consumers.

BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Holding two jars of sugar garlic, a gray-haired resident surnamed Guo is lining up at a Liubiju store, a nearly 600-year-old pickle-making brand located on Beijing's Qianmen Street, to pay for the delicacy.

Sugar garlic, or pickled garlic, is a traditional Chinese appetizer with a sweet and sour flavor. "I grew up eating sugar garlic sold by Liubiju and I pair it with porridge, noodles and hotpot. The taste is every bit as good now as it was when I was a kid," Guo said.

For people like Guo, some time-honored brands, including the renowned Liubiju, serve as a reminder of their old childhood flavors, while others such as the Da Bei Photo Studio relate to festival traditions and nostalgic memories.

Staff members demonstrate pickle-making skills at the workshop of Liubiju, a pickle-making brand, in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 31, 2023. (Xinhua/Wei Hongyi)

Most of these brands have been through a decades-long or even a centuries-long journey and have become witnesses to China's commercial development. Data from the Ministry of Commerce shows that China has 701 century-old brands. The oldest one -- Beijing Bianyifang, famed for its specialty roast duck -- has survived for 607 years.

The total number of existing time-honored brands, which are well-known throughout the country and recognized by the Ministry of Commerce, is 1,128, according to Sheng Qiuping, China's vice commerce minister.

Despite the impact of COVID-19, over 70 percent of these brands are still profitable, and around 35 percent saw their sales revenue surpass 100 million yuan (14.9 million U.S. dollars) in 2022, Sheng said.

Already firmly rooted in people's memories of special times, these brands are holding on to their craftsmanship, while also striving to break new ground in terms of technology and products, as they seek to remain relevant in the here and now.

LEGACY, PERSEVERANCE

Time-honored brands are embodiments of China's traditional culture and a majority of them own at least one intangible cultural heritage. Data shows that of the 1,128 brands, nearly 800 are involved with intangible cultural heritage projects, according to the commerce ministry.

A staff member promotes cloisonne handicrafts through livestreaming at Beijing Enamel Factory Co., Ltd. in Beijing, capital of China, June 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

At Beijing Enamel Factory, a cloisonne ware manufacturer founded in 1956, Luo Shuxiang, a 61-year-old craftsperson, is deftly applying the colored ore powders to objects made of copper, a key step in the process of making cloisonne handicrafts.

Cloisonne, which was widely produced during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties of ancient China, is considered one of Beijing's top traditional forms of artware. China listed this time-honored craft as a national intangible heritage in 2006.

It is a labor-intensive technique that involves over 100 steps to make a finished product. The artisanal practice mainly requires five processes: making a copper body; buckling and inlaying copper wires on the surface in certain patterns; coloring; firing; and polishing. And Luo is the best craftsperson in the factory for coloring the cloisonne.

Luo has been doing this craft for over 40 years and was reemployed after retirement, as she is considered the best at painting vivid patterns in different shades of color on the copper surface. "A single leaf may need six or seven shades of green to make it more lively," Luo said.

One of the cloisonne vases she colored -- "Shengshihuange," literally "singing happily in prosperous times" in Chinese -- was presented as a state gift to the United Nations Office in Geneva in 2017.

When asked about the reason for returning to her job after retirement, Luo said that no process of this craft can be done by machines, except for polishing some regular-shaped products. "I came back to teach more apprentices. The cloisonne craft and Beijing Enamel Factory need more people to inherit the legacy, in order to live on and prosper," Luo said.

It is the traditional skills and craftsmanship passed from generation to generation, as well as credibility, that make time-honored brands endure the changes of the times, according to Li Xiaosong, an official with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

INNOVATION, DIGITALIZATION

While some brands have sustained their classic style and ancient beauty, others have innovated their products and tapped into digital platforms to win the hearts of younger consumers.

This photo taken on Jan. 31, 2023 shows the traditional cloth shoes at the main store of Neiliansheng, a Chinese traditional cloth shoe maker, in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Xie Xiyao)

Neiliansheng, a Chinese traditional cloth shoe maker, used to be a symbol of the ancient court nobility and riches with its "thousand-layer" soles and hand-stitched fabric uppers. Now it is revamping itself through association with international brands and with novel elements to catch the attention of Gen Z customers.

The brand inked a deal with Disney in 2016 to feature Mickey Mouse on one of its product lines. In 2021, its sub-brand partnered with Japanese streetwear brand A Bathing Ape, or BAPE, to launch a co-branded collection of cloth shoes featuring BAPE's iconic green camouflage.

The Chinese New Year limited editions released this year with designs based on the image of the rabbit, one of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals, are very sought-after as well, with some versions already sold out, said Cheng Xu, Neiliansheng's general manager.

Young consumers aged below 25 account for around 10 percent of our customer base, Cheng said. "We wish to gain more popularity among the Gen Z and millennials," he added.

Eyeing wider coverage of young people, other brands such as Beijing Daoxiangcun, a traditional Chinese bakery brand, have turned to digital platforms, a channel it recognizes as being more popular with young people.

Yu Dazhi, vice general manager of Beijing Daoxiangcun, said products sold through live-streaming platforms before the Spring Festival holiday were immediately snapped up when the links for these products were posted.

Pickle maker Liubiju is also exploring digital transformation. Its monthly sales revenue through live-streaming on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, has exceeded 1 million yuan.

Data shows that nearly 350 time-honored brands participated in live-streaming platforms. Live-streaming events of time-honored brands in 2022 topped 50,000, with a combined business volume of 3.5 billion yuan. The figure increased over five times compared with that of 2019.

Looking forward, the ministry will mobilize more chiefs and inheritors of time-honored brands to participate in live-streaming, tell the tales of their brands and showcase traditional crafts, to promote their advancement, according to the vice commerce minister.

(Video reporters: Jiang Sai, Yin Jiajie; Video editors: Wu Yao, Cao Ying, Zhao Xiaoqing) 
Children are seen at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Cai Xiangxin)

Tourists take a carriage ride at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Li An)

Tourists take a carriage ride at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Cai Xiangxin)

A tourists poses for a photo at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Li An)

Tourists watch street dance performance at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

An actor performs Pingshu (storytelling) at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Cai Xiangxin)

Tourists take a carriage ride at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Cai Xiangxin)

A girl poses for a photo at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)

Tourists watch a concert at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Cai Xiangxin)

Tourists watch a concert at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Li An)

An actor performs at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023.

A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

A child is seen at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

An actress performs at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

This photo taken on Feb. 4, 2023 shows the night view of a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Tourists gather around a bonfire at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

A child poses for a photo at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)

A child is seen at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Li An)

This photo taken on Feb. 4, 2023 shows the night view of a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Children pose for a photo at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Cai Xiangxin)

Tourists gather around a bonfire at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Song Yanhua)

An actress performs at a town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins, remnants of the capital of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 4, 2023. A wide range of recreational activities were held at the town themed on the culture of the Yin Ruins in Anyang of Henan Province to mark the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which falls on Feb. 5 this year. (Xinhua/Li An)
BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition towards the U.S. use of force to attack China's civilian unmanned airship, Chinese Foreign Ministry said Sunday in a statement.

The Chinese side has, after verification, repeatedly informed the U.S. side of the civilian nature of the airship and conveyed that its entry into the United States due to force majeure was totally unexpected, the statement said, noting the Chinese side has clearly asked the U.S. side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday when answering a relevant query that the civilian airship is used for research, mainly meteorological purposes. Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course.

According to the statement, the spokesperson of the U.S. Department of Defense also noted the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.

Under such circumstances, the U.S. use of force is a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice. China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the company concerned, and reserve the right to make further responses if necessary, said the statement. 
YINCHUAN, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Ma Zhijun will never forget the day he watched the C919, China's first indigenously-developed large jetliner, arrive in his home city of Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Ma, a 10-year-old primary school student in a mountain village, dreams of being a pilot. In December last year, he and his classmates were brought to the Liupanshan Airport, located in Guyuan, to witness the successful test flight, from Shanghai to Ningxia, of the first C919 aircraft delivered to China Eastern Airlines.

According to the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai, China Eastern Airlines is expected to put the aircraft into commercial operation by the spring of 2023. By the end of 2022, the C919 had gained 1,035 orders from 32 customers.

"It was amazing to see my country's homegrown large passenger aircraft come to my hometown," said Ma, whose parents had painted a big plane on the walls of their house.

With a maximum flight range of over 5,000 km, the C919 not only excited Ma and his peers for several days, but also fueled a craze for aviation in the Liupanshan Mountain region, which was a revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China and once a highly impoverished area in Ningxia.

In Xiji County, about 60 km west of Guyuan, an aviation museum received hundreds of visitors every day. It displays the research and development history of the C919, and offers access to simulator facilities for the public.

"My 14-year-old daughter has been here three times, experiencing piloting simulation, and learned something new each time," said Liu Defei, a local government employee.

At his daughter's middle school, an aviation lab has also been set up where students can learn more about airplanes and aviation.

Moreover, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd., which developed the C919, chose the Liupanshan Mountain as a training base for pilots, due to its adverse weather conditions that make flying more difficult, such as fog, strong winds and heavy snow.

Over the past few years, the company has stationed a team in Xiji County to help the local government with rural revitalization and poverty alleviation efforts.

Products made by local women such as embroidery, embroidered shoes and pillows, paper cuttings and Chinese herbal medicines, were funded and promoted by the company, increasing the income of the villagers.

"We promote these products because they are made by local people with their hearts. It's more valuable," said Li Lin, a company official who had worked in Xiji.

Thanks to China's poverty alleviation campaign, Xiji shook off poverty in 2020. 
A woman votes at a polling station in Nicosia, Cyprus, Feb. 5, 2023. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua)

Christodoulides, who ran as an independent, garnered 32.04 percent of the vote, and Mavroyiannis, who also ran as an independent and supported by the left wing AKEL party, garnered 29.61 percent of the vote, Chief Returning Officer Costas Constantinou announced after the counting of all votes on Sunday.

NICOSIA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Former Cypriot foreign minister Nicos Christodoulides took the lead in Cyprus' presidential election on Sunday, and will face off with Andreas Mavroyiannis, who came second, in a runoff on Feb. 12.

Christodoulides, who ran as an independent, garnered 32.04 percent of the vote, and Mavroyiannis, who also ran as an independent and supported by the left wing AKEL party, garnered 29.61 percent of the vote, Chief Returning Officer Costas Constantinou announced after the counting of all votes on Sunday.

Fourteen candidates participated in the election, but none of them won an absolute majority.

Averof Neophytou, leader of the ruling DISY party, ended third with 26.11 percent of the vote and was thus left out of the presidential race, ending the party's ten-year-long hold on power in the eastern Mediterranean island.

Soldiers of Cypriot National Guard march in a military parade celebrating the 62nd Independence Day of Cyprus in Nicosia, Cyprus, Oct. 1, 2022. (Photo by George Christophorou/Xinhua)

Neophytou's performance in the election was considered by political analysts as a blow not only to himself but also to his right-wing party.

Both Christodoulides and Mavroyiannis had been close associates of the outgoing president Nicos Anastasiades who will step down at the end of February.

Christodoulides served for four years as spokesman for Anastasiades and then as his foreign minister for another four years.

Mavroyiannis, a diplomat at the foreign ministry, had been Anastasiades' negotiator in peace talks with Turkish Cypriots for a settlement to the Cyprus problem.

Political analysts said that the two presidential hopefuls would start wooing DISY voters for their support ahead of the runoff vote.

People wearing masks are seen at a supermarket in Nicosia, Cyprus, July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Guo Mingfang)

A DISY official said the party would meet on Monday to decide its official stance in relation to the runoff.

The Chief Returning Officer said that out of 561,273 registered voters 404,403 people, or 72.05 percent, cast ballot papers. 
Photo taken on March 2, 2020 shows refugees and migrants coming off a boat after arrival at Skala Sikaminias, in the island of Lesvos, Greece. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

A total of 39 people were rescued, according to the latest count, and many were of African descent, according to AMNA.

ATHENS, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Three children and a woman died after a boat carrying yet unknown number of refugees and migrants sank off the island of Leros in the Aegean Sea, Greek national news agency AMNA reported on Sunday.

The body of the woman was collected in the sea, the Hellenic Coast Guard said in a statement on Sunday. The three children had been transferred to a local hospital where they died, AMNA reported, citing the local Port Authority.

A total of 39 people were rescued, according to the latest count, and many were of African descent, according to AMNA.

Photo taken on March 2, 2020 shows children coming off a boat after arrival at Skala Sikaminias, in the island of Lesvos, Greece. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Survivors told authorities there were about 40 people, among them minors and a person with disabilities, on board the dinghy that had set sail from the Turkish coast, a Hellenic Coast Guard statement said.

A search and rescue operation was still underway to locate survivors in a rocky remote part of the island amid bad weather conditions with heavy rainfall, strong wind and low visibility, the Coast Guard said.

Greece has been at the forefront of the refugee and migrant influx since 2015 and hundreds have perished in the Aegean Sea in the past eight years.

Photo taken on March 2, 2020 shows refugees and migrants coming off a boat after arrival at Skala Sikaminias, in the island of Lesvos, Greece. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
A pigeon fancier flies his pigeons on top of a building in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

by Mahmoud Fouly

CAIRO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- When walking around the Egyptian capital of Cairo, it is hard to ignore the scaffold-like wooden structures perching on top of some buildings, as they have altered the skyline of the most populous city in the Arab world.

These are the pigeon lofts, the rickety wood homes for Cairenes' beloved birds.

Pigeon breeding has been a long tradition in the Middle East, especially in Egypt. Some ancient Egyptian reliefs depicted flocks of pigeons being released from their cages to fly and then return. For many Egyptians, now it remains both a passion and a business to raise these birds.

Raising pigeons is a way to make living for some Egyptians because the bird has been a delicacy on the local menu for thousands of years. A popular way for the Egyptians to cook the pigeons is to stuff them with a mix of rice, onion, chicken or pigeon liver, and cinnamon.

Despite the recent price hikes in Egypt, which have also affected the pigeon feed, Egyptian pigeon breeders are unlikely to give up their hobby or business.

Ahmed Kamal, an employee at a private company, turns the whole rooftop of his house in the Giza province near Cairo into a big breeding ground for some types of birds, particularly pigeons.

The 48-year-old man said he has been a pigeon breeder for about 35 years.

"I started this hobby when I was 12 or 13. I had the passion but not the experience. But in time, I learned a lot through practice and I gradually started a trade," Kamal told Xinhua on his rooftop.

"The main passion of a fancier is to see his birds flying and returning to him again," the veteran pigeon breeder said.

Kamal, who could tell the age of a pigeon from the growth of wing feathers, noted that he takes all precautions to keep his birds healthy, including keeping his birds in spacious cages with good ventilation.

Most pigeon breeders buy and sell their birds on a special street at Cairo's famous weekly Friday Market, where several stalls display various local and imported breeds, including racing, carrier and fancy pigeons.

Tens of Egyptian pigeon breeders and traders were busy at the crowded pigeon marketplace going back and forth, some of them holding small cages in their hands.

Even though living in the northern coastal province of Alexandria, Megahed El-Barbari, one of the best-known pigeon traders in the market, travels to Cairo every week despite the geographical distance.

"Pigeon fanciers are on the rise. It's an addictive hobby like fishing. But not all pigeon traders are necessarily fanciers. Some just do it for business," El-Barbari explained, noting he's been a pigeon trader for about 25 years.

Another veteran pigeon trader, Hussein Abdullah, said that the rising price of pigeon feed has impacted the local market since last year, forcing some Egyptian pigeon sellers to lower prices to promote sales. 

Pigeon lofts are seen on top of buildings in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

This Photo taken on Jan. 27, 2023 shows pigeons for sale at a market in Cairo, Egypt. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A pigeon fancier flies a pigeon on top of a building in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A pigeon is seen on top of a building in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

A pigeon fancier holds a pigeon on top of a building in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)

Pigeon lofts are seen on top of buildings in Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
KABUL, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Two civilians were injured as a blast rocked Police District 2 of Afghan capital Kabul city on Saturday, Kabul's police spokesman Khalid Zadran said.

"Two civilians were injured after a sticky bomb struck a vehicle in Police District 2 today on evening," Zadran told Xinhua without providing more details.

Eyewitnesses who declined to give their names said that a blast rocked Pashtunistan Watt, a neighborhood in Police District 2, at 6:20 p.m. local time, inflicting casualties. 
AYBAK, Afghanistan, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Two commuters were killed and nine others injured in a road crash in Afghanistan's northern Samangan province, provincial traffic police said on Sunday.

The accident took place late Saturday in Daulatabad area of Hazrat Sultan district when a car collided with another vehicle coming from the opposite direction, killing two travelers on the spot and injuring nine others with some in critical condition.

Congested roads, old vehicles and reckless driving could be the main reason for road accidents in the war-ravaged country.

Similar road accidents have injured 16 people in Afghanistan's eastern Parwan and northern Baghlan provinces over the past couple of days. 
KIEV, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have been freed following a latest prisoner swap, officials from both sides confirmed on Saturday.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President's Office, said in a Telegram post that 116 Ukrainians returned home, whereas Russia's state news agency TASS said that 63 Russian servicemen were released.

Yermak also said that Russia returned to Ukraine the bodies of two British voluntary aid workers, and a volunteer soldier from Ukraine's International Legion.

The exchange came after a negotiation brokered by the United Arab Emirates, marking one of the largest prisoner swaps between the conflicting parties since the start of the conflict.

As of early January, more than 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers remained in Russia's captivity. 
ANKARA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and 36 others injured on Sunday in a traffic accident in the western Turkish province of Afyonkarahisar, Demiroren News Agency reported.

A passenger bus overturned after the driver lost control of the bus in Karabedir village of Dinar district, the report said.

The bus was traveling from the southeastern province of Diyarbakir to the Bodrum district of the southwestern province of Mugla, it added.

Several rescue teams were dispatched to the scene after the accident. 
A mechanical fish is seen at a port of Elefsina, Greece, Feb. 4, 2023. The opening ceremony of "2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture" was held on Saturday in Elefsina, some 20 km west of Athens.(Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The opening ceremony of "2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture" was held on Saturday in Elefsina, some 20 km west of Athens.

Inspired by ancient Greek mythology it included processions of people arriving from land and sea, music and dance throughout the streets and the seafront and exhibitions hosted in old factories transformed in art galleries.

"Today Elefsina is shaping its modern identity by combining its archaeological and industrial history with the new infrastructure it is acquiring thanks to its declaration as the cultural capital of Europe for 2023," Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said addressing the ceremony, according to Greek national broadcaster ERT.

Elefsina is one of the three European cities holding the title this year and the fourth Greek city since 1985, when Athens was the first title-holder.

European Capitals of Culture aim to highlight the richness and diversity of cultures in Europe and boost cultural exchanges. 

Women in traditional costumes are seen in Elefsina, Greece, Feb. 4, 2023. The opening ceremony of "2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture" was held on Saturday in Elefsina, some 20 km west of Athens.(Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

A woman in traditional costume dances in Elefsina, Greece, Feb. 4, 2023. The opening ceremony of "2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture" was held on Saturday in Elefsina, some 20 km west of Athens.(Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
A woman attaches a note of wishes on the wish tree at San Diego Zoo, in San Diego, California, the United States, on Feb. 4, 2023. The San Diego Zoo, which has the largest number of annual visitors among U.S. zoos, kicked off a two-day special event on Saturday to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Zeng Hui/ Xinhua)

SAN DIEGO, the United States, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The San Diego Zoo, which has the largest number of annual visitors among U.S. zoos, kicked off a two-day special event on Saturday to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Paul Baribault, president and CEO of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, and Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles Guo Shaochun co-hosted the opening ceremony of the event.

"As part of our wishes for the lunar new year, we want to wish joy and prosperity to all of our friends. That includes everybody here today as well as our partners around the globe," Baribault told Xinhua after he wrote his new year wishes on a red blessing card and tied it to a "wishing tree."

Interactive activities related to the Chinese New Year surrounded the zoo, he said, adding that "we are really trying to take advantage of the moment of the transition to the Lantern Festival and using that as a moment of celebration across all of our grounds."

The staff wore bright red T-shirts with "Chinese New Year" written on them, and introduced to tourists that 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, and those born during this zodiac year are known for being calm, agile, and prosperous.

Tourists scrambled to write their wishes on red cards and hang them on the "wishing trees" along the roadside. They could also learn traditional Chinese paper cutting and make red lanterns and rabbit ears.

Guo highlighted the zoo's cooperation with its Chinese partners over 30 years on a research project on giant pandas, which is the first one between the two countries.

"Giant pandas were loved by the local American people. Cooperation and research in the field of diversity have also promoted friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples," he added.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is known for its global cooperation in promoting biodiversity conservation and education, and has long-term cooperation with China in the breeding and protection of giant pandas.

The panda "Bai Yun," which means "White Cloud" in Chinese, lived in the San Diego Zoo for 23 years and became the symbol of the zoo. "Baiyun" and its last cub baby "Xiao Liwu," which means "Little Gift" in Chinese, returned to their hometown in China in 2019, but the pavilion where they lived is still a popular spot for tourists.

The zoo held a three-week farewell event for their departure and around 1,000 local residents lined up at the zoo to say goodbye.

"We've been incredibly close partners," said Baribault about their Chinese partners, noting that his greater wish is to continue to maintain a cooperative relationship with Chinese partners in the field of nature protection in the new year.

"We believe it's our role to help create greater cultural understandings... cultures around the world can connect people to each other to understand the differences and similarities," Baribault said. 

A boy attaches a note of wishes on the wish tree at San Diego Zoo, in San Diego, California, the United States, on Feb. 4, 2023. The San Diego Zoo, which has the largest number of annual visitors among U.S. zoos, kicked off a two-day special event on Saturday to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Zeng Hui/ Xinhua)

A staff member dresses up as a panda to celebrate the Chinese New Year at San Diego Zoo, in San Diego, California, the United States, on Feb. 4, 2023. The San Diego Zoo, which has the largest number of annual visitors among U.S. zoos, kicked off a two-day special event on Saturday to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Photo by Zeng Hui/ Xinhua)
Islamabad: Fed up with terrorism nurtured by itself, Pakistan is now begging in front of the Taliban. At present, the situation in Pakistan is such that even mosques are not safe in the Islamic country that was separated from India in 1947. After the fidayeen attack in a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan has now decided to appeal to the Taliban government in Afghanistan to reduce terrorism. Let us tell you that more than 100 people were killed in the bomb blast in Peshawar Mosque.

After which Pakistan will now make a request to the Supreme Leader of the Taliban in this regard. The Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies says that terrorist incidents have increased by 50 percent in the areas that share the country's borders with Afghanistan since the Taliban assumed power in the neighboring country. The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for several terrorist attacks. It is also known as 'Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP)'. Hibtullah Akhundzada, the chief of the Afghan Taliban, is wanted in the US.

Two TTP leaders, Sarbakaf Mohammad, and Umar Makram Khorasani say that they carried out the Peshawar attack to avenge the death of another comrade, Khalid Khorasani. Faisal Karim Kundi, Special Assistant to Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif, has told that a delegation will also be sent to Tehran, the capital of Iran and a delegation will go to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

Both these Muslim countries will be asked to curb terrorism in the border areas of Pakistan adjacent to their respective countries. The committee to be sent to Kabul will be introduced to the top leaders there. This simply means that the delegation of Pakistan will meet the head of the Taliban. Not only have more than 100 people been killed in the Peshawar fidayeen attack, but more than 200 have also been injured. At the same time, Pakistan is already struggling badly with poverty.

Pope: "Protect and advance women for a better South Sudan."

US shoots down a Chinese balloon over the ocean and moves to collect debris

Indian architecture has been influenced by the Middle East for centuries.
Juba: On Saturday, Pope Francis joined other Christian leaders and the UN in calling for the protection and advancement of women in South Sudan, where child marriage is frequent, rape has been used as a weapon of war, and the majority of girls do not complete secondary education.

The penultimate day of the pope's visit to South Sudan, which included an unprecedented joint "pilgrimage of peace" with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Church of Scotland Moderator Iain Greenshields, the rights of girls and women repeatedly came up.

Protect, respect, value, and honour every woman, every girl, every young woman, every mother, and every grandmother, please. At a meeting between the three leaders and those who had been displaced by conflict, the pope said, "Without hope, there will be no future.

Also Read: China downplays the cancellation of Blinken's trip due to a balloon

In his speech to the roughly 50,000 attendees of an ecumenical prayer vigil held at the mausoleum of South Sudan's liberation hero John Garang, Welby later returned to the theme.

He urged the young men, "You will value and honour women, never raping, never violent, never cruel, and never using them as if they were there to gratify desire."

"Women of South Sudan, I know that many of you live with the trauma of sexual violence and the daily fear of mistreatment in your own homes, on top of the grief of conflict and the duty to provide for your families."

The widespread sexual violence against women and girls during conflict, according to a United Nations report on South Sudan published in March, was "fueled by systemic impunity."

Also Read: Zelensky and Scholz reach a "consensus" that Russians are not hit by Western weapons

According to the report, "all armed groups across the nation are engaged in widespread rape, frequently as a component of military tactics, for which government and military leaders are accountable."

South Sudan declared its independence from Sudan in 2011, but a civil war broke out in 2013 as different ethnic groups turned against one another. Even after the two main antagonists reached a peace agreement in 2018, interethnic conflicts have continued to claim many civilian lives and force them to flee their homes.

In addition to bringing up the issue of widespread sexual violence against women and girls, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the local UN humanitarian coordinator in South Sudan, also spoke at the event where the three religious leaders heard accounts from children who had been living in displaced persons camps.

In response, the pope urged South Sudanese citizens to "ensure that women are protected, respected, valued, and honoured." If given the chance, Francis claimed, "women will be able to change South Sudan's face and give it a peaceful and cohesive development"!

Less than 5% of girls complete secondary education, according to Sister Orla Treacy, an Irish member of the Loreto Sisters religious order who works to prevent child marriages and runs a school in Rumbek, north of the capital. In South Sudan, she claimed that 52 percent of 18-year-old girls and about 10 percent of 15-year-old girls are married respectively.

To see the pope, Treacy and some students travelled 125 miles (about 200 kilometres) by foot from Lakes State. She claimed that a recent decree promising to end child marriages had been signed by the governor of that area.

Also Read: When the US shoots down a Chinese balloon China threatens

According to the World Bank, South Sudan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, and the country is rife with poverty and hunger, with two thirds of the population in need of humanitarian assistance.
Washington: According to the Associated Press, the Wagner private military company's presence in Sudan and Libya has been "at the top of every meeting" between American and Egyptian officials as part of the Biden administration's efforts to persuade African countries to expel the company.

During recent trips to Egypt and Libya, CIA Director William Burns focused on the group, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi about Wagner during a trip to Cairo last month, according to the news agency.

An Egyptian senior government official claimed that Wagner "obsesses [the American officials]." "It comes first in every meeting,"

Also Read: The number of moons in the solar system is broken by a planet

The Biden administration even went so far as to use Cairo to relay messages to Moscow rather than using direct channels, making Egypt a crucial conduit for American policy. The report claims that the Egyptians communicated Washington's displeasure with Wagner to their Sudanese and Libyan counterparts.

According to a Sudanese official, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan was urged by Abbas Kamel, the director of Egypt's intelligence agency, to address Wagner's "use of Sudan as a base" for operations in Central Africa. According to the report, Burns personally travelled to Libya to communicate with the competing governments there and discussed Wagner with Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

Also Read: China retaliates after the US downs a "civilian airship"

The US reportedly demanded that Wagner fighters be removed from their posts guarding Libyan oil facilities, while Egypt reportedly asked Haftar not to station Wagner soldiers close to its borders.

Since its establishment in 2014, Wagner has worked primarily as a security contractor in the Middle East and Africa. Although Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has acknowledged that his forces participated in the conflict in Libya, the precise details of its deployments are kept a secret. When questioned by American journalists last year, he denied any involvement in Sudan, claiming that he was personally donating humanitarian aid to the war-torn nation and that he was "not aware of any evidence that the Wagner Group exists."

He asked RT last month, "Who organised wars and revolutions in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Mozambique, Central Africa, and so on?" Later, some of these nations consulted the Wagner PMC, which swiftly put an end to these wars.

Also Read: Scholz claims that Putin did not threaten Germany

Following a string of Wagner Group victories over the Ukrainian military in Donbass, the US branded the Wagner Group a "transnational criminal organisation" last month.

Despite what appears to be Washington's "obsession" with the organisation, the AP reported that "there is no evidence yet that the Biden administration's pressure has yielded results in either Sudan or Libya."
Berlin: Germany's leader said in an interview on Sunday that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky concurs that weapons provided by the West won't be used to attack Russian territory. Olaf Scholz, the chancellor, stated in an interview with the weekly Bild am Sonntag that "there is a consensus on this point."

As Ukraine tries to push back Russian troops in its east, its Western allies have promised to arm it with precision rockets and missile systems as well as tanks. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has compared his country's struggle during World War II with the intervention of nations like Germany.

On the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad, he said, "We are forced to repel the collective West's aggression repeatedly. Scholz, however, disregarded the analogy.

Also Read: VIDEO: 'Quran in one hand, Atom bomb in other..,' Why is Maulana giving this advice?

He claimed that the man's remarks were a part of a series of absurd historical comparisons that he had made to support his attack on Ukraine. But this war has no justification.

Also Read: Iran's response to a UN nuclear watchdog report is criticized by the US and its allies

"We are providing battle tanks to Ukraine so that it can defend itself, along with our allies. Each shipment of weapons has been carefully weighed by us in close consultation with our allies, beginning with America. Such a consensus-based strategy, according to him, "avoids an escalation."

Also Read: Chinese response to postponed Blinken visit
Majority of Canadians say that privatization won't fix the health care crisis

OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 5, 2023 /CNW/ - In anticipation of a First Ministers meeting this week, the 425,000 members of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) have a clear message: Abandon for-profit schemes in health care - Canadians want more investment in public health care, more funding, and more workers. The federal government must not allow provinces to use the health care crisis to undermine the Canada Health Act and expand privatization.

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is national organization representing 425,000 workers. We are the national voice of 13 Component unions whose members deliver services of every kind to the citizens of their home provinces. (CNW Group/NATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC AND GENERAL EMPLOYEES)

"When it comes to privatization, people are against the wealthy buying their way to the front of the line."

"Anyone who tells you privatization will fix our health care system is simply ignoring the facts," says Bert Blundon, NUPGE President. "Report after report has said that privatization ends up costing more, hurts quality, and is unaccountable to those who rely on it."

"This poll confirms that Canadians are opposed to privatization, even in the face of severe problems created by underfunding, mismanagement, and shifting priorities," said Blundon.

A recent poll, conducted by Abacus Data, on behalf of NUPGE, said that 89% of Canadians agree that health care should be universal and based on people's needs. People are genuinely concerned about the expansion of for-profit private health care in our system.

77% believe that increasing jobs in the for-profit health sector will lead to an exodus of workers, putting further strain on an overburdened public system.

75% believe that the loss of workers to for-profit clinics will create further strain on workers and the system, leading to reduced availability of services and reduced ability to provide quality services in the public system.

68% said that a 2-tier system means wealthy people will have a great health care system while middle- and lower-income people will be stuck with worse services.

"We are hearing loud and clear that Canadians do not want to hand over our public health care system to those who want to make a profit off of people who need care," Blundon continues. "When it comes to privatization, people are against the wealthy buying their way to the front of the line.

Story continues

"Contrary to the PM's recent comments, privatization is not an innovation. After everything we learned during the pandemic, we need the federal government to prevent the expansion of a for-profit model in our health care system and actually invest in public health care," said Blundon.

"The First Ministers need to listen to Canadians who are worried that with the huge shortage of health care workers, any health care worker poached to the for-profit system would be making a bad situation much worse," said Jason MacLean, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer.

"We need the federal government to enforce the Canada Health Act and prevent the expansion of for-profit care in Canada. Bringing long-term care under the Canada Health Act and committing to universal pharmacare would be 2 strong steps forward. The federal government must increase funding, so it keeps up with rising costs, ensuring that federal funds are spent on public health care where they are needed most. That means creating more positions and hiring more health care workers decent wages to reduce the strain on the frontline workers," continued MacLean.

"Any announcement by the Prime Minister and Premiers, without these conditions, is unacceptable. We are demanding that the Prime Minister do what's right and push back on those premiers who are undermining our health care system using a crisis of their own making," concluded Blundon

Link to poll

SOURCE NATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC AND GENERAL EMPLOYEES

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2023/05/c1524.html
By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The South Korean government unveiled a plan on Thursday to compensate victims of Japan's wartime forced labour through its own public foundation - instead of using funds from Japanese companies - prompting backlash from victims and their families.

South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered Japanese firms to pay reparations to former forced labourers. Although 15 South Koreans have won such cases, none has been compensated.

The plan Seoul's foreign ministry proposed at a public hearing would compensate them using a foundation funded by South Korean businesses that benefited from a 1965 treaty in which South Korea received a package of $300 million in economic aid and $500 million in loans from Japan.

The Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization by Imperial Japan said it has secured initial donations from steelmaker POSCO totalling 4 billion won ($3.2 million). POSCO did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

"We've reviewed that it is possible for a third party to make payment as legal bonds on behalf of the defendant Japanese company," said Seo Min-jung, the ministry's director-general for Asia Pacific affairs, adding a "creative approach" was needed.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, Tokyos top spokesperson, declined to comment on Seouls compensation plan or its public hearing, saying they were domestic matters within South Korea.

The foundation's chief, Shim Kyu-sun, said he would encourage South Korean companies to donate "from the perspective of social responsibility".

The unresolved legacy of Japan's colonisation in 1910-45, including restitution for Koreans forced to work at Japanese firms and in military brothels, has long been a source of contention between the two countries.

Relations plunged to their lowest point in decades after the 2018 ruling, with the row spilling into a trade dispute. Japan says the compensation issue was settled under the treaty, and Seo said most of the Japanese companies named in the ruling have withdrawn assets from South Korea to avoid forced seizure.

Story continues

Seo said that the government would consult with victims and their families before making a decision, but that the proposal was meant to prioritise compensating victims.

But some victims immediately resisted, saying the plan would relieve Japan of its obligation to pay and apologise.

"It's an idea where Japan does not bear any burdens at all," Lim Jae-sung, a lawyer for several victims, told the hearing, accusing the ministry of ignoring the victims and "wrecking trust" between both sides.

Kim Young-hwan, who also works with the labour victims, said: "They want an apology, and compensation as a proof of apology, because they have no other means to reward for their youth spent wrong."

Seo did not reply to them at the hearing, and the ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Some attendees held slogans saying "Apologise Japan" and jeered at officials.

A group of activists also staged a rally outside the National Assembly, where the hearing was held, criticising Japan's refusal to compensate and the South Korean government's proposal.

Under the 1965 deal, South Korea was required to consider all pre-treaty compensation issues settled. The economic aid and loans were largely spent to rebuild its infrastructure and economy after the 1950-53 Korean War. Former forced labourers began to demand compensation in the 1990s.

The rows over wartime history have fuelled concern over efforts to step up cooperation between the two key U.S. allies to rein in North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has vowed to boost bilateral ties with Japan and held the two countries' first summit since 2019 in September. Separately, Japan's Matsuno said the visit of a group of Korean lawmakers led by Chung Jin-suk to Tokyo on Thursday is a "significant move underpinning our bilateral relations." ($1 = 1,245.9600 won) (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin. Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang and Kantaro Komiya. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
A group of YouTube contractors went on strike today outside the Google office in Austin, Texas, after the tech giant announced a return to office by Feb. 6. The workers are employed by Cognizant, which is a subcontractor for Google parent company Alphabet.

The strike was part of a bigger movement of Google workers, on both US coasts, calling attention to labor conditions for contractors and to thousands of workers who were laid off last month. The events were organized by the Alphabet Workers Union, which doesnt have collective bargaining rights.

Read more

The union said most of the striking workers, who typically make $19 an hour, were hired remotely, and nearly a quarter are not based in Texas.



The proposed office policy calls for two days a week on siteuntil April, and then five days a week, according to the union. Quartz has reached out to Alphabet to ask about specifics on the return-to-office policy and whether a relocation stipend will be included.

Tech companies were some of the first companies to embrace remote work

Big tech companies historically competed for talent at least in part on the basis of their offices, with cushy perks including cold brew, cafeterias, free shuttle buses, and on-site services ranging from haircuts to dry cleaning.



The same companies were some of the first to shutter their offices and allow workers to work from home when the pandemic arrived in the US.

After the consulting and media sectors, tech has been one of the USs most aggressive hirers of remote workers.

But, in the last year or so, several large tech companiesApple, for examplehave started to ask workers to come back to the office.

Its certainly not the first time weve seen big tech companies turn their backs on remote work, typically in the name of better collaboration or higher productivity. Back to the stone age? Forbes asked in 2013 after Marissa Mayer joined Yahoo as CEO and quickly banned working from home. In 2017, IBM recalled thousands of workers to the office after having embraced remote work for decades.

Story continues

Companies are asking workers to come back amid economic uncertainty

Still, this time may be different, as post-pandemic back-to-office policies do vary. Microsoft mandates workers in the office 50% of their time. Apple has asked workers to to be in the office at least three days a week.

But covid-19 has given remote work the momentum it needed to become a fixture for many companies. And once workers experienced the time saved commuting, it was going to be hard to get them to go back to five days a week in the office.

Whats playing out now is a philosophical argumentpitting the idea that workers are at their best when they have agency over their time versus the common belief among CEOs that the best ideas happen when there are spontaneous collisions between employees seeing each other in the hallway or chatting over coffee (a model that Steve Jobs believed in).

Also playing out: the battle between workers and employers for leverage. On that front, the evidence is mixed. Many sectors are still suffering labor shortages, but big tech has been stepping up its layoff announcements. (Google itself laid off 12,000 workers, or 6% of its workforce, last month.)

In perhaps one telling sign as to whos winning either debate, US office occupancy hit a new high of over 50% this week, according to data from Kastle, which tracks office card swipes.

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Hearts and candy cover store shelves this time of yeara cheerful celebration of love.

But true lovewhether for a relative, friend or significant othercan be challenging. And it requires more than annual offerings of flowers and jewelry.

Even more so when your loved one has a mental illness, addiction or developmental disability. This is a struggle that most of us face at some point, so I asked the employees of Rappahannock Area Community Services Board to offer some tips. They provided a wealth of knowledge.

Talk openly about mental health and offer help in connecting to services. Even if they dont take the help right away, they are aware and can reach out when they are ready. If you need help finding resources, you can turn to rappa hannockareacsb.org or mhafred.org/helpline.

Detach with love and take care of yourself. Like the analogy of the oxygen mask on airplaneswhere flight instructions remind you to put your mask on before helping others put one onwhen caring for loved ones, we must take care of ourselves first to be able to help others.

A good way to support is not have unrealistic expectations. Do what works for the person or your family. Even if that means missing out on what you thought would be a fun time, a tradition or a rite of passage. If there is something they just cant handle and you know that, dont try to force it just because its a special day or a holiday or because other people are around.

Drop everything and just focus on them for a few minutes every day. Give them a space to vent and share their frustrations, no matter how mundane or bizarre. While in that space, be entirely supportive. Be the person they can trust. Pick another time to address issues that need attentionat this time, just listen. For many people suffering from mood disorders, anxiety, hallucinations, or delusions, having someone they know they can trust is essential. Creating that safe space gives you the foundation you will need to tackle other issuessuch as medication compliance, hygiene, drug use, household chores.

Always know that recovery from mental illness and substance use disorder is possibleeven when it feels impossible.

Understand the value of connecting with someone whos been there. There are many Facebook groups filled with other people who share your plight (I personally am in six Facebook groups for parents of children with autism). And when it comes to treatment for mental illness or substance use disorder, peer supports are available to guide individuals on the journey through recovery. RACSB has several peer-led, drop-in support groups, including a new one to specifically help people who are grieving while in recovery from addiction.

Educate yourself. This will help you find resources for yourself and your loved one. Additionally, you will be able to learn about behaviors, habits or challenges that are common to your loved ones illness, addiction or disability. You will also find strategies that have helped others.
Maybe all this violence in America is part of the war that began when Cain slew his brother Abel.

Its the good guys against the bad guys.

The question is, who are the good guys?

If you have watched video footage of Tyre Nichols being beaten and kicked to death, you wouldnt call the policemen who did it good guys.

Truth, justice and the American way went out the window as that tragic scene played out. You do not kick a man when he is down, especially if you are wearing a badge and have pledged to uphold law and order.

We have yet another case of law enforcement officers overstepping their bounds and becoming judge, jury and hangman. It is also alleged that at least two of the officers involved falsified reports that made it seem Nichols was more of a threat to their safety than he actually was. Not good.

Further, there has been no clear answer as to why Nichols was pulled from his vehicle by officers. What his perceived crime was has yet to be determined.

One thing is clear from the released video: During the Tyre Nichols incident, that group of men ceased being policemen and turned into a mob. Nichols beating was mob mentality, pure and simple.

Why didnt any one of the officers step in and say OK, enough is enough? After all, since the George Floyd killing, there have been national calls for policemen to step in and stop their fellow officers from taking the violence too far.

First, that group of policemen had become a mob that was in the middle of a beating frenzy. It is hard to stop a mob.

Then, there is peer pressure. Police officers are a close-knit group, a band of brothers, and they will tell you that. Any one of the group who had tried to step in and call off the frenzy likely would have been seen as weak.

It has been a longstanding rule that cops defend other cops, no matter what, especially if any of the officers involved out-ranks the one who would suggest calling a halt to the violence.

As for Nichols resisting, it would be hard for any person not to protest in some manner when he is being hit, kicked, shot repeatedly with a Taser and banged with a Billy club. It is human nature for a person to make some attempt to defend himself.

Part of the problem is police training, this business of you better get them before they get you. An officer that perceives everyone as the enemy will conversely be perceived likewise.

In my 50 years of covering news stories, I have witnessed a number of arrests and police confrontations. Too often, arrogant officers inflamed situations when there was no need to do so. I have also seen good officers diffuse situations that could easily have turned violent.

I was once on the scene when a ranking officer, who was a deacon in his church, screamed at a suspect using the filthiest form of street language. When I asked him about this later, he said he had been trained to do this because they dont understand unless you get down to their level.

This man, who I never otherwise heard use foul language, said it was a reflex action brought about by his training. It was then that I remembered that all the officers present during the arrest were using similar language. Training. Mob mentality.

This police mob mentality issue in America is nothing new. It can be traced all the way back to Tombstone, Arizona, when Wyatt Earp and his brothers, along with Doc Holiday, confronted the Clanton family at the OK Corral. That was a case of policemen being just as mean and nasty as the suspects they were after, and a shooting frenzy resulted.

It also demonstrates our love/hate relationship with cops. Some called Earp and his deputies heroes. Others had an arrest warrant put out for him.

It is the same today. Following a Metro shooting a few days ago in D.C., some of the same people who were calling to defund the police two years ago demanded that an officer be put in every Metro rail car to protect passengers.

Tombstone gave Earp a badge because the townspeople felt he was just as violent as those he would come up against. We often do the same thing when hiring policemen today.

The problem, as Memphis, Minneapolis and other jurisdictions have discovered, is that if you give a group of violent men badges and train them to be violent, they sometimes turn into a mob.

Make no mistake about it, that group of five cops who beat up Tyre Nichols was a mob.

And men with power acting as a mob is scary.
The Republicans are the minority party in both houses of the Colorado Legislature. In the Senate, there are 26 Democrats to nine Republicans. In the House, the count is 46 Democrats to 19 Republicans.

Despite their minority status, Republican legislators have important roles to play. Democrats know a bill has a better chance of passing into law if it has bipartisan support. Requests to Republicans to jointly sponsor bills with Democrats are the result.

Both the Senate and House use the committee system. Minority legislators can become specialists with expertise on a specific area of state government. In committee meetings, where the details of proposed bills are debated and written, a knowledgeable member of the minority with persuasive speaking skills can have influence.

The minority party has leadership positions, just as the majority party does. These minority leaders will publicly criticize majority party bills they suspect are unpopular with the voters. They also are a leadership-in-waiting, ready to take the controlling reins of the Legislature if future elections should put them in the majority.

Campaign websites tell us about the current Republican minority leadership in both houses of the Legislature:

Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, District 9, lives in Monument, north of Colorado Springs. He is the founder of small businesses providing services ranging from brain training and learning centers to real estate development.

Lundeen graduated from New York University, where he studied journalism and economics. He worked as a Washington correspondent with credentials to cover the White House.

Results from previous statewide elections set Lundeens Senate district at a safe 66% Republican.

Senate Assistant Minority Leader Bob Gardner, District 12, represents west Colorado Springs and Teller County.

Gardner graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy and served as a missile launch officer. While in the Air Force, he received his law degree from the University of Texas and then served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. He also taught judicial process at the Air Force Academy. He served on the board of Cheyenne Mountain Charter Academy, which he helped found. He is also on the board of the Legal Advocacy Fund for the Colorado League of Charter Schools.

Gardners Senate district is competitive at 51% Democratic to 49% Republican. Of the eight Republican leaders in both houses of the Legislature, the well-liked and personable Gardner is the only one from a competitive rather than a safe Republican district.

Senate Minority Whip Barbara Kirkmeyer, District 23, has lived in southern Weld County for over 35 years. She is a fourth-generation Coloradan and a graduate of the University of Colorado.

She previously co-owned and operated a dairy farm.

She was a county commissioner in Weld County and served as the acting executive director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs when Republican Bill Owens was state governor. She has two daughters and six grandsons. Senator Kirkmeyer ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Colorado's 8th Congressional District. She campaigned hard and won considerable respect, yet lost narrowly in the general election last November.

Her state Senate district is 61% safe Republican.

Senate Minority Caucus Chair Jim Smallwood, District 2, represents Parker, a southeast Denver suburb.

Smallwood earned his degree in finance from Fort Hays State University in Kansas. At age 23, he started an insurance firm specializing in employee benefits. He is now president of Employee Benefits for Moody Insurance Agency. He serves on the Colorado Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities.

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His district is 62% safe Republican.

House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, District 65, is from Wellington. He was born on the Western Slope of Colorado and is the son of a U.S. forest ranger. On graduation from high school, he began 11 years of service in the U.S. Army.

Lynch received a bachelor's in systems engineering and law from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He earned a master's in public administration from the University of Colorado. He holds U.S. Army certifications as airborne qualified, Bradley commander, and master fitness trainer.

He has held a number of management positions, working in the medical devices, human resources, apparel and fashion, and software industries.

Based on past election results, Lynchs district averages 63% Republican.

House Assistant Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, District 14, represents Colorado Springs. Her father and maternal grandparents were from Italy. She and her two sisters grew up on Long Island, N.Y., where the family operated a small Italian restaurant.

She was the first woman in her family to graduate from college. She was a sociology major at Villanova with a minor in Japanese. She then obtained her law degree from St. Johns University School of Law.

Rose Pugliese moved to Mesa County, Colo., where she opened a law firm. She ran for office and served eight years as county commissioner.

Pugliese is the mother of a child with special learning needs. Her safe Republican seat is 66% Republican.

House Minority Whip Richard Holtorf, District 63, is from the Eastern Plains of Colorado. He is a third-generation rancher, running the Buffalo Springs Ranch in Washington County.

He graduated from Akron High School and received an engineering degree from Colorado State University. Later he received an master of business administration from Boston University and a master of strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College.

His 29-year career as an Army officer included five overseas tours, two of them to combat areas.

Holtorf served as president of the Washington County Farm Bureau and commander of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post. He is a member of the Washington County Stockmans Association as well as a 4-H leader.

He is married and has raised four daughters. He has one granddaughter.

His seat is super-safe at 77% Republican.

House Minority Caucus Chair Mary Bradfield, District 21, represents Fountain, Security, and Widefield in the Colorado Springs metro area. She is originally from Iowa but has lived in the Colorado Springs area since 1984. She is a retired teacher.

Her House district is comfortably safe at 59% Republican.
Black History Month celebrations in Colorado Springs flourished this weekend at the Pioneers Museum and the annual Black History Month Kickoff fair hosted by the African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Colorado Springs.

The Pioneers Museum, 215 S. Tejon St., held a Black History Month-focused tour of their facility, led by museum volunteer Tanja Britton.

Were joining the nation in celebrating Black history this month and although this is a special tour, the museum honors the contributions of African Americans year-round, socially, culturally, religiously and entrepreneurially, Britton said.

According to Britton, the tour aims to highlight individuals and organizations from the African American community that have left their lasting marks on Colorado Springs and have contributed to what the city has become.

Through visiting multiple galleries of the museum, including "Any Place that is North & West, The Story of Us," and "COS@150," Britton walked the group through a verbal history of some of Colorado Springs most notable Black figures.

One of the more impactful stops was the "Any Place" exhibit, dedicated to examining the Black experience within the 19th-century West.

There, Britton recited "One Way Ticket," a poem by the acclaimed Black writer Langston Hughes that eloquently described the exodus of millions of African Americans out of the South following the Civil War.

Britton explained the complicated experience Black individuals faced migrating west to seek refuge from "Jim Crow" laws, acts of violence, intimidation and political repression, while learning to navigate the de facto segregation laws in place in Colorado at the time.

I think its really important to understand the history of ones place to understand where we come from, where we are, and where we are going, Britton said.

A few blocks northwest at the Knights of Columbus hall, 20 W Pikes Peak Ave., the African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Colorado Springs hosted its annual Black History Month Kickoff Fair.

Jennifer Yancay, the organization's vice president of history, said the premise (of the event) is to let people know that (Black) history is alive and well in Colorado Springs and to learn more about who is out there and what they do.

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The event featured an array of historical and genealogical organizations dedicated to the preservation and education of Black history and culture in Colorado Springs, as well as a soul-food luncheon.

We want to make sure people are fed, literally and figuratively, Yancay said.

Also attending was Willie Breazell, a chairman and presenter for the Colorado Springs Buffalo Soldiers Community Memorial Committee, who carries a passion for verbalizing the history of the Buffalo Soldiers and ensuring their history will continue to be told past his lifetime.

According to the committees website, the Buffalo Soldiers were established in 1866 and consisted of six segregated Black regiments throughout 12 Western states, including Colorado.

Breazell outlined the bravery of these soldiers in ensuring safe travels for Black individuals migrating from the South and California after the Civil War.

One point he kept circling back to was his disappointment in the lack of the groups acknowledgment in public education today.

I would like to see Black history taught year-round. I wish there was more Black history injected into our (education) programs. I learned about the Buffalo Soldiers after I served 26 years in the Army. That piece of our history should have been taught to me as an American high school student, and to me as a soldier.

Attendee Russ Perry, an officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department, talked about how proud he is of the evolution of celebrations regarding Black History Month in the Springs, and the attitude shift that he has seen toward openly discussing Black history and race.

Black history is a part of American history, and instead of hiding it or feeling uncomfortable facing it, we might as well let it shine like any other culture. Perry said.

I think the openness to discuss shines through. Theres more access to Black history now than ever before. I think the best thing right now is that we have more access to information than ever before; theres no excuse anymore.

Perry said he became a police officer because of his care for the community, and to put his ability to show love and concern for everyone to good use.

I think we need to get out of this position of sticking with our own-type mentality."
Anxiety was rising among the sixth graders at West Middle School.

Do we have to do it? asked one student, squirming in her seat.

The Counseling Dawgs  counselor Alec Finley and psychologist Nick Haugstad  had just delivered a presentation on anxiety management. Now, it was time to put those teachings to the test. It was time to play BeanBoozled, a game of chance in which some jellybeans are classic fruit flavors while others, indistinguishable in appearance, are rotten.

This is Mr. H's and Is fifth time doing this, and Ive never gotten a good one, Finley said.

So were pretty anxious, to say the least, Haugstad added.

Bean in hand, students ran through the steps of anxiety management. First, they took two deep breaths to calm themselves. Then, they acknowledged the anxiety, sharing where in their bodies it manifested and how it made them feel: like butterflies, like they had legs of Jell-O, like they wish they had no taste buds.

Next, they considered the root of their anxiety. Why did they feel this way? There was anxiety in wondering what flavor they had, they said, and whether it would make them vomit.

And finally, they challenged those worry thoughts. Together on the count of three, they popped the jelly beans into their mouths, and quickly thereafter was a frenzy to the trash can.

I swear I got throw up or something, one student said of his bean flavor as he spit it out.

You just climbed that hurdle, man, and thats a big deal, Finley said. Its the same thing when trying something new, or trying anything else like tests, or tough conversations, or giving presentations or asking someone out. You can do all these things that seem really scary, but dont let your brain force you to avoid them.

Similar scenes are unfolding in classrooms in the Colorado Springs area and across the country as schools lean into social-emotional learning, or SEL. The seemingly innocent lessons have not received universal support, however.

To some, the BeanBoozled lesson on anxiety is a strong case in favor of SEL, which focuses on educational equity by helping students develop healthy identities, manage emotions, and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, among other objectives, according to CASEL.org.

To others, its a subtle form of indoctrination earning the ire of critics, who worry education is venturing into territory it does not belong. Lessons on emotions and values are best left to parents at home, some say, because if handled incorrectly, those lessons can serve as pathways into critical race theory or socialism concepts.

Theres no good SEL, said Deb Schmidt, a School District 49 taxpayer and grandparent of six who says she has done extensive research into SEL programming.

Schmidts district serves as an epicenter of SEL pushback in the Pikes Peak region, where community and board members alike have clashed over the programming in a monthslong struggle. Caught in the middle of the debate are the counselors and teachers who carry out such lessons, saying critics are misguided in their cries of indoctrination.

In the community

Ivy Liu lived 60 miles from China when Mao Zedong began training Red Guards during the countrys push toward communism. She remembers stories of children being raised as soldiers to threaten and intimidate others in their own village, she said. Those memories have stuck with her as she fights to preserve American values in education.

Now a D-49 school board member, Liu has taken the mantle of opposition against SEL, saying she fears it is used as a behavioral psychology tool to transform childrens core identities. For her and others like her, like Schmidt, the battle against SEL is a matter of preserving childrens innocence and can-do spirits.

If they take away the individualism, make you a group, thats the collectivism that is the signature of socialism, Liu said. This whole victim mentality and the intersectionality, which is, as you go through life, look for everything that works against you. Can you imagine having that attitude?

District CEO Peter Hilts has said on numerous occasions that there has never been a parent complaint regarding SEL, which has been used in the district for about a decade. Nevertheless, the hot-button issue came to a head at a December D-49 board of education meeting, where a divided board approved SEL curricula in a contentious 3-2 vote. The vote solidified a list of 18 programs already in use in the district.

The vote made little sense to Liu, pointing to 2022 Colorado Measures of Academic Success test scores that show less than half of district students are performing at grade level in English and language arts. In math, that percentage is less than a third. These numbers are up 2 and 4 percentage points from 2021, respectively.

It is criminal, in my opinion, that we are focusing on anything other than academics, Liu said. Some claim SEL improves academics, but the CMAS scores disprove that claim.

Schmidt outlined her concerns with each of the districts SEL programs in a spreadsheet, highlighting excerpts from their websites and other program materials.

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Second Step, one SEL program, teaches "foundational skills essential for combating racism and promoting social justice, such as perspective-taking, empathy, and social connectedness," according to a program sheet quoted in Schmidt's spreadsheet.

Critics like Liu draw connections between SEL programs admitted missions and "critical-race theory," which teaches race is socially constructed and embedded in institutions. Theyre indoctrinating kids with liberal ideology, she said.

Schmidt worries the standards set by organizations like CASEL, to which several programs being used in D-49 align, are influenced by the politics of the organizations that fund them. Some of CASELs biggest donors ascribe to left-leaning ideologies, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the NoVo Foundation.

SEL is nothing new in concept. Educators for decades have managed the emotions of their students in some form, whether that be a restorative conversation instead of punishment or encouraging kindness among peers. This approach only developed into a formal curriculum in the 1990s, when the term SEL was officially coined.

Sarah Clapham, the 2022 Colorado School Counselor of the Year, concedes that SEL lessons do sometimes tackle topics pertaining to identity or difference, but thats not by design.

Counselors arent planning discussions on critical-race theory, or oppression, or social justice, Clapham said. Instead, discussions are driven by what students are asking for. Sometimes, they organically share pieces of their identity. Counselors are receptive.

If we choose to avoid those conversations because of the controversy, then we really lose out on knowing who our students are and responding to their needs, Clapham said. We really dive into those conversations and try to create an environment where we can have those real, really rich conversations, and people can share their experience and feel safe enough to share those experiences.

Despite classroom visits, Liu and Schmidt say they have not successfully witnessed problematic lessons firsthand, returning to the program descriptions as the source of their concern.

In the classroom

Faculty line the halls each morning at D-49s Ridgeview Elementary School, high-fiving and hugging students to greet them as they enter the classroom. A kid who feels welcome is more likely to stretch academically, Principal Kim Moore said. Morning welcome is her favorite time of day.

Next, students start the day by sharing good things in their lives with one another during a student-led conversation, in which one student calls on their peers and asks follow-up questions to demonstrate active listening and engagement.

Obviously, theres a lot of noise going on about SEL within our nation and within our district, but we just do what we know is best for our kids, and thats building strong relationships and supporting them in their growing process, Moore said. Not everything that a school does, whether its SEL or not, has an underlying agenda.

Ridgeview is a national showcase school for SEL program Capturing Kids Hearts, one of 14 in Colorado Springs recognized for its outstanding staff who produce exemplary outcomes with the program. Showcase schools demonstrate a correlation to academic growth via increased test scores.

The morning routine is just one example of how SEL plays out in schools. It can be as simple as a hug.

At neighboring Colorado Springs School District 11, where the temperature surrounding SEL programming is more tepid, schools devote a block of time in students daily schedules to counseling and SEL programming. The district last year swept all three levels of the statewide Colorado School Counseling Association's school counselor of the year awards.

I get a little confused on why schools would be hesitant, except maybe the argument that they need to focus on content, said Clapham, a counselor at D-11s West Middle School. Weve just learned in our school that when were not teaching these skills  just like a math teacher would teach the skills of math  if were not teaching the social-emotional skills, especially in middle school, then its really hard for the students to focus on that content.

The district has made a big push to bolster its SEL programming, said Clapham, who was hired five years ago after the district secured state funding to add an additional counselor to each middle and high school.

At the same time, district elementary schools began implementing Random Acts of Kindness as their universal SEL program, and middle schools implemented Second Step, both of which abide by standards laid out by the American School Counselor Association.

School data shows that students with multiple suspensions at West Middle have decreased by more than 80% since 2018, the year Clapham was hired to help launch SEL programming. Clapham says she believes there is a direct correlation between improved behavior and the layers of social-emotional support the school adds each year.

School counselors say SEL programming has only become more important since COVID-19 sent kids home for extended periods of time, depriving them of socialization skills that typically develop at their respective stages in life.

A lot of them came back with super-low compassion, counselor Cassidy Bristol said, citing survey data collected from students after returning to in-person instruction. Bristol, from D-11s Wilson Elementary School, was named the 2022 Elementary School Counselor of the Year.

Students had for more than a year been taught to avoid others. Masks further complicated matters by obscuring a persons face, making it difficult to interpret what emotion they might be feeling.

That was a huge developmental time where they didnt learn, Oh, you feel sad? I should probably ask how you are feeling or whats wrong, Bristol said. Its kind of teaching what you would think are the basics. Thats something kids just dont know.

Bristol teaches children how to identify and label their feelings rather than using nonspecific terms like weird or off. This way, staff can best understand how to help each student based on their emotional needs.

Kids who dont know how to calm down are going to grow up to be adults that dont know how to calm down.

That, Bristol said, is her motivation to teach SEL now, for a more peaceful future.
A shooting Sunday at the New Havana Grill and Bar near North Academy Boulevard sent one person to the hospital, marking the fourth shooting at the restaurant since August.

Officers were sent to New Havana, located at 2165 Academy Place, at 1:23 a.m. Sunday for a report of gunfire, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.

They found a male bleeding from a gunshot wound, and medics rushed the victim to a hospital, police said. As of late Sunday morning, there was no word of an arrest.

On Aug. 19, police say Carnel Davis assaulted his ex-girlfriend, brawled with another man, then fatally shot 37-year-old Glenn Fruster in the New Havana parking lot, just off North Academy Boulevard and Maizeland Road. Davis, who was 41 at the time of his arrest, is charged with first-degree murder and other crimes.

A nonfatal shooting occurred at the restaurant two days after the incident involving Davis, according to previous reporting by The Gazette.

On Jan. 22, a man accidentally shot himself in the thigh while climbing a fence outside of the restaurant, according to Gazette news partner KKTV.
Gov. Jared Polis administration intended, but failed, to notify cities in advance of transporting immigrants from Denver out of state, emails obtained by The Denver Gazette show.

The emails make clear that the administration knew the immigrants were going to other cities because officials asked the immigrants to verify on a waiver informing intended host cities they might need help once they were transported out of Denver.

It is still unclear when exactly the state stepped in to help Denver with a backlog of immigrants trapped in the city by subzero temperatures that had halted travel around the Christmas holiday.

But it appears the effort was well underway before the state looped in New York City officials.

The newspaper requested, under the Colorado Open Records Act, the communications to and from the governors office after New York City Mayor Eric Adams publicly criticized Polis for transporting migrants to his city last month.

The Denver Gazette also requested the same information from Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancocks office.

On Dec. 29, Maria De Cambra, director of communications and community engagement in the governors office, indicated in an email that the state was partnering with Denver to provide migrant intake, processing and transportation coordination to help migrants reach their final destination.

A separate email from the Colorado Office of Emergency Management on Dec. 29 indicates the state intended to begin their transition with Denver staff tomorrow afternoon (Dec. 30) and through the weekend.

Gov. Jared Polis has previously confirmed that the state stepped in to help transport immigrants to their desired destination  meaning cities in other states.

Five days later on Jan. 3  about an hour and half before Polis announced publicly the state was assisting Denver  a policy advisor with Squire Patton Boggs sent an email introducing the governors office to staffers for Adams, the New York City mayor.

Colorado officials appear to have only contacted New York City officials, who have welcomed more than 36,000 immigrants since April.

Officials in Chicago, Miami, Atlanta and other gateway cities for immigrants do not appear to have been notified, according to a review of state and city emails.

As of early January, Denver had provided bus tickets to 1,900 immigrants to more than 100 cities in 35 states, according to city data.

It is unclear how many the state bused. Conor Cahill, a Polis spokesperson, said the state spent $607,137 funding its effort.

In the wake of political stunts by Republican governors who transported migrants to Democratic-led states, Colorado officials were deeply concerned about immigrants leaving of their own accord rather than thinking they were being forced to leave, unlike when Floridas Ron DeSantis flew migrants to Marthas Vineyard last year.

We want to make sure that the migrants getting on the buses are indeed wanting to go to another final destination, De Cambra, in the governors office, wrote in a Jan. 1 email.

To ensure this, state officials proposed making immigrants check boxes on a waiver.

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Language discussed in emails, though, proposed that immigrants agree they had a choice of whether they remained in Colorado or traveled to another U.S. city. The suggested language also asked immigrants to indicate if you will need support at your final destination from the city.

This will also ensure that we can let the final destination know if they will require support from them when they arrive or not, De Cambra wrote.

The response from Democratic mayors was swift.

Before the first bus arrived in either of our cities, we informed a Colorado official directly that neither city had any additional room to accommodate any more migrants because of the thousands of migrants that had already been inhumanely bused to our respective cities from Texas since spring of 2022, Adams and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wrote in an open letter on Jan. 7.

Adams and Lightfoot urged Polis stop busing immigrants to their cities.

The humanitarian crisis in Denver is emblematic of the one thats been unfolding for months along the southern border, which is now spilling over to other nonborder states.

Immigrants have long found their home in Denver.

About 3 in 20 county residents identify as an immigrant or refugee, according to Denvers Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Office for Human Rights & Community Partnerships

But the issue did not become a crisis until the city saw nearly 100 immigrants from South and Central America dropped off downtown at Union Station in the dead of winter.

A little more than a week into the citys response, when Denver had welcomed about 400 immigrants and spent about $800,000, Hancock issued an emergency declaration, saying the crisis had placed an immense strain on city resources.

Denver has since spent about $5.2 million, according to city officials.

More than 4,200 immigrants  mostly from Venezuela  have since come to the Mile High City.

City and state officials estimate about 70% of the newly arrived immigrants will not stay in Denver.

Of those Denver helped transport out of state, immigrants chose 114 different U.S. cities in 35 states and Washington, D.C., as their final destination.

Its unknown how many the state bused or where.

Conor Cahill, a Polis spokesperson, did not respond to The Denver Gazettes inquiry.
Sabine and Michael Berchtold came to Colorado Springs over the Thanksgiving holiday in 1996, she from Germany, he from Switzerland, on work visas that allowed the young married couple to own a business stateside if they met certain conditions.

Two weeks later, they opened Uwe's German Restaurant, which had been under previous ownership.

More than a quarter of a century later, a cloud of sadness rises above the whiffs of jaeger schnitzel, bratwurst and sauerbraten at their popular eatery.

Despite applying every year to obtain a green card and working with several attorneys to become permanent legal citizens, the Berchtolds have yet to succeed.

If they continue to fail, they will have to leave the United States when they sell the restaurant.

Theyre not sure when that might be. While they say they love what they do, with Michael, 55, manning the kitchen and Sabine, 56, running the front end for decades, theyd like to retire at some point and enjoy the fruits of their hard but rewarding labor.

Were here now 26 years, and its home, Sabine Berchtold said. Knowing we cannot stay, it hurts. It weighs on your mind."

The Berchtolds are among an estimated 800,000 business owners living in the U.S. in the same unsteady boat.

It seems crazy, but it happens, said Professor Violeta Chapin, co-director of the Colorado Law Clinical Program at the University of Colorado in Boulder. This particular type of business-related immigration hurts business people who have invested a significant amount of money in our economy and are unable to transfer to green cards.

But the E-2 non-immigrant investor visa that the Berchtolds have  which requires holders to contribute $120,000 toward a business in America and employ at least two American workers  is designed to be temporary, said Zachary New, a lawyer with Joseph & Hall PC in Denver and a founding member of the Immigration Law and Policy Society at the University of Colorado School of Law.

The visa allows for quasi-permanent residency, New said, and implies that the holder plans to return to the country of origin.

The U.S. government gives you permission to operate the business and grow it, after you invest, he said. Its difficult to convert it to permanent residency.

Sabine said that type of visa was the only chance for her and her husband to be able to come to the United States because they did not have relatives here.

At this point on their journey to become legal permanent residents, Sabine and Michael are angry about the massive influx of immigrants seeking asylum or improved economic conditions now crossing the southern border.

Its unfair, Sabine said, that thousands of people are being allowed in daily and immediately receiving some assistance and access to the same system that the Berchtolds have been steadfastly trying to crack for years.

They can come in illegally and get a green card, and theyre set to go, Sabine said.

Undocumented immigrants who enter the U.S. without a visa or other proper paperwork or authorization dont receive as many benefits as some people might think, Chapin said.

Lots of people get nothing, she said. They somehow make their way in the country, they have no work authorization, no access to federal benefits, its very difficult for them to access health insurance. Yet they survive.

While only legal immigrants can qualify for federal subsidized housing and food assistance, Colorado and some other states provide undocumented people access to state-sponsored health insurance and help paying for college tuition. And many community nonprofits and faith-based groups help with basic necessities.

And, said Chapin, Undocumented residents pay taxes, even though they dont have lawful status.

An estimated 11 million people live in the U.S. illegally, although some entities, including the Center for Immigration Studies of New York, say that number is undercounted by up to 1.5 million.

In many cases, new arrivals must follow the same procedures as people who have been here for years and are requesting legal status or citizenship, attorneys said.

However, New said, asylum seekers at the border who can immediately pass a screening proving credible fear as their reason for leaving their home country, can receive a work permit and be expedited for asylum consideration.

Its not taking away from anybody elses ability to get their own lawful status, he said. Having orderly and efficient border processing is only helpful, as immigration courts are increasingly backlogged.

Asylum cases can take years to be heard in court, though, New said.

With the way the numbers are rising, its going to take four to five years from getting into immigration court until a hearing, unless youre able to push something faster, he said.

Sabine believes that while new arrivals may have to get in line for backlogged immigration services, they are clogging what was already a notoriously sluggish system.

New agrees the laws are antiquated and do not work in a lot of the ways they were intended to when they were written.

But each part of immigration law has an objective, he said. For example, the origin of asylum law dates to the Holocaust and is designed to protect people escaping persecution.

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Work permits for skilled and unskilled laborers and investors such as the Berchtolds serve different needs, as do the allowances made for Ukrainian, Afghan, Cuban and Haitian nationals who are paroled into the U.S. on temporary stays and work authorization.

There are a multitude of programs, and certainly things need to be fixed and tweaked, but its unfair to say one group of individuals, especially vulnerable individuals, is being treated in a preferential manner as compared to individuals going through a lawful manner in a different way, he said. Each process has its own purpose.

Obtaining green cards, also known as the diversity visa program, from among the 50,000 the U.S. issues each year  which includes 1,000 from Germany and 500 from Switzerland  would enable the Berchtolds to remain in the U.S. permanently and forgo the current complicated process that forces them to return to their native countries every four years to renew their visas through the American embassies.

Also, every two years, they must leave U.S. soil for an unspecified amount of time and have their passport stamped upon re-entry.

Only by sheer luck did those years of mandatory travel not come up during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, they say.

The immigration structure has not provided the path to citizenship they seek.

Our only hope is to win the green card lottery, Sabine said.

Immigrants are more likely to be successful in America if they are granted legal citizenship, according to the Center for Migration Studies of New York, which held a webinar on immigration in January.

The progression to legalization enables immigrants to attain higher income, education level, English language proficiency and health insurance, said Donald Kerwin, co-author of a new report from the Center for Migration Studies of New York, Ten Years of Democratizing Data: Privileging Facts, Refuting Misconceptions and Examining Missed Opportunities.

Its important to move from one category to another, he said. It benefits the entire U.S., not just the people impacted.

Immigration is an ongoing, hotly debated political issue, with both sides of the partisan coin blaming the other for the flood of immigrants entering the U.S., and the chasmic disagreement over how to handle the situation.

The report Kerwin co-authored with Robert Warren provides three recommendations for provisional federal changes to reduce the logjam of applications and provide what they think would be a more equitable method for people like the Berchtolds.

The process for long-term residents in good standing to gain legal status currently requires them to live here for 50 years.

Kerwin and Warren are calling for reducing that qualification to 15 years of U.S. residency. That would cover 42% of the undocumented population, Kerwin said.

We recommend streamlining the naturalization process, making it a priority, he said during the January webinar. We support more generous eligibility criteria  waivers of language and civics requirements for people who have been here for 15 years. We need to prioritize education, English language proficiency and earnings to increase naturalization rates.

This year could bring some changes. The legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA policy, which protects undocumented children from deportation and allows them work permits, is in limbo and expected to go to the U.S. Supreme Court for a decision.

Title 42, a federal provision invoked during the pandemic to restrict the number of foreigners entering the country, also could be removed  the possibility of which last year brought throngs of people from numerous countries trying to gain entry to America.

Monthly migrant encounters at the southwest border  which include apprehensions by U.S. Border Patrol that result in temporary custody until adjudication and expulsions back to home countries  are near record high levels, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In 2022, 2.4 million enforcement encounters at the Mexico border were recorded, compared with 1.7 million in 2021 and 458,000 in 2020, the agency reports.

More than 700,000 encounters have been logged to date for 2023.

Under immigration law, it is a misdemeanor offense subject to fine or six-month imprisonment for anyone entering the United States illegally. And it's a felony offense for anyone to reenter or attempt to reenter the U.S. after being removed or deported.

Congress has not revised immigration laws comprehensively since the Immigration Act of 1990, a national reform of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.

The Berchtolds note that they pay taxes and Social Security.

We have to do everything like an American, Michael said.

But they personally cannot receive any Social Security payments from the federal government because they dont have green cards.

The unhappiness on their faces comes from deep within. If they do not receive green cards before they leave the restaurant business, they will have to leave America.

Many of Uwes German Restaurant regulars know about their plight.

A few years ago, nearly 2,000 customers signed a petition calling for the Berchtolds to obtain permanent residency, which a proposed bill in Congress would have addressed.

The couple submitted the petition to U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Republican from Colorado Springs.

He said he would support it, Sabine said.

But then impeachment proceedings for former President Donald Trump began and COVID-19 hit, and progress on the proposal halted.

I feel so bad for them, said Ralph Huber, who has been a patron of Uwe's restaurant for years. People are crossing the border by the millions, and here we have these people who have been here legally for a long time and cant become citizens. Its not right.
The Tribune

Preaching disharmony

In Punjab, tricksters in guise of miracle workers & faith healers are playing with fire

by Rajesh Ramachandran

And how can man die better/ Than facing fearful odds/ For the ashes of his fathers/ And the temples of his Gods.  Thomas Babington Macaulay

No Indian community has lived and thrived and died by this credo more than the Punjabis, particularly the proud Sikhs. And this very community is now anxious about its belief system being challenged. When its love for the land, its lush crops and its rivers got tested, it did not hesitate to bring down to the knees the mighty Union Government. It has an awesome community spirit that the RSS and the BJP havent learnt yet; this spirit, in turn, gets translated into votes against the politics of Hindu supremacy. Treat them with respect, honour the distinctive community, cherish the character  and there will be no greater citizenry or warriors for the Indian nation.

Proselytisation is an uncivilised exercise as all religions are pre-modern  then what is there to choose one religion over another?

Now, unfortunately, the Punjab peasantry and the intellectuals are equally appalled by the attack of a new locust of Biblical proportions  the menace of the mean missionary. A national magazine put the issue on its cover; it is getting widely condemned in the public discourse; yet The Tribune, as the conscience-keeper of Punjab, hesitated to go all out in its condemnation, lest it should trigger the emotionally charged majority community to target a minority group. But we would be erring in our duty if we dithered any further.

Proselytisation, by its very definition, is an uncivilised exercise. All religions are pre-modern, all clergies are (with honourable exceptions) corrupt, all rituals are mumbo-jumbo  then what is there to choose one over another? Why should a Christian priest go to a Punjab village and tell the peasants that Christianity is better than Sikhism? Can there be a greater cultural affront than a stranger telling someone: You do not die for the ashes of your fathers and the temples of your gods, but for mine? That is precisely why Macaulays ditty is the best touchstone to prove the hollowness of Churchillian oratory.

Indian Christianity is essentially colonial, however much Keralas Syrian Christian community tries to claim otherwise because even its liturgy was made intelligible only after Colonel John Munro, the East India Companys Resident for Travancore and Cochin, and the Diwan of Travancore  a complete oddity, which helped conversions in Kerala  set up a seminary in 1815. All varieties of churches  protestant and Catholic  were established during the colonial period and they flourished with colonial patronage.

Now, with the established churches finding their riches within the native congregations and parishes, the overflowing foreign funds have found their way to unscrupulous faith healers peddling miracles and cures for cancer. They use the caste fault lines in Punjab to lure the weakest within the society with the promise of a better life, here and in the hereafter. Well, the love for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) lasts only until the church acquires a certain number of elite members.

In this context, its worth noting that the victim in the most ghastly honour killing in recent times in Kerala was an SC boy, who had eloped with an upper caste girl. Both were Christian. The Tamil Nadu churches are known to practise horrible casteism  there are allegations they have separate entrances and burial grounds for SCs. And instead of destroying this caste system, community leaders want Christian SC quotas, which will perpetuate untouchability within the churches. No wonder, then, that despite being a most trusted ally of the British and a member of the Viceroys Executive Council, Dr BR Ambedkar refused to convert to Christianity and instead chose Buddhism to mock Hindus and their gods.

The more disturbing aspect of proselytisation in Punjab is the funnelling of laundered money into the interior villages. Investigators of the income tax department claim to have unearthed huge stashes of cash from three self-styled pastors during their searches of the properties of Bajinder Singh, Harpreet Deol and Avtar Singh early this week. One of them was accused of murder and rape  not surprising in a state where a bishop stood trial for the rape of a nun. There is a potential Asaram in every clergyman. Worse, religion has become the easiest means to amass wealth, launder money, control the masses and create hysteria.

In Punjabs case, the AAP government does not have to wait for the IT departments long-winding processes to come to a logical conclusion. It can book many of these Bible-thumping crooks for cheating under various sections of the IPC. Can there be any greater attempt at dishonesty than faith healing, a more cruel way to cheat a terminally ill patient than to tell her that your Gurus will not cure you but Jesus Christ will? There is no need for a law against conversion in the case of these cheats; the existing laws would suffice. Else, let the courts say that it is legal to fool people in the name of miracles.

The derision that has so far been reserved solely for babas and bapus needs to be freely extended to all miracle workers and healers, regardless of their denomination  bishops and pastors included. For, the false equivalence of Christianity with modernity lies exposed every time a rapist or a murderer claims to cure cancer by touching the head of a patient, calling out to his god. Also, questions need to be asked about the old and new colonial forces sending money to Indian villages to build churches to tell the people that their gurus are false. Punjab, unfortunately, has to bear the brunt of all covert and overt actions to destabilise the country, and when the roaring business of faith healing and miracles offers unseen prosperity in the countryside, the authorities must sit up and take note.

A small spark can lead to an unprecedented conflagration in Punjab. The land of the revered Gurus deserves better. As anyone who treads this hallowed land of the noble souls who personified the attributes of piety, charity and valour should do, I too offer my humble salutations: Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh!
President Joe Biden missed his deadline for his annual medical physical in January, concerning some about his fitness to serve. His communications staff says its been rescheduled for mid-February, but theyre coy about if it will include cognitive tests, and whether such results will be made public.

Maybe if the results are labeled top secret the FBI could find them in the presidents garage.

Though it seems certain Biden is running for a second term, there could be mounting pressures, coordinated by concerned players in Democratic circles, to persuade him to gracefully step aside for a younger candidate.

Should Biden refuse to run for reelection, it would be good news for the country. Having a commander in chief in mental decline is generally, um, suboptimal. But even the rumors of the possibility of him not running would be great news for Colorado.

Why? Because elections have consequences. And after the rout Republicans experienced in Colorado last November, we are about to get more consequences than we can handle.

Tragically, the Colorado state Legislature is back in session and for the first time in state history Democrats hold a supermajority in the House of Representatives and are only one quishy Republican vote away from it in the Senate.

If you thought Colorados progressive legislature passed some real gems during the past several years, you aint seen nothing yet. The consequences are just beginning to roll.

This session we have a bill to set loose the long-dead, slum-creating policy of rent control (Im guessing because they couldnt figure out how to word a bill to bring back smallpox).

They have a bill to take away your TABOR refunds, you know, the refunds the Democrats crowed about like they invented them last year when they were running for reelection.

They are working on a bill to outlaw every semiautomatic gun, which would be just about all the guns in the state including all (yes all) pistols and most all rifles.

They even have a bill to force landlords to accept all animals, no matter how destructive, into their property without so much as an increased damaged deposit.

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Now given his first four years in office, Gov. Jared Polis has shown no sign of vetoing anything that would sizably upset the left wing of his party. For four years, Polis has been a doormat for the economy-killing, utility-bill-hiking left. And since the last election, the left wing of his party has only moved more left.

I see only one possibly moderating factor now. Polis is a very ambitious man who has spent much of his time and treasure grooming his national image as a new and different type of business friendly, libertarianish Democrat. Of course, he wants to be president.

Now, those of us who have been keeping score over the years understand he has overseen the greatest advance of the tax and regulatory leviathan in Colorados history. But of course, thats not what he wants the nation to think. And in this spin, he has been wildly successful. Fox News, The Wall Street Journal  even the libertarian Reason magazine  are among the many national outlets to fall for his libertarianish, business-friendly public relations bait.

I think we can assume Polis hasnt spent his political PR cash only in Colorado.

Should rumors of Biden declining a second run grow, and there is evidence it will, our governor will quickly become a name tossed around as a player. Biden doesnt have to announce he is not running. Rumors alone will entice Polis to governor differently from his first term.

Polis will be playing to a larger, national constituency. He will become a natural target for more attention from outside media, which he handles very well. But sooner or later, no matter how good he is at charming out-of-state reporters, whack-a-doodle bills are going to land on his desk.

His too-clever-by-half explanation of unleashing gun control across the state and small business crushing minimum wage hike by calling it local control might have passed by Colorados anemic media outlets unchecked. But he wont get the same grace from national outlets.

On all issues, Polis would know he must govern Colorado as swing voters in swing states would want a president to governor.

And THAT might have a large moderating force for Colorado.

Pray for more rumors.

Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics.
A movement toward reparations for black Americans  government payments based on a recipients racial lineage  lingered on life support after voters chose Barack Obama for president in 2008 and 2012.

Obama, a descendant of white slave owners, said his mothers ancestry traced back to former Confederacy President Jefferson Davis. His father was a black immigrant from Kenya and an influential Harvard alumnus. The former president embodied the complexity of race in America while self-consciously presenting himself as a uniter. He opposed reparations in no uncertain terms while seeking his first election.

Reparations would be an excuse for some to say weve paid our debt and to avoid the much harder work of enforcing our anti-discrimination laws in employment and housing, Obama said in 2008.

The much harder work of making sure that our schools are not separate and unequal, the much harder work of providing job training programs and rehabilitating young men coming out of prison every year, and the much harder work of lifting 37 million Americans of all races out of poverty.

Reparations advocates dont agree.

The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination, wrote Ibram X. Kendi, the godfather of critical race theory, in his 2019 book How to be an Antiracist.

After the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the reparations movement acquired new life, bolstered by academia and the tale of a slave ship founding the nation in 1619 and exaggerated claims of widespread white supremacy.

Reparations to me explicitly is giving money for harm, said Brandon Greene, an attorney and director of the racial and economic justice program for the ACLU of Northern California, as quoted by CNN.

If reparations is giving me a million dollars, I can do whatever I want with it. If I want to buy a million dollars worth of Jordans, I can do that.

The civil rights movement of the 20th century sought to level the playing field and unite the nation in equality. The distortion of this movement today seeks division and a compulsory transfer of benefits from those labeled oppressors to those said to be oppressed.

Kendi, Greene, and others pushing for reparations were never enslaved. Nor were their parents, and probably none of their grandparents. Most have known only a country that passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to forbid institutionalized discrimination based on race. They live in a country that, more than nearly any other, protects its people against racial discrimination.

The call for reparations should stumble and fall over that very diversity.

Almost no living American black people lived in conditions even remotely akin to slavery. Some slave owners of the past were American Indians and indeed black people. Nothing like all black people in this country are descended from slaves or from anyone who suffered grievous injustice. Likewise, most white people have no direct link to former slave owners.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), an A-lister for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination and a white man born three years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, has launched the countrys most aggressive push for reparations. He means reparations not just for slavery but also for discrimination against black people with housing and for other racist offenses of the past. His committee has spoken of individual reparation checks of $250,000 or more.

Whatever the innovation, whether it be on fashion trends or emissions standards, nothing from California stays in California. If Newsom succeeds, it is likely that similar reparations will be pursued in state legislatures, local governing boards and Congress.

House Resolution 40, introduced in 1989 and stalled for three decades, proposes a commission to recommend compensation for slavery, segregation and other horrors historically imposed by whites on blacks.

A Pew Research Center poll in 2021 found 77% of black adults want reparation payments to descendants of slaves. Only 18% of white adults agree. Among all races, 30% of people support reparations for past injustices.

Despite significant reparations support in the black community, Obama isnt the only black leader to oppose them. Scores of black pundits, clergy, and scholars are eager to push back on the movements resurrection. They consider the proposition insulting, counterproductive, and possibly harmful to black children and young adults. They recognize that reparations are likely to be a distraction from areas of real importance to black people and to provide an excuse for social pathologies within the black community.

Alveda King spent much of her childhood in the home of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Her father was the Rev. A.D. King, another major figure in the mid-20th century civil rights movement. Racists bombed her family home in retaliation for her fathers and uncles civil rights work. Alveda King considers cash reparations an ill-conceived insult to her uncle and father and the black community for which they fought so hard to liberate from racism.

In order for America to truly be repaired, we must treat each other with human dignity, as brothers and sisters, as one blood, one human race created equally in the image and likeness of God, King said. Otherwise, we are doomed to perish as fools.

King says the country must continue working for equality for people of all backgrounds. She believes equal opportunity outweighs attempts at equity and equal outcomes with no direct nexus to effort and achievement.

Such justice can be meted out in a value-added process that includes opportunities for leveling the playing field in America but not simply cash value  rather, a hand up, not just a handout, King said.

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Money given to people who dont earn it only holds them down, King argues. She lists past efforts at reparations, by any name or description, that have done more harm than good to fellow members of the black community.

Among the more enthusiastic fans of Alveda Kings uncle and father is former state Rep. Ed Jones (R-Colo.). Brought up in 1940s Mississippi, Jones drank from blacks-only water fountains. He wasnt merely confined to the back of the bus but prevented from riding buses. He attended an all-black school. A handful of restaurants willing to serve him and his family allowed them only takeout, delivered at back doors.

Nobody today owes me anything for that, said Jones, 80, who served in the Army before taking up a private sector and political career.

I lived through it. I overcame. I love that song We Shall Overcome. I love Dr. King. We overcame together, and I overcame. I dont need white politicians sending me a check.

If anyone tries to pay Jones for his past suffering, he will take offense, perhaps seeing payers and recipients as at fault.

The whole notion is very insulting, Jones said. It says black people need white people to rescue them. And rescue them from what? Most black folks today have not experienced slavery, Jim Crow, and all that we have overcome. What about the suffering of Asians and Hispanics? Shouldnt we send them a check?

Jones blames a reparations mentality for his defeat in a reelection bid for the state Senate.

At the urging of Californias Ward Connerly, a businessman and founder of the American Civil Rights Institute, Jones ran a state bill to forbid affirmative action for black people. Like direct reparations, he found affirmative action objectionable. He argues that affirmative action, which he considers a form of reparations, undermines achievement and tells young people to focus on color more than character.

Black people have freedoms we fought for, not freedoms that are gifts from white people, Jones said.

His white, left-wing successor, who was later recalled by voters, used the anti-affirmative action bill to win favor among minorities, white Democrats and unaffiliated voters.

I remember looking out a Capitol window [in Denver], and there were buses of people showing up to protest my bill, Jones said. It felt like the mob coming to get me because I told other black people they can succeed without special assistance from white people.

The Rev. C.L. Bryant, a former missionary to South America and a descendant of slaves, was among the first black children to attend an integrated school in Louisiana during the 1960s. Like Jones, he endured indignities and injustices of life in the South when racists were overt, unapologetic and often supported by law enforcement.

Today, Bryant owns 64 acres of a Louisiana plantation on which his ancestors worked as slaves. His parcel comes from 300 acres his relatives acquired after the Civil War, from their slave owner, by working for it. No one gave them a thing, Bryant said, yet they died as property barons who earned what they had.

There is no way that I, never having been a slave, should get paid for anything my grandparents went through, Bryant said.

It was them who paid that price. It was they, not I, who achieved freedom and earned property. I have never known the degradation my father and grandfather experienced. Ive drank from colored water fountains, but I can assure you 2023 America is not 1956 or 1965 America.

If we pay reparations to black people, he said, we should do the same for descendants of Japanese Americans interned by our federal government during World War II.

The diabolical attempts to divide this country by race are harmful to children, Bryant said. It paralyzes and shackles white and black kids. The white kid thinks, Im a bad person because my forebears were oppressors. The black kids hear they are oppressed and can never be more than what they are until a white person pays them and keeps them right where they are.  When you hear Gavin Newsom telling black people they need his help, he exhibits the slavemaster mentality. Hes white, black people need him, and he wants their loyalty in return.

Civil rights activist, author and community development leader Bob Woodson calls reparations an intentional distraction from the countrys more pressing concerns.

Weve got black children born out of wedlock in droves, Woodson said. More blacks are killed in one year by other blacks than the Klan lynched in more than 50 years. The teen suicide rate in Silicon Valley is six times the national average. We are losing kids to drug overdoses. Young people devalue life to the point they want to take their own or someone elses.

So, were going to focus on reparations? As long as we are talking reparations, we will never address this moral free fall thats affecting all of us.

Wayne Laugesen is Editorial Page editor of The Gazette.
Bunuel wrote:





If the statements above are true, which of the following must be true?





(A) Most people who visit a doctor are already aware as to which drug the doctor will most likely prescribe to them.



(B) Television commercials for prescription drugs dont have an educational aspect to them in that they dont educate the consumers about the use of various drugs.



(C) Pharmaceutical companies try to sell harmful drugs to consumers by using deceptive advertising.



(D) At least some people ask doctors to recommend to them medicines whose advertisement they have seen on television.



(E) At times, doctors themselves use the advertisements for prescription drugs as a source of information to recommend medicines to their patients.









Check the links to other Butler Projects:

Data Sufficiency Butler





Problem Solving Butler



Sentence Correction Butler



Reading Comprehension Butler



Integrated Reasoning Butler This is a CR Butler Question There should be a ban on television commercials for prescription drugs. These commercials put preconceived notions in peoples heads and make them ask their doctor for a drug whose side effects they are not aware of. If a person needed that drug, their doctor would have already prescribed it to them.If the statements above are true, which of the following must be true?(A) Most people who visit a doctor are already aware as to which drug the doctor will most likely prescribe to them.(B) Television commercials for prescription drugs dont have an educational aspect to them in that they dont educate the consumers about the use of various drugs.(C) Pharmaceutical companies try to sell harmful drugs to consumers by using deceptive advertising.(D) At least some people ask doctors to recommend to them medicines whose advertisement they have seen on television.(E) At times, doctors themselves use the advertisements for prescription drugs as a source of information to recommend medicines to their patients.

Official Explanation

(D) The correct answer

Answer: DSince this is an inference question, lets look at each option and eliminate.(A) The people are already aware of what drug they want their doctor to recommend and not of what drug their doctor might actually recommend.(B) Nothing can be judged about the educational aspect of television commercials for prescription drugs from the stimulus.(C) There is nothing in the argument to suggest arriving at such an extreme and generalized inference., this is the point of the entire argument.(E) This may be the case but cannot be inferred based on the information in the stimulus._________________
GREENSBORO  Recent attacks on substations in two North Carolina counties have officials in the Triad and across the state calling for better protection of the power grid.

Local communities are also turning their focus to emergency preparedness as incidents of such attacks become more frequent.

Trey Davis, an assistant city manager who oversees public safety in Greensboro, said he began addressing concerns after 45,000 homes and businesses in Moore County lost power in early December when two substations were damaged by gunfire. Many were without electricity for at least four days as Duke Energy made repairs.

The biggest concern is how do we prepare the community to continue living in these circumstances without power? Davis asked. With weather events, you have days to prepare. With this, you dont have time to prepare.

****

In early December, authorities said one or more people drove to the Duke Energy substations in Moore County, breached their gates and opened fire.

Restaurants and resorts suffered financial losses.

Schools closed.

Families lived without heat. Many had to replace costly groceries in their refrigerators and freezers.

Barely a month later, another attack. This time, it was a substation in Thomasville. No power outages occurred. But there didnt need to be for local, state and federal officials to get the message.

This is a problem.

But its been that way for the last year.

Attacks on U.S. power grids rose to an all-time high in 2022, according to data from the Department of Energy.

The number of physical attacks, including acts of vandalism and other suspicious activity that potentially threatened grid reliability, rose 77% to 163 in 2022 from the previous year.

Attacks on substations, which are responsible for lowering high-voltage power so that it can be delivered safely to homes, have shown how vulnerable communities are when that infrastructure is targeted.

Across the Triad, Duke Energy has more than 100 substations of different sizes and functions to serve customers. Its not clear how the area would be affected if one or more were seriously damaged.

But it probably wouldnt be good.

Typically our infrastructure is scaled to meet the number and type of customers we serve. So the more people and more need for electricity, the more power lines and substations you need to serve the area, Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks said. There will naturally be more infrastructure, including substations, in urban areas than in smaller cities/towns and rural areas. And that is the case in places like the Triad, Charlotte and the Triangle.

As far as the Triads vulnerability to such attacks, Brooks declined to speculate.

Our goal is to prevent them from happening in the first place and we are working to add lessons learned from Moore County to further strengthen our existing security strategy, Brooks said.

Local officials are, among other things, looking at how to prioritize which facilities need backup generators in the event of a longer power outage.

Meanwhile, Guilford County Sheriffs deputies have been asked to conduct frequent checks of local substations.

How do we maintain safety, and how do we get our messaging out? said Davis, adding that being able to quickly communicate updates from city and county officials to residents is a top priority.

Cone Health also is reviewing its emergency preparedness plans after the Moore County incident.

We have closely followed the actions of our colleagues at Moore Regional and the rest of First Health as they dealt with the power outage. At the very least it provides us an opportunity to again think through our plans, spokesman Doug Allred said.

Cone Health has a variety of contingencies that include prolonged and widespread power outages. Cone Healths hospitals and many of its larger facilities could continue providing care because of on-site generators.

We have food, water and supplies prepositioned in many facilities and larger stockpiles close by, Allred said.

At the state level, Gov. Roy Cooper has addressed the attacks and the importance of protecting critical infrastructure.

Any attack on infrastructure is a serious crime and needs full investigation along with a complete assessment of how we prevent and mitigate these attacks in the future, Sam Chan, the governors press secretary, said in a statement to the News & Record. Similar attacks nationwide show the importance of smart investments to protect energy facilities and improve their resilience in the event of damage.

****

Republican state Rep. Ben Moss, whose district includes part of Moore County, is urging his colleagues to take action  and late last week, they did.

In legislation filed by Senate Republicans, punishments would get tougher for intentionally damaging utility equipment. The measure would make it a high-grade felony to intentionally destroy or damage any energy facility or attempt to do so. The proposed bill is meant to replace a current state law that makes it a misdemeanor to vandalize electrical equipment.

Conviction of a felony like the one envisioned in the proposal would result in prison terms of up to roughly 10 years. For people with lengthy criminal records, those sentences could be even longer.

A similar proposal offered in South Carolina would set a sliding scale on prison time based on how much damage is done, with a maximum 25-year penalty if anyone died or their health was endangered by an outage.

The substation attacks left my constituents without many things: electricity, heat, refrigeration for vital medications  but most of all, it left them without much hope, Moss said in a statement, emphasizing that investigators have yet to determine who was responsible for the attacks.

Without even basic security camera footage, our law enforcement officers dont have much to go on.

Moss says thats why he authored House Bill 21  the Energy Security Act of 2023  which requires public utilities to provide security systems for substations to protect the power grid.

Peoples lives depend on it, Moss explained. Its not a partisan issue. Whether youre a Democrat or Republican, it doesnt matter: When the power goes out, everybody loses.

****

In mid-December, on the heels of the Moore County incident, Duke executives found themselves in the uncomfortable position of having to brief state officials. Since then, Brooks said the utility will continue to update them on the ongoing investigation and our own security analysis from the event.

Brooks said Duke is working with federal, state and local investigators as they try to identify those responsible for the attacks.

So far, though, no suspects have been named. Or more important: a motive. That makes it difficult to classify what happened in Moore County and Thomasville as vandalism or something more nefarious  like domestic terrorism.

Regardless of the intent, federal officials in recent weeks say the North Carolina attacks coupled with a nationwide spike over the past year has exposed the fragility of the U.S. power grid.

We know how important electricity is to our customers and communities. Thats why protecting the electric grid and maintaining reliable, resilient service is a top commitment for Duke Energy, Brooks said.

Smaller utilities across the state are getting some help in that area. Last week, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the agency is investing $235 million to help seven North Carolina electric cooperatives and utilities expand and modernize the states rural electric grid and increase security.

Randolph Electric Membership Cooperative in Asheboro  serving residents in Alamance, Chatham and Davidson counties among others  is receiving a $32 million loan to build and improve 426 miles of line.

For Duke Energy, its unknown how much the company may spend to enhance service and security. Brooks said the companys security strategy is always evolving, taking lessons from every event to improve it.

We also continue to make improvements to strengthen the grid to make it more resistant to outages from severe weather and protect against physical and cyber threats, Brooks said.

Brooks said the Charlotte-based company cant provide specifics on security improvements, emphasizing it is top of mind for the company.
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Nearly two-dozen people gathered Saturday in a church on the cusp of the Canyon Ferry Reservoir north of Townsend to honor four men on the 80th anniversary of the day they gave up their life jackets to fellow soldiers and others aboard a sinking military transport ship during World War II.

Today we honor the four chaplains who laid down their lives for their brothers, Judy Lund, auxiliary chaplain for American Legion Post 42 in Townsend, said during a service honoring U.S.A.T. Dorchester held at the Townsend Christian Fellowship Church.

She said the story is an example of true brotherhood.

Lund said it is a reminder that all persons of all faiths and colors and creeds are capable of showing such courage and compassion for each other.

At about 12:55 a.m. on Feb. 3, 1943, the Dorchester, a U.S. Army transport ship carrying 902 service men, merchant seamen and civilian workers, was stuck by a German torpedo and sunk in the cold Atlantic just off the coast of Greenland. Four Army chaplains  Lt. George L. Fox, Methodist; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, Jewish; Lt. John P. Washington, Roman Catholic; and Lt. Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed  brought hope during the pandemonium.

As the ship was sinking, the chaplains opened a storage locker and began distributing life jackets. When there were no more, the chaplains gave theirs to four frightened young men, according to a story posted on the website http://fourchaplains.org/.

As the ship went down, survivors in nearby rafts could see the four chaplains  arms linked and braced against the slanting deck. Their voices could also be heard offering prayers, the website states. Of the 902 men aboard the Dorchester, 672 died, leaving 230 survivors.

Chaplain Larry Westfall repeated the story of the Dorchester to attendees, and noted it was about 150 miles from its destination to an American base in Greenland when it was struck

Col. Jen Dalrymple, member of the Townsend post, said Saturday that honoring the chaplains has become an American Legion tradition.

Saturdays observance included an honor guard, the saying of the Pledge of Allegiance and prayer. It was followed with a lunch at the post.

Four chairs lined with life jackets were placed in the front of the sanctuary. Dalrymple, the Rev. MSgt. Esther Suhr, veteran Tony Wagner and Father Cody Williams of Holy Cross Catholic Church read brief biographies of the chaplains.

Wagner said he thought Saturdays observance went well.

I just wish it would draw in some more people, he said.

Prior to the ceremony, Janet Wagner said she was looking forward to the observance.

I am a veteran and a member of this church, so this combines both of my worlds, she said.

Rev. Mark Roelofs of the Trailhead Church said the bravery of the Four Chaplains is striking.

Its striking that they did their duty in way it wasnt biased or about their faith, he said.

Fellow pastor Clay Muinzer agreed.

Their self-sacrifice is mind-blowing, he said. This was a test and the test showed they were the real deal.




Qabil Ashirov





Azerbaijan and Montenegro have signed an air transport agreement, Azernews reports referring to a tweet by Azerbaijani Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev.

The minister noted that the agreement would positively affect the development of tourism and cultural relations between Azerbaijan and Montenegro.

"Today, we signed an agreement on air transport between Azerbaijan and Montenegro with Vice-President of the Government of Montenegro, and Minister of Capital Investments Ervin Ibrahimovic, who is visiting Azerbaijan. This agreement will facilitate mutual visits of citizens of the two countries and will positively affect the development of tourism and cultural relations between our countries," the minister tweeted.
The Biden administrations announcement that it will consider petitions to delist grizzly bears in parts of Montana from the Endangered Species Act comes as the state Legislature moves forward on legislation aimed at facilitating a move to state management.

On Friday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced its acceptance of petitions from Montana and Wyoming to consider delisting grizzly populations in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, which includes areas such as Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, as well as the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem. The service denied a petition from Idaho asking it to consider delisting all grizzlies in the lower 48.

The decision launches a 12-month review of the petitions "based on the best available scientific and commercial data available."

Senate Majority Leader Jason Ellsworth of Hamilton expressed some optimism at the announcement as a step towards delisting.

Grizzly bear recovery has been a conservation success in the areas surrounding Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, he said in a statement. As weve been advocating in the Legislature for years, its time to recognize this conservation win, remove grizzly bears from endangered listing in those ecosystems, and return management of the bears to the state of Montana. Im glad to see this step in the right direction from the federal government. Now they need to follow through.

In a separate letter sent Friday from USFWS Director Martha Williams to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Hank Worsech, the federal agency found at least one state law passed in 2021 conflicts with the ESA while other laws have the potential to increase mortality.

An FWP spokesperson said state officials were reviewing the letter but did not have further comment.

This session a pair of Republican bills shaping Montanas legal policy towards grizzlies will attempt to meet ESA requirements that state governments have adequate regulatory mechanisms in place. Regulatory mechanisms refer to laws and regulations that ensure a delisted species persist at population levels large enough that federal protections don't need to be reinstated. That includes mortality thresholds.

Sen. Bruce Butch Gillespie, R-Ethridge, brought Senate Bill 98 last session, which stated that grizzlies attacking or threatening livestock could be killed. The bill had no immediate effect due to continued federal law, but would apply should the bears be delisted.

Williams' letter states SB 98 conflicts with the ESA and could cause confusion. The letter also cites laws passed by Republicans expanding wolf trapping and allowing the use of hounds to hunt black bears as having potential to impact grizzlies, although the letter stops short of saying they conflict with the ESA. Republicans passed an additional law that restricts state wildlife managers from relocating grizzlies that get into conflicts outside of recovery zones, leaving that task to federal officials.

Gillespie said in an interview Friday that SB 98 was about protecting life and property, but he did hear criticism at the time that it could cause ESA conflict. He felt the bill put a spotlight on the necessity and urgency of getting the bears delisted.

I just thought after 47 years being on the list, the numbers have increased dramatically, he said. "Its time to take a healthy strong look at getting them delisted and getting the numbers under Montana management, not federal so that we can solve our own problems here."

Gillespie will carry a yet-to-be introduced bill this session that will in part, change the language mentioned in the letter. The bill states that upon delisting, state wildlife officials develop mortality thresholds including for bears killed due to livestock depredations with a 12-hour reporting requirement. That includes establishing an annual quota for the number of bears that may be killed and adjustments if a quota is reached.

If a grizzly is threatening livestock, the owner may report the incident to FWP. The department may then take steps to discourage or trap and move the bear, may kill the bear or issue a permit to the livestock owner to kill the bear. The bill also says owners may take necessary nonlethal means to minimize conflicts.

What this bill does is kind of sets out, not necessarily a complete plan, but a plan for what the delisting process would look like, you know the safety part of it for the people who are working on the land or recreating on the land, everyone needs some sense of protection, Gillespie said. On the other hand I think weve been doing such a phenomenal job of raising grizzly bears that we dont ever want to lose that or were right back in the same hole again.

Senate Bill 85 from Sen. Mike Lang, R-Malta, also changes grizzly law, stating that grizzlies upon delisting must be managed at levels to maintain delisted status including managing mortalities from any potential hunting season. The bill saw an amendment to include mention of nonlethal measures to minimize conflicts, and recently passed the Senate on a vote of 37-12.

Langs bill saw a mix of support and opposition, with supporters saying it offered commitment to sustainability and a pathway for delisting. But opponents pointed to laws from 2021, which they said showed a dim view of the Legislature and Gianforte administrations policies on large predators. Opponents also raised concerns about lack of connectivity between populations, saying delisting is premature.

Gillespie, whose district includes the Rocky Mountain Front, believes many residents have come to resent the federal governments approach to grizzlies. Concerns have only continued to grow about a rise in conflicts as bears venture into more areas inhabited by people, and the potential for a tragic result, such as a child being injured or killed. State management may not be a cure-all, he said, but could help improve the attitude of people towards the bears.

If youre back in D.C. you just dont think about these things, he said. "Which is why we need to get them back into Montana management so they can be managed by people who are here on the home front that better understand what the complications are, what the challenges are to have coexistence No. 1, but also to keep people safe and the grizzly bear population safe."

Gillespie said he is working to get Democratic support for his bill.

Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers of Belgrade indicated Friday that the bill could get some support from Democrats. He said he has spoken with Gillespie and those conversations led to a potential amendment to Gillespies bill that could further refine some language and satisfy concerns.

I think (Democrats) are all generally supportive of the Endangered Species Act and the steps that are required to both put species on the list and delist, Flowers said. "In this case we are moving towards potential delisting of grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide and the Yellowstone ecosystem, and I think were supportive of all the mechanics that go into that. If U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supports a delisting, I think most of us will be supportive of that.

When asked about the 2021 bills cited as concerns in the services letter, Flowers pointed out that those conflicts were raised by Democrats at the time.

I spoke against those bills in the last session and I pointed out at that time that what those laws were doing were kind of destroying our ability for delisting because they removed or changed the adequate regulatory language thats needed in state statute thats need for delisting, he said. Sen. Gillespie to his credit and Sen. Lang to his credit were restoring the language we need in the law to ensure we have that language.

Flowers noted that he has not seen legislation that could change some of the trapping or hound hunting laws also cited in the letter.
All Montanans have seen the bumper stickers and heard the chatter warning potential newcomers against changing Montana.

This proud defense of our state often emanates from folks a lot like me; from hunters, anglers  people who love to hike our mountains and camp in the backcountry.

Most of us have been quoting those bumper stickers assuming that any change would probably come from interlopers in rainbow-painted VW vans, or maybe from dangerously liberal urban yuppies with their shiny new electric vehicles and brand-new Montana plates.

Montanans like us put up with our jobs all week just so we can hit the river on the weekends. We wear camo to the grocery store and show up at the bar for celebratory beers because of the hard-won elk in the back of our trucks. And while weve been right to protect what we care about; weve been very wrong about which people are focused on attacking our way of life. We can now see that those attacks are coming from fellow Montanans who should know better: Gov. Greg Gianforte and his loyal Republican allies in the Montana Legislature.

There is little debate about what makes Montana special.

They aint moving to Montana for our Wal-Marts, former Gov. Bullock was fond of saying.

For so many Montanans like me, a huge part of what makes this place special is our equal opportunity to world-class hunting and fishing. We know it all relies on the resource management system that ensures equal access for everyone.

This is all worth protecting because we fought like hell for it. Generations before us re-established decimated wildlife populations and then insisted on management and conservation programs prohibiting what jeopardized them in the first place, namely commercialization and profit.

The system that our state perfected strictly prohibits special treatment for the rich. It places wildlife in a public trust equally owned by all. Montanans even wrote it into our constitution:

The opportunity to harvest wild fish and wild game animals is a heritage that shall forever be preserved to the individual citizens of the state.

We went so far as to establish programs like Habitat Montana, which uses public funds to facilitate land purchases and perpetual easements, thereby ensuring access for everyone.

Thanks to our laws and these systems, which for decades were supported by bipartisan majorities, Montana has been a beacon for what is called The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. The results of strict adherence to this model have created one of the most important places left on our planet.

Our public lands belong to all of us, equally.

In fact, our state is one of the few remaining places where private-jet owners and billionaire media tycoons have no advantage over diesel mechanics, schoolteachers or farmhands. For my family, and for thousands of other Montanans, this is democracy in its most tangible form. We are right to be angry and fearful about losing it.

Beginning two years ago, Gianforte supported a myriad bills and pushed FWP regulatory efforts aimed at privatizing our wildlife and awarding special preference to wealthy out-of-staters at the expense of ordinary Montana residents. If your elk spot seems crowded, well, thats because Gianforte approved more than several thousand new non-resident licenses at the behest of those who think our wildlife is just about money.

They are doing the bidding of powerful forces who wish to sell our elk and other wildlife  sometimes for more than $10,000 per hunter.

It's now clear that it is Gianforte and his GOP allies who are changing Montana for the worse by insisting on pushing privatization schemes deployed in other states, especially Texas.

With our legislative session in full swing and a new Republican supermajority in place, there is a new wave of bills aimed at our iconic wildlife and conservation systems. Some propose selling more wildlife for profit. There will be calls for even more non-resident licenses and more handouts to wealthy landowners.

Some Gianforte-supported predator management policies already in place violate the most-basic tenets of fair chase hunting. It's all part of the GOPs effort to remake Montana into one of those places we all say we dont want to be.

Out-of-state forces arent doing this; it's our own governor and Legislature causing these problems.

They are the ones who have declared war on our Montana way of life, and it's time we stood up and redirected our warnings their way. We are all responsible for telling them: Dont you dare change what makes this state so special.
DECATUR  The man who started a fist fight outside a Decatur bar that ended up with another criminal opening fire with an automatic weapon has been sentenced to an 18-month conditional discharge.

Justin T. Miller, 34, pleaded guilty to a charge of mob action when he appeared in Macon County Circuit Court Jan. 26.

Sworn affidavits from the Decatur Police Department said Miller was arrested after he was identified as the suspect wearing distinctive all-red fashion choices who attacked a victim around 12 a.m. Nov. 10, 2021, in a parking lot next to the Flashback Lounge, 2239 E. Wood St.

Detective Tim Wittmer, who signed one of the affidavits, said police had tracked Miller down after receiving an anonymous tip. Officers then found a Facebook page that showed Miller wearing the same red outfit. He had even posted messages about the fight but hastily deleted them after realizing the police had posted surveillance footage of the trouble outside Flashback on their own Facebook page.

Wittmer said other people had stepped in to break up the fight outside the bar, but the violence escalated with the arrival of Cameron D. Slater and Taurus C. Booth Jr., who were seen coming to Millers aid.

Wittmer said both Slater and Booth were caught on surveillance video opening fire in the direction of people gathered outside the bar; no one was hit, but glass in the building was shattered by bullets.

Wittmer said police firearms experts who examined the footage identified the handgun with an extended magazine wielded by Slater had been converted to work as a submachine gun and fired bursts of bullets.

Slater, 31, had appeared in court Jan. 12 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison after taking a plea deal that saw him admit to a charge of being a felon in possession of an automatic weapon. Court records show hes also a convicted killer who previously served eight years after pleading guilty to second degree murder in 2014.

Booth, 29, appeared in court in August and was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to the unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon.

Updated mugshots from the Herald & Review Joseph A. Williams William A. Hosea Randolph Hayes Byron D. Theus Jetrevius O. Jarrett Phillip Gehrken Emmanuel White Aaron L. Hand
DECATUR  An aggressive Decatur panhandler who resorts to robbery when he doesnt get what he wants has been sent to prison for eight years.

Herman Taliaferro, 53, pleaded guilty to committing aggravated robbery when he appeared in Macon County Circuit Court Jan. 30.

His arrest dates to June 2021, but he was only recently judged mentally fit to appear in court after inpatient treatment; court records show he was returned to the Macon County Jail in early December.

Sworn affidavits from the Decatur Police Department said the defendant had snatched a handbag from an 83-year-old woman on June 17, 2021, after she had refused his panhandling demands for cash.

He followed that crime up on June 19 of the same year, when he accosted and robbed an 80-year-old man of some $100 in coins in the parking lot of First Mid Bank and Trust, 560 E. Pershing Road.

The victim was knocked to the ground and Taliaferro was captured and arrested after witnesses gave chase and helped police locate him.

Detective James Weddle, who signed one of the affidavits, said Taliaferro was well known to law enforcement: DPD officers were familiar with Herman Taliaferro who  aggressively panhandles for money, he added.

Weddle said Taliaferro told police that the female victim, who had been robbed outside a store in the 1900 block of East Eldorado Street, was targeted because he wanted money to buy crack cocaine.

Updated mugshots from the Herald & Review Joseph A. Williams William A. Hosea Randolph Hayes Byron D. Theus Jetrevius O. Jarrett Phillip Gehrken Emmanuel White Aaron L. Hand
MARION, Va.  Patients in Southwest Virginia now have a new healthcare access point, thanks to the new Ballad Health Medical Associates Urgent Care in Marion.

Ballad Health Medical Associates Urgent Care is the only urgent care clinic in Smyth County and it brings valuable healthcare resources to the area, according to a written statement. The clinic is located on the campus of Smyth County Community Hospital.

Opening this new urgent care bolsters Ballad Healths commitment to bringing high-quality, accessible healthcare to all who seek it, said Dale Clark, chief executive officer of Smyth County Community Hospital. Plus, with resources from the hospital extremely close by, the community can be confident we are ready to help right when and where people need care.

It is located at 245 Medical Park Drive in Marion and accepts patients Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The clinic is fully staffed with a team of expert clinicians who treat patients of all ages with minor injuries and illnesses, such as the cold and flu, sinus infections, strep throat, sprains, minor fractures and more. It will also have on-site X-ray and lab capabilities through Smyth County Community Hospital.

This urgent care is fully equipped to bring a great service to the community, and our hardworking and talented clinicians are going above and beyond to deliver the best possible care to Smyth County and surrounding areas, said Mark Patterson, MD, president of Ballad Health Medical Associates.

The clinic gives patients a new healthcare access point that increases the efficiency of receiving care, while alleviating wait times and staffing pressures in the local emergency department, according to the statement.

Patients who still face long drives in surrounding and rural areas can also benefit from Ballad Healths online care options by scheduling a virtual urgent care visit or completing an online Quick Care questionnaire, both of which are available at www.balladhealth.org.

With the COVID-19 pandemic transforming the way we receive care, more and more patients are turning to telemedicine as a safe and convenient way to access healthcare services, said Stacy Brown, MD, medical director of Ballad Health Medical Associates urgent care, virtual urgent care and school-based telemedicine services. The extended availability of urgent care visits  both in person and online  offers quick and convenient health resources to more patients in and beyond Smyth County.

Patients can also visit www.balladhealth.org or the Ballad Health app to schedule an urgent care visit. And for those who prefer virtual care, Ballad Health offers virtual urgent care visits that can be scheduled online, with providers often available within an hour.

Whether patients are experiencing flu symptoms, sinus congestion or COVID-19, the virtual care option is available to patients 3 months and older from 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

During a virtual urgent care visit, patients can speak with a provider through a secure video connection, share their concerns and ask questions. The provider will then recommend a treatment plan tailored to the patients needs. The virtual urgent care visit cost is $49, and the health system accepts self-payment and insurance.
Editor's Note This column is part of a Black History Month presentation by Norman J. McCullough Sr., which he shared with us. The program will be Black History Month: Know the Past, Shape the Future. It will be held from 6-8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27.

Welcome to the church (Price Memorial) built by Warren Clay Coleman, as a former slave in Cabarrus County in 1895.

First and foremost, I want to thank Jean Dixon and the leadership of this historic church for enabling me to speak about Black history, which I have been teaching since 1974 when I graduated from Columbia University Teachers College on a full scholarship.

From a local perspective, knowing who you are is critical because if you dont, you may not get the respect you need. All we need is some respect. What was Aretha thinking about? We are still looking for respect in America. From the Nile River in Egypt to the Mississippi River in America, Black people have created history that is world-wide and admired by many. But how many know that? Some people are trying to take our history from us.

My favorite Bible verse from our perspective is Matthew, Chapter 5, verse 14-16: We are the light of the world. I say this because a previous pastor, the Rev. McClure warned me not to speak in the church without talking about the Bible. Black history is American history, and American history is about all of us  both white and Black.

When I think about Price Memorial AME Zion church, I think about John Paul Barringer. John Paul arrived in America in 1743 from Germany, and he settled in Mount Pleasant. If you go to Mount Pleasant, you will find the name Barringer is quite prominent (it is also prominent here at Price), and everyone knows about the legacy of John Paul Barringer. One of his descendants was Rufus Barringer.

Who was Rufus Barringer? Rufus was an attorney, a general in the Confederate Army, mayor of Concord, and father of Warren C. Coleman. In spite of slavery, Rufus took steps to assist his second Black son  Warren. We know this because Warren and his brother (Thomas) were born in a house where the Cannon Library now stands, and the record shows that Rufus gave Warren property, which is evidence that Warren was his son.

One could say that Rufus and Roxana (Warrens mother) had a love relationship. Thomas was born in 1845 and Warren in 1849. The same question could be said about Thomas Jefferson (our third president) and Sally Hemmings (slave). One cant speak about Downtown Concord without mentioning the name of Warren Clay Coleman. We also know that Coleman built Price (Temple) Memorial AME Church, he helped to build Old Camp Ground Cemetery, owned various plots of real estate, and owned close to 100 homes so that the workers could have a place to live.

His life in Concord  to say the least  was AWESOME. Any future tours of downtown should include the Coleman story and a visit to his church. As of 1900, Coleman was the richest Black man in America. Is this important for you to know? In 2015, about 75 people from the community had a chance to go inside the mill. Again, the word is awesome. I would say not knowing it (history, our history) will put you and others at a disadvantage.

It is important for the county of Cabarrus, the nation and the world to know. It is important for us to discuss and lift up our light. The history/Black history of this church and the community is awesome. However, one should be clear that not everyone wants to talk about slavery (people owning other people in America), Jim Crow, discrimination, racism, police violence, etc. But I am here to say that Black history, American history, our history, is important and we have nothing to be ashamed of because we did nothing wrong.

I know that in some communities Black history is discussed on a daily basis. Moreover, you should also know that the Cabarrus school system is currently considering the inclusion of our history in its eighth-grade curriculum. Making your voice heard in this regard is also important. Calling the school district would be significant. Those who did something wrong must reconcile their behavior and also understand, as one great man, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said: Truth crushed to earth will rise again. Thank you for your time and attention.

Thank you all for reading and learning about history that you may not have known before.
In honor of Black History Month, SAM will be telling the stories of local folks who made history.

Lawrence Joel was not the only Winston-Salem native to be awarded the Medal of Honor. In 2015, Sgt. Henry Johnson of the 369th Infantry Regiment, the so called Harlem Hellfighters, was awarded the medal posthumously for his bravery during World War I.

According to research from Fam Brownlee, a local historian, Johnson was born in Winston around 1892. His family moved to Albany, New York, when he was a teenager.

War had broken out in Europe in 1914, though the United States did not enter the war until April 6, 1917.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army June 5, 1917, and was assigned to Company C, 15th New York (Colored) Infantry Regiment  an all-black National Guard unit that would later become the 369th Infantry Regiment, according to an army.mil biography of Medal of Honor recipients. His unit served with a French colonial unit.

On May 15, 1918, then-Pvt. Johnson was on sentry duty on the front lines in Western France. He and another soldier were attacked by a German patrol of at least 12 soldiers. The other solider, Pvt. Needham Roberts, 17, of Trenton, New Jersey, was wounded by shrapnel, leaving Johnson to fight off the invaders.

Johnson killed one German with a rifle shot, knocked another one down using his rifle as a club, killed two with a bolo knife and killed one with a grenade, according to a story about Johnson on the Defense Departments website.

After that fight Johnson had a nickname, Black Death.

In his book, Rank and File: True Stories of the Great War, Theodore Roosevelt, a son of President Theodore Roosevelt, wrote that Johnson was one of the five bravest soldiers in the war.

Here is Johnsons Medal of Honor citation: While under intense enemy fire and despite receiving significant wounds, Private Johnson mounted a brave retaliation, resulting in several enemy casualties. When his fellow soldier was badly wounded, Pvt. Johnson prevented him from being taken prisoner by German forces. Private Johnson exposed himself to grave danger by advancing from his position to engage an enemy soldier in hand-to-hand combat.

Wielding only a knife and gravely wounded himself, Private Johnson continued fighting and took his bolo knife and stabbed it through an enemy soldiers head. Displaying great courage, Private Johnson held back the enemy force until they retreated. Private Johnsons extraordinary heroism and selflessness above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army. He was one of the first Americans to receive the French Croix de Guerre avec Palme, Frances highest award for valor.

Johnson sustained 21 combat wounds and was not able to return to his pre-war job as a redcap porter at Union Station in Albany. He died July 1, 1929, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

He was not awarded the Purple Heart until 1996. He then received the Distinguished Service Cross, the armys second highest award for valor, in 2002. The Department of Defense reviewed Johnsons war record at the behest of politicians and members of the public.

After 97 years, President Barack Obama presented Johnsons Medal of Honor to Command Sgt. Maj. Louis Wilson of the New York National Guard in June 2015. Johnson had no known descendants. We are a nation  a people  who remember our heroes, Obama said during the Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House. We never forget their sacrifice, and we believe its never too late to say, Thank you.
Eight people were shot, including three children, on Sunday at a home in northwest Louisiana, USA Today reported last week. Three adults and a 3-year-old were listed in critical condition.

Shreveport mayor Tom Arceneaux called the incident a senseless act of violence.

USA Today reported another incident: Gunfire erupted inside a Louisiana nightclub early Sunday and wounded a dozen people, one critically.

Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome called the shooting a senseless act of violence that will not go unchecked.

A senseless act of violence, the first words that come to mind when we are overwhelmed by the news: Five police officers beat a young man after a traffic stop in Memphis, he dies three days later; multiple mass shootings in California leave 19 dead in 44 hours.

Yet, they are words we resist because they force us to face a question we would rather not face.

A man stands on the sidewalk outside a neighborhood pub and fires a gun into the bar. According to local police, he was shooting at a person with whom he had an ongoing dispute. Is it that he shot and killed someone else, mistakenly, what makes this act of violence senseless? If he had shot and killed the person he presumably wanted to shoot, wouldnt that have been senseless as well?

Its the senseless part that is most disturbing.

Life is so precious. If it is destroyed, there has to be an explanation. If we could understand why ... .

We try our best to make sense of an act that is foreign to everything we know and value.

Was the victim targeted or chosen randomly? Targeted is less threatening. No one would target us, right? A random incident sounds like wrong place, wrong time, which may be as close to the truth as we can get, but it is not a very satisfying explanation, not when its your friend or loved one.

Was the incident racially motivated? If so, OK, we have a way to think about that, a box to put it in.

Was it gang-related? We have a box for that, too, a different box.

What was the shooters motive? Does it matter?

An on-the-scene reporter tells us that the mass shooter took his own life. So, we will never know why he murdered 10 total strangers. If we knew why the shooter did it, would that make what he did make sense? Would it satisfy our desperate need to understand and thus to feel safe?

What lessons can we learn from the latest senseless act of violence? Thats a favorite question of news anchors. We let them get away with objectifying tragedy, shifting the conversation from human devastation to social policies and legislation; we let them get away with it because the idea that acts of violence really might be senseless is not a thought we can hold in our minds for long.

If lives can be taken casually, for the most trivial reason or for no reason at all, what does that say about the value of human life?

We wring meaning out of seemingly meaningless acts of destruction.

I believe in my heart that my son was on assignment from God, RowVaughn Wells, Tyre Nichols mother, told MSNBC. He finished his assignment, and God took him back home.

I truly believe that there is going to be a greater good that comes out of this.

Our hearts go out to Ms. Wells. We are awed by her courage, her willingness to bare her soul before the world and her commitment to see that something good comes from her sons tragic death.

We may not share her religious beliefs, but we join in her vow not to allow violence and death to have the last word.

We call for changes in policies and programs; sometimes we have concrete ideas, sometimes our call is no more than a plaintive plea, Somebody do something.

We work for justice for the victims, keenly aware that, directly or indirectly, one way or another, sooner or later, we are all victims of our violent culture.

We join our community in the streets, with signs and candles, chanting the name(s) of the most recent victim(s), railing against the absurdity of it all. And against our own helplessness.

We hold our loved ones tighter, longer, as it becomes increasingly clear that vulnerability and community are fundamental to our lives.

We really are all in this together.
"Red Winter," Marc Cameron, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 432 pages, $16.99.

Tom Clancy still sells a lot of books even though he passed away in 2013. That is why his name is prominently featured on the dust jacket of this book, a Jack Ryan novel. Of course this is a spy book and a whole lot more.

The time is 1985, still in the throes of the Cold War, with Germany divided, East and West. The first character introduced is a young farm girl from Indiana, serving as a ground-floor foreign officer.

She is mugged on a West Berlin street, and her purse is stolen. It is quickly retrieved by passersby and when she checks it, finds that someone (apparently a mysterious woman) had put in a note and a floppy disc.

Thus begins the tale. A defector wishes asylum in return and used the note and disc to bring invaluable information to the United States. Jack Ryan is picked to go behind the Berlin Wall and meet with the potential defector.

The story also involves The Nighthawk, a top-secret F-111 which is the most advanced warplane in the world. The Soviets want desperately to find out its secrets.

All the government intelligence offices become involved, especially after a Nighthawk crashes in the Nevada desert. This is the perfect book for readers who want mysterious, violent and intriguing espionage stories.




Qabil Ashirov

Small and Medium Business Development Agency of Azerbaijan (SMBDA) Board Chairman Orkhan Mammadov met with the CEO, and the representative in Azerbaijan of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Azernews reports, citing a tweet by the chairman.

According to the tweet, the activities of SMEs and the possibilities of cooperation with SMEs in the field of logistics were discussed at the meeting.

"In our meeting with Cem Akgul, CEO of "Hellmann Worldwide Logistics" for #Turkey and Kamran Habibov, director for #Azerbaijan, we discussed the activities of #SMEs in the field of #logistics, and the possibilities of cooperation with #SMEs in this field," the chairman tweeted.
Gov. Jim Pillens school finance and property tax reduction plan would mean more state dollars for every school district in the state  enough new dollars for most Omaha metro area districts to reduce their property tax demands by 5% or more.

But a World-Herald analysis of the plan to boost state aid to education and special education funding by more than $260 million also raises questions of equity, particularly when it comes to its state aid provisions.

The Westside school district, one of the metros wealthiest districts in terms of resident income and property value, would receive enough new state aid dollars under the plan that its per-pupil aid would approach that of OPS  a high-poverty district where roughly seven in 10 students qualify for free or reduced price school meals.

Westsides gain of $1,500 per student under Pillens plan would raise its total state aid to more than $5,000 per student. OPS, which currently receives just under $5,800 per student from the state, would not receive the $1,500 increase.

Millard, Papillion-La Vista, Ralston and Gretna likewise would not receive the additional state aid, despite currently receiving less aid per student than Westside.

The reasons for those seemingly contradictory results are complex and largely tied to the large number of Westside students who live outside the districts boundaries and opt in  and the big state dollars the district reaps from such student transfers under state law.

Pillens plan would further benefit Westside and dozens of other districts across the state that already receive large amounts of option student aid. And that has some suggesting the governors plan could use some tweaking.

Wow, thats not good, said State Sen. Justin Wayne, a former OPS school board member. Its crazy that the state aid per pupil (between Westside and OPS) would be about the same when you talk about the different needs.

Pillens administration in a statement defended the workings of his plan. The additional aid that would go to districts with option students would provide more property tax relief for residents of those districts, the statement said.

The plan also aligns with Governor Pillens vision that funding follow each student  an apparent reference to the governors support for providing state dollars for private school choice. Pillen last week rallied in Lincoln with supporters of a bill to offer $25 million worth of tax credits to people donating to private school scholarship funds.

Sen. Lou Ann Linehan, who like Wayne is an Omaha senator who serves on the Legislatures Education Committee, cautioned against anyone reading too much into the aid projections at this point. Lawmakers will surely examine such equity issues as the governors plan moves forward.

We are at the beginning of a process, Linehan said. I dont think we can expect to fix every wrinkle  its complicated. But I think we can make some improvements.

Westside officials declined to comment.

A number of districts have also been reluctant to publicly state positions on the governors plan, saying they are still studying it. OPS noted in a statement that many pieces of the governors agenda could impact school funding, including the changes to school aid and special education, school budget lids and changes to the way agricultural land is valued.

There are currently many moving parts that, when combined, could have a far greater impact than any single piece of legislation, the statement said. There are still essential questions to be addressed for something as important as this.

Pillens school funding plan was generally well-received by the states education community when he rolled it out two weeks ago, mostly because all districts would see additional funding.

Nebraskas new Republican governor had campaigned on a pledge to send state school aid dollars to all school districts in the state, including the mostly rural, land-rich districts that now often dont qualify for aid. His solution is to guarantee districts at least $1,500 per student in state aid regardless of their current resources and needs.

While not all districts would gain dollars under that $113 million proposal, all districts would come out ahead under his plan to provide $157 million in additional state dollars to pay to educate children with disabilities.

The governors office provided a draft of the projected funding each district would receive from the school aid and special education increases. It shows total state funding would increase $23 million for OPS, $9 million for Millard, almost $13 million for Westside, $5 million for Bellevue, and almost $6 million for both Elkhorn and Papillion-La Vista.

If those new state dollars offset current property taxes dollar for dollar, it would be enough to reduce school tax levies in most metro districts by 5% or more. In OPS, the reduction would be 6%  about $157 for a home valued at $200,000 for tax purposes.

But Westside would by far benefit the most. It would receive enough new dollars to reduce its property tax request by more than 20%  equal to almost $600 in reduced property taxes on a $200,000 home.

Learning why begins with understanding how the states current school aid law functions.

First, a school districts needs are determined based on student enrollment and other factors, including the percentage of students in poverty or who are learning English as a second language.

Then each districts available local funding is calculated. Schools are held accountable for levying property taxes at a minimum level. Any district needs not covered by that minimum levy are then back-filled with state aid dollars called equalization aid.

Most metro school districts currently receive such equalization aid. For them, the $1,500 per student in foundation aid under the governors plan simply offsets equalization aid they currently receive. In effect, every dollar of foundation aid in the front door merely pushes an equalization dollar out the back.

Like many rural districts, Westsides property resources and needs are such that it doesnt qualify for equalization aid. Thats why under Pillens plan, it would receive the $1,500 in foundation aid for each of its 6,000 students  totaling more than $9 million.

But while Westside doesnt receive equalization aid, that doesnt mean it currently lacks state aid dollars. It receives substantial funding under another portion of the state aid law school that pays for students who opt into a district from their home school district under the states public school option enrollment program.

Remarkably, more than a third of Westsides students are option students. And the state pays $10,625 for each of them.

As a result, Westside today receives more state dollars per student than equalization districts like Millard, Ralston and Papillion-La Vista. Pillens plan would widen that gap by another $1,500 per student.

Larry Scherer, a Lincoln attorney who as a legislative staffer helped craft the states school aid formula in the 1990s, said that seeming disparity can be traced to the generous way the state funds option students.

For example, today when a student attends school in Papillion-La Vista, Nebraska pays about $2,700 in state aid to help educate that student. But if the same student opts into Westside, the state pays almost four times that figure.

Scherer couldnt recall why state policymakers decided to fund option students so generously, but said it was likely to keep districts  and their taxpayers  from being overly burdened by the students who transfer in. Policymakers also surely never imagined back then that a district one day would receive a third of its students through option enrollment.

The current $10,625 figure is based on the average statewide per-pupil cost. That is still less than Westsides per-pupil cost of roughly $15,000  the highest among the urban districts in the metro area.

While Westside is a relatively high-income district, last year 38% of its students qualified for free or reduced priced meals.

Westside certainly isnt the only district receiving heavy option funding that would benefit under the governors plan. There are others throughout the state.

For example, Hemingford, a small district in the Panhandle, receives enough option funding that it receives slightly more state aid per pupil than neighboring Alliance, a district that qualifies for equalization aid. Under the governors plan, Hemingford would receive the additional $1,500 per student. Alliance wouldnt.

Wayne said he has long had a problem with how the state funds option students compared to other students. With the governors plan potentially increasing that disparity, the funding bears scrutiny, he said.

Why is a kid from North Omaha worth less if he goes to his neighborhood school? he said.

Without tweaking option funding, Scherer said senators could also simply decide to offset all or part of the governors $1,500 in foundation aid dollars against option dollars, much the same way theyre offset for equalization districts.

In principle, it should come off the top, Scherer said.

Such a move would also save money for the state, or enable lawmakers to boost the amount of foundation aid for other non-equalization districts above the $1,500 figure the governor has proposed.

Several senators said they expect much work on the details of the governors plan as it moves forward.

Overall, I think the governors education package is a good start, said Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont, the former chair of the Education Committee. But there are still details that need to be worked out. Its an opportunity to look at how we fund public education and make sure its equitable for every student.

Best school districts in Nebraska Best school districts in Nebraska
If your best international customer -- someone who accounts for 27% of your overseas sales -- gave you three years to change the recipe of what it buys from you, its a safe bet youd work together to meet their needs and deadline.

Not Big Agbiz, however, which is pushing, pressing, and prodding the Biden Administration to squeeze Mexico, Americas biggest corn export market, to drop its plan to ban genetically modified corn imports by 2024.

The standoff, over two years old, is getting heated as the U.S. and Mexico each point to national sovereignty while simultaneously maintaining theyre following the international trade rules both agreed to in the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, the NAFTA update.

For its part, Mexico has sought to promote the biodiversity of Mexican corn varieties and reduce the herbicide glyphosate to protect public health, wrote Sharon Anglin Treat, a senior attorney at the Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy, last March. Mexico issued a presidential decree on Jan. 1, 2021, that called for a phase-out of glyphosate and genetically modified corn by January 2024.

When it became obvious Mexico meant what it had been saying for two years, the U.S. agbiz network kicked into hyperdrive to muscle the U.S. Department of Agriculture to talk tough with its Mexican counterparts.

When muscle failed, the agbiz gang went brainy: It commissioned a dense economic study that showed -- to no ones surprise --how a Mexican ban of American GM corn would cause catastrophic impacts on U.S. and Canadian farmers and on Mexicos own food security, noted Tim Wise, an IATP senior advisor and senior research fellow at Tufts University, in a January review of the report.

It projected massive price spikes, market chaos, and billions of dollars of lost output for U.S. corn farmers. Mexico would see its economic output fall by $19.39 billion, with an annual loss of 56,958 jobs, reducing labor income by $2.99 billion.

But, advised Wise, Dont believe a word of it because while the study is attributed to a coalition of leading food and agricultural stakeholders in both nations, it was actually commissioned by CropLife, the biotech trade association and greatly overstates the impacts of the ban.

The reports catastrophic numbers did, however, motivate some farm state politicians to express concern about Mexicos planyears after it was announced by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Many, like Iowas Rep. Randy Feenstra, demanded USDA hold the Mexican government accountable for banning biotech corn imports in violation of the USMCA.

In mid-December, a Mexican delegation in Washington, D.C. to discuss the proposed GM corn ban, offered to delay the January 2024 deadline to 2025, and maybe beyond, for feed corn, noted Wise in his January story.

A month later, in a trilateral summit between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, President Joe Biden raised the pending GM corn ban with President Lopez Obrador. Biden, however, was politely, but firmly, rebuffed.

Mexico is standing pat because, first, it already has offered to delay its GM corn deadline one year, until Jan. 1, 2025 and, second, it has signaled it would discuss an import ban on GM corn used only for human consumption while allowing imported GM corn used to feed livestock. If that deal could be struck, it would remove most -- maybe all --the ban on 95% of the U.S. corn now exported to Mexico.

Moreover, several trade attorneys like Anglin Treat believe the USMCA trade deal gives Mexico every right to take what it deems to be appropriate precautionary measures to protect public health and the environment, including a ban on agricultural biotechnology.

To preclude an even bigger fight -- and maybe a huge loss -- over the USMCA language, the U.S. should take what Mexico now offers: an extra year to negotiate a GM-corn-for-feed deal that would assure an overwhelming share of todays U.S. corn exports to its best corn customer.

After all, the customer is always right even when its only 95% right.
Case High presents February musical

MOUNT PLEASANT  The Case High School Drama Department, with support from RUSD Extended Learning, presents Catch Me If You Can, The Musical Feb. 17-26.

Based on the hit Dreamworks motion picture and the true story that inspired it, Catch Me If You Can is the high-flying, splashy Broadway musical that tells the story of Frank W. Abagnale Jr., a teenager who runs away from home in search of the glamorous life. With nothing more than his boyish charm, a big imagination and millions of dollars in forged checks, Frank successfully poses as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer  living the high life and winning the girl of his dreams. But when Franks lies catch the attention of FBI agent Carl Hanratty, Carl chases Frank to the end and finds something he never expected.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Feb. 17-18 and 24-25 and 2 p.m. Feb. 19 and 26 in the Cash High School Auditorium, 7345 Washington Ave. Tickets cost $8 or $4 for students. Go to bit.ly/3HpoYUb.

Grease at UGHS

UNION GROVE  Union Grove High Schools spring musical Grease will be staged March 10-18.

Here is Rydell Highs senior class of 1959: duck-tailed, hot-rodding Burger Palace Boys and their gum-snapping, hip-shaking Pink Ladies in bobby sox and pedal pushers, evoking the look and sound of the 1950s in this rollicking musical.

Head greaser Danny Zuko and new (good) girl Sandy Dumbrowski try to relive the high romance of their Summer Nights as the rest of the gang sings and dances its way through such songs as Greased Lightnin, Its Raining on Prom Night, and Alone at the Drive-In Movie recalling the music of Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Elvis Presley that became the soundtrack of a generation.

Performances are at 7 p.m. March 10, 2 and 7 p.m. March 11, 7 p.m. March 17 and 2 p.m. March 18 in the Union Grove High School Performance Center, 3433 S. Colony Ave. Tickets cost $5; go to ughs.ludus.com. To purchase tickets in-person, enter the school doors on Highway 45 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

UW-Parkside observes Black History Month

SOMERS  The University of Wisconsin-Parkside will commemorate Black History Month in February. It recognizes and celebrates the historical and cultural contributions that Black people have made to U.S. society.

Black History Month is sponsored by various campus offices and collaborators such as the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA), University Advancement team, the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the UW-Parkside Library, the College of Arts and Humanities and the Black Student Union.

Music, film, student-led activities, discussion of critical issues and the BSUs Essence Ball (open to the public) with a fashion show featuring locally owned businesses from Racine will be among the highlights of the month that students, staff, faculty, and the community are invited to attend.

BSU is also hosting the Black Business Expo from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, featuring both student-owned and local businesses.

Another highlight of the programming is the Black Ranger meet-up. This is a networking event where UW-Parkside Black students, faculty, staff and alumni are welcomed back to fortify connections.

To learn more, go to uwp.edu/live/offices/multiculturalaffairs/blackhistorymonth.cfm.

Volunteers wanted for Reality Check Day

RACINE  Educators Credit Union is seeking volunteers for Reality Check Day, an interactive, hands-on financial literacy event for high school students. It will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, March 21-22, at Roma Lodge, 7130 Spring St., Mount Pleasant.

Volunteers will be working with students at various life stations, and educating and assisting them about their choices and how to make smart purchasing decisions. The students goal is to discover the costs associated with everyday living and maintain a positive balance in their budget.

Training, breakfast and lunch will be provided at the event. To sign up or for more information, contact Victor Frasher at victorf@ecu.com or 262-497-5027.

Mattress fundraiser at Evergreen Feb. 11

RACINE  Evergreen Academy, 3351 Chicory Road, will host a mattress fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11.

More than 25 name-brand mattress models (many made in Wisconsin) will be on display in all sizes with factory warranties. All forms of payment are accepted and financing is available. Delivery takes approximately four weeks. Adjustable bases, luxury pillows, sheets and mattress protectors will also be sold.

Proceeds benefit EverGreen Academys music department to purchase a keyboard lab and new instruments.
TOWN OF BURLINGTON  About 10 years after building new headquarters, Wisconsin Vision Associates Inc. is expanding those facilities and making plans for extra space in a former grocery store.

The distributer of contact lenses and other medical goods is constructing a nearly $3 million addition to its headquarters operation at 35263 W. State St. in the Town of Burlington.

Company officials also have approached the City of Burlington about plans for creating a new warehouse in the old Richters Marketplace grocery store, located two miles away in the city.

Wisconsin Vision Associates representatives could not be reached for comment about either project, but local officials familiar with the companys addition and warehouse plan said the medical goods supplier is carving out space for continuing growth of its sales and distribution business.

The company now describes itself as the nations largest independent and doctor-owned contact lens distributor.

Julie Anderson, director of public works and development services for Racine County, said the estimated 12,000-square-foot expansion on State Street is designed primarily for more storage of inventory.

The market for this company has expanded rapidly, and they need more space, Anderson said.

The county approved a conditional use permit in 2013 when Wisconsin Vision moved to the Town of Burlington site. And county officials have since reviewed the companys expansion plan.

Work in progress on the expansion was visible this week to motorists passing the companys 26-acre campus along State Street just west of Burlingtons city limits.

The company has estimated the additions cost at $2.75 million.

Burlington town officials approved a building permit allowing the expansion to get started under contractor PSG Construction Inc.

Town Administrator Rachel Naber said she welcomes growth of the family-owned Wisconsin Vision Associates, and she hopes it means that CEO Christopher Fait and his family soon will be hiring more people, too.

Its nice to see local people investing into our town, Naber said.

Founded in the 1980s by Faits parents, Robert Fait and Judy Fait, Wisconsin Vision warehouses and distributes contact lenses and other optical goods for doctors.

The company operated for many years at 139 W. Chestnut St. in the City of Burlington, but built its new facility starting in 2013 and relocated to the town two years later.

The estimated 70,000-square-foot complex cost $7 million to construct.

At the time, the medical goods operation had 154 employees, with plans to add 30 more.

Wisconsin Vision quickly outgrew its new home, and the company in 2020 disclosed plans to purchase the Pinecrest Shopping Center and transform the old Richters Marketplace into a warehouse.

The grocery store, 156 S. Pine St., closed in 2019 and had been vacant ever since. It represented about half of the 102,000-square-foot shopping center, which was built in the 1960s.

Burlington city officials approved rezoning for the old grocery store site at Wisconsin Visions request. But the company never publicly announced more about its Pine Street plans until recently.

Gregory Guidry, building inspector for the City of Burlington, said company officials presented tentative plans for the former grocery store property about two weeks ago.

Theyre just now starting to move forward, Guidry said.

The plans call for transforming Richters Marketplace in three phases. A building permit will be required, but no permit application has been submitted yet.

Its going to be a huge warehouse distribution center, Guidry said.

On its Facebook page, Wisconsin Vision last month posted an upbeat assessment about the companys growth during 2022.

This year our team has shown tremendous amounts of positivity, support and dedication that has contributed to our successes and achievements, the message stated. Our people are our greatest asset, and we wouldnt be here without them.

Ice sculptors compete Saturday for state championship during Burlington festival, in photos Defending champion Joshua Jakubowski at work at Burlington Ice Festival Donna Bartelson warms her hands at a fire during the Burlington Ice Festival Competitor Jim Malkowski works on his Grinch-themed ice sculpture in Burlington Mike Austin of Burlington works on his entry in state ice sculpting championship Ice carver Kate Rambo-Fons gathers a crowd while working at Burlington event Sign stretched across Pine Street in Downtown Burlington for 2022 ice festival Gingerbread houses lined up for contest during the Burlington Ice Festival Edwin Monfero carves an ice sculpture in state championship event in Burlington Ice sculptor Dan Ingebrigtson battles the elements during Burlington championship event Competitor Krista Gustafson carves a giraffe head at ice festival in Burlington Burlington High School choir performs in Kris Kringle Market during ice festival Phyllis Hartwick looks over gingerbread house contest entries in Burlington ice festival Spectators Christine Coleman and her son John watch ice sculptors Ice sculptor Kate Rambo-Fons shown through her block of ice in Burlington
RACINE  Donnell Taggart, an educational assistant at S.C. Johnson Elementary, is known to be the all-around SCJ kid whisperer.

Taggart has been with the Racine Unified School District for seven years and runs the after school busses, works with any student who comes her way and offers love and support to staff members.

Shes known to have an amazing sense of humor, to be quick with a smile, a hug and a positive solution. She is someone people can count on.

And on Friday morning, she was recognized by the Racine Police Department.

The Community Oriented Policing unit honored RUSD employees who embody the definition of love.

The RPD visited 19 schools Thursday and Friday, working to build positive relationships with schools, students, families and staff, during the COP units inaugural Love Week, understandably taking place during the first week in February, the month of Valentines Day.

One employee per school was surprise-showered with an award certificate, a gift card, candy, flowers, a balloon and gratitude.

The COP unit partnered with Hope City Church and the Rev. Tylre Butler, who donated $2,000 to purchase $100 gift cards to The Maple Table in Downtown Racine to hand out to recipients.

RPD Officer Travis Brady of the COP House at 2437 Anthony Lane organized the event by reaching out to RUSD administrators and leadership teams with schools in the City of Racine.

He asked them to choose someone who embodies the idea of love, care and going above and beyond to make the community better.

We have never seen her turn anyone away who needs help or love, comments about Taggart from the SCJ school nomination team read. She knows all the students in the building and makes them feel special anytime she talks to them.

Brady said he thought of the idea for Love Week because of negativity in the country.

He said that while Valentines Day is typically associated with gushy relationship love, it can be associated more simply with love, which can mean going beyond yourself and giving to others.

Allowing these students to embody an idea of love for a day, for a week, for a month, to go outside of maybe their sadness, their frustration, to give to somebody else  makes themselves feel good about who they are, makes them feel more competent, Brady said. Many times success starts with confidence. So were hoping to build confidence through loving somebody else, and we hope that it becomes contagious and addictive.

Honorees Below are the 17 other recipients, by school, of the RPD COP unit's Love Week awards. Bull Early Education (BEE) Center: Donna Walker Dr. Jones Elementary: Tiffani Washington Fratt Elementary: Rosalind Hardy Gilmore Fine Arts: Shelly Wihelmi Goodland Montessori: Tracy Keisler Horlick High: Joe Wendt Jefferson Lighthouse Elementary: Julia VanOudenhoven Jerstad-Agerholm: Dajuanna Sanders Julian Thomas Elementary: Elana Bloom Knapp Elementary: Kelly Szwedo Mitchell: Kim Langston Park High: Dwight Trieber Racine Alternative Learning: Lisa Strand Red Apple Elementary: Patricia Howard Roosevelt Elementary: Candee Pufahl Starbuck Middle: Sara Wroblewski Wadewitz Elementary: Marisol Hilliard RUSD Central Office: Mallory Umar

Carlsons impact

Gretchen Carlson teaches seventh grade science at Walden III Middle School and has been with RUSD for 15 years.

She also was honored Friday morning.

Carlson said she was very surprised to be selected.

Shes won a district Encore! Award and the September All Star Teacher award, but this was the biggest award shes ever received, she said, since it was in front of the whole school.

Carlson said that when working with students, she tries to find the light bulb that goes off.

It really kind of energizes me actually, when the kids see or find something out they investigate, Carlson said.

She added that volunteering outside of the classroom is important to her.

Being student-centered is definitely one of my things that just kind of drives me, gives me that purpose, and I definitely enjoy interacting with the kids for sure, Carlson said.

She teaches a robotics elective course, runs the middle and high school robotics teams, takes students on an annual rafting trip and is known to chaperone every after-school dance and activity.

I just feel really honored, Carlson said. I think that this is awesome. I think its a great thing for the community, too, in general, that they are recognizing teachers that are doing things.

Carlson also takes students on a two-night cave trip every January.

This teacher thinks its fun to spend the night in a cave, in January, in Wisconsin, said Walden Assistant Principal Jenny Jackson.

Jackson said Carlson has had an impact on so many students, past and present.

When it comes to Walden students, this person is passionate, committed, inspiring, warm, caring, Jackson said. Gretchen is one of the most devoted teachers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. She exudes a love for teaching all the students at Walden and the countless amount of hours she devotes to kids outside of the classroom.

To be able to shine a light on positivity, and encourage other people to be like these wonderful administrators and teachers and janitors and lunch ladies, it goes a long way, Brady said. It also gives an image to students who they can replicate, who they can be like. They need role models in their life, and were hoping that these wonderful people are role models.

In photos and video: Racine Police Department's COP unit surprises, honors RUSD employees Officer Travis Brady describes teacher Gretchen Carlson and presents award Officer Travis Brady implements the Walden wave Assistant Principal Jenny Jackson describes teacher Gretchen Carlson Donnell Taggart Donnell Taggart Donnell Taggart Donnell Taggart Donnell Taggart Donnell Taggart Donnell Taggart Donnell Taggart group photo Donnell Taggart group photo Donnell Taggart Donnell Taggart Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Carlson Tylre Butler Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Carlson group photo Gretchen Carlson group photo Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Carlson Gretchen Carlson Patricia Howard
Move on, then.

Gov. Tony Evers made clear his stance on state Republicans proposal to transition to a 3.25% flat income tax rate last week, telling a Madison television station if lawmakers included it in their rewrite of his soon-to-be presented state budget he would veto it, possibly even if it meant vetoing the entire budget.

(A flat tax) is kind of a death knell for me, Evers said. I think our progressive tax system is a good one. And we dont need to be spending our time and effort to provide the wealthiest Wisconsinites with some extraordinary large tax cut.

GOP Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu has been pushing for the flat tax which would supplant the states four-bracket income tax based on income level. Income of 0 to $12,760 is taxed at 3.54%; income of $12,760 to $25,520 is taxed at a rate of 4.65%; income of $25,520 to $280,950 at a rate of 5.3%, and income over that at a rate of 7.65%.

Wisconsin has had the progressive income tax system since 1912.

LeMahieu and other Republicans contend switching to a flat tax would make Wisconsin more competitive with other states  like Illinois. Its ridiculous that the state of Illinois, the vast majority of income taxpayers pay a lower tax rate than the state of Wisconsin, LeMahieu said recently, The voters of Illinois just two years ago, when they voted for Joe Biden, rejected a progressive tax like ours.

But a 3.25% flat tax would come with a big price tag  if it was fully implemented it would reduce state revenue by $5 billion annually, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Thats one way to take a chunk off the states projected $7 billion surplus this year.

And, in fact, as Evers pointed out, the biggest benefactors of a flat tax would be the wealthy. Two-thirds of the tax cut would go to people making more than $150,000 a year.

Someone making over $1 million a year would see an average annual state tax reduction of $112,167. Contrast that to someone making $40,000 to $50,000  theyd see a reduction of about $290 a year.

Fortunately, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, seems to be reading the tea leaves correctly. Vos said last week that while a flat tax would be his preference, but I understand Gov. Evers has concerns with that.

But the most important thing for us to do, we have to make big efforts toward reducing out tax burden.

Flat tax would be ideal. If we cant get to ideal, there are other ways to get there.

Vos said he wouldnt insist on including a flat income tax as part of the Republican budget proposal.

Great. Find those other ways. Remember, time is money. The governor and the GOP-controlled Legislature shouldnt waste it on proposals that are going nowhere.
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.

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Fatima Hasanova





Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has tightened the ban on the death penalty, Azernews reports.

The Azerbaijani president has authorized the relevant agency to ratify Protocol No. 13 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which calls for the complete abolishment of the death penalty.

According to Fuad Alasgarov, an assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, the decision to sign Protocol No. 13 is timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in Azerbaijan, although in 1993 Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev introduced a moratorium on the execution of death sentences.

In his historic speech to the parliament on February 3, 1998, national leader Heydar Aliyev emphasized that everyone has an unalienable right to life and that the death penalty is an unjust punishment that violates human dignity. He also expressed his confidence that the abolishment of the death penalty would not only be a historic event but also a key step in the humanization of criminal law policy and the reform of capital punishment.

Azerbaijan was the first nation in the East to abolish the death penalty as a result of this initiative, which was founded on humanism, justice, and freedom.

Along with passing the key pieces of national legislation ending the death penalty, the great leader also spearheaded the nation's ratification of Protocol No. 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which seeks to end the death penalty.

Despite the fact that the death penalty was prohibited by these 1980 international agreements, war crimes still carried the death penalty. To abolish the death penalty in all circumstances, however, international human rights law continued to advance, leading to the adoption of Protocol No. 13 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Azerbaijan never intended to use the death penalty because of the humanistic policies of the government, and no crimes are covered by national legislation. On the contrary, deliberate and ongoing efforts are being made to further liberalize the criminal justice system.

President Ilham Aliyev's action demonstrated once more his commitment to upholding the highest standard of human rights, he concluded.
Depression can be triggered by a variety of factors, including relationship or financial stress, trauma, loss, changes in the brains chemistry and certain medical conditions. On top of this, a tendency toward negative thinking can make someone more susceptible to depression.

Some may feel that they are not good enough to love or be loved, not good enough to challenge themselves and not good enough to experience happy feelings. We live in a culture called meritocracy, which is a system in which individuals are promoted or rewarded based on their abilities and achievements.

When we have failed to meet our own expectations or goals, it is easy to criticize ourselves or have a tendency toward negative thinking. We might say, I am not good enough. I do not deserve it.

As a pastor, I have met some people experiencing depression. Especially after COVID-19, depression has become intense. First, I ask them to meet a counselor. Most of the pastors are not certified counselors or physicians. But pastors can offer spiritual guidance.

Second, I, as a pastor, invite them to ponder and meditate on Psalm 139 in order to let them know how they are precious in Gods sight. The Psalmist praises God: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:13-14, NIV)

The Psalmist also praises God for Gods action and grace. I ask them to follow verse 14, I am fearfully and wonderfully made. This confession reminds us of Gods grace that we cannot earn through our efforts or achievements. Gods grace is freely given to us. Thats why we call it Gods gift. Our foremost identity exists not because of our achievements, but because of Gods grace.

As Psalm 139 also talks about the mothers womb and the water image, we might remember the baptism of Jesus in Matthew 3. When Jesus was baptized, heaven was open and said, This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. (Matt 3:17) As God already worked in us a long time ago, even in the mothers womb, we need to hear the same voice from God toward us.

Although we sometimes feel not enough or worthy of being loved, we need to remember that we are already loved by God, who proclaims, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are my child, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen has appointed former state Sen. Jim Scheer of Norfolk to the University of Nebraska Board of Regents to replace himself.

Scheer will serve District 3, which covers northeast Nebraska. It's the district Pillen had served until he resigned the day before he was sworn in as the state's 41st governor.

Scheer will serve out the remainder of Pillen's term, which expires at the end of 2024.

"Jim is a public servant who will work to grow the University of Nebraska," Pillen said in a press release. "He believes in educational excellence, the importance of agriculture and fiscal conservative leadership."

NU President Ted Carter said he looks forward to Scheer's leadership on the board and working together to serve students' needs and to grow the workforce.

Scheer served two terms representing District 19 in the Legislature from 2013 to 2021. He was elected speaker in 2017. Previously, he served on the Norfolk school board and as the mayor of Norfolk. Between 2004 and 2008, he was on the Nebraska State Board of Education and served as the board president in 2011 and 2012.

He is a small business owner, who runs an insurance agency and an auto-parts store. Scheer earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The Board of Regents has eight members elected by district to six-year terms. The board next meets on Feb. 10.

Scheer is the second high-profile appointment to an elected position that Pillen has made in his first month as governor. He picked his predecessor, former-Gov. Pete Ricketts, to serve in the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Ben Sasse.

Ricketts was one of Pillen's most prominent backers and he contributed $100,000 directly to Pillen's campaign for governor, which raked in more than $11 million during the election cycle, according to state disclosure records. By contrast, Scheer made two contributions to Pillen's campaign totaling $1,250.

Top Journal Star photos for January 2023
OMAHA -- This man, dubbed the greatest Jeopardy! player of all time, will headline the Nebraska Science Festival.

Who is Ken Jennings?

Jennings, a standout player-turned-co-host of the quiz show, will headline the annual festival with a presentation April 6. He will present Artificial Intelligence: Are Humans in Jeopardy? The presentation is free but requires a reserved ticket.

Its slated for 7:30 p.m. at the Boys Town Music Hall, 13715 Flanagan Blvd. The festival runs April 1 through April 30. During his keynote, Jennings will share the behind-the-scenes account of his 2011 battle with IBMs Watson. The super-intelligent computer was designed to beat the worlds best Jeopardy! players.

Jennings watched Jeopardy! daily and dreamed of becoming a participant. He first appeared on the show in 2004, leading to a 74-game win streak. In 2020, he was named the shows Greatest of All Time after competing with fellow champs James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter.

In 2022, he became permanent co-host of Jeopardy! with Mayim Bialik. Tickets to Jennings presentation will be available on a first-come, first-served basis starting March 6. For information, visit nescifest.com.

Can you answer these real 'Jeopardy!' clues about American history? clues about American history? Clue #1 Answer #1: Who is Gwendolyn Brooks? Clue #2 Answer #2: Who is Benedict Arnold? Clue #3 Answer #3: What is Glory Days? Clue #4 Answer #4: Who is Phillis Wheatley? Clue #5 Answer #5: What is the Mexican-American War? Clue #6 Answer #6: Who is Misty Copeland? Clue #7 Answer #7: Who is Aaron Burr? Clue #8 Answer #8: Who is Margaret Mead? Clue #9 Answer #9: What is a bowie knife? Clue #10 Answer #10: Who is Sir Francis Drake? Clue #11 Answer #11: What is a 747? Clue #12 Answer #12: What is Denver? Clue #13 Answer #13: Who is Tecumseh? Clue #14 Answer #14: Who is Susan B. Anthony? Clue #15 Jackson? Clue #16 Answer #16: What is daylight saving time? Clue #17 Answer #17: What is Washington D.C.? Clue #18 Answer #18: Who is Zora Neale Hurston? Clue #19 Answer #19: What is Washington? Clue #20 Answer #20: Who is Eleanor Roosevelt? Clue #21 Answer #21: Who is Abraham Lincoln? Clue #22 Answer #22: What is Yorktown? Clue #23 Answer #23: Who is Reggie Jackson? Clue #24 Answer #24: Who is Horace Mann? Clue #25 Answer #25: Who is Kim Jong-il?


By Deauwand Myers



Way back in May of 2013, geopolitical analyst Doug Bandow wrote an incendiary, yet not widely read, column for the conservative think tank the Cato Institute about South Korea's defense posture and its dependence on the United States for military preparedness. The title, and you won't believe it: "South Korea: Close Friend of the U.S., and a Defense Welfare Queen." The subtitle: "Even if Seoul is improbably believed to be an essential ally, it does not require U.S. defense subsidies."



So many things to unpack here. Welfare Queen is an old, tired, racist trope created by American conservatives stylizing black women as being sexually pliant, unfit mothers with multiple children, living a lavish lifestyle off of social welfare programs. How that trope, promulgated by President Ronald Reagan, has anything to do with South Korea and its military independence is beyond me. I don't see why the term would ever be used in any context, as it is a lie, and certainly not when writing about something as serious as a key Asian ally (South Korea) buffeted by two nuclear adversaries, China and North Korea.



I digress. There's a whole lot wrong with Bandow's piece, the title notwithstanding. Any novice would tell you an ally so geographically close to nuclear adversaries is in itself an asset for American diplomatic and defense priorities. Korean intelligence and experience in dealing with North Korea is invaluable in the continued monitoring of North Korea (and China). So yes, in Asia, South Korea is an essential ally.



Though deliberately worded to be low-key racist and as about as nuanced as a sledgehammer, part of Bandow's piece is worthy of discussion and consideration.



Should Korea, as wealthy and technologically advanced as its neighbor Japan is, take more proactive steps in defending itself, and would these proactive measures include commanding all forces in Korea if such a time arrived? This is called OPCON, or Operational Command, meaning that if a war broke out on the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean defense apparatus would take the lead in running military operations.



In June of 2022, Clint Work's policy paper, "No More Delays; Why It's Time to Move Forward With Wartime OPCON Transition: The history and evolution of the U.S.-ROK military command architecture reveal the inherent push and pull at the heart of the alliance" makes a forceful argument that it is past time for Korea to execute OPCON.



He writes, "Over time, the transfer of operational control (OPCON) has been complicated by a myriad of conceptual shifts, concerns regarding North Korea  increased tension between the U.S. and China  the alliance must either redouble its effort to move forward and transition wartime OPCON to a ROK-led combined command architecture or develop a more feasible arrangement."



Mr. Work is correct. There's not an easy fix to Korea's defense conundrum. But is a fix necessary? Korea and Japan are covered with what's called a "nuclear umbrella," mostly via American submarines.



Moreover, the Korean defense ministry has not been standing idly by in creating a better fighting force, one that could potentially take over OPCON and lead both Korean and American forces in battle. The reforming of compulsory conscription (all able-bodied men have to spend time in the military), increasing the salaries of career military officers, and a refining of logistics throughout Korea's armed services are meaningful examples. Most strikingly, in this regard, is Korea's advanced fighter jet system, an indigenous project jointly funded by Korea and Indonesia (wherein, upon completion, Indonesia will share in the technologies and use the same prototype for their own air force).



Korea has been taking hints from its Chinese and Japanese neighbors, both of which have homegrown fighter jet systems of their own. China has the Chengdu J-20, colloquially nicknamed the "Mighty Dragon." Japan has The Mitsubishi F-X (unofficially called F-3), a stealth fighter in late-staged development for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). This iteration will be Japan's first domestically-developed stealth fighter jet, replacing the Mitsubishi F-2 by the next decade or so. There are very few countries that can build and operate a domestically-developed fighter jet with proven stealth technologies.



Korea's own KAI KF-21 Boramae (formerly known as KF-X) is its answer to China's J-20 and Japan's F-3. The fighter jet, now in advanced stages of development like Japan's F-3, is meant to modernize the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) and bring costs down in the purchasing of jets. (Many advanced democracies embrace the costs of buying jets from Lockheed, for example, because domestically creating military jets, and airplanes more broadly, is time-consuming, technologically and logistically complex, and exceedingly expensive.



The KAI KF-21 is unabashedly a sign that the Korean government is seriously and deliberately considering a defense future where they are in charge and America is a helping partner.





Deauwand Myers (deauwand@hotmail.com) holds a master's degree in English literature and literary theory, and is an English professor outside of Seoul.






Qabil Ashirov





A round table dedicated to the Youth Day was held in the Hague with Azerbaijani youth, with the support of the Azerbaijan Youth Foundation, the Embassy of Azerbaijan to the Netherlands, and Azerbaijani Students and Alumni Platform (ASAP), Azernews reports.

Ambassador Rahman Mustafayev opened the meeting held at the Embassy of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The state youth policy, which was founded by National Leader Heydar Aliyev, left a deep mark on the development of Azerbaijani youth. According to the Great Leader's Decree dated February 2, 1997, February 2 was declared Youth Day in Azerbaijan, the ambassador said.

The ambassador noted that nowadays youth policy in Azerbaijan has entered a new stage in terms of substance and quality and this policy is successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev.

The conditions and opportunities created for the spiritual development of young people, their upbringing in the spirit of patriotism, their education in foreign countries, and the solution of their social problems, the formation and development of youth organizations are a clear indication of great attention to this field, the ambassador added.

R. Mustafayev said that students in the Netherlands play an important role in the development of Azerbaijan-Netherlands relations, and in promoting the history, culture, and successes of our country to the Netherlands.

Qadir Khalilov, Deputy Executive Director at the Azerbaijan Youth Foundation, and Rafael Hajibeyli, executive director of ASAP, made speeches and held discussions at the meeting.
Across the nation, state and our community, fentanyl is leading the drug addiction crisis, surpassing all other substances in overdose deaths. Cheap, powerful and easily transported due to its microscopic size, the synthetic opioid is nearly impossible to measure precisely for illicit use and is increasing mixed  sometimes without the awareness of the user  in drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine and even marijuana.

With a distressing 11 local overdose deaths being investigated just five weeks into 2023, and the possible inclusion of tranquilizers in area drug supply, medical officials and law enforcement are ramping up efforts to warn the community of just how dangerous the drug is, and to get naloxone into the hands of those who use and the people around them.

In part one of Fentanyl: A deadly epidemic, the Tribune shares the story of Amara Rose Lee, and the devastation caused by her addiction and death from an accidental overdose.

Its going to be different this time.

For years, the cycle repeated. Heidi Overson would lose contact with her daughter, fraught with worry as weeks passed. Eventually, a call would come in and Overson would leap to the rescue of Amara Mari Rose, pulling her out of a rough situation or picking her up from jail.

Id say, Oh God, there she is, and wed hug as tight as we could and Id say, Its going to be different this time, recalls Overson.

And one day it was, but unfathomably so. On Jan. 7, 2022, Amara Rose Lee died. She was 31 years old.

Driving factor in deaths

Overson couldnt sleep that night. Hour after hour slumber eluded her and eventually Overson gave up, rolling over and turning on her phone. At 5:33 a.m. she saw the text  Mari, high on meth, had tried to shoot down on heroin, unaware it was actually pure fentanyl.

Hey, this is Amaras boyfriend, they just found Amara dead, Im so sorry. She was supposed to come home, the text read. She was so beautiful inside and out, such a good person, she never wanted to keep using.

Mari was one-of-a-kind  spirited, independent, funny, highly intelligent and beautiful  but the way she died is becoming frighteningly common. Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. have been rising steadily since 2015, with over 103,000 in 2021 alone, and Wisconsin that year saw a 10% increase at 1,427 total.

Fentanyl  an opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine  has dominated in 2021, responsible for over 60% of overdose deaths nationwide and 73% of those in Wisconsin. It is often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive and more dangerous, the CDC explains.

In La Crosse County, 84% of overdose deaths in 2021 involved fentanyl, per the Medical Examiners data page, and in 2022 of the 37 confirmed overdoses  toxicology results are pending on two more  24 included fentanyl: three only fentanyl; 14 methamphetamine and fentanyl; five cocaine and fentanyl; and two methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl.

As of Feb. 2, 11 overdose deaths were being investigated in La Crosse County for 2023, according to chief medical examiner Beth Lubinski. The resistance to narcan in multiple cases has raised concerns the animal tranquilizer xylazine may be present in area supply of heroin or fentanyl.

In 2020, per a Kaiser Family Foundation report, the majority of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S.  and in Wisconsin  were among those age 25 to 34. The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics puts Wisconsins overdose rate at 21.1 per 100,000, which is 1.93% higher than the national average.

Fentanyl overdose deaths on a national level are rising 2.5 times faster than heroin overdose deaths, and with opioid prescriptions decreasing, fentanyl overdose deaths outpace those from prescription opioids by over 550%.

From 2020 to 2022 nationwide, monthly drug overdose deaths among youth 10 to 19 almost tripled, with fentanyl involved in 84% of the fatalities.

This is our pandemic, says Scott Bjerkos, investigator with the Vernon County Sheriffs office. The age range of deaths are dropping. Its getting more and more to the kids.

Drug users, Bjerkos says, may not knowingly be taking fentanyl. In addition to heroin and meth, even vapes, marijuana and THC gummies can be contaminated with the synthetic opioid.

In 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration confiscated over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills  some labeled as oxycodone, Percocet, Adderall and Xanax  and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, the equivalent of some 379 million fatal doses.

A dose of fentanyl is a fraction of that of other drugs, making it easier to smuggle.

There is such a vast amount that is coming across the Mexico border, says Bjerkos. The DEA has seized enough fentanyl to kill everyone in the U.S.

Last April, the La Crosse Police Department uncovered over 22 pounds of meth, nearly 3 pounds of fentanyl and almost 26 grams of cocaine during a drug bust of two residences. A single pound of fentanyl, says Dr. Chris Eberlein, emergency medicine at Gundersen Health System, is enough to kill 200,000 people.

In the La Crosse area, fentanyl first appeared on the medical examiners list of overdose causes in 2009, one of only six confirmed deaths, three of which involved prescription opioids. In three separate years there were no fentanyl overdose deaths, but in 2016, says Eberlein, We started to see fentanyl show up more on the scene. In 2017 it overtook the prescription opioids, and it has been the driving factor in drug overdose deaths ever since.

Fentanyl, of which a mere two milligrams can be deadly, is virtually impossible to measure out consistently in a street drug. This can lead to individuals taking a far greater dose than anticipated or intended, subsequently causing respiratory arrest.

Says Eberlein, Its the not breathing that kills people.

The descent into addiction

Mari battled addiction half her life. Born to Overson and Jeff Richardson, she was raised in La Crosse by her mother and stepfather, Randall Overson, with Richardson moving out of state and staying involved with Mari through calls and visits.

Mari was the cutest little girl in the world. She had long curly hair, says Overson. You could see her personality come out early on. She was a really sweet girl.

Adds Richardson, As she was growing up, she had this great sense of humor and was very intuitive. She always had her finger on the pulse of everyone around her.

Mari did well in school and had a wide circle of friends. The family  including Maris half-siblings Kristen and Jacob  moved to Coon Valley when she was in middle school, settling on the farmland owned by Oversons parents. As Mari started at her new school, her personality began to shift, becoming defiant and listening to music Overson felt had harmful messaging.

She was my first child  it was a totally new experience. Id never been a mother to a teenager before. When the mood swings started, I thought it was just teen angst, says Overson.

Diagnosed with depression in middle school, Mari was prescribed antidepressants but began selling her pills and using marijuana and alcohol. She also began shoplifting, says Overson, who found Mari a counselor.

She seemed to be doing better, says Overson, who notes there is no history of addiction on either side of the family, but there are mental health issues.

By high school, Mari was ticketed for underage drinking and began using ecstasy and shrooms with a boyfriend.

Sometimes I looked around her room when I suspected something was wrong, says Overson. She discovered that a giant teddy bear in Maris room had a large hole in it.

I think thats where she hid her drugs, says Overson, who also had suspicions Mari was concealing drugs above the ceiling tiles in her bedroom. But I never found any.

Mari graduated from high school with Richardson, along with his youngest adopted child, her siblings, parents and her grandparents in attendance.

I remember being so proud, says Richardson. She was this beautiful blonde girl with a black streak in her hair  I loved her independence.

Mari briefly attended Western Technical College before leaving to work full time. By then, Mari was also using oxycontin and in 2015 discovered meth. Overson wasnt aware at the time her daughter was using hard drugs but notes during visits She seemed flighty. But that was also part of her personality ... flighty, full of energy and goofy.

Childhood friends of Maris expressed their concern for her, but she drifted away as she was drawn deeper into a rough crowd. Mari began dating someone she met years earlier who was an active heroin user.

She loved his high and she wanted his high, says Overson. He gave her first injection and she was hooked.

A vicious cycle

In 2015, Mari was arrested in Vernon County for possession of methamphetamine, and over the next five years charges  and jail stints  added up across La Crosse, Monroe and Vernon Counties: illegally obtained prescriptions, bail jumping, theft, narcotics.

Every time she got out of jail Id tell her, Dont go back on Facebook, says Overson, knowing Mari used the social media platform to buy and sell drugs.

Overson believes Mari genuinely wanted to stop using, but the pull of drugs was too strong.

She had the disease of addiction  stage four addiction, says Overson.

Addiction specialist Dr. Harry Haroutunian, in his article The Target Organ of Addiction, notes drug and alcohol dependence affects the midbrain, which dictates survival behaviors.

Drugs of abuse affect the midbrain by causing it to release 2 to 10 times more dopamine than natural rewards do. If were smoking or injecting our drug, the effects can be immediate and long lasting, says Haroutunian. At first, the high is bigger, better and stronger than the natural high most of us get from pleasurable activities. Our brain rewards us for using drugs, and drawn to the dopamine, we do it again and again.

Over time our brain, overwhelmed by repeated surges in dopamine and other neurotransmitters, adapts (and) we need to take drugs just to feel normal.

When he heard Mari had overdosed  the first of multiple times  Richardson immediately flew to La Crosse to see his daughter in the hospital.

I remember holding her and thinking, Thank God Im holding her, recalls Richardson.

It wasnt until Maris near-death experience that Richardson was aware of the extent of her addiction, having not been kept in the loop as much as he would have expected. A critical care nurse of three decades and father, with his husband, to three adopted children born with drugs in their systems, Richardson had a deep understanding of the tragedy of addiction.

It was really difficult to see Mari have kind of the same problems as the birth mothers (of my other children) did, says Richardson. In his work, he had seen many patients come in with trauma due to accidents sustained while under the influence, and individuals suffering from overdoses.

Heidi and I discussed the possibility that she might die or spend a very long time in prison, Richardson says of Mari. They considered having her relocate to North Carolina to live near Richardson and his family, far from the influences of her crowd and surroundings.

Looking back, Richardson says, Maybe I should have made her get in the car and take her back with me.

Richardson and Overson began educating themselves on addiction, and Mari was admitted to the rehab facility Unity House.

I was so naive  I thought three weeks there would solve everything, says Overson.

Richardson flew back to Wisconsin for Maris rehab graduation and says at the time, we had a lot of hope.

But the next few years, he says, were kind of a blur.

Mari went through rehab at ARC in Fond du Lac for six months, but Overson says, Im pretty sure she used the day she got back. Mari spent five months at ARC in Milwaukee, but after her favorite counselor left she began to lose progress, not feeling the same level of support by the new staff.

The day she got back I saw her and she was high, says Overson. It was like a part of her was just gone.

Overson, who now had another daughter, Hallie, was not comfortable with Mari staying in her home, where there was evidence she had been using drugs. She would take Mari for lunch and drive her to appointments, and while Mari was still fun and funny to be around, her brain was altered.

Richardson would come back to the La Crosse area to visit, but for a period of two years Mari refused to connect with him  She didnt want me to see her like that  and sometimes the only time he would hear from her is when she was calling from jail. Richardson felt guilt for not living closer, thinking maybe that would have prevented Mari from falling so far.

As the years went on, Mari lost more and more  her drivers license, her rented home, her car, her dog, her job. She wasnt able to open a bank account, acquire student loans or find work due to her felony record, Overson says, and Mari grew increasingly discouraged and utterly hopeless. A family of faith, Mari pleaded for me to pray over her, and I did, says Overson.

I remember her saying once, What was there to live for? Overson says. I kept encouraging her, saying Youre young and well help you. Dont give up, dont ever give up.

Facing incarceration

For 17 years, Veronica Hoiland has worked as a correctional officer in Vernon County, and on and off for 10 of those years, Mari was in the care of the jail.

Hoiland has always taken the position she is not there to judge  Negativity is not going to teach (inmates) anything  but for security and safety. It isnt hard for her to find compassion  I try to give them some kind of positive feedback, Hoiland says  and in Mari she felt a connection.

I was humbled to get to know Amara, says Hoiland. She was down to earth. She was a good person. She loved her dogs and her siblings and talked a lot about her life. She touched many.

During talks with Mari, Hoiland says, there would be tears running down both their cheeks. She had a beautiful soul, says Hoiland, and was deeply honest  Mari took responsibility and felt genuine remorse for her actions.

Over the years, Hoiland has seen the drug crisis worsen, and with it the odds of recovery upon release from jail. While incarcerated, individuals have hot meals, they are taking their medication, they have warm, safe housing and they are free from the pressures of the outside.

If youre in jail for a length of time they go out healthier than when they come in, says Hoiland. But once individuals leave jail custody, the whole thing changes.

For a chance at lasting recovery, Hoiland says, individuals need to change where they live and who they surround themselves with. Housing and jobs can be expensive and hard to come by for those with a record, and for some families rehab isnt an option for their loved ones.

Its too expensive  people have mortgaged their homes, says Hoiland. Longer treatment stays have increased success rates, with a transition into sober living further helping with lasting recovery. For Maris family, like so many others, this was not financially feasible.

In 2018, Mari was back in Vernon County jail after the tragic overdose of a friend, Karl. A year earlier, Mari had purchased heroin for them. Karl took a syringe and Mari brought the other home. Unbeknownst to them both, Karls dose was laced with fentanyl, and he died.

Using security cameras at the location of the overdose death, investigators were able to identify Mari as the person who given Karl the heroin, and she was arrested. Released on bond, Mari lived at the Overson home, the whole family torn up emotionally over what had happened. After the family moved to Westby, Mari failed to show up for a bond hearing regarding the death, instead fleeing the area.

News sites put up Maris mugshot, asking for help locating her, and though Overson knew it wasnt a good idea, she read the comments and was horrified by the words of both strangers and those she knew. While checking out at a store, the cashier treated me like dirt, Overson says, and even her veterinarian suggested Mari had chosen addiction.

They have a choice at the very beginning, Overson says of those using drugs. (But) once theyre hooked, there is no choice. Their body and brain need it to function.

After being apprehended by police and serving a one-year sentence in Vernon County jail, Mari was released with the condition that subsequent offenses would result in a multi-year imprisonment. Though likely hard for others to comprehend, Overson wished Mari had gone to prison, where she could take classes, earn a degree, receive treatment and, most importantly, stay sober.

The parole offices wouldnt listen to me, says Overson. No one knew Amara as well as I did. She often told me she wouldnt have minded prison. She knew she needed help.

But while Mari slipped up many times, Overson says, they never followed through.

Once, while accompanying Mari to meet her parole officer in Viroqua, she watched, distressed, as Mari became belligerent and was arrested on the spot. Overson was there when a police car drove up and her daughter was handcuffed.

That was one of the moments Ill never forget as long as I live, says Overson. I sobbed uncontrollably in the office break room as I heard them take her away. I lost her again. My heart literally sunk. I couldnt breathe. This was my baby.

Driving home with the seat beside her empty was crushing. But in jail, Overson said, at least she knew Mari was in a safer place. During what would be her final arrest, in November 2021, as police placed Mari in the squad car she said, Im glad this happened because I need help.

That haunts me, says Overson.

Mari returned to Vernon County Jail, and Hoiland noticed a change.

She wasnt the same as the last time she was there, Hoiland says. She was very down, so down on herself because she had fallen again.

When Mari was released from jail in late December 2021, her parole officer took her to Ophelias House, a supportive housing site in La Crosse. Mari was there for three hours before she cut off her ankle bracelet and ran. On the night of Jan 6, 2022, Mari, looking for a warm place to sleep, squatted in the Onalaska apartment of an acquaintance.

Hours later, Mari took her last breath as she lay on the kitchen floor. That final high took away a woman who loved deeply  and was deeply loved  adored animals, attracted others with her bubbly personality and so desperately wanted to break free from her addiction.

I prayed so often  I never thought we would lose her, says Overson. It still doesnt seem real. Its just not real.

Mari, Overson says, gave her life to Christ.

I know shes in heaven and Ill see her again, but I am still angry, Overson says. Very angry.
Aldo Leopolds essays in A Sand County Almanac will be featured in a series of events, all of them free, in the La Crosse area for the states annual Leopold observance held each year on the first weekend in March.

Leopold, a conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer and outdoor enthusiast, is considered by many as the father of wildlife management and of the United States wilderness system.

Events include:

Virtual event, 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership Facebook page. The D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership lecture series will present a Facebook-streamed talk by UW-Madison Prof. Lauren Riters titled Why do birds sing?

Aldo Leopold wrote and spoke of listening for the first bird songs of a dawning day as in his essay, The Choral Copse in the Almanac. But almost a century later the question of why birds sing is still a puzzle according to Riters, professor of behavior neuroscience at UW-Madison. Riters received a Ph.D. in psychology in the Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Program at Bowling Green State University, where she studied how birds migrate and return home from distant locations. This was followed by postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Liege in Belgium and at The Johns Hopkins University where she began to study how and why birds sing.

Nature Saturday, 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 4, Myrick Park Center in La Crosse. The Leopold observance will be the theme of WisCorpss Nature Saturday. The family activities will include crafts, scavenger hunts and live animals.

Marsh hike, 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 4, Myrick Park Center in La Crosse. The Friends of the Marsh will hold a family-friendly hike around the marsh The theme will be Aldo Leopolds Marshland Elegy, from A Sand County Almanac. Hikers should dress for conditions.

Multiple activities, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 4, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge Visitor Center on Brice Prairie. Activities will include a talk by retired UW-L professor Steve Simpson. In the opening chapter of his new book, Essays to My Daughter on Our Relationship With the Natural World, Steve Simpson tells a story about taking a group of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students to Leopolds Shack. On the drive home, Steve updates Leopolds essay The Good Oak by recalling a dozen-plus regional environmental events that occurred well after the publication of A Sand County Almanac. Clare Simpson (the daughter for whom Essays to My Daughter was written) joins her dad to conduct a public reading that blends Leopolds The Good Oak with Steves contemporary essay The Good Oak Redux. Next, Jay Fernholz will lead a walk and talk about whats so good about oaks. Jay is a retired landscape architect who serves on the State Capitol and Executive Residence Board. Refuge staff will be available to answer questions and share tips for places to get out and explore this winter. Volunteers from the Friends of the Refuge Mississippi River Pools 7 & 8 will be staffing the Prairie Wind Nature Store during the event and will provide hot cocoa after the walk. Please dress for winter weather!

Leopold, a conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer and outdoor enthusiast, is considered by many as the father of wildlife management and of the United States wilderness system. He died in 1948 fighting a neighbors grass fire at the shack, his family getaway on the Wisconsin River near Portage. Since 2004 the state has designated the first weekend in March as a time to honor Leopold and his conservation legacy. According to the Leopold Foundation, that legacy is to inform and inspire us to see the natural world as a community to which we belong.

The La Crosse event is planned each year by representatives of local environmental and conservation groups. All of the events below are free and open to the public. No registration is required.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced that the draft Wisconsin Rail Plan 2050, which establishes a long-term vision for freight and passenger rail travel, is available for review and comment through Feb. 26.

We welcome the public to participate in planning strategic investments in rail that help strengthen our economy and make our multimodal transportation infrastructure more efficient and resilient, WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. In Wisconsin, about 32% of freight tonnage and value is transported by rail, and our passenger service has grown in demand. Continuing to make good investments in rail will improve safety, promote business development and improve our quality of life.

The draft Wisconsin Rail Plan 2050 is available to review online. Comments can be made through the online comment form. A website with more information about this planning effort is also available.

To request the plan in another form, please contact:

WisDOT

Bureau of Planning and Economic Development

4822 Madison Yards Way

PO Box 7913

Madison, WI 53705

608-266-3581

The draft Wisconsin Rail Plan 2050 is part of a comprehensive review of WisDOTs federally required long-range plans. When published, it will replace Wisconsin Rail Plan 2030. The final plan is to be completed in 2023.

The Wisconsin Rail Plan 2050 will include policies for railroad crossings, freight rail, Wisconsins state-owned rail system, long distance passenger rail, intercity rail and commuter rail. The plan will specifically discuss rail data trends, existing and possible future service levels, rail system conditions and commodity freight movements.
The League of Women Voters Winona will hold a forum to discuss the Winona Area Public Schools referendum. This forum will be held on Wednesday, March 22 at 6 pm in Winona City Hall Council Chambers, 207 Lafayette St.

A school board representative will be providing the facts about the referendum for the WAPS District #861. The WAPS school board referendum vote will be on Tuesday, April 11.

We are looking to the public for two organizational response panel members: A pro and a con. Any publicly organized group that has announced speaking for or against the referendum may contact LWV Winona to have a spokesperson at the forum. LWV Winona will share the forum format. If only one organization (either pro or con) contacts the LWV, that group will be able to make a statement at the forum.
Turkiye supports the actions of Azerbaijani eco-activists on the Lachin road, Azernews reports, citing Turkish Grand National Assembly member Shamil Ayrim.

Shamil Ayrim noted that after the second Karabakh war, the Turkish-Azerbaijani relations entered a new level and the relations will further develop.

As always, we are with Azerbaijan. We know that these actions are justified. Azerbaijan will restore full sovereignty in Khankandi and Khojali. We believe in it, he stressed.

Shamil Ayrim also thanked the media representatives.

Journalists from Azerbaijan and Turkiye played an important role in conveying our rightful voice to the world during the Second Karabakh War. They promptly informed the international community about the missile attacks on Azerbaijan, he said.
More investors are supporting a biotechnology company working on ways to bring back animals that have died off.

Some scientists, however, are doubtful such research efforts are possible  or even a good idea.

Colossal Biosciences first announced its plan to bring back a hairy ancestor of todays elephants, known as the woolly mammoth, two years ago. Recently, the company said it wanted to bring back the dodo bird: a large, flightless bird.

The dodo is a symbol of man-made extinction, said Ben Lamm of Colossal Biosciences. The company has formed a special group that works on bird-related genetic technologies.

The last dodo was killed in 1681 on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

Colossal Biosciences is based in the city of Dallas, Texas. It started operations in 2021. Recently, the company announced it had raised an additional $150 million in financing. To date, it has raised $225 million from many investors that include United States Innovative Technology Fund, Breyer Capital and In-Q-Tel, an organization supporting national security agencies.

The possibility of bringing the dodo back is not expected to directly make money, said Lamm. But the genetic tools and equipment that the company develops to try to do it may have other uses, including for human health care, he said.

For example, Colossal Biosciences is now testing tools to change several parts of the genome at the same time. It is also working on technologies for what is sometimes called an artificial womb, he said.

The dodos closest living relative is the Nicobar pigeon, said Beth Shapiro, a scientific advisor with the bioscience company.

She has been studying the dodo for 20 years. She is a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz and receives financial support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The organization also supports The Associated Press Health and Science Department.

Shapiros team plans to study DNA differences between the Nicobar pigeon and the dodo to understand what are the genes that really make a dodo a dodo, she said.

The team may then attempt to change Nicobar pigeon cells to make them seem like dodo cells. It may be possible to put the changed cells into developing eggs of other birds, such as pigeons or chickens. Then the birds might create young that could naturally produce dodo eggs, said Shapiro. The idea is not yet fully developed.

Shapiro said animals are a product of both their genetics and their environment  which has changed a lot since the 1600s. She added, its not possible to recreate a 100% identical copy of something thats gone.

Other scientists wonder if it is even a good idea to attempt to recreate species that have died off. They question whether such efforts take attention and money away from attempts to save living species.

There is a real risk in saying that if we destroy nature, we can just put it back together again  because we cant, said Duke Universitys Stuart Pimm, who has no connection with the company.

And where on Earth would you put a woolly mammoth, other than in a cage? Pimm said. He also said that the environment where mammoths lived disappeared long ago.

Biologists who know about captive breeding programs say that it can be difficult for zoo-bred animals to live in the wild.

Boris Worm is a biologist with the University of Dalhousie in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is also not linked to Colossal Biosciences.

He said animals need to learn from other wild animals of their kind  something that dodos and mammoths would not be able to do.

Preventing species from going extinct in the first place should be our priority, and in most cases, its a lot cheaper, he said.

Im John Russell.

Christina Larson reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

dodo bird  n. a kind of bird that lived in the past and that was large, heavy, and unable to fly

symbol n. an object or sign that represents an idea or that stands for something else

extinction  n. the state or situation that results when something (such as a plant or animal species) has died out completely

genome  n. the complete set of genes and genetic material in an organism

womb  n. the organ in women and some female animals in which babies develop before birth

species n. (also pl.) a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce offspring of the same kind

captive breeding n. the activity of keeping animals so they produce more young in a zoo or a place where they are not in natural conditions but in controlled ones

cheaper comparative adj. less costly than something else
Just because your family is native to an area, it does not mean you will be able to live there forever. Increasingly, many Native Hawaiians are leaving the island, known as the paradise of the Pacific, for the mainland United States.

As a Native Hawaiian, Kona Purdy never wanted to live anywhere else. He wanted his children to grow up in the same place as their ancestors, close to Honolulu.

Hawaii is one of the costliest places to live in the U.S. The Forbes Home study finds that people spend over 40 percent of the money they earn each month on their rent in Hawaii. California comes in second, but people there pay much less, about 28 percent.

Purdy said he did not mind living in a small living space if it meant he could be close to the mountains and the ocean. He and his small family shared a house with other relatives. Their part of the rent for the house was $2,300 per month. Rent is the money people pay an owner for the right to live in a home. When the cost went up, Purdy decided he had to move to a less costly place.

I was so busy working We never took our kids out to the beach. We didnt go hiking, he told the Associated Press.

In 2017, Purdy moved his four-person family to the state of Nevada. It was a hard choice, but the family found a larger living space for $1,000 per month just outside of Las Vegas. They chose Las Vegas because it is a common place for people from Hawaii to visit.

And, it is much less costly to live there. For example, a home that is priced at $300,000 in Las Vegas would cost over $1 million in Hawaii. Terry Nacion, a Native Hawaiian, works as a representative for home buyers and sellers. She left Hawaii for Las Vegas in 2003 because of the high cost of home ownership. Back home, you either had to have your home passed down to you or you have to work four jobs, she said.

The Purdys are not alone.

In 2011, the American Community Survey found that there were nearly 300,000 Native Hawaiians in Hawaii and about 221,000 in the mainland U.S. Just 10 years later, the numbers changed. In 2021, about 370,000 Native Hawaiians lived in other states and only about 310,000 lived in Hawaii.

Kona Purdy said it was painful to be apart from the land where he was born. He said the family felt like a fish out of water, living in Las Vegas.

However, just months after Purdy moved his family to Las Vegas, 20 other relatives, including his mother, uncle and sister, followed them. Even though they were thousands of kilometers from home, the Hawaiian culture was all around them. The area is full of restaurants that serve Hawaiian food and cultural events celebrating Hawaiian people.

You go into any store in any part of the valley and youll find someone from Hawaii working there or shopping there, Purdy said.

But in 2021, four years after leaving Hawaii, the Purdys decided to move back to the island. Purdys wife wanted to return to care for her mother. Their daughter got into a very good school in Honolulu which offered more opportunities for Native Hawaiian children.

The family again shares a house with other relatives. The costs are high. There is not much time to take hula lessons or go to the beach. But the Purdys feel good about returning home.

Its a grind, its hard, its really expensive, he said. But I also feel like were exactly where were supposed to be right now.

Tommy Waters, a Native Hawaiian, leads the city council in Honolulu. He has five brothers and sisters, and none live in Hawaii anymore.

Theres no Hawaii without Hawaiians, he said. Thats just incredibly sad to me, that Hawaiians cannot afford to live in Hawaii.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

paradise adj. a beautiful place

rent n. the cost to pay to live in someone elses property

hike v. to walk in nature for fun

fish out of water phrase. used to describe being in a new place

opportunity n. the chance to do something

grind n. something that is hard or difficult work

expensive adj. very costly

incredible adj. something that is hard to believe

afford v. having money to pay for something

________________________________________________________________

We want to hear from you. Do you know of other peoples who are now living away from their native land?

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As the river moves through Kenyas capital Nairobi, the clear water turns black. And large birds feed on dead animals alongside.

The Nairobi River crosses Kibera, a neighborhood of nearly 200,000 poor people. It goes near several factories that make clothes, alcohol, and building materials. Environmentalists have accused them of releasing untreated wastewater and other pollutants like oil, plastic and glass into the water.

Experts and locals fear the water is harming plants in nearby farms that feed many Kenyans. Community groups help clean up the river and the government is increasing its efforts. But families in the quickly growing suburb of Athi River, some 30 kilometers away, say they can no longer depend on the water.

Anne Nduta is a mother of two babies. At times, she uses the rivers dark waters to wash her childrens clothes by hand.

When it rains, the Athi River water is usually full of garbage, when it clears a bit we use it to wash clothes," said Nduta. But as the dry season continues, the water becomes darker in color and we have to start buying expensive water.

A 20-liter can of water sells for 20 shillings, or $0.16. Nduta would need four of them to wash her babies clothes every three days.

Morris Mutunga grows vegetables like kale, spinach and amaranth on his farm in the Athi River area. He has watched crops like French beans shrink when he used water from the river.

I wish those polluting this river upstream in Nairobi could stop for the sake of food security in our country, he said. The area is the source of many vegetables sold in Nairobi markets.

Stephen Obiero is a scientist who studies organisms and the environment. He said that waste in the river used to water farmland could expose plant products to bacteria and viruses.

The problems start upstream

The problems start further up the river.

Violet Ahuga says her family defecates in bags and throws them in the river because they cannot pay to use modern toilets. She said, I know what Im doing is pollution, but theres no other way because I cannot afford the 850-shilling (about $6.85) monthly toilet fee.

Besides, many unofficial housing areas also direct their wastewater lines straight into the river. The settlements have open trenches where people pour dirty water that flows into the river.

Kenya's new national government says it is trying to clean up the river. The government has formed a group to clean up and protect the river. But the group has no budget and is yet to meet.

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) is responsible for overseeing the river's water quality. Some Kenyan lawmakers have accused the agency of letting industries get away with polluting the river.

Research groups have found high levels of heavy metals, like lead, barium, iron, aluminum, zinc and copper, along the river.

Alex Okaru is a public health expert at the University of Nairobi. Okuru said if people drank the water, high levels of heavy metals could cause health effects such as liver and kidney damage.

NEMA chief David Ongare told The Associated Press that few companies are being charged because the government is working with industries to deal with pollution.

He said businesses are asking NEMA for help to follow its rules. And the agency follows all reported incidents of pollution.

He added that the agency has also been watching companies with past pollution problems. And he said that if any continue to have problems action would be taken.

Locals and community groups say a way to clean up the river would be to provide modern toilets at little or no cost.

In Kibera, an organization called Mazingira Yetu, Swahili for Our Environment, is working with the government to build 19 modern toilets.

The organizations co-founder, Sam Dindi, said they also wanted to prevent plastic and other waste from being dropped in the river. Plastic waste could be reused and organic waste, Dindi said, could turn into fertilizer.

Im Dan Novak.

Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

garbage  n. things that are no longer useful or wanted and that have been thrown out

upstream  n. in the direction opposite to the flow in a stream, river, etc.

sake of  n. the benefit of someone or something

defecate  v. to pass solid waste from the body

toilet  n. a large bowl attached to a pipe that is used for getting rid of bodily waste and then flushed with water

afford  v. to be able to pay for

trench  n. a long, narrow hole that is dug in the ground

fertilizer  n. a substance that is added to soil to help the growth of plants
A small asteroid was discovered recently, just days before it passed close to Earth. The object was never considered a real threat to our planet. But the discovery has raised questions about whether current systems used to identify possibly threatening objects might leave a blind spot for some objects.

NASA and its international partners continuously search the skies for what scientists call near-Earth objects. Such objects include asteroids and comets that come within 50 million kilometers of Earths orbit.

The American space agency NASA announced January 25 that an asteroid about the size of a large truck would pass very close to Earth the very next day. The agency said the object, called 2023 BU, was expected to make one of the closest trips past Earth ever recorded.

NASA said the asteroid was discovered January 21 by an amateur astronomer based in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory of Crimea. The astronomer, Gennady Borisov, is a telescope maker and operates his own observatory. He is credited with discovering an interstellar comet in 2019.

Additional observations of 2023 BU were then reported to an internationally recognized organization, the Minor Planet Center, which records the current positions of near-Earth objects. The data was added to the Near-Earth Object Confirmation Page.

NASA said that in the days leading up to the asteroids flyby, a number of observatories around the world were able to confirm the position of the object. This helped astronomers follow 2023 BUs orbit.

Davide Farnocchia is an engineer and planetary defense expert at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. He said in a statement that the agency was quickly able to rule out an asteroid strike.

NASA said the asteroid passed within 3,600 kilometers of Earth, above the southern tip of South America. That distance is 10 times closer than numerous satellites orbiting Earth.

Scientists said that even if the space rock came a lot closer to Earth, it would have burned up in the atmosphere. In that case, a few bigger pieces might have fallen to Earth as meteorites.

In general, NASA believes the probability of Earth being struck by a space rock is very low. Astronomers estimate that a space rock of 5-meters in length targets Earth once a year. And a 50-meter rock is estimated to target Earth once every 1,000 years.

But existing systems used to identify near-Earth objects have difficulty finding smaller ones. Asteroid 2023 BU was on the smaller end of a grouping of objects between 5 to 50 meters. Scientists say objects that size are difficult to identify until they get much closer to Earth. This makes it difficult to prepare for an object that might be heading for a populated area.

"We don't know where most of the asteroids are that can cause local to regional devastation," Terik Daly told Reuters news agency. He is a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland.

Some astronomers have proposed using new tools to identify near-Earth objects rather than depending on probability estimates and existing asteroid populations.

Daly noted that new identification tools could help scientists deal with a possibly dangerous asteroid event. "How many natural hazards are there that we could actually do something about and prevent for a billion dollars? There's not many," he said.

NASA is already planning to launch a new infrared space telescope designed to support current planetary defense efforts. The Near-Earth Object Surveyor is currently still in development and is set to launch in 2026. NASA officials have said the telescope promises a major improvement over existing ground-based models limited by daytime light and the effects of Earth's atmosphere.

Last year, NASA carried out the first-ever planetary defense test when it crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid. The test successfully changed the path of an asteroid named Dimorphos.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - Recent Asteroid Flyby Suggests Blind Spot in Planetary Defense Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

___________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

asteroid  n. a rocky object that goes around the sun like a planet

comet  n. an object in space that leaves a bright line behind it in the sky

amateur  n. someone who does something for fun and not as a job

regional  adj. of, or related to, a region

devastate  v. to damage badly or destroy something

hazard  n. something dangerous

______________________________________________________________

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States are spending more money and creating new incentives to ease the severe child care crisis, with most federal pandemic aid set to dry up 
Uzbekistan will receive a free shipment of liquefied gas from Turkmenistan, Azernews reports with reference to the Turkmen media.

According to the information, this order was signed by the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov in order to support the neighboring country and further strengthen the partnership between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

According to the document, the Turkmengaz State Concern must transfer a batch of liquefied gas to Uzbekistan free of charge.

Before that, the Uzbek authorities decided to increase imports of gas, coal, fuel oil, and electricity due to a shortage of energy resources against the background of the cold weather in the country.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan imports about 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Turkmenistan in winter to meet domestic demand.
FITCHBURG  Based on what the average citizen might read or hear, many people may expect the Wisconsin Legislatures return to work in the Capitol to be dominated by partisan wrangling  whether such friction is necessary or not.

While plenty of issues can sharply divide Democrats and Republicans, there are just as many  if not more  to bring lawmakers together. The continued health of the Wisconsin economy is one of them.

That often-overlooked reality was on display Feb. 1 just south of Madison at the Promega Corp.s Kornberg Building, a research center that defines some of the work taking place at one of Wisconsins oldest and most prominent biotechnology companies.

About three-dozen Senate and Assembly members and many key aides came to Promega, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as members of an informal Tech Caucus encouraged by the Wisconsin Technology Council to learn more about what makes such a company successful.

They emerged a few hours later with impressions of an organization based on research and technology, but dependent on manufacturing, skilled workers and routes of supply and sales that include Wisconsin, the nation and the world.

When asked by one lawmaker what single message he and his colleagues could take back to the Capitol, Promega founder and chief executive officer Bill Linton gave what amounted to a one-sentence answer: support for education, which is ultimately support for a well-trained workforce.

With about 2,000 workers, about 60% of whom live and work in Wisconsin, its easy to understand why Linton stressed education as he did. Only 200 or so of those 2,000 are engaged on the research side of the company. The rest drive other parts of Promega, from the manufacture of its 4,000 products to finding supplies to make them to shipping those products to 100 nations.

There are many white laboratory coats to be found at Promega, but plenty of blue-, white- and no-collar jobs, as well, with workers whose educational backgrounds extend from high school to technical college to a post-graduate degree.

Important for many legislators who listened to presentations and toured Kornberg was knowing the companys economic reach extends far beyond the Madison area. Much of the companys supply chain is based in Wisconsin, including items that go into manufacturing products such as enzymes, reagents and instruments used in research. Among the users of Promega products are pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, diagnostic labs, testing labs for food, water and plants, government research labs and forensic labs such as the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratories.

Promega has 50 distributors, 16 branches and four manufacturing sites, which speaks to the fact that a homegrown Wisconsin firm (it was founded in 1978) can often best help the Wisconsin economy by growing well beyond its borders. Money earned around the world supports training and community projects close to home, not to mention a predominantly local workforce with a low turnover rate. There hasnt been a Promega layoff in 45 years.

Lawmakers also heard about a nonprofit company related to Promega, The Usona Institute, which is moving through a series of clinical studies tied to psilocybin.

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of fungi, or magic mushrooms. The refined medicine holds potential for treating depression and other related conditions  so much so the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted breakthrough therapy status. That doesnt mean any testing corners can be cut, but it reinforces that federal reviewers are increasingly aware of its therapeutic prospects.

The Usona Institute is partnering with researchers and clinicians around the world, from Johns Hopkins to UW-Madison to Swedens Karolinska Institute. It is building a facility on Promegas Fitchburg campus. In some states, lawmakers have faced challenges tied to decriminalizing psilocybin sources while allowing medicinal tests to proceed.

Most Wisconsin lawmakers have a healthy, bipartisan curiosity about what makes the economy tick and how to help. The more they learn, the more common ground they might share.
A grease fire at a Vera Court apartment Saturday morning displaced 11 people, including 5 children, and caused $100,000 in damage, the Madison Fire Department said.

No one was injured.

The fire at 700 Vera Court, which was reported at 11:30 a.m., started from cooking left unattended, Fire Department spokesperson Bernadette Galvez said.

Firefighters found the unit filled with smoke within 3 feet of the floor, Galvez said.

The blaze never spread past the unit it began in, but it caused significant fire and smoke damage throughout the building and neighboring units, according to Galvez.
Azerbaijani Ombudswoman Sabina Aliyeva addressed a letter to Swedish Equality Ombudsperson Lars Arrhenius in connection with the burning of the holy book Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, Azernews reports.

Expressing her concern about the rise of Islamophobia in European countries, Aliyeva underlined that the act committed violates the freedom of religion and belief of all Muslims, which once again proves that the fight against discrimination, intolerance, and Islamophobia in Europe is not at the desired level.

The human rights commissioner stressed that such failure by the Swedish police to intervene in the incident by showing disrespect for the religion of Islam is unacceptable. Additionally, she reminded her Swedish colleague of the obligations of states to ensure and protect the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, which are proclaimed by international legal documents in the field of protection of human rights and freedoms.

The letter also urged Arrhenius to prevent the recurrence of similar acts in the future and bring the perpetrators of religious discord to justice.
The thump of percussion and shreds of lettuce rained down on spectators at Lisa Link Peace Park on Sunday afternoon as martial arts performers brought an iconic staple of Asian culture to Madison's Lunar New Year celebration.

The Zhong Yi Kung Fu Association dazzled the park's crowd with lion dancing, in which two people perform in a colorful lion costume.

It was the second year the association performed for the Lunar New Year, a 15-day celebration that marks the beginning of the lunar calendar. Sunday was the last day of the holiday this year.

But organizers took an important lesson from last year: The dancers performed during the day amid the February cold.

"We saw that it was going to be 30 degrees, and we thought this is the perfect weather for lion dancing," said Nelson Ferreira, founder of Zhong Yi Kung Fu.

The association put on the performance with the Central Business Improvement District, a business group that represents property and business owners on the Capitol Square and State Street.

As it did last year, the performance aimed to bring good fortune and blessings to local businesses.

After the performance, dancers blessed about a half dozen businesses around State Street, including Chen's Dumpling House, Le C's Patisserie & Tea House, Madame Chu and Ruyi Hand Pulled Noodle.

"It's always the goal when we do events is to bring the community together but also see if we can benefit our businesses and get people to spend their dollars locally," said Michelle Morrison, a program coordinator with the Central Business Improvement District.

"We always hope there's an economic advantage for them," Morrison said.

This year, organizers tried to give the audience a more thorough explanation of the meaning behind the performance.

During the dance, the lions "eat" tangerines and lettuce and then hand and launch them back to the audience.

The tangerines are a good luck symbol, much like gold, and the lettuce brings good fortune, Ferreira explained to onlookers before the dance.

"If you guys get one of the tangerines, you guys are going to have really good money coming in toward you," he said.

As martial arts students, the performers train all year. But preparation for Lunar New Year celebrations typically starts in December, Ferreira said.

"This is all part of the martial culture of Chinese arts," he said.

Photos: Yahara Fishing Clubs 25th annual Kids Ice Fishing Day
SAN FRANCISCO  The maker of ChatGPT is trying to curb its reputation as a freewheeling cheating machine with a new tool that can help teachers detect if a student or artificial intelligence wrote that homework.

The new AI Text Classifier by OpenAI follows a weeks-long discussion at schools and colleges over fears that ChatGPTs ability to write just about anything on command could fuel academic dishonesty and hinder learning.

OpenAI cautions that its new tool  like others already available  is not foolproof. The method for detecting AI-written text is imperfect and it will be wrong sometimes, said Jan Leike, head of OpenAI's alignment team tasked to make its systems safer.

Because of that, it shouldnt be solely relied upon when making decisions, Leike said.

Teenagers and college students were among the millions of people who began experimenting with ChatGPT after it launched Nov. 30 as a free application on OpenAI's website. And while many found ways to use it creatively and harmlessly, the ease with which it could answer take-home test questions and assist with other assignments sparked a panic among some educators.

By the time schools opened for the new year, New York City, Los Angeles and other big public school districts began to block its use in classrooms and on school devices.

The Seattle Public Schools district initially blocked ChatGPT on all school devices in December but then opened access to educators who want to use it as a teaching tool, said Tim Robinson, the district spokesman.

We cant afford to ignore it, Robinson said.

The district is also discussing possibly expanding the use of ChatGPT into classrooms to let teachers use it to train students to be better critical thinkers and to let students use the application as a personal tutor or to help generate new ideas when working on an assignment, Robinson said.

School districts around the country say they are seeing the conversation around ChatGPT evolve quickly.

The initial reaction was OMG, how are we going to stem the tide of all the cheating that will happen with ChatGPT," said Devin Page, a technology specialist with the Calvert County Public School District in Maryland. Now there is a growing realization that this is the future and blocking it is not the solution, he said.

I think we would be naive if we were not aware of the dangers this tool poses, but we also would fail to serve our students if we ban them and us from using it for all its potential power, said Page, who thinks districts like his own will eventually unblock ChatGPT, especially once the company's detection service is in place.

OpenAI emphasized the limitations of its detection tool in a recent blog post, but said that in addition to deterring plagiarism, it could help to detect automated disinformation campaigns and other misuse of AI to mimic humans.

The longer a passage of text, the better the tool is at detecting if an AI or human wrote something. Type in any text  a college admissions essay, or a literary analysis of Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man  and the tool will label it as either very unlikely, unlikely, unclear if it is, possibly, or likely AI-generated.

But much like ChatGPT itself, which was trained on a huge trove of digitized books, newspapers and online writings but often confidently spits out falsehoods or nonsense, its not easy to interpret how it came up with a result.

We dont fundamentally know what kind of pattern it pays attention to, or how it works internally, Leike said. Theres really not much we could say at this point about how the classifier actually works.

Higher education institutions around the world also have begun debating responsible use of AI technology. Sciences Po, one of Frances most prestigious universities, prohibited its use last week and warned that anyone found surreptitiously using ChatGPT and other AI tools to produce written or oral work could be banned from Sciences Po and other institutions.

In response to the backlash, OpenAI said it has been working for several weeks to craft new guidelines to help educators.

Like many other technologies, it may be that one district decides that its inappropriate for use in their classrooms, said OpenAI policy researcher Lama Ahmad. We dont really push them one way or another. We just want to give them the information that they need to be able to make the right decisions for them.

Its an unusually public role for the research-oriented San Francisco startup, now backed by billions of dollars in investment from its partner Microsoft and facing growing interest from the public and governments.

Frances digital economy minister Jean-Noel Barrot recently met in California with OpenAI executives, including CEO Sam Altman, and a week later told an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that he was optimistic about the technology. But the government minister  a former professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the French business school HEC in Paris  said there are also difficult ethical questions that will need to be addressed.

So if youre in the law faculty, there is room for concern because obviously ChatGPT, among other tools, will be able to deliver exams that are relatively impressive, he said. If you are in the economics faculty, then youre fine because ChatGPT will have a hard time finding or delivering something that is expected when you are in a graduate-level economics faculty.

He said it will be increasingly important for users to understand the basics of how these systems work so they know what biases might exist.
Passengers on a United Airlines flight en route to Las Vegas on Saturday were grounded for several hours at the Lincoln Airport in Nebraska.

The Boeing 777-200 jet reported losing power to an engine and was diverted to the Lincoln Airport, where it landed safely just before noon.

There were 326 people on the flight, which departed Chicagos OHare International Airport at about 10 a.m.

Lincoln Airport Authority Police Sgt. Kyle Jackson said pilots declared the emergency about 70 miles west of Lincoln. The jet was diverted to Lincoln, where commercial airline travel currently involves 50-passenger regional jets.

As far as our commercial side goes, this is the biggest aircraft Ive seen land since Ive been here, Jackson said.

Passengers exited the plane using one of the airports jetways and waited in the gate area. Airport officials provided water and food for them as they waited for word on when they would be able to resume their flight.

The Lincoln Airport is currently undergoing a terminal renovation project to modernize passenger accommodations, including adding food and drink service in the gate areas.

A United jet from Denver came to pick up the passengers and get them to Las Vegas.

Today in history: Feb. 5 1937: Franklin D. Roosevelt 1971: Apollo 14 1983: Klaus Barbie 1993: Family and Medical Leave Act 2008: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi 2012: Josh Powell 2012: New York Giants 2014: CVS 2017: The New England Patriots 2020: Impeachment 2021: Christopher Plummer 2021: Leon Spinks 2021: Yankee Stadium
The Lava Ridge Wind Project would change the landscape of south-central Idaho. Arguably, forever.

This isnt us embellishing the facts, or speaking in hyperbole. It would be the reality of blasting into the Earth to stand up as many as 400 wind turbines across up to 114 square miles between Twin Falls and Shoshone that would, in many cases, be taller than even the Space Needle that serves as the centerpiece of the Seattle skyline. The gigantic, mostly steel structures with three whirling rotor blades would be visible from nearly everywhere across the Magic Valley.

Thats 114 square miles, or nearly 6.5 times bigger than the size of the city of Twin Falls. Just think about that for a moment.

Yet another sign of the proposed projects massive scope: It would require nearly 500 miles of new roads to connect the siting corridors in the largest of four proposed alternatives from the Bureau of Land Management.

While some folks have already made up their minds against Lava Ridge, for those reasons or others, theres also this to consider: What I have learned over the last four decades is that energy development in Idaho, when done right, benefits all of us  both economically and environmentally, Peter Richardson, a Boise-based energy attorney for some four decades and chair of the Idaho Energy Freedom Advisory Council, told us.

The economic impact, according to preliminary estimates in 2021 from Magic Valley Energy, would be significant. In addition to $80 million in tax revenues for the surrounding districts during the construction phase, Lava Ridge, once operational, would generate nearly $4 million annually for schools, roads, cemeteries and fire districts in Jerome, Lincoln and Minidoka counties.

Environmentally, Lava Ridge would require little to no water and produce little to no carbon emissions. The wind turbines are also compatible with farming and ranching operations and wind projects have, in fact, have helped many Idaho farms and ranches stay solvent, Richardson said.

So, if money talks, Lava Ridge might sound good to you. If youre especially concerned about the climate, you probably like the idea of introducing more clean energy.

Those arent compelling arguments to the opposition  which includes the Stop Lava Ridge citizen group that met again this week to encourage locals to speak out against the project during a 60-day public comment period that began last month and runs through March 21.

They favor a fifth alternative included in the 1,000-page-plus draft version of the Environmental Impact Statement released last month: Scrap it.

As John Arkoosh, a Magic Valley rancher and fierce opponent of the project, told the Times-News this week: The current administration is trying to impose their will on the unwilling public in Idaho.

For Stop Lava Ridge and other like-minded locals, the wind project isnt worth the risk to wildlife and grazing and would be a blight on the states pristine lands  all to produce power to serve mostly homes in Southern California.

Let California put the turbines in their ground, they say.

Does the promise of an economic boost for Idaho outweigh what would be obvious damage to the Magic Valleys visual aesthetics and the accompanying noise of 740-foot-tall turbines?

Thats for you to decide. While the Times-News is deeply reporting on Lava Ridge  and we will through the public comment period and, if green-lighted, well beyond  you shouldnt mistake prominent front-page reporting for our support.

The front page is for reporting the facts and providing a space for voices on both sides of the project to have their say.

The Opinion page is for supporting  and this board is still researching the hundreds of pages of the draft EIS to inform our stance based on the facts. We encourage you to do the same.

Do your homework. Go to an open house. Read our reporting. Ask questions.

You can read the draft EIS and learn more about Lava Ridge on the BLMs website (https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2013782/510) ahead of informational open houses scheduled this month in Shoshone (Feb. 22, 2 p.m., at the Lincoln County Community Center, 201 South Beverly St.) and Twin Falls (Feb. 23, 5 p.m., at Canyon Crest Event Center, 330 Canyon Crest Dr.).

Cant make an in-person meeting? Theres a Zoom webinar on Feb. 24, beginning at 2 p.m. Pre-register online at https://bit.ly/LavaRidgePublicMtg.

The Friends of Minidoka, whose priority is to preserve the Minidoka National Historic Site, is hosting a virtual meeting on Feb. 15, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Registration is required online.

There are multiple ways to connect with Stop Lava Ridge, too. Check out the groups website at www.stoplavaridge.com, or join the conversation with some 3,000 others on its Facebook page.

When youve learned enough to come to your own conclusion, tell the BLM. This isnt a moment to sit back and let others speak for you.

The public comment period, again, runs through March 21.
Wanted for: Two counts of sexual abuse of a child under the age of 16 and two counts of lewd misconduct of a minor under the age of 16.

The Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office asks that anyone with information please call 208-735-1911 or Crime Stoppers at 208-343-2677, where they can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips can be made at www.343cops.com or download P3 Tips on your mobile phone.
JEROME  More than 300 people packed into a hangar at the Jerome Airport on Thursday to share information on how to prevent a vast area of the high desert in the Magic Valley from being developed into a massive wind energy project.

The Lava Ridge Wind Project could see as many as 400 wind turbines placed across up to 300 square miles of public lands northeast of Jerome. On Jan. 20 the Lava Ridge Draft Environmental Impact Statement was published in the Federal Register, kicking off a 60-day public comment period.

In an effort to make every voice count during the public comment period, the Stop Lava Ridge group held an educational and organizational session, to help give direction to the movement to prevent the wind energy project from being built by LS Power and Magic Valley Energy.

Neither developers nor anyone in favor of the project, spoke up at the meeting.

During Thursdays meeting, the following speakers addressed the gathered crowd:

Sportsman Jerry Holton and Idaho Water Resource Board member Brian Olmstead talked about the value of the public lands and the major impacts a wind energy project would have on them.

Zoe Scuderi gave an in-depth look at how the EIS process works and how to make the most effective comments.

Three representatives from the Bureau of Land Management spoke about why renewable energy development has targeted the Magic Valley.

Renewable projects in the Magic Valley

Mike Courtney, a longtime BLM employee and manager for the Twin Falls District Office, spoke to the crowd about the BLMs role in the applications for renewable energy projects.

We have to analyze projects that come to us, Courtney said. When an application comes in the door, if the company can financially handle the project, we have to move forward with the analysis. That doesnt mean it gets authorized.

What you have to say matters.

Courtney displayed a map of public lands available for renewable energy development in the Twin Falls District  about 30% of the 3.9 million acres managed by BLM, he said.

Two things were making the Magic Valley a target for multiple renewable energy projects, Courtney said: Its a priority of the current presidential administration and the Midpoint substation and transmission lines that will connect it to the Pacific Northwest, southern Nevada and California.

We expect ... that we are going to keep getting renewable energy applications until we run out of place to put them, or they run out of capacity on those lines, Courtney said. If Lava Ridge went away today, wed probably get another application that would replace it, until theres no capacity on these new energy lines.

There are 5 alternatives for the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project. Here's a look. At more than 1,000 pages long, the Draft EIS presents four versions of a wind energy project that could dominate the south-central Idaho landscape.

Audience members asked Courtney a few questions about if there was something that could be done to remove that 30% of BLM land already approved for renewable energy development, and make it unavailable.

Courtney said he was not aware of any findings that would shut down all renewable projects in the area, but that a process did exist to amend resource management plans to create exclusion areas.

Substantive public comments

Courtney pointed out that form letters are a popular way for people to feel like they are contributing. But form letters  which made up 60% of the comments received during the scoping process  are not as effective as unique comments.

We get 500 (form letters) but it counts as one comment, Courtney said. If you really want your comments to count, make sure you put some thought into them and theyre not all the same.

Architectural historian Zoe Scuderi spoke to the audience about the draft EIS process and how to make effective comments.

Just stating, I am in favor of this project, or I am opposed to this project will not be effective, Scuderi said. You need to back that up.

Its OK to state that you are against this project or any of the plans, but you have to explain why and you have to reference specific issues that you found in the draft EIS.

Comments should point out errors, omissions, conclusions not based in evidence. Scuderi recommended people back up their comments with explanations, facts, personal experiences, and references.

The government is supposed to listen to you, the people, before making a decision on whether or not to approve this project, Scuderi said. Know that your voice matters, as does your experience and your knowledge.

And, finally, Scuderi said, it is important to attend as many public meetings as possible.

Please, if you can attend, do so, Scuderi said. Showing up in numbers does make an impact.

Want to learn more? Upcoming Lava Ridge meetings include the following: 6:30 p.m. Feb 15: Friends of Minidoka, Japanese Museum of Oregon, and Preservation Idaho will co-host a virtual meeting on Zoom. Registration is required. A zoom link will be emailed to registrants. https://forms.office.com/r/NDsr6rhtbs BLM open house meetings: The Bureau of Land Management will host in-person and virtual open houses to provide opportunities to learn more about the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project, to speak with resource specialists and agency managers, and to provide comments. 2-4 p.m. Feb. 22  Lincoln County Community Center, 201 South Beverly St., Shoshone 5-7 p.m. Feb. 23  Canyon Crest Event Center, 330 Canyon Crest Dr., Twin Falls 2-4 p.m. Feb. 24  Zoom webinar. Pre-register at: https://bit.ly/LavaRidgePublicMtg The BLM will also hold Lava Ridge open house events March 1 in Portland, Oregon, and March 2 in Mercer Island, Washington.

There is an informal recognition that attendance and interest in meetings carries some weight, Scuderi said. The more people that show up and the more bodies that they see in the crowd, the more the government will recognize how impactful this project is to the community.

Local views

Olmstead, former head of the Twin Falls Canal Co., shared his thoughts on issues relating to water and wildlife. The impacts of the Lava Ridge project on the area were too big, Olmstead said.

Leave it better than we found it, thats what my dad always said, Olmstead told the crowd. LS power has no intention of doing that.

Olmstead said that after 22 years working on water issues, he didnt think there was room for any new withdrawals from the aquifer, which he said has been declining since the 1960s.

Any new withdrawals are too much, in my opinion, Olmstead said. The aquifer is depleted.

Olmstead also addressed his concerns of the projects impacts on wildlife. Everything from bats, hummingbirds, butterflies and protected eagles would be impacted, he said.

Olmstead referred to estimates in the Draft EIS that 13 golden eagles would be killed per year.

If a rancher did that, hed be in federal prison for the rest of his life, Olmstead said.

There are many people with concerns about the use of explosives to blast lava rock to prepare the pads for concrete bases of up to 400 wind turbine towers. Olmstead shared some of his experiences with blasting, and the impact it had on surrounding wells.

He said the canal company had to blast about 30,000 yards of lava rock, and ended up creating fractures in the aquifer that released bacteria, contaminating groundwater in the area.

We didnt know it was going to hurt all the wells in the vicinity, Olmstead said. We replaced every domestic well within three-quarters of a mile of that plant.

In addition to the impacts to wildlife, cultural resources, and the aquifer, Olmstead said the scenic value of southern Idahos high desert was a treasure, the same way the Redwoods of California are a treasure.

Holton shared observations hes had from more than 40 years of exploring and spending time on the desert. He talked the about wildlife, including deer, antelope, elk and sage grouse, and how public lands are a shared resource that everyone has a role in protecting.

I try to look out for everything else out there, Holton said, talking about closing cattle gates as he passes through or helping out other people he might run into while on public land.

I guarantee you LS Power or Magic Valley Energy, theyre not going to look out for everybody out there, Holton said. Theyre going to destroy everything we have.

The room erupted in applause.

A collection of Lava Ridge stories See more coverage of the Lava Ridge proposal from the Times-News.

Close Mike Courtney, a longtime BLM employee and district manager of the Twin Falls area, points at a map of lands available for renewable energy projects while talking about the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project on Thursday during a meeting of the Stop Lava Ridge citizen group in Jerome. The Stop Lava Ridge group held a public meeting Thursday at the Jerome County Airport. A sign at the entrance door to the airport hangar for Thursday's Stop Lava Ridge meeting at the Jerome County Airport. People sign their names at the entrance to the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. Locals from all over the Magic Valley were in attendance to learn more and to have their voices heard. Zoe Scuderi of Bionomics Environmental speaks during the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday at the Jerome County Airport. Scuderi spoke to the audience about how to make effective comments about the project's draft EIS. A sign protesting the Lava Ridge project at the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. A crowd of over 300 people attended the Stop Lava Ridge public meeting on Thursday at the Jerome County Airport. Jerry Holton, a local who is passionate about stopping the project, speaks during the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. Holton shared observations from exploring and spending time on the desert for more than 40 years and shared his concerns for the wildlife who live out there. A lady who was in attendance at the Stop Lava Ridge meeting reacts to one of the speakers on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. Former BLM archeologist, Regina Smith, asks a question during the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. Brian Olmstead, member of the Idaho State Water Board, speaks during the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. Stop Lava Ridge public meeting The Stop Lava Ridge group held a public meeting Thursday night at the Jerome County Airport. Over 300 people were in attendance so that they could learn more about how to prevent the Lava Ridge project from happening. The Stop Lava Ridge public meeting brings a crowd The Stop Lava Ridge group held a public meeting Thursday night at the Jerome County Airport. Over 300 people were in attendance so that they could learn more about how to prevent the Lava Ridge project from happening. Mike Courtney, a longtime BLM employee and district manager of the Twin Falls area, points at a map of lands available for renewable energy projects while talking about the proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project on Thursday during a meeting of the Stop Lava Ridge citizen group in Jerome. The Stop Lava Ridge group held a public meeting Thursday at the Jerome County Airport. A sign at the entrance door to the airport hangar for Thursday's Stop Lava Ridge meeting at the Jerome County Airport. People sign their names at the entrance to the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. Locals from all over the Magic Valley were in attendance to learn more and to have their voices heard. Zoe Scuderi of Bionomics Environmental speaks during the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday at the Jerome County Airport. Scuderi spoke to the audience about how to make effective comments about the project's draft EIS. A sign protesting the Lava Ridge project at the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. A crowd of over 300 people attended the Stop Lava Ridge public meeting on Thursday at the Jerome County Airport. Jerry Holton, a local who is passionate about stopping the project, speaks during the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. Holton shared observations from exploring and spending time on the desert for more than 40 years and shared his concerns for the wildlife who live out there. A lady who was in attendance at the Stop Lava Ridge meeting reacts to one of the speakers on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. Former BLM archeologist, Regina Smith, asks a question during the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. Brian Olmstead, member of the Idaho State Water Board, speaks during the Stop Lava Ridge meeting on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Jerome County Airport. Stop Lava Ridge public meeting The Stop Lava Ridge group held a public meeting Thursday night at the Jerome County Airport. Over 300 people were in attendance so that they could learn more about how to prevent the Lava Ridge project from happening.
I am proud to represent one of the states most important agricultural areas.

According to a recent University of Idaho study, 42% of the jobs and 59% of total sales in the Magic Valley are linked directly and indirectly to agriculture.

Those are very big numbers  astounding, actually  and show that agriculture has a massive impact on the Magic Valley economy.

That U of I study also showed the agricultural industry is responsible for 48% of the Magic Valleys gross regional product, which is a broad measure of the total value of all goods and services in the area.

Contributions of Agribusiness to the Magic Valley Economy, conducted by Steven Hines, a University of Idaho Extension educator in Jerome County, factored the direct impact of agriculture as well as the indirect impacts.

Farmers and ranchers selling their commodities would count as a direct impact, while indirect impacts would include things such as the purchase of fertilizer and chemicals, fuel and farm equipment.

The bottom line is the report showed that agriculture is extremely important to the Magic Valley area, which includes Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka and Twin Falls counties.

I would argue that is a good thing, since the production of food is probably the most important sector of the economy there is. As a popular bumper sticker puts it, No farms, no food.

In the not-too-distant past, there was an effort by some people in the state to move away from the states agricultural roots. Thankfully, those efforts failed.

I believe it is very important to not only remind people of Idahos agricultural roots, and to be proud of them, but to find ways to protect and promote farming and ranching and guard against attempts to harm the industry.

The U of I report also showed that agriculture contributes about $12 billion of sales in the region and 43,000 jobs.

Kudos to U of I for realizing the importance of conducting such studies and kudos to the farmers and ranchers in Idaho and the Magic Valley for the hard work they do in providing an abundant, safe and affordable supply of food products.

Again, it is my pleasure to serve the people of southern Idaho and we truly know why our area is called the Magic Valley.
TODAYS WORD is tidsoptimist. Example: Tanya was branded as a tidsoptimist because she often showed up late for work thinking that she was on time when she was not.

FRIDAYS WORD was ultracrepidarian. It means expressing opinions on matters outside the scope of ones knowledge or expertise. Example: Harry spoke to Arianna about her field of expertise as if he were the expert on the topic but in reality, he was just an ultracrepidarian.

Rattlesnakes

John Wayne Lawless tells some interesting stories about life in Patrick County. In the late 1960s or early 1970s, he recalled, he would go looking for what most people would avoid: rattlesnakes.

He would catch them and keep them in burlap sacks to bring to Roanoke to sell. It was a lucrative undertaking. He once made thousands of dollars by selling a batch of 96 rattlesnakes. The buyer got three products out of each snake: Meat, the hide and the venom.

Rattlesnake meat is delicious, he said.

Found phone

One of the people who stays sometimes at the MHC Warming Center found a phone hes hoping to get back to its owner. The phone is black, with three camera spots in a vertical row on the back. It has a sturdy black case and a pop socket with a design of teal, purple and blue swirls. It was laying on the ground at a service station near SportLanes. If the phone might be yours, send a Facebook message to MHC Warming Center or email info@martinsvillebulletin.com.

Investigation

A workman was killed at a construction site. The police began questioning a number of the other workers; several of them had shady backgrounds.

The electrician was accused of wiretapping once but was never charged.

The painter had a brush with the law several years back.

The carpenter thought he was a stud. He tried to frame another man once.

The glazier went to great panes to conceal his past. He still claims he didnt do anything, that he was framed.

The HVAC contractor is known to pack heat.

The cabinet maker is an accomplished counter fitter.

The mason gets stoned regularly.

Church history

The Rev. Matthew Brown will present the program The History & Legacy of African-American Churches for the MHC Historical Society. His talk will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28, in the Walker Fine Arts Theatre of Patrick & Henry Community College. And would such a program be complete without gospel music? Of course not, so come prepared to be blessed by inspiring music while also learning about the development and growth of Black churches.

FRIDAYS TRIVIA ANSWER: The tallest, and heaviest, document horse in the world was 7 feet and 2.5 inches tall or 21.2 and 1/2 hands. The horse was a shire gelding named Sampson who was later renamed Mammoth. He was bred by Thomas Cleaver in England in 1846.

TODAYS TRIVIA QUESTION: How many breeds of horses are there?
Heres what happened locally on Feb. 5 over the past century, as reported in this newspaper, which went from being called the Henry Bulletin to the Daily Bulletin to the Martinsville Bulletin:

1923: Henry  We are having lots of sickness in our community at present. Mr. Jeff Philpott is seriously ill with pneumonia. Beecher Massey, the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. J.R. Stone, is very low with pneumonia. Mrs. Jim Stone has been on the sick list for some time lately. Little James, the son of Hugh Overton, is quite ill with pneumonia. There was a sale at the residence of the late J.H. Metz, on Monday the 22nd. His personal property was sold at auction and brought a good price.

1948: With the icy road covered by a light snow, Church Street Extension was barricaded today to provide Martinsville children with the first opportunity of the year for sleighing. Police have requested all boys and girls to confine sled riding to this street, as supervision will be provided by the Recreation Department.  A bonfire in an oil barrel will keep children warm, Mrs. Ellen Woods, head of the Recreation Department, said today.

1973: A fire caused extensive damage today to the Old Dominion Restaurant on Rt. 58, a half mile west of Stuart. Owner Cecil Conner estimated the value of the building and contents at $80,000.

1998: Fieldale Elementary School creates a family-like atmosphere. It holds the community together and should not be sacrificed for a new elementary school in another part of the county. Fieldale residents expressed those sentiments to the Henry County School Board at its third community facilities meeting Monday night. With more than 100 people in attendance, 29 spoke against a $71 million State Department of Education plan that recommends the county close Fieldale Elementary School as well as eight other schools, build four new ones and renovate the remaining 11. No one spoke in favor of the plan.
Parsons Corporation, a leading US engineering and construction group, said it has secured a major contract from Rua Al Madinah Holding Company to provide construction project management consultancy and contract administration services (PMCM) for a key development coming up in Madinah.

Spread over a 1.5 million sq m area, the Rua Al Madinah project will have 63% of open, green spaces as well as new modes of transportation and parking that will provide easy access to the main mosque, surrounding residences, and commercial spaces, said a statement from Parsons.

Also the key mixed-use project will boast 47,000 hotel rooms that can accommodate the 30 million pilgrims visiting the Saudi city in the coming years, it stated.

The Rua Al Madinah project represents the first phase of Madinah Central Area mega development and is projected to add $37 million to the GDP besides creating more than 93,000 new jobs, it added.

Parsons said as per the $15 million PMCM contract, it will manage the main infrastructure works including the tunnel, road and utility works for the key Madinah project.

"The kingdom has several mega projects that are driving the economic and social transformation of the region while highlighting its hospitality and heritage. The Rua Al Madinah project is a key initiative towards the realization of Saudi Vision 2030," remarked Pierre Santoni, the President for Middle East and Africa at Parsons.

It is designed to elevate the citys cultural and historical heritage, improve the quality of life for its residents, and enrich the visitor experience for Islamic pilgrims, observed Santoni.

"We are dedicated to helping our client achieve their vision of reforming Madinah into a modern Islamic and cultural destination for pilgrims and a revitalized urban center for its residents," he added.

A leading disruptive technology provider in the national security and global infrastructure markets, Parsons also has interests in key sectors such as cyber, space and missile defence, transportation and urban development.

Santoni said Parsons had been serving as a trusted project management firm in the Middle East for more than 60 years.

"With a regional team of more than 5,000 employees, our professionals bring domain expertise across multiple disciplines, including smart mobility, asset management, critical infrastructure, master planning, urban planning, and landscape architecture," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The end-of-year unemployment rates indicate a slight decline to close out 2022.

Martinsville and Henry Countys combined rate (Martinsville Micropolitan Statistical Area) ended the year at 3.5%, down from 3.7% a month ago, but up slightly from 3.3% a year ago, according to rates released Thursday by the Virginia Employment Commission.

Unemployment rates not only declined in Martinsville and Henry County but across the region including Patrick, Franklin, and Pittsylvania counties as well as the city of Danville.

The local region mirrored the unemployment averages statewide, and nationally the rate dropped slightly.

The Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce lists 23 categories of jobs currently available through AmeriStaff, and specific jobs unfilled with 46 organizations and businesses including ValleyStar Credit Union, VF Outdoor, LLC, Virginia Furniture Market, Virginia Glass Products, Virginia Museum of Natural History and WSET-TV.

The city of Martinsville is at 5.2%, second-highest rate in the state, but below Petersburgs rate of 6.8%.

Numbers for December show Martinsvilles rate of 5.2% is down from 5.4% in November, but up from 4.8% last year.

The unemployment rate in Henry County was 3%, down from 3.3% the month before and even with 3% the prior year.

In Patrick County, the unemployment rate was 2.9% in December, down from 3.3% in November and down from 3.1% in the same period the year before.

Virginias unemployment rate was at 2.6% in December, down from 3% in November, but up from 2.7% a year ago.

Nationally, the rate is at 3.3%, down from 3.4% the month prior and down from 3.7% last year.

The labor force in Henry County is 26,002 and 25,209 are employed, leaving 793 looking for work.

In Martinsville, the labor force is 6,053 with 5,737 employed, leaving 316 unemployed.

Patrick County has a labor force of 7,447 with 7,228 employed. There are 219 people without jobs in Patrick County.

In the region, the city of Danvilles unemployment rate dropped from 5% to 4.5% over the past month, Pittsylvania County was down from 2.8% to 2.5% and Franklin County declined from 3% to 2.7%.

Out of 133 localities statewide, Martinsville is at 132; the city of Danville is at 127, tied with Emporia City and Sussex County; Henry County is at 86, even with Roanoke City and the counties of Prince Edward and Russell; Patrick counties is at 82, even with the cities of Radford and Suffolk and Appomattox County; Franklin County is 68, along with the cities of Waynesboro and Chesapeake and the counties of Washington, Spotsylvania Craig, Henrico and Organge; and Pittsylvania County is at 47, tied with Smyth, Warren, Wythe, York, Culpeper, Charlotte, Gloucester, Goochland and Nottoway counties and Winchester City.

The lowest rate in the state for November goes to Arlington and Madison counties at 1.8%; followed by King and Queen and Highland counties and the city of Falls Church at 2%; Alexandria City and Loudoun and Rappahannock counties at 2.1%.

The number of employed in Virginia rose by 4,485 yo 4,228,407 in December 2022. Since January 2022, nearly 90,000 more Virginians are employed and the state unemployment rate, as well as the rates in Henry, Patrick, Franklin and Pittsylvania counties remain below the national average. During the month, the number of unemployed residents increased by 5,126 to 128,912 but the overall number is down 10,422 since January 2022.

Throughout the first year of our administration, job growth in Virginia was overwhelmingly led by the private sectorproviding 86% of year-over-year job growthwith our valuable defense and public sectors continuing their strong contributions as well, said Governor Glenn Youngkin in a release. This encouraging report showed thousands of Virginians coming off the sidelines and getting back into the workforce. We remain laser-focused on improving Virginias competitive presence among states competing for jobs and businesses. As companies in Virginia continue to grow payrolls and drive our economy, we must keep moving forward to lower the cost of living and the cost of doing business in the Commonwealth.

Job growth averaged 9,000 a month over the past year which is over twice the 2021 average and 28% more than the pre-pandemic average in 2019. Virginias seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.0 percent is 0.3 of a percentage point below the rate from a year ago.

The Commonwealths labor force participation rate increased to 63.7% in December. The labor force participation rate measures the proportion of the civilian population age 16 and older that is employed or actively looking for work.

Nearly 10,000 Virginians joined the labor force in December, said Secretary of Labor Bryan Slater in the release. This was the largest increase since May of last year and is a promising sign that more people are getting off of the sidelines and back into the workforce, as we start the new year.

The Commonwealths unemployment rate remained in a narrow range of 2.6% and 3% for much of 2022, said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick in the release. These low levels indicate a strong labor market, and we are encouraged by the number of people that entered the workforce in December.

During the same January 2022 to December 2022 period, on a seasonally adjusted basis, ten of eleven major industry divisions realized recovery in employment levels while one industry experienced contraction. The largest gains in the period occurred in education and health services up 26,900 jobs (+4.9%). The second gain occurred in government, up 22,200 jobs (+3.1%). The third largest gain occurred in leisure and hospitality, up 20,500 jobs (+5.3%). Other job gains occurred in professional and business services, (+10,300 jobs), trade, transportation, and utilities (+6,400 jobs), construction (+6,000 jobs), miscellaneous services (+5,200 jobs), manufacturing (+5,100 jobs), information (+3,300 jobs), and mining and logging (+400 jobs). The only job loss occurred in finance (-2,000 jobs).
UPDATE: At 2:50 p.m. on Saturday, multiple media outlets reported the balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina near Myrtle Beach. It was confirmed by U.S. officials minutes later.

***

Residents in Marion and across North Carolina took to social media to say they spotted the now infamous Chinese spy balloon Saturday morning as the objected moved east in the skies above state.

Carl Landrum of Marion posted a video to Facebook, prompting comments.

We have become the softest country in the world, said Lucas Davis.

China will have lots of our information when we go to war with them, said Revonda West.

There were more sightings as the balloon moved east.

Chinese spy balloon over Charlotte, resident Matt Comer posted on Twitter, with a picture of the craft in the sky above East Charlotte. Small white dot. Bad photo from out my second floor window. All I had was my phone.

Many people hopped online to post pictures, including WCNC-TV weatherman Brad Panovich. He tweeted he saw it outside his South Charlotte backyard around 9:45 a.m.

The White House briefed governors on the surveillance balloon ahead of its arrival over the Charlotte area, a White House official told McClatchy. The North American Aerospace Defense Command was closely monitoring the surveillance balloon, Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder said at a news conference on Friday.

It was first spotted this week over the skies of Montana. A NOAA trajectory map on Friday predicted the balloon would head from the central U.S. to above the North Carolina mountains and then just north of Charlotte, according to McClatchy.

The balloon would then travel across southeastern North Carolina to the ocean, the map showed.

At 1:45 p.m. Saturday, ground stops were issued for airports in Wilmington, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.
The ideas are political, environmental, personal, technical or even just humorous.

The only requirement? They must be small.

Cori Crumrines sculpture, Night Cream, is all of 1.25 inches by 2 inches by 2.25 inches  a little bigger than an egg.

A 2018 University of Montana MFA graduate, Crumrine has been pursuing these miniature sculptures since she was in school. While they dont depict people, they have a certain personality of their own, like some sort of deep-sea anemone or food.

Richard Notkin thinks they look delicious. They have such incredible whimsy, he said, and immediately started laughing. Yet the forms are sophisticated, alluding to organic life and expressing personality while remaining elusive.

Notkin, a nationally recognized sculptor, juried this exhibition, Small Works, Big Ideas, at the Clay Studio of Missoula.

The only requirement is that a piece could not exceed 8 inches in any direction.

Shalene Valenzuela, executive director of the Clay Studio, came up with the concept. While some juried exhibitions are based on form (cups) or material (wood firing), this one is more wide open by design.

It just has to say something in a small space.

It doesnt take much as far as scale to say a lot, she said. "Little things can tell a great story."

Yet they can be overlooked in a gallery, adjacent to larger pieces. It takes a little bit more to demand attention, she said.

Works like Crumrines seemed even smaller in person than she expected from the images.

To jury the show, they reached out to Notkin, who in his jury statement says he has a self-described predilection for small, tight and precious. 

Notkin, a nationally recognized artist whos based in Vaughn, Washington, lived in Helena for several decades and has maintained close ties. Hes won honors such as an individual artist fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and a Guggenheim Memorial Foundation grant.

Small things

Notkin raised a few points about the merits of thinking small in modern times.

Theres this Western idea that bigger is better and Ive always fought against that, he said.

The impact is proportionate to its content, not necessarily its scale, he said. "Every work of art, theres an appropriate scale."

Hes made murals that can span 10 feet wide and 7 feet tall, yet they consist entirely of 3-inch tiles with intricate surfaces.

His father was an immigration lawyer, and he grew up in a household filled with Chinese porcelain and other artworks. Other examples of powerful but minute forms include Japanese netsuke carvings and illuminated manuscripts from the Middle East.

We tend to overlook the diminutive in Western art, he said.

Students have told him that theyre encouraged by instructors to work larger. He tells them they should but only if they want to.

This is what being an artist is all about, he said. "You have to find your way of doing it."

Political and environmental themes

Notkin is anti-war and has made political statements a part of his own work for a long time. For instance, he made a sculpture, inspired by an Italian futurist bust of Mussolini, called Profilo Continuo del Trumpolini."

Janice Farleys Inauguration January 20, 2017 (memorial candle holder) depicts a graveyard with tombstones bearing virtues such as trust, honor, wisdom, empathy. The arch over the entryway says abandon hope all ye who enter, while tucked behind the grave for empathy lies the spot to mount a candle.

Shannon Blakleys bubbled up too is a white porcelain cup, edges angled like an Antarctic ice sheet, set atop a saucer of jagged roaring waves crafted from resin. The vessel employs casts of objects she finds on jaunts through nature; the resin includes casts of snow. Her intent is to draw attention to the importance of clean drinking water.

Merrie Wright has two works in an Abstracted Landscape series. One is subtitled After Demuth, and another, After Sheeler. The form is a cup, but they contain no bottom. A delicate slab has been curled into a circle. The handle is rough rock. The surfaces are decorated with paintings by those artists of industrial landscapes.

I told students for years, he said, "I told them that if youre going to get involved in political and social commentary in your work, make sure the art is strong  aesthetically, conceptually, technically. Because the art carries the message, the message wont carry the art."

The form, meanwhile, is deliberate. The vessel is really the primal canvas of ceramics, and that reference ties them back to the human experience.

Adjacent to those environmental pieces, Notkin said there should be increased awareness of the environmental impact in art, especially in art forms like his, where materials and energy are involved.

Notkin made a point of setting aside his political opinions and included two pieces that address abortion from opposing sides. I want people to be able to express through their art, their feelings, he said.

Bethany Panhorst has two sculptures, Am I My Brothers Keeper? and My Brother, His Keeper, that each portray a fetus in detail. The first is dark gray in a matching tomb, the second porcelain white in a white womb.

Nearby, an opposing view is expressed. Vanessa Romos Justice for some, certainly not for a lady,  portrays Lady Justice curled in half with a sword run through her abdomen. Valenzuela said Romo set the price at the cost of an abortion at Planned Parenthood and pledged to donate the sale proceeds.

A piece by University of Montana BFA student Mari Rizzuto shows a woman in her underwear, one arm behind her back, one on a rope having triggered the guillotine into which shes positioned herself. Its called, Silence is my favorite sound, which Valenzuela pointed out is an example of how a title can change a piece.

The unexpected

If you didnt know that theres a novel process for crocheting with porcelain, theres a new one for you. Jeremy Brooks sculpture of a condom, Snug Fit, is quite literally made with a technique in which porcelain can be used as a yarn-like material and then fired. At his request, the pedestal bears a label that reads, not intended for use."

Tim Keenans Buho is monolithic, even at 7 inches tall. Notkin said it struck him as somewhere between minimalism and Art Brut, or almost a reduced version of Brancusis The Kiss.

It has this monumentality, but on such a small scale, Notkin said.

Steve Hiltons set of teapots represent functional vessels, although they look like no other teapots youve ever seen. Notkin said the surfaces almost resemble bark, with rich, dry crags and exposed layers.

Tina Gebharts coffee mug and saucer is titled Workin the Wonk. From across the room, they appear to be a funky, loose design with curves and ribs.

She said that she has early-onset Parkinsons disease, and is learning to work with ever-changing wonkiness in her movements and has begun making more complicated designs work to account for this and make it a part of her work rather than something to be disguised.

Knowing that shes working with a tremor really touched me, Notkin said.
Making the decision to postpone the 104th Foresters Ball two years in a row wasnt an easy one.

Deciding to move forward with it this year was meant to save the University of Montana tradition from dying out.

This years Chief Push, or lead supervisor, Mason Banks, is one of the few students on the committee who has ever attended the event. During the recent pandemic hiatus as older students graduated from the University of Montana and moved on, a lot of the institutional knowledge about the event left with them.

Ill be completely honest, if it didnt happen this year, I think it would have been gone for good, said Banks, who is a senior studying forestry with a minor in fire sciences.

The last ball happened in 2020, just before the onset of the COVID pandemic. But the lingering impacts and constraints of social distancing caused the organizing committee to make the tough call to cancel the event in 2021 and again in 2022.

We just couldnt put it together  it wouldnt have worked out, Banks said. But now we have all our tools back and were trying to make this come back after two years of not having it.

The ball is one of the universitys longest-standing traditions that survived World War I and withstood a hiatus during World War II. It started as a one-night event and expanded to two to accommodate the rising popularity. The ball has been held in different locations around campus before settling into its longtime home at the Schreiber Gym in 2015 for the 98th edition.

Originally called the Lumberjack Dance, it shifted to the Foresters Ball in the 1920s. At one time, the ball was the only night of the school year women were allowed to be out past curfew at UM.

Throughout its rambunctious history, the Foresters Ball was featured in Life Magazine in 1951 and was listed in Playboy magazines list of top 100 college parties in the 1970s. In 2012, hundreds of students were either kicked out or denied entry into the event due to alcohol consumption, which threatened the future of the event.

Although the ball persevered through it all, Banks worried that the pandemic would end it entirely. His love of the ball and how it represents the Franke College of Forestry and Conservation motivated him to step up as Chief Push and pass it along to the next generation of students.

Its the culmination and the celebration of the natural resources industry, everything we do here at the College of Forestry and Conservation, Banks said. The best of what we have to offer gets put into the ball.

Mattie Budine, who is vice president of UMs chapter of the Wildlife Society, was practicing to be a dancer at last years ball before it was canceled. Now she and other members of the club are back to volunteer their time and experience their first-ever Foresters Ball.

Budine is most looking forward to dancing to music performed by Mark Duboise and Crossroads and the universitys Roots Band. She said she plans on wearing boots, jeans and a nice button-up.

Thats whats nice: I dont have to wear a dress, said Budine, a sophomore studying wildlife biology.

Although she hasnt gone to a ball before, shes seen old photos and videos on YouTube.

Since Im in the Wildlife Society, Im kind of getting that inside scoop as well as trying to get the traditions to go again, Budine said. I know how hard it is to try to get those traditions going again.

Transforming the old Schreiber Gym into a boomtown constructed out of lodgepole pine logs from UMs Lubrecht Experimental Forest and donated slabs from local mills is no small task.

Construction starts the Monday before the weekend event by laying down tarps across the gym and setting up the bar front. Then crews move on to framing the structures that will become the chapel, jail, museum and more.

Volunteers, committee members and alumni come together to make it all happen, working about 12 hours each day. Because they need to shut down the buildings fire systems to run chainsaws, some students stay overnight in the gym for fire watch.

By Wednesday morning, construction for the Foresters Ball was ahead of schedule.

Everythings coming up really, really great, Banks said. We havent had any hiccups, knock on wood.

Proceeds from the ball go into a scholarship that is awarded to a student within the Forestry school. To be considered for the scholarship, students must volunteer 80 hours leading into the ball and at least eight hours of deconstruction.

I love what I do and I just want to see this thing prosper because its such a cool event that stood the test of time, Banks said. Hopefully well continue to do so after this year.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act which President Richard Nixon signed in 1973. In his signing statement, Nixon said that Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of preservation than the rich array of animal life with which our country has been blessed. In these hyper-partisan times, it is hard to believe that the ESA passed Congress by a vote of 355 to 4. A total of 736 animal and 941 plant species in the United States currently are listed under the ESA. Sixteen Montana species are currently listed: 3 plants and 13 animals.

The most recent Montana species to be listed under the ESA is the whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis), which was listed just last month. This iconic tree of the high country lives up to 1,000 years. The primary threats to the whitebark pine are climate change, altered fire regimes, white pine blister rust, and the mountain pine beetle.

Whitebark pine provide an important source of food for another Montana species which is protected under the ESA: the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis). Bears raid squirrel caches of the high-calorie whitebark pine nuts, which provide fat to get the bears through long winters.

Grizzly bears (a subspecies of brown bears) in the lower 48 states were listed under the ESA in 1975. Historically, there were approximately 60,000 grizzly bears in the lower 48 states. Today there are approximately 2,000 bears in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, approximately half of which are in the area around Yellowstone National Park and half in the area near Glacier National Park. There are also roughly 50 bears each in the Cabinet and the Selkirk Mountains.

One may wonder why the grizzly bears are listed under the ESA when there are some 60,000 grizzly bears in Alaska and Canada, and another 140,000 brown bears in Eurasia. Under the ESA, a population of a vertebrate species can be listed, or delisted, as a species if it represents a distinct population segment (DPS) from other populations within the same biological species. To qualify as a DPS, a population must be somehow markedly different from other populations of the same species, and it must also be important for the persistence of the species to which it belongs.

The DPS provision of the ESA is practical from both a genetic and ecological perspective. Grizzly bears in the lower 48 are very different genetically from brown bears in Europe, and they also play an important ecological function which cannot be fulfilled by bears living in other places of the world.

Protection of grizzly bears under the ESA has been successful. The number of bears in the lower 48 states has nearly tripled since 1975. Nevertheless, removal of grizzly bears from the ESA has been controversial. Yellowstone grizzly bears were recognized as a separate DPS and delisted in 2017. However, they were relisted the following year after a federal judge ruled that the US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) had not adequately considered how delisting the Yellowstone bears would affect the other grizzly bear populations in the lower 48 states.

In 2021, the state of Montana petitioned the FWS to delist the bears in the Glacier National Park region. However, delisting requires that these bears be recognized as a DPS. In my view, bears in this area do not meet the criteria for being a separate DPS from bears in the Cabinet and Selkirk Mountains.

I believe that efforts to delist grizzly bears are doomed to fail until the FWS evaluates the importance of the interactions among the bears in these different population areas and specifies their DPS structure.
You dont need to love irony or loathe hypocrisy to understand that the Montana Freedom Caucus  a new coalition of at least 14 state lawmakers now in Helena  totally unironical and deeply hypocritical when they claim theyll protect our freedoms.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, theyre taking free federal dough and subverting our freedoms.

Let me explain.

These state legislators  all Republican House and Senate members  proclaim they believe in small government and eschew what they perceive to be out-of-control federal spending.

But, when we do just a little digging, we discover that seven of the lawmakers have gladly taken almost $5 million in handouts from federal government programs  $3.99 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm subsidies and $637,239 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, most of which were forgiven.

Meanwhile, these Freedom Caucus members, who define the extreme outer edge of the Montana GOP and love a handout, are trying to take away Montanans very freedoms and privacy as defined in our state Constitution: They want to tell us who we can be and love, what medical procedures we can have, and what books we can read.

Thats not freedom  thats tyranny.

Lets look at the lawmakers who gobbled up that handout, and, in between bites, see what some said about the federal government:

State Rep. Bob Phalen of Lindsay received $51,662 in two PPP loans (forgiven) and from 1995 through 2020 took home $1,047,121 in USDA farm subsidies.

And Phalen had the gall to say that federal COVID relief funds were fiscally irresponsible. (Phalen even collected state reimbursement  taxpayer money  of $979 to attend a 2021 South Dakota cyber symposium on debunked election fraud allegations hosted by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.)

State Sen. Carl Glimm of Kila took $10,081 in two PPP loans (forgiven) while he voted against using federal pandemic money to fund state child care programs, saying that the money would artificially prop up an industry. (Glimms federal handout certainly didnt prop up his home-building business, did it?)

Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Jerry Schillinger of Circle took home $1.51 million in USDA farm subsidies from 1995 through 2020 for his company, Anken Inc., to help him do his farming. Talk about Green Acres!

Caucus Treasurer Sen. Barry Usher of Billings received a $216,700 PPP loan ($208,099 forgiven) for Usher Enterprises Inc.

State Rep. Mark Noland of Bigfork received $272,000 ($273,986 in loans and interest forgiven) for his business Flathead Janitorial & Rug Services Inc. (Cleaning up!)

State Sen. Steve Hinebauch of Wibaux received $1.43 million for WSC Livestock Inc. from 1995 through 2020 and took home $295 (forgiven) in a PPP loan.

And State Rep. Steve Galloway of Great Falls received $86,500 in PPP loans (forgiven) for his companies Galloway Investments Inc. and Galloway Inc.

Andy Roth, the director of the State Freedom Caucus, the national organization of which the Montana Freedom Caucus is affiliated, said in announcing the Montana chapter: The men and women of the Montana Freedom Caucus are built out of conservative steel. Were delighted to work with them to help expand freedom and limit the size of government in the Treasure State.

False. These politicians are part of an extreme Republican Party willing and ready to steal Montanans freedoms and expand their own pocketbooks at the expense of hard-working taxpayers who should know whos grabbing their dough and passing the buck.

These handouts to Freedom Caucus members are part of a pattern we see repeated across the country  extreme lawmakers slam the federal government and then stand in line to grab a handout. If you follow the money, youll see these caucus members happily gobble up any government spending if it benefits themselves.

Montana Democrats will hold these legislators accountable and stop them from stealing our freedoms and hurting working families.

You can bet on it and we wont pick your pocket to do it!
iStock; Michael Conroy/AP; Jacquelyn Martin, File/AP; Darron Cummings/AP; Michael Conroy/AP; Rebecca Zisser/Insider

In years past, former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels would have been an ideal GOP Senate candidate.

But this week, Daniels  opposed by social conservatives  announced that he would skip a campaign.

Daniels' decision offers a look at the obstacles that the party continues to face headed in 2024.

In the Republican Party of the 1990s and 2000s, former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels would have been seen by most traditional conservatives as an ideal candidate to run for the Senate.

But after Daniels visited Capitol Hill last week, he announced on Tuesday that he would pass on a Senate bid in 2024, which will be an open seat contest due to Republican Sen. Mike Braun's decision to run for governor.

"After what I hope was adequate reflection, I've decided not to become a candidate for the US Senate," Daniels first told Politico in a statement. "With full credit and respect for the institution and those serving in it, I conclude that it's just not the job for me, not the town for me, and not the life I want to live at this point."

While Daniels, 73, won't be going back to Washington anytime soon, the repercussions of his decision will shape the still-fluid GOP Senate field. Rep. Jim Banks is seen as the early frontrunner for the party's nomination, while Gov. Eric Holcomb remains in the mix as a potential candidate.

Once a GOP ideal

Daniels checks off all the boxes of a top-tier GOP figure: former Senate chief of staff for onetime Indiana Republican Sen. Richard Lugar, former Office of Management and Budget director under President George W. Bush, former two-term governor, and the ex-president of Purdue University  one of the most influential research universities in the state.

During Daniels' 2004 gubernatorial bid, the slogan "My Man Mitch"  an old nickname given to him by Bush  was synonymous with his campaign, which was strongly backed by the then-president. And when Daniels ran for reelection in 2008, his nearly 18-point victory coincided with then-Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's stunning one-point presidential win in the traditionally conservative Hoosier State, a reflection of the governor's strong GOP support and crossover appeal with Independents.

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Daniels is in many ways cut from the same cloth as Lugar  who served in the Senate from 1977 to 2013 before his death in 2019  embracing traditional GOP fiscal conservatism while steering clear of divisive social issues.

His decision that a tough, contested primary was unpleasant, undesirable, or unwinnable points to larger questions: Is there still room in a Republican primary for a candidate like Daniels? And what does Daniels' decision say about the party headed into 2024?

Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels rose through the ranks of Republican politics years before Donald Trump reshaped the party. AP Photo/Tom Strickland, File

The GOP remains in a 'Trumpified' state

In 2010, when Daniels was eyeing a potential 2012 presidential candidacy, he upset many Republicans when he told The Weekly Standard  the now-defunct conservative magazine  that the next commander-in-chief "would have to call a truce on the so-called social issues" and instead focus on more pressing economic and foreign policy matters.

Daniels  who was succeeded in the governor's mansion by future Vice President Mike Pence  would eventually pass on a presidential bid, citing his family's reluctance to endure such a campaign.

And in January 2013, Daniels would begin a nearly decadelong stretch leading Purdue.

But as the former governor made waves in the halls of academia, Donald Trump burst onto the national political scene, reshaping the Republican Party into one that was less conciliatory and more aggressive in pushing an "America First" philosophy, which disrupted the very international order that had long been embraced by moderates from both parties.

With Trump in office, Indiana Republicans became more powerful  and decidedly more conservative, capturing huge majorities in the state legislature and ousting moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly in the 2018 midterms.

The ascendancy of social conservatives

As an ally of former President Trump and the onetime chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Banks, 43, is emblematic of the huge sway of social conservatives in Indiana.

Michael R. Wolf, a political science professor and department chair at Purdue University Fort Wayne, told Insider that had Daniels joined the race, he would've had to "fend off the young, up-and-coming" candidacy represented by Banks.

"The fact that Banks could have potentially run someone like Mitch Daniels out kind of indicates  at least in a Republican primary  where things are," Wolf said.

The Club for Growth, the influential conservative nonprofit group, last month threw its support behind Banks' Senate campaign, and also launched an ad discouraging Daniels from entering the race. In the ad, the Club for Growth knocks Daniels' time as Bush's OMB director, accusing him of having "caved in to big-spending Republicans" while showing an image of the former president  a reflection of the no-holds-barred stance of conservatives in the Trump era.

And on Wednesday, Trump himself formally endorsed Banks' Senate candidacy.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb is a potential candidate in the 2024 Indiana Republican Senate primary. AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Daniels' decision puts other Republicans on notice

While there is certainly no shortage of eager Republican politicians in Indiana, which Trump won by 16 points in 2020, Daniels' decision to skip the Senate race puts a greater spotlight on a potential candidate like Holcomb.

Conservatives appear poised to coalesce around Banks, who is seen as one of their own and would likely be a solid general election candidate in a state that in recent years has taken on a deeper shade of red.

But Holcomb, who was easily reelected to a second term as governor in 2020, has deep ties to Daniels  serving as an advisor to the then-governor and rising to the position of deputy chief of staff in his administration, while also managing the then-governor's reelection campaign in 2008.

When Holcomb in December was asked by the Indianapolis television station WISH-TV about his political plans, he said that he would remain focused on the current legislative session.

"There'll be time for me to think about the future in the future, but it would be next to irresponsible for me to take my eye off the job that I've got," he told the outlet at the time.

Holcomb has compiled a decidedly pro-business record as governor, but in today's GOP, that just isn't enough to win a primary anymore.

Rep. Victoria Spartz  a native of Ukraine who has raised her national profile over the past year as a critic of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy  was mulling a Senate bid but on Friday announced that she wouldn't seek the seat, nor would she run for reelection to the House in 2024.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has emphasized the importance of "candidate quality" in Senate races. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Indiana could drive the GOP Senate roadmap

Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Republicans anticipated making major gains in Congress, which eventually didn't come to pass.

While the GOP did win back control the House, the party has an incredibly slim majority (222-212) in the lower chamber, as Democratic candidates held their own in swing districts across the country last November.

And in the most competitive Senate races, Democratic candidates vastly outran President Joe Biden's approval ratings  which for the past year have largely been mired in the low-to-mid 40s  while also picking up a Senate seat, which gave them a 51-49 majority.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky last August spoke of "candidate quality" as he explained the unique dynamics of individual races for the upper chamber  while at the same time downplaying predictions of a huge GOP wave.

Although Indiana is poised to back a GOP candidate like Banks next year, Donnelly in 2012 triumphed over the deeply flawed candidacy of then-State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, an anti-abortion conservative who during a debate spoke of abortion in terms that turned off many swing voters.

"I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen," he said at the time, while arguing that abortions shouldn't be allowed in the case of rape or incest.

Mourdock was one of several Senate candidates over the past two decades who faltered in winnable races for the GOP, something that McConnell would like to avoid again  if at all possible  next year.

Last week, McConnell met with both Banks and Daniels in Washington, with the congressman telling Politico that he had a "good" meeting with the longtime Senate Republican leader.

But with Republicans still in the minority in the Senate and the potential of Trump once again leading the GOP ticket in 2024, McConnell is surely eyeing the dynamics of the Indiana race even closer.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Professors are experimenting with ChatGPT to see how the technology fares when taking academic exams. Getty Images

ChatGPT passed an exam from a Wharton business school professor, performing at a B or B- level.

The professor who administered the exam told Bloomberg he was impressed by the AI's concise, correct answers.

However, Professor Christian Terwiesch said he also understands concerns about the technology.

A business professor who made headlines for evaluating the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT's chances of getting an MBA recently said the technology has the potential to be "an amazing tool" in the world of education.

Christian Terwiesch, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, told Bloomberg that upon reflecting on his experiment administering a business exam to ChatGPT last month, he believes the AI has potential to help teachers more efficiently educate students.

ChatGPT was released by OpenAI in November and has been garnering significant buzz for its use cases, drawing both praise for its sophistication as well as concern that it could end up replacing American jobs or becoming a tool for cheating among students.

Terwiesch told Bloomberg he was impressed by the technology, as the bot performed higher than average, producing B or B-minus level results. In his paper, he wrote that ChatGPT performs significantly better than he had expected when it comes to questions based on process or case studies that can be explained in a logical, concise way.

However, Terwiesch wrote in the paper that he found the AI struggled when performing math, sometimes making mistakes that Terwiesch called "relatively simple calculations at the level of 6th grade Math."

He also said that when it answers a question partially or entirely incorrectly, it responds very well modifying answers when prompted or given a hint by the person communicating with it.

In addition to Terwiesch's test, ChatGPT has also been shown to pass other high-level exams in experiments. Terwiesch told Bloomberg he understands the concerns that many people have about the technology and discourages students from using ChatGPT to cheat.

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"We use exams or tests for the students to engage with some material," Terwiesch told Bloomberg. "But what if you go to the library and tell yourself, 'I'll just take the shortcut here and use ChatGPT.' That would be a pity. The idea is to be creative and think of ways to use the technology to produce and enhance engagement."

Terwiesch told Bloomberg he believes the added efficiency provided by the AI should be used in tandem with teachers to benefit students and make them smarter, rather than firing teachers and using the technology to fill in the gaps that are left over.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Leading up to Mondays Burke County Board of Education work session, the biggest topic is the 2023-24 school calendar.

On Jan. 9, the board considered a potential early start date of Aug. 14, which would be in defiance of state law which allows for Aug. 28 as the earliest possible start date to the next year.

The matter originally was to be up for a vote in the boards Jan. 23 meeting, but Board Chair Wendi Craven had the item pulled five days earlier to give every board member the opportunity to weigh in and to have questions answered by legal counsel. Craven told The News Herald board members also wanted to take more time to hear from the community on the matter.

On Monday, the board held a community listening session for that purpose. While only seven community members attended, board members and Burke County Public Schools administrators spent around 30 minutes explaining the different factors contributing to a calendar decision and answering stakeholder questions.

Board Member Tiana Beachler said she also conducted a Facebook poll on her personal page in which she said every response was favorable to an early start date.

Even though they may not have responded to Beachlers poll, not every Burke County resident agrees the calendar needs to be changed.

One Burke County resident speaking with The News Herald on the condition of anonymity said while an early start is good for high school students, it does not work as well for younger students.

My daughter was in elementary school when the schedule was changed to finish finals prior to Christmas, she said. Starting school in early August when it was too hot for recess, classroom teachers ... having to test and teach standard curriculum while students were getting hyped up for Christmas and minimal activities regarding the holidays  it works for high schoolers but not for grade schoolers.

Still, most seem to think an early start is the best way to go.

Exams are a natural fit before Christmas while the material is still fresh, said BCPS parent Shelley Winters. No one would suggest we move EOGs to August because it wouldnt make any sense for an accurate assessment.

As for those who worry about summer heat and August vacations.

I could see it if our schools didnt have air conditioning. August can be miserable she said. Vacation would be more pleasant in early June than late August.

A statewide issue

BCPS is far from the only school district navigating the legal uncertainties and potential consequences surrounding North Carolinas school calendar issues. Last month, the Union County Board of Education got a taste of these potential consequences when two residents filed a lawsuit to overturn an early calendar the board had adopted in December.

The Union County board met via Zoom on Jan. 27 to reconsider the matter, voting 6-3 to rescind its December decision and develop a calendar that conforms to state law. During the meeting, Union County Board member Gary Sides, who was one of the three voting to keep the early calendar, said he still believes its the right thing to do, but acknowledged the lawsuit makes it unlikely to work in Union County.

This calendar law is being enforced indiscriminately, he said at the meeting. You have counties, because none of their citizens have stepped up and joined the special interests in legal action, will have a calendar that will allow a clean break at Christmastime.

He called on state officials to take action to give local school systems more flexibility.

This calendar issue is not going to be solved by this board, Sides said. We dont have the authority.

Its a sentiment Craven shares.

Its a shame that the General Assembly doesnt understand that they really need to do whats best for kids, she said. Every community has their own unique needs. Theres probably not another school system in the state of North Carolina that takes a half day for a parade.

She said board members have been watching the events in Union County closely. BCPS Superintendent Mike Swan said its a major reason the January vote was postponed.

We have been watching the Union County case as well as watching other districts who have already set their calendars to see what kind of reaction and feedback they are getting, he said.

Redistricting

Also on the agenda for Mondays work session is a presentation entitled Redistricting Phase I. BCPS Public Relations Officer Cheryl Shuffler told The News Herald the presentation will focus on Mountain View Elementary School.

I think were going to start with Mountain View Elementary School, she said. I think theres some concern that its growing a little bit faster than we expected it to.

According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 601 students were enrolled at Mountain View Elementary for the 2021-22 school year. This is up 6.7% from 563 in 2018-19, the schools inaugural year. Shuffler said the plan would redistrict about 150 students out of Mountain View and into Hillcrest, Oak Hill and Forrest Hill.

Board member Dr. Don Hemstreet told The News Herald while he has not yet seen what will be presented on Monday, he hopes the board also will look at the growing population disparity between BCPS high schools.

You can see the disparity in the numbers, theyve got to do something, he said. When you look at some of the numbers, you look at the size of Freedom ... I do think we need to look at that.

Since 2018-19, Freedoms enrollment has increased 13.7% from 1154 to 1313, according to NCDPI. Shuffler did not rule out looking at Freedom, but said, so far, the focus has been on Mountain View.

In other business

The board also will consider a proposal for an audit contract for the current school year, the summer remediation and retesting plan and an easement at 108 Scott St., a residential property adjacent to Glen Alpine Elementary School.

Also before the board is the proposed remodel of the East Burke High School cafeteria. Part of the districts Child Nutrition Program surplus spend down plan approved by the board on Dec. 12, the remodel would cost an estimated $450,000. The district took bids on the project through Jan. 11 and BCPS Child Nutrition Director Daniel Wall said he hopes to have the remodel finished by this summer.

The Burke County Board of Education will meet at the Olive Hill Resource Center Monday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. The meeting, which is open to the public, is a work session and no action will be taken. The Olive Hill Resource Center is located at 509 W. Concord St. in Morganton.
Most Wanted List

Donations of new or gently used copies of any of the Top 10 Titles are most appreciated. To date, the library has received 975 of the most wanted books.

Current BCPL Top 10 Holds

1. Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex  16 holds

2. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover  8 holds

3. The House of Wolves by James Patterson  7 holds

4. Where Are the Children Now by Mary Higgins Clark  7 holds

5. Dark of Night by Colleen Coble  5 holds

6. The House at the End of the World by Dean Koontz  5 holds

7. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus  5 holds

8. The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber  4 holds

9. Fairy Tale by Stephen King  4 holds

10. Triple Cross by James Patterson  4 holds

Current New York Times Best Sellers and NC Cardinal Consortium Holds

1. It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover  221 holds

2. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover  302 holds

3. The Cabinet of Dr. Leng by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child  120 holds

4. Verity by Colleen Hoover  292 holds

5. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus  549 holds

6. The House of Wolves by James Patterson  262 holds

7. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid  61 holds

8. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin  188 holds

9. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover  90 holds

10. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix  82 holds

Adult programming

Upcoming adult programs for the week include Savory Spice Club pick-up on Monday, Feb. 7 at patrons preferred library for those pre-registered for the program. There will be a Savory Spice Cooking Class on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. at the Valdese Public Library. Pre-registration is required, as space is limited. Needlework in the Morning will meet Friday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. at Little Guatemala. No registration is needed. All programs are adults only unless otherwise specified. For information on any adult program or to register, call Danielle at 828-764-9269 or email danielle.townsend@burkenc.org

Young adult programming

Its Library Lovers Month, and were kicking it off with a week of games! Join us Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Valdese Public Library for a game night featuring board, card, and Nintendo Switch gamesno pre-registration required. Thursday, Feb. 9 at 4 p.m. at the C.B. Hildebrand Public Library is the first of two D&D 101 programs. The second program will be held online via the BCPLS YAS Discord server at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10. These programs will serve as a session 0, that will include going over the basics of a character sheet, mechanics of game play, and a brief overview of VTTRPG website Roll20.net. Participants can come to one or both sessions. Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. at the Valdese Public Library will be our D&D @ the Library program. This is the beginning of an open campaign, but there is limited seating at the table so pre-registration is requested. All supplies will be provided, D&D programs are open to teens and adults. For more information or to pre-register for any of these events, contact Lizzie at 828-764-9273 or by email at lizzie.whisnant@burkenc.org.

Childrens programming

Check out some of the exciting programs coming up in February for kids.

Full STEAM Ahead Family Night at the Valdese Public Library; Tuesday, Feb. 7 from 5:30-7 p.m. Drop in to build and play with Keva Planks, Magformers, Marble Runs, Legos and more. No pre-registration required.

Valentine Craft Night at the C.B. Hildebrand Public LibraryMonday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. Come make some Valentine crafts with us! Pre-registration is required.

Stretching With Stories at the Morganton Public LibraryThursday, Feb. 16 at 4 p.m. This is a yoga storytime and craft. Pre-registration is required.

Pre-School Discovery Lab at the Morganton Public LibrarySaturday, Feb. 18 at 10 a.m. Explore, create, tinker and learn with Duplos and more! No pre-registration is required.

Zoom Patrol at the C.B. Hildebrand Public LibraryMonday, Feb. 20 at 3:30 p.m. Sgt. Marlowe of the Long View Police Department will read a story, and we will do a craft. Pre-registration is required.

Read to a Dog with the Morganton Public Library (meets at Burke County Animal Services)Thursday, Feb. 23 from 4-5 p.m. Registration is requested but drop-ins are also welcome.

Cozy Morning Cross Stitch at the Valdese Public LibrarySaturday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. Kids and parents can cross stitch together. Snack provided. Pre-registration is required.

We hope you will come out to a program this month and find out why our libraries are amazing places to be for kids and families in our community.

eBooks @ your library

There are 4,217 Burke County Public Library users registered to use the librarys digital collection available through the e-iNC consortium and NC Kids Digital Library. This digital collection includes eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming video available to Burke County Public Library cardholders. Apps are available for download for a variety of devices including Kindle, iPhone, and Android phones. Go to http://omc.overdrive.com to see the apps. To access the collection and download items go to http://e-inc.lib.overdrive.com and follow the instructions to set up an account. You will need to know your library card number and your PIN. Please contact the library if you need any assistance.

Find us on the web

Go to www.bcpls.org for a list of programs and events. Unless noted otherwise, all library programs are free. Some programs have pre-registration and age requirements.
Dubai Customs and Dubai Chambers have discussed means to support businesses and the private sector and to enhance the emirates competitiveness based on Dubais strategic plans and vision.

These were the highlights of the meeting between Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director General of Dubai Customs, CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and Dubai Chambers delegation headed by Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President & CEO of Dubai Chambers at Dubai Customs main building.

The two sides discussed their shared plans and strategies including electronic integration of services, and development of new services to consolidate Dubais position as a major global economic hub in the next ten years, and empower the new generation of Dubai traders in different sectors and support their expansion plans.

Risk engine

Dubai Customs and Dubai Chambers had previously signed a memorandum of understanding on integration of the risk engine in what is related to the documents of origin and the ATA Carnet.

We spare no efforts to build our partnerships with local and external entities, business groups and the private sector as part of the emirates vision of doubling external trade to AED25 trillion ($6.81 trillion) in the next decade, adding 400 new cities to the Dubais network, and attracting more investments, said Musabih.

Dubai Customs provides advanced services to streamline procedures, and grow ROIs for businesses. We are happy with this meeting with Lootah and the Dubai Chambers delegation as we have discussed very important topics to push forward our partnership towards more sustainable development and economic prosperity in Dubai.

A model

Lootah highlighted the significance of the strategic partnership with Dubai Customs describing it as a model to be followed in reinforcing Dubai and the private sectors competitiveness, supporting companies in the emirate in their expansion efforts and delving into new markets.

Lootah added: Dubai Chambers is committed to achieving a number of strategic objectives to serve the private sector and enhance the emirates position as a preferred global hub for business. This includes opening new offices in promising markets around the world in support of the development plans and Dubai external trade.

Our continuous dialogues and meetings with Dubai Customs are fruitful and essential within our common goal to augment the business environment, attract global firms and investments, support digital economy and facilitate Dubai companies global expansion.-- TradeArabia News Service
EDITORS NOTE: If directors of movies and television shows can release sequels, we at The Montana Standard decided to take a page from one of our previous scripts and give it a go, too! The story featured below is a sequel to last years story titled Butte in 1923  the good, the bad and the ugly revealed. Much of the screenplay comes right out of the pages of the 1923 Butte City Directory.

Normally, a city directory is not considered a great book to read. Theyre not light-hearted literature by any stretch of the imagination, and if youre looking for a riveting ending, theres none to be had. No nail-biting chapters, either. But within the pages of these books, a wealth of information assuredly awaits, all at your fingertips.

Need to know about a specific physician or view the list of schools and churches? Is there a theater or restaurant nearby? The 1923 Butte City Directory answered those questions and much more.

How about this question  just how many insurance agents worked in Butte 100 years ago? Well that answer was a bit startling because there were 473, mostly men, some women, selling insurance. Many had offices in the first block of West Granite Street, specifically the Silver Bow Block at 32 W. Granite.

An introductory feature in the 1923 directory described the Mining City as an odd and interesting combination of mining camp, modern metropolis, manufacturing point and well-kept residential center.

The proof behind that statement was in the list of mines from 100 years ago  102. Head back to the 1906 Butte City Directory and the mines numbered 291. So yes, 17 years later, Butte had become a cross between a mining camp and a metropolis.

The directorys commentator further explained that Butte was a city of broad contrasts where the finer instincts of modern city struggle constantly with the old order of things.

The reason could again be found within the city directorys pages, which listed the mining camps diverse residents  many of whom were immigrants. If you needed further proof, browse through the 100-year-old publication and you will find ethnicities from across the globe, with such surnames as Harrington, Giachetti, Perko, Chinn, Haberbeck, Kainu, McCool, Carna, Nagel, Schilling, Calvetti, McAvoy, Kaasalainen, Murphy, Favero and thousands more. Sullivan, by the way, was once again the directorys most popular surname.

Newly formed clubs substantiated the claim that this town was built, in large part, because of its immigrant population. Now living thousands of miles away from their origins, these newcomers would embrace their new homeland, while still holding steadfast to their heritages by forming such clubs as the Serb Benevolent Society, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Daughters of Erin, Independent Order of Bnai Brith, Sons and Daughters of St. George, the Cristoforo Colombo Society, United Serbian Society, Sons and Daughters of Norway, the Order of Herman Sons, along with the Sisters of Herman Sons, the St. Jean Baptiste Society and the Swede Finnish Temperance Society.

Need more evidence? Read through the list of Buttes streets and avenues. Its obvious many were named as such to pay homage to not-to-be-forgotten homelands. A Scottish person must have named Caledonia, which was an endearing old term for Scotland, and a native of France surely had come up with Lepic to honor Louis Lepic, a cavalry commander during the French Revolutionary War. Dresden may be a German city, but it was also a street in Butte. Respect was paid to Austria with a street named Vienna, and up in the Irish neighborhood of Dublin Gulch, one street was named Emerald.

Just as it is today, 100 years ago, the streets of Granite and Broadway were important thoroughfares of Uptown Buttes busy business district. Housed within these perimeters were a courthouse, theaters, hotels, retail and specialty stores, markets, along with a hodgepodge of other businesses.

The filmmakers of the Paramount+ series 1923 used the first couple blocks of Broadway and Granite more than a few times while filming episodes last year. Several facades were put up so those tuning into the series would be beckoned back 100 years ago to the cowboy town of Bozeman, not the mining town of Butte, hence such erected signs as Hotel Bozeman, Bozeman Civic Center and Bozeman Town Hall.

Although both Butte and Bozeman were discovered in 1864, the similarities end there. Lets be honest  it would be beyond farfetched if those Montana cowboys were rounding up their cattle not on a sprawling ranch, but at the Original Mine Yard. If you look a bit closer, though, there is bit more of Butte in 1923 than one might think.

Case in point  the Dodge Bros. Motor Vehicles facade at the Piccadilly Museum of Transportation, 20 W. Broadway St. The Butte business did, indeed, exist 100 years ago, but at the next street down at 225 W. Park. A similar business was the Butte Motor Truck Co., which did operate at 135 W. Broadway St., and the Montana Cadillac Co. was housed at 55 W. Granite St.

Last year, Beautiful Things on Broadway, 27 W. Broadway St., was transformed into Schumans Consignment. Currently, Sassy Consignment and Sales, 19 W. Broadway, is just next door. For the series, Sassy was transformed into Annies Boutique.

In 1923, there were two second-hand stores housed on the south side of West Broadway Street. George Oechslis business was at 42 W. Broadway, and Bernard Kopald ran his shop at 58 W. Broadway.

The other side of the fictional Schumans included an ornate sign and car advertising tours for Yellowstone National Park, which a Butte Miner reporter described 100 years ago as Gods triumph of earthly beauties. Because Bozeman was less than 80 miles away from the popular park, the town did, indeed, sponsor tours. Butte did, too.

During the first couple decades of the 1900s, the Mining City touted the park on numerous occasions, and although more than 160 miles away, offered up several contests with a tour of the park as the grand prize.

Hot off the press at 121 W. Broadway St. was one of the Mining Citys daily newspapers, The Butte Miner. The old Butte Inter Mountain building, an architectural phenomenon, stood at 26 W. Granite Street, but by 1923, was home to the Butte Daily Post for a short time. Buttes only evening newspaper would soon move to its new home at 100 S. Main St.

The first two blocks of West Granite Street also housed not just the courthouse and water company, but the Silver Bow Club, the Lenox Hotel and the Silver Bow Block along with the Barnard Block.

A medical facility of sorts was also advertised at 26 W. Granite St. Dr. Albert Abrahms had established the Electronic Hospital, specializing in chronic and so-called incurable diseases. Other physicians had offices there, too, and right next door in the Silver Bow Block, numerous lawyers had set up shop. Just across the street, where The Montana Standard is now located, Passmore & Co. worked its magic in the real estate business.

In the first half of the 20th century, young, old and everyone in between wore hats. Two millinery stores on West Broadway Street capitalized on the long-term popularity of standard headgear  Gilberg & Co. along with The Florence.

The makers of 1923 must have done their homework and learned that in 1923, Buttes patrons of the arts had a bakers dozen to choose from when heading off to see a movie or a play. Hence, the movie posters put up last year on the side of the old Harringtons Restaurant. With the majority of theaters in Uptown Butte, two were located in the first couple of blocks of West Broadway  the Liberty and the Empress.

Back in the day, residents must have collectively had a sweet tooth. Actual bakeries numbered 22, but none would be found on Broadway or Granite. Confectioneries totaled 75, with Louis Cohen holding court with his wholesale confectionery business at 66 W. Broadway St. The astute businessman ran a wholesale cigar company as well.

As for barbers, 93 had opened for business throughout Butte, with a handful doing business on both streets.

Restaurants were numerous as well, with 79 listed in the city directory. The first two blocks of West Broadway had their fair share, including The Moxom Cafe, Purity Cafeteria, the Creamery Cafe, Mudro Grill and the X-Ray Cafe, where popular prices prevail.

A prominent 1923 business on West Granite Street was the Madison Power Co. Back then, Butte residents relied on the Montana Power Co.

Alcoholic beverages were strictly verboten as prohibition was the law of the land. Therefore, Butte patrons werent bellying up to the bar for a nice cold beer or a shot or two of whiskey. Or were they?

Just before these saloons were permanently shut down, there were enough drinking establishments to wet many a whistle  253 to be exact. The start of 1919 changed the trajectory and soft drinks and cigars became all the rage. So much so that 200 soda parlors were listed in the 1923 city directory. Thats right, pop had become the preferred beverage because it would be unfathomable that Butte residents would flout the law  right?

The Silver Dollar Soda Shop was where 1923 actors were filmed stopping for a soda. Today, Butte has its own Silver Dollar, bur it's a saloon, not a soda shop, and its located at 133 S. Main St.

Oddly enough, 100 years ago, neither Granite nor Broadway streets had very many of these parlors. Park Street had its fair share, and many more were housed on Main and Montana streets. What was completely absent on these two busy blocks were pool halls, which numbered 40 citywide, and meat markets, with a list of 70 all throughout Butte.

Hotels were another matter, at least on Broadway. It would not be stretching the truth if one were to say there was plenty of room at the inn 100 years ago. The Mining City had 407 boarding houses, hotels and lodging houses. In just the first two blocks on West Broadway, there were six hotels  the Leggat, which boasted it was Buttes only fireproof hotel, along with the Grand, the Morris, the Argyle, the Laurenz, and the Kenwood, which last year was transformed into the Hotel Bozeman.

In 1923, Butte was described as a city set on a hill which cannot be hid, and 100 years later, the town remains in the limelight. While 1923 gets a bit of the credit, the bulk belongs elsewhere.

One hundred years ago, the directorys writer left out a vital component when he stated that Buttes streets and homes were actually built on a foundation of gold, silver, copper, zinc, and other metals stored in the richest hill on earth on which the city stands.

That vital component was its people, as diverse as the metals found beneath the ground. The majority played a part in the mining camps success, and together these pioneers put Butte, America on the map. Fast forward and its 2023, and that pioneer spirit remains embedded, thanks in large part to the men and women of Buttes past, all of whom dared to dream.

Close Employees of The Montana Standard spent an evening last September checking out all the facades on West Broadway Street before they were taken down. A '1923' crew member was happy to take the photograph. Pictured here, from left, are Tracy Thornton, Heather Carlson, Jamie Rowling, Kate Kunnert, Kim LaBreche and Jenean Kujawa. The Butte Water Co. was transformed into Bozeman's Town Hall. Toys galore could apparently be found at Tinka's. In 1923, stores such as Hennessy's, Symon's and McConnell's all had toy departments. The temperance movement got its start in Ohio and it eventually made its way west. These film extras were making their feelings known by protesting outside the fictional Silver Dollar Soda Shop. Above this garage on West Granite Street is a sign, Sweet Blossom Peas. Similar to Anaconda's Art in the Park, Bozeman has a three-day summer event as well, the Sweet Pea Festival. An extra on the set of "1923" takes a break from filming on the running board of a Hudson luxury car. The Silver Dollar Soda Shop was where a cowboy could have a 'soda' or two 100 years ago. One poster featured here promoted a 1923 Frank Lloyd silent film, which starred Corinne Griffith, Conway Tearle and Clara Bow. In reality, the fictional Shuman's Consignment is home to Beautiful Things on Broadway at 27 W. Broadway St. Some fictitious Bozeman real estate agents did business next door to the Bozeman Town Hall, also known as the Butte Water Co. There were several cafes and diners on West Broadway Street 100 years ago. For 1923, Opal's Diner was opened for business. To protect it from the rain, plastic partially covered this Model T while it was parked in front of the Butte-Silver Bow Courthouse. The Madison Power Company on West Broadway Street was part of the 1923 scenery. Tobacco products could be found in any number of Butte establishments 100 years ago, including the Bismarck at 15 W. Granite St., and the Broadway Cigar Store, 30 W. Broadway St. Highest quality, along with lowest prices, was what the fictitious Lindley Place Market was advertising 100 years ago. In reality, this market would have had some stiff competition as, according to the 1923 Butte City Directory, the Mining City had 258 grocery stores. It was 'lights, camera, action' on Granite Street. To help set the stage for 1923, period lampposts were placed in the Uptown Butte streets. The Hotel Bozeman facade was featured prominently on West Broadway Street. In actuality, the Butte building is the Kenwood. Horses were also 'extras' in the Paramount+ series, 1923. Pictured here is the fictional Heine Fur. Butte, in 1923, had three fur shops. The lead actors of 1923, Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren are seen here during an action sequence on West Broadway Street. A movie poster covers up the window of this 'soda' joint, which, for many years, was a favorite watering hole in Uptown Butte, Club 13. The facade outside the Piccadilly Museum of Transportation, 20 W. Broadway St., featured the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicles. A Bozeman dentist office from 1923 was featured here. One hundred years ago, the Butte Dental Laboratory was housed in the Silver Bow Block. Another classic Hudson was used during the filming of 1923. Perhaps some 1923 Duttons ended up in this makeshift Bozeman County Jail. Butte's old bus deport was transformed into the Bozeman Civic Center. Boxers Jack Dempsey and Tommy Gibbons did not meet in the ring in Bozeman, nor in Butte. In reality, the match was held in Shelby, Montana on July 4, 1923. Note that the Original headframe, lit up in red, is part of this picture's backdrop. Butte's barber shops from 1923 included establishments run by R.D. Pelletier and J.D. Lambros. For a brief time, Sassy Consignment and Sales, 19 W. Broadway, was transformed into Annie's Boutique. Thea Sheehan had her own boutique 100 years ago  at 103 W. Broadway St. A bus dropped these extras off on West Granite Street. 1923 extras are seen here getting ready for a day of work on West Granite Street. Uptown scenes from the filming of '1923' Here are some recognizable sets in Uptown Butte from the filming of "1923,'' a prequel to the popular television series "Yellowstone.'' The buildings were restored to their former look after filming. Employees of The Montana Standard spent an evening last September checking out all the facades on West Broadway Street before they were taken down. A '1923' crew member was happy to take the photograph. Pictured here, from left, are Tracy Thornton, Heather Carlson, Jamie Rowling, Kate Kunnert, Kim LaBreche and Jenean Kujawa. The Butte Water Co. was transformed into Bozeman's Town Hall. Toys galore could apparently be found at Tinka's. In 1923, stores such as Hennessy's, Symon's and McConnell's all had toy departments. The temperance movement got its start in Ohio and it eventually made its way west. These film extras were making their feelings known by protesting outside the fictional Silver Dollar Soda Shop. Above this garage on West Granite Street is a sign, Sweet Blossom Peas. Similar to Anaconda's Art in the Park, Bozeman has a three-day summer event as well, the Sweet Pea Festival. An extra on the set of "1923" takes a break from filming on the running board of a Hudson luxury car. The Silver Dollar Soda Shop was where a cowboy could have a 'soda' or two 100 years ago. One poster featured here promoted a 1923 Frank Lloyd silent film, which starred Corinne Griffith, Conway Tearle and Clara Bow. In reality, the fictional Shuman's Consignment is home to Beautiful Things on Broadway at 27 W. Broadway St. Some fictitious Bozeman real estate agents did business next door to the Bozeman Town Hall, also known as the Butte Water Co. There were several cafes and diners on West Broadway Street 100 years ago. For 1923, Opal's Diner was opened for business. To protect it from the rain, plastic partially covered this Model T while it was parked in front of the Butte-Silver Bow Courthouse. The Madison Power Company on West Broadway Street was part of the 1923 scenery. Tobacco products could be found in any number of Butte establishments 100 years ago, including the Bismarck at 15 W. Granite St., and the Broadway Cigar Store, 30 W. Broadway St. Highest quality, along with lowest prices, was what the fictitious Lindley Place Market was advertising 100 years ago. In reality, this market would have had some stiff competition as, according to the 1923 Butte City Directory, the Mining City had 258 grocery stores. It was 'lights, camera, action' on Granite Street. To help set the stage for 1923, period lampposts were placed in the Uptown Butte streets. The Hotel Bozeman facade was featured prominently on West Broadway Street. In actuality, the Butte building is the Kenwood. Horses were also 'extras' in the Paramount+ series, 1923. Pictured here is the fictional Heine Fur. Butte, in 1923, had three fur shops. The lead actors of 1923, Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren are seen here during an action sequence on West Broadway Street. A movie poster covers up the window of this 'soda' joint, which, for many years, was a favorite watering hole in Uptown Butte, Club 13. The facade outside the Piccadilly Museum of Transportation, 20 W. Broadway St., featured the Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicles. A Bozeman dentist office from 1923 was featured here. One hundred years ago, the Butte Dental Laboratory was housed in the Silver Bow Block. Another classic Hudson was used during the filming of 1923. Perhaps some 1923 Duttons ended up in this makeshift Bozeman County Jail. Butte's old bus deport was transformed into the Bozeman Civic Center. Boxers Jack Dempsey and Tommy Gibbons did not meet in the ring in Bozeman, nor in Butte. In reality, the match was held in Shelby, Montana on July 4, 1923. Note that the Original headframe, lit up in red, is part of this picture's backdrop. Butte's barber shops from 1923 included establishments run by R.D. Pelletier and J.D. Lambros. For a brief time, Sassy Consignment and Sales, 19 W. Broadway, was transformed into Annie's Boutique. Thea Sheehan had her own boutique 100 years ago  at 103 W. Broadway St. A bus dropped these extras off on West Granite Street. 1923 extras are seen here getting ready for a day of work on West Granite Street.
The trio stands poised to add tangibly to Anaconda-Deer Lodge Countys growing reputation as an outdoor recreation hub.

Anaconda Outdoor plans a soft opening in March and a grand opening in October.

Chris Bruner, 28, co-owner of both the building on East Park Avenue that will house the retail store and of the store itself, said the response from Anaconda has been remarkably warm and supportive.

Were just happy to be part of the community here, Bruner said. Weve been welcomed with open arms.

Anaconda Outdoors inventory will include apparel designed for hikers, skiers, mountain bikers and more, as well as gear for hikers and others bent on experiences in the great outdoors. There will be backpacks and hiking boots and a host of backcountry essentials.

No hunting or fishing stuff. The Murdochs Ranch and Home Supply store will likely serve those needs once it opens in a few months, they said.

Jordan Wilson, 27, is Anaconda Outdoors retail manager. He said the Anaconda Trail Society has provided helpful input about the needs of both through hikers on the Continental Divide Trail and locals. An Anaconda Cutoff option from the trail brings many hikers into Anaconda for resupply. The through hikers, either northbound or southbound, typically walk through town during several weeks in the summer.

Robin McKernan, president of the Anaconda Trail Society, said Wilson was very receptive to the groups suggestions about inventory that will be helpful to Continental Divide Trail hikers.

McKernan said she believes the store is a positive addition to the region.

And the building is beautiful, she said.

Bruner and Wilson met when working at the Yellowstone Club. Neither has retail experience.

Chelsea Heersink, 32, grew up in Colorado but has lived in Montana for several years. Shes in charge of marketing and sales.

Renovation of the building at 616 E. Park Ave. began about nine months ago. Clay Howery Construction of Butte has handled the work. Howery laughed wryly when asked whether the building  which is at least 100 years old  had presented challenges.

The building contributes to both the National Historic District and Anacondas Goosetown Historic District.

Howerys crew removed plaster downstairs to expose brick. The retail space is about 1,900 square feet, with the second floor being roughly the same. Bruner said the plan is to add three apartments upstairs.

Bruner is a partner in the family business, Anaconda Development Group, which also includes his father, a brother and an uncle. The building housing Classic Cafe will also be owned by the ADG. ADG also owns the Hickory House Inn.

Bruners great-great-grandfather, William Collins, was an early resident of Anaconda.

Rainbow Sporting Goods is nearby on Park Avenue. Known for fishing flies, the small shop sells other outdoor goods too. Dons Sporting Goods closed years ago.

Now, Bruner, Wilson and Heersink all live in Anaconda and say they feel good about that.

Since moving here, we have all been well received by the community and have fallen in love with all the outdoor recreation and the pure beauty of Anaconda, Heersink said.
DEER LODGE  More water. More housing. More tourists. More grants.

The city is drilling a new well south of town on land owned by the Montana Department of Transportation. The next step will be making connections to city water lines.

Connection will begin after testing and bidding, said Jordan Green, the citys chief administrative officer.

The new well could be online in early 2024.

The additional water could help support development of new housing and provide more pressure for fire suppression, Green said. Deer Lodge, like many communities in Montana, faces a critical shortage of affordable housing. Green said the city has conducted an inventory of abandoned lots and houses and there could be opportunities for infield development by builders.

In addition, the city has solicited development proposals for the former Powell County Community Hospital on Texas Avenue, with the hope being that medium-density housing would emerge there.

More than likely the building would need to be demolished, Green said.

Green said two major employers, the Montana State Prison and Sun Mountain Lumber, attract employees from the region and that additional housing is needed.

Amanda Cooley, planning director for Powell County, confirmed that housing is a key priority.

We are very focused on creating job opportunities and workforce housing, she said. The Milwaukee Roundhouse, a vacant property since 1980 and active state Superfund site, has seen significant forward movement toward completing remediation and attracting new development.

Cooley said about $1 million has been secured to complete remediation and that $60,000 has been allocated from the Brownfields program to help develop a vision for development. She said there has been interest in the property.

It will still take time to get the site delisted (from Superfund), but we are making great strides in the right direction, she said.

The city and county are currently working together to find innovative solutions to our housing challenges, Cooley added. At the last joint city-county meeting, we discussed leveraging funding from state programs to assist dilapidated homes in renovation and creating a local housing solutions committee. A county-owned property may be suitable for housing development through a community land trust. These outcomes will take time to achieve but again, weve got to start somewhere.

Separately, Cooley noted that three hotels in Deer Lodge have been purchased by new owners and are undergoing renovation.

The county is working to resolve conflict with Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site and Rock Creek Cattle Co. about full use of the Old Yellowstone Trail. The trail connects Deer Lodge and Garrison.

And Cooley and others see the potential to tap into the recreation economy with another trail system, one that might benefit from funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Powell County is also leading an effort to unite six local governments to apply for a federal RAISE transportation grant, she said. It would pay to conduct a feasibility study for an alternative transportation route that would connect 35 rural communities over 220 miles. Once complete, this will have unprecedented economic benefits to the region as a result of increased tourism.

Cooley said a study of potential statewide impacts conducted by the Bozeman-based firm Headwaters Economics showed that the alternative transportation route would bring $229 million in visitor spending, 2,500 new jobs, and $22.8 million in new tax revenue.

The timeline for the feasibility study is approximately three years. It will take time to secure funding and develop the plan and we want to do it right, Cooley said.

Green said he hopes that state and federal funding from the Brownfields redevelopment program could help determine the potential fate of circa-1912 Hotel Deer Lodge, which sits abandoned on Main Street. The once-proud building has been the subject of debate and studies for decades. Some see its restoration as key to a vibrant Main Street; others simply want to see something other than pigeons inhabiting the corner.

As it stands, the building contains asbestos, lead and pigeon guano that would need to be addressed if redevelopment became a real possibility.

On a mostly lighter note, Deer Lodge welcomed a new skate park whose benefactors included Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament and former Deer Lodge resident Mike McGinley.

There were some issues initially at the park, including a reported case of bullying and a rash of injuries tied to the challenging course. The city installed a surveillance camera to help monitor the site.

Green said the city has been approached by people interested in holding statewide events at the park, which could bring dollars into town.

He said a remodeled Victory Lanes bowling alley is also bringing people in from outside the city.

Toward that end, the city is helping to arrange seminars that will offer local businesses tips about how best to market their business in the digital age. For example, Green said, a traveler on Interstate 90 will check Google to see if an eatery has posted a menu and if it has not will likely eat somewhere else.

Recent additions to the hospitality choices in Deer Lodge have included the Cell Block Tavern, Stu-da-Bakers and K. & M. Burgers. The Mount Powell Tap Room opened in 2021.

Longtime business Broken Arrow Steakhouse & Casino expanded its casino and other existing businesses that weathered COVID-19 have still occasionally struggled with staffing shortages.

For a time, rumors circulated that the region might lose the Montana State Prison. Green said evidence suggests those rumors were unfounded.

He said a Preliminary Engineering Program first published in 2009 is going to be updated. Among other things, it could examine possibly siting a new industrial park near the airport.

One potential marijuana dispensary business is in the works so far, Green said. He said it will likely locate near the Golden Spike Casino.

Discover Deer Lodge is creating a home for a visitor center on Main Street.
DES MOINES, Iowa  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may be months away from publicly declaring his presidential intentions, but his potential rivals aren't holding back.

No fewer than a half dozen Republicans eyeing the White House have begun actively courting top political operatives in states like New Hampshire and Iowa, which traditionally host the opening presidential primary contests.

At the same time, former President Donald Trump, the only announced candidate in the race, is launching regular attacks against DeSantis and others while locking down key staff and endorsements in early voting South Carolina.

For now, DeSantis is plowing forward with an "anti-woke" agenda in the legislature before a presidential announcement in late spring or early summer. His team is beginning to hold informal conversations with a handful of prospective campaign staff in key states, according to those involved in the discussions. But compared with would-be rivals, the Florida governor appears to be stepping into the 2024 presidential primary season much more deliberately.

"They understand they are in kind of a sweet spot now. They can feel the demand building and they don't really have to show any leg yet," said David Kochel, a veteran Republican operative who has been in touch with DeSantis' team to relay interest from activists. "I just don't think there's any urgency yet to start putting things in place."

For voters it may seem early in the 2024 presidential election season, but by historical standards it is not.

The GOP's opening presidential primary debates are just six months away, expected in late July or early August when the Republican National Committee holds its summer meeting in Milwaukee.

Trump has been in the race for more than two months. The former president last week released a list of high-profile supporters in South Carolina, including Gov. Henry McMaster and Sen. Lindsay Graham.

On Feb. 15, Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is scheduled to launch her own White House bid in South Carolina, followed by immediate appearances in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Haley is among a half dozen Republican prospects in various levels of conversations with political operatives in New Hampshire and Iowa about job openings, according to people involved with the discussions who requested anonymity.

Beyond Haley, they include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Hogan, a term-limited governor who left office only weeks ago, talked up his executive experience in New Hampshire radio interviews on Thursday.

"Everybody says it's Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis," he said. "But I think it might be somebody that nobody's talking about right now, which is what usually happens.  My argument is the front-runners almost never win."

Indeed, recent political history is littered with tales of seemingly strong early contenders who failed. They include the likes of former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who looked like a front-runner in 2015 and was forced out of the race before the first voting contest. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush then emerged as the strong favorite before Trump overtook him.

Veteran Republican strategist Ari Fleischer recalled the 2000 presidential campaign when his then-boss, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, successfully waited until mid-June to enter the Republican presidential primary. In the months before the announcement, Bush aggressively worked behind the scenes to line up donors, staff and endorsements.

DeSantis' team declined to comment on his 2024 plans publicly, but the Florida governor's allies expect him to enter the race in late June or early July.

For DeSantis to adopt a similar winning playbook, Fleischer said, it's critical to work now to assemble a strong campaign apparatus in private. He likened a successful strategy at this phase to a duck, who appears calm but is paddling hard just below the water's surface.

"So long as (DeSantis) is paddling furiously underwater like a duck, he can afford to wait," Fleischer said. "The amount of work it takes to build a presidential campaign is phenomenal. I don't think people understand what's involved unless they've done it. It's brutal.  And if you don't put the labor into it quietly, privately, it falls apart."

As DeSantis focuses on Florida's statehouse, Trump has dramatically escalated his attacks on the man he and his aides see as, by far, his most concerning rival. But as other Republicans prepare to enter the race, Trump is also attacking them.

For example, in a Thursday interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, Trump described Haley in sexist terms as "overly ambitious," noting that she once vowed not to seek the presidency in 2024 if Trump was also running.

"She's a very ambitious person. She just couldn't stay in her seat," Trump said.

Timeline: Key dates in the investigation into Trump's Mar-a-Lago docs Jan. 20, 2021 May 2021 December 2021 NARA "continued to make requests" for records it believed to be missing for several months, according to the affidavit. Around late December 2021, a Trump representative informed the agency that an additional 12 boxes of records that should have been turned over had been found at the former president's Mar-a-Lago club and residence and were ready to be retrieved. Jan. 18, 2022 NARA received 15 boxes of presidential records that had been stored at Mar-a-Lago  14 of which, it would later be revealed, contained classified documents. The documents were found mixed in with an assortment of other material, including newspapers, magazines, photos and personal correspondence. In total, the boxes were found to contain 184 documents with classified markings, including 67 marked confidential, 92 secret and 25 top secret. Agents who inspected the boxes also found special markings suggesting they included information from highly sensitive human sources or the collection of electronic "signals" authorized by a court under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Feb. 9, 2022 Feb. 18, 2022 Feb. 19, 2022 NARA revealed in a letter to a congressional oversight committee that classified information was found in the 15 recovered boxes and confirmed the Justice Department referral. Trump's Save America PAC released another statement insisting, "The National Archives did not 'find' anything," but "were given, upon request, Presidential Records in an ordinary and routine process to ensure the preservation of my legacy and in accordance with the Presidential Records Act." April 12, 2022 NARA informed Trump of its intent to provide the documents to the FBI, at the request of the Justice Department. A Trump representative requested an extension until April 29. April 29, 2022 May 10, 2022 NARA informed Trump's lawyers that it would provide the FBI access to the records as soon as May 12. May 11, 2022 The Justice Department issued a subpoena for additional records. June 3, 2022 June 8, 2022 The Justice Department sent a letter to Trump's lawyer requesting that the storage room be secured, and that "all of the boxes that were moved from the White House to Mar-a-Lago (along with any other items in that room) be preserved in that room in their current condition until farther notice." Aug. 5, 2022 Aug. 8, 2022 Aug. 12, 2022 Aug. 26, 2022 Aug. 30, 2022
WASHINGTON  Appearing before a federal judge after pleading guilty to a felony charge in the deadly Capitol riot, former West Virginia lawmaker Derrick Evans expressed remorse for letting down his family and his community, saying he made a "crucial mistake."

Less than a year later, Evans portrays himself as a victim of a politically motivated prosecution as he runs to serve in the same building he stormed on Jan. 6, 2021. Evans is now calling the Justice Department's Jan. 6 prosecutions a "miscarriage of justice" and describes himself on twitter as a "J6 Patriot."

"Some ppl have said I need to apologize and condemn #J6 if I want to win my election as the media will attack me," he tweeted recently after announcing his bid for a U.S. House seat in 2024. "I will not compromise my values or beliefs. That's what politicians do. We need Patriots not politicians."

Evans joins a series of Jan. 6 defendants who  when up against possible prison time in court  expressed regret for joining the pro-Trump mob that rattled the foundations of American democracy only to strike a different tone or downplay the riot after receiving their punishment.

The very first Jan. 6 defendant to be sentenced apologized in court and then went on Fox News Channel shortly after and seemed to minimize the riot. Another defendant who called Jan. 6 "horrifying and disgusting" later donned an orange jumpsuit to play the part of a distraught prisoner in a bizarre tribute to imprisoned Capitol rioters during a conservative conference.

Some defendants drew ire from judges or the Justice Department for their inconsistent comments. But because some conservatives hold up Jan. 6 defendants as martyrs, there's a political and possibly financial incentive for them to change their tune.

It could push judges to impose stronger punishments for rioters who haven't yet made it to the end of their criminal cases. Even before Evans' sentencing, the judge who heard his case began questioning the sincerity of rioters' apologies after he felt duped by another defendant, saying he was "all too familiar with crocodile tears."

In some cases, judges questioned whether they should undo defendants' convictions or plea deals after they made statements in public that appeared to go against what they said in court. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ordered an Illinois man convicted last week to explain why the judge shouldn't vacate his conviction after he agreed in court that he participated in the riot and then told a newspaper he didn't actually think he committed the crimes with which he was charged.

Before being sentenced last June to three months behind bars for a civil disorder charge, Evans said he regrets his actions every day and told Senior Judge Royce Lamberth he is a "good person who unfortunately was caught up in a moment."

Shortly after, prosecutors wrote to the judge about several statements Evans made on a radio show and that were "inconsistent with the contrition" he showed at sentencing.

When asked whether he regretted his actions, Evans said on the show that he regretted the "situation" he was in. But he said he was "never going to have regrets when it comes to standing up and doing what's right."

Evans said in an email to The Associated Press that he still stands behind what he said in court.

"That was my message to the judge. This is my message to the media. It's time to tell the real story of what happened personally to me that day," he said.

Evans said he lost "almost everything"  including his job as a state delegate and time with his kids  because of his decision on Jan. 6. "How could I not regret that?" he asked. But he said he is "done being portrayed as a villain" when he is not, noting that he didn't overrun any officers and was inside the Capitol for only 10 minutes.

When determining an appropriate sentence, judges generally take into account whether defendants took responsibility for their actions and appear genuinely sorry. In some Jan. 6 cases, judges faulted defendants for not appearing to show true remorse even before their punishment has been handed down.

A lawyer for Trennis Evans III, who took a swig of whiskey in a congressional conference room during the riot, told the judge in court papers that Evans was "sincerely remorseful, and duly contrite." But after Evans suggested at his November sentencing that Jan. 6 defendants were being treated unfairly  even though he said he condemned what happened that day  the judge said she didn't believe he showed "full and genuine remorse."

Months after he was ordered to serve 20 days in jail, the Texas man traveled to South Dakota to urge state lawmakers to support a resolution encouraging "the humane and fair treatment" of Jan. 6 defendants. The resolution failed by unanimous vote.

The first Jan. 6 defendant to get her punishment, Anna Morgan-Lloyd, told Lamberth she was ashamed of the "savage display of violence" at the Capitol before he sentenced her to probation.

Shortly after, however, the Indiana woman told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that people were "very polite" during the riot and that she saw "relaxed" police officers chatting with rioters.

Lamberth apparently hasn't forgotten about it. The judge wrote in court papers that he hoped another defendant's "change of heart" was sincere because his hopes were "dashed" in her case. In another case, he wrote that he "often finds it difficult to ascertain the sincerity" of Jan. 6 defendants' remorse.

"Many defendants appear sincere at sentencing, boasting of their purportedly deep shame, regret, and desire to change and be law-abiding citizens," Lamberth wrote. "But this Court is all too familiar with crocodile tears."

Images of chaos: AP photographers capture US Capitol riot
Russia's unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine has become the biggest threat to Europe's security since the end of World War II, Russian President Vladimir Putin's occupation of all of Ukraine is not enough - he wants to end the existing world order. The only way to peace is the largest and fastest possible military aid to Ukraine.

Putin is an authoritarian ruler, and like all his likes, he responds only to the strength of his opponents. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly wrote this in a column for the Times of Malta on the eve of his visit to Malta.

The British diplomat called Putin's unleashed war against Ukraine the biggest threat to Europe's security since 1945. After all, the dictator's appetites extend far beyond Ukraine's borders.

"Vladimir Putin's ambitions do not end with the conquest and annexation of Ukraine. He wants to overturn world politics and end the international order. And if he succeeds, he will return us all to an era of violence and conquest. But we cannot and will not let Putin win. Malta and Britain will never accept his invasion of Ukraine. Nor his violent annexations. His violent actions are a clear violation of the UN Charter," Cleverly wrote.

The British foreign minister stressed: Ukraine bears the brunt of Russian aggression. However, its echoes are felt in all corners of not only Europe, but also the whole world...

"The world is paying an exorbitant price for the war unleashed by Putin. A tsunami of hunger threatens the world's poorest countries. Rising energy prices will drive millions of people around the world back into poverty. And we must not forget the Russian people. They, too, have been captured by Putin," Cleverly declared.

However, the diplomat is convinced that there is a way to stop the bloody war, and it is just one: a substantial increase in military aid to the Ukrainian army and the Ukrainian people.

"Like all authoritarian rulers, Putin responds only to the strength of his opponents. Last December, he rejected Vladimir Zelensky's 10-point peace plan. This is why Britain and Ukraine's friends are doing everything they can to ensure that Ukraine succeeds on the battlefield. And that is why I am glad that Germany and the United States are joining Britain in sending tanks to the Ukrainians. Giving the Ukrainians the tools they need to complete the job is the fastest - and even only - way to peace," Cleverly stressed.

He also expressed his belief that as Europe enters the second year of a major war, European countries will need even more determination and willpower. There are many challenges ahead. But unity in the face of a common threat, including at the level of the UN Security Council, which is chaired by Malta, in the end will inevitably help "to make the world a better place.

We shall remind you that earlier the British Ministry of Defense showed the training of tanks of the AFU on Challenger 2. These tanks Britain is transferring to the Ukrainian army to help it prepare for the de-occupation of Ukraine.

The British defence ministry did not disclose details of the training of the Ukrainian military. It only noted that the AFU tankers quickly mastered the equipment and continue training.



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Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (R, front) participates in a parade celebrating the country's 75th Independence Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Feb. 4, 2023. Sri Lanka celebrated 75 years of independence from British rule on Saturday. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

COLOMBO, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka celebrated 75 years of independence from British rule on Saturday by holding a military and cultural parade with the participation of a number of foreign special invitees.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena participated in the events held at Galle Face in Colombo.

The parade included armored vehicles of the military, and parades with the participation of troops, including retired officers and disabled officers.

A two-minute silence was observed to commemorate all Sri Lankans who sacrificed their lives for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.

The President's Media Division said that the event was organized with great pride and dignity ensuring minimal cost to showcase the pride and past glory of Sri Lanka to the world. 

Sri Lanka's military personnel take part in a parade celebrating the country's 75th Independence Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Feb. 4, 2023. Sri Lanka celebrated 75 years of independence from British rule on Saturday. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

Sri Lanka's military aircraft take part in a parade celebrating the country's 75th Independence Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Feb. 4, 2023. Sri Lanka celebrated 75 years of independence from British rule on Saturday. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

Sri Lanka's paratroopers take part in a parade celebrating the country's 75th Independence Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Feb. 4, 2023. Sri Lanka celebrated 75 years of independence from British rule on Saturday. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

Sri Lanka's military personnel take part in a parade celebrating the country's 75th Independence Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Feb. 4, 2023. Sri Lanka celebrated 75 years of independence from British rule on Saturday. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

Sri Lanka's military personnel take part in a parade celebrating the country's 75th Independence Day in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Feb. 4, 2023. Sri Lanka celebrated 75 years of independence from British rule on Saturday. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)
The Expo Centre Sharjah (ECS) is set to host 49 economic, commercial and cultural exhibitions, showcasing its commitment to a diverse range of industries and sectors, said ECS CEO Saif Mohammed Al Midfa.

"With companies around the world spending approximately $32 billion annually on participating in conferences, the exhibitions and conferences industry has become a significant contributor to economic growth and a key source of national income, said Al Midfa, who is also chairman of the Arab Union for Exhibitions and board member of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, represented the centre at the event, during his participation at the 2023 Global CEO Summit, hosted by the prestigious Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) in Lisbon, Portugal.

The summit, from February 1 to 3, had brought together more than 100 influential CEOs, executives, and directors from the exhibitions and conferences industry globally.

Shaping the future

ECSs participation was nothing but a testament to its steadfast commitment to promoting international collaboration and shaping the future of the exhibitions and conference sector. By attending the summit, the centre sought to improve its competitiveness in a rapidly changing global economy, promote sustainable development, and create opportunities for partnership and collaboration between businesses.

Al Midfa engaged in discussions with several CEO participants on the current state and future prospects of the exhibitions and conferences sector. The talks covered different topics, including ways to develop sustainable practices and the need to foster cooperation and integration between exhibition centres globally, as well as the prospects of building strategic partnerships and organising joint exhibitions.

Al Midfa emphasised that the Expo Centre Sharjah's participation in the Summit aimed to fuel the global efforts being made to advance the exhibition and conferences industry, adding that the centre looks forward to improving coordination and collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure that the sector can play a vital role in promoting sustainable economic growth.

The Expo Centre Sharjah's participation in the summit underscores its commitment to contributing to the industry's success," Al Midfa noted.-- TradeArabia News Service
Behind the scenes, the Armenian authorities are discussing the possibility of recognizing Azerbaijani sovereignty over Artsakh in exchange for Azerbaijan's renunciation of claims on Syunik. The West is also in favor of the package solution. Arman Grigoryan, political analyst and professor at American Lehigh University, was a guest of Armenian News-NEWS.am.

"But the Russian variant is phased in its essence. According to this variant, today it is impossible to solve the issue of Artsakh's status which stems from the interests of Armenia and Azerbaijan, so the issue should be postponed until after the signing of a peace treaty. It suits Armenia better than a package solution," the expert said.

He explained that the difference between these approaches also lies in the choice of a mediator.

"The choice of the package option implies the process of Russia's withdrawal from the region, which may pose a threat of tough opposition from Moscow. But will it protect Armenia from the likely aggression of Azerbaijan and Turkey?" the political scientist asked a rhetorical question.

He reminded that last year Azerbaijan's military expenditures increased by 40%, the balance of forces with Armenia was even more torn not in favor of Yerevan.

"In this case, everything depends on the position of Russia, which is interested in preserving the Armenian Artsakh, although Moscow cannot recognize Artsakh's independence because it will lead to a clash with Turkey," Grigoryan noted.

At the same time, the expert expressed his concern over references to Alma-Ata Declaration and statements of Armenian authorities about their readiness to protect only 29800 square kilometers.




Russia has reacted sharply negatively to the dispatch of the EU mission to Armenia. Moscow is more zealous of the actions of the West, suspecting that it wants to withdraw Russia from South Caucasus region amid the confrontation between Russia and the EU, Arman Grigoryan, political analyst and professor at American Lehigh University, told Armenian News-NEWS.am on The Power Factor program.

Despite this reaction, he believes that Russia is also interested in the deployment of this mission, because it is not capable of deterring certain actions by Azerbaijan alone, given that the mission is quite limited in its functions and it would be an exaggeration to think that this could be a serious blow to Russia's strategic interests. Therefore, Moscow will not go for escalation or rude actions because of that.

The expert described his expectations from the EU mission with the aphorism "a fish out of water".

"Although it does not have a clear mandate, nevertheless, any deterrent factor in our conditions, as well as against the background of Russia's employment, with its either inability or unwillingness as a peacemaking factor, can have a positive impact," Grigoryan noted.

In Ukraine the escalation is increasing, in the West there is concern about the changes on the front. Under these conditions, small countries are forced to make an unambiguous choice. The expert reckons that Armenia can face such a choice, and there are already prerequisites for that.

If Armenia crosses out its allied relations with Russia and tries to withdraw the Russian base from Gyumri in order to change its strategic orientation, this, according to Grigoryan, may lead to a harsher reaction from Moscow.

There is a discourse in the Armenian public about the possibility of changing the foreign policy course promoted by the authorities and pro-government actors. The Armenian authorities do not have a clear, consistent position or a decision made. It seems that they run to Moscow to sign a paper, or go to the West and make some promises.

Certain expectations of the Armenian public from Russia during the war in 2020 were unjustified, unlike the situation after the September escalation and the blockade of the Lachin corridor. In the latter case, these expectations were justified, but did not materialize. Azerbaijani troops have established themselves on Armenian territory, besides, the Russians have been unable to unblock the Lachin corridor for more than 50 days, and the discontent in society is understandable, as is the desire to look for alternatives.

Another question is whether there are these alternative forces that are willing to do as much as Russia, or more than Russia. I haven't heard or seen any guarantees from any countries that are willing to take us into a military alliance, replace Russia, and send this coalition against Turkey and Azerbaijan.

"I know there are no such guarantees, for the West Armenia is not of such strategic value to go out against Turkey or Azerbaijan.

There are serious encouragements by the statements of France, but if they are not backed up by real support, they actually give nothing.

Due to the lack of a real alternative, the bargaining power is limited, and Russia takes advantage of this. Russia believes that Armenia has nowhere to go. With this approach, Russia has created problems for itself, since the current atmosphere in Armenia clearly does not stem from its interests. This is a consequence of Russia's failed PR," says the political analyst.

He believes that Russia will protect our interests as long as these interests allow. "We should understand Russia's interests, understand in which issues we can expect support from Moscow and in which issues we cannot. We also need to understand if there are alternatives and how they are dangerous. We can unwittingly create problems for Russia in search of protection from our neighbors," Grigoryan concluded.
Bahrain is keen to keep pace with the latest developments in the field of entrepreneurship and to boost partnership between the public and private sectors to achieve the goals of the kingdoms Economic Vision 2030.

This is according to Bahrains Industry and Commerce Minister Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, who inaugurated the Global Entrepreneurship Conference, organised by the Bahrain Entrepreneurship Foundation, from February 5 to 6, a Bahrain News Agency (BNA) report said.

The minister affirmed Bahrains support to entrepreneurs and SME development.

Five main pillars

He said the SMEs development council was formed on five main pillars that facilitate the access of startups and SMEs to the necessary support and access to markets, by simplifying the business environment, developing skills and promoting innovation. There have been a total of 43 approved initiatives, of which 20 have been implemented so far.

Bahrain Entrepreneurship Foundation Chairwoman Feryal Abdullah Nass said the conference aims to achieve the sustainable growth of SMEs.

She stressed the need for national efforts by promoting a culture of creativity and innovation and exchanging experiences in economic affairs, in a way that contributes to the development of the economy.

Panel discussion

The conference includes a panel discussion with Fakhro, BCCI Chairman Sameer Nass, Nass and several high officials.

The discussion will highlight investment, access to finance in the world of innovative startups, global women leaders, innovative and sustainable media entrepreneurship, innovation and business opportunities, and a strategic direction towards digitalisation.
The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia Bahris tanker Sara has arrived at the Jeddah Islamic Port with 60,000 tonnes of barley as the government and private sectors cooperate in Saudi Arabia to ensure food security.

The tanker has come from the Australian port of Bunbury after the Agricultural Development Fund financed the supply contract concluded between Mansour Al-Mosaid Company and the Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (Salic).

Bahri CEO Eng Ahmed bin Ali Al-Subaey said: Providing staple grains such as barley, wheat and corn to Saudi Arabia is one of our greatest accomplishments as part of the supply chain. The modern tanker carrier Sara is one of the several ships added to Bahris cargo fleet to meet the needs of customers in the kingdom and the region as well as Saudi companies seeking to import these important commodities. This will contribute to enhancing food security, one of the main objectives of Saudi Vision 2030."

Key milestone

Salic Group CEO Eng Sulaiman bin Abdulrahman Al-Rumaih said: This is an important milestone in local food security since efforts have been integrated between three national companies as per Vision 2030 objectives.

According to Al-Rumaih, Salic, through its global investments, contributed to achieving the national food security goals by receiving over 1.3 million tonnes of commodities and products in the kingdom during the year 2022.

Munir Bin Fahd Al-Sahli, General Manager of the Agricultural Development Fund, said: The funding comes as part of its efforts to support and develop the agricultural sector, strengthen and stabilise the food security system, contribute to boosting supply chains, and compensate for any shortages which may occur.

Ahmed bin Mansour Al-Sudairy, Chairman of Mansour Al-Mosaid Company, said: Over the past forty years, Mansour Al-Mosaid Company has played a key role in importing and trading barley in Saudi Arabia, and we are delighted to cooperate with two of the kingdom's largest companies.-- TradeArabia News Service
China slams US for shooting down balloon

The Foreign Ministry says the use of force by the US to shoot down the civilian airship is "a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice". File photo: Shutterstock

China has slammed a move by the United States to shot down an unmanned Chinese airship off its southeastern coast.



According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, China expressed strong dissatisfaction and opposition towards the use of force to attack the civilian unmanned airship.



"The Chinese side has, after verification, repeatedly informed the US side of the civilian nature of the airship and conveyed that its entry into the United States due to force majeure was totally unexpected, the statement said, noting the Chinese side has clearly asked the US side to properly handle the matter in a calm, professional and restrained manner," Xinhua News Agency reported.



Xinhua said the civilian airship is used for research  mainly meteorological  purposes, and deviated from its planned course as it was affected by the Westerlies and possessed limited self-steering capability.



The Foreign Ministry statement also said the US Defence Department also noted the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.



It described the use of force as "a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice".



The craft spent several days flying over North America before it was targeted with a missile shot from an F-22 plane off the coast of South Carolina, Pentagon officials said, falling into relatively shallow water just 14 metres deep. (Additional reporting by AFP)
Former president and PM call for change in Iran

Mohammad Khatami was president of Iran from 1997 to 2005. Photo: AFP

Iran's former president Mohammad Khatami and former premier Mir Hossein Mousavi have both called for political changes amid the protests triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.



As the 44th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution approaches, one of the country's main opposition figures, Mousavi, called on Saturday for the "fundamental transformation" of a political system he said was facing a crisis of legitimacy.



And on Sunday Khatami, the leader of the reformist movement, said in a statement: "What is evident today is widespread discontent."



Khatami said he hoped that the use of "non-violent civil methods" can "force the governing system to change its approach and accept reforms".



In a statement carried by local media, Mousavi said: "Iran and Iranians need and are ready for a fundamental transformation whose outline is drawn by the pure 'Woman, Life, Freedom' movement."



He was referring to the main slogan chanted in demonstrations sparked by the death on September 16 of Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd.



She had been arrested three days earlier by the morality police in Tehran for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's dress code for women.



Mousavi, 80, said the protest movement began in the context of "interdependent crises" and proposed holding a "free and healthy referendum on the need to change or draft a new constitution".



He called the current system's structure "unsustainable".



An unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2009, Mousavi alleged large-scale fraud in favour of populist incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, leading to mass protests.



He has been under house arrest without charge in Tehran for 12 years, along with his wife Zahra Rahnavard.



A close confidant of the Islamic republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Mousavi was prime minister from 1981 to 1989.



Khatami, 79, warned that "there is no sign of the ruling system's desire for reform and avoiding the mistakes of the past and present".



President from 1997 to 2005 before being forced into silence, Khatami said he regretted that Iran's population was "disappointed with Reformism as well as with the ruling system". (AFP)
The next e-auction of wheat under the open market sale scheme will be held across states on February 15, 2023. On January 25, the government said FCI would offload 30 lakh tonnes of wheat from the central pool in the markets under the Open Market Sale Scheme, within the next two months, for containing the rising domestic prices of the staple foodgrain. Food Corporation of India offered 22 lakh tonne of wheat out of 25 lakh tonne earmarked in the first e-auction through the open market sale that took place from Wednesday-Thursday. Of which, a quantity of 9.2 lakh tonne was sold across the country, according to a government release on Friday. In the e-auction, more than 1,150 bidders came forward to participate. The commencement of the e-auction of wheat in the open market in order to cool the staple food grain's prices has already left an impact as the government said they retreated over 10 per cent in the past one week. The e-auction will continue throughout the country every Wednesday till the second week of March 2023. "Food Corporation of India (FCI) has issued direction to all the winning bidders of first e-auction held on 1st and 2nd February to remit the cost and lift the stock immediately from concerned depots across the country and make the same available in respective markets in order to further contain the prices," the food and public distribution ministry said, adding that the prices are set to fall further after the wheat sold in the e auction is lifted and flour is made available. In order to address the rising price of wheat and Atta in the country, the Group of Ministers headed by Home Minister Amit Shah made some recommendations which are being followed by the Department of Food and Public Distribution. (ANI)
However, it's not clear from his post whether it's a series or a film.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Vikram shared a couple of pictures. One among them is a spooky house and the other is a mysterious diary. Vikram captioned the frames as, "In the dead of a cold night, when distant howling sounds could be heard, inside a haunted mansion... The pages of an old tattered diary unfurled to tell a frightening tale... #1920horrorsoftheheart coming soon."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CoRPv3JNUD8/

Vikram tagged a host of actors in the post suggesting that they will be part of this project. Avika Gor, Danish Pandor, Barkha Sengupta, and Rahul Dev will feature in this project.

Vikram tagged her daughter Krishna Bhatt in the post as well.

Vikram's daughter Krishna is also a filmmaker. He is the daughter of Vikram and his ex-wife, Aditi Bhatt. Vikram and Aditi divorced in 1998. (ANI)
Sandy Powell, a well-known British costume designer, will be honoured with a Fellowship at the EE BAFTA Film Awards. The award is BAFTA's highest honour, given to an individual for their outstanding contribution to the film, gaming, or television industries. According to Variety, a US-based media house, Powell, the first costume designer to win the Fellowship, has worked on some of the most memorable films of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Her wide portfolio of work includes period dramas such as 'Shakespeare in Love' and 'The Favourite,' as well as fantasy films such as 'Cinderella' and 'Mary Poppins Returns.' Over the next year, Powell will collaborate with BAFTA to encourage and foster budding costume designers through their learning, inclusiveness, and talent programmes. "I am hugely flattered to receive the BAFTA Fellowship and especially proud to be the first costume designer," Powell said. "I am lucky in that I love what I do and have been extremely fortunate to have collaborated with some of the most talented and inspirational people in the industry both behind and in front of the camera. I look forward to many more years to come." Powell, who was born in Brixton, London, was taught to sew by her mother at a young age and polished her abilities by sewing costumes for her dolls and clothes for herself. She attended London's Central School of Art and Design and began her career designing costumes for fringe theatre companies and music videos before moving on to design costumes for Derek Jarman's 1986 film "Caravaggio." Variety reports that many of the world's most renowned directors teamed with Powell to bring their scripts to life through costume, including Martin Scorsese, who has worked with her on six films, including "The Aviator," which earned her a second Academy Award. Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ralph Fiennes are among the actors she has worked with. Variety further reports that she has also earned numerous other awards and recognition, including the Costume Designers Guild Career Achievement Award, the London Film Critics' Circle Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film, and the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to the film business. (ANI)
For bike lovers 'Ladakh trip' is a must on the bucket list. Sharing a string of pictures from his old Ladakh trip, actor Amit Sadh expressed a wish to take the trip this year as well. Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Amit shared a bunch of pictures from the Leh-Ladakh trip. Starting from posing with the local kids, Amit is seen doing different stunts with his bike against the picturesque backdrop of Ladakh. In the caption, Amit wrote, "Feel like doing this again !!! #ladhakbiketrip #2023goals #triumphtiger1200 #lehladakh." https://www.instagram.com/p/CoOkCqNItzw/ Interestingly, a number of celebrities expressed that they are willing to join Amit on his next trip. Actor Rajesh Khattar wrote, "I am on for it .. whenever feeling materialises, buzz me." Actor Arslan Goni wrote, "Take me with you bhai." Esha Deol and Manjari Fadnis posted emojis on Amit's post. On the work front, Amit finished shooting for 'Pune Highway' in January. In November 2022, Amit announced the project writing, "A new cinematic journey begins. Pune Highway crossfades from an award-winning play to a dream of becoming a film to a screenplay by @rahuldacunha @bugskrishna, who also co-direct this fabulous drama-thriller." "With a powerhouse of talent @jimsarbhforreal @anuvabpal@manjarifadnis @ketakinarayan @shishir52 @sudeepmodak @swapniilsa and more. Through the magical lens of@ @deepmetkar and a fabulous crew behind it all. Drop D Films & Ten Years Younger Production @tyyproductions partner on this exciting new film. Wish us luck as we start driving on that highway of thrills, drama and discovery; Pune Highway," he added. Rahul da Cunha has created 'Pune Highway'. (ANI)
Kuwait Airways will launch 20 new destinations in 2023, including a number of new cities to its winter schedule, said Shorouk Al-Awadhi, the Director of Distribution and Network Planning.



"Kuwait Airways is steadily progressing towards diversifying its network of routes around the world and launching new destinations that meet the preferences of customers. The company is preparing accurate studies on the feasibility of these markets and destinations, as well as the extent of customer demand for them. At the same time, various destinations in the past year have received widespread popularity from customers and were successful, among them Madrid, Casablanca, Tbilisi and so on, Al-Awadhi added.



Kuwait Airways will operate its flights, starting in June to Budapest in Hungary with two flights per week on Tuesdays and Saturdays, to Malaga in Spain with three flights per week on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, to Sarajevo in Bosnia with two flights per week on Thursdays and Sundays, and to Mykonos in Greece with two flights per week on Sundays and Wednesdays, Al-Awadhi elaborated.



This is in addition to its flights to Athens in Greece with one flight per week on Fridays, to Vienna in Austria with three flights per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays to Nice in France with two flights per week on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and to Antalya in Turkey with two flights per week on Mondays and Thursdays. Operations to Trabzon in Turkey will include three flights per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, to Bodrum in Turkey with three flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, to Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt with three flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and to Salalah in Oman with two flights per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.



The company will also operate its flights to Izmir in Turkey from April with three flights per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and will be launching its flights to Alexandria in Egypt starting from March with three flights per week on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays, she explained.



"Kuwait Airways has included a number of new cities to its winter schedule, commencing from October, such as Barcelona in Spain, Berlin in Germany, Abha, Al-Ula, Taif and Al-Qassim in Saudi Arabia," Al-Awadhi concluded.



Abdullah Al-Huwailah, Director of Ground Handling, said: "With the announcement of the launch of new destinations in the year 2023, Kuwait Airways has focussed its efforts on introducing new products that contribute to providing integrated services to our valued customers. Kuwait Airways will launch the Home Check-In services by the end of February for Royal Class passengers traveling to all destinations except for New York. This service includes allocating new cars equipped with the latest equipment for weighing luggage and providing check in procedures, issuing boarding pass, as well as designating a bus to the passenger's home."



Al-Huwailah indicated that the concept is one of the most important and distinguished services provided by Kuwait Airways to its customers and one of the new solutions to save time for the passenger and provide the best means of comfort for them. The Home Check-In is a free service and optional for passengers on Royal Class.



This can be done after the customer completes the procedures for booking the ticket on the website or Kuwait Airways' electronic application and selects the option of home check-in service, at least 48 hours prior to the flight. Following this, the car is sent to the passenger's home 24 hours before the departure time of the flight to collect their baggage, with the boarding card being issued to them.



Al-Huwailah added: "Among the Blue Bird's latest developments, Kuwait Airways will provide limousine car services starting from the end of February for distinguished travel classes. Passengers must make reservations on the outbound flight through Kuwait Airways' website or application, 48 hours before their travel date. Moreover, the private car will be sent to their home, taking them to the airport. In addition to this, upon arrival, the passenger can request a car from the Maraheb office at the airport, to take them from the airport to their home."  TradeArabia News Service
If sources are to be believed, Kiara Advani and Siddharth Malhotra will take their seven pheras on Tuesday, February 7, instead of Monday, which was presumed earlier. The wedding festivities, meanwhile, have begun in right earnest at Suryagarh, a modern palace hotel not far from the desert dunes of Jaisalmer. The excitement was palpable all across Jaisalmer with the arrival of Siddharth's 'Student of the Year' director Karan Johar, Kiara-Preeti's 'Kabir Singh' co-star Shahid Kapoor, and his wife Mira Rajput. It is to be seen if Shahid dances, as promised, to 'Dola Re Dola' with Karan Johar. Kiara Advani's childhood friend and schoolmate, Isha Ambani, was also expected to reach Jaisalmer in a private plane on Sunday. Siddharth and Kiara are staying at the Thar Haveli built within the Suryagarh complex. The haveli consists of two mansions. Each mansion has three rooms, a private swimming pool, and a dining room. Kiara will stay in one and Siddharth in the other. The haveli has been built with Jaisalmer yellow stone and carvings. A specialty of the haveli is that the ceilings are made of wood. This keeps it warm in winter and cool in the summer. Located right behind the hotel, the haveli is a favourite of celebrities. Food there is served by specially designated waiters in copper utensils in the tradition of old royalty. Siddharth and Kiara reached their wedding destination separately on Saturday. Kiara arrived in the morning with her mother Genevive Jaffrey, father Jai Jagdeep Advani, grandmother, and fashion designer Manish Malhotra. All arrived in Jaisalmer from Mumbai travelling in Mukesh Ambani's private jet. Siddharth came from Delhi with his family at 8 p.m. --IANS arc/srb ( 294 Words) 2023-02-05-20:00:02 (IANS)
According to a new study from the University of Copenhagen, a cup of coffee with milk can have an anti-inflammatory impact on humans. Anti-inflammatory effects in immune cells are doubled when proteins and antioxidants are combined. The researchers intend to investigate the implications on human health. Whenever bacteria, viruses and other foreign substances enter the body, our immune systems react by deploying white blood cells and chemical substances to protect us. This reaction, commonly known as inflammation, also occurs whenever we overload tendons and muscles and is characteristic of diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Antioxidants known as polyphenols are found in humans, plants, fruits and vegetables. This group of antioxidants is also used by the food industry to slow the oxidation and deterioration of food quality and thereby avoid off flavors and rancidity. Polyphenols are also known to be healthy for humans, as they help reduce oxidative stress in the body that gives rise to inflammation. But much remains unknown about polyphenols. Relatively few studies have investigated what happens when polyphenols react with other molecules, such as proteins mixed into foods that we then consume. In a new study, researchers at the Department of Food Science, in collaboration with researchers from the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, at the University of Copenhagen investigated how polyphenols behave when combined with amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. The results have been promising. "In the study, we show that as a polyphenol reacts with an amino acid, its inhibitory effect on inflammation in immune cells is enhanced. As such, it is clearly imaginable that this cocktail could also have a beneficial effect on inflammation in humans. We will now investigate further, initially in animals. After that, we hope to receive research funding which will allow us to study the effect in humans," says Professor Marianne Nissen Lund from the Department of Food Science, who headed the study. The study has just been published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Twice as good at fighting inflammation To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of combining polyphenols with proteins, the researchers applied artificial inflammation to immune cells. Some of the cells received various doses of polyphenols that had reacted with an amino acid, while others only received polyphenols in the same doses. A control group received nothing. The researchers observed that immune cells treated with the combination of polyphenols and amino acids were twice as effective at fighting inflammation as the cells to which only polyphenols were added. "It is interesting to have now observed the anti-inflammatory effect in cell experiments. And obviously, this has only made us more interested in understanding these health effects in greater detail. So, the next step will be to study the effects in animals," says Associate Professor Andrew Williams of the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, who is also a senior author of the study. Found in coffee with milk Previous studies by researchers demonstrated that polyphenols bind to proteins in meat products, milk and beer. In another new study, they tested whether the molecules also bind to each other in a coffee drink with milk. Indeed, coffee beans are filled with polyphenols, while milk is rich in proteins. "Our result demonstrates that the reaction between polyphenols and proteins also happens in some of the coffee drinks with milk that we studied. In fact, the reaction happens so quickly that it has been difficult to avoid in any of the foods that we've studied so far," says Marianne Nissen Lund. Therefore, the researcher does not find it difficult to imagine that the reaction and potentially beneficial anti-inflammatory effect also occur when other foods consisting of proteins and fruits or vegetables are combined. "I can imagine that something similar happens in, for example, a meat dish with vegetables or a smoothie, if you make sure to add some protein like milk or yogurt," says Marianne Nissen Lund. Industry and the research community have both taken note of the major advantages of polyphenols. As such, they are working on how to add the right quantities of polyphenols in foods to achieve the best quality. The new research results are promising in this context as well: "Because humans do not absorb that much polyphenol, many researchers are studying how to encapsulate polyphenols in protein structures which improve their absorption in the body. This strategy has the added advantage of enhancing the anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols," explains Marianne Nissen Lund. The research is funded by Independent Research Fund Denmark and conducted in collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden in Germany. Polyphenol Facts Polyphenols are a group of naturally occurring antioxidants important for humans. They prevent and delay the oxidation of healthy chemical substances and organs in our bodies, thereby protecting them from damage or destruction. Polyphenols are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, tea, coffee, red wine and beer. Due to their antioxidant properties, polyphenols are used in the food industry to minimize the oxidation of fats in particular, as well as the quality deterioration of foods, to avoid off flavours and rancidity. (ANI)
Researchers at VTC's Fralin Biomedical Research Institute are investigating potential preventative and treatment methods for optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH), a disorder that causes vision impairment in neonates. According to the National Institutes of Health, the disorder arises when the optic nerves that convey information from the retina to the brain are undeveloped at birth, resulting in moderate to severe vision loss in children (NIH). It has no recognised cause, and families affected by it have limited medical options. With support from a four-year, USD 1.56 million grant from the National Eye Institute of the NIH, Virginia Tech scientists, led by principal investigator Konark Mukherjee, will explore whether a prenatal deficiency of an important fatty acid known as arachidonic acid contributes to the disorder. If so, the discovery could explain why ONH in babies has been associated with factors such as young maternal age and prenatal exposures to smoking, alcohol, recreational drugs, anti-depressants, anticonvulsants, and other agents. As the research proceeds, Mukherjee will test whether arachidonic acid supplementation improves or prevents ONH in two independent mouse models of the disease. "Currently, there are no effective medical treatments, but if we are correct, the intervention may be a simple nutritional supplementation for the population at risk," said Mukherjee, whose research seeks to better understand neurodevelopment and provide new insights into childhood illnesses. Optic nerve hypoplasia accounts for about 15 per cent to 25 per cent of infants with serious vision loss, according to the NIH, and although precise numbers are unavailable, the incidence of the disease seems to be rising. (ANI)
The Chief Justice of Singapore, Sundaresh Menon, said on Saturday said that truth is the foundation on which the rule of law rests, yet truth decay is spreading into court proceedings. Justice Sundaresh Menon was delivering a talk on the topic 'role of judiciary in a changing world' during a programme to mark the 73rd anniversary of the establishment of the Supreme Court, here on Saturday. Justice Menon said truth is the foundation upon which the rule of law rests, however, a number of recent examples suggest that truth decay is spreading into court proceedings. He said that Singapore courts have seen a rise in partisan and unreasoned expert opinions, especially in psychiatric evidence that is used in criminal cases and truth decay can also be seen in the conduct of some advocates who have in some cases attempted to conceal facts from the courts or to delay proceedings on spurious grounds. He emphasised that the findings of the court are generally accepted in the public sphere as generally reflecting the truth. "If that is not the case, then our rulings become merely another voice in an endless clamour of opinions," he said. "The legitimacy of the judiciary depends on broad public acceptance that we are reliable truth seekers and truth finders seeking to do justice according to the lawaaif this trust falls away then the courts are left to operate solely by the force of state power and the belief in and respect for the rule of law in our societies will collapse," Justice menon said. He suggested that judiciaries are facing the onset of a number of discreet challenges which strike at either or both of the core requirements for the discharge of judicial duties, namely competence and legitimacy. Justice Menon also pointed at the breakdown of trust in public institutions and cited a study which found that distrust is now societies' default emotion in many democratic countries. He added that less than half the people surveyed said they trusted institutions such as the government and the media. This may well be due to causes such as truth decay but it is just also likely to be due to the sense that public institutions are failing to deliver on their mission, he added. Justice Menon said that even though the judiciary may not be equipped to handle some of the problems the world is facing, it should be ready to grasp the same. "When the judiciary functions well, it acts as a glue to hold the parts together. The judiciary needs legitimacy to function well and it needs public confidence. Gaining that confidence requires a lot of work," he said. On emerging global challenges, he said the new global challenges will be political first but will also have a legal dimension and "we can expect such disputes to be complex and time-consuming". --IANS ss/arm ( 500 Words) 2023-02-04-20:06:03 (IANS)
A case has been registered against an unknown person for sending a "threat letter" to former Madhya Pradesh cabinet minister Jaibhan Singh Pawaiya's daughter, Samidha Singh, a police official said on Saturday. Samidha is an assistant professor at Madhav Mahavidyalaya in Gwalior district. She had received the threat letter on November 4, 2022 in which she was threatened of acid attack and killing of her father within two months. After receiving the threat letter, Samidha had filed a police complaint on the same day. Acting on the complaint, the police team took the matter for investigation. Nearly three months later, post-investigation, the police registered an FIR at Janak Ganj police station on Friday February 3. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Gajendra Singh Vardhman said that the woman had submitted an application in this regard in the past. An unknown person had sent a threat letter to her in which the accused threatened her about an acid attack on her and threatened to kill her father, Pawaiya. "The accused had also mentioned the reason behind sending the threat letter. The accused wrote in the letter that Samidha should stop opposing a staff member, who teaches in the same institute, otherwise such action (mentioned in the letter) would be taken against her," ASP Vardhman said. After the complaint, a pre-investigation into the matter was conducted and based on the investigation report, a case has been registered against the unknown person under IPC sections 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) and 507 (Criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) at Janak Ganj police station. Further investigation into the matter is underway, he added. (ANI)
A Delhi court on Saturday, while discharging former JNU student and activist Sharjeel Imam, co-accused Asif Iqbal Tanha and others in a case related to the incidents of violence at Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019, said that the police were unable to apprehend the actual perpetrators behind the commission of the offence, but surely managed to rope in the above-mentioned accused as 'scapegoats'. The violence had erupted after a clash between the police and people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December 2019. Additional Sessions Judge of Saket Court Complex, Arul Verma, passed the order. Verma said that the protesters were surely there in large numbers and it cannot be denied that some anti-social elements within the crowd created an environment of disruption. However, the moot question remains as to whether the accused persons herein were even prima facie complicit in taking part in that mayhem, Verma asked. "The answer is an unequivocal 'no'. Marshalling the facts as brought forth from a perusal of the chargesheet and three supplementary chargesheets, this court cannot but arrive at the conclusion that the police were unable to apprehend the actual perpetrators behind the commission of the offence, but surely managed to rope in the persons herein as scapegoats," he said. The chargesheet was filed against accused Mohd Ilyas on April 21, 2020, and a supplementary chargesheet was also filed against him alongwith a complaint under Section 195 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Thereafter, a second supplementary chargesheet was filed before the court against 11 other accused persons, namely Sharjeel Imam, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Mohammad Qasim, Mahmood Anwar, Shahzar Raza Khan, Mohd Abuzar, Mohd Shoaib, Umair Ahmad, Bilal Nadeem, Chanda Yadav and Safoora Zargar, who have been discharged in the matter. "To allow the persons charge-sheeted to undergo the rigmarole of a long drawn trial does not augur well for the criminal justice system of our country," Verma said. He added that such police action is "detrimental to the liberty" of the citizens who choose to exercise their fundamental right to peacefully assemble and protest. The court said: "The desideratum is for the investigative agencies to discern the difference between dissent and insurrection. The latter has to be quelled indisputably. However, the former has to be given space, a forum, for dissent is perhaps reflective of something which pricks a citizen's conscience." The court said that before embarking on galvanising the judicial system against the 11 accused persons, the investigative agencies should have incorporated the use of technology, or have gathered credible intelligence. "Else, it should have abstained from filing such ill-conceived chargesheets qua persons whose role was confined only to being part of a protest," the court noted. "In view of the above in extenso analysis, considering the fact that the case of the State is devoid of irrefragable evidence, all the persons charge-sheeted barring Mohd Ilyas are hereby discharged for all the offences for which they were arraigned. They be set at liberty, if not wanted in any other cases," the court added. However, Imam, who is also an accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the conspiracy case related to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, will remain in custody. The court, meanwhile, framed charges of unlawful assembly and rioting against Mohd Ilyas. "Photographs of Mohd Ilyas have been clearly shown in a newspaper, hurling a burning tyre, an overt act has been ascribed to him, and he has been duly identified by police witnesses," the court noted. --IANS spr/arm ( 604 Words) 2023-02-04-22:40:03 (IANS)
Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (Tipra Motha) chief Maharaj Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman on Saturday hit out at the previous governments of the state and said that people of Tripura have not progressed due to the "lack of interest" of Congress and "misgovernance" of BJP. "It is very unfortunate that communist ideologies, Congress' lack of interest and misgovernance of the Bharatiya Janata Party have not allowed Tripura to progress. What we need is empowerment, we need constitutional protection, employment and a better livelihood. So I want to tell the people of Tripura that for the last 70 years, they have played with you all now it's your time to come into the field and make your own future," Barman said while talking to ANI. Tripura is slated to go to Assembly polls on February 16. Votes will be counted on March 2 along with Nagaland and Meghalaya. He further said that he has not come into politics to earn money. "For the first time since Independence, a local party is trying something new. I have not come into politics to earn money. We have not given candidates from only one community but from every community and religion," Barman said. Talking about his party's manifesto for the upcoming state assembly elections, he said that he wanted that people should know the party's thinking through its manifesto. "We want a manifesto to come out so that everyone gets to know what our thinking is if we come to the power. Till now parties from Delhi used to make manifestos and announce them to us. We wanted to listen to the requests of our people," he further said. He further exuded his hope of getting elected to power in the state. "I hope that in the coming days, the public will accept and accept our small party as well," he added. He also underlined 15 issues in the state and assured to solve them within 150 days of coming to power. "We have not said that we will change the whole world but which are 15 realistic things like health, education, women's safety, CAA, minorities rights, tribal rights, women empowerment, jobs, the problem of drinking water, we will solve it within the first 150 days, we will take action if we come to power," the party chief said. Hitting out at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his statement that Tipra Motha alone cannot form the government, Barman said, "If Himanta has said that Tipra Motha alone cannot form the government, then it is useless to vote for him, so if BJP can't form government in Meghalaya then don't vote for BJP also. If BJP can't form the government on its own strength in Mizoram, then don't vote for BJP. In Nagaland also, if the BJP cannot win the election on its own strength, then don't do it." (ANI)
Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy on Saturday appealed to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman to bring back the old regime of allowing the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to stay in the country for 183 days. Addressing the 14th Development Dialogue' conference of the Deshpande Foundation in Hubballi, Murthy said, "Though they have no need to do so, NRIs have a heart for the betterment of India. For the same reason, they come and spend time here." Murthy maintained that it is his request to the political leadership and bureaucrats to welcome NRIs. "They come with tremendous value... We should welcome them with open arms and reduce frictions for them," he said. The decision to reduce the stay of NRIs from 183 days to 120 days in a financial year has made the country lose 63 days of the presence of NRIs, who work for the betterment of the Indian society, Murthy said. "My humble request to the Union Finance Minister is to bring back the old regime in this regard and allow the NRIs who will make life of the local people better to stay for a longer period," he said. "The objective of turning the dreams of the founding fathers of our country to provide the poorest child in the remote village with access to good education, healthcare, nutrition and a sheter would be achieved fast through embracing NRIs, who come with tremendous value," Murthy added. "There is nothing wrong if the stay of NRIs is increased to 250 days. The country would only benefit as their presence will make the nation better. It will have an impact on the startups as well," he said. --IANS mka/arm ( 292 Words) 2023-02-04-23:12:03 (IANS)
Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday inaugurated Special Governance Camps for Kashmiri migrants at Jagti Colony in Jammu. The 12-day long camp at six locations is aimed to ensure 100 per cent saturation of social security schemes for Kashmiri migrants. Eighteen departments have put up their stalls at the camp that includes facilities for enrolment of youth for self employment, skilling and up-skilling. Speaking on the occasion, Sinha said: "The administration is sensitive to the issues of Kashmiri Migrant families and 'PM Package Employees'." "Few unfortunate incidents had occurred. These attacks were not only on individuals but also on the integrity of India. There are a handful of people, who on the behest of the neighbouring country are targeting innocent civilians," the Lt. Governor said. He said: "Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are working with full sensitivity and commitment to address all the issues." Sinha also said that many 'PM Package Employees' have resumed their duties and the direction has been issued to release their pending salaries without delay. He said that almost all the posts under the PM Package have been filled and the UT government has made all the arrangements for the construction of 6,000 dwellings. "Except two, the construction is underway on all the sites. I am personally monitoring the progress," the Lt Governor said. He also said that 80-85 per cent PM Package employees are posted at district headquarters. Some are posted at tehsil headquarters after the security audit of the areas. We have ensured that no one is posted at any office or school situated in remote isolated area, he added. "We are committed to fulfill the expectation of people. Earlier, the laws were formulated to retrieve the properties of Kashmiri Pandit brothers but it was not implemented. We have taken immediate action and out of 8,000 applications received on Migrant Portal, around 6,000 cases have been resolved. The administration and the security forces are working with dedication to ensure your safety," the Lt. Governor said. --IANS zi/prw/pgh ( 353 Words) 2023-02-04-23:22:04 (IANS)
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Saturday hit out at the Central government saying that it was busy changing the names of the schemes in the state but not increased the share of the mid-day meal scheme. "The BJP Government has been busy changing name from Mid-day meal scheme to PM Poshan and has not increased the share of Rs 600 to the scheme. @BRSparty government announced Rs 3000 honororium per month for cook cum Helpers of mid-day meal scheme in Telangana with additional support of Rs 2,400," Kavitha wrote in her tweet. Under PM POSHAN, cooked meals are provided to all eligible children on all school days, containing 450 calories and 12 gms protein for primary and 700 calories and 20 gms protein for upper primary class children. According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, every year, the Central Government spent more than Rs 20,000 crore ($ 2.5 billion) under the Scheme including a food subsidy of about Rs 9,500 crore. According to Government reports, 31 lakh MT of food grains have been allocated under the Scheme for 2022-23. (ANI)
Travel Counsellors, a leading independent travel company, has announced its best January on record, reaching GBP114.5 million ($138 million) in sales.



This is up by 50 per cent on January prior to the pandemic, and means the company is trading 65 per cent up on pre-pandemic levels since the start of the financial year (November 1, 2022).



January witnessed eight out of 10 of Travel Counsellors biggest sales days in its 28 year history, with the final day of the month seeing the company have its best ever sales day on record of GBP6.5 million, exceeding the GBP6 million mark for the first time ever. In fact, the top five sales day for January saw GBP28.1m of sales combined.



Steve Byrne, CEO of Travel Counsellors, said: These outstanding results are testament to the very special people we have in our community and the care they give to customers, especially during the pandemic, and the reputation we have forged in providing trusted travel advice.



January has been a month of records being broken, but more so, highlighting the power of our community and ways in which we can support one another to look after customers and achieve such growth. We have seen around half of our Travel Counsellors working in teams, a concept we continue to build on and support using our platform, which has enabled them to collaborate, share expertise and knowledge and be even more successful.



The company booked trips for more than 78,500 passengers in January, recording over 7,000 new customers choosing to book with a personal Travel Counsellor in the month.



We are certainly seeing customers truly valuing their holiday and the importance of connecting face to face with business customers, booking with someone they can trust and who will be there for them throughout their journey. We are also seeing more people choosing to book sustainably when looking at their travel options, with a record number of Greenleaf accredited properties in Phoenix being booked throughout January, Byrne added.



We are focused on continuously enhancing and building on the support, technology, and tools to enable our business owners to operate their businesses and lifestyles in a way that suits them, whilst providing the most personal service to their customers, and enabling them to celebrate even more success in 2023.



Last year Travel Counsellors here in the UAE recorded a record-breaking year taking in over AED80 million in sales and growing to 75 franchisees locally. This year the company will be investing AED50million into its bespoke technology, attracting more talented professionals to build their own businesses using the companys personal, digital platform.



Travel Counsellors UAE was established in 2012 and currently counts more than 70 Travel Counsellors amongst its team of travel professionals. A joint venture with dnata, the companys regional head office is based in Dubai.  TradeArabia News Service
Reacting to the suspension and the show-cause notice issued by the Congress party against her, Patiala MP and former Union Minister Preneet Kaur on Saturday said that the Congress is welcome to take whatever decision it wants and she derives strength from the people. "Congress is welcome to take whatever decision it wants. I have always given my best to the party and to the people who have repeatedly elected me. I owe it to them and will continue to serve them, as always. I derive my strength from my people. Everything else is secondary," she tweeted. Kaur, who is the wife of former Congress leader and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh, has been accused of helping the BJP in the state. Singh resigned as the Chief Minister of Punjab on September 18, 2021 following a fall-out with the Congress high command and floated a new party Punjab Lok Congress. The party however, failed to win any seat in the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls. In September 2022, he merged his party with the BJP. Kaur has also served as a Minister of State for Foreign affairs under the UPA-II government led by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The Congress, in its Show-cause notice to Kaur on Friday, has asked her to explain within three days as to why she should not be expelled for anti-party activities. (ANI)
Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda on Saturday lauded the Union Budget 2023-24 and said that the government is emphasising on the overall development of the tribal communities of the state. While addressing BJP's 12-day nationwide campaign to make people aware of the "pro-people" measures of the Union Budget, the Tribal Affairs Minister assured the tribal community of compensating for the deficits in education, health and empowerment. He also said that Prime Minister Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) is on its mission mode and said that the target of capacity building while taking essential facilities to all such houses is set to be done in three years. He assured of making human resource the major source of energy. "For the tribal community, deficits in their education, health and empowerment is being compensated for. PM PVTG has been launched in mission mode. Under this, the target of capacity building, while taking essential facilities to all such houses in the next 3 years has been set," Union Minister Munda said. He also announced the launch of the National Institute for Scheduled Tribes, a pan-India school management to enhance the education system for the tribals. "Teachers will be appointed at national level. A new system of pan-India school management has been launched," he said. Speaking on the health system, he said that a permanent solution for health-related issues has been taken up and will soon find a solution. Lauding the Union Budget, the Tribal Affairs Minister said that this year's budget is like a presentation for the far-reaching goal of 2047. (ANI)
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Saturday took a swipe at the Assam government over its crackdown against child marriages. Calling it a "farce", Gogoi said, "It seems the police are instructed to investigate cases that are decades old without proper enquiry or adherence to procedure. It's a farce." He further said that the people of the state have "completely rejected" the initiative. Gogoi also called the crackdown by the Assam government a PR exercise. "It is a PR exercise for the Chief Minister under whose tenure - cases of mafia, crimes against women and elderly, drugs and kidnappings have increased. Police are reprimanded by high courts for failing their investigation esp in the Arnamai Bora murder case," he wrote in his tweets. Notably, considering a surge in cases of child marriage (below the age of 18 years) of Assam women as reported by the National Report of the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led State government is carrying the crackdown against child marriages. As per the latest development, Assam police have arrested 2258 people, across the state, involved in child marriage incidents. Police said they have a list of 8,000 accused and as the drive continues, the figures will increase. The drive was launched on Thursday night after CM Himanta Biswa Sarma chaired a video-conference meeting with senior officials of the police department directing them to launch a crackdown to rid the state of the evil practice of child marriage. This episode of this slew of crackdowns dates back to May 5, 2022, when the Health Ministry released the fifth report of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), carried out in 2019 and 2020. The report, following a fine and detailed reading by the Assam government, showed serious concerns regarding child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and maternal mortality. It was found in the report that 31.8 per cent of women in Assam between 20-24 age were married at a minor age or before 18 years. This was even higher than the national average of 23.3 per cent. Of these 31.8 per cent of women, more than half (50.8 per cent) cases were from All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MP Badruddin Ajmal's parliamentary constituency, Dhubri.As per the government, child marriage leads to teenage pregnancy in women causing maternal deaths in the state. According to the Assam police data, 139 people have been arrested in Biswanath, 126 in Dhubri, 120 in Baksa, 114 in Barpeta, 97 in Nagaon, 96 in Hojai, 94 in Kokrajhar, 87 in Bongaigaon, 79 in Karimganj, 76 in Hailakandi, 72 in Cachar, 72 in Goalpara district in cases related to child marriage. Director General of Assam Police (DGP) GP Singh, while addressing a press conference on Friday, said that 4,074 cases related to child marriage have been registered at different police stations across the state. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed that the crackdown against child marriages in the state would continue in the coming days. (ANI)
EPS faction has circulated the forms to get the approval of the General Council members for former MLA Thiru K SThennarasu's candidature for the Erode (East) constituency.

The General Council is expected to sign the form endorsing Thennarasu as an AIADMK candidate from the constituency and their affidavit will reach AIADMK Head Quarters by today.

Notably, all the documents will be duly signed by the Presidium Chairman Tamilmagan Hussain and will be submitted before the Election Commission by Monday.

This comes after the Supreme Court asked the AIADMK party General Council to pass a resolution related to a candidate who will represent the party in the upcoming bye-elections of Erode (East) constituency in Tamil Nadu.

It also permitted the three expelled members of the party including O Panneerselvam (OPS) to vote in the General Council.

The AIADMK has been following a dual-leadership formula with EPS as co-coordinator and OPS as coordinator, since the demise of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in 2016. The clamour for leadership has been growing louder for a single leader in the party since the district secretary meeting on June 14, 2022.

As of July 11, 2022, at the general council meeting of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Edappadi K Palaniswami was elected as the interim general secretary of the party. (ANI)
Three suspected members of PFI were detained by the police on Saturday for allegedly conspiring against the government and indulging in unlawful activities, Madhya Pradesh Police said on Sunday. The court has handed over all of the accused on police remand till February 8. A case has been registered by the police under Sections 121 (A) 153 (B), 120-B IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 Under Section 13(1) (b), 18 of CrPC. According to a police statement, the accused Ghulam Rasool Shah (Age 37 years), a resident of village Bankaner Tehsil Manawar district Dhar, Madhya Pradesh. Being an active member of the PFI Indore district committee, he was in direct contact with the senior officials of the PFI organization and was working to inspire the members of the organization with the ideology of PFI by giving religious sermons in various districts of Madhya Pradesh. Accused Ghulam Nabi alias Sajid Khan (age 59 years), a resident of Juna Risala Indore has been arrested from Bhopal. Being a senior active member of PFI, he looked after the work of financial management in Madhya Pradesh with State President Abdul Karim Bakriwala, as well as being in direct contact with senior officials of PFI, used to give provocative speeches during the programs of the organization, according to the statement. The statement further added that accused Parvez Khan (Age 30 years), a resident of Aurangabad, Maharashtra, was brought from Aurangabad Jail on a production warrant and produced in the court after being found involved in the said case. He was associated with Maharashtra PFI in the year 2017 through the then PFI District President, Aurangabad (Maharashtra) Nasir Nadvi, who was appointed as the District Secretary of Aurangabad in the year 2019. After this, after doing PE (Physical Endurance) course in Pune, in the year 2021, he was made PE incharge of the entire Maharashtra. Accused Parvez, along with PFI's Regional PE Incharge Haider Habib, a resident of Karnataka, had been coming to Madhya Pradesh several times to conduct PE Instructor's course. (ANI)
The apprehended man has been identified as Sariful Islam.

Based on secret information, the police team conducted a search operation in the Haiborgaon area in the district and recovered five cartons of prohibited cough syrup bottles from a courier service.

Sub-Inspector of Nagaon district police, Junmoni Rabha said, "The operation was launched on Saturday evening and we recovered five cartoons of prohibited cough syrup bottles from a courier service in the Haiborgaon area."

"We have also apprehended one person while he went to the courier service to receive the contraband drugs. Our investigation is on," Junmoni Rabha added.

A few days ago, the Assam police seized a huge quantity of contraband drugs from a Tripura-bound truck and apprehended a truck driver in the Karimganj district.

The police said that the driver identified as Mukesh Yadav was apprehended along the Assam-Tripura border on Monday.

They recovered eight cartoons containing 1280 bottles of cough syrup bottles whose market value is estimated at around Rs 6.50 lakh.

"Acting on a tip-off, the police of the Churaibari watch post along the Assam-Tripura border on Sunday intercepted a truck during checking, the police team recovered 1280 bottles of cough syrup from the truck," In-Charge of the Churaibari police watch post-Niranjan Das told ANI.

According to the police, the truck (container) was coming from Guwahati and was running toward Agartala. (ANI)
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi in Telangana assembly stated that the party will win at least 15 seats in the upcoming assembly elections. The AIMIM leader reacted to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader KT Rama Rao's comment in the assembly where the latter stated that AIMIM has only seven seats in the assembly giving rise to claims of a rift between the two parties. "I have taken a very serious note of his (KTR) comment on AIMIM. I assure him that I am going to make sure I talk to my party president and see that we can contest more seats in the upcoming elections. I will make sure that we contest on at least 50 seats and win at least 15 of them. I will make sure that my party president agrees," Akbaruddin Owaisi said while reacting to KTR's statement. Assembly elections in Telangana are scheduled to be held in the end of this year for all 199 constituency seats. In the last assembly elections, BRS contested on all the seats and won 88 seats. Further justifying his statement, Owaisi said, "If he (AIMIM party chief) agrees, I'm sure we will have more number of AIMIM legislators here (in the assembly) and will work together once again with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi." AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi while speaking to the media at the party head office Darussalam, said, "BRS till now not sent me any invitation for new secretariat inauguration which is on February 17 of this month. It is their wish. I congratulate Chief Minister KCR for the new secretariat." Earlier, the BRS party had announced that the secretariat will be inaugurated on February 17, on Telangana Chief Minister KCR's birthday. But the statements of AIMIM Chief raised eyebrows on the smoke between the two parties. BRS is also setting its foot into national politics by organising public meeting outside Telangana in Nanded, Maharashtra on Sunday where the AIMIM had already been creating a strong base for the party. The absence of the AIMIM party in the first public meeting of BRS in Khammam district, Telangana was also very surprising as the rally was attended by various leaders like Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and CPI General Secretary D Raja and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. (ANI)
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday arrived at Lucknow for a meeting of the executive committee of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board . On being asked whether discussions will be held on the Uniform Civil Code, Owaisi said, "A press conference will be held after the meeting and the spokesperson of the board will be commenting on the matter." The Lok Sabha MP also questioned the recent crackdown by the BJP-led government in Assam on child marriages. "The party has been in power in the state for six years. What have they done to stop child marriage all these years? It is a failure of the state government," said Owaisi. "What will happen to those girls who have been married? The Assam government has booked 4,000 cases and is considering booking 4000 more. So, who will take care of those girls? You are putting a mountain of troubles over them." said Owaisi, while addressing a press conference in Hyderabad on Saturday. "The BJP government in Assam is biased against the Muslims. The landless people in Upper Assam have been given land. However, they are not giving land to people of lower Assam." He added. Commenting on the ongoing Ramchatimanas row in Uttar Pradesh, Owaisi said, " I am not an expert on the matter. Those who are experts will be in a better position to comment on this." Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma on Saturday said that the crackdown against child marriages would continue in the coming days. Speaking to reporters, Sarma informed that till Saturday morning, 2211 persons had been arrested in connection with child marriages. (ANI)
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha held a door-to-door campaign in Goalabasti and Masterpara (Gita Mandir) in Agartala on Sunday ahead of Tripura assembly elections on February 16. The minister visited the area and met the local people and urged them to cast their votes in the election. While speaking to ANI, the Chief Minister said, "We've got a wonderful response from the public. The way people supported us in 2018, I believe the people's support has increased by many levels." "I truly believe that this time we can win a record number of seats in the Tripura elections. The main reason for this is our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His work has reached even the last person of this country," added Saha. Stressing in various schemes and the work of the central government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said, "Be it Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Nal se Jal Yojana, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana or electricity, our Prime Minister has addressed every issue. In our state, we have also worked with the same passion and dedication. The double-engine government has worked and a lot many schemes have been implemented. We have reached a 100% saturation point with schemes in the state. That is why people of the state support us." On being asked about the Tipra Motha manifesto and how the BJP views them as opposition, Saha said, "I don't think they know their geography very well. They are not in a fixed state of mind. Sometimes they claim some parts of Assam as their own land, sometimes they claim a few parts of Bangladesh's land. Initially, they used to vouch for 'Thansa' (unity) to gather support from the tribals, now they are demanding everything. I don't think the public would accept them." Further claiming a clear path to victory, he said, "Whoever is in opposition, Motha, Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) or Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), no one will be able to sustain in front of us." "We have worked really well in Tripura and can be acclaimed for good governance. We have maintained extreme transparency with the people. TET jobs that we gave, no one can say that we indulged in any false or malicious methods to do that," he added. Speaking about the previous government in Tripura, he claimed, "Initially when there were other governments, they didn't use give jobs so people had to rush to courts." "The law and order situation here is extremely well. Tripura in the northeast is the second state to have maximum seizures and destruction of drugs. The crime rate in the state has been reduced to a large extent. Tripura follows democratic values and therefore all of the opposition parties can easily take up their rallies freely. In their time, we didn't even have the courage to hold a rally," said the Tripura Chief Minister. Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance Chief Bikram M Deb on Tripura elections said, "Till now parties from Delhi used to make manifestos and announce them to us. We wanted to listen to requests of our people. I hope in the coming days; Tripura people accept our small party." (ANI)
BJP leader and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday alleged that the killing of Odisha minister Naba Das by a policeman "shows lawlessness in the state". Naba Das was shot at by a policeman in Brajarajnagar in the Jharsuguda district on January 29, and succumbed to his bullet injuries in Bhubaneswar hospital on the same day. "DGP's statement that Lord Jagannath could anticipate an incident such as the killing of a minister' shows lawlessness in the state. The Crime Branch is probing into the matter, but there is no clarity in inquiry," Pradhan said. Addressing the media, Director General of Police (DGP) Sunil Bansal had said: "There are certain incidents which are unprecedented and unimaginable. Only Lord Jagannath could anticipate such an unprecedented incident in Odisha's Jharsuguda." "We have suo moto requested High Court to appoint a judge to monitor the investigation to ensure that no questions are raised about the scope and the intensity of the investigation. Some very important clues have been identified in the investigation and I am very satisfied with it," he said on Friday. He further said that such a "complicated" case is bound to take time and one should not jump to a conclusion as it involves a sitting police personnel fired upon a sitting cabinet minister. "I am sure the way the investigation is being conducted by the topmost officers of Odisha Police and now we have the guidance of retired HC judge, all the angles are considered, but no timeline can be given as it is a complicated case where a sitting police officer has fired at the sitting cabinet minister," he said. Notably on Thursday, the special investigating team (SIT) probing minister Naba Das' murder recovered handwritten notes of accused ASI Gopal Das from a septic tank of Jharsuguda Airport police station. The CID and Crime Branch team in a statement said that the accused ASI during questioning revealed that he threw handwritten notes in a septic tank of the toilet of Jharsunguda Airport police station and that he had noted down his motives behind the crime in detail on the paper. The recovered pieces of handwritten papers will be sent to forensics and handwriting experts for the reconstruction of evidence and further examination, the Crime Branch said. The preserved viscera of the deceased have also been sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL), Rasulgarh in Bermuda Biological Station for Research (BBSR) for chemical examination and opinion, it said. The Scientific Officer and Ballistic Experts also recovered one fired bullet during inspecting the vehicle and the crime spot using a FARO 3-D Scanner. A medical team led by DSP and CID Crime Branch at Berhampur is verifying the accused's medical treatment records and financial behaviour. Accused Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Gopal Das had confessed to his crime, the police informed on January 30. His wife Jayanti Das on January 29 claimed that Gopal Das has been suffering mental disorder for the last eight years and was on medication, doing fine. (ANI)
Sant Ravidas belonged to the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century and his hymns are included in the Guru Granth Sahib.

"Saint Shiromani Shri Guru Ravidas Ji taught the lesson of the true religion - of humanity, mutual brotherhood and equality to society. These values strengthened the foundation of our constitution," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in a tweet on Sunday.

"Saluting Shri Ravidas ji on his birth anniversary today; Let us pledge to protect these values," she added.

Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on Magh Purnima, which is the full moon day of the Magh month as per the Hindu calendar.

On Saturday, President Droupadi Murmu also greeted the people on the eve of Sant Guru Ravidas's birth anniversary.

"I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidasji," the President said in her message.

She further said that Sant Ravidas worked for the upliftment of the downtrodden. (ANI)
A female cancer patient, who recently underwent a surgery, was allegedly offloaded from a New York-bound flight of American Airlines at Delhi airport after she sought assistance from a flight attendant to keep her hand-bag in overhead cabin. The incident was reported on January 30, and it came to light after the United States-based traveller, identified as Meenakshi Sengupta, lodged a complaint against the flight attendant accusing them of refusing to help her put the handbag weighing more than 5 pounds in the overhead cabin as she was unable to do so because of weak limbs. In her complaint to the Delhi Police and the Civil Air, Meenakshi Sengupta said that she had also requested for wheelchair assistance to her seat, "I was also wearing a brace which was visible to everyone and they would know that I have some discomfort...because I CANNOT carry any weight in my hands at all and I'm weak from the surgery and don't need to strain myself by walking a lot." She said, "The ground staff was very supportive and helped me get into the aircraft and put my handbag on the side of the seat. Once inside the flight, I had a conversation with the air hostess and I explained my health condition to them...None of them mentioned about putting my handbag away. After the flight was about to take off, cabin lights were dimmed. At that time an air hostess came to put my hand bag in the overhead compartment. I requested her to help me put it but she refused to do so and told me it's not her job to do it." Sengupta further mentioned that she "repeatedly" asked her to assist but the latter rudely declined her request and asked her to do it on her own and walked away. "She was extremely rude and arrogant with her words," Sengupta alleged, adding when she went to complain about the incident the aircraft members were "largely indifferent" and told her that they did not want to interfere at all, she alleged. "They said that if I'm so uncomfortable I should just de-board the flight. They were collective in their decision to deboard me," Sengupta said. The incident also went viral on social media, and people urging the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) to take note of the matter. "Disgusting behavior from @AmericanAir staff towards a #cancerpatient - Meenakshi Sengupta who was de-boarded from the flight for not putting her handbag up because cancer has made her arms weak and the crew won't help. Shameful @DCWDelhi @SwatiJaiHind kindly note @Pib_MoCA," tweeted. Quoting the incident, a Twitter user said. Meanwhile, India's regulator- the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has taken cognisance of the case and asked American Airlines to submit its report. The airline, in its official statement, said that its Customer Relations team has reached out to Sengupta to refund the unused portion of her ticket. "On Jan. 30, prior to the departure of American Airlines flight 293 from Delhi (DEL) to New York (JFK), a disruptive customer was removed from the aircraft for failure to follow crew member instructions. Our Customer Relations team has reached out to the customer to refund the unused portion of their ticket," the airline said, adding that a probe into the matter is underway. (ANI)
The owner, identified as Deepak Seth, was arrested after he failed to produce a valid licence.

A total of 28 bottles of liquor were also seized by the police from there.

According to police, 19 bottles of premium-brand of liquor were seized. Out of them, 13 bottles were found for sale in Haryana only, and 6 bottles and 9 bottles of beer for sale in Delhi. Apart from this, 3 hookah sets were also recovered.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Outer Harendra Kumar Singh, said, "A secret information was received on Saturday regarding an illegal bar and restaurant with the name of 'The DROOTS' situated in Pitampura."

On receiving the information a dedicated team of Special Staff was constituted.

According to police, at about 10:15 pm, a raid was conducted at the restro-bar situated in the DDA Complex, Pitampura.

The bar was full of the crowd and liquor was served on the tables, when the police arrived.

After the raids, a case under Sections 33/38 Delhi Excise Act at Police Station Rani Bagh was registered and an investigation into the matter was taken up by the police.

According to the police, the accused Deepak Seth admitted his offence and disclosed that he used to arrange the illegal liquor on the eve of weekends. He also confessed that he arranged illegal liquor and hookah and served it at his restro-bar to earn more profit. (ANI)
The disaster caused in the area affected a number of families and they sustained a lot of loss due to land subsidence and water discharge in the area.

The chief minister thanked the people for donating relief materials for the people of Joshimath directly or through the "Mukhyamantari Rahat Kosh" scheme in the state.

He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as Home Minister Amit Shah for providing the relief material to the state via Uttrakhand Sadan in Delhi.

According to him, the relief work is still continued in the state and the state government is focusing more on rehabilitation and the basic need of the people in Joshimath.

"No more cracks have been found on houses and water discharge in the area has also dropped from 560 LPM to 50 LPM. 70 per cent of the rehabilitation has been done and the situation of the area is stable," CM Dhami said.

Earlier on January 28, the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) informed that the number of buildings with cracks has not increased and till now 863 buildings with cracks have been noticed due to the disaster. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday visited Thakur Anukul Chandra Ashram in Jharkhand's Deoghar. Born in 1888, Thakur Anukul Chandra established the Ashram as a prominent spiritual centre in east India. Notably, Shah has been on a day-long visit to Deoghar on Saturday and offered prayers at the Baba Baidyanath temple in Deoghar with his wife. The Home Minister's visit to the state was intended to attend the Vijay Sankalp rally here. In the rally, he termed the Chief Minister Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha government the "most corrupt government" in India. "I can say without hesitation that the current government in Jharkhand is the most corrupt across the country," Amit Shah said. He also said, "Jamtara and Deoghar have become hubs of cybercrime. But (CM) Hemant Soren has ignored all help from the Government of India...In 2024, we will win all 14 seats and the Assembly elections with a full majority." In his other address at a programme of the laying of the foundation stone of a Nano Urea Plant of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) in Jharkhand's Deoghar, the Union Minister said that the Centre has made provisions and allocated an adequate fund for the registration of over 2 lakh multi-dimensional Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). He said that the PACS have been created to ensure that there remains no 'panchayat' which would lack a dairy or a fishery cooperative society. He said that land conversation has been one of the prime objectives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ever since he came to power to govern the country and said that such measures would help India become self-reliant. He further advised the farmers to use natural manures instead of chemical fertilisers as they ruin the soil fertility. "From today's programme, I only want to tell the farmers that excessive use of chemical urea will do nothing but damage your crops as well as the soil. However, if you use the natural urea, the IFFCO guarantees a rise in crop productivity," Shah said on Saturday. "The Nano urea has been created with the research intended to protect Mother Earth as when the chemical fertilisers seep into the earth, it kills earthworm which is known to make natural manure. By using the natural manure, you can prevent your soil from intoxication as well," he added. This was the second visit of Amit Shah within a time span of one month. The Minister's visit to Jharkhand is crucial in view of the 2024 parliamentary elections besides the 2024 Assembly elections. (ANI)
The AP Chief Minister's tweet stated, "The Parachute Regiment - 11 Para (SF) team is doing an exceptional job in North East region. Their bravery, valour and professionalism are unmatched."

"Glad to have addressed 11th Raising Day of the Force at Misamari, Assam today. Wished them best for their future endeavours," added Khandu.

Introduced in 2011, the 11 Para (SF) has been positioned in the North East region of the country to strengthen special operations in the area and are popularly called "vipers".

The Para SF units of the Indian Army are deployed in different parts of the northern and western borders to carry out special operations in both conventional and counter insurgency conflicts. (ANI)
The children had consumed the poisonous fruit "mistaking it for almond," the official said, adding the condition of all the children is stable.

The children were admitted to the Divisional Hospital and are being treated under the supervision of Mirzapur Medical College Principal R B Kamal.

"The children were first brought to the Community Health Centre. After giving first aid, the children were admitted to the Divisional Hospital," Kamal said.

"Some children of Chunar's Kansiram Awas Colony were playing in the nearby LIC campus after coming from school. While playing, the children ate the fruit of Jatropha mistaking it for almond. After a few hours, they started having stomach pain. Some children also reported diarrhoea. After complaints of vomiting and diarrhoea, the sick children were brought to Chunar Health Center," Kamal said.

Jai Kumari, a relative of an affected child, also said that the children had eaten "black fruit mistaking it for almond."

"The children came from school and went to play. After a few hours, along with abdominal pain, diarrhoea started. The children had eaten the black fruit mistaking it for almonds," she said. (ANI)
"Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed deep condolences on the demise of Surinder Kapoor, Chief Operating Officer of ANI. Praying for the peace of the departed soul, the Chief Minister has expressed condolences to the bereaved family members," the official statement from the Uttar Pradesh government read.

Part of the agency's founding team, Surinder Kapoor passed away on Saturday after a cardiac arrest. He was 70.

Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami condoled the demise of ANI's Chief Operating Officer Surinder Kapoor and prayed for peace to the departed soul.

"Received the very sad news of the demise of Surinder Kapoor, Chief Operating Officer of news agency ANI. May God grant peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family members to bear this loss. Om Shanti," Dhami tweeted in Hindi.

Surinder Kapoor was born on February 20, 1952. Deeply involved in work, he came to the office on Saturday.

He had worked with ANI Chairman Prem Prakash and covered some key assignments as a photojournalist.

Paying her tributes, ANI Editor-in-Chief Smita Prakash said Surinder Kapoor's demise was a deep loss to ANI.

She said in a tweet that he was a mentor to many journalists and cameramen.

"A deep loss to us at ANI. He was our friend, philosopher and guide. Was at the studio and newsroom even today, A mentor to so many journalists and cameramen. Deeply mourned by the hundreds of families he blessed with love and guidance. Om Shanti," she said.

Surinder Kapoor is survived by his wife and two sons. (ANI)
The people of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir have been facing tough times as they were compelled to evacuate their residences after some houses developed cracks due to land subsidence in the area. Talking to ANI, a local resident said that the team of geologists who visited them on Friday have not disclosed the cause behind the unfortunate incident and urged Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha to allocate land so that they can construct a safer place for themselves and their families. "A team of geologists visited here yesterday and took the samples after conducting the survey. The results of the survey are yet to arrive, they have not even said anything to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM)," the local said. "I only request the L-G to allot some place for the people who have lost their houses. Even the allotted land would work, we will construct something for survival," he added. A team of scientists from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) visited Doda on Friday to analyse land subsidence after some houses developed cracks. Deputy Commissioner of Doda, Vishesh Paul Mahajan, said to ANI that 19 houses have developed cracks along with two other structures. "The GSI team is on the task and has taken samples, they will give us details as to what is actually happening here. Actions to be taken accordingly under Disaster management," he said. Meanwhile, the affected people also raised concerns about the lack of shelter over their heads during this winter season. A resident, Zona Begum said, "We are already very much stressed with this bitter cold here, which we have been tolerating and then this incident. We are scared. Where should we take our children to? Currently, we have been directed to shift to a school. The schools too would reopen from the 20th and they will remove us. Where would we go then?" She further appealed to the government to arrange for a place for all the affected homeless people to reside. Another lady here, Mosam Begum said that they have been living under the sheds in dark for two days and have also reiterated the need for a place to survive during these tough days. "We are living here, under the sheds since the day before yesterday and there have been no lights. We are distraught. I appeal to the governor and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help us with a place to spend our tough days," Mosma Begum told ANI. After Uttarakhand's Joshimath, cracks appeared on the walls of some houses in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda, prompting the administration to evacuate and shift families to a safer location. According to locals, cracks have appeared on as many as 21 structures. "21 structures were affected yesterday. Zone of influence is limited to the same, as observed today morning," SDM Amin Zargar told ANI on Saturday. The SDM further informed that the situation was under control and that the Geological Survey of India shall submit a report to the government after the completion of its study. "The situation is being regularly monitored by the Doda's Deputy Commissioner and his senior officers. The situation is currently under control. The Government has also sent a team from the Geological Survey of India and they are conducting their studies and will submit their report to the government. The people have vacated the area," he said. SDM Zargr said on Friday that the cracks were initially observed in one house in December 2022, which has now started to aggravate and has reached other structures as well. "Cracks were reported in a house in December in the Doda district. Till yesterday, six buildings developed cracks, but now these cracks have started to increase and the area can be seen sinking as several structures in the area have developed cracks," Athar Amin Zargar said. (ANI)
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday came down heavily on the central government amid the ongoing Hindenburg-Adani row, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been reserving an "eloquent silence" on the 'Adani MahaMegaScam'. Ramesh said the Congress has decided to pose three questions to the PM Modi daily, starting Sunday. "The eloquent silence of the PM on the Adani MahaMegaScam has forced us to start a series, HAHK-Hum Adanike Hain Kaun. We will be posing 3 questions to the PM daily beginning today. Here are the first three. Chuppi Todiye Pradhan Mantri-ji," tweeted Ramesh. The three questions posed by the Congress also pertained to the Panama Papers and the Pandora Papers cases. It said it doubted the 'sincerity' of the government's investigation into these cases, as Gautam Adani's brother Vinod Adani's name appeared in one of them. The party further asked the Centre to come clean on what action it took to investigate the 'serious allegations' against the Adani Group over the years. The grand old party also questioned the government on India's largest business groups escaping "serious scrutiny for so long despite persistent allegations". Meanwhile, the Congress, on its official Twitter handle, announced a countrywide protest on Monday against the 'silence' of the Modi government in these matters. "PM Modi's friend Adani is accused of the world's biggest scam. But PM Modi is silent in this whole matter. No investigation, no action. The Congress is going to hold a countrywide protest tomorrow (6 February) against this silence of the Modi government. Keep the answer ready, the public is coming," tweeted the Congress. Earlier, on Saturday, Ramesh hit out at Union Minister Anurag Thakur alleging that the Opposition was not being allowed to demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issue. Taking to Twitter, Ramesh posted, "I&B Minister, Anurag Thakur of Goli Maro infamy says Opposition running away from debate in Parliament. What a joke. Parliament hasn't functioned for 2 days as Opposition isn't even allowed to take a minute to demand JPC on the PM-linked Adani MahaMegaScam." A report by a US-based Hindenburg Research surfaced on January 24, claiming that the Adani Group had weak business fundamentals, and was involved in stock manipulation and accounting fraud, among others. The report triggered a sell-off of shares of all Adani Group companies. (ANI)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested two persons from Bihar's Motihari district in connection with its ongoing probe into the Phulwari Sharif terror module case linked to the Popular Front of India (PFI) conspiracy. The arrests were made after the probe agency conducted raids at eight locations to disrupt a conspiracy hatched by PFI cadres to carry out targeted killing in East Champaran District in Bihar on February 4. The arrested persons were identified as Tanveer Raza alias Barkati and Md Abid alias Aryan, both residents of the East Champaran district. As per the NIA, the accused had arranged weapons and ammunition to carry out the targeted killings. "NIA has arrested two accused today who had arranged weapons and ammunition to carry out the killing. Recce had already been conducted to execute a target," the NIA said in a statement. "The arms and ammunition had been handed over to a PFI Trainer, Yakoob, who had been conducting Training Sessions for PFI cadres," the NIA added. A few days ago, Yakoob, the PFI trainer, had posted a derogatory and inflammatory Facebook video post, which was aimed at disturbing peace and communal harmony. Other users of Facebook had commented and trolled this post abusively. The absconding accused Yakoob and two arrested accused had identified some of them and had conspired to execute the killing the of targeted person. "The raids and arrests were made in NIA case, which pertains to the involvement of PFI and its leaders and cadres in violent and unlawful activities, who had assembled for that purpose in the Phulwari Sharif area of Patna," the NIA added. The case was initially registered on July 12, 2022, at PS Phulwari Sharif and re-registered by NIA on July 22, 2022. "With these arrests, a PFI module planning targeted killing and disrupting communal harmony has been unearthed and busted," the agency said. Earlier, four persons were arrested and several incriminating articles and documents related to PFI were seized in the instant case. During the searches conducted on Saturday, multiple digital devices were seized. Further investigations in the case are in progress. (ANI)
With the aim to spread awareness of India's rich history of cultural and religious pluralism, Jammu and Kashmir People's Justice Front (JKPJF) on Sunday held a seminar in Srinagar. With the theme "Religious Pluralism in the Lap of Mother India", the seminar was organized at HMT Srinagar. It was attended by social activist Farooq Renzo Shah, political activist Shabir Hussain Rather, former president of Sikh Gurudwara Prabandak Committee, Budgam Sant Pal Singh, Vimal Singh, Mufti Syed Lateef Bukhari, Aejaz Mustafa Malik, Agha Syed Showket Madani, JKPJF chairman Agha Syed Abbas Rizvi and other social activists. In the seminar, Farooq Shah Renzo deliberated that religious pluralism is a keynote of Indian culture and religious tolerance and called it the very foundation of Indian secularism. Addressing the gathering in the seminar, Vimal Singh, a religious scholar said that the traditions of religious pluralism have deep roots in the history of the Kashmir Valley. "It is perhaps this rich heritage that led to the evolution of centuries-old indigenous traditions of communal and religious harmony, and syncretism in the region, which we know as the 'Kashmiriyat'," Singh said. He further said Kashmiriyat exemplifies the religious pluralism in the form of joint Hindu-Muslim-Sikh culture, festivals, languages, cuisine and clothing practiced in the region. In the spirit of Kashmiriyat, festivals of Hinduism and Islam are celebrated by adherents of both faiths with due regard and reverence for each other. Religious scholar Mufti Syed Lateef Bukhari said that Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Islam in Kashmir have blended together since times immemorial to reiterate the common goals contained in all religions. Bukhari further said, "It is but a matter of time before the waning wave of violence in Kashmir shall surely give way to the age-old sense of harmony and love which portrays the true picture of Kashmir. It is for these reasons that Sufism flourished in the land of Sage Kashyap Rishi." Shabir Hussain Rather noted that in Kashmir, religious extremism has been used to annihilate the ideas like pluralism, secularism, freedom and tolerance during the past three decades. "The people of Kashmir do not need anybody's sympathy or solidarity, we Kashmiris are one and we will overcome all obstacles and march on the path of success and development," he said. JKPJF chairman Agha Syed Abbas Rizvi said that the revival of 'Kashmiriyat' is a conscious effort by all segments in Kashmiri Society. Kashmiriyat is synonymous with the culture of Kashmir, which resonates with the rich religious and traditional heritage of the region. Efforts are being made to revive 'Kashmiriyat' by both the communities of Hindus and Muslims, to oppose the ongoing violence in the state, Rizvi said adding that efforts to promote Kashmiriyat through cultural activities, social programmes and literature have to be increased throughout Jammu and Kashmir and is the need of the hour. One important step in this regard, He said is the Kashmiri language. "I appeal to all the Kashmiris spread worldwide to show solidarity for saving our mother tongue. I am making a demand to the UT Administration to add Kashmiri language in the school curriculum. We Kashmiris need solidarity from all, for the development and spread of Kashmiri art, culture and language," the JKPJF chairman appealed. Agha Rizvi also spoke about India's G20 Presidency stressing that Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is the philosophy of life which means the whole world is one family. "Similarly, Kashmiriyat stands for One Kashmir, irrespective of the fact we may be following different religions and faiths," he said. Agha Syed Showket Madani highlighted the importance of the revival of the Kashmiriyat. He stressed upon that it is high time for the civil society and most importantly the political leaders to educate the youth of the Valley about the culture and essence of Sufism and Kashmiriyat. Madani stresses that the revival of Kashmiriyat only would lead to the peace and prosperity of Kashmir, which will ultimately spread to the rest of the country and South Asia. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday inspected the main venue of the UP Global Investors Summit at Vrindavan Yojna in the capital Lucknow, as per an official release. As per an official release, during his tour of the venue site, the CM visited each and every block to take stock of the ongoing preparations and gave proper guidelines to the units engaged in the construction work along with the officers. He specifically inquired from the officials about the movement, seating and other facilities for VIP guests and investors including the President and the Prime Minister. It is notable that between February 10 and 12, the Global Investors Summit will be organized, where all VIPs and numerous investors from all over the world will gather. President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also grace the event. The Chief Minister also planted trees on the venue site. Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, Principal Secretary Chief Minister's Office Sanjay Prasad, Principal Secretary Industrial Development Department Arvind Kumar, DGP Devendra Singh Chauhan and Divisional Commissioner Roshan Jacob and other officers were present with him. It may be recalled that the entire venue has been divided into seven blocks. PM Modi will inaugurate the event in the first block, where more than 10,000 people will be present. "A food court has been set up adjacent to this block along with a VIP lounge, and lounges for partner countries, industry partners and knowledge partners. Adjacent to this, another block is being built, in which four hangars have been prepared. Different sessions of different departments of the state will be held simultaneously in these hangars from morning till night, in which investors from abroad, the country and the state will participate," it read. As per an official statement, seating arrangements are being made for about 250 people in each hangar. A media centre is being set up in the third block, from where a live telecast of the program will be done. With this, the office of Invest UP has been set up in the block. At the same time, a police control room has been set up to monitor every step. The fourth block has been prepared for the pre-function, where various cultural activities will take place while the fifth block is being prepared for the drone show. The sixth block is being prepared for B2B meetings, where investment proposals and MoUs will be finalised. Along with this, fire, safety and medical zones are being prepared here so that any emergency situation can be dealt with immediately. After all three zones are ready, its reality check will also be done. At the same time, the seventh and last block is being prepared for the exhibition, which will have a total of 11 halls. (ANI)
Janata Dal (United) leader and party's Parliamentary Board President Upendra Kushwaha has convened two days open session of his supporter in Patna on February 19-20 to discuss the prevailing situation in JDU. Kushwaha has written an open letter to party workers and claimed that JDU is getting weaker due to internal reasons. "After becoming part of the grand alliance, I have been worried about the party's position since the results of the assembly bypolls were announced. I kept informing Chief Minister Nitish Kumar about the party condition. I have tried my best to save the party from losing ground in Bihar and my efforts continue even today," he wrote. Despite all the efforts, Kushwaha said his concerns were not only ignored by Chief Minister Kumar but interpreted incorrectly. He said he is concerned about the supporters of JDU if the party disintegrates. "I want to save JDU. This is only the motive and intention behind the open letter to party workers. Still, 15 days remain in between. I hope that good sense will prevail in the party," Kushwaha told ANI. He also questioned CM Nitish Kumar for not answering on the alleged "deal" with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). "Why are Nitish Kumar and the people around him not answering whether any 'deal' has been done between JDU and RJD or not? Either Nitish Ji doesn't want to answer the question or something else has happened," he said. "Why RJD leaders continuously speak against me despite JDU being part of the grand alliance. Should not Nitish Kumar ask why RJD leaders speaking against me?" he questioned. Asked if he would launch his political party, Kushwaha said, "Till now I have not planned a new party but focus to strengthen JDU." Meanwhile, JDU president and party MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh criticized Kushwaha for putting his concerns in public and not in the party forum. "Only Upendra Kushwaha can tell what is going on in his mind and about his intentions. If a person has issue with his party and his intentions are right, he will speak on the party's forum. But instead, he is speaking about it publically. Hence, something is wrong," the JDU chief said. (ANI)
The Assam Police have arrested as many as 2278 persons in connection with the cases related to child marriage across the state, the police informed on Sunday. According to the data shared by Assam police, 139 persons have been arrested in Biswanath, 130 in Barpeta, 126 in Dhubri, 123 in Baksa, 117 in Bongaigaon, 101 in Nagaon, 94 in Kokrajhar, 85 in Kamrup, 84 each in Goalpara and Udalguri district. Assam police have registered 4074 cases related to child marriage, the police said. Notably, considering a surge in cases of child marriage (below the age of 18 years) of Assam women as reported by the National Report of the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led State government is carrying the crackdown against child marriages. The drive was launched on Thursday night after CM Himanta Biswa Sarma chaired a video-conference meeting with senior officials of the police department directing them to launch a crackdown to rid the state of the evil practice of child marriage. This episode of this slew of crackdowns dates back to May 5, 2022, when the Health Ministry released the fifth report of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), carried out in 2019 and 2020.The report, following a fine and detailed reading by the Assam government, showed serious concerns regarding child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and maternal mortality. It was found in the report that 31.8 per cent of women in Assam between 20-24 age were married at a minor age or before 18 years. This was even higher than the national average of 23.3 per cent. Of these 31.8 per cent of women, more than half (50.8 per cent) cases were from All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MP Badruddin Ajmal's parliamentary constituency, Dhubri. As per the government, child marriage leads to teenage pregnancy in women causing maternal deaths in the state. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel will inaugurate the meeting. The heads of the Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) of SCO member countries will be participating in the meeting.

Comptroller and Auditor General of India GC Murmu will sign bilateral agreements MOU with counterparts of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation federal auditors' meeting, sources said.

India currently holds the SCO presidency, which annually rotates among member countries. India's 2023 theme is 'Towards a SECURE SCO'.

The concept of SECURE stands for: 'S' for security for citizens, 'E' for economic development, 'C' for connectivity in the region, 'U' for unity, 'R' for respect of sovereignty and integrity, and 'E for environment protection.

The participating delegates are expected to engage in discussions and exchange experiences related to Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security, two of the most significant current global advances as well as issues with digital technology.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was set up in Shanghai on June 15, 2001 with the aim of promoting mutual regional cooperation. It was established by the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan with the Declaration of Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

While India was granted 'Observer' status at the SCO in 2005, it became a full member in 2017 at the historic Astana summit. (ANI)
Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Sunday slammed Kerala Finance Minister KN Balagopal over his allegations of non-allocation of complete funds to the state government, calling it a 'politically motivated campaign'. The Kerala Minister had accused the Centre of 'centralisation' of powers alleging that the state has not received the funds it was allocated in the Budget. Speaking to ANI, the Union Minister said, "What Kerala Finance Minister has said is wrong. The amount allocated to Kerala was released entirely. This is a politically motivated campaign against PM Modi." "The Kerala government must stop wasting money on luxury foreign tours and avoid sending state government representatives to Delhi," he added. He accused Balagopal of changing his statement as he had earlier said that the state had received its due. "I have the record of the Kerala Minister's answer given on the floor of the Assembly in August, last year. He had said that the amount allocated for Kerala has been fully given. But now he is claiming that the state government has not received its due," he said. The Union Minister accused Kerala ministers for taking their families on foreign tours. "Every year the Kerala government conducts foreign visits. There's nothing for Kerala to gain out of these visits. Have they brought investments to the state? The ministers take their family members with them. Why are they spending so much public money on needless foreign tours?" he added. (ANI)
Former Karnataka chief minister and the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, Siddaramiah, on Saturday launched an attack on state Animal Husbandry Minister, Prabhu Chauhan, calling him a 'fool' who cannot tell a goat from a cow. Taking to social media, Siddaramiah made a series of tweets in which he slammed the Animal Husbandry Minister of state and the functioning of the state government. "This minister is not fluent in any language including Kannada. Such people are unfit to be MLAs," he wrote in the Kannada. "Minister Prabhu Chauhan had said that they will vaccinate all the cattle in the state by January 15, but still 10 to 15 lakh cattle have not been vaccinated. Such unqualified ministers are in the BJP government. Those who tell such blatant lies are unfit to be MLAs, Siddaramiah wrote. "We supported the JDS because to stop the communalist BJP from coming to power. However, the coalition government could not be sustained by HD. Kumaraswamy. He lost power by staying at the Westend Hotel and not allowing MLAs and ministers to visit him," the minister said. Lashing out at the BJP, the minister compared said, "The BJP leaders paid Rs 15 to 20 crores to each MLA and formed the government under the leadership of Yeddyurappa through 'Operation Kamala." "In 2013, we fulfilled 158 of the 165 promises made and launched 30 new programmes. The BJP made 600 promises in 2018, of which 50 to 60 were not fulfilled, " the minister claimed. Siddaramiah said by imposing an 18 per cent tax on pens, pencils, books, and yoghurt, the government had put more burden on the common man. However, the Congress has decided to give Rs 20,00 per month to every house owner and 200 units of electricity per month for free, he added. (ANI)
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) National General Secretary, Nara Lokesh, on Sunday said that the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, is afraid of people and thus he always moves in public places behind curtains. Nara Lokesh had a meeting at Thavanampalle of the Puthalapattu Assembly segment as part of his ongoing pada yatra 'Yuva Galam' where he said that YS Jagan is scared of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). "If you want a better future for the youth in the State and if the youth should get jobs, this psycho should be out of power immediately and the cycle government should come back," Nara Lokesh remarked. "What is the fun in organizing the Naadu-Nedu program as there are no basic facilities in the schools and other educational institutions," asked the TDP leader Nara Lokesh who stated that at least 17 cases are filed against him now as he is moving among the people. "I am not scared of such false cases," he added. Terming Jagan as a liar who always takes the people for a ride, Nara Lokesh dared the Chief Minister to come for an open debate as to who is behind several companies setting up their units in the State and who chased the companies out of the State. "A Minister in the Jagan Cabinet himself admitted on the floor of the Assembly that six lakh jobs were created during the TDP regime," he said and observed that the people are now fed up with the YSRCP rule. Representatives of Paramedics met Nara Lokesh during the pada yatra. They informed him that there is no evidence of them completing the community paramedics training since the certificates have not been issued to them, following which they are being subjected to frequent harassment by government officials. They appealed to the TDP leader to take up the matter with the authorities concerned and also to recognize them as first referrals. Responding to their appeals, Nara Lokesh said that the Jagan Mohan Reddy Government is completely ignoring the health sector and miserably failed in utilising the services of the paramedics in rural areas. (ANI)
Darjeeling BJP MP and party youth general secretary Raju Bista has slammed Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee for saying that if anyone has difficulty in filing nominations, he would process it for them. Raju Bista asked, "Who is Abhishek Banerjee? Is he the Prime Minister of India or the Chief Minister of the state? TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee made a statement where he said, "If anyone, be it from any party, has difficulty in filing a nomination for West Bengal Panchayat elections, I will process it for them". Raju Bista recalled the 2018 panchayat elections and said, "Trinamool Congress-backed goons did not allow any opposition candidates to fill the nomination papers in 2018 Panchayat polls. They also threatened voters not to cast their votes." "Request them to tell your party goons to stay at their home during the time of Panchayat only and then see, BJP will get the victory in massive votes everywhere in the state. The people of Bengal want to get freedom from Trinamool Congress," he added. Over Trinamool Congress released Tripura election manifesto on Sunday, BJP MP Bista said, "Trinamool Congress will not get a single seat out of 60 seats in Tripura assembly. TMC will face the same situation in Tripura as the Aam Admi Party in Uttar Pradesh elections." In the meeting addressed by a State observer held at the Siliguri district party office, he said that the BJP has always tried to strengthen the party and had shown the ability in the 2019 elections. The West Bengal Panchayat polls are likely to be conducted in March 2023 and the state election commission will release a date list soon. In 2018, the panchayat elections in West Bengal saw huge-scale clashes between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers, resulting in the death of at least 12 people. The Congress, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) and other parties of the Left Front also staged a protest outside State Election Commission in Kolkata against the incidents of violence. Violence marred the West Bengal panchayat elections in 2018, as at least 12 people were killed. Three police personnel were also injured in the violence. (ANI)
The Bharat Biotech Pvt Ltd has started dispatching the world's first Intranasal heterologous booster dose to the hospitals, the executive chairman of Bharat Biotech, Dr Krishna Ella, informed on Sunday. Speaking to ANI, Dr Krishna Ella said, "We just dispatched nasal vaccines two days ago to the hospitals." He informed about the dispatch of vaccines under the bilateral agreement between UW-Madison Global Health Institute, and the Ella Foundation agreement for establishing the first-ever 'UW-Madison One Health Center' in India for advancing vaccines, therapeutics, and global health education. Earlier, on Republic Day, Dr Krishna Ella had said, "With the rollout of iNCOVACC today, we have achieved our goal of establishing a novel vaccine delivery platform for intranasal delivery." He said that this vaccine proves that India can innovate for itself and for the world. "We and the country are well prepared for future COVID-19 variants and future infectious diseases. We reaffirm our commitment to India, to lead innovation and develop novel vaccine technologies for combating infectious diseases and public health globally," he added. "We have proven these capabilities and expertise time and again with innovative vaccines such as TYPBAR TCV, ROTAVAC, JENVAC, COVAXIN and others. Bharat Biotech is a leading global developer and manufacturer of vaccines with more than 7 billion doses manufactured to date," he added. iNCOVACC is the world's first Intranasal vaccine for COVID to receive approval for the primary 2-dose schedule, and as a heterologous booster dose, administered as nasal drops. The vaccine does not require syringes, needles, alcohol wipes, or bandages, leading to saving costs related to procurement, distribution, storage, and biomedical waste disposal. The vaccine is priced at Rs 325 per dose for large-volume procurements by the central and state governments. iNCOVACC is a recombinant replication-deficient adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion stabilized spike protein. This vaccine candidate was evaluated in phase I, II and III clinical trials with successful results. The intranasal vaccine is stable at 2-8C for easy storage and distribution and has been designed for efficient distribution and easy pain-free administration. Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL), a global leader in vaccine innovation and developer of vaccines for infectious diseases, on Sunday dedicated iNCOVACC (BBV154) to the nation, which also happens to be the world's 1st Covid intranasal vaccine for Primary series and Heterologous booster. The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched iNCOVACC on the occasion of Republic Day in the presence of Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh. (ANI)
Stalin, in a letter to Modi, noted that nearly one lakh hectare of paddy fields in the Cauvery delta region is submerged in water due to unseasonal rains.

Unseasonal and sudden rains in the districts of Nagapattinam, Myladuthurai, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Pudukottai have inundated about to be harvested paddy (Samba) crops, he said, adding that hence, the moisture content in the harvested paddy will be much higher than the stipulated volume.

He said that the relaxation of moisture norms is a mitigation measure and cited the Central government allowing relaxation in norms on paddy procurement during the last Kuruvai season.

A similar relaxation is required for the paddy farmers now, he said.

Stalin said: "I request you to issue necessary instructions to allow the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation to procure paddy from farmers with moisture content up to 22 per cent and for relaxation in the minimum limit of immature, shrunken and shriveled up to five per cent as against the normal three per cent and damaged, discoloured and sprouted up to seven per cent as against the normal five per cent with necessary value cut for this Samba crop."

Several organisations of paddy farmers have asked the Chief Minister for relaxation in procurement norms.

PMK state President Anbumani Ramadoss has also urged for the total exemption of paddy crops from moisture conditions.

--IANS aal/khz/vd

( 256 Words)

2023-02-05-19:14:03 (IANS)
The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department had participated in this year's OTM in a big way as part of its extensive tourism promotional campaign being held across major cities of the country.

As many as 112 co-exhibitors and participants from Jammu and Kashmir attended the travel extravaganza drawing thousands of tourists, holiday-makers, travel trade buyers and tour organising professionals to the Jammu and Kashmir pavilion.

The Jammu and Kashmir Pavilion set up by the Tourism Department offered the most-engaging experiences for the travel consumers and trade visitors as well as the co- participants from various states and union territories, besides international delegates.

"Hundreds of travel trade fraternity members from Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Nagpur, Amravati, Gujarat, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and even from some foreign countries visited the J&K Pavilion and interacted with the members of the official delegation and co-exhibitors from the UT," an official statement added.

"The varied tourism products introduced by the Department during the last two years, post-Covid experiences and the new initiatives captivated the attention of the travel representatives and professionals alike."

The interactions consisted of detailed presentations, various short films on known and off-beat destinations of Jammu and Kashmir and discussions on sustainable inbound and outbound travel for the year.

--IANS zi/khz/

( 252 Words)

2023-02-05-19:22:04 (IANS)
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar on Sunday hit out at Congress leader Shashi Tharoor after he termed Pervez Musharraf as a 'foe-turned-real force for peace' in his condolence message for the former Pakistan military ruler, saying his post "best describes Cong" (Congress). Chandrashekhar while taking to Twitter, slammed the grand old party for finding peace in a person who "inflicted terror a backstabbing conflict and tortured our soldiers in violation of every International law". "Nothing like a proper military thrashing for Fatcat Pak Dictator Generals to become a "force for peace" and develop "clear strategic thinking". Not withstandng many lives lost n Intl laws violated n harm caused all around, these Generals will have their admiring fans in India (sic)," the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar wrote in his tweet. In another tweet, Chandrasekhar said, "That a former Cong Foreign Min (a party that refused to celebrate Kargil Vijay Diwas till 2010) wud think that a Pak General who inflicted terror, a backstabbing conflict n tortured our Soldiers in violation of every Intl law, wud be a "force for peace" - best describes Cong." Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday condoled the demise of Musharraf stating that "once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace between 2002-2007." "'Pervez Musharraf, Former Pakistani President, Dies of Rare Disease': once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace 2002-2007," Tharoor said in a tweet."I met him annually in those days at the @un & found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP," the former minister of state for external affairs said. Musharraf passed away on Sunday at American Hospital in UAE after a prolonged illness, reported Daily Pakistan. Musharraf was Pakistan's army chief during the Kargil war between India and Pakistan. The conflict between the two countries is believed to have been orchestrated by Musharraf without the knowledge of the then Pakistan Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. Musharraf was the tenth president of Pakistan after a successful military coup in 1999.He served as the 10th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan (CJCSC) from 1998 to 2001 and the 7th top general from 1998 to 2007. (ANI)
The state governments and Union Territory administrations celebrated World Wetlands Day (WWD) at all 75 Ramsar sites this year with over 200 events. The National Flag was hoisted at the Ramsar Sites. The wetland pledge was administered during these events. Over 50 activities were held with student engagement in which drawing competition, quiz competition, exposure activities, and bird watching were organized, informed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Sunday. This is in line with emphasis on participatory management of wetlands by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who in Mann ki Baat on January 29 highlighted the invaluable role played by local communities in conservation of Ramsar Sites. In Jammu and Kashmir, citizens took a pledge to conserve wetlands at Wular Lake. In Himachal Pradesh, students High School Chamba were exposed to values of wetlands in seminar organized. In Bilaspur, students received prizes for winning entries in painting and slogan competition on the theme of World Wetlands Day. In Haryana, a workshop for students was organized at Sultanpur National Park, Haryana. In Sarsai Nawar, Uttar Pradesh, a bird watching session for students was organized wherein the different habitat preferences for species were discussed. In Bihar, a workshop for citizens and students was organized at the State's Ramsar site Kanwar Jheel, Begusarai. And in Madhya Pradesh at Indore and Bhopal public events were held on the occasion wherein the respective City mayors emphasised the value of wetlands conservation for sustainable urbanization. In Manipur, Chief Minister N Biren Singh conveyed a special message on World Wetlands Day. Public Seminar and a series of events were held at Loktak Lake and in Arunachal Pradesh, State Wetlands Authority released a special poster on the occasion, stated the government release. In Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik issued a special message on World Wetlands Day reminding the citizens on the important role wetlands play in maintaining ecological balance and mitigating the effects of climate change, while reiterating the pledge of the government to conserve the state's Ramsar Sites. Special functions were held at Tampara Lake and Ansupa Lakes wherein students and citizens participated. In Tamil Nadu, the Forest Minister M. Mathiventhan unveiled a plaque at the Pallikaranai eco-park, Chennai on the occasion of World Wetlands Day. The World Wetlands Day is observed on 2nd February every year all over the world to commemorate the signing of Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance in 1971. India is a party to the Convention since 1982 and has so far declared 75 wetlands as Ramsar sites covering 23 states and Union Territories. The 2023 theme for World Wetlands Day is 'Wetland Restoration' which highlights the urgent need to prioritize wetland restoration. It is a call on an entire generation to take proactive action for wetlands, by investing financial, human and political capital to save the wetlands from disappearing and to revive and restore those that have been degraded. India has the largest network of Ramsar Sites in Asia, making these sites a critical ecological network for conservation of global biological diversity and supporting human well-being. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched Mission Sahbhagita in 2022 with a mission of 'a healthy and effectively managed network of 75 wetlands of national and international significance which support water and food security; buffer from floods, droughts, cyclones and other extreme events; employment generation; conservation of species of local, national and international significance; climate change mitigation and adaptation actions; and recognition, conservation and celebration of cultural heritage.' (ANI)
US President Joe Biden said that the mission to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the East Coast on Saturday has been successful. After arriving at Camp David from Syracuse, Biden said that he had ordered the Pentagon to shoot down the balloon "as soon as possible." "On Wednesday when I was briefed on the balloon, I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible," Biden said. He further added, "They decided, without doing damage to anyone on the ground, they decided that the best time to do that was as it got over water....within a 12-mile limit. They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it," according to CNN. The balloon was first spotted in the sky over Montana earlier this week, according to CNN. In response to a question on whether his national security team had recommended taking down the balloon, Biden stated, "I told them to shoot it down. They said to me, Let's wait for the safest place," as per the news report. After extending a ground stop at three airports in North and South Carolina, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a statement announced the resumption of flights to and from the airports in the region. Earlier, the FAA had issued a ground stop for three airports in North Carolina, South Carolina and Myrtle Beach. "Flights to and from Wilmington (ILM), Myrtle Beach International (MYR) and Charleston International (CHS) airports are resuming. Other airspace has been reopened. Normal operations resuming," CNN quoted FAA as saying. Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin in a statement on Saturday (local time) said that US fighter aircraft assigned to US Northern Command successfully shot down the high-altitude surveillance balloon belonging to China over the water off the coast of South Carolina in US airspace. He said that the balloon which was used by China in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental US was shot down above US territorial waters. "This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People's Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in U.S. airspace," Lloyd Austin said in a statement. He further said, "The balloon, which was being used by the PRC in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above U.S. territorial waters." Austin said that US President Joe Biden gave his authorization to take down the surveillance balloon "as soon as the mission could be accomplished without undue risk to American lives under the balloon's path." Furthermore, he said that US military commanders determined that downing the balloon over land posed an undue risk to people across a wide area. According to Biden's orders, the Department of Defence after careful analysis created options to shoot down the balloon safely over US territorial waters while closely monitoring its path and intelligence collection activities, Lloyd Austin said in a statement. "This action was taken in coordination, and with the full support, of the Canadian government. And we thank Canada for its contribution to tracking and analysis of the balloon through NORAD as it transited North America," Lloyd Austin said. "Today's deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Biden and his national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC's unacceptable violation of our sovereignty," he added. Earlier, Biden said that his administration will "take care" of the suspected Chinese spy balloon, as per the news report. He made the remarks at an airfield in Syracuse in New York, where he is visiting a family. When questioned whether he would shoot down the balloon, Biden said, "We're gonna take care of it," according to CNN. Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has said that the balloon entered US airspace by accident, as per the news report. However, the US State Department called the presence of the balloon in US territory a "clear violation" of their sovereignty and international law. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also postponed his visit to China after the balloon was spotted in the United States. (ANI)
Pakistan's government has prepared a bill that proposes to change Pakistan's Penal Code (PPC) and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and states that anyone who scandalises or ridicules the Pakistani army and the judiciary through any medium will be awarded up to five-year imprisonment, Dawn reported. The draft bill was vetted by the Pakistan Ministry of Law and Justice and initiated by the Ministry of Interior for the prime minister and federal cabinet, as per the news report. A cabinet summary outlines the goal of the soon-to-be proposed bill as lately social media has been rife with criticism of the army and courts, as per the Dawn report. The sources in Pakistan's Ministry of Interior have said that the bill will be forwarded to the federal cabinet soon. Titled Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act, 2023, the bill recommends a new section 500A. The new section is titled 'Intentional ridiculing or scandalising of the state institutions etc.' It states that whosoever makes, publishes, or circulates information through any medium, with an intention to ridicule or scandalise the judiciary, the armed forces or any of their member will be guilty of an offence punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or with a fine which may extend to Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 1 million or with both, according to Dawn. Meanwhile, a new section titled 500A has been added to Section 500 which states that the offender will be arrested without a warrant and the offence will be non-bailable and non-compoundable. The offender can challenge the arrest in a sessions court. The cabinet summary states that the Pakistan has recently witnessed a number of scandalous, derogatory and vicious attacks on certain state institutions, including the judiciary and armed forces, as per the Dawn report. It further stated that it is well-known that certain wings have initiated a deliberate cyber campaign for self-serving motives with the aim to incite hatred against important state institutions and their officials. It mentions that such attacks focus on undermining the integrity, stability and independence of Pakistan's state institutions, according to Dawn. According to the summary, the judicial and army officials do not have the opportunity to come forward and negate derogatory and scandalous remarks while appearing in the media. (ANI)
Union Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Saturday held a meeting with Bangladesh Minister of Foreign Affairs AK Abdul Momen and held discussions on areas of mutual interest. V Muraleedharan held the meeting with AK Abdul Momen in Colombo during his visit to attend the 75th Independence Celebrations of Sri Lanka. He tweeted, "Met FM of Bangladesh H.E. @AKAbdulMomen at Colombo during my visit to attend the 75th Independence Day celebrations of Sri Lanka. Held discussions on areas of mutual interest." During his visit to Colombo, V Muraleedharan also met with Nepal's Foreign Minister Bimala Rai Paudyal. He tweeted, "During my visit to Colombo to attend the 75th Independence Day celebrations, had the opportunity to meet FM of Nepal H.E. @bimalarp. Discussed areas of mutual interest." MoS Muraleedharan met Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and conveyed greetings on their 75th Independence Day. He assured Sri Lankan FM of India's continued commitment to assist island nation on its economic recovery. Sharing details regarding his meeting with Sabry, Muraleedharan tweeted, "Delighted to meet FM of Sri Lanka H.E.@alisabrypc at Colombo. Conveyed greetings on their 75th Independence Day. Highlighted India's continued commitment to assist Sri Lanka on its economic recovery." During his visit to Colombo, Muraleedharan visited the Gangaramaya Temple. The High Commission of India in Colombo tweeted, "MOS @vmbjp prayed to The Buddha at the sacred Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo. Offered his respects to Ven Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero. Stressed the close civilizational ties between India and Sri Lanka which are manifested including through Buddhism."Earlier in the day, he also met Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's greetings on 75th Independence Day. During his visit, he also interacted with the Indian diaspora in Sri Lanka and lauded their contributions to strengthening economic, people-to-people ties between the two nations. Sharing details regarding his meeting with Sri Lankan President, Muraleedharan tweeted, "Pleasure to have called on President of Sri Lanka H.E @RW_UNP at Colombo. Conveyed greetings of PM @narendramodi ji on the 75th Independence Day of Sri Lanka. Discussed diverse aspects of the growing bilateral partnership." Muraleedharan arrived in Sri Lanka on February 3 to participate in Sri Lanka's 75th new year celebrations. According to the Ministry of External Affairs press release, India and Sri Lanka this year mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations. The MEA in the statement further said, "Sri Lanka is India's close neighbour and friend and occupies a central place in India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy. India, as always is committed to stand with the people of Sri Lanka for their economic recovery, growth and prosperity." (ANI)
Interior Minister Carolina Toha confirmed during a news conference on Saturday that 22 people are dead, reported CNN.

"There are 1,429 people in shelters, 554 injured and 16 suffering severe burns who are in serious condition," she added.

Around 14,000 hectares of land were torched as dozens of wildfires raged in Chile amid the summer heatwave in the country.

Twenty-eight of the hundreds of fires in Chile in recent days have burned the amount of forest and woodland the country typically loses over the course of a year, Toha said.

The minister also described record-high temperatures in several of the affected regions of Chile, reported CNN.

"The thermometer has reached levels that we've never seen until now," said Toha.

On Saturday, President Gabriel Boric announced via Twitter that neighboring Argentina will send firefighters and machinery to combat the fires engulfing Chile's south-central area, according to CNN Chile.

Boric said he had spoken to his Argentinian counterpart, Alberto Fernandez, to "coordinate and thank Argentina in the fight against the fires. Besides firefighters, we will receive machinery."

Boric added that he will seek further help fighting the fires from other countries, reported CNN.

"We are arranging support from various countries to face the emergency. We will not leave them alone," he said tweeted.

Partly due to climate change, wildfires have grown in scope, intensity, and frequency as rising temperatures and drought heighten fire conditions around the world, resulting in explosive blazes in places like Chile, Algeria, France, Spain, and the western United States.

In late December, a forest fire near the coastal resort town of Vinas Del Mar in Chile killed at least one person and destroyed more than 100 homes. (ANI)
India, the world's second-largest consumer of gold jewellery, has experienced rapid change over the last few years due to evolving demographics witnessing growing demand for lightweight and studded jewellery, reported Asian Lite International citing World Gold Council. "India is a strong pillar of support for the global gold markets as the second-largest consumer of gold jewellery. While weddings and festivals act as important drivers of jewellery demand, our rich cultural heritage and historic status as a major global force in world commerce underpin this strong socio-economic relationship with gold. Over time, we have created countless reasons and joyous occasions to accumulate gold. Bridal jewellery segment alone accounts for nearly half of the market share with rural India being the largest consumer of gold jewellery in the country," said Somasundaram PR, Regional CEO, India, World Gold Council. The gold jewellery exports in India have grown from USD 7.6 billion in 2015 to USD 12.4 billion in 2019. Bridal jewellery dominates the gold jewellery landscape, enjoying 50-55 per cent of market share in India, reported Asian Lite International. Plain gold jewellery maintains 80-85 per cent of market share, the majority of which is 22-carat although the market for 18-carat jewellery is growing. Daily wear jewellery accounts for 40-45 per cent of the market. Plain gold jewellery exports accounted for 38 per cent of gold jewellery exports from India in 2021. Over the last decade, nearly 90 per cent of India's jewellery exports have flowed to just five major markets: namely, the UAE, the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK, reported World Gold Council. Meanwhile, South India dominates Indian gold jewellery consumption, accounting for 40 per cent of the country's total jewellery demand. Aside from gold, India has a sizeable and vibrant silver jewellery market and is the world's largest fabricator of silver jewellery, reported Asian Lite International. "Our 2019 consumer survey, carried out by Hall & Partners, found that 60 per cent of the women surveyed owned gold jewellery, closely followed by 57 per cent who owned silver jewellery, but only 26 per cent owned diamond jewellery," reported World Gold Council. Meanwhile, Platinum jewellery did not appear among the top purchases by female consumers, as this market is still in its infancy in India. Notably, India was the largest consumer of gold before being overtaken by China in 2009. In 2021 India bought 611t of gold jewellery, second only to China (673t) but comfortably ahead of all other gold-consuming markets, a recent World Gold Council report revealed. (ANI)
The Key of Language

There is a movement to make Syriac an official language in the government school curriculum in northeast Syria. At present, Arabic is the language of the classroom.

If the movement is successful, parents will have the option of sending their children to a school where all subjects--math, reading, science, geography, music, physics, philosophy, history--are taught in a language whose survival has so far depended on the seminary and the village.

Developing textbooks for these subjects is a project of language-building as much as one of nation-building, and it offers the chance to consider how and why it matters to preserve a classical language. This story is more than a report on education in Syria. This is a parable for the challenge of preserving languages, especially old ones. And the preservation of language, especially old ones, is, for me, one of the most concise images to consider in a restoration of education in the West.

Syriac is a dialect of Aramaic. While Christ preached sermons and made his cry from the cross in a dialect spoken in Roman Palestine, another dialect of Aramaic developed further east in Edessa, a city in the south of modern-day Turkey. Edessan Syriac would eventually serve as the foundation for the writings of St. Ephrem, Isaac of Nineveh, Jacob of Serugh, and Narsai. It remains the glue connecting several church traditions together.

Today, unlike other semitic languages such as Arabic or Hebrew, Syriac is a language of the church, not of a recognized nation. But the Olaf Taw curriculum developed in Syria for the Syrian people, named for the first and last letters of the Syriac alphabet, is the latest instance of a dream now more than a century old: to raise Syriac to the level of an internationally recognized language, capable of being used for all areas of life, from the scientific to the quotidian.

In one of his many gestures to the other traditions, Pope John Paul II said that the Eastern and Western Churches are the two lungs of the church. Some scholars of Syriac Christianity say that Syriac is the third lung. As a recent poem written in Syriac reads, "Come, o brothers and sisters, let us breathe with the three lungs: along with Latin and Greek, the breath of living Syriac."

One of the most remarkable aspects of Syriac is best viewed in comparison to the other lungs, Latin and Greek. Neither are regularly spoken among the clergy. Through a slow evolution of grammar and pronunciation, modern Greek gradually replaced the older koine of the Greek church fathers. And Latin, once a shared language of Western culture, is spoken fluently by pockets of enthusiasts, if not in the seminaries.

Classical Syriac, unlike many languages from the late antique period, is not dead. It has been alive and well in both seminaries and local schools of the Syriac tradition up till today. I asked one author of the Olaf Taw curriculum about how he learned kthobonoyo. In his village he learned the local Syriac dialect. "So," he said, "it was easy to learn kthobonoyo."

Today, alongside classical Syriac--kthobonoyo, or literally, "the language of the book"--there exists a network of related, neo-Aramaic dialects, largely spoken by Christian and Jewish communities dispersed throughout Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and elsewhere. In fact, Syriac is the language of only one Christian tradition out of many--the Coptic, Armenian, and Ethiopian Churches, to name a few--that are not well known in the West.

For the Syriac churches, their language has remained the language of the liturgy, seminary instruction, even literature and poetry, despite the pressures to replace it entirely with Arabic or English. Its maintenance has proved useful during the recent fracturing of the church community across Europe. Among members of the Syriac diaspora, kthobonoyo is something of a lingua-franca in miniature. Many of the Patriarchs of the Syriac traditions regularly deliver homilies, write social media posts, answer interview questions for the local news channels--all in Syriac.

In the summer of 2022, I attended a conference on all things Syriac in Paris. The first session opened with a Syriac poem, read aloud by a number of scholars and priests, celebrating the conference's success. I heard people switch from Arabic to Syriac in their conversations. Despite my imperfect fluency, there are some friends and many teachers of mine for whom Syriac is our preferred, if not our only, way of speaking with each other.

When I was fortunate to have a few conversations with some of the authors and organizers of the Olaf Taw curriculum, I asked them about the best way to teach Syriac. They answered with the books of Abrohom Nuro and Qarabashi. "Qarabashi is for the teachers," they said. "Nuro is for the students."

Abrohom Nuro is the fountainhead of the modern movement to make spoken Syriac great again. He developed a manner of teaching which elsewhere would be called the "direct method." He called it souloqo, "the method of ascent." The instructor speaks Syriac to the students, and they respond both in their words and actions. Within a few classes it teaches students more of the language than what graduate students understand in a semester. By the 1970s, Nuro's work was used in schools and seminaries, and he organized a committee to oversee the creation of dictionaries and invent neologisms.

Qarabashi was an older contemporary of Nuro, who wrote hundreds of graded readers, in which all the features of grammar and vocabulary are slowly built on each other. These stories were designed to be read in a classroom, under the guidance of a master teacher who would ask comprehension questions and review grammar. The work of these authors is the backbone of Olaf Taw.

Since Syriac Christians were dispersed across Europe and America during the twentieth century, the number of teachers who wrote books for students grew. Barsaum Dogan wrote easy short stories, imitating the method he discovered while learning Dutch; to this he also added a series of picture dictionaries. Murat Gan wrote a number of stories involving modern vehicles and technologies such as airplanes and computers. More recently, after decades of work, a compendious dictionary of the language, written entirely in Syriac, was published under the title, The Key of Language.

Why do the organizers of Olaf Taw believe people should learn Syriac? One of them told me, "We are proposing that the language is our duty [hnan dorshinan leshono ithaw zedqtho 'alayn]." He went on, "It is the mother tongue, the language of Jesus Christ; it is a national language." The others could not agree quickly enough, bursting into a homily of beautiful, lightning-fast Syriac.

Nuro had no interest in a nationalist movement. His goal was the preservation of the Syriac spiritual heritage, a goal for which current church leaders have shown warm support. The same leadership has yet, however, to openly endorse Olaf Taw.

Support for a merely spiritual heritage notwithstanding, there are obvious parallels between the work of Nuro and that of Ben Yehuda and the other families and scholars who pioneered Modern Hebrew.

By the middle of the twentieth century, Hebrew had not been spoken for centuries. It did not exist in the international conversation. Mothers did not speak it to their children. Students did not scribble in it. In the eyes of many Jewish leaders, the better options for a national language were either Yiddish or German. Yiddish, after all, was a language peculiar to the Jewish community; German was the other, more respectable choice.

Yet for Ben Yehuda, Modern Hebrew was most fitting to the land of Israel, to its people, to their spiritual heritage. Despite resistance on all fronts, he began speaking it to his son at home. He went on to teach students in schools. The students in turn brought it into their own homes, until it was used to barter in the market-square and to train soldiers in the military bases.

The success of Ben Yehuda's vision stands as a modern counterexample to the claim that a language, once dead, must remain so. It also reveals the mutually beneficial connection between a language and a people. A language is more likely to thrive the more political life it in turn supports.

Political recognition is precisely what the authors of the Olaf Taw curriculum await. They have steadily developed textbooks for K-12, and late last year they trained their first cadre of teachers to use the curriculum. Still, they look for broader acceptance. Church leadership is especially concerned, it seems, about openly supporting a nationalist program. Parents and communities are concerned, among other things, about the usefulness of the language.

A non-technical definition of an endangered language might be one whose usefulness is not obvious to parents. What, after all, does Syriac have to offer in the way of economic opportunity or international advantage?

Nowadays, the usefulness of nearly everything is measured on the balance of commercial value. You know English? That is worth 100 points. French? 86. You want to learn Latin? I suppose it helps your critical thinking skills. 70 points. The coding language Python? 95 points. Thinking down this path for long enough and it seems the best economic situation would be for everyone to speak a single language--preferably one computers understand, too.

Still, there seems to be something irreducibly political about learning to speak a language. The older and more local, the better. However many speakers of a language there are globally, a language, or set of languages, is first and foremost considered useful because it is spoken by the citizens of the same place. The value is primarily internal, not global. From a globalist perspective, even more inefficient than speaking the language of a particular place is speaking the language of a particular past.

In the United States, the classical education movement is nothing if not focused on giving to the next generation the corpus of a particular tradition. In many schools, this includes passing on the actual languages of that tradition. Those languages are even, in some cases, taught in an active manner. To this movement, the case of Olaf Taw seems to offer at least this much: Speaking the language of one's tradition is a form of political formation, and therefore political resistance.

The political situation in Syria and its neighbors, covered so well by others, is far from settled. The work of Olaf Taw seems at times to require the very thing it hopes to nurture: an organized polis. Language, after all, is fundamental, at once the means for and one of the goods of communal life. Up till now, Syriac has survived, even thrived, through the love and labor of school instructors, church patriarchs, and small villages. This alone marks an incredible achievement. Olaf Taw hopes to give it something it has not had for a long time: national sanctuary. As one of the authors told me, "This language is our inheritance."

Charles Carman is a doctoral student in Syriac and church history at Catholic University of America.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday condoled the demise of ex-chief of army staff and former President Pervez Musharraf. "I offer my condolences to the family of General (rtd) Pervez Musharraf. May the departed soul rest in peace!" tweeted Shehbaz. Musharraf passed away on Sunday at American Hospital in UAE after a prolonged illness, reported Daily Pakistan. Reacting to the news, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad, and tri-services chiefs expressed heartfelt condolences on the former army chief's demise. "CJCSC and services chiefs express heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of General Pervez Musharraf, former president, CJCSC and chief of army staff. May Allah bless the departed soul and give strength to the bereaved family," the military's media wing said. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry offered his condolences, saying: "Musharraf was a great person [...], 'Pakistan first' was his theory and vision." Former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi, while pouring in condolences, said that Musharraf's services to the Pakistan Army and the country cannot be forgotten, reported Geo News. Expressing deep sorrow over the former president's death, Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani said that he shares his grief with the bereaved family. Musharraf was the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military coup in 1999. He served as the 10th CJCSC from 1998 to 2001 and the 7th top general from 1998 to 2007. Local media reports quoting his family members said the former four-star general succumbed to Amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body. He was hospitalized for a couple of weeks due to a complication of his ailment, as per reports. Musharraf has been living in Dubai since 2016 for the medical treatment. Earlier, Musharraf expressed his desire to spend the "rest of his life" in his home country, local media reported. The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the former president wanted to return to Pakistan as soon as possible. Notably, Musharraf was Pakistan's army chief during the Kargil war between India and Pakistan. The conflict is believed to have been orchestrated by Musharraf without the knowledge of the then-Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Musharraf remained the longest-serving president of Pakistan as he took over the country's reins. He was elected as the president through a referendum in 2002 and remained in office till 2008. In 2004, he was elected as a president in uniform for five years via 17th Amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan. Musharraf is also known for the anti-constitutional measures he took to depose the judges of the Supreme Court in November 2007, which marked the beginning of the Lawyers' Movement -- also known as the Movement for the Restoration of Judiciary. Following a movement led by the political parties, Musharraf resigned as the president on August 18, 2008. The former military ruler was sentenced to death by a special court on December 17, 2019, under Article 6 of the Constitution. A case of high treason was filed against him during Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) tenure. Musharraf was present in the court on March 31, 2016, when he was indicted on the charges. Later, he flew out of the country due to his illness. He did not return to Pakistan after leaving the country. (ANI)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Government of Pakistan are at a stalemate over Rs 900 billion fiscal gap, a major stumbling block in striking a staff-level agreement, reported Geo News. IMF has worked out a larger gap of approximately Rs 900 billion, equivalent to 1 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). IMF is asking to jack up the GST rate by 1 per cent from 17 to 18 percent or impose 17 percent GST on Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants (POL) products, reported Geo News. Meanwhile, Pakistan is contesting the fiscal gap in achieving the primary deficit. Pakistani authorities have asked the IMF for incorporating a flow of reduction under the revised Circular Debt Management Plan (CDMP) and reduced the amount of required additional subsidy of Rs 605 billion against the earlier target of Rs 687 billion. Therefore, the fiscal gap stood in the range of Rs 400 to Rs 450 billion. Moreover, top officials have completely ruled out any possibility of IMF condition about the signing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for reviving the Fund program and said that no such discussions took place with the IMF review mission, reported Geo News. "Differences still persist over ascertaining the exact fiscal gap between Pakistan and the visiting IMF review mission during the technical levels talks. Once it's finalized with the IMF, then the additional taxation measures will be firmed up, which will be unveiled through the upcoming mini-budget. In view of a lack of reconciliation over the figure of fiscal gap, the technical level talks will continue on Monday and then policy level talks are expected to commence from Tuesday," sources confirmed while talking to a select group of reporters in the background discussions on Saturday. They said the government agreed in principle with the IMF to abolish electricity and gas tariff subsidies for the export-oriented sector because such kind of dole out was completely unacceptable to the lender. The exporters' scheme will be revised by bringing major changes to it, said the official, reported Geo News. The Pakistan authorities conceded that the power sector had so far proved to be a major stumbling block on the way to achieving smooth sailing. However, the circular debt for the gas sector also remained a problematic area, reported Geo News. The expenditures overrun will breach the overall budget deficit target of 4.9 per cent of GDP, which is likely to touch 6.5 to 7 per cent for the current fiscal year. Meanwhile, the government is ready to slap the flood levy on affluent segments as well as on imports, impose a levy at the rate of 41 per cent on windfall profits earned by the banking sector, enhance Federal Excise Duty (FED) rate on cigarettes, sugary drinks from 13 to 17 per cent, enhance withholding tax rates on a property transaction, air travel abroad and others. The IMF assessed that the FBR would face a shortfall of Rs 130 billion in achieving the target of Rs 7,470 billion, reported Geo News. It is expected that both sides would strike a staff-level agreement by the conclusion of the talks on February 9. Then the IMF's Executive Board will consider approval of the next tranche probably in March 2023. (ANI)
At least five people were injured in an explosion near Pakistan's Quetta Police Lines area on Sunday, the Dawn newspaper reported citing rescue officials. Edhi worker Zeeshan Ahmed, who was leading the rescue operations on the site, said the injured were moved to the Civil Hospital in Quetta. Ahmed informed that police and emergency teams have arrived at the spot and the area has been cordoned off. Police haven't issued any statement and the nature of the blast is not clear at the moment, the Dawn reported. Further, according to the report, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack. The group claimed that security officials were targeted in the blast, the Dawn reported. Meanwhile, the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police on Wednesday staged a protest against the rising incidents terrorism in the province. The local police force staged a protest in front of the Peshawar Press Club. It was the first such protest by the police in the history of the province. Videos shared on social media showed groups of police officers raising slogans against rising terrorist incidents. On January 30, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Peshawar's Police Lines mosque, a heavily guarded facility at about 1 pm during Zohr prayers, resulting in a portion of the roof to cave in on devotees offering prayers at the time. The death toll from the blast rose to 100 as the rescue operation to retrieve bodies from the debris of the mosque concluded on Tuesday, Geo News reported. The count of the injured from the deadly suicide blast reached at least 221. According to Mohammad Asim, the spokesperson for the primary medical facility, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, approximately 100 bodies were taken to the facility and 53 patients were being treated, reported Geo News. KP's caretaker CM revealed that an inquiry committee has been constituted to identify those responsible for the attack. Geo News reported, citing Rescue 1122's spokesperson, that the rescue operation to retrieve bodies from the debris of the mosque finally concluded. Speaking at a press conference alongside KP CM Azam Khan, Inspector-General Moazzam Jah Ansari said about 10-12 kgs of explosives were used in the blast. Admitting there had been a security lapse, he said investigations were underway to ascertain the facts, Geo News reported. According to security officials, the suicide bomber was in the front row during the prayers when he blew himself up. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) initially claimed responsibility for the attack but later denied any hand. (ANI)
A series of protests were held across Bangladesh to mark the anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre, the local media reported, adding that activists highlighted Chinese atrocities and ongoing genocide against minorities, predominantly Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province. This is an important day marking the 26th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre that took place in 1997 when Chinese forces allegedly killed and imprisoned thousands of innocent Uyghurs while they were participating in a peaceful demonstration in Ghulja in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) demanding religious and cultural freedom and equal rights. Various NGOs and civil societies, Ulemas, and other organisations observed the 26th Anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre to support the legitimate demand of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities being suppressed by China through various events and programs in different parts of Bangladesh, several media reported. To mark the day, Sanchetan Nagarik Samaj organized a Human Chain and protest demonstrations in Bangladesh's Gazipur city highlighting Chinese atrocities and ongoing genocide against Uyghur Muslims. Protesters expressed solidarity with the Uyghur Muslims and condemned China for adopting its double standard on minority issues and committing genocide on innocent Uyghurs. Protestors were carrying banners and posters highlighting Chinese atrocities on Uyghurs. Meanwhile, in Dhaka, Bangladesh Sampriti Saangsad (BSS) Welfare Association organized a bicycle rally and protest meeting. the bicycle rally started from Nikunj Police Plaza, went through Gulshan Area and United Hospital, and ended at the Police Plaza. They held a brief protest meeting at the Police Plaza, which was chaired by the Founding Chairman of BSS Taufiq Ahmed Tafsir. He stated that on this day in 1997, Uyghur protesters in Ghulja took part in a non-violent protest calling for an end to religious repression and ethnic discrimination in the city by the Chinese Government and added that Muslims of Bangladesh continue to stand with Uyghur Muslims. Students of various schools and colleges, journalists, leaders, and activists of political parties participated in the event, various media reported. In National Press Club, Islamic Progotoshil Janata Front organized a Press Conference which was attended by 120-150 participants including Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon leader, Ameer Maulana Abu Zafar Kashemi, Senior leader of Jamiayet Ulamaye Islam Bangladesh Maulona Shahidul Islam Ansari. Bangladesh Mohajir Welfare and Development Committee (BMWDC) organized a protest demonstration near Dhaka University. The participants carried posters, and placards highlighting the Ghulja massacre and distributed leaflets among the student of Dhaka University. A team of BMWDC went on to submit a memorandum to the Embassy of China later in the evening. In Khulna, the Khulna Metropolitan Students Union (KMSU) organized a human Chain and a protest rally at the Royal intersection in Khulna, and Bangladesh Social Activist Forum (BSAF) organized the Human chain and protest rally at Shaheb Bazar, Zero Point, Rajshahi to highlight China's inhumane treatment of minorities and Uyghurs, according to local media. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Islamic Front organized a discussion meeting at Bangabandhu Hall, Chittagong Press Club, Chittagong. The event was attended by about 500 persons including Maulana Nurul Islam (President of Chittagong South wing of Bangladesh Islamic Front), Maulana M.A. Matin (Chairman of Bangladesh Islamic Front), and S.U.M Abdus Samad (General Secretary of Bangladesh Islamic Front). (ANI)
China has been trying to increase its influence on journalists in Southeast Asia and other developing regions by conducting a large number of training programs, Nikkei Asia reported. China is thus attempting to achieve greater control over the Chinese language media in Asia and other parts of the world. The country is also targeting overseas universities and the Chinese diaspora as part of its influence operations. Though China's media training and exchange programs gathered pace in the early 2000s, their scale rapidly expanded under President Xi Jinping. China's training programs play a key role in Beijing's efforts to promote its state media in other countries and persuade journalists to write positively about China. According to Nikkei Asia, a 2019 Reporters Without Borders study of China's state media and of China's broader influence on foreign journalists noted that "the [Chinese] regime has managed to convince tens of thousands of journalists in emerging countries to go on all-expense-paid trips to Beijing". Some trips are four or five days long and the invited journalists visit Chinese media outlets, meet with officials and sometimes visit tourist spots. The ten-month-long programs on the other hand, involve classes on China's politics, economic system and model of development, media, and foreign policy, as well as interviews with Chinese officials and entrepreneurs and internships at Chinese media outlets. The trips are financed by subsidies from Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency, or other Chinese government funds. Journalists are mostly brought from developing countries or middle-income states, like Argentina. Annually, about 100 journalists are brought to Beijing from Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia for extended fellowships. The trips include stays in luxury apartments in Beijing, a monthly stipend, and travels around China. Juan Pablo Cardenal, a leading Spanish journalist focusing on China, as quoted by Nikkei Asia, said: "In China, media trainings are, in actuality, free public relations trips to China that follow a conveniently pro-government agenda." Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations in a recent interview with Washington D.C based VOA Mandarin, said that China has been spending huge sums of money on state media outlets China Global Television Network (CGTN), China Radio International (CRI) and Xinhua to try and create these as global competitors and enable these media outlets to define global narratives about China. Most of these big state media outlets have, however, completely failed. "Since about five or six years ago, China has been trying to build up a global media and information apparatus. They have been trying to have a bigger role in the global media discourse, which they have always felt does not treat China fairly," said Kurlantzick who investigated China's global media investment in his new book, Beijing's Global Media Offensive: China's Uneven Campaign to Influence Asia and the World. (ANI)
A Pakistani tribal chief in Karmanzai and his son were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the Dera Bugti district, the Dawn reported. On Saturday, the victims, who were identified as Nihalan Khan and his son Lal Jan, were going back to their home in the Patokh area on a motorcycle when they were targeted by the assailants, who were waiting for them, according to officials. Both received multiple bullets and died on the spot, police officials said. The armed men fled the scene and also set the victims' motorbike on fire. After the incident, the security officials rushed to the site and shifted the bodies to a nearby hospital. The bodies were later handed over to the family after medico-legal formalities, according to theDawn. The cause of the killing was not immediately known. However, the police said old enmity could be the reason behind the killings. Meanwhile, on the same day, another incident was reported inSalarzai tehsil of Bajaur tribal district where a landmine explosion took place. At least a woman and her son were injured. "The incident occurred in Thangi Srasha area when an explosive device, said to be an anti-personal mine planted in a field of a local elder, Malik Mursaleen Khan, went off at around 8 am," DSP Abdul Sattar Khan said. Talking to reporters after visiting the blast site, he said a woman and her son were going to fetch water when they stepped over the mine planted by some miscreants. A Rescue 1122 official said both the injured, identified as the wife of Jan Sardar and her son, Abdullah, 15, were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, Khar, by a team of rescuers. The official quoting the doctors at the hospital said their condition was out of danger. Earlier, on Thursday when five tribesmen were killed and one injured in an armed clash between two tribes in the Bagh-i-Nari area of the Bolan district over a land dispute. Officials said armed men of Lehri and Machi tribes took positions in the Ganjlo area and attacked each other. The heavy firing with automatic weapons continued for several hours, resulting in the killing of five tribesmen from both sides, reported the Dawn. (ANI)
Japan's current regime will soon be introducing export regulations to control the use of semiconductor technology for military purposes, the Japan Times reported quoting government sources. The current regime in Japan under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will be amending the ministerial ordinance under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act. Under this act export of certain products and technology related to semiconductors requires permission of the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, the report claimed. According to the Asian Lite a draft of the revised ministerial ordinance is expected to be released in the near future. The government will solicit opinions from companies and other related parties to introduce the regulatory measures in the spring. This move by Japan comes after the US President Joe Biden had announced in October last year the regulatory tightening on China in relation to semiconductor technology. The report claimed that amid increasing risk of a possible China Taiwan conflict, the need and control over tech supremacy was intensifying, particularly with semiconductors which crucial for the many technology-related sectors. The regulations imposed on the semiconductor technology by US will be concentrated around the circuit line widths of 14 nanometers or less, the report said, adding that Japan's upcoming amendments to the Act is supposed to be in the same domain. "Yet the new regulations will not explicitly name China, in an effort not to trigger retaliatory measures the report claimed. Earlier US had also had requested cooperation from the Netherlands in the same matter," reported the Asian Lite report. Both Japan and the Netherlands are concerned about the impact on their domestic firms operating in the Chinese market and both countries will draft their own measures, the report claimed. The semiconductor chip market, which is currently worth 500 billion dollars USD, is expected to double by 2030. So whoever controls or dominates the semiconductor market's supply chain will be a future superpower, the report further stated, adding that China wants to own the technology to make chips which is still a US domain. "That is why the US trying to control this technology flow to China," read another report by Federico Giuliani for Inside Over. The flow of semiconductor chip technology to China will ultimately be used by China for military strength, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Super Computers, Giuliani's report from Inside Over further says, adding that China has been exponentially investing to increase its production capacity of these microchips and gain technology for production. (ANI)
China is one of the few countries that are committed to expanding dealings with the Taliban in Afghanistan, Hong Kong-based Asia Times newspaper reported. China in mid-2021 welcomed a Taliban delegation. The country showed its willingness to recognise the Taliban as the US signalled towards its planned withdrawal. In early January 2023, a Chinese firm agreed to sign a 25-year contract for oil extraction in Afghanistan. There is also the possibility that a Chinese state-owned company will be contracted to operate a copper mine in the country. According to Asia Times, it is unsurprising that as western countries withdraw almost all their links with Afghanistan, China is willing to increase its commercial presence in the country. Although traditionally, its Afghan policy has not been a diplomatic priority, it now sees opportunities. The Asia Times report said that greater active engagement with Afghanistan will enable China to benefit in several ways. Afghanistan is one of the world's most resource-rich countries, but its security conditions have constrained the development of the sector. The value of Afghanistan's untapped mineral deposits, such as copper, iron and lithium is estimated at almost a trillion US dollars. In terms of crude oil, it has 1.6 billion barrels. As for natural gas, Afghanistan possesses 16 trillion cubic feet and has access to 500 million barrels of natural gas liquids. China's domestic energy supply is limited both by geology and energy density, and its dependence on other countries leads to "energy security anxieties." Access to Afghanistan's natural resources, then, not only provides economic incentives for China to increase its commercial presence in the country. It also has the potential to help ease its growing demand for energy, according to Asia Times. China prioritises involvement with Afghanistan to meet its short-term energy security. Concerned over the potential spillover of militants from Kabul into the country's western Xinjiang, China has stepped in and engaged with the Taliban, promising trade and investment, Afghan Diaspora Network reported. More than a year after the United States and NATO pulled out of the Central Asian country, China is one of the few countries that kept their embassies open in Afghanistan even after the Taliban took over in August 2021. It is worth mentioning that the Taliban during its first rule in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 had harboured a number of foreign extremist groups, including Uyghur militants. China is primarily interested in Afghanistan for security related and specifically preventing any breach of militancy in the Uyghur areas of China. Still, the Taliban's attack kept Beijing from maintaining its relationship with them. (ANI)
A 6-year-old boy has died after a fire in Orleans on Saturday night that investigators have determined to be accidental, fire officials said Sunday.

The boys name is not being released, a spokesman for State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said in an email Sunday afternoon.

Four other people were taken to the hospital for medical care. One Orleans police officer was evaluated and released, Orleans Fire Chief George Deering IV, Orleans Police Chief Scott MacDonald, and State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said in a joint statement.

Firefighters responded to a call for smoke and fire in a house at 177 Route 6A at about 8:40 p.m. Saturday.

When firefighters arrived, they saw smoke and fire coming from the second floor of the 2 1/2-story building, fire officials said.

Firefighters learned at the scene that one person was unaccounted for. Deering ordered a second alarm, drawing mutual aid from surrounding communities, officials said.

Firefighters searched the building and found one person with serious injuries. The person, who was not identified, was taken to an area hospital and later died, fire officials said.

Firefighters knocked down the fire in about 20 minutes.

While the fire is not suspicious, the cause of the fire is being investigated by the Orleans Fire Department, Orleans Police Department, and State Police assigned to the State Fire Marshals office and Cape & Islands District Attorneys office.

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In this article, we will take a look at the 16 largest photography companies in the world. If you want to see more companies in this selection, go to the 5 Largest Photography Companies in the World.

According to Zion Market Research, the size of the global digital photography market stood at $105.2 billion at the end of 2020, and it is anticipated to increase to $149.4 billion by 2028. This would reflect a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.4% from 2021 to 2028. The increase in photo sharing over social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok has given a boost to the photography industry. Popular companies operating in the photography industry, such as Canon Inc (NYSE:CAJ), Sony Group Corporation (NYSE:SONY), and FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation (OTC:FUJIY), are continuously focusing on innovation and developing new technologies to enhance the quality of photography taking place globally. Additionally, a number of top camera manufacturers are investing in projects to create smaller, lighter camera bodies with equivalent shooting capabilities. It is anticipated that this will produce a favorable outlook for the industry in the upcoming years.

According to Nikkei, a cumulative 70% of the market share in the global photography industry is held by Canon Inc (NYSE:CAJ) and Sony Group Corporation (NYSE:SONY). Canon and Sony's combined market share increased by 4.4% over pre-pandemic levels, while Nikon's share decreased by 4.9%, and Fujifilm's share increased by 0.9%. With 41% of the market share in 2020, North America held the top position in the global market for photographic services. The second-largest region, accounting for 29% of the market share for photography services globally, was Asia Pacific.

16 Largest Photography Companies In The World

Pixabay/Public Domain

Our Methodology

We have scoured multiple reports and websites to analyze the scale of operations, growth prospects, and revenue of these companies. We have focused on the pure-play companies in the photography industry that are either engaged in the production of photographic equipment or are involved in the provision of specialized photographic services. These companies have been ranked in ascending order of their 2021 revenue.

Story continues

16 Largest Photography Companies in the World

16. Hasselblad

2021 Revenue: $38.6 Million

Hasselblad is a Gothenburg, Sweden-based producer of digital medium format cameras and lenses founded in 1906.

The Hasselblad 500 series is considered one of the most revolutionary cameras in the photography industry. Meanwhile, the company's XPAN line of cameras offers the 35mm format and can quickly switch to full panorama format without changing the film. The camera weighs only 950 grams with a silent camera shutter. The camera comes with three interchangeable lenses with focal lengths of 30mm, 45mm, and 90mm.

15. OM Digital Solutions

2021 Revenue: $43.7 million

OM Digital Solutions is a Tokyo, Japan-based company that was established in October 2020. In January 2021, the company bought the audio recorders, binoculars, and cameras division from Olympus. OM Digital Solutions has a headcount of around 1,800 employees.

OM Digital Solutions has succeeded in manufacturing a 35 mm SLR camera series. The company has also developed the mirrorless OM-D series, which has made it easier for content creators to capture blur-free images without the need for a stabilizing tool. OM Digital Solutions has also made significant progress in the fields of image stabilization and high-resolution imaging. The company has a presence in China, Hong Kong, Japan, the USA, Australia, and Europe.

14. Adorama Camera, Inc.

2021 Revenue: $100 million

Adorama Camera, Inc. is a New York-based retailer of cameras, lenses, cinematography equipment, tripods, studio lighting, and printers. The company was founded in 1974 and is known for its affordable offerings.

The companys business unit covers 18,000 square feet (sqft) in Brooklyn, New York. Adorama Camera, Inc. offers various services, such as the B2B segment of the company provides consultative solutions and technical services. Meanwhile, the Rental division, founded in 1988, provides professional filmmaking equipment to content creators. The Trade segment buys used photo and video equipment. Meanwhile, Printique by Adorama Camera, Inc. provides premium photo printing services. The company claims to be the go-to spot for content creators, photographers, and vloggers.

13. Ricoh Co Ltd (TYO:7752)

2021 Revenue: $116.9 million

Ricoh Co Ltd (TYO: 7752) is a Tokyo, Japan-based imaging and electronics company that was founded in 1936. The company manufactures a wide variety of photographic products like binoculars, compact cameras, and digital single-lens reflect (DSLR) cameras for consumer use. Meanwhile, the company also produces security camera lenses along with cloud services for industrial clients.

The DSLR cameras manufactured by Ricoh Co Ltd (TYO: 7752) are waterproof and weather resistant. The company's digital camera models are chemical-resistant, crush resistant and have GPS and Bluetooth installed. Furthermore, Ricoh Co Ltd (TYO: 7752) launched the GR III Diary Edition, which is a premium version of the classic street camera. The GR III model was launched in 2019, and a special edition was introduced in 2020 in the form of the Ricoh GR III Street Edition.

12. Polaroid

2021 Revenue: $300 million

Polaroid is a Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company known for its instant film and cameras. The company has also expanded into printers, accessories, and other mediums of media.

The company, founded in 1937, was considered one of the most technologically innovative entities of the 20th century. Polaroid reached a peak revenue of $3 billion in 1991 and gained mainstream recognition following the launch of the SX-70 folding camera. Now the flagship product of the company is the Polaroid Go, which is an analog instant pocket camera. Polaroid has also launched the Polaroid Now Plus instant camera that comes with five experimental lenses.

11. Leica Camera

2021 Revenue: $432.4 million

Leica Camera is a Wetzlar, Germany-based maker of binoculars, cameras, microscopes, optical lenses, photographic lenses, and rifle scopes founded in 1869.

Some of the notable camera models manufactured by the company are the S-System, SL-System, M-System, Q, CL, TL2-System, and Sofort. Furthermore, there have been rumors that upcoming flagship phones by Xiaomi will be installed with Leica Camera and will be launched at the MWC 2023 in Barcelona in February. The cameras manufactured by Leica are known for durability and are dust-resistant. They also have rubber armoring and intuitive handling to ensure that all the important controls of the camera are at the fingertips of the user. Leica Camera manufactures its cameras in close partnership with professional photographers.

10. B&H Photo

2021 Revenue: $460 million

B&H Photo is a New York-based independent superstore known for providing new and used professional audio, photo, and video equipment.

The store was founded in 1973 by co-founders Blimie Schreiber and her husband, Hermann Schreiber, along with a single employee. Over the years, the business grew and prospered, and now it is established inside a three-story store in New York City with over 1,000 employees and more than 400,000 products under the companys portfolio. B&H Photo has the distinction of being the biggest non-chain camera store in the US. The company has an average daily visitor count of 5,000. B&H Photo was ranked as one of the best customer service-providing entities in 2019 in the consumer electronics segment by Newsweek.

9. Shutterstock Inc (NYSE:SSTK)

2021 Revenue: $0.77 billion

Shutterstock Inc (NYSE:SSTK) is a New York-based international creative platform offering high-quality content and full-service solutions for brands, enterprises, and media organizations. The company presently offers over 400 million photos and around 21 million video clips through more than 1.7 million contributors.

Shutterstock Inc (NYSE:SSTK) reported strong Q3 2022 results, with quarterly revenue increasing by 5% to $204.1 million. The companys increase in e-commerce revenue was predominantly supported by the income generated from acquiring PicMonkey and Pond5. At the same time, growth in enterprise revenue was supported by Shutterstock Incs (NYSE:SSTK) multi-asset product solutions.

Bernzott Capital Advisors shared its outlook on Shutterstock Inc (NYSE:SSTK) in its Q4 2021 investor letter. Heres what the firm said:

Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE:SSTK): The stock declined as business trends decelerated in ecommerce and Europe (approximately one-third of revenues). Additionally, the CEO left unexpectedly mid-year, and while the transition to his replacement has been orderly, it nevertheless represents a risk factor. There remains the potential for further weakness in its ecommerce and advertising markets as the economy slows. The companys transition from a commoditized and competitive stock imagery provider to a creative tools provider carries risks, and thus we elected to exit the position.

8. Getty Images Holdings Inc (NYSE:GETY)

2021 Revenue: $0.91 billion

With a database of more than 477 million assets, the American-British visual media corporation Getty Images Holdings Inc (NYSE:GETY) serves both businesses and consumers as a source of stock photos, editorial photography, video, and music.

In 2021, Getty Images Holdings Incs (NYSE:GETY) annual revenue increased from $0.81 billion to $0.91 billion, reflecting an increase of 12.67%. In Q3 2022, the company reported an adjusted EBITDA of $77.7 million. Due principally to the impact of foreign exchange on revenue, the adjusted EBITDA margin decreased from 34.4% in Q3 2021 to 33.7%. CEO Craig Peters thinks that the company was able to provide greater value to consumers, as reflected by the increasing number of paid downloads and annual subscriptions during the third quarter.

7. Panasonic Holdings Corp (TYO:6752)

2021 Revenue: $1 billion

Panasonic Group is an Osaka, Japan-based diversified conglomerate that is a renowned maker of consumer electronics products. The company also manufactures camcorders, cameras, camera accessories, and lenses under the Panasonic and Lumix brands that are trusted globally for their video and still imagery.

Panasonic Holdings Corp (TYO:6752) recently launched the Lumix S5 II camera, which the market has positively received as it has a phase hybrid detection AF system that will be favorable for content creators. The camera also has five-axis in-body image stabilization and the latest color science technology. The Lumix S5 II camera is a follow-up to the Lumix S5 camera launched in 2020.

6. Eastman Kodak Co (NYSE:KODK)

2021 Revenue: $1.15 billion

Kodak is a Rochester, New York-based company that launched its first camera in 1888. The founder of the company was focused on making photography as convenient as the pencil.

Thomas Edison was able to leverage the transport roll film technology launched by the Kodak founder to make the first motion picture camera. Eastman Kodak Co (NYSE: KODK) has won nine Oscar awards for its contributions to the movie industry. The company has also diversified into printing and publishing, document imaging, health imaging, and space imaging. In its history of 130 years, Eastman Kodak Co (NYSE: KODK) has been able to obtain 31,000 patents.

Longleaf Partners Fund discussed its outlook on Eastman Kodak Co (NYSE:KODK) in its Q4 2021 investor letter. Heres what the firm said:

Kodak (-18%, -0.83%; -12%, -0.54%), the global technology company focused on chemicals and print, in which we own convertible preferreds, was a detractor, despite excellent operating results at the company. Our appraisal of Kodaks value surged 12% last quarter up to $10/share due to strong pricing in the printing plates and film segments. Kodaks new chemical-free Sonora plate business grew 35% and is much more environmentally sustainable than the competition. Digital Printing, a razor/razorblades annuity business, approached breakeven, while Kodaks next generation Prosper product line grew 17%. The Licensing segment, which is a surprisingly large part of appraised value, again grew steadily with massive operating margins.

In addition to Eastman Kodak Co (NYSE:KODK), companies such as Canon Inc (NYSE:CAJ), Sony Group Corporation (NYSE:SONY), and FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation (OTC:FUJIY) are some of the largest photography companies in the world.

Click to continue reading and see the 5 Largest Photography Companies in the World.

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Disclosure: None. 16 Largest Photography Companies in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.
Assyrians Continue to Struggle to Survive Post-U.S. Invasion of Iraq

The 2003 American-led invasion of Iraq had dooming consequences for the Middle East and the various ethnic groups in the country. The war saw sectarian violence on a level that has eclipsed examples of sectarianism in the Middle East post redrawing of the borders such as the Lebanon and Syrian Civil War.

Destabilization in the region has brought a brutal domino effect on ethnic minorities in Mesopotamia that have been historically marginalized under the new state of Iraq. This includes Kurds, Yazidis, Armenians, and especially Assyrians. The Assyrians, one of the world's oldest ethnic groups and a major contributor to the modern human civilization are now in danger of being extinct in their own ancestral homeland, with little focus being given to their ongoing grievances today. Background

Assyrians have long been marginalized in the Middle East after the fall of their empire in 609 BC. Living under the thumb of various Roman, Persian, Arab, Mongol, and Turkic empires, they were able to preserve their culture and language despite thousands of years of persecution such as the Hamidian Massacres and Seyfo Genocide. After initially being promised a homeland when the Ottoman Empire capitulated, the British government reneged to their promise and incorporated them under the new Kingdom of Iraq.

The Kingdom of Iraq began with a turbulent start that saw a renewed persecution of Assyrians, such as the Simele Massacre. Even after the fall of the monarchy, the persecution didn't end. Under the rise of the Baathists, Assyrian villages, which are close to many Kurdish villages were targeted by Saddam Hussein's barbaric genocidal campaign against the Kurds. Despite the endless turmoil in Iraq, Assyrians were able to keep a sizable community in the region, including neighboring Syria. This would drastically change in 2003. Destabilization of Iraq

When the American-led coalition overthrew Saddam's Iraq, policymakers clearly didn't understand the complexity of the region. Coalition Provisional Authority Order 2 dismissed the Iraqi Army, the only force that could've stabilized all of Iraq at the time. As the American coalition took control of security of Iraq, they knew little of the language, cultural customs or how to fix the damaged water, electricity, and food crises from the shock and awe bombing campaign.

The new Iraqi government, which largely marginalized Sunnis and became a sectarian government, turned into a perfect breeding ground for militant extremists to conduct terror attacks, something Iraq still suffers from today. Assyrians were indiscriminately targeted by several mass car bombs and even prominent Assyrian priests were brutally executed by al-Qaeda affiliates. Mass Exodus

From a registered population of 1.2-1.4 million in the 1980s, there are less than 400,000-550,000 Assyrians in Iraq today. Much of the mass exodus has happened due to the destabilization of the country and a lack of proper security against extremist groups. "They simply do not feel safe enough. They cannot sufficiently count on state security or any other force to protect them," said Philippe Leclerc, UNHCR's acting representative in Damascus. Cultural Genocide

Not only has there been a mass exodus and persecution against the Assyrians in the modern period, their cultural heritage has suffered greatly in the region. Many Assyrian churches were destroyed during the rampage. During the height of ISIS' rampage in the region, many Assyrian historical sites were targeted.

Notable ancient religious sites destroyed include the Monastery of Saint Elijah, St Markourkas Church, Sa'a Qadima Church, Church of Saint Ahudemmeh, Mar Behnam Monastery, and the Assyrian Green Church. Along with religious sites, ancient cities from the Old to Neo Assyrian Periods were also targeted by the terror group.

Much of the ancient city of Nimrud, built in the 13th century BC by Assyrians was sacked by the terror group, including Ashurbanipal II's palace, which was completely destroyed in the rampage. One of the ancient Assyrian capitals of the Neo period, Dur-Sharrukin, was destroyed. In a finding by the Iraqi government, and local Assyrians, they placed blame on both ISIS and Peshmerga forces who militarized and fortified the ancient city, which allowed much of it to be destroyed in clashes between them. This was later confirmed by satellite imagery.

Arguably the worst destruction by the group was the sacking and destruction of most of the Mosul Museum. Broadcasted in all media, ISIS gloated about the ransacking and desecration of the museum, destroying statues of ancient Assyrian gods and other priceless artifacts. To make matter worse, the Iraqi government has also been largely involved in the cultural genocide and destruction of ancient Assyrian antiquities. In March 2021, private contractors had orders from the provincial government of Nineveh province to tear down pieces of the ancient wall of Nineveh. This came with great condemnation of local Assyrians, conservators and NGOs that Iraq has negated history of Assyria amid rampant corruption in the country. Current Disputes

Still to this day, Assyrians are suffering from land disputes with some Kurdish tribes, who promised to protect them. One such example includes the aggression over Badarash by local Kurdish tribes. Assyrians have long warned of Barzani's KRG, which is highly corrupt and have not only sold out Assyrians, but also Yezidis and Kurds themselves.

The region is still very turbulent with no signs of stabilization, especially with a growing food crisis largely due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As the international community has claimed to protect indigenous rights, it must step up to save what's left of Assyrian people of the Middle East, who are in danger of going extinct in their ancestral homelands.

Julian McBride is a forensic anthropologist and independent journalist born in New York. He is the founder and director of the Reflections of War Initiative (ROW), an anthropological NGO which aims to tell the stories of the victims of war through art therapy. As a former Marine, he uses this technique not only to help heal PTSD but also to share people's stories through art, which conveys "the message of the brutality of war better than most news organizations."
When it comes to winning an Oscar, the key is usually a good narrative.

The young upstart bursting onto the scene with a sparkling debut performance. The faded star staging an unlikely comeback. The hell-bent Method actor transforming themselves completely in service of their craft.

While the decision of who wins is often down to the arbitrary notion of momentum and whoever ran the most effusive behind-the-scenes campaign, many talented actors have often found themselves falling just short  losing out to a more romantic narrative.

Sometimes, actors have accrued a whole handful of Oscar nominations without ever once winning.

For every serial winner like Daniel Day-Lewis or Frances McDormand, theres a Willem Dafoe or Glenn Close: great actors who havent yet been given their due by the Academy.

Heres a breakdown of all the living actors who have been nominated multiple times  but have never taken home an award.

Glenn Close

Close is tied with the late Peter OToole for the record for the most Oscar acting nominations without a win, having garnered eight across her nearly five-decade long career. While her most recent nod, for 2021s insipid Hillbilly Elegy, was never likely to bag her a prize, she had in fact been the frontrunner back in 2017, for her role in The Wife. The bookies favourite lost out to the actual Favourite, however, as Academy newcomer Olivia Colman stole her thunder. Dont expect this drought to last forever, though; theres the belief among many in Hollywood that Close is now long overdue.

Glenn Close pictured in December 2021 (Getty Images)

Amy Adams

For whatever reason, Adamss career has become synonymous with the idea of the Oscar also-ran. After breaking through with the indie dramedy Junebug in 2005, (which earned her the first of six unsuccessful acting nominations), she has gone on to deliver powerhouse performances in films such as Doubt, The Fighter and The Master, but has never won an Oscar. Her last nomination was back in 2019, for Adam McKays turgid Dick Cheney biopic Vice  but at the age of 47, theres still plenty of time for Adams to finally get her hands on a golden statuette (or several).

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Jane Alexander

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Alexander winning an Oscar must have felt like an inevitability. The Massachusetts-born actor was nominated four times within a span of just fourteen years  for roles in The Great White Hope (1970), All the Presidents Men (1976), Kramer vs Kramer (1979) and Testament (1983). Testament was to be her last nomination, however, and though Alexander remains a prolific presence on TV and the stage (earning a Tony Award nomination as recently as 2020), she has appeared in just three films since 2009.

Jane Alexander pictured at the 2021 Tony Awards (Getty Images for Tony Awards Pro)

Warren Beatty

One of the finest multi-talents of the New Hollywood era, Beatty has amassed a host of Oscar nominations in various writing, acting, directing and producing categories, winning Best Director for Reds in 1981. His acting was never deemed worthy of the top gong, however, despite four nominations  and what may be his best performance, in Robert Altmans McCabe & Mrs Miller, was never even nominated. Nonetheless, Beatty has still etched his name into the Oscar history books, playing a pivotal role in the infamous Best Picture announcement blunder of 2017.

Annette Bening

One of the standout female actors of her generation, Bening is someone whom many people might assume would have already won an Academy Award. Thats not the case, however, despite her four nominations  with 1999s American Beauty sweeping the awards in several other big categories (including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Kevin Spacey), it feels like something of a snub. Even more egregious of a snub was the decision not to nominate her for 2016s 20th Century Women; her turn as single mother Dorothea Fields was one of the decades best.

Bradley Cooper

After getting his breakthrough in the debauched comedy The Hangover, Cooper went on to establish himself as one of Hollywoods foremost leading men in films like Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, American Sniper and A Star is Born, all four of which saw him earn acting nominations. Cooper has also been recognised by the Academy for his producing and directing work, but has never won. While his turn in Nightmare Alley has been unappreciated this awards season, the film itself is at least in contention for Best Picture.

Cooper at the 94th Annual Oscars Nominees Luncheon on 7 March 2022, having been nominated as a producer of Best Picture contender Nightmare Alley' (Getty Images)

Willem Dafoe

Another actor who you might have thought would have already won an Oscar, Dafoe is known for his ability to wow arthouse audiences and Spider-Man fans alike. Of his four near-misses (Platoon; Shadow of the Vampire; The Florida Project; At Eternitys Gate), it is probably his role as a well-meaning motel manager in Sean Bakers understated The Florida Project which stings the most; Dafoe was half-expected to win at the time, only to lose out to Sam Rockwell in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Marsha Mason

Actor and director Marsha Mason isnt quite a household name, but her run of projects from 1973 to 1982 saw her land an impressive four nominations: for Cinderella Liberty (1973), The Goodbye Girl (1977), Chapter Two (1979), and Only When I Laugh (1981). Regrettably, she won none of them, though picked up two Golden Globes for her efforts.

Ed Harris

One of cinemas greatest screen curmudgeons, Harris has experienced no shortage of awards over the course of his acclaimed career. An Oscar is one trophy that eludes him, however; despite nominations for Apollo 13, The Truman Show, Pollock and The Hours, hes always walked away from the big night empty-handed.

Saoirse Ronan

Irish actor Ronans continued presence on the ballot became almost a running joke among Oscar pundits. By the age of 24, shed been nominated four times (for 2007s Atonement, 2015s Brooklyn, and her two collaborations with director Greta Gerwig: 2017s Lady Bird and 2019s Little Women). Its no stretch to assume that the 27-year-old will end up winning one of these days. And at the rate Ronans going, she could even end up pushing Meryl Streeps record for all-time most nominations.

Saoirse Ronan pictured at the 2020 Oscars (Getty Images)

Michelle Williams

Williams may be best known to mass audiences through her roles in tentpole releases like Venom or The Greatest Showman, but its in smaller, weightier films (like Certain Women or Manchester By the Sea) that she really shines. Her Oscar-nominated turns in 2011s Blue Valentine and 2018s Manchester By the Sea would have both been particularly worthy winners; but her other nominations, for Brokeback Mountain in 2006 and for her turn as Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn (2012), were also deserved recognition of her craft.

Tom Cruise

While the later years of Cruises career have been defined by high-octane blockbusters, he was once capable of nuanced performances. His Oscar-nominated turn as a misogynistic pickup artist in Paul Thomas Andersons Magnolia might be Cruises best work to date, and sits alongside Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire as one of three nominations in total.

Matt Damon

Damon is another of Hollywoods biggest names to have never scooped an Oscar win  despite coming close on three occasions. In 1998, he lost out after being nominated for Good Will Hunting (though he did manage a win in the Best Original Screenplay category). Later nominations for Invictus and The Martian followed in 2010 and 2016, to no avail. His lead role in last years superb medieval epic The Last Duel could have been an interesting contender  but the film was snubbed from the nominations list entirely.

and the rest

There are 14 other living actors who have been nominated three times without winning: Joan Allen, Johnny Depp, Woody Harrelson, Diane Ladd, Angela Lansbury, Piper Laurie, Laura Linney, Viggo Mortensen, Nick Nolte, Edward Norton, Michelle Pfieffer, Mark Ruffalo, Sigourney Weaver, and Debra Winger.
Boston Police are remembering Boston Police Officer Berisford Wayne Anderson, 29 years after he was shot and killed in Dorchester.

Anderson was slain on Feb. 5, 1994, after stopping a speeding, wrong-way driver in the area of Spencer Street in Dorchester, police said.

Anderson had finished his tour of duty and taken off his uniform and ballistic vest when he stopped the vehicle while dressed in his civilian clothes, police said.

After identifying himself as a Boston Police Officer, the driver of the vehicle pulled out a handgun and shot Anderson, police said.

The suspect, who had outstanding warrants, was arrested a short time later.

Anderson had served with the Boston Police Department for 14 years and is buried at the Forest Hills Cemetery in Jamaica Plain.

He left behind a wife and five children.

Andersons name is located on the National Law Enforcement Memorial, panel 15, east line 19, as well as on the Hero Wall at Boston Police headquarters and at the Police Memorial at the State House in downtown Boston.

A Hero Sign has been placed in his honor at the corner of Spencer Street and Talbot Avenue in Dorchester.

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A 37-year-old St. Louis man was killed and another man was injured in a shooting Saturday night in East St. Louis.

It was the second fatal shooting in that city on Saturday. The first occurred in the afternoon, leaving a 29-year-old Washington Park man dead.

East St. Louis police received a call in reference to the second shooting just after 10 p.m. It occurred in the 600 block of North 22nd Street.

St. Clair County Coroner Calvin Dye Sr. identified the victim Sunday as Bryan Campbell, of the 4000 block of Page Boulevard in St. Louis. Campbell was pronounced dead at the scene.

East St. Louis police were joined in the investigation by the Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group.

One man was pronounced deceased at the scene and another was taken to a local hospital for treatment, an ISP press release stated.

No information was immediately available on the wounded mans name or condition, a possible motive for the shooting or whether any suspects had been identified.

The investigation is active and ongoing, according to police.

The first shooting in East St. Louis on Saturday occurred about 2 p.m. at 18th Street and Missouri Avenue, according to the Illinois State Police. A man was killed and a passenger in his vehicle was wounded.

Dye identified the victim in that case as Jamal K. Billups, of the 1500 block of North 49th Street in Washington Park. Billups was pronounced dead at the scene.

His passenger, whose name hasnt been released, was transported to a hospital. No further information was available.

Any witnesses with information regarding these crimes are asked to call CrimeStoppers at 314-725-8477 or the Public Safety Enforcement Group at 618-900-4338. Tipsters can remain anonymous.
It might sound obvious, but getting nominated for an Oscar doesnt automatically make a film good.

In fact, there have been many deserving movies over the years that were somehow overlooked by the Academy.

While its easy to assume that certain films dont get nominated because theyre not what voters of the Oscars would usually go for, there have been a lot of surprises in the past.

For example, pretty much every new superhero film earns a nomination thanks to the technical or makeup categories, while random animated films are acknowledged most likely because of the low number on offer in a certain year.

This means films like DCs Suicide Squad may have been mauled by the critics, but will still get recognised by the Academy (it went on to win), which is ridiculous when you consider classics such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and The Shining never got nominated.

They arent alone  weve run through the 47 most surprising oversights.

1. American Honey (2016)

From appearing as a backing dancer on Top of the Pops to winning an Oscar for Best Director: it would have been a brilliant trajectory for Andrea Arnold following the release of American Honey, a drama following a teenage girl (Sasha Lane) who gets caught up in the wrong crowd. Arnolds day may  and should  still come.

2. American Psycho (2000)

Starring future Oscar winner Christian Bale, Mary Harrons adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel  in which the actor plays the psychopathic Patrick Bateman - didnt receive a single nomination.

3. Babyteeth (2019)

Babyteeth, which was shot in 2019 but released in the US in 2020, was one of the best films of its year. The films leads  Eliza Scanlen, Toby Wallace, Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn  all deserved acting nominations, but apparentlys voters never watched it.

Eliza Scanlen and Toby Wallace in Babyteeth (Picturehouse Entertainment)

4. Before Sunrise (1995)

While the final two chapters of Richard Linklaters Before trilogy earned screenplay nominations, the film that introduced the world to future married couple Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) was criminally overlooked.

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5. The Big Heat (1953)

Fritz Lang had a number of films overlooked by the Academy (see: M, 1931; You Only Live Once, 193. While this noir, starring Glenn Ford, Lee Marvin and and Gloria Grahame, is a film youd expect to have been nominated, it became yet another film to receive no recognition from the awards body.

6. The Big Lebowski (1998)

The Academys generosity to the Coen brothers peaked when No Country for Old Men beat There Will Be Blood in one of the ceremonys closest Best Picture races of all time. It remains surprising that one of their few films to evade any nominations is this endlessly-quotable comedy starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude.

Jeff Bridges in the Coen brotherss The Big Lebowski (Netflix)

7. Blow Out (1981)

Brian De Palma doesnt exactly make films in the hope of winning awards, but his political thriller  based on Michelangelo Antonionis Blow Up  would have deserved any Oscar it was nominated for.

8. Breathless (A bout de souffle) (1960)

Breathless failure to receive a nomination is proof of why the Oscars do not generate huge amounts of respect among the film community. Despite being one of the most studied films in the world, Jean Luc-Godards French masterpiece has an Academy Award tally of zero.

9. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

The Academy rewarded many notable screwball comedies over the years, though this Howard Hawks-directed standout starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn  whod go on to hold the record for most wins  wasnt one of them.

10. Dont Look Now (1973)

It seems the Oscars only had room for one horror film at the 1973 ceremony, with The Exorcist winning two Oscars that year despite Nicolas Roegs Venice-set chiller failing to secure a single nomination. In fact, Nicolas Roeg, who directed this Venice-set chiller, is one of the most unfairly overlooked directors in Oscars history.

11. Frances Ha (2012)

Looking back over the 2010s, Noah Baumbachs Frances Ha stands tall as one of the decades best films. Greta Gerwigs spirited performance as an aimless New Yorker is an all-timer, and even if that years acting categories were too crowded, it would have assimilated in nicely with that years (10!) Best Picture nominees. Gerwig would go on to become a Best Director nominee for her 2017 film Lady Bird.

Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha

12. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)

It wouldnt be until the 1990s that western films found favour with the Academy. It was ironically thanks to Unforgiven, a film directed by Clint Eastwood whose career flourished after starring in this Sergio Leone film that many consider to be the genres peak.

13. La Haine (1995)

Mathieu Kassovitzs black-and-white drama  translated in English as Hate  follows three young friends and their struggles living in the suburbs of Paris. Looking back at the nominees of that year, it should easily have received a nod in the Best International Feature Film category.

14. Halloween (1978)

The Academy may not be enthusiastic about constantly awarding horror films, but they do have previous (see: The Exorcist and The Silence of the Lamb and Get Out). This makes the absence of John Carpenters influential Halloween even more of a glaring oversight.

15. Heat (1995)

On paper, the big screen union of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Michael Manns cop drama was a shoo-in for awards, but no Oscar nominations manifested.

16. His Girl Friday (1940)

Yet another Howard Hawks screwball comedy starring Cary Grant that criminally failed to secure a single Oscar nomination.

17. In the Mood for Love (2000)

Wong Kar-wai set the benchmark for romance in film with his acclaimed Hong Kong drama following a man and woman (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung) who develop feelings for one another after suspecting their respective spouses of having an affair together.

Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung in Wong Kar-wais In the Mood for Love (defd Deutscher Fernsehdienst)

18. Insomnia (2002)

While falling short of Christopher Nolans best, modest drama Insomnia  made years before Batman Begins  had enough strong performances (Al Pacino, Robin Wiliams, Hilary Swank) to warrant acting nominations. Alas, it received none.

19. The King of Comedy (1982)

It may have taken him decades to win an Oscar, but the Academy has rarely balked at nominating Martin Scorsese films  especially for ones that star Robert De Niro. The King of Comedy was an exception.

20. The Long Goodbye (1973)

The first of two Robert Altman films on this list. This superior thriller stars Elliott Gould as Raymond Chandlers private investigator, Philip Marlowe, in one of the directors most entertaining films and is just as good as any other film nominated that year (see: American Graffiti, The Sting, Cries and Whispers).

21. Local Hero (1983)

Bill Forsyths beloved comedy-drama follows the mishaps of an American man sent to buy up a Scottish village where the oil company he works for wants to build a refinery. Forsyth won the Bafta for Best Director, but the film received no such love from the Academy.

22. A Man Escaped (1956)

Robert Bressons adaptation of Andre Devignys memoirs charts the French Resistance members time as prisoner of the Germans during the Second World War  and is even more enthralling considering Bresson himself was held captive years before.

23. The Man With Two Brains (1983)

He may have hosted several times, but Steve Martin has never been nominated for an Oscar. One film he deserved recognition for was Carl Reiners 1983 sci-fi comedy, The Man with Two Brains.

24. Margaret (2011)

Kenneth Lonergan would go on to win an Oscar for Manchester by the Sea, but Margaret - his three-hour drama featuring a searing performance from Anna Paquin and wife J Smith Cameron  criminally failed to secure a single nomination.

25. A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

The Academy Film Archive may have preserved A Matter of Life and Death in 1999, but voters failed to recognise the Powell & Pressburgers fantasy-romance at the time of its release in 1946.

26. Memories of Murder (2003)

Before Parasite, there was Memories of Murder. Bong Joon-ho has been making incredible films for decades now, and this sprawling and highly-influential crime thriller is just as good as Parasite, which brilliantly won Best Picture in 2020.

27. Never Rarely Sometimes Always

The fact Sidney Flanagan isnt an Oscar winner for Eliza Hittmans drama, following a young girl who seeks medical help after an unwanted pregnancy, is outrageous.

Sidney Flanagan in Never Rarely Sometimes Always (AP)

28. Night Moves (1975)

Gene Hackman starred in numerous Oscar nominated films (see: The French Connection, Mississippi Burning, Unforgiven), but Night Moves should be on that list. A twist-filled crime film with an ending for the ages, its more than worthy of a mention alongside Hackmans greatest films.

29. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Its quite staggering to think that Paul Schrader has only ever received one Oscar nomination  for his First Reformed screenplay  considering he was behind such films as Blue Collar and Martin Scorseses Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. His fictionalised account of the life of celebrated Japanese writer Yukio Mishima is one such film that would have been a worthy winner, let alone nominee.

30. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Though its by no means a masterpiece, its staggering to think that Sergio Leones gangster epic  starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci  didnt receive any Oscar nominations. Not even composer Ennio Morricone received one  but this was due to his score being disqualified from consideration after Warner Bros accidentally omitted the composers name from the opening credits when trimming the films lengthy running time for its American release.

31. Our Little Sister (2015)

Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda finally broke onto the Oscars scene when Shoplifters was nominated for Best International Feature Film in 2019. In truth, Kore-eda should have several nominations to his name. Our Little Sister, his tender 2015 drama, would have made an excellent nominee.

32. Paterson (2016)

Critics assumed Jim Jarmuschs Paterson would have been a shoo-in for awards recognition  most notably in the Best Actor category, thanks to a quietly fantastic performance from Adam Driver  but no such luck.

Adam Driver in Jim Jarmuschs Paterson

33. Paths of Glory (1957)

Stanley Kubrick never won Best Director despite being nominated four times. One of his films that didnt make the Oscars cut in any category was his black-and-white anti-war film.

34. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

How Celine Sciammas drama, following the love affair between two women in the late 18th century, didnt get any nominations, well never know. Its a staggering work, which ranks high up in Sciammas impressive back catalogue.

35. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Reservoir Dogs may not touch Quentin Tarantinos best, but it remains a surprise that the filmmakers debut didnt get recognised in the screenplay category, at least.

36. The Rider (2018)

Of all the films to be snubbed at the 2018 Oscars, Chloe Zhaos drama - which stars a real-life rodeo cowboy and his family  was easily the most egregious.

37. School of Rock (2004)

Hear us out: Richard Linklaters comedy is one of the greatest films of the 21st century to date, and the fact it never got a nomination says more about the Oscars than it does about School of Rock. Jack Black has (and will) never be better as Dewey Finn, a wannabe musician who turns a classroom of kids into a rock band while pretending to be their supply teacher. He should have easily scored a Best Actor nomination.

Jack Black should have got an Oscar nomination for School of Rock (Paramount)

38. The Searchers (1956)

The role of Civil War veteran Ethan Edwards might be considered John Waynes best role, but the Academy didnt agree: he would win his sole Oscar for True Grit in 1970 (for the same role Jeff Bridges would be nominated for 41 years later).

39. The Shining (1980)

Another Kubrick film that was completely ignored by the Academy is the directors Stephen King adaptation of The Shining. Today, its considered one of his finest works as well as being one of the most revered horror films of all time.

40. The Shop Around the Corner (1953)

This Ernst Lubitsch romantic comedy, starring Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart, may be a beloved Christmas staple around the world, but it has zero Oscar nominations to its name.

41. This Is England (2006)

The 2007 ceremony was not one of the Academys finest years, with The Departed beating Babel, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen to Best Picture). would have been far better had Shane Meadows coming-of-drama been in contention for awards.

42. Tokyo Story (1953)

Tokyo Story is deemed Japanese filmmaker YasujirA Ozus masterpiece and was named Sight & Sounds best film of all time in 2012  and yet, no Oscar nomination.

43. Touch of Evil (1958)

Orson Welles classic noir wasnt as well loved at the time of release as it is today. It stands head and shoulders above several other films nominated during that period, so the lack of a nomination is quite surprising.

44. Tyrannosaur (2011)

Olivia Colman may be in contention to win her second Oscar this year (having taken home Best Actress for The Favourite in 2019), but the fact she failed to earn a nomination (even at the Baftas, for that matter) for her role in Paddy Considines hard-hitting drama Tyrannosaur is one of the biggest oversights in awards history.

45. Walkabout (1971)

Another exceptional achievement in filmmaking from Nicolas Roeg that somehow failed to receive any Oscar nominations is Walkabout.

46. You Were Never Really Here (2018)

Lynne Ramsays You Were Never Really Here  starring Joaquin Phoenix - is a sensational piece of work worthy of reward that was actually hotly tipped following its festival premiere. Sadly, due to shifting release dates, the film lost steam and went down in the annals as one of the best films of that year not to get a nomination in any category.

You Were Never Really Here (Amazon Studio)

47. Zodiac (2007)

David Finchers Mank might have been the most nominated film of 2021, but his cult serial killer drama Zodiac failed to receive a single Oscar nomination. Three years later, he would go head-to-head with (and lose out to) The King Speechs Tom Hooper for The Social Network. In truth, Zodiac is every bit as good as the Facebook drama.

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A newborn baby may remain on the umbilical cord for a few minutes right after delivery. Getty Images

Insider spoke with Lily Steeg RN, a labor and delivery nurse based in Georgia, on how she cares for a newborn immediately after delivery.

Nurses clean vernix, a "cheesy" white substance, off a newborn and make sure it isn't "floppy" before holding the baby.

Steeg said nurses must check for a number of physical cues to make sure the baby appears healthy after delivery.

Nurses check the color of the baby right after birth.

Babies can appear blue or pale right after delivery. Shutterstock

Lily Steeg, a labor and delivery nurse based in Georgia who shares tips for new parents on her TikTok, revealed to Insider what nurses always check for prior to handling a newborn. Exact protocol may vary from hospital to hospital, Steeg said, but much of the general process is standard among labor and delivery nurses.

The nurse said one of the first things nurses check for after delivery is something new parents might also notice right away: the color of the newborn.

Babies are typically blue or very pale immediately after delivery, which may worry parents, Steeg said.

"I think that a lot of parents see that, and it's scary, but it's not necessarily uncommon because usually once they're stimulated, wiped off and start crying and taking their first breaths is when they start to pinken up," the nurse added.

If the baby does not pinken up almost immediately after delivery, the nurses might need to give the baby more oxygen, Steeg said.

Nurses check to see if a baby isn't "floppy."

Healthy babies are flexing their arms and legs when they are born. Getty Images

Almost immediately after a baby is delivered, nurses check to see if a baby has good "muscle tone," or if they have are flexing their arms and legs, and having reflexive reactions to being touched.

A baby with poor muscle tone might have hypotonia, or "floppy infant syndrome." Newborns with this condition appear limp and rag doll-like after birth, according to Cleveland Clinic, meaning they have trouble lifting their head and do not bend their elbows or knees.

Steeg said babies could appear limp for a number of reasons, including whether the mother was taking certain medication and if there were complications during delivery. "Floppy" babies are often cut from the umbilical cord immediately and taken for further testing.

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While the baby is still attached to the umbilical cord, nurses clean the "cheesy" white substance off.

Vernix is the white film a newborn baby is covered with after delivery. Getty Images

You may have noticed a baby coming out of the womb covered in a white, waxy substance. The "cheesy" layer, as Steeg describes it, is called "vernix caseosa."

Vernix is a biofilm that protects the fetus' skin starting in the third trimester of pregnancy, according to the National Institutes of Health. After birth, vernix acts as a natural antibiotic that protects the baby from bacteria and keeps its skin moist.

While a newborn is still attached to the umbilical cord immediately following delivery, nurses wipe down some of the vernix with towels but they do not wash it away completely, as Insider previously reported removing vernix completely increases a baby's risk of infection and cracked skin.

If the newborn is healthy, nurses clamp and cut the umbilical cord about a minute after delivery.

How long a baby remains on the umbilical cord depends on hospital policy, according to a labor and delivery nurse. Getty Images

Nurses often keep babies attached to the umbilical cord for around 1 to 3 minutes, Steeg said, which is called "delayed cord clamping."

Steeg said keeping the baby on the umbilical for a little bit after birth ensures it has enough blood, and the amount of time the baby is kept on the umbilical cord depends on hospital policy. Nurses will then clamp and ask the supporting partner if they would like to cut the umbilical cord to detach the newborn from its mother.

Nurses make sure the newborn is warm before placing it on a mother for skin-to-skin contact.

Newborns cannot regulate their body temperature as well as adults, and lose heat quickly. PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP via Getty Images

Finally, right before the nurse can finally hold the baby, she might place a hat on the newborn's head to make sure it stays warm, Steeg said. Newborns cannot regulate their body temperature as well as adults, and lose heat quickly.

Nurses will also place warm blankets on the mother and newborn right after birth, and place the baby on the mother for skin-to-skin contact. Steeg said nurses maintain hygiene by wearing clean surgical scrubs when handling the newborn.

While the baby rests on the mother, nurses will check the newborn's vital signs, apply an ointment to their eyes to prevent infection, and sometimes inject vitamin K to help with blood clotting. Steeg will also take the newborn's head, height, and weight measurements shortly after delivery.

A nurse recommends washing your hands before holding your newborn.

Hospitals may or may not have formal hygiene protocols for caregivers that wish to hold a newborn. Getty Images

Steeg recommends caregivers wash their hands before holding the newborn, but her hospital does not have formal protocols in place. If the newborn has to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, however, the hospital has specific guidelines about hygiene, including mandating visitors wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water.

"It's hard to learn all of these new things when your body is going through a pretty major experience delivering a baby and you're trying to process everything that's being said," Steeg said. "We're gonna be there holding your hand and helping you get through it."

Read the original article on Insider
In addition to industry mainstays such as GANNI and ROTATE, Copenhagen Fashion Week serves as a stage spotlighting some of the most exciting emerging designers from the Nordic region each season. The Fall/Winter 2023 edition didn't fail to disappoint, highlighting promising names in the scene.

This season marked the first time CPHFW implemented its sustainability-focused strategy, where all showing brands are required to meet a minimum of 18 requirements that cover everything from finding a second life for samples to using preferred materials in at least 50% of each collection. With these rules, brands were challenged to not only showcase visually pleasing designs, but also to be more mindful and intentional in their production processes.

Hypebae selected seven emerging designers from CPHFW, including A. Roege Hove, P.L.N., VENCZEL and more. Continue scrolling to read about each rising brand.

Best Emerging Designers Copenhagen Fashion Week Fall Winter A. Roege Hove PLN Selam Fessahaye

For the FW23 edition of her eponymous label A. Roege Hove, designer Amalie Rge Hove started her show with a naked model stepping onto the stage, reminding guests of Bella Hadid's famous spray-on dress at Coperni's last show in Paris. Two members of Rge Hove's team joined the model on the runway, dressing her in the creative's signature knitwear pieces. The show officially began after the first look was constructed with a sheer dress layered with a draped black-and-white piece tied at the front.

The designer explained that she hoped the audience would better understand the texture and material of her looks, which mainly feature ribbed knits made out of cotton and nylon. Those watching the show will likely have thought of Issey Miyake and the late designer's recognizable pleats as Rge Hove's trademarked material bobbed up and down on skirts and dresses, depending on the direction the knits were placed. The Woolmark Prize finalist introduced wool into her collection this time around, with heavier items layered atop the sheer ribbed knits to complete each look.

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Best Emerging Designers Copenhagen Fashion Week Fall Winter A. Roege Hove PLN Selam Fessahaye

Gestuz, founded in 2008 by Sanne Sehested, joined the CPHFW schedule for the first time in 2020 but only presented its first FW23 this season due to the pandemic. Titled "DARK DESIRE," the collection was showcased at Thorvaldsens Museum also known as the first public museum of Denmark, where Sehested explored a "darker and sexier version" of the Gestuz muse. The creative director explained, "I wanted to create a rich and sexy vibe that would perfectly compliment both the darkness of the colors but also the darkness of the winter season. I looked towards quite classic elements and fancy dressing, but with a new take." She added, "'Traditional female' fashion elements such as lace, showing skin and tight fits are often judged as vulgar or too girly. I didnt want to hide these things, but rather integrate them in the looks."

The museum's beautiful marble sculptures served as the backdrop to the looks featuring lace dresses, check-printed skirts and glittery separates. Corset tops arrived with matching trousers in straight silhouettes, followed by glossy shearling jackets and coats. The palette gradually moved from darker colors to brighter denim and all-white looks, which were accessorized with ultra-large gold chain necklaces.

Best Emerging Designers Copenhagen Fashion Week Fall Winter A. Roege Hove PLN Selam Fessahaye

Titled "COPENHAGEN OBSIDIAN SOCIETY (13)*," Tobias Birk Nielsen's FW23 collection was presented in a stone-filled space with rocks hanging from the ceiling. The set introduced a series of tech-focused wear with tie-dye elements referencing the rock inspiration. "Since I was a kid, Ive been collecting stones. It started as a modest hobby inherited from my sweet grandma. When beginning, it mainly had a focus around a visual attention, simply to find beautiful and unique shape and colors," the designer explained in a press release.

Puffer jackets were paired with reflective track pants, while muted brown hues were seen on cargo pants and halter-neck dresses. Bulbous textures were added to a vest with matching oversized pants as the tie-dye theme continued on coats and skirts. The collection additionally included a collaboration with Kappa in a capsule range titled "AUTOFOCUS."

Best Emerging Designers Copenhagen Fashion Week Fall Winter A. Roege Hove PLN Selam Fessahaye

Designer Ervin Latimer, presenting his latest Latimmier collection as part of CPHFW's NEWTALENT program, kept his FW23 showcase intimate. Inviting a small crowd of Fashion Week to the venue, the designer sat on a stool on the runway as he personally introduced the 11 looks in his latest collection. "Three months ago, I wasnt sure if we could even make a new collection," Latimer explained on the stage. "I had a burnout because, as most of us know, it is so hard to work in this industry, especially with limited resources. Im very proud that I can show you guys a collection today, but I also made this collection as an homage to all of the young and upcoming designers out there who may be struggling, who maybe arent sure if they can make it." He continued to note that the presentation was dedicated to all of the young designers out there: "If youre here today or if youre watching this live-stream, or if youre watching this afterward: I hear you. I see you. And this one is for you particularly."

The collection began with a white shirt paired with a cock ring and garters, followed by sculptures created in collaboration with Swiss-Haitian artist Sasha Huber. These two-dimensional pieces were held by models walking down the runway, while the artwork was also replicated on suits. Elsewhere, the menswear range included chunky stitching on knit sweaters and crocheted tops.

Best Emerging Designers Copenhagen Fashion Week Fall Winter A. Roege Hove PLN Selam Fessahaye

Peter Lundvald Nielsen, who showcased his debut runway show last season at CPHFW, worked with inter.agcy to stage his FW23 collection at the city's Bella Center. Guests were invited into a dim-lit and foggy venue with spotlights lighting up the runway, where the Balenciaga and Vetements alum presented a blend of commercial and one-of-a-kind designs created for the event. Working with the 100% recycled material Circulose, the rising designer filled the runway with hair as models walked in tops made out of dyed hair. The inspiration was also evident in the glam, with select looks featuring ultra-long eyelashes.

The creative expanded on his deconstructed aesthetic with frayed details on denim shorts, while straps were wrapped around a leather bikini set. Buckled and studded belts were hanging from skirts, and fringes were laid atop oversized tees.

Best Emerging Designers Copenhagen Fashion Week Fall Winter A. Roege Hove PLN Selam Fessahaye

Selam Fessahaye marked her fourth runway show as one of three finalists of the Zalando Sustainability Award. The Swedish-Eritrean designer, who has had her creations worn by Beyonce, brought a playful collection to the runway as the next step for her eponymous brand as she continues to work as a stylist to support the independent label whilst working with the Swedish Fashion Council on production and strategy.

Models strutted in fish-shaped slides to accompany the majestic garments crafted with colorful beads, tulle and more. These upcycled looks featured everything from cut-out details to floral adornments, in addition to a dramatic camo-print gown and a green suit with oversized shoulders. Maps were printed onto three-piece suits while gold embellishments highlighted an extra-sheer bodysuit, while the collection was rounded out with a pink tulle dress.

Best Emerging Designers Copenhagen Fashion Week Fall Winter A. Roege Hove PLN Selam Fessahaye

Matilda Venczel -- who was recently appointed as Mugler's accessories designer to debut the brand's new Spiral Curve 01 bag under Casey Cadwallader's direction -- presented her latest creations for her eponymous label VENCZEL in her home ground at CPHFW. Dubbed "Collection 010," the range was presented at Etage Projects in a minimalist space lit with neon lights reflecting against structural podiums put together by the designer's friend and artist Charlie Boyte. The new designs included new, purple iterations of some of the label's bestsellers, such as the V8-S STRIPE and ELAN, as well as a new silhouette dubbed the AERA.
Pamela Anderson. Pascal Le Segretain/ Getty Images

In "Pamela, a Love Story," Pamela Anderson opens up about her life and career.

It includes abuse as a child and her love life.

We broke down eight of the most revealing moments in the documentary.

She was abused by her babysitter as a child.

Pamela Anderson. Netflix

Anderson revealed that she had a tough childhood. Her parents fought a lot and split up for a while, leading to her and her brother living on welfare with their mother briefly.

Anderson said she was also sexually abused by a babysitter.

Anderson said in the documentary that she was molested by her and it lasted three to four years. At one point, Anderson said she tried to kill the babysitter by stabbing her with a candy-cane pen.

She even told the babysitter to her face that she wanted her to die. Shortly after, the babysitter did die in a car accident.

"I thought I killed her with my magical mind and I couldn't tell anybody," Anderson said in the documentary. "But I was sure that I did it. That I wished her dead and she died. I lived with that my whole young life."

Anderson wrote her entire life in diaries and on legal pads.

Pamela Anderson's diaries. Netflix

The foundation for "Pamela, a Love Story" are the boxes and boxes of diaries and legal pads Anderson has filled while chronicling her entire life.

"Basically my life is all yellow legal pads," she said in the documentary.

"I wanted to write things down in case I forgot them," she continued. "So I wrote down things thinking if something were ever to happen to me there would be evidence. Sometimes I was writing like that. Sometimes I was just writing out my feelings not thinking anyone would ever see it."

Anderson refused to read passages from the diaries for the movie, so the voiceover in the documentary is done by associate producer Dominique Hessert Owens, who was also in charge of transcribing all the diaries.

In her journals, she wrote that a 25-year-old man raped her when she was 12.

Pamela Anderson. Netflix

She wrote in her diary that she was with a friend who had a crush on a guy much older than them. They went to the guy's condo and her friend went upstairs with her crush.

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Anderson was left behind with another guy. After the two played backgammon, he offered to give Anderson a massage. But then things escalated.

"He was 25, I was 12. He raped me." she wrote.

"I tried to forget it," Anderson said in the documentary. "I felt like it was tattooed on my forehead: 'I had sex.' What it made me was very, very shy. It made me super self-conscious."

Anderson said she felt that about herself and her body until she went and did her first shoot at Playboy.

Anderson said she got her first offer to do Playboy on the day she found out her ex-fiance was cheating on her.

Pamela Anderson and Marilyn Grabowski, a photo editor at Playboy. Netflix

Anderson eventually moved to the city of Vancouver, Canada when she graduated high school.

In her memoir, "Love, Pamela," she said she moved in with a man named Mike who would eventually become her fiance.

In "Pamela, a Love Story," Anderson said she came home one day and found Mike acting very strange.

"He was having an affair with somebody. When you see your boyfriend washing his penis in the sink, that's a sign that they're probably having an affair. And I wrote down, 'Washing penis in the sink, suspicious,'" she laughed in the film.

In her book, she elaborated and said that this was the same day she got a call from Playboy photo editor Marilyn Grabowski to appear in the magazine for the first time.

She wrote that Mike got angry when he heard who was on the phone and began throwing "silverware" at her.

She made sure Grabowski's offer was serious, hung up the phone, dropped to the floor so she could dodge flying forks and knives, opened the door when it was safe to stand up, and never looked back.

Anderson's champagne was spiked with ecstasy on the night she and Lee decided to get married in Cancun.

Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson. Denise Truscello/WireImage/Getty Images

Anderson and Lee's courtship might be one of the shortest in celebrity history. They had only spent time together for about four days on vacation in Cancun, Mexico in 1995 before they decided to get married.

The length of their courtship is common knowledge, but in the film, Anderson said, "We had champagne and we put ecstasy in my champagne, which I had never tried before."

"The rest is all a big blur, all a big, happy blur," she laughed. "We felt pretty invincible."

Later that night, Lee suggested to Anderson that they get married and asked her if she'd ever felt similar feelings before.

She said she had not, and Lee took a friend's skull ring off of his finger and gave it to Anderson as an engagement ring.

The couple followed through with their marriage and eventually had two sons before they split in 1998.

Lawyers intimidated her with her Playboy photos when Anderson and Lee tried to sue over the distribution of their private tape.

Anderson, pregnant with her son, in 1996. Margaret C. Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Anderson was pregnant with her second son, Dylan, when the couple decided to sue IEG for violating their right to privacy by distributing a stolen tape around the world.

It was important to Anderson to sue because the case was about privacy rights, she said in the film.

She wanted to participate in the deposition, but admitted, "I was nervous that it was all going to affect the health of our baby. I didn't know that I was gonna be completely humiliated."

She said lawyers from the opposing side held up "naked pictures of me" in the deposition room, which Lee wasn't allowed to enter.

"The lawyers basically said, 'You're in Playboy, you have no right to privacy,'" she continued. "They would ask about my sex life and I kept on thinking, 'How am I getting questioned about my sexuality and my preferences and my body parts and where I like to make love when it's stolen property?'"

Anderson said she felt like a "horrible woman" and a "piece of meat" in the room. She described appearing in Playboy as "empowering" but said that the stolen sex tape and the aftermath "felt like a rape."

She said she and Lee eventually decided to drop the lawsuit because she'd already had one miscarriage and they were "afraid" the stress of being deposed would cause another one.

Lee physically assaulted Anderson while she was holding their infant son.

Pamela Anderson with one of her sons. Netflix

The stress of the sex tape and having two young children put a strain on Anderson and Lee's marriage.

One night during a fight, Anderson was holding Dylan (who was an infant) when she told Lee to "grow up" and said she was going to call her parents for help.

"I didn't recognize him, he went black," Anderson recalled in the documentary. "And then I started hyperventilating, scared.

Her older son ran up to her and grabbed her leg. In her book, Anderson wrote that Lee "twisted" her arm and "threw me and Dylan against a wall."

He was charged with spousal and child abuse and served six months in jail. Anderson filed for divorce.

"It wasn't a gray area for me, it was like you can't do that," she said in the film of why she was so insistant on ending their marriage, though she loved Lee.

They attempted to reconcile a little while after but eventually split for good.

Despite everything, Anderson has always remained a hopeless romantic.

Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc

"I'd rather have love for an instant than a miserable life," she wrote in her diary. "I love being in love. And being vulnerable. And being giving. It's the only way to live life. Vulnerable."

Anderson has been married to five men throughout her life: Tommy Lee, Kid Rock, Rick Salomon (twice), Jon Peters, and Dan Hayhurst, who she divorced while the documentary was being made.

But she also opened up about the people with whom she dated but didn't make it down the aisle. This list includes Mario Van Peebles, Scott Baio, Dean Cain, Eric Nies, David Charvet, Kelly Slater, and Brett Michaels.

Read the original article on Insider
(Reuters) -India's Adani Group on Monday said shares related to some group companies will be released following the pre-payment of $1.11 billion of loans ahead of their maturity in 2024 while denying media reports that said the conglomerate was planning to cut back its capital spending.

With the pre-payment of loans against shares, promoter holdings of 12% in Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd, 3% in Adani Green Energy Ltd and 1.4% in Adani Transmission Ltd will be released, the embattled group said in a statement.

The loan pre-payment is "in light of recent market volatility and in continuation of the promoters' commitment to reduce the overall promoter leverage," the group said.

Adani Group plans to trim its capital spending while providing more collateral in the form of stock pledges to lenders, Indian newspaper Mint said, citing people close to the development.

"False report, on the contrary, Adani Group is moving to prepay all LAS (Loans Against Shares) finance," a spokesperson for the group said in a separate emailed statement to Reuters.

The group's domestic lenders do not plan to cut off the conglomerate from utilising sanctioned but unused credit lines for fears it could backfire and lead to defaults, Mint said in a separate report, citing bankers.

In the brutal fallout of Hindenburg's report, investors dumped Adani shares, while the group's flagship company, Adani Enterprises, was forced to abandon a $2.5 billion share sale last week. Meanwhile, Group Chairman Gautam Adani lost his title as Asia's richest person and slipped down the global rankings of the wealthy.

Shares of Adani Group companies have lost more than half their market value, topping a cumulative $110 billion, after U.S. short-seller Hindenburg Research last month raised questions about the group's debt levels and use of tax havens.

(Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu, Additional reporting by Lavanya Ahire and Siddharth Jindal in Bengaluru; editing by Jason Neely and Dhanya Ann Thoppil)
Fucci's original booking photo

Crimes like this just aren't supposed to happen in St. Johns County, or any part of the country for that matter: A 13-year-old girl suffers 114 stab wounds and a 14-year-old classmate is deemed responsible.

On Monday, Aiden Sean Fucci, now 16, is scheduled to go to trial charged as an adult with the first-degree murder of Tristyn Bailey.

She had been briefly reported missing on Mother's Day weekend in 2021 and last seen walking with Fucci in their Durbin Creek neighborhood shortly after 1 a.m. on May 9, the Sheriff's Office said. A neighbor would later find the Patriot Oaks Academy cheerleader's body about 6 p.m. in a wooded area that day.

Connor Pridgen and Charles Southern: Pair convicted in classmate Makia Coney's murder forgo chances for lighter sentences

Before Aiden Fucci: These juveniles were charged as adults in high-profile Jacksonville-area cases

Aiden Fucci case: What we know about the death of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey

Tristyn Bailey at about age 13.

When is the trial of Aiden Fucci?

Jury selection begins Feb. 6 in the St. Johns County Courthouse. It's expected to last most of the week.

What criminal charges does Aiden Fucci face at trial?

He was indicted on a first-degree murder count, premeditated and charged as an adult.

If convicted on the charges, what possible sentence does Aiden Fucci face?

Although he was charged as an adult with first-degree murder, due to being a juvenile he is not eligible for the death penalty if found guilty. He does face 40 years to life in prison. After serving 25 years of a life term, the judge can review the possibility of a lighter sentence, according to Florida law.

Tristyn Bailey killing: Aiden Fucci mumbles, is unresponsive in latest court hearing

How many jurors will Aiden Fucci's trial have?

The judge granted a State Attorney's Office motion for a six-person jury instead of the 12 required for capital cases. Six people make up the jury for other criminal cases. The state had argued that due to Fucci being 14 at the time, it is not a capital case.

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Was a change of venue considered?

The defense filed for a new location for the trial due to the immense publicity but was denied. The judge advised the matter will be revisited if it becomes clear during jury selection that they cannot impanel an impartial jury.

Who are the attorneys and judge in Aiden Fucci's trial?

The prosecutors are led by Jennifer Lynne Dunton and Kristin DePaula, while the main defense attorney is Rosemarie Wright Peoples. The judge is R. Lee Smith.

Teen killing and suspect: Family of Tristyn Bailey releases statement after 14-year-old charged with first-degree murder

What happened to Tristyn Bailey?

In Fucci's arrest report, he confirmed being with his Patriot Oaks Academy classmate at a mutual friends house and leaving with her about 1:10 a.m. on May 9, 2021. He said they got into an argument and he pushed her to the ground, striking her head. He said he walked around awhile until getting to his Castledale Court home about 3:30 a.m.

Security video showed the two walking from the Durbin Amenity Center on North Durbin Parkway about 1:15 a.m. At 1:45 a.m. they also were seen walking on Saddlestone Drive, but only him again at 3:30 a.m. on the same street and heading the opposite direction and carrying his shoes. When interviewed, he said he took them off because his feet hurt.

Bailey's body was found toward the end of a retention pond not far from Saddlestone or Fuccis home. The medical examiner said Bailey had 114 stab wounds, 49 that were deemed defensive.

Memorial: Tristyn Bailey remembered as someone who brought 'life to everyone around her'

Evidence against Aiden Fucci: Knife at crime scene linked to blade fragment in Tristyn Bailey killing, report shows

A 2021 memorial of flowers, stuffed animals and other mementos marks the site of one of the last places Tristyn Bailey was seen near a community rec center in Durbin Crossing.

Why would Aiden Fucci kill Tristyn Bailey?

Investigators later learned Fucci told friends he was going to kill someone by taking them into the woods and stabbing them. It is unclear why Bailey was that someone, if she rejected him or what their argument was about.

In recently released interviews to First Coast News, his girlfriend said he always carried a knife with him  he had two nicknamed "Picker" and "Poker"  when out of school and talked about killing people and even her. He would come up from behind her and pretend to slit her throat. But she said she never took it seriously. She also said he claimed to hear voices in his head when he was angry.

Aiden Fucci, now 16, attends a final pre-trial hearing on Feb. 1 before his first-degree murder trial in the 2021 death of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey in St. Johns County.

What evidence is there against Aiden Fucci and who might testify?

Fucci's buck knife was found in a nearby pond and the broken-off tip in Bailey's skull, the Sheriff's Office said. Court records also list security video, DNA, clothing, receipts for two knives, cellphone records and emails, Snapchats, recorded phone calls and texts from jail and interviews with friends, family, teachers and fellow inmates while being detained in jail. Many of the latter likely will testify along with forensic investigators, detectives and Florida Department of Law Enforcement analysts. It is unclear if Fucci will be called to the stand.

Evidence in the arrest of Aiden Fucci in the 2021 death of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey includes this knife.

What incidents have Aiden Fucci been involved in while in jail?

Sheriff's Office incident reports document multiple instances of Fucci being involved in fights, having contraband, bullying inmates out of their commissary items, threatening them and being combative with guards and making threats against them. He has had to be pepper sprayed and restrained on more than one occasion. An inmate also said Fucci asserted that he was "real" because he stabbed a girl face to face, unlike others who resorted to shooting someone.

What is known about Aiden Fucci's parents?

On June 5, 2021, his mother Crystal Lane Smith, now 37, was charged with tampering with evidence after home security video showed her scrubbing blood out of her son's jeans the day Bailey was killed. She is awaiting trial.

Court records show his father, 38-year-old Jason Michael Fucci, was charged with battery in 2016 when he assaulted a man at a gas station after he nearly bumped his son with his car. It's unclear if that was Aiden, but the father was sentenced to six months probation and anger management.

In 2003 at age 19 he also was charged with lewd or lascivious battery and child abuse for having consensual sex with a 15-year-old girl. Court records show he was sentenced to two years probation but then 14 months in prison for violating the terms. That same year a repeat violence injunction involving a uniform child custody jurisdiction and enforcement act was filed against him. Those records were not available.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Aiden Fucci: Florida teen on trial in stabbing death of Tristyn Bailey
TRIPOLI, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Several members of the Libyan House of Representatives, or the parliament, on Saturday expressed concern about the country's current political stalemate.

The members made their remarks in a meeting with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily, during which they shared their perspectives on ways to push forward the country's political process.

"Several in the group voiced concern about the political stalemate and its implications for Libya's stability and security. They also expressed their desire to unify Libyan institutions as a prerequisite to breaking the political impasse," the UN Envoy tweeted.

Bathily welcomed their commitment to Libya and finding a way forward, and expressed hope that they continue to be vocal about their convictions in the interest of the country and its people.

"I stressed the need for all leaders to meet the expectations of the 2.8 million Libyans who registered to vote and the need for the HCS (High Council of State) and HoR (House of Representatives) to positively and constructively engage to reach a constitutional basis for elections as soon as possible," Bathily said.

Libya failed to hold general elections in December 2021 as previously scheduled due to disagreements over election laws among the Libyan parties.

Earlier in January, the Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah said his government is ready to hold general elections in 2023.

Ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid escalating violence and political division. 
Ukrainian servicemen have left for training after France and Italy approved to deliver Italian-French SAMP-T air defense systems, also known as Mamba, to Ukraine, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of Ukraines Air Force, said.

Training on the medium-range air defense systems is expected to be completed in spring, when the new Ukrainian operators "will return to Ukraine with the knowledge, skills, and the Mamba systems themselves, Oleshchuk said.

According to CNN, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his country must fix some technical issues before sending air defense systems to Ukraine.

Italy operates six SAMP-T systems, including one for training.
RacingOne - Getty Images

In June 1954, Bill France took his NASCAR flagship series to Linden, N.J., where a 50-lap race was scheduled on a makeshift track at the Linden airport.

In a true rarity, the race was won by a foreign-built car, as Al Keller took the checkered flag in a Jaguar XK120.

The Jag was one of 21 foreign cars in the 43-car field as organizers tried to add an international flavor to a race called the International 100.

By 1954, NASCAR had established its lead series, Grand National, with a busy schedule stretching from February to October and from Florida to the Northeast and across the country to California.

But NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. wasnt satisfied.

France continued to push into new territories. In June 1954, he took his flagship series to Linden, N.J., where a 50-lap race was scheduled on a makeshift track at the Linden airport. It wouldnt be the first or the last time an airport site hosted an automobile race, but it was a breakthrough of sorts for France. For the first time in six seasons, his series would race on a road course, albeit an artificial one pieced together from airport runways.

RacingOne - Getty Images

And that wasnt the only thing historic about the day. In a true rarity, the race was won by a foreign-built car. Al Keller took the checkered flag in a Jaguar XK120. The Jag was one of 21 foreign cars in the 43-car field as organizers tried to add an international flavor to a race called the International 100.

Although foreign makes have been sprinkled in some Cup Series fields, it was 2007 before Toyota made the big foreign-car breakthrough, joining NASCARs top series with a full-blown effort. NASCAR had built its platform on competition matching American-made sedans, and Toyotas arrival sparked significant backlash, particularly among the more traditionalist wing of the fan base.

There is no evidence there were big protests in Linden, N.Y. when 43 drivers took the green flag in search of a $1,000 first-place prize. Keller and his Jaguar werent alone in the foreign group. Also entered were Austin Healey, MG, Porsche and a lone Morgan.

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Keller had raced sporadically in NASCAR. Earlier that season, he scored the only other Cup victory of his career, winning on the half-mile dirt at Savannah, Ga. On that race day he drove a Hudson Hornet.

RacingOne - Getty Images

Keller had significant competition from two of the NASCAR stars of the 1950s. He took the lead with 28 laps remaining and led the rest of the way after NASCAR regulars Herb Thomas, who had won the series title the year before, and Buck Baker, who would be the champion in 1956 and 1957, swapped the lead over the first half of the race.

Keller crossed the finish line first in front of Joe Eubanks, the only other driver on the lead lap. Eubanks drove a Hudson.

The Linden road-course experiment didnt bear fruit. The 1954 race, the 18th of that season, was the only Cup event held there.

It was a brief moment in the NASCAR sun for Keller, a native of Buffalo, N.Y. who soon would veer away from stock cars and concentrate on IndyCar racing. He died after a crash in an Indy car race at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in 1961.
The city of Albany, the capital of the US state of New York, has offered to partner with Ukraines Bucha to support its rebuilding efforts.

Source: Anatolii Fedoruk, Bucha Mayor, during a visit to the US, as cited in Ukrinform

Quote from Fedoruk: "We are planning to visit Albany in the state of New York, Buchas future partner city. Albanys Mayors Office proposed an initiative to partner with our city."

"Our main goal here is to tell the people in the US what is happening in Ukraine, to establish direct contacts with politicians and foundations that are supporting our rebuilding efforts."

Details: Fedoruk said that a group of Bucha City Council officials are in the US with a six-day work visit.

He explained that it was "important to rebuild what has been destroyed, but even more important to modernise and become stronger than we were on 24 February" [2022, when the full-scale Russian invasion began  ed.].

Bucha Mayor said that he and his team have meetings with high-level officials in Washington, including the leadership of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), congressmen, government officials, party leaders, journalists, and businessmen.

"Democrats and Republicans are united in their support for Ukraine, both to ensure that Ukraine wins the war now, and in the future," Fedoruk said.

The mayor said that the worlds attention has been focused on Bucha since the atrocities Russian forces committed there in spring 2022: "We have even had to take on a diplomatic role, welcoming foreign politicians and delegations."

Fedoruk also said that he took part in a USAID meeting in Washington during which the decision to allocate US$135 million previously designated for The US Russia Investment Fund (TUSRIF) to Ukraine and Moldova has been approved.

"This money was to be used to promote democracy in the Russian Federation and support Russian municipalities, but in light of the current circumstances the government made a decision to allocate it to Ukraine and Moldova," Fedoruk explained, stressing that Bucha residents will have a say in deciding which projects to fund with this money.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Though others have interviewed ChatGPT, I had some anxiety-riddled questions of my own: Will you take my job? Are you sentient? Is the singularity upon us?

These questions are half facetious, half serious. If you've been hidden away and somehow missed the ruckus, here's what all the commotion's about: In November, conversational AI tool ChatGPT took the world by storm, crossing one million users a mere five days after its release, according to its developer, San Francisco's OpenAI. If you are still one of those who think this is all hype, take it up with Microsoft (MSFT). The tech giant announced on Jan. 23 it would invest $10 billion in ChatGPT and its maker OpenAI, a follow-up to the tech giants previous $1 billion investment.

To find out how good ChatGPT really is  and if I'll have a job by this time next year  I decided to give it a test drive, attempting to get as close as possible to interviewing it in the way I would any other source. I asked it some questions and made a few requests, from how many jobs it might replace to testing out its songwriting chops.

My first question was simple, more of a "get to know you," the way I would start just about any interview. Immediately, the talk was unconventional, as ChatGPT made it very clear that its incapable of being either on- or off-the-record.

Then, we cut to the-chase in terms of the bot's capabilities  and my future. Is ChatGPT taking my job someday? ChatGPT claims humans have little to worry about, but I'm not so sure.

You might want to be a little skeptical about that response, said Stanford University Professor Johannes Eichstaedt. "What you're getting here is the party line." ChatGPT has been programmed to offer up answers that assuage our fears over AI replacing us, but right now there's nothing it can say to change the fact our fear and fascination are walking hand-in-hand." He added: "The fascination [with ChatGPT] is linked to an undercurrent of fear, since this is happening as the cards in the economy are being reshuffled right now.

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Even now, ChatGPTs practical applications are already emerging, and the chatbot's already being used by app developers and real estate agents.

"Generative AI, I'm telling you, is going to be one of the most impactful technologies of the next decade, said Berkeley Synthetic CEO Matt White. There will be implications for call center jobs, knowledge jobs, and entry-level jobs especially.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 03: In this photo illustration, the home page for the OpenAI "ChatGPT" app is displayed on a laptop screen on February 03, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

'Confidently inaccurate'

ChatGPT says it's merely enhancing human tasks, but what are its limitations? There are many, the bot said.

Okay, there are all sorts of things ChatGPT cant do terribly well. Songwriting, for one, isn't ChatGPTs strength  thats how I got my first full-fledged error message, when it failed to generate lyrics for a song that might have been written by now-defunct punk band The Clash.

Though other ChatGPT users have been more successful on this front, it's pretty clear the chatbot isn't a punk-rock legend in the making. It's also a limitation that's easily visible to the naked eye. However, there are tasks in which ChatGPT is more likely to successfully imitate a humans work  for example, write an essay about how supply and demand works." This problems compounded by the fact that ChatGPT can be confidently inaccurate in ways that can smoothly perpetuate factual inaccuracies or bias, said EY Chief Global Innovation Officer Jeff Wong.

If you ask it to name athletes, its more likely to name a man, Wong said. If you ask it to tell you a love story, itll give you one thats heteronormative in all likelihood. The biases that are embedded in a dataset thats based on human history  how do we be responsible about that?

So, it was natural to ask ChatGPT about ethics. Here's what it said:

I asked Navrina Singh, CEO of Credo AI, to analyze ChatGPTs answer on this one. Singh said ChatGPT did well, but missed a key issue  AI governance, which she said is the "the practical application of our collective wisdom" and helps ensure this technology is a tool that is in service to humanity.

This image was created with the assistance of DALLE 2, January 2023.

How human can you make it?

ChatGPTs default responses can sound robotic, like theyre written by a machine  which, well, they are. However, with the right cues you can condition ChatGPT to provide answers that are funny, soulful, or outlandish. In that sense, the possibilities are limitless.

You need to give ChatGPT directives about personality, said EY's Wong. Unless you ask it to have personality, it will give you a basic structure... So, the real question is, How human can you make it?

"This is a perfectly anthropomorphizing technology, I think because it engages us through the appearance of dialogue with a conversational output, creating the illusion that you're engaging with a mind, said Lori Witzel, director of thought leadership at TIBCO. In some ways the experience is reminiscent of fortune-telling devices or ouija boards, things that generate a sense of conversation through the facade of a dialogue."

"There are responses that make you feel like you're getting close to the Turing Test, Wong added, referencing mathematician Alan Turings famed test of a machines ability to exhibit human behavior.

However, by ChatGPT's own admission, "passing the Turing Test would require much more" than what it has to give:

The problem of other minds

We're often inclined to think about sentience when it comes to AI. In ChatGPTs case, were still incredibly far off, said University of Toronto Professor Karina Vold. In a broad sense, sentience means having the capacity to feel, she said. For philosophers like me, what it would mean is that ChatGPT can feel and I think there's a lot of reluctance of philosophers to ascribe anything remotely like sentience to ChatGPT  or any existing AI.

What does ChatGPT think? Here's what it told Yahoo Finance.

So, AI achieving sentience isn't on the table. At a certain point, why bother to ask? From Vold's perspective, it's simple  ChatGPT says it doesn't feel, but it's easy to fixate because we can never be truly sure. This "problem of other minds" applies to how humans interact, too  we can never really know for sure what others around us feel, or if they do at all.

This reflects our view of minds in general  that outward behavior doesnt reflect whats necessarily going on in that system, Vold added. [ChatGPT] may appear to be sentient or empathetic or creative, but thats us making unwarranted assumptions about how the system works, assuming theres something we cant see.

It can only be attributable to human error

For many, ChatGPT conjures up images of sci-fi nightmare movies. It might even bring back memories of Stanley Kubricks legendary 1968 film, "2001: A Space Odyssey." For those not familiar with it, the movie's star, supercomputer HAL 9000, kills most of the humans on the spaceship it's operating. Its alibi and defense? HAL says that its conduct "can only be attributable to human error.

So, a scary question for ChatGPT:

Okay, so it's more advanced than HAL, got it. Not exactly reassuring, but the bottom line is this: Does ChatGPT open up a window into a different, possibly scary future? More importantly, is ChatGPT out to destroy us?

Officially no, but if ChatGPT is ever responsible for a sci-fi nightmare, it will be because we taught it all it knows, including the stories that haunt us, from "2001" to Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein." In sci-fi movies, when computers become villains, it's because they're defying their programming, but that's not how computers learn  in our world, AI follows its programming, faithfully.

If you take HAL 9000 at his word  and in this case, I do  the worst of what ChatGPT could do can only be attributable to human error.

I gave the last word to ChatGPT, speaking neither on- nor off-the-record.

Allie Garfinkle is a Senior Tech Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @agarfinks and on LinkedIn.

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By Ryan Woo and Greg Torode

BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) -China may respond to the U.S. shooting down its suspected spy balloon after warning of "serious repercussions", but analysts say any move will likely be finely calibrated to keep from worsening ties that both sides have been seeking to repair.

Regional analysts and diplomats are closely watching China's response after a U.S. fighter jet shot down the balloon - which Beijing says was an errant weather-monitoring craft - in the Atlantic off South Carolina on Saturday.

China on Sunday condemned the attack as an "over-reaction", saying it reserved the right to use the necessary means to deal with "similar situations", without elaborating.

Some analysts said they will be scrutinising the seas and skies of East Asia for signs of tension, given growing deployments of ships and aircraft from China and from the United States and its allies.

But while bilateral tension has risen in the past few days over the balloon incident, Beijing and Washington have been seeking to improve ties.

The discovery of the balloon in the upper atmosphere above North America prompted the United States to postpone a visit to Beijing this week by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. That trip had resulted from a November summit between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.

Both sides are widely seen as keen to stabilise relations after a turbulent few years, with the Biden administration leery of tensions descending into conflict and Xi eyeing a recovery for the world's second-largest economy after a severe COVID-19 slump.

The path of rebuilding U.S.-China relations likely remains on track, said Zhao Tong, a senior fellow at the China office of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a visiting researcher at Princeton University.

"The two sides still have a shared strong interest in stabilising and responsibly managing the bilateral relationship," Zhao told Reuters.

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SWEEP UNDER RUG

Collin Koh, a security fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, predicted China would continue to respond vigorously to U.S. military reconnaissance patrols but stop short of confrontation.

Even in calmer moments, Chinese forces actively shadow U.S. military patrols, particularly at sea, amid tensions over Taiwan and the disputed South China Sea, say regional military attaches.

"Against manned platforms we might expect China to exercise restraint, but against unmanned ones it becomes more uncertain - especially if Beijing believes that it's possible to contain fallout since it involves no crew," Koh said.

He noted China's seizure of a U.S. underwater glider deployed by an oceanographic research ship off the Philippines in December 2016. The Chinese navy later returned it to a U.S. warship.

Christopher Twomey, a security scholar at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in California, said any Chinese response would be limited.

"I'd expect they'd protest moderately but hope to sweep this under the rug and reinstate progress on senior-level visits within months," Twomey said, speaking in a private capacity.

Zhu Feng, executive dean of the School of International Studies at Nanjing University, said U.S. officials should stop "hyping" events to ensure a smooth return to the normalised communications they earlier requested from Beijing.

Zhu expressed hope "the two governments can turn the page as soon as possible so that Sino-U.S. relations can return to an institutionalised channel of communication and dialogue".

Some analysts are watching Chinese state media and online activity for hints at any clamour for a tougher response, as China's mainstream state media have stuck to reporting official statements.

On China's heavily censored social media, there was little evidence that nationalistic anger was being stirred up over the incident, with many netizens asking what the fuss was over one balloon.

"Now, China can retire its satellites!," one user joked.

(Reporting By Ryan Woo in Beijing and Greg Torode in Hong Kong; Editing by William Mallard)
Another two children illegally deported to Russia have been brought back to Ukraine; their older sister is taking care of them now.

Source: Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporary Occupied Territories

Quote: "The 13-and 15-year old girls were brought home by their older sister. The family is currently in Volyn Oblast.

Two younger sisters, together with their mother, were deported from Luhansk Oblast to the Russian city of Ryazan. In Russia, the mother died, and the children ended up in an orphanage.

Their older sister, who managed to evacuate with her family to Volyn Oblast, appealed to the Ministry for Reintegration. All of them completed the procedure from the registration of guardianship over the girls to their return to the Motherland."

Details: The ministry added that the work on bringing the girls back lasted about 1.5 months.

Background: Recently, it was possible to bring back to Ukraine 16 children aged 7 to 16 from Kherson Oblast; the occupiers deported them to Russia and the occupied Crimea, allegedly to "recreation" camps.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Anti-TikTok pressure is mounting in Congress from both sides of the aisle, with lawmakers proposing legal measures to ban the popular video sharing app from use in the U.S. to requests for dominant app stores to drop it.

The push is largely based on concerns that the app, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, poses national security and privacy risks based on the data TikTok is able to collect on users activity on their devices both on and off the app.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) introduced a bill last week that would ban TikTok in the U.S. It is the first of its kind to be introduced this Congress, following a similar proposal led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) last year.

The big problem with TikTok is that it is a backdoor for the Chinese Communist Party into the personal data and the personal lives of every American who uses it, that includes especially our kids, Hawley told The Hill.

Security experts have expressed similar concerns about the app.

Brandon Pugh, policy director of the cybersecurity and emerging threats team at the R Street Institute, said the app presents a privacy concern and a security threat in terms of how the data collected can be leveraged or exploited against Americans, particularly those in sensitive positions or our most vulnerable populations like children.

As a general principle, China has a history of amassing large amounts of data on their own citizens and those around the world, including Americans, Pugh said.

This data can reveal sensitive parts of our daily lives, including health and location information, he added.

Democrats shared some of these concerns, but caution that a singular focus on TikTok may miss broader issues posed by apps run by foreign adversaries and the data collected by social media apps as a whole.

Hawley and Bucks legislation would direct the president, by use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, to block and prohibit transactions with TikToks parent company ByteDance, with penalties for entities that attempt to evade the sanctions.

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It would also require the director of national intelligence to submit a report and brief Congress on what the lawmakers characterized as TikToks threats to national security. It said TikTok could allow China to access U.S. user data and use it for intelligence or military purposes, including surveillance, microtargeting, deepfakes, or blackmail.

Hawley said he is concerned that China is vociferously attempting to gather information on as many Americans as possible to build data files and use it to feed their algorithms and who knows what else.

Frankly, I dont care to find out. I would prefer that we deny them access to Americans data. And I want to say, particularly  as the father of three children, I particularly despise the idea that China would be able to build files on our kids beginning at a young age by tracking them all around the internet, he said.

TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said TikToks policy clearly states [that] we collect keystroke patterns or rhythms. This is not the same as collecting the content of keystrokes. That data is used to help TikTok detect spam and bots, and to assist with debugging, troubleshooting, and monitoring for proper performance, she said.

We understand that there are concerns about TikTok. That is [why] we have been working with [The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States] CFIUS for over two years on a plan to address those concerns in the U.S., Oberwetter said in an email.

President Biden ordered CFIUS to review TikTok in June 2021, after withdrawing executive orders issued under former President Trump to ban new downloads of the app in the U.S. Few details have emerged about the administrations review.

We hope that legislators who want to see these concerns addressed will encourage the Administration to conclude its national security review of TikTok so we can continue to implement this solution and provide peace of mind to our community and our stakeholders, Oberwetter said.

In addition to the ongoing CFIUS review, TikTok briefed members of the media this week on a plan TikTok dubbed Project Texas that relies on software from Austin-based company Oracle.

TikTok officials said all U.S. user traffic is routed through Oracles servers, NPR reported. TikTok first started its relationship with Oracle to manage data under the Trump administration, when the former president made his own push to put TikTok out of operation in the U.S.

Oracle engineers will be able to inspect TikToks source code, including the algorithm that drives what videos are served to users, and a third-party monitor will inspect TikToks data and algorithm in case Oracle misses anything, according to NPR.

This is the second time Hawley has introduced legislation to ban TikTok. His previous bill to prohibit the use of the app on government devices was successfully added into a government funding package at the end of last year and signed into law by President Biden.

Separately, a number of states, including Texas, Maryland, New Jersey and Ohio, have banned the app from government devices.

Hawleys latest proposal faces a tough road  especially in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Democratic lawmakers broadly are seeking more measured steps than Hawleys proposed ban.

Earlier this week, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) asked the chief executive officers of Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, warning its vast influence and aggressive data collection pose a specific threat. Spokespeople for Apple and Google did not respond to requests for comment.

Bennet said that TikToks parent company, ByteDance, is compelled by Chinese law to comply with requests from the government for access to data from such apps, which could potentially allow the Chinese government to access and collect information on American citizens.

Oberwetter said Bennets letter relies almost exclusively on misleading reporting about TikTok, the data we collect, and our data security controls and ignores the considerable investment made with Project Texas.

In the long run, Bennet told The Hill he thinks Congress should address concerns posed by TikTok by way of adopting his proposal to create a Federal Digital Platform Commission tasked with oversight over digital platforms.

I dont think we should be doing this on a one-off basis if we can avoid it. We need a coherent and comprehensive approach; thats the way to get to that clear and comprehensive approach, he said.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner (D-Va.) raised similar issues as Hawley about TikToks data collection and the possibility of TikTok being used as a potential propaganda tool. Warner said the apps data collection is not dissimilar to some of the collection of American companies, but his concerns are amplified by supposed ties to China.

If suddenly, Im not saying this is happening today, but a decision is made that [TikTok is] not going to show videos  that doesnt do anything other than reinforce that Taiwan should be part of the [Peoples Republic of China] forever, that would be a national security concern, he said.

Cyrus Walker, the founder and managing principal at cybersecurity firm Data Defenders, raised similar concerns. He said the Chinese government could use the app to influence American users to think a certain way about a particular topic or policy.

He explained that since TikTok is owned by a Chinese-based company, its possible that the government could use the app to spread disinformation or share videos that amplify negative views towards the U.S. or undermine American values.

Its a concern about how the application itself could be used as a strategic tool of Chinas effort to influence American sentiment across various spectrums of society and the economy, Walker said.

For instance, he said the Chinese government could use specific algorithms on TikTok to increase the number of views of a video, hence allowing more users to see it.

The algorithm could be manipulated to elevate the exposure of the video across the platform more than it normally would have gotten in its general state, he added.

Rather than a TikTok ban, Warner is planning to introduce a proposal that would establish a comprehensive and risk-based process to review foreign-owned technology services that pose national security risks. In addition to TikTok, the proposal could target reviews of technology like the Russian-based Kaspersky antivirus software, a Warner spokesperson said.

Walker also said he wouldnt oppose a nationwide ban of the app, especially if the company does not completely divest itself from Chinese ownership and become a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary or entity.

I wouldnt have any issue with an all-out ban simply because of the truly controlling entity behind it that will then have the capability to access our lives, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Students at a New York middle school were served chicken and waffles with watermelon on February 1 (not pictured). 400tmax/Getty Images

New York students were served chicken, waffles, and watermelon on the first day of Black History Month.

The school apologized for the "unfortunate situation" but blamed the food vendor Aramark.

Aramark issued an apology and acknowledged that the lunch's "timing was inappropriate."

Students at a New York middle school were served chicken and waffles with a side of watermelon on the first day of Black History Month, prompting the school and food vendor Aramark to apologize.

The school lunch in question was served to students at Nyack Middle School on February 1, a decision that upset some students and parents. As Insider's Angelica Cheyenne reported, foods like watermelon have often been rolled into stereotypes against Black Americans.

"They were asking people if they want watermelon and I remember being confused because it's not in season," Honore Santiago, a student at Nyack Middle School, told WABC.

She added: "Didn't think the company was capable of making us feel bad...especially the kids my color."

One student told WABC that the lunch was upsetting. Mint Images/Getty Images

Principal David Johnson called the contested school lunch an "unfortunate situation" in a statement to WABC, but ultimately blamed Aramark. Aramark works with schools to organize school menus and provide lunch.

"The offering of chicken & waffles as an entree with watermelon as a dessert on the first day of Black History Month was inexcusably insensitive and reflected a lack of understanding of our district's vision to address racial bias," Johnson told the outlet.

Johnson added that the administration contacted Aramark to discuss initiatives to prevent a similar situation from cropping up again.

"We are extremely disappointed by this regrettable situation and apologize to the entire Nyack community for the cultural insensitivity displayed by our food service provider," Johnson told WABC.

A photo of Nyack Middle School from Google Maps. Google Maps

Aramark also released a statement to WABC that the chicken, waffle, and watermelon were not meant to be "a cultural meal."

"We apologize for the unintentional insensitivity shown on February 1, the first day of Black History Month. While our menu was not intended as a cultural meal, we acknowledge that the timing was inappropriate, and our team should have been more thoughtful in its service," a statement from Aramrak read.

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The statement continued that serving the school lunch on the first day of Black History Month was a "mistake," adding that Aramark will partner with the district to provide school employees with "training that aligns to the Nyack School District's vision and commitment to equity-driven work."

"This was a mistake and does not represent the values of our company, and we are committed to doing better in the future," the statement read. "We believe this will provide a good learning opportunity to deepen understanding on the impact of systemic biases and negative stereotypes concerning the African-American Community."

Aramark's Instagram account soon became swarmed with disgruntled social media users, with some people calling out the company in the comment section of its most recent post.

Representatives for Aramark did not immediately reply to Insider's request for comment.

This is not the first time Aramark has faced backlash over its lunch menus.

The New York Post reported in April 2019 that New York University cut ties with Aramark after it served ribs, collard greens, and Kool-aid during Black History Month in 2018.

Other institutions have apologized for similar menu fails, including The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, which served a "Juneteenth Watermelon Salad" in June 2022.

Read the original article on Insider
Executives dont normally encourage more regulation of their industries. But ChatGPT and its ilk are so powerfuland their impact on society will be so profoundthat regulators need to get involved now.

Thats according Mira Murati, chief technology officer at OpenAI, the venture behind ChatGPT.

Were a small group of people and we need a ton more input in this system and a lot more input that goes beyond the technologiesdefinitely regulators and governments and everyone else, Murati said in a Time interview published Sunday.

ChatGPT is an example of generative A.I., which refers to tools that can, among other things, deliver answers, images, or even music within seconds based on simple text prompts. But ChatGPT will also be used for A.I.-infused cyberattacks, researchers at Blackberry warned this week.

To offer such tools, A.I. ventures need the cloud computing resources that only a handful of tech giants can provide, so they are striking lucrative partnerships with the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Aside from raising antitrust concerns, such arrangements make it more likely generative A.I. tools will reach large audiences quicklyperhaps faster than society is ready for.

'Trepidation' about ChatGPT release

We werent anticipating this level of excitement from putting our child in the world, Murati told Time, referring to ChatGPT. We, in fact, even had some trepidation about putting it out there.

Yet since its release in late November, ChatGPT has reached 100 million monthly active users faster than either TikTok or Instagram, UBS analysts noted this week. In 20 years following the internet space, we cannot recall a faster ramp in a consumer internet app, they added.

Meanwhile Google, under pressure from Microsoft's tie-up with OpenAI, is accelerating its efforts to get more such A.I. tools to consumers. On Friday, Google announced a $300 million investment in Anthropic, which has developed a ChatGPT rival named Claude.

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Anthropic, in turn, was launched largely by former OpenAI employees worried about business interests overtaking A.I safety concerns at the ChatGPT developer.

Artificial intelligence can be misused, or it can be used by bad actors, Murati told Time. So, then there are questions about how you govern the use of this technology globally. How do you govern the use of A.I. in a way thats aligned with human values?

'Dangerously strong A.I.'

Elon Musk helped start OpenAI in 2015 as a nonprofit, which it no longer is. The Tesla CEO has warned about the threat that advanced A.I. poses to humanity, and in December he called ChatGPT scary good, adding, We are not far from dangerously strong AI. He tweeted in 2020 that his confidence in OpenAIs safety was not high, noting that it started as open-source and nonprofit and that neither are still true.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently said, A.I. is going to be debated as the hottest topic of 2023. And you know what? Thats appropriate. This is every bit as important as the PC, as the internet.

Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban said last month, Just imagine what GPT 10 is going to look like. He added that generative A.I. is the real deal but we are just in its infancy.

Asked if its too early for regulators to get involved, Murati told Time, Its not too early. Its very important for everyone to start getting involved, given the impact these technologies are going to have.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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View of Bahmut

The M03 and the H32  the two main roads into the city for Ukrainian defenders  are likely now both threatened by direct fire, following the Russian advances, the report said.

Read also: Ukraine has no plans to cede Bakhmut, Zelenskyy says

The UK intelligence suggests that the Wagner Groups paramilitary forces highly likely seized a subordinate route which links Bakhmut to the town of Siversk.

While multiple alternative cross-country supply routes remain available to Ukrainian forces, Bakhmut is becoming increasingly isolated.

According to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, during the week, the Russian invaders threw all their forces to break through the defenses and achieve the encirclement of Bakhmut, a key town in the defense of Donetsk Oblast.

Read also: NATO chief says situation near Soledar and Bakhmut shows Ukraine needs more help

The invading Russian forces have also launched a powerful offensive in the Lyman direction.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Barstow PD on Feb. 3 arrested Troy Tammel Jones, 34, on suspicions of criminal threats and possessing six untraceable "ghost guns" as a felon along with gun-making tools.

A 34-year-old Barstow man is in jail on suspicion of making criminal threats, violating a protective order and allegedly possessing six untraceable "ghost guns." He is also accused of trying to break into the home of his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her.

Barstow Police Department arrested Troy Tammel Jones shortly after 3 a.m. Friday and booked him at the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Barstow Station jail, where county booking records show he remained in custody on a total bail of $125,000 as of Sunday.

Jones' bail amount stemmed partly from a $75,000 toll for a pre-existing warrant on a charge of contempt of court for violating a protective order. The other $50,000 stemmed from suspected but not-yet filed charges of criminal threats meant to terrorize, firearm possession as a felon, prohibited ammo possession as a felon and manufacturing of short-barreled rifles, according to the booking records.

Barstow PD officers were called to a home on the 1300 block of Kelly Drive at 2:40 a.m. Friday after a 911 call from a female resident, on which Barstow Police Dispatch could hear a man "in the background threatening to kill the victim," according to a Facebook post by the department.

"Officers made contact with the victim and through investigation determined her ex-boyfriend, (Jones), came to her residence and attempted to force entry," the department stated. "During the incident, Jones threatened to kill the victim, who believed he would carry out the threat because he is known to carry firearms."

Jones left before police arrived, but officers found him nearby standing next to a white Toyota Corolla "he was associated with" in the parking lot of a Super 8 by Wyndham motel at 170 Coolwater Lane. They "observed two firearms in plain view" inside the Corolla and proceeded with a vehicle search.

"During the search officers located an AR-15 pistol, three short barreled AR-15 rifles, a standard AR-15 rifle, a loaded 9mm pistol, and several rounds of assorted ammunition," Barstow PD stated. "Officers also located a jig and tools for manufacturing weapons inside the vehicle."

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All six of the firearms were so-called "ghost guns," according to the department, which means the legally-required serial number of a gun has been scratched off or doesn't exist to effectively make it untraceable by authorities.

Officers found on a records check that Jones is a convicted felon, compounding the suspected charges he currently faces.

Jones was scheduled to appear in Victorville Superior Court at 12:30 p.m. Monday in relation to his existing charge of contempt of court for violating a protective order. He was then set to appear in the same court at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to face the suspected charges relating to his arrest Friday night, according to his booking records.

Charlie McGee covers Californias High Desert for the Daily Press, focusing on the city of Barstow and its surrounding communities. He is also a Report for America corps member with The GroundTruth Project, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of journalists in the U.S. and around the world. McGee may be reached at 760-955-5341 or cmcgee@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @bycharliemcgee.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Barstow man booked for allegedly having 'ghost guns,' making threats
VALLETTA (Reuters) - Helping to arm Ukraine so it can defend itself against Russia is the swiftest path to achieving peace, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in an article published on Sunday.

Cleverly was writing in a Maltese newspaper ahead of a visit on Tuesday to the Mediterranean island, which assumed the presidency of the U.N. Security Council at the start of February.

"Like all authoritarian rulers, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin responds only to strength in his opponents," Cleverly wrote in the Times of Malta.

He added that he was delighted that Germany and the United States had joined Britain in agreeing to send tanks to Ukraine.

"Giving the Ukrainians the tools they need to finish the job is the swiftest -- indeed the only - path to peace," he wrote.

The war in Ukraine is expected to dominate the talks between Britain and Malta, a European Union member.

The island has sought to help Ukraine by enforcing EU sanctions and providing humanitarian assistance including medicines and power generators. A small number of Ukrainian soldiers are also being treated in Maltese hospitals.

Other subjects likely to come up during Cleverly's visit include Britain's relations with the EU, relations with North African countries, particularly Libya, and migration.

Britain and Malta, a former British colony, have traditionally enjoyed close ties, with the British assisting Malta in areas such as the training of military officers, the provision of specialised healthcare, and education. Britain is the biggest source of tourism to Malta and one of its major trading partners.

However, the CEO of the Malta Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises said last week that Brexit had been "a horrendous experience for Maltese businesses".

"As a result of Brexit, the ways of doing business had to change, and even for UK brands in Malta, things are not as comfortable as they used to be," Abigail Mamo told local media.

(Reporting by Christopher Scicluna; Editing by Keith Weir and Frances Kerry)
Bendable concrete created at the University of Michigan allows for thinner structures with less need for steel reinforcement. Joseph Xu/University of Michigan College of Engineering

One of the big contributors to climate change is right beneath your feet, and transforming it could be a powerful solution for keeping greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere.

The production of cement, the binding element in concrete, accounted for 7% of total global carbon dioxide emissions in 2018. Concrete is one of the most-used resources on Earth, with an estimated 26 billion tons produced annually worldwide. That production isnt expected to slow down for at least two more decades.

Given the scale of the industry and its greenhouse gas emissions, technologies that can reinvent concrete could have profound impacts on climate change.

As engineers working on issues involving infrastructure and construction, we have been designing the next generation of concrete technology that can reduce infrastructures carbon footprint and increase durability. That includes CO2-infused concrete that locks up the greenhouse gas and can be stronger and even bendable.

The industry is ripe for dramatic change, particularly with the Biden administration promising to invest big in infrastructure projects and cut U.S. emissions at the same time. However, to put CO2 to work in concrete on a wide scale in a way that drastically cuts emissions, all of its related emissions must be taken into account.

Rethinking concrete

Concrete is made up of aggregate materials  primarily rocks and sand  along with cement and water.

Because about 80% of concretes carbon footprint comes from cement, researchers have been working to find substitute materials.

Industrial byproducts such as iron slag and coal fly ash are now frequently used to reduce the amount of cement needed. The resulting concrete can have significantly lower emissions because of that change. Alternative binders, such as limestone calcined clay, can also reduce cement use. One study found that using limestone and calcinated clay could reduce emissions by at least 20% while also cutting production costs.

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Apart from developing blended cements, researchers and companies are focusing on ways to use captured CO2 as an ingredient in the concrete itself, locking it away and preventing it from entering the atmosphere. CO2 can be added in the form of aggregates  or injected during mixing. Carbonation curing, also known as CO2 curing, can also be used after concrete has been cast.

These processes turn CO2 from a gas to a mineral, creating solid carbonates that may also improve the strength of concrete. That means structures may need less cement, reducing the amount of related emissions. Companies such as CarbonCure and Solidia have developed technologies to use these processes for concrete poured at construction sites and in precast concrete, such as cinder blocks and other construction materials.

Carbon dioxide can make up a significant percentage of concrete mass. Lucca Henrion/University of Michigan, CC BY-ND

MC681/Wikimedia Commons

At the University of Michigan, we are working on composites that produce a bendable concrete material that allows thinner, less brittle structures that require less steel reinforcement, further reducing related carbon emissions. The material can be engineered to maximize the amount of CO2 it can store by using smaller particles that readily react with CO2, turning it to mineral.

The CO2-based bendable concrete can be used for general buildings, water and energy infrastructure, as well as transportation infrastructure. Bendable concrete was used in the 61-story Kitahama tower in Osaka, Japan, and roadway bridge slabs in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The challenge of lifecycle emissions

These cutting-edge technologies can start addressing concrete infrastructures carbon footprint, but barriers still exist.

In a study published in 2021, three of us looked at the lifecycle emissions from infusing CO2 into concrete and found that estimates did not always account for emissions from CO2 capture, transportation and use. With colleagues, we came up with strategies for ensuring that carbon curing has a strong emissions benefit.

Overall, we recommend developing a standard CO2 curing protocol. Lab experiments show that CO2 curing can improve concretes strength and durability, but results vary with specific curing procedures and concrete mixes. Research can improve the conditions and the timing of steps in the curing process to increase concretes performance. Electricity use  the largest emissions source during curing  can also be reduced by streamlining the process and possibly by using waste heat.

Advanced concrete mixes, bendable concrete in particular, already begin to address these issues by increasing durability.

Merging infrastructure and climate policy

In 2020, a wide range of companies announced steps to reduce their emissions. However, government investment and procurement policies are still needed to transform the construction industry.

Local governments are taking the first steps. Low embodied carbon concrete rules and projects to reduce the amount of cement in concrete have cropped up around the country, including in Marin County, California; Hastings-on-Hudson, New York; and a sidewalk pilot in Portland, Oregon.

In New York and New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed state-level policies that would provide price discounts in the bidding process to proposals with the lowest emissions from concrete. These policies could serve as a blueprint for reducing carbon emissions from concrete production and other building materials.

A lot of North American infrastructure is in a state of disrepair. Achim Herring/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

Nationally, the crumbling of federally managed infrastructure has been a steadily growing crisis. The Biden administration has tried to address those problems, as well as climate change, and create jobs through a strategic infrastructure program.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg declared in 2021 that there were enormous opportunities for job creation, equity and climate achievement when it comes to advancing Americas infrastructure. Policies that elevate low-carbon concrete to a nationwide climate solution could follow.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Lucca Henrion, University of Michigan; Duo Zhang, University of Michigan; Victor C. Li, University of Michigan, and Volker Sick, University of Michigan

Read more:



Lucca Henrion works as a research fellow in the Global CO2 Initiative at the University of Michigan. He is a volunteer with the Open Air Collective.

Victor C. Li receives research funding from the Department of Energy (ARPA-E) and the Aramco Company. He is the James R. Rice Distinguished University Professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Professor Li directs the Center for Low Carbon Built Environment (CLCBE) at the University of Michigan.

Volker Sick receives funding from the US Department of Energy and the Global CO2 Initiative at the University of Michigan.

Duo Zhang does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
As a Chinese spy balloon drifted across the U.S., Joe Biden kept quiet for four agonizing days while the rest of Washington rushed to weigh in on the diplomatic crisis.

But on Saturday, after a fighter jet finally downed the orb over the Atlantic Ocean, Biden sought to make one thing clear: He was itching to pull the trigger.

I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday, as soon as possible, Biden said, delaying only after others raised safety concerns. I told them to shoot it down.

The single missile fired by an F-22 Raptor brought a swift end to an international incident that captured the countrys attention, and underscored the growing bipartisan consensus that when it comes to politics, it pays to be tough on China.

Republicans spent days assailing the White House over the balloon, filling the vacuum created by its deliberations with accusations that the administration had gone soft on a geopolitical foe. Democrats, alarmed by Chinas brazenness and under pressure to stake out their own hardline stance, had begun to join in on the calls for aggressive action.

And when Biden got the go-ahead on Saturday, he dispatched the balloon in an overwhelming show of force, sending several fighter jets after the spy craft as it floated out to sea.

The White House has since gone out of its way to emphasize that Biden had planned a violent end to the incursion from the beginning. Senior officials said the president ordered it shot down as early as Tuesday, shortly after learning it had entered American airspace. They noted that Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a scheduled trip to China. But even supportive voices wanted more.

Brett Bruen, director of global engagement under former President Barack Obama, said Biden should recall his ambassador to China Nicholas Burns for consultations and throw out the head of Chinese intelligence at their embassy in Washington. He added that he believes individual sanctions need to be imposed on those involved.

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I would recommend Biden get Xi [Jinping] on the line and read him the riot act, Bruen said. He should threaten that the next time an incident of this nature takes place we will release sensitive secrets that Beijing's leaders would rather not be exposed."

The hostile one-upmanship aimed at China over the intelligence-gathering balloon served as just the latest example that lawmakers across the political spectrum see a clear benefit in taking a hawkish stance toward the global power. Even as China remains a crucial trading and economic partner, Republicans and an increasing number of Democrats are positioning the country as a key political concern  and thus a domestic and geopolitical battering ram.

Over just the last couple of years, lawmakers have blamed Beijing for worsening the spread of Covid and exacerbating supply chain shortages. Senior officials in the Biden administration and on Capitol Hill have raised national security concerns tied to Chinese apps like TikTok, and hardened their rhetoric over the independence of Taiwan.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) made one of her final international pilgrimages as speaker to the island nation and current Speaker Kevin McCarthy has signaled that he too will visit there as a sign of solidarity against China.

The president himself has swept up competition with China into his broader rhetoric about an epic clash unfolding globally between democracies and autocracies.

And while the administration waited days before shooting down the balloon, it notably chose to publicize its existence and bring it down rather than keep the matter out of public view. A senior Defense Department official noted on Saturday that several similar balloons had been spotted during Donald Trumps administration with no public outcry.

Chinese officials condemned Bidens reaction to the surveillance balloon as excessive, and asserted that they retain the right to respond further. But domestically, Biden faced pushback for not moving more aggressively.



GOP leaders, including Trump, fanned fears over the potential intelligence risks while taking political shots at Biden.

"Biden is letting China walk all over us," tweeted former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who is on the verge announcing her 2024 presidential bid. "It's time to make America strong again."

Former Trump Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is also eyeing a presidential run, tweeted a video portraying him aiming his own gun at the balloon and boasting that he "took many shots at the CCP" during the Trump era.

Several Democrats took a similarly hard line against the violation of U.S. airspace, demanding decisive action even as most defended the White House for its prudence in waiting to down the balloon so that the falling debris did not hurt people on the ground.

"We have a real problem with China on a number of issues, from their human rights violations to their violations of international business law, to even the challenges we've had with them on overt spying," Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation." "I'm grateful that the military took decisive action when they did and how they did, but we obviously have issues here."

Biden, meanwhile, has appeared to relish the opportunity to talk tough on China, casting himself as a fighter for Americas global dominance and bulwark against Chinese efforts to expand its sphere of influence.

As I point out to our friends in the [European Union], dont get angry were going to be [at] the beginning of the supply chain, he said during a fundraiser on Friday, referring to foreign criticism over his economic policies. Because thats the only guarantee youll have access.

That confrontational attitude represents a significant departure from Democrats stance toward China just a few decades ago. During Bill Clintons administration, the partys predominant thread of concern about China was centered on humanitarian grounds.

The White House itself sought to pursue a policy of constructive engagement with the Chinese government, eager to see the economic spoils of a more open relationship. They were cheered on by Wall Street Republicans and self-described foreign policy realists who felt that engagement with the communist nation was a strategically smarter way to defang it.

But the relationship grew strained as Chinas ambitions widened throughout the Obama and Trump eras. And lawmakers and voters became more critical about jobs being lost and national security being compromised.

Bruen said taking a harder line on China has become broadly popular because the world has witnessed so many egregious acts over the last several years  whether its genocide against the Uyghurs, the violent repression of peaceful protesters in Hong Kong or the lack of transparency on Covid.

But unlike our response to [Russian President Vladimir] Putins aggression, we need to act faster and put in place more deterrents, whether from launching balloons or invasions, Bruen told POLITICO. This moment should refocus leaders not only on strong statements and symbolic acts, but to develop a real strategy for countering Chinese aggression.

Biden himself has yet to weigh in on how the incident will shape his own approach toward China. But hours before shooting the balloon down, the president couldnt help but let slip his enthusiasm for the chance to send a strong message to his critics at home and rivals in Beijing.

Were gonna take care of it, he said.


President Joe Bidens decision to shoot down a Chinese surveillance balloon on Saturday is a blow to a U.S.-China relationship that has been spiraling downward for years.

But it is not necessarily a death blow.

U.S.-China ties have already weathered years of Beijings saber-rattling across the Taiwan Strait, its military installations on disputed islands in the South China Sea and high-tech espionage. Beijing has in turn accused the U.S. of a Cold War mentality and of seeking to suppress China economically and militarily.

This latest incident hits home in the U.S.  literally  because the nonstop coverage of the balloons presence in American airspace and its destruction captured on live video made the China threat real for many.

This was a pretty big hit for the [public] trust factor in U.S.-China relations  Chinese spying has never been so front and center in the American public consciousness, said Lyle Morris, former country director for China at the Office of the Secretary of Defense. If there were any people still on the fence about a China threat or not, that's pretty much been foreclosed.



In the short term, GOP lawmakers are arguing that Biden needs to get tougher on China. A senior State Department official sounded a similar stern line on Beijing by calling the balloons incursion a clear violation of our sovereignty and declaring that it was unacceptablein a press briefing on Friday.

Chinas Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Saturday protesting Biden's decision to shoot down the surveillance balloon. The ministry called the downing of the airship a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice and warned that China reserved the right to make further responses if necessary."

But the incident will likely only further bruise, rather than break, the bilateral relationship.

Regardless of rampant political rhetoric about economic decoupling, the two countries are too interdependent to opt for a drastic downgrade in bilateral ties. Both the Biden administration and senior Chinese officials, including paramount leader Xi Jinping, have recently emphasized the need to improve the tenor in the U.S.-China relationship. And historically, other U.S.-Chinese incidents that have roiled the relationship eventually faded in favor of resumed, if strained, ties.

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In recent weeks, Xi and his aides have launched a charm offensive aimed at easing tensions with Washington as they struggle with a Covid outbreak and an economic downturn. The Chinese government was even preparing to welcome Secretary of State Antony Blinken for a now-postponed visit in which he would potentially have met with Xi.

And because the discovery of the airship is an untimely embarrassment for Xi, he may keep Chinas response to the downing limited. In fact, Beijing signaled its desire to prevent the balloon incursion from rupturing ties by issuing a rare expression of regrets, although it also claimed the object was a weather balloon that went off course.

In comments Saturday to reporters, Biden said he ordered on Wednesday that the balloon be shot down as soon as possible. Ultimately, authorities decided to wait until the object was over water to avoid doing damage to anyone on the ground, the president said.



Biden did not answer a question about how the decision would affect U.S. relations with China. Foreign affairs observers, however, predicted that both Beijing and Washington would try to minimize the fallout.

The Biden administration has already signaled that it will seek to reschedule the Blinken visit when conditions allow, noted Daniel Russel, a former senior Asia hand in the Obama administration who has close ties to Biden aides. If this closes the book on the incident, the two sides can get back to work. If, instead, the Chinese elect to play the aggrieved victim or to retaliate, we may find ourselves back climbing the escalation ladder.

Should the United States recover the remnants of the balloon and prove that it is a spy contraption and not a weather tracker, that could further embarrass Xi and lead him to back down. Biden could use that wreckage to humiliate China or as a bargaining chip in private discussions, said Yun Sun, China program director at the Stimson Center.

The Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., didnt respond to a request for comment.

The United States and China have a history of recovering from relation-disrupting incidents that initially outraged the other.



On May 7, 1999, for instance, a U.S.-led NATO air campaign bombed Chinas embassy in Belgrade, killing three Chinese journalists and wounding 20 other Chinese citizens. Though the United States insisted the bombing was a mistake, to this day it is a source of sore feelings in China, where one state media account in 2021 called it barbaric. Still, the incident hasnt prevented efforts to improve relations.

In 2001, a U.S. spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea and landed in Chinas Hainan island. China detained the U.S. planes 24-member crew for 11 days, during which the fighter jet pilot was said to have died. After several days of tense negotiations, the two countries brokered a deal hinged on a U.S. expression of regret for the incident.

Even years of rising tensions over Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that Beijing claims as its own, have not severed ties. In 2013, when Biden was vice president, Beijing declared the launch of an air defense identification zone in the East China Sea. Biden went to China with the message that Washington would not recognize the zone; U.S. military planes were already flying through it without Chinese permission.

Biden has also repeatedly said the administration will send U.S. troops to help Taiwan if China attacks, although official U.S. policy is more ambiguous.

And when then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August, the Chinese government reacted furiously, conducting days of live fire military drills around the island. Beijing also suspended bilateral military dialogues and joint efforts in Chinas role in the U.S. opioid crisis.

But three months later, Biden met with Xi on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Indonesia, and both pledged to try to ease tensions in order to manage this competition responsibly. The Chinese government has also recently shifted to a softer diplomatic tone  an effort by Beijing to reduce U.S.-China tensions while it grapples with a disastrous Covid outbreak and an economic downturn.



The balloon incident is likely to reverberate strongly on Capitol Hill, where there is a bipartisan consensus that China poses a long-term threat to U.S. power.

Congress will almost certainly hold hearings about the administrations response, which will extend this storys shelf life and raise important questions about the efficacy of the Biden administrations China policy, said Craig Singleton, senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

The possibility of Blinken going ahead with the trip to China was considered before it was ultimately postponed after administration officials realized the visit would be overshadowed by questions about a balloon that could still be hovering over U.S. soil.

The objective of the trip was to seek a floor in relationship and explore potential areas of cooperation in mutual interest, a U.S. official familiar with the issue said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The balloon, however, would have dominated all the conversations, the official said. It was better to postpone for a better time, and the interagency all agreed with that.

Its not clear when Blinken will reschedule his trip. Whether Chinese officials agree to host him fairly soon could be a sign of how quickly they want to put the balloon incident behind them.

Adam Cancryn contributed to this report.
The Boston Medical Center Emergency Department will be closed until Tuesday as crews work to repair damage after a pipe froze and burst, flooding the area.

All patients that were in the affected areas of the burst pipe were safely moved to other areas of the hospital, BMC told Boston 25 News in a statement.

BMC also advised those seeking medical care to seek treatment at other hospitals in the area. Ambulances will be diverted to other hospitals.

Those in inpatient and outpatient clinics were not affected by the flooding.

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

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Convicted heroin and crack cocaine dealer Ryan Jones trafficked a boy. (Reach)

A boy in care was trafficked hundreds of miles away from his home to deal drugs, a court has heard.

The unnamed "vulnerable" 17-year-old was put on a train from Liverpool Lime Street to the south-west of England by convicted heroin and crack cocaine dealer Ryan Jones.

Liverpool Crown Court was told the teenager was used to transport drugs from Merseyside to Exeter or as a "foot soldier" in street dealing in Paignton, Devon, as part of a county lines operation in June 2019.

He had told staff at the children's home in Birkenhead he was going fishing in Wales before being trafficked.

Jones, 27, of Birkenhead, admitted arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.

Read more: Woman who stole 24,000 from her grandmother blamed the 91-year-old being a 'big eater'

The case was heard at Liverpool Crown Court. (Getty)

In August 2022, he was sentenced to four years at Plymouth Crown Court for conspiracy to supply heroin and crack cocaine as part of the 'Scouse JJ' line that had been operating in the south-west.

On Friday, he was jailed for an additional 43 months, to be served consecutively to his current term and given a 10-year slavery and trafficking prevention order.

David Watson, prosecuting, described how the boy disappeared on 13 June, 2019 after telling staff he was going on a fishing trip to Anglesey.

Around 5pm that day, Jones left the teenager at Lime Street Station.

Read more: Police officer sacked after turning up for duty 'double the drink-drive limit'

The boy then boarded a train, arriving at Exeter shortly before 10pm and spending the next few days in regular contact with the gang via a phone.

The boy was reported missing by the care home the same evening, eventually being found in Torquay nearly a month later and returned to Merseyside.

Martyn Walsh, defending, said of father-of-three Jones: "His initial introduction to drugs was as a result of him being coerced into it.

"He had a drug debt and he became involved. That is not to say he has not progressed, but that was his initial involvement in the trade."

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Sentencing, Judge David Aubrey KC added: "He had been recruited by you for exploitation in this county lines operation.

"He was to act as a willing runner, although still a child, between Liverpool and Exeter or as a foot soldier supplying drugs in Devon."

In 2015, Jones was jailed for 40 months for possession of a class A drug with intent to supply.
A woman called a friend to say her boyfriend doused her in lighter fluid and set her on fire, California police reported.

The friend called Beaumont police, who found the burned woman at 7:43 a.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at a home where she had been taken, police said in a news release.

The woman was airlifted to a hospital with serious burns over 30% of her body, police said.

Police are still seeking her 38-year-old boyfriend on charges including attempted murder, mayhem, arson, and torture, the release said.

A search warrant for a home revealed evidence associated with the attack, police said.

Police ask anyone with information to call 951-769-8500 or leave an anonymous tip at crimetips@beaumontpd.org.

Beaumont is a city of 53,000 people in Riverside County about 80 miles east of Los Angeles.

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An investigation is underway in New Smyrna Beach after a person was shot by a deputy.

According to a tweet from the Volusia County Sheriffs Office, the subject was shot and injured on Sunday after advancing towards a deputy.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

Deputies said they were responding to a call about an armed person threatening others at 3946 Lakeshore Drive.

The person shot was stabilized and transported to the hospital.

Read: Volusia County firefighter hurt during surfing accident dies from injuries, sheriff says

The sheriffs office stated that more information would be provided in a future update Sunday evening and a briefing on Monday.

The subject of a call about an armed person threatening others at 3946 Lakeshore Drive, NSB, was shot & injured today after advancing toward a deputy. The subject was stabilized and transported for treatment of his injuries. More information will be provided in a future update.  Volusia Sheriff (@VolusiaSheriff) February 5, 2023

Read: Death investigation underway after Stetson University student was found unresponsive, police say

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series on Houston businessman Jesse H. Jones. Readers can find the first part in last Sunday's print edition and online at amarillo.com.

Houston had long been an important city for Texas. Businessmen like Jesse H. Jones helped make it an international center for commerce. He had arrived in Texas as a young man and worked his way through thr ranks of his uncles Dallas-based lumber company before coming to Houston where he would soon invest in all sorts of businesses. President Woodrow Wilson offered him a cabinet position at one point. By the 1920s, he came to own the Houston Chronicle, and his business holdings would only expand further. By the 1930s, his expertise would be recognized nationwide as he was called upon by the White House to combat the Great Depression.

More:Bridges history column: Influential Houston businessman Jesse H. Jones, part 1

By the early 1930s, he had added a radio station to his extensive lumber, real estate, and publishing holdings. The Great Depression was hitting the nation hard, especially in the financial industry. Jones already served as president of the Houston-based National Bank of Commerce in 1931 when Public National Bank was in danger of failing. Jones bought the bank and added it to his holdings. Joness National Bank of Commerce would later merge with Texas National Bank to eventually become Texas Commerce Bank, one of the largest in Texas by the 1960s.

In 1932, President Herbert Hoover named Jones to the board of directors of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which attempted to steer funds to the largest banks, railroads, and manufacturers in the country to keep them from falling prey to the Depression. Jones managed hundreds of millions of dollars to try to stabilize the economy and keep some of the nations largest remaining employers from imploding. Even with this program, Jones criticized Hoovers approach as too little to solve the problems of the Depression.

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Bridges

When Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as president in 1933, he appointed Jones as the chairman of the RFC. Roosevelt gave the RFC more money and more authority to rescue large businesses. He was initially responsible for $850 million (more than $19.5 billion in 2023 dollars) meant to bail out the nations surviving banks so businesses would have the money needed to restart operations and finance their debts. He helped save more than 2,000 banking corporations from collapse through the RFC.

Jones did not just help businesses during the Depression. In the meantime, in 1937, Jones formed the Houston Endowment, which gave to charities across the Houston area and set up scholarships at six universities across the country. He gave more than $1 million of his fortune (more than $21 million in 2023 dollars) initially to set up this charity.

Some commentators called Jones the second-most powerful man in the country after Roosevelt. He was so influential that Roosevelt briefly considered Jones as his vice-presidential running mate when he ran for an unprecedented third term in 1940. Instead, Roosevelt named Jones as Secretary of Commerce that September. During World War II, Joness position was crucial for helping organize business and financing for war production.

Shortly after Roosevelt was sworn in for his fourth term, he asked Jones to step aside as commerce secretary in favor of now former Vice-President Henry Wallace. Jones did not enjoy being so unceremoniously pushed aside and publicly criticized Wallaces qualifications. Nevertheless, Jones returned to Houston to resume his business activities. Now past 70, he maintained an active interest in Houstons civic life. Working with a group of business leaders and politicians known as the Suite 8F Group, he continued his role in guiding Houstons business future.

After he left Washington, he donated his entire salary from his years as commerce secretary and from the RFC to the Houston Endowment. In 1946, he was named to the board of Directors of Texas Medical Center and opened a new hospital, called the Jesse H. Jones Hospital, in his native Robertson County, Tennessee, in 1956. He also donated more than $1 million in 1956 ($11 million in 2023 dollars) for the construction of a womens dormitory at Rice University, named Mary Jones College after his wife.

He died quietly at his home in Houston in 1956. Even after his death, Jones remained a widely respected figure in the Houston area. In 1964, the National Bank of Commerce merged with Texas National Bank to become Texas Commerce Bank, the largest in the state, eventually becoming part of Chase Bank in the 1990s. In 1966, Jesse H. Jones Hall, a multi-million dollar amphitheater, was completed as the home of the Houston Symphony Orchestra. In 1976, the Jesse H. Jones building became the home of the Houston Public Library. In 1992, Baylor University established the Jesse H. Jones Library in his honor. The Houston Chronicle by the early 2000s had become the third-largest newspaper in the country, and the Goodfellows program that Jones started now reaches tens of thousands of children each year.

Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Bridges Texas History column: Jones gave fortune to save others
Cover art for Image Comics' Criminal #6.

Right now, Prime Video is on a pretty good streak with adapting various properties to TV. Between Critical Role, Jack Reacher, and Invincible, plus its various original series, the streamer is good about finding something for a particular niche.



Per Deadline, Prime Video is currently finalizing plans to adapt Image Comics crime series Criminal. Written by Ed Brubaker (Batman, Uncanny X-Men) and drawn by Sean Phillips (Hellblazer, Kill or Be Killed), the series already has Brubaker tapped as an executive producer and showrunner, and a writers room is reportedly already going. The comics writer has been a part of the TV world for years, and most recently was the executive producer and head writer for HBO Maxs Batman: Caped Crusader, which is currently being shopped around to other streamers.



Read more

Released in 2006, Criminal has previously been described by Brubaker as the interweaving saga of several generations of families tied together by the crimes and murders of the past. Each story arc is self-contained and focuses on a different set of characters living in Center City, all of whom frequent the same bar and have similar upbringings in the crime world. The book was originally part of Marvel Comics Icon imprint before being republished by Image in 2019, and its last issue released back in 2020. Brubaker and Phillips have been longtime collaborators for years, having created fellow Image books Kill or Be Killed, Fatale, and The Fade during the 2010s.

At time of writing, Amazon hasnt confirmed Deadlines report, but Brubaker has a history with the streamer, having executive produced and written for its 2019 series Too Old to Die Young with Nicholas Winding Refn. That, and two of Prime Videos bigger series at the moment, The Boys and Invincible, are based on indie comics. It feels like something in the streamers wheelhouse, so we should hear official confirmation at some point in the near future.

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Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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By Kanishka Singh

(Reuters) - The Canadian government said on Sunday it deployed a military aircraft over Haiti to address what it called a "dire security situation" and to support efforts to disrupt the activities of Haitian gangs.

Canada said in a statement that it supports the Haitian National Police and deployed a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft in response to Haiti's request for support as violence continues to escalate in the country.

Haitian gangs have expanded their territory since the 2021 assassination of then-President Jovenel Moise. The resulting violence has left much of the country off-limits to the government and led to routine gun battles with police. Haiti is expected to be on the agenda when U.S. President Joe Biden visits Canada next month.

The Canadian patrol aircraft will provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability to bolster efforts to establish and maintain peace and will remain in the region "for a number of days," the Canadian government said.

In October, the United Nations suggested a "rapid action force" be sent to Haiti to combat escalating violence from armed gangs whose turf battles have left hundreds dead and thousands displaced.

But many have expressed skepticism, citing abuses from past missions and questioning a force backing the administration of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, which has been without democratically elected representatives since early January.

Most countries have been wary of sending troops, though nearby Jamaica has said it would be willing to participate and El Salvador has offered "technical assistance".

Around seven in 10 people in Haiti back proposed creation of an international force to help the national police fight violence from armed gangs, according to a survey carried out in January.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. AP Photo/John Locher

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is running for a third term while also backing a two-term limit for senators.

CBS News "Face the Nation" host Margaret Brennan on Sunday pressed Cruz on his stance.

"If and when it passes, I will happily, happily comply. I've never said I'm going to unilaterally comply," he said.

Two-term Sen. Ted Cruz on Sunday sought to fend off questions about his intention to seek a third term after introducing a constitutional amendment that would restrict senators to two terms in office.

During an interview on the CBS News program "Face the Nation," host Margaret Brennan pressed the Texas Republican about his decision to run for a third term, asking him why he's doing the very same thing he's seeking to restrict.

"You also introduced a bill to limit terms to two six-year terms in office for senators. Why aren't you holding yourself to that standard?" Brennan asked. "You said you're running for a third term."

Cruz responded: "Listen, I'm a passionate defender of term limits. I think that Congress would work much better if every senator were limited to two terms if every House member were limited to three terms. I've introduced a constitutional amendment to put that into the Constitution."

Brennan said: "But you're still running."

Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 5, 2023

Cruz continued: "If and when it passes, I will happily, happily comply. I've never said I'm going to unilaterally comply."

Brennan then interjected: "Are you running for president?"

The senator added: "I'll tell you what, when the socialists and when the swamp are ready to leave Washington, I will be more than happy to comply by the same rules that apply for everyone. But until then, I'm going to keep fighting for 30 million Texans because that's the job they've asked me to do."

When Cruz introduced the bill alongside Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina last month, the senator said that term limits would offer "accountability that is long overdue."

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"Term limits are critical to fixing what's wrong with Washington, DC. The Founding Fathers envisioned a government of citizen legislators who would serve for a few years and return home, not a government run by a small group of special interests and lifelong, permanently entrenched politicians who prey upon the brokenness of Washington to govern in a manner that is totally unaccountable to the American people," he said at the time.

Cruz is advocating for the passage of the amendment as his long-term political future remains up in the air.

While Cruz ran for president in 2016  earning the second-highest number of votes and delegates behind then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump  he has not yet indicated if he might also seek the GOP nomination against the former president in 2024. Under Texas law, Cruz can run for the presidency and also seek reelection to the Senate at the same time.

Cruz ran on a staunchly conservative platform during his first campaign, which he would surely replicate in a potential 2024 bid.

But in addition to Trump, who's already in the race, he would face Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, who is set to join the contest later this month  along with potential candidates like former Vice President Mike Pence, Govs. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

However, Cruz sought to sidestep talk of a presidential bid during the CBS interview, reiterating that he was running for reelection.

"There's a reason I'm in Texas today. I'm not in Iowa. I'm in Texas, and I'm fighting for 30 million Texans," he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
ABC News

In the early morning of April 25, 2010, 911 dispatchers received a frantic call from Heidi Firkus, 25. "Someone's trying to break into my home," Heidi Firkus told the dispatcher in audio obtained by ABC News. Just 65 seconds later, another call came in  this time from her husband, Nick Firkus, 27.
OpenAI CTO Mira Murati speaking at Diane Von Furstenberg's InCharge Conversations in March 2020 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for DVF

The chief technology officer at ChatGPT creator OpenAI said the tool could be used by "bad actors."

The chatbot's popularity means "it's not too early" to regulate it, Mira Murati told Time magazine.

"There are questions about how you govern the use of this technology globally," she added.

The chief technology officer at ChatGPT's creator OpenAI has said that the AI tool should be regulated as it could be used by "bad actors."

Mira Murati said in an interview with Time magazine that the company didn't expect its "child" would be met with such enthusiasm when it was released.

She added ChatGPT may "make up facts," in common with other tools powered by AI based on a language model.

But its popularity sparked questions over some ethical concerns, Murati said, adding that such tools "can be misused, or it can be used by bad actors," sparking questions about how to govern it globally.

She continued: "How do you govern the use of AI in a way that's aligned with human values?"

Asked whether companies like OpenAI or governments should be in charge of regulating the tool, Murati said: "It's important for OpenAI and companies like ours to bring this into the public consciousness in a way that's controlled and responsible."

She stressed, however, that the company will need all the help it can get, including from regulators, governments, and everyone else. "It's not too early" to regulate it, she added.

OpenAI didn't immediately respond to a request for comment by Insider.

In January, ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman, said during an interview with StrictlyVC that "generative text is something we all need to adapt to."

"We adapted to calculators and changed what we tested for in math class, I imagine. This is a more extreme version of that, no doubt, but also the benefits of it are more extreme, as well," Altman added.

The AI chatbot has sparked huge interest since it became publicly available on November 30, even sparking fears it would ultimately replace many people's jobs.

One man used it, alongside another AI tool to create graphics, to write a children's book. Researchers went further and made ChatGPT pass all three parts of the United States medical licensing examination. They said it passed "comfortably."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. AP Photo/John Locher

Chris Christie blasted President Biden's reelection plans on Sunday, calling him "old" and "boring."

"In the end, Joe Biden is not an exciting candidate. And the American people are not relating to him," he argued.

Biden is set to announce his 2024 reelection campaign in the coming months.

Former New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie on Sunday was critical of President Joe Biden's expected 2024 reelection bid, arguing that the commander-in-chief is "old" and "not an exciting candidate."

During a panel discussion on ABC's "This Week," Christie  who has slammed Biden on everything from his handling of the economy to his foreign policy worldview  said he felt that Americans were having a difficult time connecting with the president.

"In the end, Joe Biden is not an exciting candidate. He's old. He's boring. And the American people are not relating to him," the former governor said.

Christie said that the unique characteristics of the 2020 presidential election  during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic  were a "gift" to the now-president as Trump had increasingly become a toxic figure among Independents and suburban votes.

The ex-governor, who saw his own presidential chances collapse at the hands of Trump during the 2016 Republican primaries, said that the pandemic shielded Biden from having to appear before the public on a daily basis.

Christie then stated that Biden wouldn't have the ability to maintain a "traditional" campaign schedule, often filled with multiple stops in a range of cities and towns.

"Do you see Joe Biden on Air Force One doing seven, eight campaign stops a day at 82 years old?" Christie said. "He's not capable of running a traditional American race."

Biden has not yet announced his 2024 reelection campaign but is expected to do so in the coming months.

If Biden  who will turn 81 later this year  were to be reelected in 2024, he would be 82 years old at the time of his inauguration in January 2025. And he'd be 86 at the end of his potential second term.

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Last year, The New York Times spoke with several individuals  some who were top aides in the White House at the time and some who no longer worked with Biden  who said that the president was highly engaged with his work and continued to ask sharp questions while conducting official White House business.

After speaking with more than a dozen individuals, The Times reported that Biden "remained intellectually engaged, asking smart questions at meetings, grilling aides on points of dispute, calling them late at night, picking out that weak point on Page 14 of a memo and rewriting speeches."

Read the original article on Business Insider
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly wrote in his op-ed published by the Times of Malta on Feb. 5 that giving Ukraine weapons is the fastest and the only way to end the war with Russia.

Giving the Ukrainians the tools they need to finish the job is the swiftest and indeed the only path to peace, Cleverly said.

The official wrote that Russian President Vladimir Putins ambitions do not end in Ukraine. "He (Putin) wants to upend world politics and call time on the international order. And if he succeeds, he will drag us all back to an age of violence and conquest," Cleverly said, adding that "we cannot and will not let Putin win."

The official added that he was glad Germany and the U.S. had joined the U.K. in sending modern tanks to Ukraine.

Like all authoritarian rulers, Putin responds only to strength in his opponents, Cleverly said.

The U.K. approved sending 14 Challenger 2 battle tanks, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition, and self-propelled artillery, in its latest military aid package for Ukraine on Jan. 17.

Germany and the U.S. announced they would also send modern tanks to Ukraine on Jan. 26.

Berlin vowed to deliver 14 Leopard 2 tanks and 88 older Leopard 1 tanks, as well as authorized the supplies of German tanks by other countries.

Washington said it would send 31 of its M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine.

According to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Kyiv expects a total of 120-140 Western tanks in the first round of supplies.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 27 that Ukraine needs 300-500 tanks.


Colorado State students tried to get in Max Shulga's head. Their team lost to Utah State anyway. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)

The Colorado State athletic department apologized Saturday after a group of students at a men's basketball game chanted "Russia" at a Ukrainian Utah State player.

The Utah State player in question was junior guard Max Shulga, who was born in Ukraine's capital of Kyiv and has spoken about his concerns for his homeland in the past. Obviously, the Colorado State students were taunting Shulga about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has killed thousands of Ukrainian civilians and even more soldiers.

The Rams insisted it was only a "small" contingent of its student section that did the chant, it said such behavior was unacceptable.

Following tonights basketball game, we became aware that a small group of individuals in our student section chanted "Russia" at a student-athlete from Utah State, who is from the Ukraine.  Colorado State Rams  (@CSURams) February 5, 2023

Every participant, student, and fan should feel welcomed in our venues, and for something like this to have occurred is unacceptable at Colorado State.  Colorado State Rams  (@CSURams) February 5, 2023

The chant started receiving attention on Twitter during the end of the game and after, reportedly starting when Shulga shot four free throws toward the end of an 88-79 Utah State win.

Shulga's teammate Steven Ashworth called out Colorado State after the game as "classless" and said its student section needed to be addressed.

This was absolutely classless @ColoradoStateU @MountainWest somebody needs to talk to this student section. Such a joke. https://t.co/UnFOmXJswx  Steven Ashworth (@stevenAsh_15) February 5, 2023

Shulga is among Utah State's top players, averaging 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. The win boosted the Aggies' record to 19-5 and 8-3 In Mountain West play, keeping them in second place in the conference standings and one game behind San Diego State.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) leaves the House chamber on Thursday, the day Republicans voted to oust her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee in a raucous session. (Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press)

The idea that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has essentially given aid and comfort to those who supported an insurrection against the United States government, would accuse anyone of being un-American is as rich as it is Orwellian.

But there he was on Thursday, moments after leading a successful effort to bounce Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a Black, Somalia-born Muslim woman, off the House Foreign Affairs Committee, disparaging her as disloyal to the United States.

For what?

According to the House resolution that passed 218 to 211 along strict party lines, for making an antisemitic remark four years ago, for which she was condemned by her own caucus, and for which she apologized. And for describing Israel as an apartheid state, a characterization used by at least two major human rights groups. For saying that unthinkable atrocities must be condemned, no matter who commits them  America, Israel, Hamas, Afghanistan or the Taliban. And for characterizing the 9/11 terrorist attacks as some people did something.

(On this last point, its important to clarify that she was not downplaying the attacks, but describing the anti-Islamic fervor that gripped the country in the aftermath in a speech to the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The group, she noted, was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties.)

Keeping Omar on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said McCarthy, puts America in jeopardy, and Im not going to do that on my watch. In a fundraising appeal Friday morning, he defended the move, warning that Omars words directly imperil our alliance with our #1 ally in the Middle East: Israel.

How, exactly, does her contrarian view about Israel endanger the U.S. more than, say, voting against certifying the results of a free and fair presidential election, as 139 of McCarthys Republican House colleagues did, or giving carte blanche to Vladimir Putin by threatening to cut off military aid to Ukraine, as his MAGA faction is doing? McCarthy doesnt say.

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That's because Omar's ejection is, as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) put it, an act of political revenge. It's tit-for-tat payback for the House having stripped extremist GOP Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Paul Gosar of Arizona of their committee assignments two years ago for antagonistic and violent social media posts directed at Democratic colleagues.

Do not insult our intelligence by saying this is about antisemitism, said California Democratic Rep. Adam B. Schiff, whom McCarthy unilaterally banished from the House Intelligence Committee for the sin of leading the first impeachment against then-President Trump, though the speaker pretended it was to make the country safer. (From what? Who knows.)

Like plenty of their Republican colleagues, Greene and Gosar have a history of repeating antisemitic tropes without consequences.

And so, for that matter, does McCarthy, who accused three Jewish billionaire philanthropists  George Soros, Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer  of trying to buy the 2018 midterm elections. That tweet, which McCarthy later deleted, was posted the day after authorities discovered a pipe bomb in the mailbox at Soros New York home.

Greene, for her part, came to Congress as a full-fledged QAnon conspiracy nut, before blaming her involvement on naivete and trusting the internet just a little too much.

In 2018, she infamously speculated that American wildfires were caused by space lasers to benefit PG&E , Rothschild, Inc. and then-California Gov. Jerry Brown, whose proposed high-speed rail route was (according to her Facebook post) exactly where the fires were burning. (As far as I can tell, she never actually used the phrase Jewish space lasers, but thats certainly what her post was getting at.)

The same year, Greene shared a video claiming that Zionist supremacists were conspiring to flood Europe with migrants to replace white people.

Yet now, having supported McCarthy as speaker, she is his BFF.

I will never leave that woman. I will always take care of her, McCarthy told a friend, who repeated the statement to the New York Times in a story about the pairs unlikely alliance.

Gosar, with years-long ties to white nationalist groups, once accused Soros, who escaped the Nazi occupation of Hungary, of being a Nazi collaborator. Gosar also claimed that the deadly 2017 neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville was created by the left and funded by Soros as a false flag operation.

Kicking Omar off the Foreign Affairs Committee is an act of appeasement toward some powerful pro-Israel groups, as if American elected representatives have no right to criticize a foreign power with a demonstrably dismal record on human rights. It is also a sop to the House MAGA Republican bloc, which has been out for Omars blood ever since she first took office in 2017 as the first Somali American to serve in Congress, and certainly the first representative ever to have lived in a Kenyan refugee camp.

And of course, it is an act of all too predictable hypocrisy on the part of the new House speaker who has sold his soul to the Houses extreme right faction.

In typical fashion, however, Omar was unbowed.

My leadership and voice will not be diminished, she said on the House floor. If I am not on this committee for one term, my voice will get louder and stronger and my leadership will be celebrated around the world as it has been. So take your votes or not. I am here to stay and I am here to be a voice against harms around the world and advocate for a better world.

After the vote, Jeffries tweeted that he would move immediately to seat Omar on the House Budget Committee.

There, he wrote, she will defend Democratic values against right-wing extremism.

Given the House leadership's enchantment with the extreme right, her work is certainly cut out for her.

@AbcarianLAT





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Senator Cory Booker is asking his colleagues to cool off the rhetoric aimed at China after the US shot down a spy balloon over the weekend and a four-star US general predicted that war with the rival superpower was inevitable.

The New Jersey Democrat spoke Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press with Chuck Todd. During the interview, he knocked what he said was a growing drumbeat or rush to conflict with the Peoples Republic of China that was unhealthy and ran the risk of souring peaceful alternatives.

His remarks came in response to a question from Mr Todd asking him to declare whether he was prepared to support whatever it takes to prepare for war with China over Taiwan.

The US and many other countries consider Taiwan to be an independent country, as, crucially, does Taiwans government. China, on the other hand, views Taiwan as part of its territory and regularly threatens other countries for maintaining diplomatic ties with Taiwans government.

I'm... a believer that strong diplomacy can work to counter Chinese aggression, Mr Booker said on Sunday, adding: [T]his rush, or a drumbeat, to war is really problematic to me when there are a whole bunch of other options.

Mr Booker went on to praise Joe Biden and his administration for pursuing those other options, telling Mr Todd that Mr Biden has been reaching out across the aisle and finding good ways to counter and check China's aggressions, China's espionage, but also to look at ways to strengthen ties with China that enable us to better keep them at the table.

It was a series of comments that served as a counterbalance to shocking statements from hawkish conservatives including a top Air Force general as well as the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul.

A memo first reported two weeks ago by NBC News written by four-star Gen Mike Minihan of Air Mobility Command warned that the US would be at war with the PRC by 2025, a prediction that was echoed by Mr McCaul on Fox News hours later.

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"I hope he's wrong," the congressman said of Gen Minihans prediction. "I think he's right though, unfortunately."

Those statements rippled through the media and sparked a wave of condemnations in Chinese media, and would serve as a backdrop to news that broke this weekend of a Chinese surveillance balloon being spotted at a low altitude over the continental US. The surveillance craft, which officials in Beijing confirmed was of Chinese origin, would be shot down by US forces on Saturday.

That incident would spark another round of condemnations from Beijing and appears to have also resulted in US Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponing a diplomatic trip to the country, a sign of the continued souring of US-China relations.
The 65th Grammy Awards are almost upon us and soon, we will find out which of the biggest names in music will be crowned winners.

This year, former Daily Show star Trevor Noah is set to host the awards ceremony, which will see the likes of Adele and Beyonce battling it out for Album of the Year. Meanwhile, fans are excited to watch artists including Lizzo and Harry Styles perform.

But at the end of the night, no one goes home empty-handed thanks to the extravagant gift bags  or, in this events case, gift suitcases  each guest will receive.

Last year, the gift bags contents ranged from products such as Coma Toes lounge slippers to floral arrangements from Rose Box NYC, to a special 64th edition of cabernet sauvignon from Frontera Wines and $10,000 worth of plastic surgery treatments.

Los Angeles marketing company Distinctive Assets has returned for its 23rd year of putting together the Grammys gift bag for 2023 and has pulled out all the stops.

According to reports, the contents of the exorbitant gift bag are worth a jaw-dropping $60,000 (50,000).

Celebrity parents who are expecting a baby this year will benefit the most from one of the most expensive items in the bag, which Page Six reports is a Bugaboo Fox 3 Stroller worth over $1,200 (995).

A full set of skincare from luxury brand Miage (Getty Images for The Recording A)

Cosmetic treatments also feature heavily in the bag once again as attendees can expect to receive up to $10,000 (8,300) worth of procedures, as well as a gift card from Art Lipo plastic surgery that can reportedly be used for liposuction treatments.

Luxury skincare brand Miage also makes a comeback in the gift bag this year, after hosting the Grammy Gift Lounge last year. Celebrities at the event will receive a full set of Miage Skincare products valued at $515 (430).

The cordless robot pool cleaner by Aiper (Getty Images for The Recording A)

This years Grammys Gift Lounge is hosted by Toms Watch Bar @ LA Live and will be open to presenters and performers for three days in the lead-up to the ceremony so they can pick up their gift bags, as well as other gifted products.

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According to NBC, other freebies include virtually indestructible turbo-flex sunglasses by Aspex Eyewear, a fine bubble showerhead worth $325 (269) and a heart-shaped brush by ReFa; a $399 (331) cordless robot pool cleaner by Aiper; a not-yet-released robot dog named Dog-E by toy company WowWee; and Swarovski crystal-encrusted flip-flops by Haivanas.

Dog-E by toy company WowWee (Getty Images for The Recording A)

In total, more than 50 items will be inside each celebritys Grammys gift bag.

Lash Fary, the owner of Distinctive Assets, said in a statement: Were excited to be back in Los Angeles and to once again be creating amazing Grammy gift magic.

Turboflex sunglasses that have been described as virtually indestructible' (Getty Images for The Recording A)

While our gifts are known far and wide for being fun, fabulous, useful and unique, they also serve a grander purpose.

Many of the brands we include are from a diverse and inclusive array of small businesses who meaningfully benefit from the worldwide exposure that being associated with Musics Biggest Night afford them. This is celebrity marketing with a mission.
Deadly wildfires continue to rip through Chile, as dry and gusty conditions have significantly hindered attempts to control the flames.

Named the Biobio wildfires, based on one of the regions the flames have consumed, at least 26 deaths have been confirmed due to the fires as of Monday. An official briefing on Saturday evening stated that at least 979 people have been injured, while nearly 1,500 people have saught refuge at shelters. The fires have raged through the central and southern part of the country, including the regions of Nuble and La Araucania.

President Gabriel Boric issued emergency declarations for the southern regions of Biobio, Nuble and Araucania on Sunday, the areas most impacted by the fires.

On Sunday, officials confirmed that more that 665,000 acres (270,000 hectare) had been consumed by the fires thus far. More than 800 homes have been destroyed as of Monday. The state National Forestry Corporation reported that as of Monday morning there were 275 active fires, but at least 69 still not contained.

Trees burn as flames and smoke engulf an area near Puren, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Wildfires are spreading in southern and central Chile, triggering evacuations and the declaration of a state of emergency in some regions. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

In impacted regions, more than 2,300 CONAF brigade firefighters have been working to contain flames, along with 66 aircraft and nearly 3,000 volunteers. Between Sunday and Monday, aid arrived in Chile from Argentina, Spain and Mexico,

A combination of gusty winds and dry conditions have made handling the fires troublesome.

"Weather conditions have made it very difficult to put out [the fires] that are spreading and the emergency is getting worse," Chile Interior Minister Carolina Toha Morales told reporters, adding that 76 more fires ignited on Friday.

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The majority of the country was in the middle of a massive heat wave when the fires broke out. High temperatures on Friday across Chile climbed above 90 degrees, including a high of 94 degrees in Concepcion, approximately 20 degrees above normal for this time of year.

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In the Chilean capital city of Concepcion, where flames are rampant, wind gust reports have ranged as high as 51 mph late last week, with winds still gusting between 25-40 mph into Monday. No rainfall was observed in the city throughout the entire month of January, and only 0.16 of an inch was observed in December, 23% of the normal amount.

Firefighters prepare to fight flames caused by wildfires in Puren, Chile, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. Forest fires are spreading in southern and central Chile, triggering evacuations and the declaration of a state of emergency in some regions. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

"Dry conditions in place and parched vegetation can set the stage for ample fuel for area wildfires," AccuWeather meteorologist Alyssa Smithmyer said. "Combined with gusty winds, it creates a scary situation that can be challenging to control."

The winds were a dangerous omen for evacuees, who were forced to evacuate their living spaces immediately.

"I left with what I had on," Carolina Torres, who fled from Puren in the Araucania region, told The Jerusalem Post. "I think everyone here did the same thing, because the winds shifted and you just had to grab everything right away."

No cause of the fires have been confirmed as of yet, but Chile President Gabriel Boric has pointed to "signs" that some fires may have been started intentionally.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Oleksii Reznikov, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, has stated that the partners will supply Ukraine with aircrafts.

Source: Reznikov at a press conference on Sunday, 5 February, as reported by Ukrinform

Quote: "As of today we received all types of armament within the framework of military aid except aircrafts. I can assure you that aircrafts will be supplied as well, the question is, which type."

Details: Reznikov noted that Ukraines partners are constantly being informed about Ukraines need for aircrafts, as they are also part of the air defence system.

Reznikov believes that Ukraine can be supplied with the F-16 aircrafts, as well as with other types of combat aviation.

He also stated that Ukraine will become the world's second country with the biggest quantity of CAESAR self-propelled artillery systems, the first being the manufacturer country, France.

"For instance, we will be the second in the world after France in [terms of the nunber of] CAESAR systems. 12 more CAESAR systems, which were promised to us by the Minister of Defence of France after my visit are on their way to Ukraine. The Kingdom of Denmark will also supply us with the CAESAR systems that it had ordered for itself from the French manufacturer," explained Reznikov.

He also reported that starting Monday, 6 February, the training of Ukrainian crews on the Leopard tanks would start abroad.

"We have a clear understanding of the quantity of tanks each country will supply us with, and the time of this supply. We know for sure that tomorrow, Monday, 6 February, the tank crew training on the Leopard tanks will start practising outside Ukraine," he added.

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Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraines Defence Minister, has stated that the country's defence forces expect Russian offensive operations before the symbolic date of 24 February, when the full-scale invasion began; however, he urged people to trust only official information.

Source: Reznikov at a press conference on Sunday, 5 February, reports Ukrinform news agency

Quote: "There is a lot of information, probably everyone has read the Telegram channels [that reported  ed.] the possible attack at night, etc. ... There was no attack. It is very important to listen to the General Staff, its official opinion. When it will be clear that they [the invaders  ed.] formed their offensive groups, [and] where  our General Staff knows this very well."

Details: Regarding Kharkiv, Reznikov noted that there are currently no offensive groups from Russia; however, according to him, it cannot be ruled out that "after some time they may appear".

At the same time, he did not rule out increased pressure from the Russian invaders and possible offensive operations.

Quote: "We still, of course, expect possible Russian offensive operations, because it's February, and they like symbolism, and 24 February marks a year since this invasion began, the full-scale Ukrainian-Russian war, which began in 2014... so we expect this pressure. We are ready, Ukrainian Armed Forces are ready, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Staff is constantly monitoring [the situation], so there are no unexpected things for you and me."

Reznikov also noted that the Defence Ministry has not recorded any offensive groups formed on the territory of Belarus to attack Kyiv.

"We do not see any formed offensive groups capable of moving to Kyiv from the territory of Belarus as of today... There is no such concentration of troops as of today. According to our estimates, no more than 12,000 Russian soldiers are [now] on training grounds in Belarus," the minister emphasised.

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More details: Reznikov also believes that a full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine could have been avoided if international partners had acted in advance.

"This war could have been avoided altogether if Nord Stream 2 had been stopped, if access to the SWIFT system had been cut off, if Russian ships had been banned from entering international ports, if Europe had stopped buying their gas, which they did anyway, if they had started to block assets of Russian oligarchs, this war could have been avoided," the minister is convinced.

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Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said during a briefing on Feb. 5 that he was ready to step down if President Volodymyr Zelenksy ordered his dismissal.

No official is in the chair forever. Not one, Reznikov said. ...I will do what the head of state suggests to me.

The statement comes after Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported citing government and military sources, that Reznikov will likely be dismissed from his ministerial post next week.

According to the publication, the likely replacement for him is Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraines military intelligence.

A government source confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Reznikov was likely to be replaced in the very near future.

Reznikov could be appointed Justice Minister upon dismissal, as no one in the Presidential Office has any doubt that Reznikov should stay in the government, according to the Ukrainska Pravda article.

According to the report, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska could be appointed as an ambassador to a Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Europe.



The report hasnt provided information on who will head Ukraines military intelligence agency if Budanov is appointed as defense minister.

Reznikov, 56, has served as Defense Minister since Nov. 4, 2021, overseeing the ministry throughout the entirety of Russias full-scale war against Ukraine.

During this time, Reznikov played an important role in campaigning for and securing Western military aid that has proved vital to Ukraines resistance against Russia.

In late January, the Defense Ministry was beset by a high-profile corruption scandal that led to the firing of several top officials.

Ukrainian newspaper ZN.UA reported on Jan. 21 that the Defense Ministry procured large amounts of food products for the military at inflated prices.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has since opened an investigation into the alleged scheme.

Reznikovs deputy, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, was dismissed from the Defense Ministry on Jan. 24.

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On Jan. 31, Reznikov said that an audit of the armys procurement process had been launched on June 29. Its initial results in December found that the procurement system was deficient.

When the ZN.UA article first broke, Reznikov denied any wrongdoing, saying that whoever leaked the procurement documents committed a crime.

A court arrested Shapovalov for 60 days on Feb. 2.
A 21-year-old Stone Mountain man has been arrested for murder, DeKalb County Sheriffs Office said he committed on Jan. 1, 2023.

Malachi Coleman was arrested on Tuesday in connection to the shooting death of 19-year-old Jayce Pirtle of Tennessee at a home on Arbor Ridge Drive in Stone Mountain.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

No cause was given for the shooting, according to deputies.

Coleman was charged with malice murder and aggravated assault with a weapon.

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Coleman remains in DeKalb County Jail, where he is being held without bond.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis has touted a plan to earmark $1 billion towards raising public school teacher pay, calling it a big win for Floridas teachers. But a statewide teacher union was skeptical about the amount of the pay hike  $200-million across school districts  which may not help the lives of struggling teachers.

The other $800 million would focus on funds for previous pay raises, primarily for teacher starting pay.

Even so, Florida continues to have one of the lowest average teacher salaries in the nation.

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DeSantis quickly discussed the teacher proposal during a Wednesday press conference in the Capitol in Tallahassee, where the governor was discussing a proposal for a state budget in 2023-24.

The governors budget is a starting point on the proposals. Lawmakers are the ones who will craft the 2023-24 state budget during the spring legislative session. The governor approves the budget and can veto items in that budget.

The governors proposed budget adds an additional $200 million to last years efforts. According to the governors proposed budget: one hundred percent of the $200,000,00 in additional fundingfor the teacher salary increase allocation shall be used by school districts to increase the salary eligible classroom teachers and other instructional personnel.

Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association said in a written statement following the press conference, is skeptical about how effective those funds will be.

While the governor touts $1 billion for teacher pay and blames teachers for their own low salaries, the actual increase in his budget is $200 million, which would work out to be less than $20 per week for each teacher in our public schools, Spar said in the written statement. Thats not going to do much to move the needle, given that Florida ranks 48th in the nation for average teacher pay. Pay in the third-largest state can and should rank in the top 10 nationally.

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Spar added that the increase is going to do little to address the financial needs of Floridas teachers, including rent, homeowners insurance and healthcare costs.

At the Wednesday press conference, DeSantis was asked by reporters whether his efforts to abolish diversity, equity and inclusion offices would be reflected in his proposed budget. DeSantis said that it would be dealt with within legislation.

Therell be a statute that the legislature will pass, that will basically abolish, you know, those offices, he responded.

We dont dictate whatever university spend on certain things like, I dont agree with with with everything, but we dont micromanage every little thing. But there are certain things where you can say Okay, heres a red line. youre not allowed to go there and thats something theyll have to respect, DeSantis added.

He also had few details on how his proposed budget would incorporate a massive expansion on who can apply for a so-called voucher for students to attend private schools on public dollars. A bill filed for the 2023 legislative session would open the door for any student, regardless of income, could apply, but there are little details on how that would work out in the state budget.

DeSantis didnt provide much clarity to reporters either: We didnt necessarily factor the entire thing, I think we factored in some increases  but Im supportive of school choice.

The money should follow the student. I think that that is a good approach, he added.

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Diane Rado for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com. Follow Florida Phoenix on Facebook and Twitter.
Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Inchcape (LON:INCH), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

See our latest analysis for Inchcape

How Fast Is Inchcape Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

In business, profits are a key measure of success; and share prices tend to reflect earnings per share (EPS) performance. Which is why EPS growth is looked upon so favourably. Commendations have to be given in seeing that Inchcape grew its EPS from UK0.12 to UK0.62, in one short year. When you see earnings grow that quickly, it often means good things ahead for the company.

Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Inchcape shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from -0.7% to 4.6%, and revenue is growing. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of Inchcape's forecast profits?

Are Inchcape Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It's a necessity that company leaders act in the best interest of shareholders and so insider investment always comes as a reassurance to the market. Inchcape followers will find comfort in knowing that insiders have a significant amount of capital that aligns their best interests with the wider shareholder group. Holding UK69m worth of stock in the company is no laughing matter and insiders will be committed in delivering the best outcomes for shareholders. This would indicate that the goals of shareholders and management are one and the same.

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It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. Our quick analysis into CEO remuneration would seem to indicate they are. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to Inchcape, with market caps between UK1.7b and UK5.3b, is around UK2.5m.

Inchcape's CEO took home a total compensation package worth UK2.1m in the year leading up to December 2021. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies and seems pretty reasonable. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.

Should You Add Inchcape To Your Watchlist?

Inchcape's earnings per share growth have been climbing higher at an appreciable rate. The sweetener is that insiders have a mountain of stock, and the CEO remuneration is quite reasonable. The drastic earnings growth indicates the business is going from strength to strength. Hopefully a trend that continues well into the future. Inchcape is certainly doing some things right and is well worth investigating. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Inchcape that you should be aware of.

Although Inchcape certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

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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Ukrainian Border Guards have shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that Russian artillery forces were using to conduct reconnaissance and adjust fire.

Source: Ukraines State Border Guard Service on Telegram

Quote: "[Ukraines] defenders have shot down a drone using small arms."

Details: The border guards reported that following the downing of the drone and thus the loss of reconnaissance capability, Russian artillery attacks have become less precise and eventually stopped.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
For many Christians, Easter is an important holiday within their faith. The holiday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, occurring after the end of the 40-day period known as Lent.

Church services and prayer are some ways that people observe the holiday. In other cases, some enjoy a more secular celebration of Easter with bunnies, baskets and colorful eggs.

Easter falls on a different day each year. So, when does it occur in 2023? Here's what to know about Easter 2023, plus some info on its history and why it's celebrated.

When is Easter?

Easter is Sunday, April 9, 2023. The date of the holiday changes depending on the year. In short, Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after March 21.

Western Christianity uses the Gregorian calendar. As a result, Easter typically falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25.

Just curious?: We're here to help answer life's everyday questions

In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the date of Easter also differs. This year, it falls on April 16, 2023.

History of Easter

Easter commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the last day of the Holy Week, consisting of several days  each with their own significance. These include:

Palm Sunday: commemorating when Jesus entered Jerusalem

Holy Thursday: commemorating the Last Supper and washing of feet

Good Friday: commemorating Jesus' crucifixion and death

Easter Sunday: commemorating the resurrection of Jesus

Spring books: 20 we can't wait to read from Viola Davis, Molly Shannon, Jennifer Egan, more

Why do we celebrate Easter?

Easter is celebrated to remember the sacrifices of Jesus Christ. As a result, most Christians will go to Church services and pray in observance. Other aspects of holiday, such as Easter eggs, also derive from Christian traditions.

A bunny, eggs and Jesus: How Easter became a holiday full of symbolism

The colorful Easter eggs you decorate with your family are actually symbols of new life and rebirth. Ancient Christian communities in Mesopotamia would stain eggs red to represent the blood of Christ, which was shed at the crucifixion. The eggs also signify the empty tomb of Jesus.

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As for the Easter bunny, its origins are not necessarily rooted in Christianity. The exact origins of the anthropomorphic rabbit are not clear. However, since ancient times, the hare has been said to represent rebirth.

'Father of Peeps' dies at 98: Passionate candy executive Ira 'Bob' Born passes away peacefully

German Lutherans used the "Easter Hare" during the Easter season similar to Santa Claus' role during Christmas. This rabbit would gift baskets of toys and candy to good children the night before Easter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Easter 2023: When is Easter this year and why it's celebrated
The historic Catalina building, seen in July 2019, has been repurposed for restaurants, distribution, retail, industrial and creative office space at 443 S. San Pedro St. in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

For more than a century, skid row has been a community of last resort. In the early 20th century, it was the area, on the east side of downtown, where the railroad ended, depositing immigrants and men seeking better work. With little money in hand they stayed in hotels, flophouses and religious missions. Some never found the success they sought and simply stayed on skid row, sometimes falling into the grasp of addictions.

Over time, skid row became the part of the city that tolerated those unwanted elsewhere  the addicted, the poor, Black people. The housing stock, mostly of single-room occupancy hotels, was cheap, but about half of it was demolished from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s when owners decided they would rather tear their buildings down than make city-ordered repairs. In the 1970s the city adopted an official policy of "containment"  concentrating cheap hotels, shelters and service agencies on skid row to both take care of residents and prevent them from setting up in other parts of downtown or the city. It was born of a desire by leaders to help and also to wipe their hands of the misery there.

In the last few decades, as homelessness has hit crisis levels, L.A. leaders have sought to build homeless housing throughout the city and take some pressure off skid row, where sidewalks are covered in tents and people cram their belongings into bags and shopping carts. An appalling lack of public toilets forces people to use streets as bathrooms. A federal judge ordered the city to essentially shelter the entirety of skid row. His order was eventually overturned. But skid row remains the community in Los Angeles with the highest concentration of homeless people  4,402 by the 2022 homeless count. The people who live on skid row  both housed and unhoused  have grown to see themselves as a community, even trying (unsuccessfully) to establish a neighborhood council in an effort to make elected officials see them as residents, not a collection of the downtrodden.

Now, skid row stands at a turning point. The new Downtown Community Plan  also known as DTLA 2040 because it would set the rules for development for the next 20 years  would designate a portion of historic skid row, between 5th and 7th streets and San Pedro Street and Central Avenue, as an area where only affordable housing could be built. The area, which will get a new zoning designation, IX1, meaning mixed industrial use, is a sliver of skid row. Still, it's significant because it would be the first area of the city with new housing reserved for residents defined as acutely low income (homeless or almost) to moderately low income.

Some skid row residents and advocates for homeless people say this affordable-housing-only district will ensure poor people aren't displaced by the market-rate development that will otherwise transform the community. Critics, including some service providers, however, warn that the city will be creating Containment 2.0, continuing the economic and social segregation that has fueled the miserable conditions on skid row.

The concerns are justified on both sides. Market-rate projects are already underway at the edges of skid row, and there have been building booms nearby in the Arts District and historic core that pushed out low-income tenants. Yet having any neighborhood officially designated for low-income people is akin to at least economic if not racial segregation. (About 30% of the county's homeless population is Black and 45% is Latino.) A healthy community has a mix of housing  market rate and affordable  and a mix of residents and, according to some, the amenities that generally follow an influx of people with various income levels: supermarkets, hair salons, pharmacies. Those are amenities that skid row has been missing.

But simply declaring there should be a mix of housing wont make it a reality. How do you allow entry to market-rate developers without displacing thousands of poor people in that community who are either unstably housed or not housed at all?

We believe there is a way to mix both.

The downtown plan already requires housing built anywhere downtown (outside the special IX1 zone) to have a baseline percentage of affordable housing. If a project wants more benefits  like building more densely  the project must offer more affordable housing.

In the skid row zone, city planners could require that market-rate developers provide a greater percentage of affordable units than what is required in the rest of downtown. Or the city could set a cap on the number of market-rate units that could be built in the zone. Developers of 100% affordable housing should still be able to build without restrictions.

The goal in this particularly impoverished community is to make room for more housing and more investment to lift up the neighborhood. Making skid row more of a mixed-income community need not displace current residents or services, if done carefully. Pushing residents out and forcing them to look for another place to live would be a failure. There's room to create a sound community plan that doesn't allow that to happen.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
financial advisor for entrepreneurs

Running a business or being self-employed can present some unique financial challenges. At some point, you might begin to wonder if it makes sense to hire a financial advisor. An advisor can help you create a game plan for managing money while saving you time so you can focus on other things.

If youre leaning toward getting professional advice, it helps to work with a financial advisor for entrepreneurs.

Do Entrepreneurs Need a Financial Advisor?

Entrepreneurs dont necessarily need a financial advisor, but there are some compelling reasons to consider hiring one. Depending on where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, an advisor might be able to help you with:

Developing a plan for maximizing the value of your business.

Evaluating opportunities for business and personal investment.

Managing day-to-day financial tasks, such as budgeting or keeping track of expenses.

Establishing systems for managing business and personal finances.

Creating a bigger-picture financial strategy that includes retirement planning or college planning.

Selling the business down the line if youre ready to move on to another project.

Having a trusted advisor on your team can also allow you to free up time so that you can focus on the tasks that are most important to your business. For instance, instead of debating which exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to add to your portfolio or worrying about which way the market is headed, you can turn your attention to projects that can help your business to scale and grow.

That return of time to you can be invaluable and well worth the typical 1% annual fee advisors often charge. The benefits of working with a financial advisor compound when theyre able to produce a level of returns thats consistent with your goals and needs.

Can a Financial Advisor Help Me Start a Business?

A financial advisor may not be able to help with certain logistics of starting a business, such as filing articles of incorporation or applying for an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Those are things youll usually need to handle yourself. An advisor can, however, offer assistance in other ways that can help you lay a strong foundation for your business.

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For instance, say youre still in the early stages but youve drafted a business plan. You could ask your advisor to review it and offer feedback on its strengths and weaknesses. Your advisor may be able to pick out areas that need improvement or help you to fill in the gaps if there are certain aspects of starting the business that youve overlooked in the plan.

An advisor can also help you to determine what funding options might be most appropriate if you need capital to start your business. For instance, they can walk you through the pros and cons of bootstrapping your company with personal savings or taking out a 401(k) loan, versus raising funds from angel investors or seeking small business financing.

Remember, many financial advisors for entrepreneurs operate their own firms and have already been through the process of starting a business. Theyve likely experienced some of the challenges that are common to entrepreneurs themselves, so they can offer insight that you might not get elsewhere.

What to Look for In a Financial Advisor

financial advisor for entrepreneurs

If its your first time working with a financial advisor, its important to know how to find one thats suited to your needs and of course, your budget. When youre specifically interested in finding financial advisors for entrepreneurs and small business owners, youll want to ask the right questions.

What type of entrepreneur or business owner do you typically work with?

Are your clients primarily entrepreneurs in the startup stage or do you work with more established businesses?

Do you focus on business owners in a particular industry?

What kind of business and personal financial planning services do you offer?

How often do you communicate with clients?

What are your preferred methods of communication?

Will we meet in person, over the phone or via video chat?

Which investing strategy do you favor?

Will I work with you alone or do you have a team that assists with clients as well?

How do you structure your fees?

Are you a fiduciary?

Some of these questions are the same as what youd ask any other advisor, regardless of whether they cater to entrepreneurs or not. For example, its helpful to know upfront whether your advisor is fee-only or fee-based as that can make a significant difference in what you pay.

Fee-only advisors only make money based on the fees they charge their clients. Fee-based advisors can charge fees, but they can also earn commissions when selling products to their clients. The fiduciary distinction also matters as fiduciary advisors are obligated to act in their clients best interests at all times.

When meeting with advisors, remember to trust your instincts. If an advisors personality is off-putting or you feel like theyre only trying to sell you something versus taking a genuine interest in your business, those are potential red flags that you shouldnt ignore.

How to Find a Financial Advisor for Entrepreneurs

There are numerous ways to find a financial advisor that specializes in working with entrepreneurs. The simplest place to start is by asking other small business owners. If you belong to a local networking group, for instance, you could poll them to ask whom they use for advisory services and whether theyd recommend them.

You can also ask other business owners to share their insights on social media or ask for recommendations from friends and family. Even if their advisor doesnt specialize in working with entrepreneurs, they might know another advisor who does. You can also ask for recommendations through SCORE if youre having trouble turning up leads.

Once youve got a list of advisors youre interested in contacting, consider doing a little background research first before contacting them. For example, you can check their website to get a sense of what services they offer and look them up on social media to see how theyre marketing their business. Last but not least, you can use the FINRA Broker Check Tool to find out whether there are any ethical or legal violations on their record.

The Bottom Line

financial advisor for entrepreneurs

Hiring a financial advisor can make it easier for you to grow your business while also growing wealth. Even if you dont think youre ready for an advisor yet, you could still benefit from scheduling a free consultation to make sure youre on the right track financially. You can speak with one directly to get a better feel for how theyll be able to help you with your wealth management.

Financial Planning Tips

If you dont have an advisor yet, dont panic. Finding a financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

In addition to a financial advisor, you might also consider hiring an accountant to help you manage the books for your small business. An accountant can review your income and expenses to maximize every credit and deduction your business is eligible for once its time to file your return. They can also help to you keep up with your obligations regarding estimated tax payments.

Photo credit: iStock.com/izusek, iStock.com/MangoStar_Studio, iStock.com/FG Trade

The post How to Find a Financial Advisor for Entrepreneurs appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
Those sentenced to death in courts in Kenya serve a life sentence. Kenyas last execution was in 1987.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  A Kenyan former policeman was sentenced to death on Friday for the murder of a human rights lawyer, his client and a taxi driver.

Frederick Leliman and three others were convicted of carrying out the murders in 2016, in one of a series of cases of alleged police brutality and extrajudicial killings in Kenya.

Lawyer Willie Kimani was representing a motorcycle taxi operator who was suing Leliman for shooting him at a traffic roadblock. Leliman later started threatening and intimidating the man.

Rebecca Mwenda, wife to Josphert Mwenda who was murdered alongside human rights lawyer Willy Kimani and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri, faints during sentencing of the convicts at Milimani Law Courts, Kenyas capital Nairobi Friday Feb. 3, 2023. (AP photo)

The bodies of Kimani, his client Josephat Mwendwa and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri were discovered in the Ol-Donyo Sabuk River, in the east of the country, days after they were reported missing.

Evidence produced in court showed that the three were abducted after a court session on June 22, 2016, were briefly locked up and then were taken out and murdered in an open field. Their bodies were discovered on July 1.

Leliman was given a death sentence, while former officers Stephen Cheburet and Sylvia Wanjiku received sentences of 30 and 24 years, respectively, and police informer Peter Ngugi was jailed for 20 years. A fourth former police officer, Leonard Mwangi, was acquitted.

Kenya police officers in dock from left to right sentenced Peter Ngugi Kamau, 20 years, Sylvia Wanjiku Wanjohi, 24 years, Stephen Cheburet Morogo, 30 years and Fredrick Leliman, life sentence at Kenyas Milimani court Friday Feb.3, 2023. (AP photo)

Those sentenced to death in Kenyan courts serve a life sentence. Kenyas last execution was in 1987.

The four have 14 days to file an appeal.

The murders triggered a series of protests by lawyers and human rights defenders because Kenyan police have in the past been accused of brutality and extrajudicial killings but very few officers have been convicted.

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The post Ex-policeman sentenced to death for murder in Kenya appeared first on TheGrio.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. AP Photo/John Locher

Ex-Romney strategist Stuart Stevens on MSNBC blasted Nikki Haley for her expected White House bid.

"No one else really embodies sort of the collapse of the party as well as Nikki Haley," he said.

Haley, a former South Carolina governor, served as the US Ambassador to the UN under Trump.

Mitt Romney's former aide blasted Nikki Haley in a recent interview over the former South Carolina governor's decision to enter the 2024 GOP presidential primary, saying she "doesn't have anything else to do" and arguing that she is actually seeking a vice presidential slot.

Stuart Stevens  who was Romney's chief strategist for his 2012 White House run and also a senior advisor for the anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project  questioned Haley's motivation for running for the presidency during a February 2 interview on MSNBC.

Haley has not yet formally announced her campaign but is reportedly set to do so on February 15 in Charleston, South Carolina.

"Why is Nikki Haley running? I don't think she's really running because she thinks she's going to be president of the United States," Stevens said. "First of all, she doesn't have anything else to do. She's raised some money here in her PAC and she'll run. And I would say she's running to be vice president. I don't think she's going to go out there and attack Donald Trump."

He continued: "No one else really embodies sort of the collapse of the party as well as Nikki Haley. She was what the party was supposed to be. She went out and said that Donald Trump was everything that she taught her children not to be, and she went from that to saying that she wants to carry on the Trump legacy. It's just so sad. She's already broken before she gets in the race."

Haley, a former state legislator, was elected governor of South Carolina in 2010 and reelected in 2014.

In February 2016, she endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's presidential bid, slamming former President Donald Trump at a rally as "everything I taught my children not to do in Kindergarten."

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"I taught my two little ones  you don't lie and make things up," she said at the time. "I taught my two little ones that you don't push people around and just tell them what you think should happen. And I told my two little ones to do exactly what Marco Rubio did in the last debate. When a bully hits you, you hit that bully right back."

Shortly after Trump was elected that November, he nominated Haley to serve as his Ambassador to the United Nations, a position that she held from January 2017 until December 2018.

In April 2021, Haley said that she wouldn't run for president in 2024 if Trump decided to launch a presidential campaign, just weeks after telling Politico that his conduct after his 2020 election loss would "be judged harshly by history."

However, in October 2021, Haley told The Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration had left behind a "strong legacy."

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Vietnams former president, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, said he resigned to take responsibility for the violations of officials serving under him when he was prime minister, according to a posting on the governments website.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Phuc, who resigned as president and a member of the Politburo last month, made the comment during a Feb. 4 ceremony to hand over his position to Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, who is now acting president.

The Communist Partys Central Committee is expected to announce two new Politburo members in April to replace Phuc and former deputy prime minister Pham Binh Minh, who also resigned. The committee will then make a nomination for the post of president and the National Assembly will vote on the candidate during its session in May or June.

The committee could pick a candidate who the National Assembly will vote on during its session in May or June.

Phuc, who was prime minister from 2016 to 2021, said he was fully aware of his responsibilities to the party and country. He also said members of his family were not involved in a bribery case tied to Viet A Technology JSC., a maker of Covid-19 test kits, according to the posting.

The Inspection Commission of the Party Central Committee concluded that neither Phucs wife nor children made any illicit gains or were involved in the corruption in connection with the Viet A case, the posting quoted Phuc as saying in a speech.

Officials have initiated criminal proceedings against 102 individuals tied to the case, according to the public security ministry.

Vo Van Thuong, standing member of the Central Committees Secretariat, presented Phuc with flowers and said he appreciated the former presidents contributions to the country, according to the posting. Phuc was elected president in April, 2021.

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American World War I fighter ace, Frank Luke Jr (1897 - 1918), with his SPAD S.XIII biplane, France, 18th September 1918. Getty Images

On Saturday, F-22 pilots shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon floating near South Carolina.

The pilot went by the call sign "FRANK01," an homage to a WWI hero.

Frank Luke Jr. was an airman credited with shooting down 14 German balloons during the war.

On Saturday, as an F-22 pilot shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon floating near South Carolina, the call sign of the airman contained an homage to a WWI hero.

Onlookers cheered as the pilot, identified as "FRANK01," circled China's spy balloon near Myrtle Beach as it floated over the Atlantic Ocean, waiting until the object was safely away from civilians on the ground to avoid the risk of falling debris.

Pilots use call signs in place of their names when communicating, both for security and identification purposes. The "FRANK" call sign was a reference to a WWI pilot, Frank Luke, the first airman to receive the Medal of Honor after shooting down over a dozen aircraft, including 10 spy balloons, in just eight days during World War I.

"I'm really incredibly proud of everybody that took place in this. But the F-22 was remarkable," General Glen VanHerck, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, said in a Monday press conference. "I'd remind everybody that the call sign of the first flight was Frank 01."

VanHerck lauded Luke's WWI successes in taking down enemy balloons, before adding: "So how fitting is it that Frank 01 took down this balloon in sovereign air space of the United States of America within our territorial waters."

Luke's achievement in battle was unsurpassed by any other pilot in the war, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. The brash, young pilot, nicknamed the "Arizona Balloon Buster," was driven by a desire for glory, the outlet reported  and his name and reputation have survived more than 100 years after his death at the hands of German soldiers.

"I will make myself known or go where most of them do," Air & Space Forces Magazine reported Luke wrote to his sister during his days in the 27th Squadron.

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Luke, a second lieutenant, was killed after attempting an unauthorized balloon-hunting mission behind enemy lines. His reputation as a hero was so prolific that, after his death, it was rumored he killed seven additional German soldiers who approached him as he lay dying before succumbing to a lethal machine gun wound.

The fighter ace was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor for his military victories and bravery.

"He was the most daring aviator and greatest fighter pilot of the entire war," Captain "Eddie" V. Rickenbacker said of Luke, according to the Air Force. Rickenbacker was the leading Ace while Luke was America's second-ranking Ace in World War I. Ace airmen are credited with shooting down five or more aircraft  and Luke achieved the status in two missions over the course of two days.

Rickenbacker added: "His life is one of the brightest glories of our Air Service."

The Air Force did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The modern-day balloon surveillance device shot down on Saturday  which Chinese officials acknowledge came from their country, but maintain was a civilian airship "used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes"  had been drifting over the continental United States for five days before it was shot down.

The balloon was spotted in Alaska, over parts of Canada, and in rural Montana near a US nuclear base housing 150 Minuteman ICBMs before floating eastward over Missouri and finally to South Carolina, where it was shot down.

A second Chinese surveillance balloon has been spotted floating over Latin America.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Reuters) - Here are some facts about the life and career of Pakistan's former President Pervez Musharraf, who died on Sunday:

*Born in Delhi, India, on August 11, 1943, in his family's ancestral home, Nehar Wali Haveli. His family migrated to Pakistan when it separated from India in 1947 and settled in Karachi.

*Musharraf joined Pakistan's Military Academy in 1961. He was chosen by then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the brother of Pakistan's current prime minister, as the army chief in 1998. He seized power and toppled Sharif's government a year later, citing the deteriorating political and economic conditions in Pakistan

*In 2001, he announced Pakistan's support for the U.S.-led campaign on al Qaeda militants following the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. targets. Washington's so-called "war on terror" triggered the invasion of Afghanistan by international forces, who withdrew from the country in 2021.

*In 2002, Musharraf was appointed president, a title he held in addition to army chief, after winning more than 90% of the vote in a controversial national referendum. A year later, he survived a bomb attack by the Jaish-e-Muhammad group, the first of several assassination attempts by Islamist militants angered by his support for the U.S.-led war on al Qaeda.

*In 2007, Musharraf stepped down from his post as army chief, but said he would remain president for another five-year term. He imposed a state of emergency to quell growing dissent to his rule, which included media censorship and arrests of oppsition politicians.

*In February 2008, Musharraf's ruling party lost general elections. A few months later, facing impeachment by lawmakers and the newly elected government, Musharraf announced he would resign as president and fled the country, living in London and Dubai. While in exile, he set up his own political party, and flew back Pakistan in 2013 to contest general elections but was disqualified immediately.

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*Musharraf lived in Dubai from 2016. In 2019, a Pakistani court sentenced him to death and deemed him a 'traitor' for subverting the country's constitution. The sentence was overturned in 2020.

*In 2022, Musharraf's family said he had been hospitalised due to complications from a rare organ disease called amyloidosis. He died on Sunday at the Dubai hospital.

(Reporting by Ariba Shahid and Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Miral Fahmy and Frank Jack Daniel)
A search is underway for three men who caused a fiery explosion outside of a Midlands school, the Lexington County Sheriffs Department said Saturday night.

The incident happened Jan. 29 at Pleasant Hill Elementary School in Lexington, the sheriffs department said in a news release. The Lexington 1 school is near the intersection of Pisgah Church Road and Rawl Road, about three miles from Exit 51 on Interstate 20.

The sheriffs department said the men walked up to the back of the school and climbed onto the roof. Later, they threw a Molotov cocktail which landed on the pavement and exploded, according to the release.

The Lexington County Sheriffs Department is looking for three men who caused a fiery explosion outside of an area school.

Surveillance footage shows the men walking up to the blazing fire. They then left the school in a white sedan, the sheriffs department said.

No injuries were reported.

There was no word if the explosion caused any damage to the school or campus.

Information about a motive for detonating the explosive device was not available.

The sheriffs department is asking for the publics help in identifying the men involved in the incident, and anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 888-CRIME-SC or submit an online tip.

The Lexington County Sheriffs Department is looking for three men who caused a fiery explosion outside of an area school.

This was one of several incidents that affected Midlands schools in the past week.

Several schools in Lexington and Richland counties were either evacuated or placed under a safety protocol as they were targeted by threats, officials said.

The sheriffs departments in both counties, as well as the Lexington Police Department, said no credible evidence of the threats was found after the law enforcement agencies searched the schools.

A student from Spring Valley High School was arrested Thursday in connection with threats targeting Midlands schools, according to the Richland County Sheriffs Department.

The 15-year-old was charged with threatening to use a destructive device, conveying false information about using a destructive device, student threats and disturbing schools, the Richland County Sheriffs Department said.

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The Richland County Sheriffs Department deemed all of the threats to be hoaxes done to disrupt schools.

There is no information connecting the Molotov cocktail incident to the threats issued last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Firefighters battled a 2-alarm fire on Beacon Street in Brookline, police and fire officials said Sunday.

Motorists are being advised to avoid the area near 1398 Beacon St. in Brookline, the location of the fire.

When firefighters arrived, they found heavy smoke billowing from the rear of the building, police said.

Shortly before 3:30 p.m. Sunday, firefighters extinguished the fire.

The area of Beacon Street outbound was shut down at Harvard Street, and areas near Centre and Winchester streets were also shut down, police said.

Please continue to avoid area as roads remain closed for a while longer, police said in a tweet.

Cambridge provided mutual aid.

Mutual aid response: Cambridge Ladder 1, Squad 4, & Division 1 are enroute to the 2nd alarm fire In Brookline, the Cambridge Fire Department said in a tweet.

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A man who briefly worked in Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) office has accused the embattled New York Republican of sexual harassment in a letter sent to the House Ethics Committee on Friday.

In a letter that he posted to Twitter, Derek Myers said that he worked in Santos office for a few days as a volunteer before a job offer to work as a congressional staffer was rescinded on Feb. 1. In the letter, Myers said he was alone in Santos office on Jan. 25 and was discussing mail received by constituents when the congressman asked him if he had a Grindr account, which is a popular gay dating app. Santos then told him that he had a Grindr profile, according to the letter.

Myers said Santos then asked him to sit next to Santos on a small couch where he placed his hand on Myers knee, interrupting the conversation about the mail. Santos asked Myers to go out to karoke that night, which Myers declined. Santos said that his husband was out of town and that Myers should come over, according to the letter, and proceeded to move his hand up Myers leg into my inner-thigh and proceeded to touch my groin.

Myers said on Twitter that he also filed a police report with the U.S. Capitol Police about the incident.

In the letter, Myers also alleges that Santos office violated House Ethics procedures by allowing him to work as a volunteer for several days under the promise of future employment.

I have learned that such volunteer work within a Congressional office without the correct procedures being followed is in violation of the House Ethics and I am requesting this serve as an official request for an investigation into the violation of allowing a volunteer to work in the workplace and offload work from paid stat members onto the volunteer with the promise of future employment, Myers wrote.

Last year, Myers was charged with wiretapping in Ohio after publishing audio of courtroom testimony that was obtained by a source in the Scioto Valley Guardian, where he was the editor-in-chief. Santos told Semafor that Myers also secretly recorded a conversation he had with Santos.

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Santos told Semafor that Myers violated the trust we had in him by recording the conversations. Santos cited the wiretapping charges as reason for rescinding the job offer.

Santos office did not respond to a request for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Fort Worth man was taken to a hospital on Saturday after being shot several times, according to police.

Fort Worth police received a call around 2:20 p.m. regarding a 24-year-old man who reported being shot at Jefferson Park.

He was taken to the Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center to treat several gunshot wounds, according to police.

The shooting may have been gang-related, according to a police call log.

It is unknown who shot the victim.

Details surrounding the incident are being investigated.
PARIS (Reuters) -French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne offered on Sunday to soften a planned pension overhaul to let some people who started work early also retire early in order to win conservatives support for the reform in parliament.

President Emmanuel Macron's government wants to raise the retirement age two years to 64 and extend the period workers have to pay in as part of a reform it says is necessary to keep the system out of the red in the coming years.

Since his party lost its absolute majority last year, the government needs votes from the conservative Les Republicains to pass the unpopular reform in parliament.

While workers who started to work before age 20 would be allowed to continue to leave the workforce early under the reform, Borne said she was open to suggestions from conservatives which would benefit more workers.

"We are going to move by extending the measure for long careers to those who started working at 20 and 21. They will be able to retire at 63," Borne said in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche Sunday newspaper.

A spokesman for the Republicains in the lower house, lawmaker Pierre-Henri Dumont, told Franceinfo radio that the concession did not go far enough to win the party members' backing.

Borne said the move would affect up to 30,000 people and cost up to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) per year, which meant that a source of financing would need to be found.

Dumont said that an alternative amendment proposed by his party would benefit "hundreds of thousands" of people per year.

Borne's government has faced two days of nationwide strikes since presenting the reform on Jan. 10 with unions planning another on Tuesday.

($1 = 0.9265 euros)

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas; additional reporting by Tangi Salaun; Editing by Sandra Maler and Toby Chopra)
"Now they're coming for our stoves!" Depending on which news outlets you tend to follow, it would be pretty easy of late to get the mistaken impression that someone might be coming for your gas stove.

But how exactly did this most recent skirmish in the culture war start? Almost a month ago, Richard Trumka Jr., of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, told Bloomberg News that "everything was on the table" when it comes to addressing the potential health risks posed by gas stoves.

Federal regulator won't ban gas stoves after all (Moneywatch)Cities are banning natural gas in new homes, citing climate change (Moneywatch)

The health risks of gas stoves explained (Scientific American)

Maria Espada was only too happy to have her gas stove replaced. For 44 years, she's lived in the Watson Houses of New York City's Housing Authority in the Bronx, with what she says are the effects of her unventilated gas stove, including asthma. "Because of the symptoms I was getting when I would be here in the kitchen, I would always have my window open a little bit, always," she said.

The group We Act for Environmental Justice replaced 18 gas stoves in Espada's building with stoves that use a newer technology called induction, because they and an increasing group of scientists, doctors and chefs say so-called "clean-burning" natural gas is actually not the most healthy way to cook food inside your home. Annie Carforo, who is with We Act for Environmental Justice, said that, according to their data, "Just by taking out a gas stove, we can reduce nitrogen dioxide in someone's home by 35%."

Maria Espada shows correspondent Luke Burbank her induction stove, which replaced her gas stove, and uses resistive heating to cook food. / Credit: CBS News

Eric Lebel, a scientist for PSE Healthy Energy, a non-profit research institute, said, "What our data has shown is that natural gas is not as clean as we thought. It leaks inside your house, and these leaks are both damaging to the climate and to the health."

In a recent peer-reviewed study, Lebel examined just how much methane and other chemicals are emitted by gas stoves into the home. Venting your kitchen is important, he said, but it isn't a perfect solution.

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Methane and NOx Emissions from Natural Gas Stoves, Cooktops, and Ovens in Residential Homes (Environmental Science & Technology)

"Nearly every stove that we measured emitted methane or natural gas while it was off, and that gas contains benzene," Lebel said. "Meanwhile, while you use your stove, nearly every stove emits some amount of nitrogen dioxide, which is a respiratory irritant, and it can be damaging to your health."

Lebel's study is one of many that link the pollutants from gas stoves to elevated levels of asthma, particularly in children:

Meta-analysis of the effects of indoor nitrogen dioxide and gas cooking on asthma and wheeze in children (Int'l Journal of Epidemiology)Household levels of nitrogen dioxide and pediatric asthma severity (Epidemiology)The respiratory health effects of nitrogen dioxide in children with asthma (European Respiratory Journal)Association of Indoor Nitrogen Dioxide Exposure with Respiratory Symptoms in Children with Asthma (American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine) Population Attributable Fraction of Gas Stoves and Childhood Asthma in the United States (Int'l Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)

Studies the gas industry strongly refutes: "Linking natural gas cooking with asthma," the American Gas Association said, "is not substantiated by sound science."

AGA Statement on the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Report

In a statement, the GA said, "While combustion emissions from gas ranges, ovens, and cooktops can contribute to emissions of recognized pollutants, there are no documented risks to respiratory health from regulatory and advisory agencies and organizations responsible for protecting consumer health."

Review and comments: Composition, emissions, and air quality impacts of hazardous air pollutants in unburned natural gas from residential stoves in California (AGA)Cooking with gas: Indoor air quality and residential gas ranges (AGA)

/ Credit: CBS News

It turns out America's love affair with so-called "natural gas" is no accident. It's the result of a concerted effort by the gas industry to sell its product, and it's worked. More than one-third of Americans use gas to cook at home.

Lebel said, "There's something very human, very intimate about cooking over an open flame inside your kitchen."

And for many years, gas stoves were inarguably superior to electric when it came to cooking. But these days, many chefs will tell you induction cooking has more than caught up.

Rachelle Boucher has been a professional chef for over 20 years, cooking for celebrity clients. These days she's part of the Building Decarbonization Coalition, a group (funded by electric utilities, appliance makers and tech companies) that evangelizes what she calls the "magic of induction cooking."

She demonstrated for Burbank how quickly water boils, for example, by using an induction stovetop. "Water boils twice as fast," she said. "We can watch water boil. It's a thing now."

"So, this is a watched pot that actually is going to boil?" asked Burbank.

"I know, right? I have been working with induction for so many years, and I always still have a sense of wonder about it."

Chef Rachelle Boucher prepares some crispy skin salmon via induction cooking. / Credit: CBS News

She explained the process: "Instead of heating something up, it starts to move the molecules in the pan, and it creates friction, and it makes your pan into your heat source."

Induction doesn't heat up your kitchen. It also doesn't put out the same emissions as gas stoves.

Back in the Bronx, Maria Espada was also cooking on her induction stove  a simple act she hopes to enjoy in her home for the foreseeable future.



For more info:

The health risks of gas stoves explained (Scientific American)We Act for Environmental Justice's Out of Gas campaignPSE Healthy Energy's research on natural gas stovesChef Rachelle Boucher (Instagram)Kitchens to LifeBuilding Decarbonization Coalition



Story produced by Anthony Laudato. Editor: Emanuele Secci.

Ex-Trump adviser Gary Cohn on job numbers, recession and debt ceiling

Full interview: Sen. Cory Booker on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan"

Red-hot job market complicates Fed efforts to curb inflation
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Feb. 5 that Russia had lost 131,290 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, including approximately 700 troops lost over the last day alone.

Russia has also lost 3,220 tanks, 6,405 armored fighting vehicles, 5,091 vehicles and fuel tanks, 2,226 artillery systems, 460 multiple launch rocket systems, 227 air defense systems, 294 airplanes, 284 helicopters, 1,958 drones, and 18 boats, according to the report.
Dove Lee, Visual Field, OGphoto/Getty Images; Arif Qazi/Insider;

In 2020, Santos ran his first campaign and lost  but still went to DC for new member orientation.

Before he was caught in a web of lies two years later, he made a splash as an almost-member.

Asked about the experience this week by Insider, he flatly declared: "I was invited."

It was November 26, 2020, and George Santos was apparently feeling nostalgic.

"I miss this crew!" wrote Santos in an Instagram post that showed him beside Republican Reps. Beth Van Duyne of Texas, Kat Cammack of Florida, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Pat Fallon of Texas, Andrew Clyde of Georgia and Byron Donalds of Florida. "Can't wait to get ready to join them again in 2022, and STAY with them!"

Before Santos became known for his seemingly-infinite stream of lies, the myriad investigations he faces, his past as a drag queen in Brazil, or the headaches he's causing his House Republican colleagues, the embattled congressman played the role of almost-member of Congress in 2020.

Following his first campaign for Congress, Santos traveled all the way down to Washington, DC in November 2020 to attend new member orientation  a series of training sessions and tours held immediately after each election to give victorious House candidates a crash course on the job they've just won.

Back home, election returns still showed Santos leading Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York, though a trove of tens of thousands of mail-in ballots that were widely expected to favor Suozzi had yet to be counted.

"We all knew that Tom was going to win that race," said former Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones of New York, who also attended the orientation, on a recent podcast episode. Jones also said Santos "asked the most questions" of any of the members-elect present. "We're all like, dude, you're not even gonna be part of this Congress."

The orientation took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and spanned November 12 to November 21. Santos would ultimately leave before the end of the session, conceding his race to Suozzi on the 17th.

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Nonetheless, according to a series of posts on the Long Island congressman's Instagram from that night in late November, his brief time in Washington for orientation was a blast.

He was in the White House with Rep. Burgess Owens when he got to experience the "awesomeness" of the Utah Republican's race getting called. He took a tour of the "absolutely stunning" Washington Monument. But the "highlight" of his time in DC, according to Santos himself, was listening to a phone call from then-President Donald Trump while dining in Statuary Hall with other new Republican members.

But it all came crashing down at the Lincoln Memorial, where he says he got a call notifying him that he'd been "ambushed" by mail-in ballots. "I didn't become upset because I channeled Abe's energy," he wrote, already vowing to run again in 2022.

He eventually came back to Washington just before January 6, 2021, claiming in a since-unearthed video the day before the Capitol riot that his election had been stolen from him.

"Who here is ready to overturn the election for Donald J. Trump?" he asked a crowd. Santos has said that he saw Trump's speech at the Ellipse on the day of the riot, but that he never entered the Capitol.

'He seemed nice'

In cases where a congressional election takes more than a few days to fully determine, both candidates are sometimes invited to take part in new member orientation.

Adam Frisch, a Democrat who almost unseated Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert this past year, attended the orientation sessions in November as the vote-counting in Colorado dragged on. In 2018, current Republican Rep. Young Kim of California attended as well, despite ultimately losing her race that year.

"I was invited," Santos flatly stated in a brief interview at the Capitol this past week, declining to get into details about his time in Washington in 2020.

"Ask Young Kim about it, she had the same experience," he added. "Ask somebody with a little bit more relevant of an opinion on it."

Today, Santos seems to be having trouble managing his own office, faces a lack of cooperation from local Republican officials with even the basics of constituent work, and has chosen to renounce his committee assignments due to the "media fanfare" surrounding his lies.

But back then, other lawmakers described a man who was friendly, if a bit quirky.

Santos at 2020 new member orientation, seated near Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas and Democratic Rep. Sara Jacobs of California. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

"He seemed nice, and pleasant, and likable," said Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, one of a handful of Republicans who's called for Santos to resign. "I texted him a couple times over the last few years, but nothing of consequence. I didn't donate to him  thank God!"

"He was a very jovial, very outgoing guy, just like he is now," said another House Republican elected in 2020 who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about her colleague. "The Bible says that we're all sinners, and I believe that people make mistakes. I'm not one to judge anybody. I leave that up to God Almighty."

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also struck up a friendship with Santos, sending him a package that included a cookie made to look like the far-right congresswoman.

"Miss you George!" Greene replied to a photo of the cookies that Santos posted on Twitter.

Two gay members of Congress who attended the orientation  Democratic Reps. Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones, both of New York  have recounted "odd" interactions they had with Santos, the first non-incumbent openly-gay Republican ever elected to Congress.

"At some point, he approached me to tell me that he is a gay Republican," said Jones on a recent podcast appearance. "Which I imagine is something that he did because he knows that I'm gay."

But Santos, despite his apparently boisterous personality, apparently left less of an impression with other Democrats.

Rep. Sara Jacobs of California, who was photographed sitting near Santos during one session held in the Capitol Visitor Center, said she had no recollection of meeting or seeing the man.

"Everyone was wearing masks," said Jacobs. "There were so many people, and we didn't know anybody yet."

And Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, also elected in 2020, said he didn't recall meeting Santos but was amused to learn that he was there.

"This Congress is a fascinating place, man," said Bowman. "You want to work in an exciting, fast-paced industry, with unlimited storylines and twists and turns? I mean, this is the place."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Changes have taken place in the Federal Community Defender leadership of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in a very different way than how federal prosecutors are selected.

Elizabeth Beth Ford, a career attorney whos run the community defenders office since 1999 and been active in Knoxville organizations, has retired and the offices nonprofit board of directors has selected Gianna Maio, in charge of the Chattanooga office, as her successor. Maio plans to be in Knoxville weekly, she said. She also will work in the Greeneville office of the district.

Gianna Maio

On the other side of the federal court system, the chief prosecutor, or U.S. Attorney, is appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The current U.S. Attorney, Francis Trey Hamilton III, is an interim appointment made by the districts judges.

President Joe Biden nominated Casey Arrowood, a career attorney, for the U.S. Attorney position, but he was not approved during the last session of the U.S. Senate, so the nomination expired. Arrowood faced opposition from Asian communities and advocates since he was the prosecutor who helped mount an espionage case against a University of Tennessee professor as part of former President Donald Trumps China Initiative. The case was dropped by a federal judge in Knoxville.

Both offices are operated with federal funds.

Ford, 67, said in an interview Wednesday, her first day of retirement, that the Eastern Districts model for selecting public or community defenders was decided when the late Thomas G. Hull was chief judge. He served in 2002-08. Federal court guidelines allow a district to decide whether to have judges or a nonprofit board made up primarily of defense attorneys  but also including professionals from social work and mental health fields  select the defender.

The method chosen for the defender for the Eastern District means more independence, Ford said. She said she was recruited to work in the office in 1992 by Leah Prewitt, the first person holding the position. At the time, Ford worked with juveniles in what has become the Tennessee Department of Childrens Services.

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We had cases against each other, Ford said, explaining how she and Pruitt got to know each other. I was ready for a change.

Beth Ford

Ford said she couldnt discuss specific cases for privacy reasons but that the office has represented high-profile cases, including violations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The office also represents people on death row during their last round of appeals. She is a native of Newport, where she said her parents, Mary and Nathan Ford, both 95, live. She received a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University and her J.D. degree from the University of Tennessee. She has been on the YWCA board and Pellissippi State Business Advisory Committee and has been chair of the UT College of Law Alumni Council.

She and her husband, Mike Driskill, a retired architect, left for Belize on Thursday to begin her retirement traveling. I wanted to go where it is warm, she said.

Maio, 47, will head a staff of 50, most of whom are in the Knoxville office in the First Horizon building on Gay Street. She has been with the defenders office since graduating from the UT College of Law in 2005.

The Ohio natives undergraduate degree is from Kenyon College in Ohio, and she said she considered becoming a dentist before deciding on law school. She was introduced to the UT Legal Clinic as part of her study.

Thats where I could see myself, representing juveniles and indigent defendants, she said. Thats why she was interested in working in the Community Defenders office, she added.She and her husband, Stephen Collins, an architect with MTO construction, have two children and also have moved their parents to Chattanooga.

Were definitely settled in Chattanooga, she said.

Knoxville lawyer David Eldridge, who is on the Federal Defenders of East Tennessee advisory board, said Ford has led the office with a wonderful combination of hard work, excellent organizational skills, compassion of its clients, and a healthy dose of good humor. He said the office has become nationally recognized.

Eldridge said Maio was selected after a national search. I know firsthand about her talents as a trial lawyer and have watched the relationships she has built with her clients and the respect she has earned from our Federal judges as well as those in the United States Attorneys Office, he said in a statement requested by this columnist.

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon speaks at the 34th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission Leadership Awards Luncheon at the University of Tennessee Student Union in Knoxville, Tenn., on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023.

 KNOXVILLE ELECTIONS UPDATE: Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon reported raising slightly more than $100,000 in her latest financial disclosure filed as part of her reelection campaign with the Knox County Election Commission. With what she had on hand from her last report and expenditures, her balance on Jan. 15 was $122,886.

Her contributors include a number of high-profile real estate investors, developers and business people as well as neighborhood leaders. They include real estate developer Tim Hill, who himself is a candidate for at-large seat C held by incumbent Amelia Parker. Tim and Deanna Hill contributed a total of $6,400, which is for the primary and general elections this year.

Other contributors of $1,600, the maximum per election for a city campaign, include Mark Heinz, Phil Lawson, Mike Keeney, Carey Parker, Rick Dover, Jacob Bull, Gene Morris, Chadwick Campbell and Sharon Pryse.

Much of Kincannons expenses has gone to Savannah Gillette, for campaign work, at $2,000 every two weeks.

Former Knoxville police officer and Fraternal Order of Police president Keith Lyon has filed paperwork to run for mayor and reported on Jan. 31 he had raised $150 and spent nearly $34 for a balance of $116.

However, he said Friday any potential mayoral race is on hold and he is concentrating on a campaign to become the next chairman of the Knox County Republican Party. He would succeed lawyer Daniel Herrera, who is not seeking reelection. The local GOP will reorganize at a convention beginning at 10 a.m. Feb. 17 at Crown College in Powell.

The Knoxville city primary is scheduled for Aug. 29 with the general election on Nov. 7. The city elections are nonpartisan, although legislation has been introduced in the state legislature to require they, as well as all judicial elections, be partisan.

Meanwhile, the Knox County Election Commission staff plans to conduct a seminar for individuals considering campaigning for city offices in 2023, people interested in being poll workers and interested voters 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. March 4 at the Downtown West Early Voting/Training facility, 6145 Downtown West Blvd.

Chris Davis, elections administrator, said Election 101 also will took toward 2024. Over the course of the next two years, five elections will be held, he said. He said candidates, workers and voters need more information, including on election security.

He said it will be a hands-on seminar, including instructions on how to use a voting machine.

Georgiana Vines is retired News Sentinel associate editor. She may be reached at gvpolitics@hotmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Georgiana Vines: Maio succeeds Ford in community defender's office
Ukrainian special forces are acting outside the Ukrainian border and striking at Russia on its own territory, the Guardian reports.

Source: The Guardian

The news agency reports that it has spoken to three Ukrainian special forces soldiers  23-year-old Taras, 21-year-old Vladyslav, and their commander, 39-year-old Oleksii.

The military says that in case the worst happens, the Ukrainian government will deny any knowledge of them.

The Guardian notes that they are members of the Brotherhood battalion, a volunteer group of Ukrainian special forces fighting Vladimir Putin deep in Russia.

Their work "ranges from the kidnapping of senior Kremlin officials, to the destruction of key military infrastructure and the downing of enemy aircraft on Russian territory".

One of the soldiers, Vladyslav, says that they are telling this publicly so that Putin and the invaders know that it is "very easy for us [Ukrainian soldiers  ed.] to cross the Russian border".

The "Brotherhood" insists that it is vital for the Russian high command to feel the heat of battle on its own territory.

The media reports that the Brotherhood volunteers have a special status, "technically independent from Ukraines army but operating side by side with the official forces".

The journalists met the soldiers for coffee in the city of Kyivs Taras Shevchenko Park. There, in jeans and jumpers, the soldiers told them about their adventures, taking a break from training, planning and missions.

The Guardian , "- , , ".

The Guardian adds that "because of their unofficial status, their stories could not be independently verified but they are convincing and credible. They are also extraordinary in their daring."

Taras says he got back two weeks ago after what he says was a simple operation: "Our group needed to bring a certain amount of explosives to the territory of Russia and leave them in a certain place."

However, six weeks ago, he said, he completed his most successful operation yet: "We had a task to destroy a Russian helicopter transporting high-ranking officials of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs."

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The operation was not successful the first time, but one day they managed to shoot down a helicopter with a MANPAD from a distance of 4km. The soldiers made sure the helicopter exploded.

Regardless of whether the Kremlin officials died in the helicopter, for Taras it was a successful mission that achieved the main goal of the battalion's initiatives.

The last operation in Russia in which Vladyslav participated was "a month ago in the region around the city of Belgorod, where a number of ammunition stores have exploded in recent months."

The military emphasise that their work is extremely dangerous, but they prepare very carefully and realise their importance.

The soldiers also told journalists about their perished colleagues, noting that even the best professionals may die on such missions.

Background: A unit of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces carries out sabotage missions on the territory of the Russian Federation, including the destruction of ammunition storage points and oil reservoirs.

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A dispute in a downtown Minneapolis bar around closing time early Sunday spilled out into the street and ignited gunfire that wounded three people, officials said.

Officers near N. 1st Avenue and N. 5th Street heard the gunshots and saw a man in his 20s with noncritical wounds, said Police Sgt. Garrett Parten. A second gunshot victim, also a man in his 20s, was found wounded about a block away, Parten said.

A third man in his 20s arrived at HCMC in a private vehicle after having been shot, the sergeant said. All three men were at HCMC and were expected to survive their wounds, he said.

"Preliminary information indicates that a verbal altercation inside a downtown bar later escalated to gunfire" near 1st Avenue and 5th Street, Parten said.

Police have not announced any arrests, specified how many people were shooting or addressed a possible motive for the gunfire.
A man in Berlin, New Hampshire is facing a murder charge in the shooting death of a man on Friday.

Nomar Ramos-Rivera, 44, is facing one charge of second-degree murder and two counts of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella.

Christopher Veliz, 44, was found deceased outside a home on Sullivan Street in Berlin shortly after 8 a.m. on Friday.

Ramos-Rivera is also accused of recklessly firing a firearm into an occupied vehicle.

Ramos-Rivera is currently being held out without bail and is expected to be arraigned in Coos County Superior Court.

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Harry Kane celebrates after becoming Tottenhams all-time leading scorer (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Harry Kanes record-breaking goal fired 10-man Tottenham to a 1-0 win over Manchester City to further dent the champions titles hopes.

Kane slotted home after quarter of an hour to break the deadlock and move past Jimmy Greaves as Spurs all-time leading marksman, having gone level with the late forward against Fulham two weeks ago.

It proved enough to keep up Tottenhams excellent record against City, who could have gone within two points of leaders Arsenal following their defeat at Everton on Saturday.

The numbers tell the story @HKane: Tottenham Hotspur's all-time record goalscorer pic.twitter.com/slXtqtdU2C  Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 5, 2023

Fifth-placed Spurs instead claimed a third victory from their last four matches against Pep Guardiolas side despite Cristian Romeros late red card to aid the recovery of absent manager Antonio Conte, who is still in Italy after having his gallbladder removed on Wednesday.

Despite Conte recovering from surgery, he was involved in team selection and deadline-day signing Pedro Porro was only on the bench for Spurs with City surprisingly naming Kevin De Bruyne amongst the substitutes too.

The visitors had seen title rivals Arsenal drop points 24 hours earlier and signalled their intentions with Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez having shots blocked in the opening exchanges.

City were dominating possession but they soon felt the familiar feeling of trailing to Tottenham and it proved a record-breaking goal.

Eric Dier urged his team-mates to press higher and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg stole in ahead of Rico Lewis outside the away penalty area before he passed into the path of Kane, who scuffed an effort beyond Ederson and into the corner.

It moved Kane past Greaves as the clubs all-time leading scorer with 267 goals for Spurs and saw jubilant celebrations both on and off the pitch with the screens inside the stadium acknowledging his achievement before the forward waved to his family in the West Stand.

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Bookings followed with Rodrigo Bentancur and Romero cautioned in quick succession, the latter for clattering into peripheral figure Erling Haaland.

Tottenham assistant Cristian Stellini was attempting to match the animated presence of the absence Conte on the touchline but saw his side enjoy a slice of luck before the break.

After Rodri and Jack Grealish had failed to find the net with curled efforts late in the half, Mahrez sent a stinging half-volley crashing against the crossbar from 12 yards that bounced away to safety to ensure Spurs were ahead at the break for the first time at home since October 12.

Ben Davies headed wide for the hosts at the start of the second period before Guardiola turned to De Bruyne with 57 minutes played.

De Bruynes first real involvement saw his short free-kick find Alvarez, who saw a low shot diverted over by Diers thigh.

It sparked a frantic spell with Romero blocking Manuel Akanjis shot and seconds later Ivan Perisics cross agonisingly evaded the Argentina defender and Kane at the back post.

Kane was in the thick of the action minutes later, sending one effort wide before Ederson denied him after Tottenhams record scorer had bulldozed his way past Kyle Walker and Akanji.

More drama was to follow with referee Andrew Madley showing Romero a second yellow card for a foul on Grealish before five minutes of stoppage time was added on.

Despite plenty of City possession, it was Tottenham who held firm to move within a point of the top four and do rivals Arsenal a favour in the title race.
Sergey Menyaylo, Head of the Republic of North Ossetia, together with Russian propagandists of TASS information agency and Channel One Russia, have come under fire on the territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Source: TASS

Details: It was noted that this happened during a "visit to positions of Ossetian volunteer units and the republics mobilised fighters".

It was clarified that there were allegedly no casualties, as they hid in the dugout, which "took minor damage".

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Big Freedia Hotel

Black History Month is underway, and the gift of the so-called Big Freedia hotel is the first win for the month!

Beyonce had fans in shambles when she announced the Renaissance tour, her first solo tour since 2016. On the same day, Big Freedia made a special announcement of her own on Twitter, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

This dream of mine has been in the works for a long time, she wrote. Ill be one of the first Black hotel owners in New Orleans! Will keep yall posted on the official opening date. Cant wait to see yall at Hotel Freedia.

Some Twitter users offered congratulations, while others asked when they could make a reservation.

Can we bounce on the beds? joked Noah Soulis. So excited for you!

Eee, this is so exciting! wrote a second user. Congratulations! I cant wait to visit!

This is huge! somebody else wrote. Your momma would be so proud! Much love!

Where did the idea to open Hotel Freedia come from?

The diva told Rolling Stone the idea came to her during the pandemic when her movements were limited.

Not being able to go out and work during the pandemic [and] cooking brought so much light and creativity, she said. It just really got me interested in doing a restaurant, and I always had a dream of opening a hotel, so it just kind of came together that way.

According to Eater New Orleans, there will be nightclub and restaurant facilities on site.

The hotel will have just five rooms, with a 60-seat restaurant and music venue located on the ground floor, the publication explained. There will be a pool and clubhouse on the second floor. The venue will be open to the public. But, the NFT-based memberships will grant access to the pool, hot tub and bar.

For those who are members, there will be other perks like first-come, first-served access to shows, room discounts and exclusive food and beverage offers.

What else is on Big Freedias agenda?

In addition to preparing for the hotels launch, Freedia has plenty on the agenda musically. Her upcoming tour will take her across the U.S. Shes also lined up a few dates in Australia and New Zealand. She continues to ride high following her feature on Beyonces Break My Soul last summer. In 2016, Freedia loaned her talents to another Beyonce hit, Formation, the popular single from the Lemonade album.

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A Louisiana native, Big Freedia is the Queen of Bounce, a sub-genre of hip-hop that gained traction in the 90s.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Bounce is like a spicy gumbo, combining raucous up-tempo rhythms, heavy bass and call-and-response chants inspired by Mardi Gras. It has unmistakably sexual overtones, and encourages people to let loose on the dance floor, or wherever else, really. Its a far cry from Freedias origins singing on the choir in a Baptist church.

Women make up most of the genres fan base, and Big Freedia is indebted to them.

She said, the women are definitely the ones who empower this music. They help me push the boundaries when Im up there. They protect me in many ways and I do the same for them.

When can we expect to patronize Hotel Freedia?

If all goes according to plan, doors will open come Mardi Gras 2024.

Be sure to show love if youre going to be in NOLA at that time.
(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee is seeking to convince oil giant Saudi Aramco and its units to consider a secondary listing in the Asian financial hub as he embarks on his first official visit to the Middle East, according to the South China Morning Post.

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Lee is kicking off a campaign to attract new investment to the city following almost three years of pandemic isolation. The leader will meet top executives of Saudi Aramco and highlight what Hong Kong has to offer as an international financial center, according to the report, which quoted the leader as saying he will try his best to encourage the oil producer to list in the city.

Hong Kong has been a popular center for sovereign funds and companies to list, the report cited Lee as saying Sunday after arriving in Saudi Arabias capital, Riyadh. Aramcos businesses are very diversified with its different subsidiaries and the plan is to encourage them to come to Hong Kong for participation, including listing in the city, the South China Morning Post quoted him as saying.

Aramco declined to comment to Bloomberg.

Saudi Arabian Oil Co., as the $2 trillion company is formally known, listed in Saudi capital Riyadh in 2019. Prior to the companys $29 billion share offering, the worlds largest on record, it opted to shun an international listing.

Hong Kong-China Border to Fully Open in Boost for Hub Status

Lee was welcomed at the airport by Badr AlBadr, deputy minister of Saudi Arabias ministry of investment; Hamad Aljebreen, consul-general of Saudi Arabia in Hong Kong; and Yin Lijun, deputy chief of mission of the Chinese Embassy in the country, according to the report.

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He is visiting Saudi Arabia and then will head to the United Arab Emirates until Feb. 11. During that time, hell meet with local political and business leaders to promote new development opportunities and foster Hong Kongs exchanges and co-operation with Saudi Arabia and the UAE on all fronts, according to a government statement released before the trip.

The chief executive said before leaving that Saudi Arabias and the UAEs development vision and needs are exactly in line with Hong Kongs advantages, Radio Television Hong Kong reported.

His trip comes as local Hong Kong officials seek to promote the city and attract new investment opportunities to boost its battered economy, which contracted last year for the third time since 2019 as a prolonged exit from isolating Covid curbs weighed on the city.

Hong Kongs IPO Recovery Key to Futus Staff-Stock-Plan Income

Since Hong Kong began reopening up last year, Hong Kong officials have sought to increase engagement with the Middle East and their Asian neighbors as relations with traditional western allies have cooled amid authorities crackdown on dissent.

Last October, Financial Secretary Paul Chan visited Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to develop potential business opportunities, while Lee and other government officials have since traveled to Vietnam and Thailand for similar purposes.

The financial secretary said at the time of his visit that bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing reached out to Saudi Aramco about a secondary listing, according to the South China Morning Post.

China has been actively pursuing investment opportunities in the Middle East amid heightened Sino-US tensions. In December Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia for a summit where some $50 billion of investment agreements were signed.

--With assistance from Fahad Abuljadayel.

(Updates with Aramco declining to comment.)

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BENGALURU, India (AP)  Over 500 energy industry heavyweights and 30,000 participants will descend on the southern Indian city of Bengaluru on Monday to discuss the future of renewables and fossil fuels at India Energy Week  the first big ticket event of the country's presidency of the Group of 20 leading economies.

Speakers, including India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Saudi Arabia's energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and the International Energy Agencys executive director Fatih Birol, will discuss the need to ramp up the transition to clean energy. But the overwhelming presence of oil and gas industry stakeholders has raised questions from climate analysts.

This event will showcase India as a global powerhouse for energy transition, said Hardeep Singh Puri, India's minister for petroleum and natural gas. Puri's ministry is organizing the event.

But Puri added that "Indias clean energy targets needs to be weighed against the countrys growing economy and rising energy requirements. The country is set to become the world's most populous nation this year.

India is currently the third highest emitter of planet-warming gases but has pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2070 and dramatically ramp up its renewable energy capacity.

Ahead of the event, IEA's Birol praised India's climate efforts, saying the country can help drive the global agenda on clean energy transitions and energy security, with its focus on addressing technology gaps, ensuring diversified supply chains, scaling up clean fuels for the future, and mobilizing investment.

Most of the Indian participants at the event belong to either government-owned or private fossil fuel companies, sparking concerns from climate experts.

Gas expansion, which at least in Indias context does not make too much sense, needs looking into, said Aarti Khosla of New Delhi-based climate think-tank, Climate Trends. While India energy week talks about the role of gas as a bridge fuel for energy security, it is proven that there are risks ... banks are not lending too much to gas and global sentiment of investors is shifting slowly away from gas as well.

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But others say it's important to keep the conversation with fossil fuels interests going as they remain key players in energy.

A country like India presently needs fossil fuels to keep the lights on, said Bharath Jairaj, who leads the World Resources Institute India's energy program. We cant just assume some sectors should not or cannot be discussed, not until we find reliable, affordable and secure alternatives.

Stakeholders from clean energy companies will also be in attendance. Sumant Sinha, the CEO of Renew Power, one of India's largest renewable energy companies, sees the energy week as a forum to understand various stakeholders viewpoints.

A lot of global energy companies that we can potentially partner with will be there," said Sinha. "And look, the reality is that even the oil and gas companies are shifting to renewables. Therefore its important for us to engage. It's always good to see what the rest of the energy ecosystem is thinking about.

India Energy Week runs Feb. 6-10 and will coincide with the first meeting of the G-20 energy transition working group. The Asian ministerial energy roundtable, where energy ministers from key Asian countries will meet, will also be held as part of the event in Bengaluru.

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Follow Sibi Arasu on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sibi123.

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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last month announced the appointment of six conservatives to the board of trustees at the New College of Florida, a small campus overlooking Sarasota Bay. (Thomas Simonetti / For the Washington Post via Getty Images)

The campus was on edge, with more than a dozen police officers and a bomb-sniffing dog on patrol and rumors spreading that far-right militias were on their way.

Outside an auditorium, a few protesters held up signs declaring: NO HOSTILE TAKEOVER!

The focus of the controversy was Christopher Rufo, the most prominent of six conservatives recently named trustees at New College of Florida by the states governor, Ron DeSantis, as part of his war on woke.

In a hyper-politicized age in which conservatives push for more control over what students are taught, this small college overlooking Sarasota Bay looks set to become a pivotal battleground in the war over the mission of public universities.

Rufo, best known for his activism against critical race theory in American education, had come to the left-leaning liberal arts school to hold a pair of town halls, one for faculty and the other for students.

Minutes before the first meeting was to start, the provost announced that she had decided to cancel it because of a threatening email the school had received a day earlier. It was directed at another new trustee who was also scheduled to speak, Jason Eddie Speir, the founder of a nearby Christian school: MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A FLAK JACKET ON.

Rufo and Speir refused to leave.

This is the problem at your school, you know that, right? Rufo said, pointing at the provost, Suzanne Sherman. Youve created an environment in which the most intolerant and the most aggressive people who threaten violence can veto you, can veto the president, can veto any changes.

We are closing this building, sir, Sherman said.

No, were not, Rufo said.

Rufo has vowed to scrap diversity, equity and inclusion programs and hire new faculty with expertise in constitutional law, American principles and what he calls family values. Speir recently floated the idea of terminating all contracts with faculty, staff and administration and then immediately rehiring those who fit in the new financial and business model.

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Education experts worry that the true aim of the new board is not academic freedom or diversity of thought but turning New College into a model for conservative education.

Many of the schools 698 students fear that their professors will be banned from discussing topics such as race and gender.

Right now, everyone is super scared, said Ellen Benedict, 18, a marine biology student who identifies as nonbinary and is considering a transfer to another school, probably to somewhere in New York, in case DeSantis goes after other colleges in Florida.

This is bigger than here, Benedict said.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo speaks to faculty at the New College of Florida in Sarasota on Jan. 25. (Thomas Simonetti / For the Washington Post via Getty Images)

Keith Whittington, a political scientist at Princeton University and author of Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech, said New College could become a real laboratory for how much, and in what way, state governors might intervene in how universities operate.

A majority of U.S. professors identify as far left or liberal  60% in 2017, up from 41% in 1990, according to surveys by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. And there has been no shortage of cases of universities disinviting conservative speakers, disciplining professors and policing language.

Whittington has long been concerned about what he sees as the homogeneity of ideas on college campuses and the mounting conservative backlash. But he said that meddling with the hiring of faculty or the curriculum or ruling certain subjects out of bounds  as some of the new trustees at New College of Florida have vowed to do  crosses a red line.

Its appropriate for politicians in some of these states to be worried about the direction their public universities are taking, he said. The question is: How do you attempt to reform them without seriously damaging them in the process?

: :

New College began as a private institution in 1960, an era when legislators in Florida were purging purportedly subversive civil rights activists, communists and gay people from state institutions. Its founders envisaged it as a bastion of free thought.

The college turned public the next decade because of financial troubles, but it maintained a quirky, anything-goes vibe. In 1992, the Sun Sentinel newspaper described the campus like this: Shoes are optional. Grades are obsolete. Attitudes are open.

But not entirely. Four years ago, the colleges then-president told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that a study commissioned by administrators found that some students were leaving because the political atmosphere had become too hostile.

Rufo, 38, says he wants to change that. On the day he was named a trustee, he shared his agenda on Twitter.

We are now over the walls and ready to transform higher education from within, he wrote. Our all-star board will demonstrate that the public universities, which have been corrupted by woke nihilism, can be recaptured, restructured, and reformed.

A view of the New College of Florida campus in Sarasota. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times)

By the time Rufo set foot on campus late last month, many faculty and students were vowing to boycott the town halls. Some were wary of giving Rufo publicity. Others said they felt unsafe.

Rufo and Speir prevailed in their standoff with administrators, and about 200 professors, college staffers and community members poured into the auditorium.

Were going to liberate the campus, Rufo told reporters. Were going to liberate administrators. Were going to liberate faculty from the cultural hostage takers!

Groans filled the room as Rufo said enrollment was down and the colleges finances were so strained that some lawmakers wanted to shut it down.

New College, he said, had a culture problem.

We have an echo chamber here, where only one orthodoxy is allowed, Rufo said. It doesnt reflect the breadth of opinions in the state of Florida; it doesnt reflect the breadth of opinion at a good liberal arts college.

He cited as evidence private conversations with unnamed faculty and staffers and a 2019 report commissioned by administrators to study low enrollment that found the college had an extraordinary focus on social justice and that  based on a survey of applicants who were admitted  the phrases most strongly associated with the college were politically correct, druggies and weirdos.

Many in the audience dismissed his take, sighing, booing and heckling.

You are the problem!

Please stop!

Liar!

When it came time to pass a mic around the audience, a psychology technician grilled Rufo about statements he had made that appeared to link LGBTQ individuals with pedophilia  a question that Rufo said misrepresented his beliefs.

The universitys chief diversity officer, Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez, asked how the new trustees would ensure that liberals were also welcome and people like myself will maybe not be fired next week?

Rufo said that nobody should be intimidated, but he offered Rosario-Hernandez no assurance that her job was safe.

Diego Villada, a theater professor who wore a rainbow-colored flag over his shoulder, told Rufo and Speir that they sounded crazy in media accounts, but that he found them more reasonable in person.

Today I feel like I understand the words that are coming out of your mouth, he said. I feel like they are earnest.

Still, Villada said he did not see evidence of a restrictive left-wing academic culture.

How does one gauge a stifling orthodoxy through the anecdotal evidence that you all are gathering? he asked.

: :

Students at New College acknowledge that they and their professors tend to lean left. But several said in interviews that they were exposed to a wide range of ideas.

And though the schools conservative critics have singled out classes such as Queer Studies and Feminist, Queer and Trans Theory, the college offers a broad spectrum of courses in the sciences and humanities.

"Doing a full 180 and making it conservative or traditional or classical is not going to help anybody," said Rocio Ramirez Castro, who studies anthropology and Spanish at the New College of Florida. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times)

Rocio Ramirez Castro, a 21-year-old studying anthropology and Spanish, said she feared that conservatives might block future students from pursuing the kinds of coursework that she did: East African anthropology, Afro-Caribbean drumming and a senior thesis exploring the cultural and folkloric significance of cockfighting in her native Puerto Rico.

Doing a full 180 and making it conservative or traditional or classical is not going to help anybody, she said.

At the town hall with students, Rufo insisted he was simply upholding the colleges founding principle of free inquiry.

My goal is not to say, Lets replace the left-wing orthodoxy with the right-wing orthodoxy, he said. My goal is to say, Lets expand the bounds of public debate.

The students were skeptical. During questions, one said Rufos appointment to the board was already damaging the school.

Are you aware that the colleges admissions office has already reported students calling to un-enroll and request deposit refunds? the student asked.

When the meeting ended, Sam Sharf, a 22-year-old international politics student who is transgender, walked up to Rufo and accused him of trying to instill some sort of dogmatic conservative ideology.

Do you support the banning of classes that teach a serious history of racism and misogyny? she said. Because that doesnt sound like freedom.

Rufo responded: I dont think you can have a classical liberal education, for example, without grappling with Marx. But I think we get into a problem when it is left-wing liberal activism masquerading as neutral scholarship.

Christopher Rufo speaks with Sam Sharf, a 22-year-old international politics student, after a town hall meeting at New College of Florida on Jan. 25 on the college campus in Sarasota. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times)

A few students said in interviews that they felt the college had become an echo chamber for liberals.

Jesse Hudson, 33, entered college wanting to study philosophy but said he was disappointed that even classes on long-dead German philosophers had a political bent as they veered into modern-day issues such as disability and pregnancy.

Edmund Husserl mentions nothing about any of that! Hudson said. I wanted to study Hegel, Marx, Heidegger, Husserl without trying to tie it into what I view to be a kind of academic activism  talking about the phenomenology of race, the phenomenology of gender, the phenomenology and politics and philosophy of trans studies.

He wound up focusing on math, because it felt less political, he said.

: :

Widely seen as a contender for the Republican presidential nomination, DeSantis has elevated his national profile by branding his state a place where woke goes to die.

In spring, he signed legislation to limit discussion of race, gender and sexuality in universities  restrictions that were struck down in November by a federal judge who called them positively dystopian.

Undeterred, the governor announced a sweeping plan last week to eliminate ideological conformity in public higher education by eliminating diversity programs, weakening tenure protections for professors and focusing the curriculum on the history and philosophy that has shaped Western civilization.

He also promised to work with legislators to immediately spend $15 million to overhaul New College, including recruiting new faculty.

Hours later, the new board of trustees met for the first time, offering clues of what that overhaul might entail.

More than 100 protesters held signs that said NO BIGOTS ON THE BOARD and chanted: Racist, sexist, antigay. Ron DeSantis, go away!

But his six new trustees  along with right-wing scholar Ryan T. Anderson, who was appointed last month by Floridas Board of Governors  give conservatives a controlling majority on the 13-member panel.

Students attend a "Defend New College" protest in Sarasota, Fla., on Tuesday. (Octavio Jones / Bloomberg)

Over the objection of protesters, Rufo moved swiftly to advance a motion abolishing the office that oversees diversity initiatives and adopt a policy drawn up by the Manhattan Institute  the conservative think tank where he is a senior fellow  to restore colorblind equality.

Diversity, equity and inclusion sounds great, Rufo said, but in practice divides people and offers separate judgments on the basis of race and identity.

Your opinion doesnt matter, someone in the audience hollered.

My opinion does matter, actually, Rufo said.

The crowd booed, but the board voted to study the issue and draft a policy based on Rufos recommendation.

Then the board moved on to its next agenda item. Protesters pleaded with the colleges president, Patricia Okker, to fight to keep her job. But she knew that would be futile.

My deepest apologies, but Im going to say publicly: I do not believe that students are being indoctrinated at New College, Okker told the board as the audience whooped and cheered.

After ousting Okker, the board installed an interim president: Richard Corcoran, a former Republican state House speaker and staunch DeSantis ally.

As for what will happen next, the new trustees have sent conflicting signals.

Mark Bauerlein, a professor emeritus at Emory University and an editor at the Catholic magazine First Things, said banning subjects out of hand would be anti-academic and contrary to free and open inquiry.

He proposed looking at how senior thesis projects have changed over the last 30 years to make sure there was no intellectual deterioration.

Speir said he would absolutely consider removing subjects such as gender studies from the curriculum.

Everythings on the table, he said.

There are no sacred cows.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov will be replaced by Defense Ministry's Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov, lawmaker David Arakhamia said on Feb. 5.

"War dictates personnel policy. Time and circumstances call for strengthening and regrouping," Arakhamia, head of the governing Servant of the People faction and Ukraine's chief negotiator with Russia, said in a Telegram post.

Arakhamia said that Reznikov would remain in the government as the Minister for Strategic Industries, overseeing Ukraine's defense sector, which the lawmaker described as a "logical" decision given his participation in Ramstein meetings and expertise.

Arakhamia did not mention who would be replacing Budanov as military intelligence head.

Neither Reznikov nor Budanov had reacted to the report by the publication time.

Lawmaker Mariana Bezuhla, deputy head of the parliament's national security committee, said on Feb. 5 that the issues are to be discussed this week.

Earlier in the day, Reznikov, who took his position in November 2021, said he was ready to resign if President Volodymyr Zelensky made such a decision.

Kyivs reshuffling comes after a major corruption scandal rocked the Defense Ministry.

Ukrainian newspaper ZN.UA released a report on Jan. 21 that the Defense Ministry was purchasing some food for the military two to three times higher than those at Kyiv grocery stores, citing the ministrys food procurement contract.

Ukraine's parliamentary committee on national security, defense, and intelligence has summoned top ministry officials to address the allegations.

Reznikov called the report false and asked the Security Service to look into the people involved in spreading the information.

However, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine opened an investigation into the alleged scheme.

Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov was later dismissed. A court arrested Shapovalov for 60 days on Feb. 2.
In this photo provided by Chad Fish, a large balloon is struck down above the Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of South Carolina, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. The downing of the suspected Chinese spy balloon by a missile from an F-22 fighter jet created a spectacle over one of the states tourism hubs and drew crowds reacting with a mixture of bewildered gazing, distress and cheering. (Chad Fish/AP Photo)

The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft and threatened repercussions.

President Joe Biden issued the order but had wanted the balloon downed even earlier, on Wednesday. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.

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China responded that it reserved the right to take further actions and criticized the U.S. for an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.

In its statement Sunday, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that China will resolutely uphold the relevant companys legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response. Chinas Ministry of Defense echoed the statement later in the day, saying it reserves the right to take necessary measures to deal with similar situations.

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The presence of the balloon in the skies above the U.S. this week dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years. It prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly cancel a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing tensions.

They successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it, Biden said after getting off Air Force One en route to Camp David.

The giant white orb was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the Atlantic coast. About 2:39 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it while it was about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said.

The spectacle had Americans looking to the skies all week, wondering whether the mysterious balloon had floated over them.

On Saturday, Ashlyn Preaux, 33, went out to get her mail in Forestbrook, South Carolina, and noticed her neighbors looking up  and there it was, the balloon in the cloudless blue sky. Then she saw fighter jets circling and the balloon get hit.

I did not anticipate waking up to be in a Top Gun movie today, she said.

The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than officials had expected, and it spread out over roughly seven miles and the recovery operation included several ships. The officials estimated the recovery efforts would be completed in a short time, not weeks. A salvage vessel was en route.

U.S. defense and military officials said Saturday that the balloon entered the U.S. air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 and moved largely over land across Alaska and then into Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday. It crossed back into U.S. territory over northern Idaho on Tuesday, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it.

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The balloon was spotted Wednesday over Montana, home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which has fields of nuclear missile silos.

The Americans were able to collect intelligence on the balloon as it flew over the U.S., giving them a number of days to analyze it and learn how it moved and what it was capable of surveilling, according to two senior defense officials said. The officials briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

The officials said the U.S. military was constantly assessing the threat, and concluded that the technology on the balloon didnt give the Chinese significant intelligence beyond what it could already obtain from satellites, though the U.S. took steps to mitigate what information it could gather as it moved along.

Republicans were critical of Bidens response.

Allowing a spy balloon from the Communist Party of China to travel across the entire continental United States before contesting its presence is a disastrous projection of weakness by the White House, said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., tweeted: Now that this embarrassing episode is over, we need answers from the Biden Administration on the decision-making process. Communist China was allowed to violate American sovereignty unimpeded for days. We must be better prepared for future provocations and incursions by the CCP.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was more positive: Thank you to the men and women of the United States military who were responsible for completing the mission to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon. The Biden Administration did the right thing in bringing it down.

China has claimed that the balloon was merely a weather research airship that had been blown off course. The Pentagon rejected that out of hand  as well as Chinas contention that it was not being used for surveillance and had only limited navigational ability.

The Chinese government on Saturday sought to play down the cancellation of Blinkens trip. In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

The Pentagon also acknowledged reports of a second balloon flying over Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement. Officials said the balloons are part of a fleet that China uses for surveillance, and they can be maneuvered remotely through small motors and propellers. One official said they carry equipment in the pod under the balloon that is not usually associated with standard meteorological activities or civilian research.

Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about the second balloon.

This isnt the first time Chinese spy balloons have crossed into U.S. airspace in recent years, one of the officials said. At least three times during the Trump administration and at least one other time during Bidens time as president theyve seen balloons cross, but not for this long, the official said.

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Blinken, who had been due to depart Washington for Beijing late Friday, said he had told senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in a phone call that sending the balloon over the U.S. was an irresponsible act and that (Chinas) decision to take this action on the eve of my visit is detrimental to the substantive discussions that we were prepared to have.

Uncensored reactions on the Chinese internet mirrored the official government stance that the U.S. was hyping the situation. Some used it as a chance to poke fun at U.S. defenses, saying it couldnt even defend against a balloon, and nationalist influencers leaped to use the news to mock the U.S.

China has denied any claims of spying and said it is a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the balloons journey was out of its control and urged the U.S. not to smear it because of the balloon.

In preparation for the operation Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coast, including the airports in Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The FAA rerouted air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions. The FAA and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water below the balloon as it reached the ocean.

Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the giant deflated balloon descending like a ribbon toward the water.

Bill Swanson said he watched the balloon deflate instantly from his house in Myrtle Beach as fighter jets circled around.

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When it deflated it was pretty close to instantaneous, he said. One second its there like a tiny moon and the next second its gone. Swanson added that a trail of smoke followed the balloon as it dropped.
Does the February share price for Ibstock plc (LON:IBST) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. 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. 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.

See our latest analysis for Ibstock

What's The Estimated Valuation?

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of 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.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK12.5m UK44.3m UK67.5m UK71.0m UK73.6m UK75.7m UK77.4m UK79.0m UK80.4m UK81.6m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x7 Analyst x7 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 3.60% Est @ 2.87% Est @ 2.35% Est @ 1.99% Est @ 1.74% Est @ 1.56% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 7.6% UK11.6 UK38.2 UK54.1 UK52.9 UK50.9 UK48.7 UK46.3 UK43.8 UK41.4 UK39.1

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK427m

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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 (1.2%) 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 7.6%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK82m (1 + 1.2%)  (7.6% 1.2%) = UK1.3b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK1.3b ( 1 + 7.6%)10= UK609m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK1.0b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK1.7, the company appears quite good value at a 35% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the 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 Ibstock 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 7.6%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.931. 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 Ibstock

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Basic Materials market.

Opportunity

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 4 years.

Next Steps:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Ibstock, there are three essential items you should look at:

Risks: To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Ibstock (including 1 which is concerning) . Future Earnings: How does IBST's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every 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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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  Iran's supreme leader on Sunday reportedly ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for tens of thousands of people detained amid nationwide anti-government protests shaking the country, acknowledging for the first time the scale of the crackdown.

The decree by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, part of a yearly pardoning the supreme leader does before the anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, comes as authorities have yet to say how many people they detained in the demonstrations. State media also published a list of caveats over the order that would disqualify those with ties abroad or facing spying charges  allegations which have been met with wide international criticism.

Khamenei agreed to offer amnesty and reduce the sentences of tens of thousands accused and convicted in the recent incidents, the state-run IRNA news agency said in a Farsi report. A later IRNA report carried by its English-language service said the pardons and commuted sentences were for "tens of thousands of convicts, including the arrestees of the recent riots in Iran. Authorities did not immediately acknowledge the discrepancy in the reports.

The reports about the decree offered no explanation for the decision by Khamenei, who has final say on all matters of state in Iran. However, prisons and detention facilities already had faced overcrowding in the country after years of protests over economic issues and other matters.

Activists immediately dismissed Khameneis decree.

Khameneis hypocritical pardon doesnt change anything, wrote Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam of the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights. Not only all protesters must be released unconditionally, but also it is a public right that those who ordered the bloody repression and their agents are held accountable.

Authorities also did not name any of those who had been pardoned or seen shorter sentences. Instead, state television continued to refer to the demonstrations as being a "foreign-backed riot," rather than homegrown anger over the September death of Masha Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman detained by the country's morality police. Anger also has been spreading over the collapse of the Iranian rial against the U.S. dollar, as well as Tehran arming Russia with bomb-carrying drones in its war on Ukraine.

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More than 19,600 people have been arrested during the protests, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a group that's been tracking the crackdown. At least 527 people have been killed as authorities violently suppressed demonstrations, the group said. Iran hasn't offered a death toll for months. It already has executed at least four people detained amid the protests after internationally criticized trials.

All this comes as Iran's nuclear deal has collapsed and Tehran has enough highly enriched uranium to potentially build several atomic bombs if it chooses, the United Nations' top nuclear envoy has said. A shadow war between Iran and Israel has risen out of the chaos, with Tehran blaming Israel for a drone attack on a military workshop in Isfahan last week as well.

Meanwhile, a long-detained opposition leader in Iran is calling for a nationwide referendum about whether to write a new constitution for the Islamic Republic.

Mir Hossein Mousavi's call, posted late Saturday by the opposition Kaleme website, included him saying he didn't believe Iran's current system giving final say to a supreme leader worked any longer. He also called for the formation of a constitutional assembly of real representatives to write a new constitution.

It remains unlikely Iran's theocracy will heed the 80-year-old politician's call. He and his wife have been under house arrest for years after his disputed presidential election loss in 2009 led to the widespread Green Movement protests that security forces also put down. However, he himself had supported and served in Iran's theocracy for decades.

In 2019, Mousavi compared Khamenei to the former Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whose rule saw troops gun down demonstrators in an event that led to the Islamic Revolution.

Separately, former reformist President Mohammad Khatami urged free and competitive elections after the release of political prisoners both imprisoned and under house arrest.

Reformism at least has faced a ... dead end, so people have a right to be frustrated about it as they are about the ruling system, Khatami said in a statement circulated online.

Currently, hard-liners control all levers of power in the country. Reformists like Khatami and Mousavi previously sought to change and open up Iran's Islamic Republic while maintaining its system. But increasingly, protesters have demanded an end to theocratic rule in the country.

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Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Pool/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Iranian officials said that "tens of thousands" of people jailed during the country's ongoing protests would be pardoned or have their sentences reduced, the country's state media reported Sunday.

News of the pardoning was communicated by the state-run IRNA News Agency, which said that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had "agreed to amnesty and reduced punishment for tens of thousands of convicts, including the detainees of the recent riots in Iran."

The decree was made by Khamenei as part of a yearly pardoning undertaken prior to the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Washington Post reported that 3,400 prisoners were released from captivity during last year's anniversary, compared to the tens of thousands that were promised pardons on Sunday.

However, the agreement of amnesty came with a variety of caveats, with many prisoners appearing to be ineligible for reduced sentences. This includes prisoners who committed foreign espionage, had direct contact with foreign governments, murdered or injured officials, or those accused by a private plaintiff, per IRNA.

The pardons come as Iran continues to battle nationwide protests over the country's ruling clerical party, which comes following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. Protests and violence broke out across Iran after Amini was arrested for not wearing a hijab and later died in police custody.

Numerous Western outlets have reported that thousands of people have been arrested and imprisoned since the protests began, and summary executions have also taken place. Activist news agency HRNA reported that at least 20,000 people have been placed behind bars, per the Post, though this number is unconfirmed.

While Iran has previously admitted that it was jailing dissidents, The Associated Press noted that the statement from IRNA saw Iran "acknowledging for the first time the scale of the crackdown."

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DIWANIYAH, Iraq (AP)  Dozens of Iraqi protesters gathered Sunday to decry the so-called honor killing of a 22-year-old YouTube star who was allegedly strangled by her father, adding fuel to calls for legal reforms protecting women.

Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan on Friday announced that Tiba Ali was killed Jan. 31 in the central city of Diwaniyah by her father, who then turned himself in to the police. Reports say the father strangled Ali at night while she was asleep.

The so-called honor killing was met with condemnation from women's rights groups and residents, who sounded the alarm on violence against women in Iraq and the need to reform legislation to impose harsher punishments on perpetrators.

The protesters held banners condemning the killing and demanding legislative reforms. There is no honor in the crime of killing women, one placard read.

Anyone who wants to get rid of a woman accuses her of disgracing her dignity and kills her, protester Israa al-Salman told The Associated Press, who also wanted Alis father executed.

Article 41 of the country's penal code allows husbands to discipline their wives, which includes beatings. Meanwhile, Article 409 reduces murder sentences for men who kill or permanently impair their wives or female relatives because of adultery to up to three years in prison.

Rosa al-Hamid, an activist with civil society group the Organization for Women's Freedom in Iraq urged the authorities to pass a long-stalled draft law against domestic violence that has been lingering in Iraqi Parliament since 2019.

Tiba was killed by her father under tribal justifications that are unacceptable, she told the AP.

Amnesty International Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Aya Majzoub said in a press statement said that violence against women and girls in Iraq will continue until Iraqi authorities adopt robust legislation to protect women and girls from gender-based violence."

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Diwaniyah's city police department and hospital administration declined to comment to the AP about Ali's death.

Tiba Ali had been living in Istanbul, Turkey, and had a YouTube channel with over 20,000 subscribers documenting life in the Turkish city alongside her Syrian-born boyfriend, a real estate investor. In her first YouTube video in November 2021, Ali said she moved to Turkey to further her education, but chose to stay because she enjoyed life there.

Her father reportedly did not agree with the move, nor her plans to marry her partner. Maan said that Ali and her father had a heated dispute during a visit to Iraq, and that the day before her murder, the local community police had intervened to help them reach a settlement.

Iraqi NGO Support Her Organization for Women's Rights shared voice recordings that Ali reportedly sent to friends the night before she was killed. In the recording, she confronts her mother and father about not returning to Iraq after her brother sexually assaulted her. The audio ends with her father yelling and hitting her as she screams in pain. The AP could not independently verify the authenticity of the voice recording.

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Salim contributed from Irbil, Iraq. Associated Press writer Kareem Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
A man trashed the same Walmart store twice because he had waited in line too long, Pennsylvania police say.

The 46-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the January incidents, in which he allegedly dumped foods and chemicals into the aisles of the store in Tilden, the Tilden Township Police Department said in a news release.

On Jan. 14, he coated the floors of a Walmart in bleach, motor oil, dish soap, maple syrup and jelly, police said. He returned on Jan. 20 and spilled bleach, pickles and hot sauce onto the floor in various aisles like last time.

This created a hazardous condition for customers and employees who almost slipped and fell in the liquids, police said in a release.

The person was captured on store surveillance cameras and police shared pictures of him throughout the month on social media, which led to his identification.

In an interview with investigators on Jan. 30, he admitted to causing the messes at Walmart as retaliation for poor customer service and because he had waited in line too long, police said.

However, the incidents that angered him happened at a Walmart in Lehigh Valley, and not the Tilden store.

He just decided to take his frustrations out on the Tilden Walmart, the release said, adding that the man did not believe what he was doing was criminal.

He is facing charges of disorderly conduct and criminal mischief, as well as corruption of minors, according to police.

Another person seen with him on both occasions was later identified as a 13-year-old teenager from a family hes friends with. According to earlier police releases, the teen followed the man around the store but did not take part in the vandalism.

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's justice minister said on Sunday he would not freeze "for even a minute" the legislative process for proposed judicial reforms that have drawn widespread condemnation both domestically and globally.

Israel's Justice Minister Yariv Levin's comments to Hebrew media's Channel 13 followed a statement earlier in the day from Israeli president Isaac Herzog, calling for the process to be temporarily halted.

"Stop the whole process for a moment, take a deep breath, allow for dialogue because there is a huge majority of the people who would like dialogue," Herzog said in the statement.

The plans to strengthen political control over appointments of judges, including the Supreme Court, while weakening that body's ability to overturn legislation or rule against the government, have brought tens of thousands of Israelis onto the streets in nationwide protests, widening already deep political divisions in Israeli society.

The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the reforms are needed to curb overreach by judges.

Critics say the proposed changes will politicize the judiciary and compromise its independence, foster corruption and harm Israel's legal protection abroad and its economy.

The Israeli president, who was appointed and not elected, has previously called for all sides of the debate to defuse the tension and try to reach a common understanding.

(Reporting by Emily Rose; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel)
Jamie Ritchie lifts the Calcutta Cup trophy (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

Captain Jamie Ritchie insists Scotlands latest Calcutta Cup triumph must be a springboard to further successes and not another false dawn.

Gregor Townsends men toppled rivals England in their opening fixture of the Guinness Six Nations for the third successive year thanks to Saturday evenings rousing 29-23 Twickenham victory.

The Scots were brought crashing back to earth by subsequent losses to Wales on the previous two occasions and ended fourth in the final championship table each time.

While Ritchie was eager to savour a further famous success over the Auld Enemy, he is determined to eradicate the frustrating inconsistency which has prevented his country pushing on to mount title challenges.

Its just the start, said the Edinburgh flanker, ahead of another round-two showdown with Wales.

Were delighted to win and retain the Calcutta Cup but weve been in this position before and not backed it up so for us now its enjoy each others company and enjoy this victory but come Monday were starting again and ready to go.

It was the first thing we spoke about in the huddle after the win, we all came together and said, look, weve been in this position before and weve not backed it up and that for us is the most important thing.

A strong tournament for us is five good performances so we will be looking for another one next week.

Scotland had less possession and territory than their hosts in London but ruthlessly capitalised on their chances.

Duhan van der Merwes superb first-half try grabbed the headlines and his second score, six minutes from time, ultimately proved decisive as the Scots overturned an eight-point deficit to continue their recent dominance of the fixture.

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Centre Huw Jones and scrum-half Ben White also crossed in a memorable bonus-point win which ruined Steve Borthwicks maiden match as England head coach.

Ritchie hailed the doggedness of his side while warning there is plenty of room for improvement going into next weekends BT Murrayfield appointment with Warren Gatlands Wales.

Im proud of how we stayed in the fight and we knew that if we stuck to our plan and we brought energy to how we wanted to play then we would create opportunities, said the 26-year-old.

The highlights from last night's 29-23 Calcutta Cup win.#AsOne  pic.twitter.com/3SYH7C3GZu  Scottish Rugby (@Scotlandteam) February 5, 2023

It was a bit clunky maybe in the first half, our accuracy wasnt maybe quite there, we coughed up the ball a few times.

But when we looked to play, we created opportunities and we took enough of them to win the game.

Its good but it wasnt the perfect performance and thats probably a good thing as well, theres so much more that we can do better.

So for us its take those good bits, build on them, and improve on the bits that werent so good and focus straight on to next week.
The biggest dinosaur tour in America is back in Dayton this weekend.

>>Miami Valley ice cream shop celebrates Ice Cream for Breakfast Day with unique flavors, PJ party

Jurassic Quest is bringing in 165 million years of dinosaurs to the Dayton Convention Center.

The mystery behind these creatures is a big part of what attracts the community to this event, Dino Trainer Carolyn told News Center 7.

Its not everyday you get to feel what its like to walk amongst the dinosaurs or to meet a baby dinosaur or raptor up close to pet it, she said.

The family event allows people to dig through fossils, ride life-sized dinosaurs, train a live raptor and more.

Sunday is the last day and it goes from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.

For more information about on Jurassic Quest, visit here.
A juvenile male was taken to a hospital after a shooting in Pittsburgh.

Allegheny County dispatchers say police were called to the intersection of Grimes and Mathews Avenue at around 6:27 p.m. Saturday.

Pittsburgh police say they found the juvenile was shot in the hand when they arrived.

The victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

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Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation, poses Nov. 16, 2010, outside City Hall in Chicago. News of his death Saturday spurred a wave of reactions from many in Illinois government. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune)

As president of the business-based Civic Federation for 21 years, Laurence Msall delved in the trenches of local and state government finance and economics, his expertise helping provide advice, guidance and criticism for the public, Illinois governors and Chicago mayors.

Msall, whose gentlemanly demeanor and thoughtful speaking were coupled with an intense passion for budgeting and tax policy, died Saturday. He was 61.

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News of his death spurred a wave of reactions from many in Illinois government as well as the financial community in Chicago.

Laurence had a double perspective on state and local finance. He had been in state government in a top budget capacity and then he had become very knowledgeable about Chicago and local finance as well, said R. Eden Martin, the former president of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. He was an advocate for reform, and he was a strong proponent of pension reform in particular.

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Noting Msall worked for the administrations of two Republican governors, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker in a statement commended Msall for having played a key role advancing the discourse in Illinois. He served our state proudly under Governors (George) Ryan and (Jim) Thompson and will be remembered for his advocacy in confronting complex policy challenges.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she was devastated to learn of Msalls death, noting he loved Chicago and calling him a fierce defender of good policy for both the City and the rest of our state.

Msall, who had led the nonpartisan budget watchdog group since 2002, died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital of complications from heart surgery, said his daughter Lucy. He lived in Inverness for the past several years and previously had been a longtime resident of Oak Park.

Laurences contributions to the Civic Federation were immeasurable and his sudden passing comes as a devastating blow to members of the Civic Federation family, the organization said in a statement. While Laurence was the Civic Federation to so many in the community, his real legacy was in helping to make the Civic Federation the indispensable voice for fiscal responsibility throughout the state of Illinois and that mission will go on through the outstanding staff that Laurence developed.

Msall grew up first in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on Chicagos South Side and he then moved with his family to Oak Park in 1975. He graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep High School in Chicago in 1980 and earned a bachelors degree in anthropology and sociology from Knox College in Galesburg in 1984. After attending law school at night, he earned a law degree from Loyola University Chicago in 1992.

Msall began his career working for the state of Illinois, in the state Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, which is now called the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. In 1990, he was named the associate director of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, and he soon was promoted to be the committees vice president.

In that role, Msall analyzed economic development issues for the commercial club. Issues he worked on included the feasibility of a third Chicago-area airport and then-Mayor Richard M. Daleys plan to close the Meigs Field airport  which eventually occurred in 2003.

In February 1999, Msall left the Civic Committee to join the administration of Gov. George Ryan as a senior adviser for economic development and infrastructure. Msall helped oversee the state departments of Commerce and Community Affairs, Revenue, Transportation and the states housing and other development authorities, working closely with Ryan and his staff on various issues related to taxation, transportation and business, according to his Civic Federation biography.

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Msall left state government in January 2002 to become president of the Civic Federation, a generally business-friendly group that provides analysis and recommendations on government finance issues for Chicago and the state of Illinois. Over the next two decades-plus, Msall was both the public face of the organization as well as an analyst himself, scrutinizing budgets and operations of Chicagos City Hall, the Chicago Public Schools, City Colleges of Chicago, the Chicago Park District, Cook County, DuPage County and the state of Illinois.

Laurence Msall was a unique and important figure in Chicagos civic discourse, former Chicago Mayor and current U.S. ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement posted on Twitter. His passion for the future of our city was clear to anyone who knew him.

Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza called Msall in a statement a crucial voice advocating for honest budgeting.

Laurence was such an important bridge between the business community and government, holding the city, state, county and other units of government accountable by analyzing their budgets, the Democratic comptroller said.

Even if I disagreed with some of his or his boards policy positions, he was so professional in debating the pros and cons of budget options, she said. His passing leaves a void that will not easily be filled. Laurence was a giant in Illinois for his knowledge of finances.

One of the areas where Msall was most outspoken involved government entities lack of funding pension obligations.

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Leaders in Springfield still seem to be shocked by the reality that stabilizing the pension funds will require additional tax dollars due to decades of state-mandated underfunding, Msall wrote in an opinion piece in the Tribune in 2014.

In a state where Msall was a regular critic of government financial instability, he was complimentary to Pritzkers efforts to stabilize finances and using pandemic relief funds for one-time items rather than creating new programs and spending obligations.

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The governors proposal is in stark contrast to gimmicks and dubious accounting changes that have historically been implemented to make or reduce already insufficient statutory payments, Msall said of Pritzkers proposed budget for this budget year, which was widely adopted by the Democratic-controlled legislature.

He also recently voiced support for both Cook Countys 2022 and 2023 budgets, hailing the countys steady fiscal stewardship and noting that a new pension contribution and pension reserves were among the steps that have helped the county plan for budget gaps over time and have put the county in a good financial position to recover from the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similarly, he expressed cautious optimism in early 2022 about Lightfoots 2022 spending plan, and later in the year told the Tribune that many of his groups major concerns were addressed very positively in Lightfoots 2023 budget.

Msall also had been a trustee of Knox College since 2017. He also was a member of the board of the Chicago Civic Consulting Alliance.

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A marriage to his first wife, Mary Jo, ended in divorce. In addition to his daughter, Msall is survived by his wife, Nicola Hill-Cordell; two other daughters, Camille and Matilda; three stepsons, Alex, Tommy and Oscar Cordell; two stepdaughters, Samantha Mueller and Tess Cordell; three step-grandchildren, Valerie, Owen, and Reece Jeffrey; one brother, Michael; and seven sisters, Anita Msall, Karin Fischer, Mary Rogers, Camille Msall, Madeleine Msall, Christianne Msall and Julianne Pegler.

A visitation will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Salernos Galewood Chapel, 1857 N. Harlem Ave., Chicago. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at St. Giles Church, 1045 Columbian Ave., Oak Park.

Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
Charles Koch appears at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2019. David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The donor network created by Charles Koch seeks to boost its role in the GOP presidential primaries.

A newly-released Americans for Prosperity memo called for members to "turn the page on the past."

The message is seen as a veiled swipe at Trump, who is running for the GOP nomination in 2024.

The network of donors created by the conservative billionaire Charles Koch is ramping up efforts to get involved in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries, with a mission to "turn the page on the past" in a veiled swipe at former President Donald Trump.

The Koch network, which encompasses a wide swath of wealthy conservatives across the country, has been deeply influential in Republican circles for over a decade, and in 2020 spent roughly $500 million backing GOP candidates and right-leaning policies. However, the network has largely stayed out of presidential primaries after identifying five approved candidates in 2015, all of whom ultimately fell to Trump the next year.

In a memo to Americans for Prosperity staffers and activists, chief executive Emily Seidel doesn't specifically mention Trump by name, but the tone of the email clearly calls for new blood in the party.

"The Republican Party is nominating bad candidates who are advocating for things that go against core American principles," the memo read. "And the American people are rejecting them."

"The Democratic Party increasingly sees this as a political opportunity," the memo continued to say, "And they're responding with more and more extreme policies  policies that also go against our core American principles."

While the Koch network disagreed with Trump on his implementation of trade tariffs during his White House tenure, it did work with the administration on criminal justice reform efforts.

And although Trump has been the dominant Republican fundraiser in recent years, the message from Seidel could be the signal that some conservative donors have been waiting for as they consider alternatives to the former president in the 2024 race.

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Former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina is expected to enter the race on February 15, but at the moment, Trump remains the only major declared candidate seeking the GOP presidential nomination.

Americans for Prosperity in the memo emphasized that it would continue to build on its work from the 2022 midterms.

"If we want to elect better people, we need better candidates. And if we want better candidates, we've got to get involved in elections earlier and in more primaries," the memo read. "Last year, AFP and AFP Action engaged in 22 primaries at the federal level and nearly 200 more in the states. This was more than in any previous year."

Seidel then argued that the "loudest voice" in the party generally established the tone for the election, stating that "in a presidential year, that's the presidential candidate."

"To write a new chapter for our country, we need to turn the page on the past," the memo read. "So the best thing for the country would be to have a president in 2025 who represents a new chapter. The American people have shown that they're ready to move on, and so AFP will help them do that."

"AFP Action is prepared to support a candidate in the Republican presidential primary who can lead our country forward, and who can win," the memo added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Google CEO Sundar Pichai told staff he took 'full responsibility for the decisions that led us here' after announcing 12,000 layoffs. Brandon Wade/Reuters

An Ex-Googler described being laid off 16 years after he started as an intern.

"Google has been my one and only career," Joel Leitch wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Parent company Alphabet cut 6% of its workforce in January  or 12,000 employees.

An ex-Google software engineer who was laid off 16 years after starting as an intern, described coming to terms with losing his "one and only career."

"Two weeks ago, my entire team was impacted by the Google layoff," Joel Leitch, who held the role of tech lead across both the shopping and payments projects at Google, wrote in a LinkedIn post on Saturday.

"It was a complete shock to me and I am still perplexed as to why Google would let go of so many experienced, smart, talented, gritty, high-performing employees," he continued.

"It has been a slow process to come to terms with my new reality as Google has been my one and only career," Leitch said.

According to his LinkedIn profile, the software engineer first worked at the tech giant as an intern in January 2005, before joining another tech company from January to June 2006, and going back to Google in July of that same year after graduating from the University of Waterloo. He was with the company until he was laid off.

"It was an absolute honour to have had the opportunity to work there for so many years. The things that I will miss most are the people and the relationships built," Leitch wrote in the post.

Leitch and Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google's parent company Alphabet, sent a memo to staff on January 20 announcing the company was laying off 6% of its workforce  around 12,000 employees.

Pichai said that he took "full responsibility for the decisions that led us here."

Leitch isn't alone in taking to LinkedIn after losing his job in the layoffs that have swept the tech industry.

A Microsoft software engineer who is on an H1-B visa said she wondered where she'd be living after losing her job, while a Google employee of 11 years wrote that he and his wife stared at each other in "disbelief" when they learned they'd both been laid off from the company.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Pedro Pascal on

Pedro Pascal on "Saturday Night Live."

Pedro Pascal, star of the hit series The Last of Us, joked in his Saturday Night Live monologue this weekend about looking like a creep while FaceTiming with a 6-year-old fan of his character in The Mandalorian  at the request of the boys dad.

Of course, the kid had no idea who I am, because my character wears a mask for the entire show, Pascal explained.

So the guys like, Just do the Mando voice, Pascal went on. But the Mando voice is, like, a bedroom voice. Without the mask, it just sounds porny. So, people walking by on the street just see me whispering to a 6-year-old kid: I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold.

Then Pascal, born in Chile, slipped into a quick summary of his life that became suddenly emotionally powerful as he spoke about moving to the U.S. Pascal told the audience that his parents escaped the repressive Pinochet regime with his sister and him when he was just 9 months old.

They were so brave, and without them I wouldnt be here in this wonderful country, he said, his voice breaking. And I certainly wouldnt be standing here with you all tonight.

Many of his relatives are still in Chile, and they love giving out his phone number whenever they can, Pascal quipped.

He issued a heartfelt message to them, then translated: I love you, I miss you  and stop giving out my phone number.

Check it out below:

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Are you a traveler of color thinking about taking the leap and moving overseas? Then, youd definitely benefit from checking out In Living Color Abroad. On this podcast, Black and brown voices talk about their expat experiences, detailing the good, the bad and the ugly of relocating to a new country.

In Living Color Abroad was created by Angel Rodriguez. Rodriguez was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY to parents who immigrated from the Dominican Republic. Hes been traveling for as long as he can remember, spending every summer in DR with family as a boy.

Photo courtesy of In Living Color Abroad.

Becoming an expat

After earning a degree in music from CUNY, he landed a teaching job, which allowed him to spend summers and winter breaks traveling. In 2019, he flew to San Francisco to attend a job fair for international educators that would change his life.

I flew out there really on a whim without expecting much, Rodriguez said. I told myself that I was going to feel it out. When I got to the fair, I was shocked to see that 99 percent of the candidates were white. I really felt like a fish out of water. But, I didnt let that deter my confidence or my goals of at least testing the waters of moving abroad.

To his surprise, Rodriguez ended up with multiple offers from various countries and regions around the world. He decided on Costa Rica because he is fluent in Spanish and had visited the country before. The beautiful weather and close proximity to the U.S. were other factors that attracted him.

I dont regret it one bit, and it was the best decision I made, he said. My experience in Costa Rica has been mainly positive, but as with anything in life, there are ups and downs. Costa Rica is an absolutely beautiful country. There is a reason millions of tourists flock here every year. I have never appreciated nature more than I do now. The only negative I would say is that the social scene here really isnt my style. But, I am at peace here, I enjoy my job, and I live a life that I couldnt have imagined four years ago.

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Photo courtesy of In Living Color Abroad.

The inspiration behind the vision

His spur-of-the-moment decision to attend the job fair paid off. However, the fair did more than just help Rodriguez find a new job and a new country to call home. It also served as a source of inspiration that would eventually contribute to the idea of starting his podcast. Noticing the lack of diversity at the fair, he asked himself why there was no one that looked like him. He eventually found a table of other Black and brown candidates, who he conversed with and still maintains contact with today.

Once I got abroad, I knew that I wanted to document my journey, in particular as a person of color in the predominately white space, he said. I first thought of either vlogging or blogging. Then, I was brainstorming my ideas with my friend, Ikuma, and she basically said Why not do a podcast where you interview other people of color that are living abroad? The rest is history, as they say. Ikuma was my first guest (Germany, Episode 1). So, all the credit goes to Ikuma for getting my podcast started.

Photo courtesy of In Living Color Abroad.

Creating a space for minority voices

With In Living Color Abroad, Rodriguez is fulfilling the need for podcasts centering BIPOC experiences overseas. He recognizes and gives credit to others who share this space and are dedicated to documenting minority expat stories, such as Xpat Chats, Blaxit Global, Melanin & Miles and others.

Like those podcasts, I like to think that my podcast is needed because I hear too often [that] there is not enough of this content out there by fans of my podcast, he said. Thats a nice thing to hear because it means people find value in what my guests and I bring to every episode, but I also want it to be the norm.

While I was conducting research on the experiences of expat teachers of color in international schools for a masters degree in international education, I barely found any existing literature on the subject, he continued. There are many voices out there that have yet to be written about in academia and heard in the media space. It is, therefore, my hope that my podcast is that space where people feel seen and heard.

Having interviewed many Black expats, Rodriguez says the majority have generally spoken positively about their new homes abroad.

Photo courtesy of In Living Color Abroad.

The Black expat experience

Some that stick out to me in terms of glowing reviews from Black expats are: Panama (Episode 87), Fiji (Episode 64), Belgium (Episode 46), Ireland (Episode 45), and Abu Dhabi, UAE (Episode 9.) Im sure Im missing so many more, but I strongly suggest people check those out, he said.

You can listen to In Living Color Abroad anywhere podcasts are available, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

Related: Global Take: The Travel Podcast On Black Professionals In International Affairs
For the first time in more than five years, people were given 24-hour access to South Station Friday night.

It will be open again Saturday night.

Gov. Maura Healey reversed a previous policy and allowed people to spend the night at South Station.

It was a blessing, said Anthony Branch, who doesnt have a home. Its progression, baby steps. Im just glad that I got the opportunity to actually have a warm place to stay.

Branch said sleeping at South Station Friday night likely saved his life.

I wouldve just been on the sidewalk as usual, Branch said. Frigid cold, I think frostbite, I probably wouldve been dead honestly.Branch estimates at least 100 people sought shelter at South Station Friday night, and many of them will return Saturday night as well.It was better than being outside, said Jaynell Bailey, who has been homeless for seven years. People die out there you know, its freezing, frostbite, all that stuff.

In addition to shelter, some people were given supplies and clothing thanks to Sofias Angels.

We are here to be able to help the homeless people that are here out in the cold, said Cathy OGrady, founder of Sofias Angels. We have blankets, hats, scarves, jackets, sleeping bags.

OGrady said she sold some of her clothing and collected donations to raise money for the supplies. In total, she was able to purchase close to $800 worth of items to give out.

I think its not even about the warmth, said OGrady. I think these people also want to be seen. When we walk through, we dont pay attention to them, and I think just making eye contact is going to be a lot more priceless to them than the blankets are.

OGrady said acts of kindness are contagious, and she hopes to inspire others to give back.

People want to help but they dont know how to do it, OGrady said. They feel like their small piece is not going to make a difference, but when we all come together, we can move mountains.

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Luhansk Oblast

In particular, reports that the invaders had captured the town of Bilohorivka are not true, Hayday said.

Read also: Ukraine may face most difficult times when liberating Luhansk Oblast, says governor

"The Russian Federation is spreading information about the alleged capture of Bilohorivka and the evacuation of people from there  in fact, the enemy has not entered, our military are standing still, said the official.

The invaders do not even know if there are people left there, and how many of them.

Hayday expressed confidence that during the liberation, collaborators will flee Luhansk Oblast, as everyone understands that there will be no repeat of 2014.

Read also: Ukrainian army makes minor gains in Kreminna direction, says Luhansk Oblast governor

Hayday also said that the movement of equipment and ammunition of Russian troops takes place only at night, as the invading forces are afraid that during the day they will be blasted by Ukrainian artillery.

Earlier, the governor said that Russian troops are definitely preparing "for something" on the eastern front.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his troops to seize the entire territory of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine by March.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Luke Skywalker aka Mark Hamill is about to sell a limited number of autographed Star Wars posters to raise funds to maintain Ukraines drone operation in the nations inspirational fight against the Russian military, the actor told Politico.

The sale is expected to start next week ahead of the Feb. 24 one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, just as Russia is planning a major new offensive.

Its not something he typically does, Hamill told Politico Friday, but hes eager to pitch in now to support Ukraine, whose fight against Russian President Vladimir Putins invading army is nothing short of inspirational, he said.

Details of the poster sale havent yet been worked out. It may involve hundreds of thousands of interested people participating in an auction or some kind of competition, said Hamill.

Hamill told Politico that a message of Star Wars is to do the right thing for the good of everyone, rather than being all about self-interest.

But he warned that comparing Star Wars to the actual war with Russia shouldnt trivialize the true horrors of what Ukrainians face.

One is really a fairy tale for children, originally thats what Star Wars was, he noted. And the reality, the stark reality of whats going on in Ukraine, is harrowing.

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(Bloomberg) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has antagonized the small Maori Party by suggesting the government may slow down work on co-governance arrangements with the nations indigenous people.

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Te Pati Maori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said she was shocked and disappointed by Hipkins stance on co-governance, the term used to describe including Maori in decision-making for public assets.

The politically-charged issue is one that Hipkins, who took over from Jacinda Ardern last month, signaled he wants to diffuse ahead of an October election, saying sometimes we need to take a moment so that everybody can catch up.

As a tangata whenua (Maori) leader and a political leader who was listening to that, I was really shocked, Ngarewa-Packer said in an interview with Bloomberg News. Its disappointing when we see ourselves being shelved.

Hipkins is attempting to win back middle-ground voters by walking back some of Arderns contentious policies and focusing on bread and butter issues such as the spiraling cost of living. Opposition parties have weaponized co-governance, saying it amounts to preferential treatment for Maori and undermines the principle of one law for all.

Read more: New Zealand PM-Elect Signals Policy Overhaul as Recession Looms

In his first major press conference as prime minister, Hipkins said there was uncertainty among New Zealanders about what co-governance means. I dont want to get hung up on what has become a catchphrase, he said.

Not Bold Enough

Ngarewa-Packer said the issue has become so contentious that politicians dont want to be bold enough to reaffirm exactly what it means.

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Maori arent asking anyone to give up anything, she said. Were not asking for any type of separate treatment. What were asking for is simply to be able to coexist in our own right.

Co-governance has been at the center of discussions between politicians and Maori tribal leaders in the tiny settlement of Waitangi at the top of the North Island. The annual commemoration of the signing of New Zealands founding document, the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi between Maori and the Crown, takes place Monday.

Hipkins must tread carefully, not only because of the sizable contingent of Maori MPs in his Labour Party caucus but also because he may need the Maori Party to form a coalition government after the Oct. 14 election.

Latest polls have Labour and the main opposition National Party neck-and-neck, with both needing the support of minor parties to achieve a majority. The Maori Party currently has two seats in parliament and could potentially hold the balance of power, even if its unlikely to side with right-leaning National.

Historical Injustices

The concept of co-governance is not new in New Zealand, where the government has recognized the right of Maori to share in the decision-making over public assets of cultural significance to them, such as rivers, lakes and forests.

Numerous Treaty of Waitangi compensation settlements  designed to address injustices Maori suffered during colonization, when vast tracts of land were bought from them for a pittance  have co-governance arrangements, including many that were negotiated by the National Party when it was last in government.

But lately the term has become politicized and used by disaffected voters and government critics as a derisive shorthand for Maori preference, with accusations that it may lead to the transfer of ownership of state assets to Maori and separate systems for Maori and non-Maori.

An example is the governments controversial reform of water infrastructure, known as Three Waters. This involves moving drinking, waste and stormwater assets from local councils into four publicly-owned entities that will oversee the multi billion-dollar investment required to get systems up to standard.

Maori would be guaranteed the same number of positions as councils on the regional representative groups overseeing each of the four entities.

Ngarewa-Packer, who entered parliament at the 2020 election, said co-governance is not a Maori takeover.

What it is, is just a dignified way of resuming our rights and interests, she said. But because its not palatable, because theres a loud minority, it just gets shelved. And thats happened for way too long.

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A man fell 70 feet to his death while he was recording a TikTok video near a cliff in Puerto Rico.

The US Coast Guard identified the man as 27-year-old Edgar Garay, a resident of Indiana. Garay was sightseeing with family in Cabo Rojo, on the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico, when the tragedy took place around 5.40pm on 29 January.

His body was found on Tuesday by emergency dive crews. Garays brother Carlos Garay told WTHR that a family member who was at the scene with Garay warned him not to get too close to the cliff before stepping away for a moment.

When the relative returned to the edge of the cliff, Garay was nowhere to be seen. The Coast Guard was then alerted and a search was launched.

My brother has a TikTok account that he loved to upload videos to, Carlos Garay told the outlet. Unfortunately, that was what he was trying to do when he was closer to the edge than he should have been.

The body of 27-year-old Indiana resident Edgar Garaywas found on Tuesday by emergency dive crews (US Coast Guard)

The grieving brother described Garay as a daredevil and said that his family hope to bring his body back to Indiana.

Its very unfortunate because hes not very well known over there, he told WTHR. He was just visiting. So, for him to be laid and his final resting place somewhere miles upon miles away from here is just awful and devastating.

The family has since created a GoFundMe, with more than $5,000 raised as of Saturday evening.

The description of the page stated that Garay drowned after he suffered injuries that left him unconscious.

We express our most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Edgar Garay and pray they find closure and strength during this most difficult time, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
William Carson Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office / Via inmatesearch.mkesheriff.org

A Wisconsin man who was convicted of shooting at a group of children after they threw snowballs at his car was sentenced to 16 years behind bars.

William Carson, 27, pleaded to the court for leniency and mercy at his sentencing hearing Friday. He was found guilty in November of two counts of first-degree reckless injury and five counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

"I miss my family. I miss my kids," Carson told the judge.

Prosecutors had initially asked for Carson to serve a 25-year prison sentence after his conviction.

On Jan. 4, 2020, a group of seven children were playing in the snow and throwing snowballs at passing cars, until one of the drivers, who was later identified as Carson, turned his car around and fired his gun at the children as they ran away, Fox 6 Milwaukee reported.

Two of the seven children suffered injuries. One was shot in the arm, and another was shot in the thigh.

During Fridays sentencing hearing, the mother of one of the children described how the shooting had impacted her family.

"You really hurt us, and I really want you to pay for what you did to my family," she said.

After the shooting, Carson fled. He was arrested more than a week later, after police found him driving under the influence and recovered a gun from his car that tested as highly probable for being the gun used in the shooting, according to Fox 6.

At the time of his arrest, Carson told officers he had recently purchased the gun for self-defense, according to the outlet.

According to court records, Carson was also sentenced to 10 years of extended supervision, during which he must maintain full-time employment or school enrollment as well as sobriety, as ordered by Judge Michael Hanrahan.

"There is this other side of you that is impulsive, reckless, violent  I think self-centered," Hanrahan said at the hearing.

The American Public Health Association says gun violence in the US is a public health crisis. It is a leading cause of premature death in the country, responsible for more than 38,000 deaths annually. In 2020, 39,492 were injured in shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

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A front window is boarded up at the Planned Parenthood Health Center in Peoria on Jan. 16, 2023. Peoria police and fire officials are investigating a fire at the Planned Parenthood clinic as arson, police said. (Matt Dayhoff/Journal Star)

The central Illinois abortion clinic erupted in flames a little before midnight on a recent weekend.

A white pickup truck with red doors and a particularly loud exhaust, according to witnesses, parked near the Planned Parenthood Health Center in Peoria on Jan. 15. Video of the scene showed a man in a hooded coat exiting the vehicle carrying a laundry detergent-sized bottle. He then lit a rag on fire at one end of the bottle, smashed a window and threw the Molotov cocktail inside, before fleeing on foot, according to a criminal complaint filed in late January.

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While no patients or staff were in the building and no one was injured, the firebombing caused about a million dollars in destruction to the health center, which wont be able to reopen for months, Planned Parenthood of Illinois officials said.

About 6 miles away, another separate suspicious fire had engulfed a separate building with a disparate mission about two years ago: In May 2021, an early-morning blaze heavily damaged Womens Care Center in Peoria, an anti-abortion pregnancy resource center. Authorities said that fire was also intentionally set.

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These two parallel cases in one Illinois city illustrate the kind of violence and acts of intimidation abortion-related causes nationwide have endured for years.

Yet since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, reproductive rights organizations and anti-abortion groups alike are reporting unprecedented levels of threats, vandalism and acts of destruction.

For 12 years, Carol Tobias has served as the president of the Washington -based National Right to Life. While she said groups opposing abortion have always faced threats and risked reprisal, Tobias said the assault, the violence against pro-life facilities has greatly escalated since the fall of Roe.

Pro-life pregnancy centers and churches, and pro-life organizations, have been firebombed and vandalized, she said. I think society has just gotten meaner, angrier.

The FBI last month offered $25,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for a series of recent attacks on reproductive services organizations across the country, which were set on fire, vandalized or defaced. Nine were anti-abortion organizations and one was a medical building used by Planned Parenthood in California.

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, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. 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 Justice Department lists on its website a litany of cases of violence, threats and harassment targeted at abortion providers and reproductive health services facilities. The National Abortion Federation reported rising cases of intimidation, harassment and vandalism  as well as assaults and batteries  at abortion clinics in its 2021 Violence and Disruption Statistics report, which was released in June and is the most recent data from the agency.

Melissa Fowler, chief program officer for the National Abortion Federation, said many of these types of incidents have become even more common since news of the high courts draft opinion to reverse Roe was leaked to the press in May.

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It shouldnt be seen as just part of the job of an abortion provider to deal with threats and harassment every day, on top of everything else they do to  help as many patients as they can in a landscape where access is dwindling, she said. Its not surprising to me, because I know when there are things that abortion opponents see as victories  such as the Supreme Court decision and the passage of abortion bans  that can lead to an increase in this type of activity. But it shouldnt be something we view as commonplace or we accept as commonplace.

Carol Tobias, president of National Right To Life, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas on Aug. 4, 2022. (LM Otero/AP)

All worth it

Shortly after the attack on the Peoria abortion clinic, investigators linked the truck captured on video to a suspect, who cited his opposition to a former girlfriends abortion and hoped to delay services for others as a motive, according the federal authorities.

Tyler Massengill, 32, of Chillicothe, in late January was arrested and charged with malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage, and attempt to damage the Planned Parenthood health center, according to a Justice Department statement.

Although Massengill initially denied responsibility, he later told investigators that a former girlfriend had an abortion in Peoria three years ago, which upset Massengill, according to the complaint. Massengill said he had been working in Alaska and his girlfriend informed him by telephone that she had become pregnant but decided to terminate.

On or around January 15, 2023, Massengill heard or saw something that reminded him of the abortion, again upsetting him, the complaint stated.

The suspect also told investigators that if the fire caused a little delay in a person receiving services at the health center, it might have been all worth it, according to the complaint.

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Planned Parenthood of Illinois lamented the loss of reproductive and health services for the Peoria area.

This senseless act of vandalism has robbed the community of access to birth control, cancer screenings, (sexually transmitted infection) testing and treatment, and gender-affirming care as well as medication abortion services, said Jennifer Welch, the agencys president and CEO, in a written statement. We appreciate the outpouring of support from the community, state, and nation as we continue to meet our patients needs through telehealth and at our other 16 health centers across the state.

Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, at a news conference at their Aurora clinic on Sept. 14, 2021. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

The fire occurred just a few days after Illinois passed major abortion legislation that expanded the pool of medical providers and included protections for health care workers and out-of-state patients.

The law came amid a surge of patients traveling to Illinois for abortions as many surrounding states banned or highly restricted terminating a pregnancy, in the absence of federal abortion rights once guaranteed under Roe.

The Justice Department website lists more than 30 criminal and civil cases against abortion providers and reproductive health care services over the past decade. These includes the 2021 case of a man accused of using a slingshot to fire metal ball bearings at the glass door of the Planned Parenthood Health Center in the Edgewater neighborhood.

More recently, a Michigan man in October pleaded guilty to setting a July fire at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Kalamazoo. The man had breached the fence surrounding the building, used a combustible fuel to ignite the exterior bushes of the building, lit a fireplace starter log, and then threw the burning log onto the roof of the building, ultimately starting two separate fires, according to a statement by federal prosecutors.

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Authorities said the man commented on abortion in videos he had posted online.

Right now we have a genocide happening, genocide of babies ... he said in one video.

Fowler of the National Abortion Federation said that following the Supreme Court leak in May, we saw an immediate uptick in online harassment and threats against abortion providers and clinics.

People who felt emboldened by the decision, who were celebrating it and, in some cases, not wanting to wait until it was delivered, she said. People that wanted clinics to shut down immediately.

She cited various threatening and incendiary social media posts from May.

Its time to firebomb abortion clinics, one Twitter message reads. Its too late to be civil about murdering babies.

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The Buffalo shooter should have started a Planned Parenthood Clinic, another person posted on Twitter. That way it would have been legal to murder Black people and brown people.

Abortion providers have also reported an increase in the level of hostility and aggressiveness of protesters outside clinics, Fowler said. In some states where citizens are allowed to carry guns in the open, she said anti-abortion demonstrators have been reportedly holding firearms and other weapons.

We know some protesters are showing up armed in places where they can open carry firearms, she said. That can be a very intimidating experience, when they are armed and visibly carrying weapons outside of a clinic.

Over the summer, vandals shattered glass casing around a sign with the message We support abortion on demand without apology at Second Unitarian Church of Chicago.

A stained-glass window on the side of the church was also shattered.

People attend an abortion rights rally on Sept. 4, 2022, outside Second Unitarian Church in Chicago. The church was recently vandalized by two people who were recorded on video throwing objects at a window. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

A Chicago Police Department spokesperson said two females threw unknown objects at the church in August, breaking the stained-glass picture and sign. Church officials said a video recording showed two women throwing rocks and using pieces of fencing to smash the church window and sign. .

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No one has been arrested for the act of vandalism, according to police.

But church leaders responded to the attack by hosting an interfaith rally in September, which was attended by more than 200 supporters.

Our choice to support women and their medical choices is one that is clearly lined up with our beliefs and principles of Unitarian Universalism, one clergy member said at the event. We believe in the inherent dignity of all people and bodily autonomy is part of that dignity and worth.

Rabbi Steven Philp of Mishkan Chicago during an abortion rights rally on Sept. 4, 2022, outside Second Unitarian Church in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Wave of attacks

Womens Care Center in Peoria was founded in 2013, at a building next to a now-defunct abortion clinic.

While Peoria Fire Department investigators determined the cause of the 2021 fire was arson, no arrests have been made; the case is still open, but no leads or new information has emerged since the fire, said Fire Department Chief Shawn Sollberger.

The pregnancy resource center in August moved to a new, larger location on Knoxville Avenue  down the street from the Planned Parenthood clinic that was set ablaze last month.

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Because of you, our center continues to set new records for women served and babies saved, the website states, on a page with a button for donations. And today 1 in 5 babies born in Peoria County start with Womens Care Center. You are touching the lives of so many women  and saving so many babies.

The Peoria location is one of more than 30 Womens Care centers in about a dozen states, predominantly in the Midwest, according to the nonprofits website. Officials with Womens Care Center did not immediately return requests for comment.

While abortion opponents across the country celebrated the demise of Roe, around the same time, a wave of arsons and vandalisms struck pregnancy centers and anti-abortion organizations across the country.

Just hours after the Supreme Court struck down Roe, a fire was reported at Life Choices, a Christian pregnancy center in Colorado.

The Life Choices building in Longmont, Colorado, is shown vandalized on June 25, 2022, following a fire at the Christian pregnancy center. (Longmont Police Department )

The messages bans off our bodies and if abortions arent safe neither are you were spray painted on the outside in front of the center, according to FBI photos. The building was vandalized and sustained fire and smoke damage as the result of an arsonist, according to the FBI.

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The same day, an unknown suspect threw a Molotov cocktail at Crisis Pregnancy Center in North Carolina, according to video surveillance posted on the FBI website; that building sustained minor damage.

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As of late September, Catholic News Agency said it had tracked more than 100 alleged abortion-related attacks or incidents of vandalism since May at pregnancy centers, churches and anti-abortion organizations nationwide. The cases cited describe everything from graffiti sprayed on billboards to claims of death threats to suspected arsons.

Last month, the House approved a measure that condemns recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups and churches and urges the Biden administration and law enforcement to support their safety.

Tobias of National Right to Life said attacks on churches and nonprofits wreaks of cruelty and insensitivity, an uncaring nature.

There are just some elements of this society that dont think choosing life for an unborn child is acceptable, Tobias said. And theyre doing everything they can to shut down the places that provide free help to a woman who needs it. And wants it.

The Associated Press contributed.

eleventis@chicagotribune.com
Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The far-right US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is facing backlash after complaining that her salary is too low.

Earlier this week, the Republican representative from Georgia appeared on journalist Glenn Greenwalds podcast and expressed concern about her congressional salary, which according to public records is $174,000 annually.

Related: The race for the 2024 election is on. But who will take on Trump?

Greene told Greenwald: Becoming a member of Congress has made my life miserable. I made a lot more money before I got here. Ive lost money since Ive gotten here.

Its not a life that I think is like something that I enjoy because I dont enjoy it, added Greene, who had previously owned a CrossFit affiliate gym in Georgia before being elected to Congress in 2020.

Additionally, Greene complained about the amount of time her congressional work consumes, saying: The nature of this job, it keeps members of Congress and senators in Washington so much of the time, too much of the time  that we dont get to go home and spend more time with our families, our friends  or maybe just be regular people because this job is so demanding. Its turned into practically year-round.

She continued: For those of us in the House of Representatives, we have to run for Congress every two years. So youre practically campaigning nearly the entire time that youre here serving as a representative.

Greenes comments have faced swift backlash online.

Feel free to step aside if it isnt too cushy of a job for you. Millions of us wont mind. #stopwhining, one Twitter user wrote, tweeting at her account.

Someone else tweeted: Griping Greene you dont get to serve the constitution and its people expecting to profit. Get a part time job or better yet, just quit.

Another user added: Really? Being in Congress isnt supposed to be about money. And I guarantee you make more per year than most of your constituents. If you dont like the life and job, stop running for office.

Greene  who has previously voiced support for the far-right conspiracy group QAnon and made racist, antisemitic and anti-Muslim remarks  also told Greenwald that people have harassed her since working on Capitol Hill.

The congresswoman said: I have people come up to me and say crazy things to me out of the blue in public places that they believe because they read it on the internet or saw it on some news show about me.
Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has been criticised after she complained about her Congressional salary of $174,000 and that the job makes her miserable.

Becoming a member of Congress has made my life miserable. I made a lot more money before I got here. Ive lost money since Ive gotten here, Ms Greene told journalist Glenn Greenwald on his podcast System Update.

Its not a life that I think is like something that I enjoy because I dont enjoy it, but Im committed to this job because I believe in it, she added.

Members of both the House and the Senate make an annual salary of $174,000, public records state.

Ms Greene was elected to the House in 2020 before which she co-founded a CrossFit affiliate gym, Insider noted.

The nature of this job, it keeps members of Congress and senators in Washington so much of the time, too much of the time to be honest with you, Ms Greene told Mr Greenwald.

She added that the demanding job keeps her away from family and friends in Georgia.

We dont get to go home and spend more time with our families, our friends  or maybe just be regular people because this job is so demanding. Its turned into practically year-round, she said. For those of us in the House of Representatives, we have to run for Congress every two years. So youre practically campaigning nearly the entire time that youre here serving as a representative.

Ms Greene said shes bothered in public by individuals who come up to me and say crazy things to me out of the blue in public places that they believe because they read it on the internet or saw it on some news show about me.

Marjorie Taylor Greene: Becoming a member of Congress has made my life miserable. I made a lot more money before I got here. Ive lost money since Ive gotten here. Its not a life that I think is like something that I enjoy because I dont enjoy it. pic.twitter.com/p3w23vF48h  PatriotTakes  (@patriottakes) February 3, 2023

Ms Greene was criticised for her comments by social media users.

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Feel free to step aside if it isnt too cushy of a job for you @RepMTG. Millions of us wont mind. #stopwhining, one Twitter user told Ms Greene.

Griping Greene you dont get to serve the Constitution and its people expecting to profit. Get a part time job or better yet, just quit, another added.

Really? Being in Congress isnt supposed to be about money. And I guarantee you make more per year than most of your constituents. If you dont like the life and job, stop running for office, a third said.

MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan wrote: Almost word for word what Trump has said in the past. Such patriots.

Her courage and sacrifice are an inspiration to us all, David Lazarus added.

Dont drink her tears. Capture them and use for drought relief in western USA. Lake Mead refill, Sally Jo Sorensen tweeted.

Then please, freaking resign. Because it hasnt been a party for the rest of us either listening to your lies, treason, misinformation and hate! Hedy Salazar wrote.
It began on a hot summer night in Mississippi, with a cry from a young Black activist named Stokely Carmichael. The birth of Black Power in 1966 also saw the spread of Afros, dashikis, and the first celebration of Kwanzaa. Seen as radical then, its pioneers highlighted issues that are still very much with us today.

To secure voting rights in Alabama, Carmichael pushed Blacks to form their own political party with a striking panther logo. Borrowing that symbol in California, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale created an armed patrol to monitor police.

/ Credit: Simon & Schuster

Yet for white Americans, "Black Power" rang of menace. In polls, whites suddenly opposed even nonviolent Black protest by two to one. Rocks and racist taunts greeted Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago.

Infighting also plagued the movement. At a chaotic retreat, Carmichael ousted John Lewis (the future Congressman) as leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, known as SNCC. SNCC militants pushed to expel all white members, leaving a trail of dried-up fundraising.

Asked to explain "Black Power," Carmichael often provoked more than persuaded. In a 1966 primetime special, "Black Power - White Backlash," he spoke with Mike Wallace of CBS News:

Wallace: "Mr. Carmichael, if you had the chance to stand up in front of the white community and say anything you desired, say to them, 'Understand me, white man,' what would you say?"

Carmichael: "I would say, 'Understand yourself, white man. You are the savages. Yes, it is you who have always been uncivilized. Civilize yourself.'"

For today's #BlackLivesMatter Movement, the tumultuous history of Black Power offers lessons, and warnings, about the importance of messaging, unity, and cross-racial alliances.

Yet beyond politics, Black Power had a deep personal meaning. In 1966, veteran journalist Vern Smith was a student at San Francisco State University, where the push for Black Studies began. For him and his Black friends, Vern said, "It was almost like a born-again experience. We were no longer Negroes."

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And those African dashikis that remain a symbol of proud Black identity? Well, Vern admits, "we didn't even know what dashikis were before then."

READ AN EXCERPT: "Saying It Loud: 1966The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement" by Mark Whitaker



For more info:

"Saying It Loud: 1966The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement" by Mark Whitaker (Simon & Schuster), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available February 7 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieboundFollow Mark Whitaker on Twitter



Story produced by Alan Golds. Editor: Joseph Frandino.

Ex-Trump adviser Gary Cohn on job numbers, recession and debt ceiling

Full interview: Sen. Cory Booker on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan"

Red-hot job market complicates Fed efforts to curb inflation
Money-saving expert Martin Lewis is warning people to use their Clubcard vouchers, or risk losing them. (Stock image: Getty)

Millions of Tesco customers need to take action by the end of this month to avoid losing their Clubcard points, finance expert Martin Lewis has warned.

The consumer champion's website, MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE), said over 16million worth of unused vouchers, belonging to more than two million customers, will expire at 11.59pm on 28 February.

That means people either need to use them or use a trick to avoid losing them, the website advised.

Clubcard vouchers are used by Tesco customers to save money in-store and online, as well as to swap for rewards of a greater value in some cases.

But the vouchers, which were first issued in February 2021, are set to expire on 28 February, MSE warned.

Watch: Famous Tesco 3 meal deal has come to an end

To avoid missing out, the site advised people to either use the vouchers or use a simple trick to extend them for another two years - basically making a small purchase on the Tesco Clubcard Rewards website that would mean the remaining points are credited back to the account.

It said: "Over 16 million worth of unused Clubcard vouchers, belonging to over two million customers, are set to expire at the end of next month.

"If your vouchers are due to run out, you'll either need to use them by 11.59pm on Tuesday 28 February OR use our trick to extend them."

Read more: Are supermarket loyalty cards as we know them coming to an end?

The post included advice on how to find out if your Clubcard vouchers are due to expire - including checking on the vouchers themselves, or checking on the Clubcard website or app.

People can then either spend them online using the code provided, or print them and spend them in store.

It added: "While Clubcard vouchers are valid for two years, if yours are expiring but you don't want to use them yet, there's a crafty way you can extend the expiry date for another two years, but you must do so before 11.59pm on Tuesday 28 February."

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People use Tesco Clubcard points to save money or earn rewards. (Stock image: Reuters)

It then said people can make a small purchase on the Tesco Clubcard Rewards which would mean the remaining balance is credited back to the account as points, then reissued as new vouchers with an expiry date up to two years in the future.

"So if you spend 50p using a 10 Clubcard voucher, you'll get 9.50 back as new vouchers," it explained.

"There's no minimum spend, but the aim's to shell out as little as possible. A good option might be a 50p restaurant voucher (worth 1.50 at your chosen restaurant)."

But it did add one caveat - that customers would need to take the step for each individual voucher, which would mean weighing up whether it's worth it for smaller denominations.

It added: "For example, if you've a 10 voucher it's probably worth it  if you've got a handful of 1 vouchers, maybe less so."
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov will likely be dismissed from his ministerial post next week, Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported on Feb. 5, citing government and military sources.

According to the sources, the likely replacement for Reznikov is understood to be Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's military intelligence agency HUR.

In a soon-to-be-published interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Reznikov reportedly denied any knowledge of an imminent dismissal.

I have not had any conversations about my resignation from this position, he reportedly said.

A government source confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Reznikov was likely to be replaced in the very near future.

Upon dismissal, Reznikov could be appointed to a new post as Justice Minister, as no one in the Presidential Office has any doubt that Reznikov should stay in the government, according to the Ukrainska Pravda article.

According to the report, Denys Maliuska, the current Justice Minister, could be appointed as an ambassador to a Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Europe.

The report hasn't provided information on who will head Ukraine's military intelligence agency if Budanov is appointed as defense minister.

Reznikov, 56, has served as Defense Minister since he was appointed on Nov. 4, 2021, overseeing the ministry throughout the entirety of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

In this time, Reznikov played an important role in the campaigning for and securing of Western military aid that has proved vital to Ukraine's resistance against Russia.

In late January, the Defense Ministry was beset by a high-profile corruption scandal that led to the firing of several top officials.

Ukrainian newspaper ZN.UA reported on Jan. 21 that the Defense Ministry procured large amounts of food products for the military at inflated prices. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has since opened an investigation into the alleged scheme.

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Reznikovs deputy, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, was dismissed from the Defense Ministry on Jan. 24.

On Jan. 31, Reznikov said that an audit of the army's procurement process had been launched on June 29. Its initial results in December found that the procurement system was deficient.

When the ZN.UA article first broke, Reznikov denied any wrongdoing, saying that whoever leaked the procurement documents committed a crime.

A court arrested Shapovalov for 60 days on Feb. 2.
Megan Fox attended the annual pre-Grammys gala on Saturday with a broken wrist and concussion.

The 36-year-old actor described her injuries to fans on social media after the event, which was hosted by record producer Clive Davis.

Off the plane with a broken wrist and a concussion straight to a Grammys party, wrote Fox on Instagram.

The Transformers star did not offer any further explanation on the cause of her injuries.

The Independent has contacted Foxs representative for further comment.

She was attending the awards ceremony with her fiance, Machine Gun Kelly, who is nominated for Best Rock Album for his sixth studio record Mainstream Sellout.

Kelly, real name Colson Baker, has been dating Fox since May 2020.

Mainstream Sellout is competing against Dropout Boogie by The Black Keys, The Boy Named If by Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Crawler by IDLES, Patient Number 9 by Ozzy Osbourne, and Lucifer on the Sofa by Spoon.

Speaking on Instagram before the Grammys, he said: Going into tomorrow, I just want to express gratitude. No matter what the outcome is, no matter if we win the Grammy, I am so happy to have been on journey exactly as how it has turned out.

Im grateful for you. Im grateful for the family Ive gained, friends, the shows, the laughs, the cries, all of that s***. It helped me push to be here to experience a moment like this. I mean we already won. We already won.

You can keep up with the latest news from the Grammys here, where The Independent will be live-blogging the ceremony.

Much of the debate ahead of the event has centred on the battle between Adele and Beyonce for Album of the Year, six years after Adeles album 25 controversially beat out Beyonces Lemonade.
Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly chatting with Avril Lavigne and Mod Sun. Lester Cohen/Getty Images

Megan Fox shared Instagram photos ahead of the Pre-Grammy Gala on Saturday.

Fox, 36, said she experienced a concussion and broken wrist before the event.

Fox's fiance, Machine Gun Kelly, is nominated for his first Grammy.

Megan Fox said she sustained injuries before arriving at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala to support her fiance, Machine Gun Kelly.

On Saturday, Fox revealed that she attended the Pre-Grammy Gala & Grammy Industry Salute to Icons event on Instagram.

"off the plane with a broken wrist and a concussion straight to a Grammys party,' Fox, 36, wrote in the caption.

While the Instagram photos didn't show the extent of Fox's injuries, she was later pictured at the event in a pink wrist brace.

Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly attend Clive Davis' Pre-Grammy Gala on February 4, 2023. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Fox posed for photos at the event alongside Kelly, 32, while wearing a dress designed by Alexis Mabille, according to wardrobe stylist Maeve Reilly.

This year Kelly snagged his first Grammy nomination for best rock album. He'll go up against fellow artists like Ozzy Osbourne and The Black Keys in the category.

The Pre-Grammy Gala, held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, was a star-studded event where entertainers like Lil Wayne, Lizzo, and Elvis Costello performed. On Saturday, Lizzo used the opportunity to confirm her relationship with actor Myke White, who accompanied her to the event.

"Hard Launch," Lizzo captioned a carousel of Instagram pictures of the pair.

Cardi B and Offset also attended the party and went viral on Twitter for their red-carpet PDA.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount Plus. Trevor Noah will host the awards ceremony for his third consecutive year at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

Some of the industry's most popular artists will perform on the Grammy stage, including Bad Bunny, Steve Lacy, Lizzo, Sam Smith, and more.

Read the original article on Insider
Students from San Pascual Elementary School sing their original song "P-22, We Love You" while playing ukuleles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

For the record:

3:05 p.m. Feb. 5, 2023: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Sen. Anthony Portantino lives in La Canada-Flintridge. He lives in Burbank. The story also said that the Wallis Annenberg Foundation pledged $10 million toward a new fundraising goal for wildlife bridges. The foundation said it is a challenge or matching grant, meaning it will only be donated if another $10 million is raised from other donors.





Thousands of people flocked to the Greek Theatre on Saturday to celebrate the life and legacy of P-22, the mountain lion who prowled Griffith Park for more than a decade.

In an event that lasted more than three hours and was streamed online to thousands of viewers, more than four dozen speakers  including scientists, advocates, politicians and celebrities  honored the puma's far-reaching impact on environmental advocacy and wildlife research.

"You will be remembered as the king of Griffith Park," said the DJ and music producer Diplo, who held a stuffed P-22 under his arm onstage. "The world has lost a magnificent creature, and the humans of Los Angeles have lost their chance to catch a glimpse of you in the wild."

The mountain lion surprised the world in 2012 when he appeared in Griffith Park, long considered too small to be home to an apex predator. To reach Los Feliz from his likely birthplace in the Santa Monica Mountains, the cougar would have made an improbable journey through the Hollywood Hills, crossing the 405 and 101 freeways.

P-22's solitary presence in the heart of Los Angeles became the foundation for an international campaign to build the world's largest wildlife bridge across the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills. And his nighttime forays into Los Feliz and Silver Lake, caught on iPhones and Ring doorbell cameras, helped teach Californians that Los Angeles is far wilder than it appears.

"He made us more human, made us connect more to that wild place in ourselves," said Beth Pratt, a regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation and the organizer of the event. "We are part of nature, and he reminded us of that."

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Warren Dickson, right, with 3rd Rock Hip Hop, performs. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The event was mostly festive and celebratory, with guests as varied as a muralist, a puppeteer and three groups of elementary school students. Actor Rainn Wilson, who appeared in one of the first fundraising campaigns for the wildlife bridge, led the crowd in an original song that included the lyrics "P-22, P-22, you left behind a lot of friends and cougar poo."

P-22 had been acting erratically for more than a month before his death Dec. 17, including attacking three Chihuahuas and killing one. After he was struck by a car in Los Feliz, he was caught by wildlife biologists for an exam. They discovered serious health problems, including a skull fracture, a torn diaphragm and heart, kidney and liver disease.

Chuck Bonham, director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said he made the "gut-wrenching decision" to euthanize P-22. The crowd was silent as he described holding the cat's paw during his last days.

"P-22 was beautifully abstract, the essence of the wildness of wild things," Bonham said. "He was also something very real. I didn't realize that last aspect until I held his paw in my hand, and the weight overwhelmed me. ... I've thought about him a lot since then, trying to soothe my soul."

Thousands attended the celebration. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Jeff Sikich, a biologist with the National Park Service, captured P-22 seven times over 11 years to replace his tracking collar and perform health exams. He monitored the cougar's movements daily for more than a decade as part of a federal study of pumas in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Sikich said he had studied hundreds of large carnivores and "never could have imagined that one of these animals could bring so many people together in celebration of coexistence."

"P-22's legacy will live on in his contributions to wildlife conservation and our heightened awareness of how to live in harmony with nature," Sikich said.

Representatives of the Gabrielino Tongva and Chumash tribes compared the loss of native lands to the encroachment of humans on puma territory.

Most pumas in the Los Angeles area live in the Santa Monica Mountains, which are bisected by the 101 Freeway. That almost impenetrable barrier has cut off the cats from a wider gene pool to the north, leading to inbreeding and genetic abnormalities.

Scientific modeling has drawn a dire conclusion: Without interventions such as the wildlife bridge, pumas in the Santa Monica and Santa Ana mountains could be extinct within 50 years.

"The pumas of the Santa Monica Mountains are walking on a knife edge, and their path could lead to extinction or to coexistence," said David Szymanski, superintendent of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

The National Wildlife Foundation aims to raise $500 million for wildlife crossings in the next five years. The executive director of the Wallis Annenberg Foundation, which contributed millions to the Agoura Hills bridge, pledged a $10 million challenge grant to the effort.

The Agoura Hills bridge, which broke ground on Earth Day last year, was largely funded by private donations from around the world, including from the foundation of actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

From left, Joey Salehi, Jared North and Scotch Crisostomo pose with a cutout of P-22. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

P-22 fans arrived at Saturday's celebration as early as 9:30 a.m. for the noon event, queuing on the sidewalks of Vermont Avenue to get the best spots in the 5,900-seat theater.

Inside, vendors sold shirts and pins, fans took photos with a cougar cutout, and a Los Feliz resident handed out free copies of a magazine shed printed at home called "Catamount!"

Kathy Mellon, who wore a blue-and-white sweater showing P-22's face, drove from Irvine for the event.

"It's a short drive for P-22, when you think about how far he had to go," Mellon said.

She has become known among friends and coworkers as a P-22 expert. Her friends, she said, have learned to expect a stuffed puma as a baby gift.

"I hope it brings a little closure," said Rebecca Damsen of Ohio, who said she and her children had followed P-22's exploits for years from halfway across the country. Damsen wore a faux fur stole and stuffed ears and a tail, originally from a "Lion King" costume.

National Geographic photographer Steve Winter holds his famous photo of P-22. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The crowd also heard the origin story of P-22's most iconic moment: a photograph that ran in National Geographic, showing the cat prowling past the Hollywood sign. It took six camera traps and 15 months to get the image, photographer Steve Winter said.

Wearing a shirt bearing the iconic image, Winter snapped photos of the crowd as he left the stage.

Elected officials  including Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, state Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank) and U.S. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank)  also honored their mountain lion constituent.

On Friday, Schiff launched an effort to memorialize P-22 on a postage stamp. He thanked the puma for "gracing us with your presence, your pranks and your magnificence."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Its time for U.S. legislators to look at the results in England since that country adopted very strong guns laws. They will find that gun violence in the U.S. is so much worse than in England, to the point that it seems unbelievable. The media should show the latest results so U.S. citizens can see why there are times when the Constitution needs changes to fit the times.

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People often say, Guns dont kill people. People kill people. Im here to say, Guns make it easier to kill people.

Maybe we need to see that sometimes we can learn from other countries.

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 Carl F. Rollberg, Calumet Park

5-year-olds thoughts

My grandson whos 5 was asked if he is excited about going to kindergarten.

No, he replied. I dont want to get shot.

 Dean Dranias, Plainfield

Register, license guns

Hats off to Earl Beal of Terre Haute, Indiana, for his analysis of the Second Amendment text, its context and the Framers intent (Amendments purpose, Jan. 30). As he states, a well-regulated militia was a reality in 1791. I add that well-regulated would mean some manner of state regulation for command and control. I dont think the Framers were intending to empower individuals outside those considerations.

I would not deny a sane adult the right to own a firearm, but military hardware is uncalled for to secure personal safety. Even armed with such weapons, citizens are no match for our military, should we the people decide to rise up armed.

Do I have right to arm myself with a tank or missile, or can I brandish a sword in public? Clearly, some limits are appropriate to guard most of us from the few who over indulge their rights.

Registration and licensing are appropriate for firearms.

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 John Bean, Chicago

Involvement of guns

Nice op-ed by Sheriff Thomas Dart in Tuesdays Tribune (Hard work on many fronts can prevent shootings, save lives). Its refreshing to hear that some people still realize that not all crime is caused by those mechanical devices called firearms.

Also, although I see no reason for extended magazines outside of the military, most magazines, extended or not, can be swapped out in two or three seconds.

 Wayne A. Meyer, Chicago

Cops of 1950s, 60s

I want to suggest something thats often overlooked in cases of police violence: the pernicious effects of the war on drugs.

We tell police theyre warriors and then act surprised when they treat people as the enemy. It wasnt always like this. Id like to share what I heard from some former police officers a half century ago.

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One of my first jobs after high school was in the mailroom at Miles Laboratories in Elkhart, Indiana, in 1972. Next to the mailroom was office supplies. The guys in office supplies were retired cops from South Bend, Indiana. They were all nice guys. We had coffee breaks together twice a day.

Cops who were retired in the early 1970s were guys who worked through the 50s and 60s. It wasnt all Ozzie and Harriet and Leave It to Beaver, but it wasnt a dystopian hellscape, either.

They told me they all knew who was selling drugs and who was running the brothels. If there was a serious crime in a neighborhood, they would make the rounds and say, Weve been going easy on you, as you know, but now we need to know who committed this crime. The dealers and the madams often knew how to find out who the police were looking for. Dangerous people went to jail, and life went on.

Cops then werent fighting a war on drugs or a war on crime. They were just regular guys trying to do their jobs. Most cops today are still decent men and women trying to do their jobs. But today, were asking them to do the impossible. And sometimes they get frustrated.

And angry.

And they carry deadly weapons.

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 Dave Coyne, Goshen, Indiana

Marginalizing women

I was outraged that Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx dismissed all charges against R. Kelly. It takes courage to bring a case against any abuser, but its especially difficult when its against a celebrity. And yet, a number of women like Lanita Carter did just that!

Not only was it courageous to bring a case such as this to court, but it also showed a great deal of strength because these women would have to relive the pain and trauma of the abuse all over again. By dismissing all charges against R. Kelly, it marginalizes women. It puts heinous crimes against women up on a dusty shelf to be forgotten.

Im calling out Foxx on her shameful decision because I want to prevent this from happening again to brave women such as Carter.

 Vicki Joseph, Chicago

Kim Foxxs tendency

Reading the Tribune article (Cook County prosecutors dismiss all charges against R. Kelly, Feb. 1) that reported that Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx has dropped the local sexual assault and other charges against R. Kelly reminded me of a previous Tribune report. In the Aug. 10, 2020 edition, a Tribune analysis revealed the litany and range of felony charges dropped by Kim Foxx during what had then been her first term as states attorney (Foxx drops cases at high rate).

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It was unfortunate then that the Tribune analysis was reported after the primary, ensuring her reelection in the 2020 general election. It is even more unfortunate that her legacy continues, as exemplified by dropping the charges against R. Kelly.

It will be tragic if she runs and wins in 2024.

 Chris Donovan, Oak Park

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Everything that is done on these West Texas Plains ought to be on a big scale. It is a country that lends itself to bigness. It is a country that does not harmonize with things little or narrow or mean. Let us make the work of our college fit with the scope of our country. Let our thoughts be big thoughts and broad thoughts. Let our thinking be in worldwide terms.

Mitchell

Texas Technological Colleges first president, Paul Whitfield Horn, delivered those lines in 1925 to the first class of Red Raiders, a group that included just over 900 freshmen and sophomores whod come to study agriculture, home economics, engineering and liberal arts in Lubbock, Texas. Two years later, 26 of those students became the first graduating class of what is now Texas Tech University.

As we celebrate the centennial of our flagship institution, it's safe to say we took Horns words of bigness to heart, and weve made him proud. What started as a single university in Lubbock has grown to a higher education enterprise  the Texas Tech University System  that now includes five universities with a footprint spanning the state and stretching across the globe.

One hundred years is a lot of history, especially for an institution like TTU. Its hundreds of milestones among an infinite number of moments, hundreds of accomplishments among hundreds of thousands of people. Its an immeasurable legacy built one story and one person at a time, forever sewn into the fabric of West Texas.

For every story weve had the chance to tell, there are countless others waiting for their turn. There are many others who are just as content to remain in the shadows, bearing our banners with quiet pride as they serve in just about every way imaginable, teaching our children, leading our law firms and mentoring the next generation of engineers, scientists and innovators.

Among those unsung heroes are the people and communities who have steadfastly supported TTU  and Lubbock  from day one. That support is especially meaningful when you consider the number of towns who threw their hat in the ring in 1923, all anticipating what an institution like this could mean for their community.

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And yet, when the news came out of Fort Worth that Lubbock had been chosen unanimously  and on the first ballot, no less  from among the 37 hopeful, vying towns, the response was immediate: congratulations poured into Lubbock via telegram from countless communities dotting the western half of Texas.

The people of Abilene extend their congratulations to Lubbock and predict for Texas Tech a glorious future, the first message declared, along with a promise of 150 businessmen who would join the festivities in Lubbock later that month. The official Jubilee Celebration on Aug. 28, swelled to an estimated 40,000 people from near and vastly outnumbering the local population of around 11,000.

With support like this, weve continued to think, to plan and to do on a big scale as the years have passed, calling on those crucial community partners who have responded when it matters most. In 2021, we planted our latest flag for TTU in Amarillo, opening the states first school of veterinary medicine in 100 years.

Despite fierce opposition from some  opposition spanning back to the original endeavor in the 1970s then again in 2015  there was a groundswell of support not just from the people in Amarillo but from towns and communities across the state that saw a shared need, rallied around TTUs answer and did everything in their power to help that solution reality. Among those supporters were 16 Chambers of

Commerce and 6 regional councils of government, many representing the rural communities of West Texas that are often overlooked and underserved despite providing the food, fiber and fuel that drives our state livelihood.

In turn, weve invested back into these communities, helping to place Red Raiders in previously unfilled roles in classrooms, clinics and offices. Weve found ways to meet our communities needs through outreach, engagement and services. Weve gone beyond our established role of educating generation after generation of young minds to being a community asset that ultimately results today in an impressive statewide economic impact to the tune of $16.4 billion.

Last December, 9,140 students earned a TTU diploma, joining more than 300,000 Red Raiders who have graduated from the university and have gone on to make their mark in every state and in 119 countries around the world.

Weve come a long way since those first 26 students walked the stage in 1927, and we continue to think in worldwide terms while finding ways to serve those who need it the most.

As we reflect with gratefulness on all weve accomplished in the last century, we look forward to all that we will continue to accomplish, together.

(Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D., is the chancellor of the Texas Tech University System.)

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Mitchell: Texas Tech System thinking in 'worldwide terms'
An overwhelming majority of Americans in a new survey said that they believe there should be changes to U.S. police departments amid calls for reform in the wake of Tyre Nicholss death in Memphis, Tenn.

The CBS News/YouGov poll, published Sunday, found that 89 percent of respondents said that there should be changes within police departments in the U.S., while 11 percent of those surveyed disagree.

Almost half of the respondents  47 percent  said that major changes should be made in police departments, while 42 percent said that minor changes should be implemented.

Along political party lines, 95 percent of Democrats surveyed said that there should be changes made within police departments in the U.S., while only 5 percent disagreed.

Eighty-four percent of Republican respondents said that there should be changes made within police departments in the U.S., while 16 percent disagreed, according to the poll.

Eighty-nine percent of Independent respondents said there should be reforms implemented in U.S-based police departments, and 11 percent disagreed.

When asked if police reform in the U.S. is a high priority, 61 percent of Democrats said that it is, as did 47 percent of Independents and 29 percent of Republicans.

The new polling comes as many prominent figures have made a renewed effort to pass police reform legislation after the death of Nichols, a 29-year-old Black male who died three days after being beaten, punched and kicked by five Memphis Police Department officers.

Body camera footage of the incident, which occurred last month, showed the five police officers beating Nichols for three minutes and leaving him on the ground without any medical attention for more than 20 minutes afterward.

The five Memphis police officers, who are all Black, were fired from their positions within the department and have been charged with second-degree murder and other offenses in relation to the incident.

Memphis, Tenn. Mayor Jim Strickland (D) said that the Department of Justice will conduct a review of the city police department in relation to Nicholss death.

The CBS News/YouGov poll was conducted from February 1 to February 4 with a total of 2,300 respondents participating in the survey. The polls margin of error is 3 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Mount Pleasant Township community came together to raise money for a family who lost their home in a fire last month.

The house that was destroyed by a fire on Acaedmy Lane belonged to the Breakiron family.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> House collapses during fire in Westmoreland County, local fire department taking donations to help

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The family was not home when the fire began but was quickly called home by a neighbor. By the time they made it back, the house had collapsed.

A spaghetti dinner fundraiser was held on Saturday at the New Alexandria Firemans Club.

Money was raised through a few different tactics including a basket raffle, a 50-50 and a donation box.

We just want to thank everyone for coming together and supporting us, said Amber Breakiron. The dinner, just everybody, I want to thank and thank you all.

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When the City of Memphis and the Memphis Police Department released four videos that showed an aggressive attempted arrest and then brutal beating of Tyre Nichols, the decision was largely heralded as a step towards increased transparency in policing.

But, in the wake of that move towards transparency, a photo of an incident report, along with police narrative, from the night Nichols was beaten was leaked on social media and then published in The New York Times on Jan. 30  and later in a CBS News article  comparing the report's inconsistencies with the actions seen in the footage.

The contents of the report, according to The New York Times, were verified by Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy.

With a photo of the incident report floating around social media, The Commercial Appeal reached out to MPD and requested a copy of the document multiple times.

The City of Memphis and MPD are the custodians of the body camera and SkyCop footage, along with incident reports, meaning they are allowed to release the records when they desire. The DA's office does not have this same ability with those records.

The Commercial Appeal reached out by phone, email, and the city's online public records request portal five times over the course of the past week. The department delayed or demurred in responses until Friday, when the request through the online portal was denied.

More:She came to Memphis a 'rising star.' Why Chief CJ Davis is facing her toughest test yet.

Incident reports in their entirety are public records as they include preliminary information. Incident reports, including their narratives, are not written during the course of an investigation. The exception, as MPD has told reporters, comes with the initial narrative for homicides.

However, the photo of the leaked incident report listed the crime committed as an aggravated assault.

And the report listed Tyre Nichols as a suspect. And the now-former Officer Emmitt Martin III was listed as the victim.

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Family and supporters of Tyre Nichols gathered for a candlelight vigil in honor of him on Jan. 26, 2023 at Tobey Skatepark in Memphis.

In keeping the record from the public, MPD has repeatedly cited an ongoing investigation.

In reporting this story, The Commercial Appeal reached out Friday afternoon and asked MPD why some video, but not all, and no other records that are normally public have not been made publicly available.

Additionally, The CA asked if not releasing records has been to preserve the integrity of the investigation and, if so, what differentiates the original four videos that were released from the upcoming videos and other records that have been promised.

A joint statement from MPD and the City of Memphis Legal Division released Friday said they considered the need for transparency with the public and the importance of conducting "uncompromised administrative and criminal investigations." They also cited the potential for those being investigated to change their statements with an early release of the video.

More:SCORPION unit's experience, supervision questioned amid Memphis police staffing woes

"We believe it is imperative that we do a thorough investigation so that all culpable parties can be held accountable," the statement said. "No video was released until after the family was given an opportunity to view the video and after it was determined that the release of those videos would not compromise the integrity of either the administrative or criminal investigations."

Tuesday evening, Jennifer Sink, the chief legal officer for the City of Memphis, said additional video and audio from the traffic stop and subsequent beating of Nichols would be released in the coming weeks, after an administrative investigation is completed.

The Friday joint statement added that "related records" will also be publicly available after that administrative investigation ends.

The Shelby County District Attorney's Office, where officials are focused on the criminal investigation, said it supports the city quickly releasing the records, but understands the city's desire to complete its investigations first.

"We support MPD in swiftly releasing the incident report once they conclude their administrative investigations," the DA's office said in a statement Friday evening. "We understand the importance of transparency, but also know that certain information cannot be released immediately due to ongoing investigations."

Lucas Finton is a news reporter for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by email at Lucas.Finton@CommercialAppeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why is the city waiting to release more Tyre Nichols records?
The new Republican majority on North Carolinas Supreme Court agreed on Friday to rehear redistricting and voter identification cases less than two months after the courts previous edition, led by Democrats, issued major opinions going against GOP legislators who had been sued.

The extraordinary decisions, granted in orders backed by five justices with the Republican voter registrations on the seven-member court, mean the issues will return to the court for oral arguments in mid-March. With hopes of getting new legal results, lawmakers led by House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger asked two weeks ago that the justices rehear the litigation.

The two Democratic justices lamented the orders and said they stood against more than 200 years of court history in which rehearings have been exceedingly rare. They said it appeared it was happening simply because the courts partisan makeup had changed. Two new Republican justices took office in early January after winning November elections for seats held by Democrats.

ALSO READ: North Carolina justices weigh whether more felons can vote

The legal issues are the same; the evidence is the same; and the controlling law is the same, Associate Justice Anita Earls wrote in the dissent of the order agreeing to rehear the redistricting case. The only thing that has changed is the political composition of the Court.

The GOP lawmakers attorneys contend the previous 4-3 Democratic majority got it wrong in December when they struck down a state Senate map the legislature drew and upheld congressional boundaries drawn by trial judges but opposed by Republicans. They said those same Democrats erred when upholding the invalidation of a 2018 law requiring photo identification to vote when they applied the wrong legal standard.

The rehearings ultimately could lead to new opinions that reinstate the photo ID mandate and strike down precedent from the Supreme Court in February 2022 declaring the state constitution outlawed extensive partisan gerrymandering. That landmark redistricting ruling prevented maps drawn by Republican legislators that were expected to secure long-term Republican advantages in the General Assembly and within the states congressional delegation.

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The courts rehearing orders mentioned little about the topics to be reconsidered. Rather, the court said a case can be reheard if the petitioner makes a satisfactory showing that the opinion may be erroneous. The legislators petition or arguments met the requirements, the orders said.

But Earls wrote Fridays action marked a radical break from the courts history. Since 1993 alone, she said, rehearing had been allowed in only two cases out of 214 such requests.

Respect for the institution and the integrity of its processes kept opportunities for rehearing narrow in scope and exceedingly rare, she wrote. Today, that tradition is abandoned. Associate Justice Mike Morgan also dissented.

RELATED: Democrats introduce bill to codify Roe v. Wade protections in North Carolina

Moore and Berger had not offered public comment on the orders by late Friday.

The Republican majority on the court also threw out a petition filed earlier this week by redistricting lawsuit plaintiff Common Cause urging that the GOP requests be denied and the ruling remain intact. The advocacy group, which argued the rehearing request was improper, is disappointed the Court is giving legislators another bite at the apple, said Hilary Klein, an attorney who filed the Common Cause motion.

We will continue to fight for the rights of all people in North Carolina to vote freely and fairly and look forward to making that case again before the court, Jeff Loperfido, one of the lawyers who worked to overturn the voter ID law, said in a statement. Klein and Loperfido work with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.

(WATCH BELOW: South Carolina Supreme Court strikes down state abortion ban)
Newgate and jockey Frankie Dettori, left, hold off Hard to Figure and Ramon Vazquez to win the Grade 3 $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Saturday. (Benoit Photo via Associated Press)

There was never a question that trainer Bob Baffert would have a horse win Saturdays Grade 3 $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita since he trained all four in the embarrassingly small field. The only question was which one would cross the finish line first.

It turned out to be the favorite, Newgate, with Frankie Dettori aboard. It was Newgates second win in six starts.

It was a Kentucky Derby points qualifying race, except that Baffert is currently not allowed to accrue Derby points because he is one year into a two-year ban from Churchill Downs after the contested disqualification of Medina Spirit in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

On Saturday, Arabian Knight went to the lead in the 1 1/16-mile race. Newgate was comfortable at the back of the compact field early in the race. Dettori urged the 3-year-old to move up entering the far turn and then found himself running with Hard to Figure at the top of the stretch. Newgate, running on the outside, pulled ahead late and won by a neck.

Newgate paid $4.00 and $2.60 followed by Hard to Figure, Worcester and Arabian Lion. There was no show betting.

I was actually nervous before the race, worried that something weird might happen, Baffert told Santa Anitas media relations department. But I can relax now.

Baffert won the Lewis for the 11th time. He was a trainer for the late horse owner and philanthropist.

Frankie Dettori has been teaching [Newgate] how to sit back, relax and come up with a punch and thats what he did, Baffert said of Saturday's race. Arabian Lion looked like he was in a good spot, came up a little tired, and we are not sure about the distance limitations.

Worcester was right there and I think Hard to Figure ran an incredible race.  Im very proud of all of them.

The fact that Baffert had the only horses in the stakes is a testament to his dominance of 3-year-old dirt racing at Santa Anita, where a majority of the horses run on the turf.

All the Kentucky Derby points from the Lewis Stakes were vacated, for now. Baffert was in Kentucky on Thursday and Friday as part of a preliminary injunction he has filed against Churchill Downs that would allow him to enter horses in this years Kentucky Derby.

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One issue that was raised during the two-day hearing in a federal courthouse was that the positive test for scopolamine on Justify in 2018 was a factor in Churchills decision to suspend the trainer.

Baffert attorney Clark Brewster then got Churchill Downs track president Mike Anderson to say he did not know that the California Horse Racing Board case against Baffert was dismissed because the positive test was the result of contamination that affected horses in other barns.

The judge is expected to issue a decision in the next few weeks.

In other races Saturday at Santa Anita, Quattroelle ($23.60 to win) won the one-mile turf Grade 3 $100,000 Megahertz Stakes, Fun to Dream (3.00) won the Grade 2 $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes over seven furlongs and Earls Rock ($9.80) took the one-mile turf Grade 3 $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP)  Newgate won the $200,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes by a neck on Saturday, with Bob Baffert as the trainer of all four horses in the Kentucky Derby prep race at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Newgate ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.11 and paid $4 and $2.60 as the even-money favorite. There was no show wagering because of the field size.

Hard to Figure returned $5.20 at 12-1 odds. Worcester was another 1 3/4 lengths back in third. Arabian Lion was fourth.

So much improvement in all these horses, Baffert said. "I was actually nervous before the race, worried that something weird might happen, but I can relax now.

The Lewis was a Kentucky Derby prep race, but no points were awarded because Baffert has been banned for two years by Churchill Downs Inc. The Hall of Fame trainer was in Louisville on Friday to testify in federal court as he seeks a temporary injunction to end the suspension, which runs through the end of the upcoming spring meet. It was meted out following a failed drug test by Medina Spirit after the colt finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

Newgate earned his first graded stakes victory. The colt was second, beaten by a neck in the Sham Stakes last month in his previous start.

"Frankie Dettori has been teaching him how to just sit back, relax and come with a punch and thats what he did today, Baffert said.

The victory, worth $120,000, increased Newgate's career earnings to $241,975, with two wins in six starts.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 10: Actor George R. Robertson attends the "Still" premiere during the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival at Winter Garden Theatre on September 10, 2012 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images)

Jonathan Leibson/Getty

George R. Robertson, a Canadian actor best known for playing the stuffy but hilarious Chief Henry J. Hurst in six Police Academy films, has died at the age of 89.

The family confirmed his death at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre on Jan. 29 in an obituary. He was described as a "husband, father, grandfather, actor, writer, painter, [and] humanitarian" and family wrote that he "leaves a legacy of many accomplishments," many of which can be attributed to his lengthy career in movies and TV.

Born in Brampton, Ontario on April 20, 1933, Robertson began his acting career on the theater stage before booking small roles in several TV series including The F.B.I., The Most Deadly Game and Cool Million. But it wasn't until he landed a role in the '80s classic Police Academy, alongside stars Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall and the late Bubba Smith that he got his big break. The movie was a huge commercial success and led to five more sequels between 1985 and 1989.

Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Moviestore/Shutterstock (1612534a) Police Academy, G W Bailey, George Gaynes, George R Robertson Film and Television

Moviestore/Shutterstock

After the film franchise concluded, Robertson continued acting in several TV movies and TV series like The Path to 9/11, The Pentagon Papers and Sundays at Tiffany's. He also held a series regular role on CTV drama series E.N.G from 1989-1994. He took on acting roles up until 2017, with his last two credits being Crossfire in 2016 and Cradle to Grave in 2017.

RELATED: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2023

Robertson racked up about 80 acting credits throughout his career and was awarded the 1993 Margaret Collier Award by the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, according to his family.

Despite his lengthy film career, his family noted that "his most important goals were achieved by helping others." They said following his stint as Chief Hurst in Police Academy, he used his role to speak to youth in high schools across Canada as a UNICEF ambassador  a deed that eventually earned him the Danny Kaye UNICEF Canada award in 1990 for outstanding contribution. He also helped raise money for an orphanage in Chiang Mai, Thailand by walking 529 kilometers (more than 328 miles).

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Robertson had been an athlete prior to becoming an actor, taking part in both hockey and football during high school, and his family said that in his later years, he turned to a different kind of art: painting and writing.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Adele; two daughters, Sarah and Ellen; as well as several grandchildren. A memorial service will be held in March.
Nissan

Solid-state batteries and wireless charging represent the next big technological improvements for electric vehicles. Nissan now says it will have a production EV with solid batteries in 2028.

Promised are longer range, shorter charge times, and less chance of fire, but questions about cost and life span must be solved.

Other automakers, including Ford, BMW, and Toyota, are all working on solid-state technology, with plans to introduce some version of the tech as early as 2025.

All this month, Nissan is hosting an exhibit at its Global Headquarters Gallery in Yokohama, Japan, called Nissan Futures. As the name implies, the display focuses on how Nissan works on that elusive "future of sustainable mobility" concept. One of the core ideas to be discussed is "evolved solid-state batteries." We might see a production Nissan electric vehicle with these next-gen packs by 2028.

Nissan's plans include getting a pilot production plant producing the first solid-state batteries by 2025, completing the initial application engineering by 2026, and then the vehicle application in 2028, according to a new report in Autocar. The automaker is working with researchers at the University of Oxford on the project.

"We Think We Have Something Quite Special"

"We think we have something quite special and are in a group leading the technology," Nissan senior vice-president for research and development in Europe, David Moss, told Autocar. "We want to get the cost down [compared with standard lithium-ion batteries] by 50 percent, to double the energy density and to offer three times the charging speed."



Evolved solid-state batteries are also known as all-solid-state sodium batteries or ASSBs. As Moss explained to Autocar, ASSBswhich have no liquid electrolyteare Nissan's target, but the company will continue to develop lithium-ion batteries as it works on ASSBs. Moss told Autocar that Nissan expects to introduce a next-gen lithium battery in the next few years and a cobalt-free li-ion battery in 2028. Moss said these cobalt-free li-ion packs could reduce battery costs by up to 65 percent.



Other automakers are working on solid-state batteries. Toyota is partnering with Panasonic on solid-state batteries that will be used in a hybrid in 2025. Last year, a startup called Solid Power started making solid-state test batteries for both Ford and BMW vehicles.

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A Chance for Nissan to Pull Ahead

Nissan was once the leader in lower-cost, mass-market EVs, but the delayed rollout of the Ariya and the rise of an entire fleet of competitor EVs has since squandered the head start provided by the Leaf. Being early to market with a solid-state EVwhich, as Moss said, could provide a long range with short recharge speedswould put Nissan back on top, at least technologically. Moss told Autocar that solid-state packs would also offer Nissan engineers options.



"If you can put in energy three times faster, is it any different to filling a [gasoline] vehicle?" he told Autocar. "We don't know yet [about battery size], but we might have two sizes of batteryone for really heavy users who need massive range, but if you can put energy in like [gasoline], do you need the size?"

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A packed crowd prepared to share some laughs with the cast of Impractical Jokers quickly realized Saturday nights historically cold weather was no joke when a burst water pipe forced them onto Bostons frigid streets.

Impractical Jokers 5:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. shows at the Wang Theatre have been rescheduled for Saturday, April 29 after the venues sprinkler system burst due to the cold weather.

The Impractical Jokers shows at the Wang Theatre this evening have been rescheduled to Sat, April 29 due to record low temperatures causing the venue sprinkler system to break. Previously purchased tickets will be honored on new date/times. Refunds available at point of purchase. pic.twitter.com/TFJFFAdQFw  Boch Center (@BochCenter) February 4, 2023

Fans of the TruTv comedy show were already in their seats for the 5:00 p.m. show when the sprinkler system failed. People were asked to leave the venue while the fire crews assessed the situation.

Although the venue didnt sustain major damage and the fire department responded quickly, it was determined the shows could not resume.

With temperatures hovering in the teens, hundreds huddled together on Tremont Street as they waited to hear if they would be let back into the theatre.

The Boch Center did not publicly announce that Saturdays night shows were canceled until just before 7:00 p.m., more than an hour after the crowd had spilled onto the streets outside.

Its too bad, we were looking forward to seeing the guys and having a mother-son night out, said one disappointed mother. Braved the cold to get here.

James Murr Murray mingled with the Impractical Jokers fans outside the theater, taking selfies and saying hellos, in an effort to make it right.

The @truTVjokers show tonight and tomorrownight at the Wang Theatre in #Boston got canceled earlier tonight after a pipe burst in the building. I caught up with @jamessmurray who has a message for his Boston Fans as well as some of his fans! #Boston25 @boston25 pic.twitter.com/npsIPQbc5z  James Cullity (@JCullityNews) February 5, 2023

Coldest day of the year in Boston but were getting through it together, said Murr. Love you guys!

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Murr also shared a video on Twitter shortly after 8:00 p.m., letting fans know he was excited to see them in April.

So sorry to our Boston fans. 5 minutes before showtime, the frozen pipes burst in the theater, forcing the fire department to evacuate everyone & shut the venue. We're rescheduling to April 29. All tix will be honored & refunds given if need be. Stay warm tonight - we love you! pic.twitter.com/VhlmYgxcJW  Murr (@jamessmurray) February 5, 2023

Despite the disappointing night, fans told Boston 25 News they plan to be first in line when the gang of pranksters returns this spring.

We got them on presale! We have been waiting for this for ages! exclaimed one fan.

I drove five hours from Maine to come, said her friend.

We just love them so much and for this to happen is pretty disappointing but hopefully, we can make it back because we love them so much, added a third fan. They would never do this on purpose.

Those unable to make the shows rescheduled date will be granted a refund, according to the Wang Theatre and the Impractical Jokers tour.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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

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An apparatus used to scan subsurface geological features swings under a helicopter during takeoff Tuesday, Jan. 31 at Bult Field in Monee. The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a project this month to get a better understanding of how surface water interacts with water in aquifers. (Paul Eisenberg / Daily Southtown)

The reversal of the Chicago River in 1900 is still celebrated as an engineering marvel, and the clean drinking water supply it helped make available in Lake Michigan spurred the explosive growth that made Chicago a world class city.

Rather than ending up near the citys water intake cribs, Chicagos sewage could instead be sent downstream and eventually to the Mississippi River.

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It was a huge health win for Chicagoans, but communities downstream likely took a dimmer view of the engineering feat. Leaders in St. Louis reportedly asked a court to stop the rivers reversal, but by the time a judge ruled in their favor, the effluent was already on its way south via the rivers that make up the Illinois River basin.

Its hard to say what could have been for communities such as Lockport and Joliet, which turned their backs on riverfront areas, filling them with industry.

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Sewage treatment has been vastly improved in the 12 decades since, but even after processing, the waste discharge from a world class city likely continues to alter the chemistry of waterways between Chicago and the Gulf of Mexico.

Its not the only factor contributing to a rise in nutrients  nitrates, phosphorus and other elements lead to increasing incidents of water quality emergencies, federal scientists said. The nutrients fuel algae populations, which then strip water of elements such as oxygen and kill off all other aquatic life.

A helicopter lifts a scanning apparatus during a demonstration by the U.S. Geological Survey Tuesday, Jan. 31 at Bult Field in Monee. (Paul Eisenberg / Daily Southtown)

As they figure out how to tackle the situation, the scientists enlisted a helicopter that took off from Bult Field on Tuesday in Monee, dragging underneath it a huge, somewhat trapezoidal framework adorned with certain devices.

Afterward, geophysicist Burke Minsley mentioned hes heard lots of conspiracy theories linked to the airborne conglomeration.

He didnt elaborate on those theories, but coming at the same time as a mysterious object floating over the country was labeled a spy balloon, he assured the low-flying mission on display at Bult was nothing nefarious. Minsleys cohorts even added a whimsical smiley face to a sensor on the front end of the apparatus.

Minsley, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, stood before a crowd of about 30 people Tuesday at the little airport in Monee, detailing the USGS project. It involves a monthlong series of aerial sweeps by the helicopter and dangling equipment over the Illinois River basin. The project will transmit electromagnetic signals into the ground and collect the resulting data to create a rough map of underground features.

Burke Minsley, right, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, explains equipment that will be used to scan underground features that relate to water movement along the Illinois River basin during a demonstration Jan. 31 at Bult Field in Monee. (Paul Eisenberg / Daily Southtown)

The Illinois River basin, which includes all the rivers tributaries including the Kankakee River stretching into Northwest Indiana, is one of four areas nationwide chosen for the scans. The other three basins are the Delaware River in the Mid-Atlantic region, the upper Colorado River, which famously flows through Grand Canyon National Park, and the Willamette River in Oregon.

Each river basin has unique qualities that made them worth studying, though they also are representative of others around the country, said Judith Coffman Thomas, a USGS hydrologist based in Dekalb.

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Theyre basins that are important to the public and have specific water quantity and quality issues, she said.

One of the elements making Illinois River compelling to the federal scientists is the problematic nutrients.

Were in our infancy in understanding how to predict these harmful algal blooms, Coffman Thomas said. How can we get ahead of them?

A smiley face was drawn on the front of equipment that will be flown over parts of Illinois and northwest Indiana as scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey conduct a project to learn more about underground water structures. The equipment was on display during a demonstration Jan. 31 at Bult Field in Monee. (Paul Eisenberg / Daily Southtown)

Part of that process is figuring out the sources of the nutrients and what happens to them along the way. When scientists began to dig into that task they realized they knew very little about the interaction between water in underground aquifers and its visible counterpart in river systems such as the Illinois.

So theyre collecting what Minsley likened to X-rays of buried geologic structures  bedrock formations and channels where groundwater flows unseen. Theyre also trying to get a better understanding of how ground water supply connects to surface flows.

Drinking water quality is a motivating factor for the project along with the algal blooms, though this project doesnt address water quality directly.

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Rather, Its more a broad regional look that will give us an understanding of how the system works, Minsley said.

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Interestingly, the scientists are less concerned about surface water contaminating underground aquifers than they are of the underground waters effect on the surface water.

There is reason to believe groundwater has a significant contribution to nutrients in Illinois river basin, Coffman Thomas said.

But, she said, a better understanding of the relationship between the two water systems will also inform studies addressing emerging contaminants such as pharmaceutical residue and forever chemicals that could appear in the water supply.

It will help us better understand how we can prepare ourselves or develop standards, Coffman Thomas said.

Many facets of long lost landscapes buried for millennia still are affecting lives on the surface. Ancient riverbeds still contain the loose gravel and other material that allow water to move unseen underfoot. Valleys filled in by mountains of dust ground up by mile-high glaciers and blown by arctic winds across what would become the plains of Illinois still inform our aquifers.

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By taking to the sky, the federal scientists are taking a closer look at just how those ancient features are impacting modern lives.

Landmarks is a weekly column by Paul Eisenberg exploring the people, places and things that have left an indelible mark on the Southland. He can be reached at peisenberg@tribpub.com.
Officers shot and killed a man who stabbed a police dog during a raid on a home in South Carolina, authorities said.

Spartanburg County deputies went to the home Thursday night to serve arrest warrants, investigators said.

Darius L.J. Holcomb, 39, threatened the officers with a knife and locked himself in a bedroom, Spartanburg County Sheriff Cpl. John Burgess said in a statement.

ALSO READ: Democrats tap South Carolina to hold first presidential primary in 2024

Holcomb did not come out for negotiators even after tear gas was deployed in the room, so officers broke down the door and sent the police dog in, Burgess said. Holcomb began stabbing the dog, and at least one deputy shot him. He died a short time later.

The dog is expected to survive, Burgess said.

The sheriffs statement said he did not have any information on the arrest warrants or whether Holcomb was the person wanted.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting.

(WATCH BELOW: 1 person hurt after MEDIC responds to shooting in west Charlotte)
John Huie

This is an excerpt from a letter John Huie wrote to his family.

Dear Nathaniel, Peter, Andrea, Olivia, Zachary, Ehrin, Jessica, Mildred, Adaezia, Tristan, Lori, Lee, Jaan,

Martin Luther King, Jr., gave all of us an example of courage and moral leadership that shook up our world during his 38 years of life. Our segregated country changed because he lived courageously. He gave voice to all who suffered the legacy of slavery and the perpetuation of hatred, segregation and discrimination of all kinds. We now have the opportunity and the responsibility to continue that difficult work in every way we can. Lets start a family wave that sweeps across the country.

King led non-violent marches in my hometown of Albany, Georgia, in 1961-62 and spent months in jail there. In December of 1961 I came home to for 10 days on my way to military assignment in France. During those 10 days, I watched the peaceful marches of hundreds of Black young people protesting for an end to segregation on Albanys city buses. The marchers followed King from church across the Flint River into the middle of town on Pine Street lined with white policemen slapping their truncheons. King and the marchers stopped in front of the Albany Courthouse and kneeled to pray. Refusing to disperse, many were arrested.

More:At Asheville MLK Prayer Breakfast, a family's story of fortitude in the face of racism

More:Photos: 42nd Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast

When they appeared in the jam-packed city court the next day for disturbing the peace, I was there sitting in the front row on the white side of the courtroom. The white judge, Abner Israel, was my neighbor. His daughters were close friends of my sisters. The charges were read. Not guilty pleas were entered.

Suddenly two young Black students got up from their side of the courtroom, moved quickly across the aisle and sat down on the white side. Proceedings stopped. Time stood still. My heart pounded. For a moment I felt the impulse to take a seat in the Black section of the small courtroom. I knew by making that move I would create news-making havoc and what the courageous John Lewis came later to call good trouble.

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I began to rise. As I hesitated, four beefy Albany policemen pulled the Black students out of their seats to hustle them out of the courtroom into jail. I had witnessed the remarkable moral courage of two Black students, and my own spineless passivity.

Looking back today, I regret that I hesitated, no matter the consequences. Do I have good excuses for my hesitation? Of course. I would have embarrassed my parents. I would have lost my ROTC commission in the Army. I would have been jailed. We white people always have good excuses for not putting our lives of comfort on the line.

Two years later in August 1963, I came home from Europe where I had served in integrated U.S. Army units in France and Germany. After one meeting of the Army Reserve at the Federal Armory in Albany, a dozen of us reservists in uniform, including Black soldiers, gathered at the Davis Brothers Restaurant for coffee and fellowship.

Within 10 minutes, several hefty members of the Albany Police Department told us we had to disburse because of a city ordinance prohibiting integration. We grumbled and shuffled out of the restaurant. I said to a fellow Black soldier, When is this crap going to stop? He shot back: Man, this crap is here to stay. This is Albany, Georgia. We been living with it all our lives.

While at Emory University in Atlanta in the early 60s, I occasionally attended Ebenezer Baptist Church to hear Martin Luther King, Jr. preach. Unforgettable passion and power. On Easter Sunday 1964, I shook his hand and thanked him for his unforgettable sermon and for his courageous efforts in my hometown.

Painfully and slowly, things have changed in Albany and in the country. Kings April 1963 "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" should be posted in every school, church and statehouse. King wrote: Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God.

In Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965, King told marchers, We must come to see that the end we seek is a society at peace with itself, a society that can live with its conscience.

Can we live with our conscience and stand still, do nothing? Change starts at home. Do what you can where you are. Make good trouble. Stand up and join the struggle for what is right so that the youngest members of our family can look forward to a better, more humane and just world than the one we inherited.

Love to all, Dad/Grandpa

John C. Huie and his wife, Jaan Ferree, live in Asheville. He is a life coach and the former director of the North Carolina Outward Bound School.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. to take uncomfortable action
Moe Davis

The right to equal treatment under the law is a fundamental right enshrined in the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article I of the North Carolina Constitution. For more than a third of registered voters in North Carolina, the law treats them unequally.

According to the N.C. State Board of Elections, there are 7.2 million registered voters in the state and four officially recognized political parties: Democrat, Republican, Libertarian and Green Party. The largest share of registered voters  2.6 million voters representing 35.6% of all registrants  do not affiliate with any of the four parties and are registered as unaffiliated. That is 152,783 more unaffiliated registrants than registered Democrats and 381,191 more than registered Republicans.

An additional 49,030 North Carolinians are registered as Libertarian or Green Party. In total, 2.6 million of North Carolinas registered voters  36.25% of all registered voters  are neither Democrats nor Republicans.

More:Opinion: Others withered and broke, Liz Cheney didnt bend; her fidelity deserves respect

North Carolina General Statute 163-19(b) states that the N.C. State Board of Elections shall consist of five members appointed by the governor from a list of nominees submitted to the Governor by the State party chair of each of the two political parties having the highest number of registered affiliates as reflected by the latest registration statistics published by the State Board. Each party chair shall submit a list of four nominees who are affiliated with that political party. In other words, if you are not registered as a Democrat or a Republican, the law says you are not qualified to serve on the State Board of Elections.

N.C. G.S. 163-30(c) imposes a similar requirement for appointments to county boards of election. In that case, the statewide chairs of the two political parties having the highest number of registered affiliates nominate members of their parties to the State Board of Elections who then choose from those lists to make appointments to county boards of elections. Just like with the State Board, if you are not registered as a Democrat or a Republican, the law says you are not qualified to serve on a county board of elections.

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More:Opinion: Some unsolicited suggestions for fixing Rep. Chuck Edwards' priorities

More:Opinion: We've fallen short of our goal to treat all people equally, appreciate diversity

For 2.6 million North Carolinians, that means you are welcome to cast a vote, but you are prohibited by law from serving in an official capacity in administering the voting process. Democrats and Republicans are guaranteed by law to fill 100% of election board seats even though only 63.75% of registered voters affiliate with the two parties.

While there is no love lost between Democrats and Republicans, they do share a mutual interest in preserving the status quo. As the old saying goes, better the devil you know than the devil you dont. That, however, is no excuse for ignoring the reality that the fastest growing voting group in the state is unaffiliated. Over the past dozen years, Democratic registrants declined by about 12% and Republican registrants increased by about 12%. Over the same period, unaffiliated voters catapulted from third place to first place, with a 77% increase in registrants. As a percentage of registered voters, unaffiliated registrants doubled since 2004 making unaffiliated the largest voting group in the state.

In a report authored by four North Carolina political scientists  including Western Carolina Universitys Professor Chris Cooper  a review of 2020 election data showed that unaffiliated voters mirrored the state in terms of race and ethnicity but skewed younger than voters as a whole, with Millennials and Gen Z accounting for 46% of unaffiliated voters. A majority of unaffiliated voters expressed dissatisfaction with both major parties and believe a third party is needed. As the authors reported, Unaffiliated voters in North Carolina are not simply closet partisans. They hold distinct political beliefs that fall somewhere between the two major parties on most issues.

The entrenched political process erects barriers that make it difficult for a third party to put down roots and threaten traditional two-party domination. Making election boards the sole province of Democrats and Republicans is one example. Both parties are content to fight the devil they know and tamp down any upstart devils that threaten to upset their apple carts.

They maintain this myopic view at their own peril. Telling a group that constitutes 36.25% of the electorate and continues growing that they are deemed unfit to serve is why many reject the two parties. Democrats and Republicans would be wise to take down the barriers that deny the states largest voting group an equal opportunity to participate in the political process.

Moe Davis is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, attorney, educator, politician, former administrative law judge and former Democratic N.C. 11th Congressional candidate.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Opinion: Unaffiliated voters need not apply
The new bridge over the Ohio River could be one of these two designs: cable-stayed or tied arch. Ohio and Kentucky officials pictured these options in a July 2022 presentation about the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project.

Politicians from across the partisan spectrum recently joined hands on the banks of the Ohio River to celebrate the funding of the Brent Spence Corridor Project. Mayor Aftab Pureval followed this celebration with a national media appearance to promote the Brent Spence Corridor Project as an example of both political parties "putting all the partisan crap aside and getting stuff done for our citizens."

There may be more to this story, however. Commenting on the history of highway expansion in the United States, historian Mark Rose quipped, "Here is something that labor and management really can agree on: a highway contract. At the risk of saying the quiet part out loud, what we witnessed in Covington was the party of labor and the party of management coming together to congratulate each other on the appropriation of nearly $4 billion in construction contracts to the benefit of their respective influential special interest groups.

At this point, some might object by arguing that, even if the chambers of commerce and our hard-working local labor unions benefit from the Brent Spence Corridor Project, increasing regional highway capacity must also benefit the general public, right? Unfortunately, this belief encounters some major unresolved problems. These problems arise in three main areas: sound transportation policy; civil rights concerns; and adverse environmental impacts.

Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project

After decades of highway construction in the United States, it is now well established in the field of transportation and urban planning that these projects eventually lead to a counterintuitive outcome. When you expand highway capacity to make driving more convenient, you draw more vehicle trips onto the newly expanded highway and create more traffic instead of relieving congestion. John Caskey, who teaches urban economics at Swarthmore College, has stated that this principle, called induced demand, is widely accepted.

"For economists interested in urban transportation, there really isnt any debate," he said.

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For the Brent Spence project, OKI projections show that this corridor will carry over 227,000 vehicles per day in 20 years, which suggests their awareness of this principle as well. After expansion, our region will be subjected to more congestion at a higher traffic volume. As misunderstood as it may be, roadway pricing is more effective at managing traffic congestion, and it is vastly more cost-effective.

In the area of civil rights, the president himself has stated that "[t]he creation of the Interstate Highway System, funded and constructed by the federal government and state governments in the 20th century, disproportionately burdened many historically Black and low-income neighborhoods in many American cities." Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ODOT and KYTC are required to take "affirmative action to remove or overcome the effects of the prior discriminatory practice or usage" of a federal program. In this case, the adverse economic, environmental, and public health impacts of prior interstate highway construction through Cincinnatis West End and Covingtons Lewisburg have not been removed or overcome, and these issues have received very little consideration in the development of this project.

President Joe Biden speaks during an event to give remarks on the bipartisan infrastructure law which will fund major changes to the Brent Spence Bridge and surrounding infrastructure at a lot on the banks of the Ohio River in Covington, Ky., on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.

The last unresolved area of concern is the adverse environmental impact of the project. ODOT and KYTC justify the project by stating that improving traffic flow will lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions because there will be less standstill traffic. This argument, originally made by the state DOTs in 2011, runs contrary to USDOT statements in a more recent court case, during which USDOT has acknowledged that induced demand leads to more traffic and more emissions. As stated previously, OKI projects that over 227,000 vehicles will travel this corridor in 20 years.

If you believe that more traffic will lead to improved air quality, ODOT has a bridge to sell you. The particle pollution from increased traffic emissions will have a disproportionate negative public health impact on minority and low-income communities in our region, consistent with research cited by the American Lung Association, which named Cincinnati as the 12th worst metropolitan area for annual particle pollution in a 2022 report. This worsened air pollution from the Brent Spence project will perpetuate the ongoing harm to protected populations under the Civil Rights Act.

For the taxpayers who are funding this project, there is something for everyone to dislike, whether you are on the left, right, or center: it is a waste of taxpayer dollars, as highway expansions have been in the past; it exacerbates disproportionate harms to already disadvantaged communities; and it worsens air quality and public health outcomes.

A group of concerned citizens and nonprofit organizations called the Coalition for Transit and Sustainable Development has submitted a letter to the Federal Highway Administration outlining these concerns in more detail, and we hope that the federal government will seek satisfactory answers from the state DOTs. You can read the full letter at sustainablecincy.org/letter.

Ryan Crane is an ear, nose and throat physician in Cincinnati and is a founding member of the Coalition for Transit and Sustainable Development.

Ryan Crane

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Opinion: Plenty not to like about Brent Spence Bridge project
Traditional costumes and the sound of beating drums filled the streets of North Mills Avenue.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

Read: Lunar New Year: What is it, when is it and how do people celebrate?

Orlando leaders helped ring in the holiday with local groups in the Asian community.

The Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Temple Orlando were some of the organizations in attendance.

Photos: Orlando celebrates Lunar New Year with annual Central Florida Dragon Parade

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

People lined the Mills 50 District to see Sundays 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade.

Parade watchers said they have watched the parade grow each year.

2023 marks the Year of the Rabbit, which started on Jan. 22. According to history.com, East and Southeast Asian cultures celebrate Lunar New Year, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities.

We are so excited to show our culture, (our) Chinese culture, to everybody, said Liling Le of the Tawainese Chamber of Commerce of Greater Orlando.

 Happy Lunar New Year @SheriffMina and our AAPI liaisons celebrated the #YearoftheRabbit today! Were glad to have been a part of the Dragon Parade and Lunar New Year Festival in the @Mills50 District! pic.twitter.com/CQt4yg81sz  Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) February 5, 2023

Read: Lunar New Year  5 things to know

State Representative Anna Eskamani, Congressman Maxwell Frost and Mayor Buddy Dyer also participated in the parade.

The city said the event symbolizes its commitment to ensuring a diverse and welcoming space for everyone.

Chief Smith and members of OPD had a great time celebrating the Lunar New Year with our @citybeautiful Asian neighbors at the 11th annual Central Florida Dragon Parade. Happy New Year! pic.twitter.com/JhBV5B6FbX  Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) February 5, 2023

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Whats Speak Out?

Speak Out allows readers to comment on the issues of the day. Email Speak Out at speakout@southtownstar.com or call 312-222-2427. Please limit comments to 30 seconds or about 100 words and give your first name and your hometown.

Democrats are upset serial leakers and liars Reps. Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell and anti-Semite Ilhan Omar were removed from committees, calling it revenge. No, the Democrats set the precedent when they had the majority and ignored biblical teaching, do to others as you would want them to do to you. The GOP merely reciprocated.

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David, Tinley Park

I agree with Barbara of Crestwood. Some female newscasters are not dressing like the professionals they are supposed to be. The male newscasters all wear suit and tie and look like the professionals they are. But some of the ladies look sleazy. Its not supposed to be a fashion show, its supposed to be a news broadcast.

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Pat, Lemont

I agree with Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx dropping the charges against R. Kelly. Why waste resources if hes already going to do time in a federal jail.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

Frank, Palos Hills

Nancy Pelosi and the swamp a while back said she wanted One America News Network, Newsmax and Fox removed from cable networks. Well, they got two, one to go. Were only one election away from straight-up communism, and we only have the Democrats to blame. Censorship is communism. End of story.

Tom, Burbank

Dealing with the pandemic and now we are facing nothing but bad news coming from the food suppliers and insurance companies. Several months ago in Florida, there were a lot of cars and homes lost due to the tornadoes. So when you receive your renewal of auto and homeowners insurance, brace yourself for a sky-high increase. When you call and complain, the answer you receive is because of the pandemic everything is higher. So heres a tip. Go over each charge and see what you can increase and decrease to bring your costs down.

BJ, Hazel Crest

The trade deadline is approaching. If the Bulls trade Alex Curuso, they lose the heart of the team. His presence is beyond compare. Every team in the NBA wants a player who gives his body and moxie in every play. Also he is respected by his teammates. Please keep him.

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Mr. G, Chicago
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pervez Musharraf, the four-star general who ruled Pakistan for nearly a decade after seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1999, oversaw rapid economic growth and attempted to usher in socially liberal values in the conservative Muslim country.

Musharraf, 79, died in hospital after a long illness after spending years in self-imposed exile, Pakistan media reported on Sunday. He enjoyed strong support for many years, his greatest threat al Qaeda and other militant Islamists who tried to kill him at least three times.

But his heavy-handed use of the military to quell dissent as well as his continued backing of the United States in its fight against al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban ultimately led to his downfall.

Born in New Delhi in 1943, Musharraf was four years old when his parents joined the mass exodus by Muslims to the newly created state of Pakistan. His father served in the foreign ministry, while his mother was a teacher and the family subscribed to a moderate, tolerant brand of Islam.

He joined the army at the age of 18, and went on to lead an elite commando unit before rising to become its chief. He took power by ousting the then prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, who had tried to sack him for greenlighting an operation to invade Indian-held areas of Kashmir, bringing Pakistan and India to the brink of war.

In his early years in government, Musharraf won plaudits internationally for his reformist efforts, pushing through legislation to protect the rights of women and allowing private news channels to operate for the first time.

His penchant for cigars and imported whisky and his calls for Muslims to adopt a lifestyle of "enlightened moderation" increased his appeal in the West in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

He became one of Washingtons most important allies after the attacks, allowing U.S. forces to operate armed drones from secret bases on Pakistani soil that killed thousands and ordering domestic troops into the countrys lawless tribal areas along the Afghanistan frontier for the first time Pakistans history.

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That helped legitimise his rule overseas but also helped plunge Pakistan into a bloody war against local extremist militant groups.

In a 2006 memoir, he took credit for saving Pakistan from American wrath saying the country had been warned it needed to be prepared to be bombed back to the Stone Age if it did not ally itself with Washington.

Musharraf also successfully lobbied then-President George W. Bush to pour money into the Pakistani military. Still, the army's allegiances were never unambiguous: its powerful intelligence services cut deals with the Taliban and al Qaeda, and bolstered an insurgency fighting U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

In other areas of foreign policy, Musharraf attempted to normalise relations between New Delhi and Islamabad.

At a regional summit in 2002, less than three years after launching the military operation against India, Musharraf shocked the world when, after finishing a speech, he suddenly moved towards Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to shake hands and offered to talk peace.

Analysts say the issue of Kashmir  which remains the most potent point of contention between India and Pakistan  was close to being solved during the Musharraf era. But the peace process was derailed soon after his rule.

Under Musharraf, foreign investment flourished and Pakistan saw annual economic growth of as much as 7.5% - which remains the highest level in nearly three decades, according to World Bank data.

The later years of his presidency were, however overshadowed, by his increasingly authoritarian rule. In 2006, Musharraf ordered military action that killed a tribal head from the province Balochistan, laying the foundations of an armed insurgency that rages to this day.

The next year, more than a hundred students calling for the imposition of Sharia law were killed after Musharraf shunned negotiations and ordered troops to storm a mosque in Islamabad. That led to the birth of a new militant group, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which has since killed tens of thousands in suicide bombings and brazen assaults.

Later in 2007, a suicide attack that assassinated opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, triggered waves of violence. His efforts to strong arm the judiciary also led to protests and a besieged Musharraf postponed elections and declared a state of emergency.

In 2008, the country's first democratic elections in 11 years were held. Musharraf's party lost and facing impeachment by parliament he resigned the presidency and fled to London.

He returned to Pakistan in 2013 to run for a seat in parliament but was immediately disqualified. He was allowed to leave for Dubai in 2016.

In 2019, a court sentenced him to death in absentia for the 2007 imposition of emergency rule but the verdict was later overturned.

(Reporting by Islamabad bureau; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
(Bloomberg) -- Pervez Musharraf, the former four-star Pakistani army general who governed the South Asian nation for nearly a decade after coming to power in a 1999 bloodless coup, has died. He was 79.

Most Read from Bloomberg

He died after a long ailment in Dubai, said Raza Bokhari, a former spokesman and close aide.

Musharraf, who was Pakistans fourth military leader, was a polarizing and divisive figure. He ruled through the turbulent period after Sept. 11, 2001 and attempted to appease American demands during the war on terrorism. Yet in interviews after stepping down, he confirmed that Pakistan supported proxy forces, including the Taliban in Afghanistan, to counter fears of being circumscribed by a hostile India.

India has a strategy of strangulating Pakistan economically, isolating it internationally and weakening its army  we have to counter that, he said in a 2018 interview in his penthouse apartment in Dubai, where he lived in self-exile for most of his life after being forced to resign the presidency in 2008.

Some in Pakistan praised the former army chief and president for ushering in a level of economic stability, helped by American debt waivers and aid in return for military support. Many, however, saw him as a puppet of the US. Musharraf also drew criticism for constitutional and human rights violations and was blamed for failing to tackle widespread violence in the later years of his rule.

Hot-Headed General

Born on Aug. 11, 1943, in Delhi, Musharraf emigrated to Pakistan with his family to the port city of Karachi after the British partition of the subcontinent in 1947. From 1949 to 1956, he lived in Turkey, where his father was a diplomat.

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After joining Pakistans army at age 18, he was commissioned in the artillery regiment in 1964 and later became a commando. Decorated for actions during two wars with India, and despite his rambunctious and hot-headed style  which led to multiple disciplinary actions  he became a general in 1991.

In 1998, then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif surprised the top brass by elevating Musharraf to chief of army staff after forcing General Jehangir Karamat to step down over a disagreement about security policy. Sharif believed Musharraf  who wasnt from Punjab province, the traditional recruiting ground for officers  would be a pliant army chief.

It was not to be. In 1999, Pakistani troops infiltrated Kargil, an Indian-controlled district in the disputed region of Kashmir  provoking fighting and nearly a full-scale war before Sharif ordered a climbdown in the face of US pressure. Sharif maintained that the operation was ordered without his knowledge. Musharraf disputed that, and the conflict led to an irreparable strain between the pair.

Bloodless Coup

In October that same year, Sharif sacked Musharraf as he was returning from a visit to Sri Lanka. The military leadership defied Sharifs orders and led a coup that toppled his government.

Musharraf claimed Sharif didnt allow his plane to land in Pakistan. The general refused to let the pilot fly to nearby India, and the aircraft touched down in Karachi with barely seven minutes of fuel left. Musharraf declared himself the countrys leader, and Sharif was later sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, which was commuted when he was exiled to Saudi Arabia.

In contrast to Pakistans previous military dictator, General Zia ul-Haq  who elevated strict conservative Islamic laws in the country  Musharraf was a relatively secular figure, fond of whiskey and cigars in a nation where alcohol is banned for the countrys Muslim majority.

Economically, the military-led government sought to reduce overseas debt. In the last Asian default before Sri Lankas delinquency in 2022, it froze repayments, forcing a downgrade of Pakistans credit rating to D. Musharraf also used his newfound US support to get loans and grants from Western countries and international lenders.

Under intense pressure from Washington, Musharrafs regime arrested and killed numerous al-Qaeda operatives following the 2001 US invasion of Afghanistan, and it cracked down on some other militant groups that operated on Pakistani soil. That made Musharraf a target of extremists, and he survived multiple assassination attempts. At the same time, during his tenure the US accused Pakistans military of harboring and supporting insurgents that launched cross-border attacks in Afghanistan and India  complaints that continued after Musharraf left office.

India Talks

He repeatedly reneged on his pledges to restore legitimate democracy. Musharraf was sworn in as the 11th president of Pakistan in November 2002, following a controversial referendum in April that year in which he got 98% of the vote. Sharif and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto of the Pakistan Peoples Party were barred from contesting the poll.

As head of the military, Musharraf arguably was the Pakistani leader who got closest to settling the countrys long-running disputes with India. He traveled there for a series of talks with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in a bid to reach a reconciliation between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

According to Musharraf, Vajpayee had in principle agreed to a four-point solution to settle claims to the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which was split during partition. Musharraf later blamed the Indian cabinet for failing to ratify it after the agreement broke down hours before a planned signing ceremony.

Bhutto Assassination

In the later years of his rule, Pakistans economy and security deteriorated and Musharraf faced increasing calls to step down and allow democratic elections to take place. He succumbed to Western pressure to allow Bhutto and Sharif to return to Pakistan in 2007 and contest the upcoming ballot.

The campaign was marred by widespread violence, including Bhuttos murky assassination in December that year in the military garrison city of Rawalpindi, where her father, former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was executed in 1979 after being overthrown by General Zia.

Facing impeachment, Musharraf finally stepped down in August 2008 after Bhuttos party came to power. He made a one-hour televised speech defending his nine-year rule and then left Pakistan that November.

After US forces killed Osama bin Laden in a 2011 raid on his hideout in a Pakistani city, Musharraf faced allegations that hed been complicit years earlier in allowing the al-Qaeda leader safe haven in the country.

Criminal Cases

The former general tried multiple times to re-enter politics. When he last returned to Pakistan in 2013 he was eventually placed under house arrest. The government allowed him to leave in 2016 to seek medical treatment abroad. Facing numerous legal issues, Musharraf was barred from contesting Pakistans elections in July 2018.

Frail and recovering from an unspecified illness, Musharraf said in the October 2018 interview in Dubai that it was unlikely hed return to Pakistan any time soon to face what he called politically motivated criminal charges.

Those included treason charges for suspending the constitution and a murder charge in the assassination of Bhutto. Musharraf failed to show up for her murder trial in 2017.

In December 2019 the former army chief was sentenced to death in absentia by a special court in Pakistan over the constitutional charges. The ruling was challenged by the military, which it said had caused pain and anguish among the rank and file. Musharraf appealed the verdict and it was annulled by the Lahore High Court the following month for being unconstitutional and politically motivated.

Musharraf was diagnosed in February 2018 with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer, and a multi-organ progressive disease called amyloidosis. The cancer was under remission but the disease survival rate is reported as zero after five years, said Bokhari.

Musharraf married his wife Sehba in 1968. They had a daughter, Ayla, and a son, Bilal.

--With assistance from Faseeh Mangi.

(Updates with details from aide in second and penultimate paragraphs.)

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Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. John Moore/Getty Images

Pervez Musharraf, the former president of Pakistan who ruled the country during a time of turmoil in the Middle East, has died at the age of 79, the Pakistani military said Sunday.

In a statement sent to CNN, military officials expressed their "heartfelt condolences" on the "sad demise of General Pervez Musharraf," adding that he had passed away in Dubai after battling an ongoing illness.

Pakistan President Arif Alvi also sent his condolences to Musharraf's family, along with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Musharraf first came to power as a military leader following a bloodless coup in 1999. He would become Pakistan's president in 2001 and serve until 2008. While president, he would preside over a period of transitional changes in Pakistan, with BBC News noting that the socially liberal Musharraf "was credited by some with turning around the economic fortunes of the country while leader."

Fawad Chaudhury, a former aide of Musharraf, said that "[Musharraf] is called a military dictator, but there has never been a stronger democratic system than that under him" in a statement obtained by Reuters.

In the West, however, Musharraf is most widely known for his strategic alliance with the United States following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Musharraf pledged to support the U.S. during the war on terror, providing material assistance and a pathway for NATO supplies during the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The alliance forged between the U.S. and Pakistan would eventually pay off when an American raid in 2011 killed the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, Osama bin Laden, who had gone into hiding in Pakistan.

Musharraf would eventually be ousted from power and exiled from Pakistan, and was eventually put on trial for treason and even sentenced to death in an overturned sentence.

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PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) brought its "Hell on Wheels" protest vehicle to Amarillo as a part of its nationwide campaign to bring awareness to chicken mistreatment. The squawking chicken truck, which also depicted imagery of chickens crammed into crates on the way to the slaughter house, traveled through Amarillo Friday and Saturday and was stationed outside various chicken diners.

"PETA's Hell on Wheels traveling chicken truck is making people stop for just a moment to think about the suffering that nearly 10 billion chickens go through every year before they go through grocery shore shelves and restaurant menus," said Amber Canavan, manager of campaigns at PETA.

PETA's Hell on Wheels traveled through Amarillo protesting chicken consumption Friday and Saturday as a part of its nationwide campaign urging people to go vegan.

PETA's Hell on Wheels traveled through Amarillo protesting chicken consumption Friday and Saturday as a part of its nationwide campaign urging people to go vegan.

The life-sized chicken transport truck included an actual recording of sounds of the birds' cries, along with subliminal messaging every 10 seconds suggesting people go vegan. The truck began its campaign in Buffalo, New York; after Amarillo, it will travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California to raise awareness of the national mistreatment of chicken livestock before slaughter.

According to PETA, the common life of a chicken before it's ready for consumption includes being crammed into crates, disallowing them to stand up properly, trucked through extreme weather with no food, water or rest. Upon arrival at the slaughter house, the chickens are dunked through an electrified bath before they're killed and processed through a hot feather removal tank. Canavan said sometimes the chickens are not dead but only knocked unconscious before entering these conditions, due to how fast the process is run on machines.

With this campaign, PETA hopes to provoke at the very least a thought of the mistreatment, along with some commitment to help change regulations of how chickens are sourced, or cut out the cruelty altogether by having people go vegan.

"We want people to decide that they don't want to support that suffering that you see on the chicken truck," Canavan said. "We are asking people, the next time they are at the grocery store and they see the chicken parts on a piece of Styrofoam under plastic, to think of those chickens that are on that truck."

Story continues

PETA's Hell on Wheels traveled through Amarillo protesting chicken consumption Friday and Saturday as a part of its nationwide campaign urging people to go vegan.

PETA's Hell on Wheels traveled through Amarillo protesting chicken consumption Friday and Saturday as a part of its nationwide campaign urging people to go vegan.

While in Amarillo, the truck drove through the Route 66 Historic District, around the Potter County Courts Building, restaurants including Texas Chicken Bowl, Golden Chick, Chicken Express, Raising Cane's, Chick Fil A and others, offering flyers and trying to share their message that change is needed.

PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a news release: Behind every barbecued wing or bucket of fried chicken is a once-living, sensitive individual who was crammed onto a truck for a terrifying, miserable journey to their death. ... PETAs Hell on Wheels truck is an appeal to anyone who eats chicken to remember that the meat industry is cruel to birds and that the kindest meal is a vegan one.

For more information and chicken-free recipes, visit peta.org .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: PETA protests chicken consumption in Amarillo with 'Hell on Wheels'
CNN

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said he would not run for an open Senate seat in Michigan, sidestepping fervent speculation that he would seek to replace retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

Im planning to vote in that election as a resident of Michigan, Buttigieg told CNNs Jake Tapper after a resounding No to the prospect of a campaign.

The job I have is, first of all, I think, the best job in the federal government. It can be really tough and demanding with all the problems that the transportation system has confronted, but also incredibly rewarding and Im proud to be part of an administration that is doing more on transportation than has happened in my lifetime and then some.

Inside the Early Elbowing for Michigans Open Senate Seat

The Transportation Secretary has tamped down questions throughout 2023 on whether he would run to replace Stabenow, who announced her retirement on Jan. 5. He told Punchbowl News on Friday he had no plans to leave his role, but he had not completely shut the door on the option until Sunday.

Buttigieg launched a wave of questions over his political future last summer when he and his husband Chasten moved to the state from Indiana in July. At the time, Buttigieg said the move was spurred by a desire to be closer to family, pointing to Chastens parents who live in Michigan and the arrival of the couples twins in 2021.

When I married Chasten, I married into Michigan at some level to begin with, Buttigieg said in July, according to The Detroit News.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Raviv Ullman reflected on his time as the star of Disney Channel's "Phil of Future" from 2004 to 2006. Jim Spellman/WireImage

Raviv (previously known as Ricky) Ullman starred in "Phil of the Future" from 2004 to 2006.

Since then he's acted in other series and films, but took some time to reflect on his Disney days.

He said that even though he was having fun, he wishes he'd had more of a career strategy back then.

Raviv Ullman, known as Ricky Ullman at the time "Phil of the Future" aired, was the titular character on the Disney Channel show from 2004 to 2006. Since then, he's branched out from kids' television  joining a band with Zoe Kravitz at one point  and acting in a few films and notable TV series, like "Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior" and "Broad City."

In an interview with E! News, Ullman discussed his time on the beloved Disney Channel show that became the "centerpiece" of his career. He said he felt he could have handled his success at the time differently: "I was just a kid and enjoying what I was doing," but "looking back now, I wish I'd been a little more strategic. I was 17. I don't think I knew how to be strategic or what that actually meant in terms of a career."

He said Disney, at least back then, kept their stars' schedules packed: "You shot your show during the week. But on the weekends, often you would shoot something like Circle of Stars, you'd go to an event at Disneyland, or you'd shoot a 'Disney Stars Are Just Like You' or a PSA about exercise," he said in April.

Ullman also said he still keeps up with his co-stars from time to time, including Aly Michalka (known for the sister-band, Aly & AJ), who played his best friend and love interest in the series. Even though Ullman spent time in the "Disney Circle of Stars" in the early 2000s, he said he was rarely star-struck. "I knew Ashley [Tisdale] when I first moved to Los Angeles. I knew Dylan and Cole [Sprouse] before their show aired. Those were the people that we were hanging out with."

The shift to being a Disney Channel star was a big one for Ullman, who'd been attending public school in Fairfield, Connecticut when he was first cast. "All of a sudden, I was living in Los Angeles and going to work at 6 a.m. and doing schooling on set," but "I loved being an actor, performing, working with a team of funny people to figure out how jokes work and how to make a good show."

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He went on to star in a few other projects for Disney, including "Pixel Perfect" and "That's So Raven," but seemingly disappeared from Disney very suddenly. Ullman said it wasn't an intentional decision  it just happened that way. "I don't think I was looking at it like, 'now I am a Disney star and will do Disney movies forever,'" but "I never consciously was trying to break out."

Fans remember that "Phil of the Future" had a short run, with only two seasons, and ended without resolving the romantic arc on the show. Ullman said he has no idea why it happened: "Actors are rarely privy to network decisions, so I don't know why the final decision to end it was made," he said in a previous interview.

Ultimately, Ullman said he'd be open to a reboot if the opportunity presented itself: "I'll never say no. We had such a good time. I'm not going to be the one to turn that down, but I haven't heard any rumblings."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Phoenix police.

Phoenix police said they were investigating a stabbing that left one man in critical condition just after midnight on Saturday.

Shortly before 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 4, Phoenix police officers responded to reports of a stabbing in the area of 36th Street and Thomas Road. Officers found a man with stab wounds upon arrival, according to police.

The man was taken to a local hospital where he was being treated for life-threatening injuries, police said.

Authorities arrested 54-year-old Reginald Malone in connection with the stabbing. Malone reportedly ran from the scene after stabbing the unidentified man during an argument, according to police.

Officers found Malone and arrested him shortly after he fled the scene, police said. Malone admitted to his involvement in the stabbing in a post-arrest interview, according to a spokesperson for the Police Department.

Malone was booked into jail on charges of aggravated assault, police said.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix man in critical condition after stabbing; another man arrested
From left, Joey Salehi, Jared North and Scotch Crisostomo pose with a cutout of P-22, based on a photo by Steve Winter of National Geographic, on Saturday at the Greek Theater. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Thousands of people flocked to the Greek Theater on Saturday to celebrate the legacy of P-22, the mountain lion who lived in Griffith Park for more than a decade.

In an event that lasted more than three hours and was streamed online to thousands of viewers, more than four dozen speakers  including scientists, advocates, politicians and celebrities  honored the pumas far-reaching impact on environmental advocacy and wildlife research.

Women stand during a blessing by Alan Salazar, a Chumas and Tataviam elder. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Jennifer Johnson of Long Beach arrives in costume. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Brian Meredith, with the Natural History Museum, operates a string puppet of P-22. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Students from San Pascual STEAM Magnet Elementary School sing an original song, "P-22 We Love You," while playing ukuleles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Warren Dickson, right, of 3rd Rock Hip Hop, sings. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

National Geographic photographer Steve Winter holds his photo of P-22. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
UPDATE: Pirro has been found

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Police are seeking the publics help in finding a missing 70-year-old man from Wilbraham.

Paul Pirro was last seen in the Hampden area at about 6:15 a.m. Sunday, state police said in a tweet. Police issued a Silver Alert on Sunday to help find him.

Pirro may be driving a white Chevy Impala with the Massachusetts plate 8350DM.

SILVER ALERT-@wilbrahampolice are trying to locate Paul Pirro, 70, of Wilbraham, whose last known location was in Hampden, MA area about 6:15 AM today. He may be driving a white Chevy Impala w/MA plate 8350DM. If you see him or have info please call 911 or police at 413-596-3837. pic.twitter.com/t1Hl5SMVzh  Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) February 5, 2023

Police described Pirro as standing 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, with gray hair and brown eyes.

Anyone who sees Pirro or knows of his whereabouts is urged to call 911 or Wilbraham police at 413-596-3837.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Pope Francis greets crowds in South Sudan. SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images

Pope Francis appealed for peace in South Sudan on Sunday while on the last leg of his high-profile African pilgrimage, in a rare foray to the continent for the religious leader.

The Associated Press reported that Francis spoke before an estimated crowd of 100,000 during a Mass in the South Sudanese capital of Juba. He implored the people of South Sudan to stop the years-long bought of violence that has befallen the country.

"Even if our hearts bleed for the wrongs we have suffered, let us refuse, once and for all, to repay evil with evil," Francis said, per AP. "Let us accept one another and love one another with sincerity and generosity, as God loves us."

The trip to South Sudan marked the last length of the journey to Africa for Francis, where he also visited the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was joined in South Sudan by two other religious leaders: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, Iain Greenshields.

South Sudan is the world's youngest country, having only gained independence in 2011, and the nation has been besieged by civil war and bloody conflicts since its founding. While President Salva Kiir reached a peace deal with opposition leaders in 2018, AP noted that the tenants of that agreement "remain largely unimplemented and fighting has continued to flare."

The goal of the three religious leaders was to try and get Kiir and the opposition to re-engage in peace talks.

"The fact that the three Churches united for the sake of South Sudan, this is the turning point for peace," worshipper Jesilen Gaba told Reuters, adding that she wanted the visit "to be a blessing to us. We have been at war, we have lost many people."

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By Philip Pullella

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Sunday that he expected to continue travelling despite his knee ailment, joking that "weeds never die" and adding that he hoped to go to Mongolia in September.

The trip would be the first ever by a pope to the Asian country.

During his customary conversation with reporters on his return from a foreign trip, this time from Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, the 86-year-old pope was asked about his health and travel plans.

For months, a chronic knee ailment has forced him to use a wheelchair and a cane. During recent trips, he has held the news conference on the plane while sitting, as he did on Sunday.

"On September 29 I will go to Marseille and from there I will fly to Mongolia but that is not yet certain, there is a possibility," he said.

The day trip to the southern French city of Marseille was known about but the mention of Mongolia was a complete surprise to reporters, so much so that some thought he might have said Angola.

Speaking of his health, Francis, who became pope nearly 10 years ago, said "You know that weeds never die. It (his health) is not like it was at the start of the pontificate, that is true. This knee is bothersome but it moves ahead slowly. Then we will see."

Last August Francis named Archbishop Giorgio Marengo, an Italian, the first cardinal to be based in Mongolia, where he is the Catholic Church's administrator.

The country has fewer than 1,500 Catholics but is strategically significant because it borders with China, where the Vatican is trying to improve the situation of Catholics in the communist country.

Francis, who was on his way home from his 40th foreign trip as pope, also said he would probably go to India next year. He is due to go to Portugal this August.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Frances Kerry)
By Philip Pullella and Waakhe Simon Wudu

JUBA (Reuters) -Pope Francis urged the people of South Sudan on Sunday to resist the "venom of hatred" so they could achieve the peace and prosperity that have eluded them through years of bloody ethnic conflicts.

In his last public engagement before flying home, Francis presided at an open-air Mass on the grounds of a mausoleum for South Sudan's liberation hero John Garang, who died in 2005. The Vatican said 100,000 people attended the Mass.

The 86-year-old pope wove his homily around the themes that have dominated his trip to the world's newest nation -- reconciliation and mutual forgiveness for past wrongs. He begged the worshippers to shun the "blind fury of violence".

Many in the crowd sang, drummed and ululated as Francis entered the dusty area, and his homily was repeatedly interrupted by loud cheers and more ululations.

Predominantly Christian South Sudan broke away from Muslim Sudan in 2011, but two years later plunged into a civil war that killed 400,000 people. Despite a 2018 peace deal between the two main antagonists, bouts of fighting have continued to kill and displace large numbers of civilians.

At the end of the service, in a farewell address shortly before heading to the airport, the pope thanked the people of South Sudan for the affection they showed him.

"Dear brothers and sisters, I return to Rome with you even closer to my heart," he told them. "Never lose hope. And lose no opportunity to build peace. May hope and peace dwell among you. May hope and peace dwell in South Sudan!"

The pope has had a longstanding interest in South Sudan. In one of the most remarkable gestures of his papacy, he knelt to kiss the feet of the country's previously warring leaders during a meeting at the Vatican in 2019.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, leader of the global Anglican Communion, and Iain Greenshields, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, accompanied the pope during his visit to South Sudan.

Story continues

The "pilgrimage of peace" was the first time in Christian history that leaders of the Catholic, Anglican and Reformed traditions conducted a joint foreign visit.

The three left the South Sudanese capital Juba on the same flight and were expected to land in Rome at around 5:15 p.m. (1615 GMT).

HOPE OF A TURNING POINT

Earlier on his Africa trip, the pope visited Democratic Republic of Congo, home to the continent's largest Roman Catholic community, where he celebrated Mass for a million people and heard harrowing stories from people harmed by war in the eastern part of the country.

Among the worshippers at Sunday's Mass in Juba was Ferida Modon, 72, who lost three of her children to conflict.

"I want peace to come to South Sudan. Yes, I believe that his visit will change the situation. We are now tired of conflict," she said. "We want God to listen to our prayers."

Jesilen Gaba, 42, a widow with four children, said: "The fact that the three Churches united for the sake of South Sudan, this is the turning point for peace. I want the visit to be a blessing to us. We have been at war, we have lost many people."

Francis made another appeal for an end to the tribalism, financial wrongdoing and political cronyism at the root of many of the country's problems.

He urged the people to build "good human relationships as a way of curbing the corruption of evil, the disease of division, the filth of fraudulent business dealings and the plague of injustice".

South Sudan has some of the largest crude oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa but a U.N. report in 2021 said the country's leaders had diverted "staggering amounts of money and other wealth" from public coffers and resources.

The government dismissed the report and has denied accusations of widespread corruption.

(Writing by Philip Pullella and Estelle ShirbonEditing by Frances Kerry)
Mykhailo Podoliak, Advisor to the Head of the President's Office, has said that the allegation that Russian President Vladimir Putin promised not to kill President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is fiction, while Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraines Minister of Foreign Affairs, has called Putin a liar.

Source: Podoliak and Kuleba on Twitter

Quote from Podoliak: "The strange ex-officials' claims on mediation that Putin allegedly gave "guarantees not to kill" [Zelenskyy] and the West interrupted promising negotiations are fiction.

The Russian invasion isnt about NATO expansion, security guarantees or sanctions, it's the RF's desire to destroy Ukraine and kill Ukrainians."

Quote from Kuleba: "In the past, Putin has made promises not to occupy Crimea, not to violate the Minsk agreements, not to invade Ukraine, yet he has done all of these things. Do not be fooled: he is an expert liar. Every time he has promised not to do something, it has been exactly part of his plan."

Background: Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has told the press that he met Putin at the beginning of March 2022 and Putin allegedly declared that he would not kill Zelenskyy.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!














Samantha Markle wants the Duke to give a videoed deposition, under oath, in her case against her half-sister, Meghan - Andrew Kelly/Reuters

The Duke of Sussex has been called upon to give evidence in the defamation case brought by Samantha Markle against his wife, Meghan.

Miss Markle has formally requested that the Duke give a videoed deposition, under oath, later this month.

She has also asked the Duchess of Sussex, her half-sister, to make 38 separate admissions in the case - ranging from the fact that Miss Markle regularly drove her to school and took her on shopping trips to the local mall, to a declaration that neither Queen Elizabeth II nor the King were racist.

Miss Markle, elder daughter of Thomas Markle, the Duchess's father, is seeking $75,000 (57,000) in damages over claims made by the Sussexes' in their March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey and in the 2020 biography Finding Freedom, which she claimed subjected her to "humiliation, shame and hatred on a worldwide scale".

She has accused Meghan of telling "false and malicious lies" about her fairytale "rags-to royalty" upbringing at her family's expense and has contested her half-sister's claim that she "grew up as an only child".

Samantha Markle has accused her half-sister of 'false and malicious lies' - Fox via Getty Images

Legal documents made public by the Florida district court last week reveal that Miss Markle wants the Duchess to give a deposition the day before her husband.

Mr Markle has also been called upon to provide a statement, as has Jason Knauf, the Sussexes former communications secretary; Ashleigh Hale, Miss Markles daughter; and Christopher Bouzy, who runs an internet security company.

However, the Duchesss California-based legal team has so far declined to provide any information, branding the various requests irrelevant, vague and speculative.

Her lawyer, Michael Kump, said the proposed deponents had no discernible connection to the statements at issue in the original complaint.

He has applied for the case to be dismissed, arguing that most of the statements at issue are not actionable given that Meghan did not make them, and that those she did make were simply opinions, which were substantially true in any event.

He has also applied for the discovery process to be delayed, pending the outcome of the dismissal application.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

New York prosecutors investigating Trump feared they would have to prove that he was not "legally insane."

The revelation is made in an upcoming book by Mark Pomerantz.

He said lawyers discussed whether Trump could tell the difference "between bullshit and reality."

New York prosecutors feared they would have to prove that Donald Trump was not "legally insane" as they investigated his business practices, according to an upcoming memoir by a lead attorney on the team.

"To rebut the claim that Trump believed his own 'hype,' we would have to show, and stress, that Donald Trump was not legally insane," lawyer Mark Pomerantz writes in the memoir, seen by The Daily Beast.

"Was Donald Trump suffering from some sort of mental condition that made it impossible for him to distinguish between fact and fiction?" he queries in the book.

Pomerantz said that lawyers advising the Manhattan District Attorney's office "discussed whether Trump had been spewing bullshit for so many years about so many things that he could no longer process the difference between bullshit and reality."

Pomerantz, a former special assistant district attorney, was recruited by then-Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. to work on the criminal investigation into Trump and his family businesses. He joined the team in February 2021.

He and another lawyer Carey Dunne quit in protest a year later, with Pomerantz citing his frustration with Vance's successor Alvin Bragg Jr. indicating he had doubts about plans to indict Trump.

Bragg has since ramped up the investigation into Trump's businesses and has revived an investigation into hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

The Daily Beast received an advance copy of the book "People vs. Donald Trump: An Inside Account," which is due to be released on Tuesday.

According to The Daily Beast, the book provides insight into how investigators put the case against Trump together and considered how to proceed with charging the former president.

Story continues

In the book, Pomerantz says that he believes evidence proves Trump lied on financial documents and that he and Dunne believe this was the best way to prosecute Trump, according to The Daily Beast.

"The right way to proceed, we thought, was to bring felony charges based on the full panoply of false business records that Trump had helped to generate: the phony documents relating to the hush money payment and Michael Cohen's reimbursement, the false financial statements, the false accounting spreadsheets that were created to support the financial statements, and so forth," Pomerantz said.

In the book, Pomerantz also reportedly compares Trump to mob boss John Gotti, whose son Pomerantz once successfully prosecuted, according to The New York Times.

"He demanded absolute loyalty and would go after anyone who crossed him. He seemed always to stay one step ahead of the law," Pomerantz wrote of Trump.

"In my career as a lawyer, I had encountered only one other person who touched all of these bases: John Gotti, the head of the Gambino organized crime family."

A lawyer for Trump recently sent Pomerantz a letter threatening legal action over the book, according to The New York Times.

"If you publish such a book and continue making defamatory statements against my clients, my office will aggressively pursue all legal remedies," Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during their meeting, in Sochi, on October 22, 2021. YEVGENY BIYATOV/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett shared details of his mediations with Putin.

He asked the Russian president directly if he planned to kill Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Bennett says he made President Putin promise not to kill Ukraine's president.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made President Putin promise not to kill Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, he said in a five-hour-long interview posted to his YouTube account.

Bennet served as a secret intermediary in the early stages of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and was one of the few Western leaders to visit Moscow.

The former prime minister said he directly asked Putin if he planned to harm Zelenskyy. "I asked, 'what's with this? Are you planning to kill Zelenskyy?'" said Bennett, per AP.

"He said, 'I won't kill Zelenskyy.' I then said to him, 'I have to understand that you're giving me your word that you won't kill Zelenskyy.' He said, 'I'm not going to kill Zelenskyy.'"

Bennett then said he later informed Ukraine's president of this promise.

Bennett also said that in his mediation, Putin stepped back from his pledge to demand Ukraine's disarmament, and Zelesnkyy promised that Ukraine would not join NATO.

Bennett's attempts at meditation were tested by Russia when Putin had to apologize to him after Moscow's top diplomat previously accused Israel of being pro-Nazi over its support of Ukraine.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov falsely suggested in May 2022 that Adolf Hitler was Jewish. Russia also accused Israel of being pro-Nazi by showing support for Kyiv.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Fabric is a commodity. A beautiful dress, on the other hand, can be a product of change. For Jan Look, the war in Ukraine brings back a flood of memories, and a compulsion to help.

The Frankfort woman reached out a few weeks back, asking if I knew how to get gently used clothing to Ukrainians still in nation or those fleeing the war-torn country. At the onset of the war last year, clothing drives were ubiquitous. But, as it often does, momentum has since waned.

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Still, Look said, good, quality clothing is both a necessity and an uplifter to people in need.

She learned this both directly and indirectly from her mother, the late Aldonna Janulis, who once gave her own beautiful dress to a woman she befriended in Lithuania. It was 1993 and Lithuania was newly freed from Communist control. Looks then-74-year-old matriarch signed up for a tour of the economically struggling nation where her parents had lived before immigrating to America.

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Look, who taught English for high school District 230 and now teaches at Joliet Junior College, and her late sister, Joyce, were in the throes of raising kids and managing careers at the time. They couldnt accompany their aging mother. But, despite having undergone lung surgery the previous year, Janulis was determined to go.

My sister and I were worried. We couldnt even contact her over there, Look said. Their concerns were justified when, upon return, their mother showed them photos of places surrounded with barbed wire.

Look said her mother was a product of a tough, hard-headed culture. Shed lost her own mother when she was only 2.

Her dad couldnt take care of her and her sisters so he put them in an orphanage, Look said.

Janulis and her siblings were adopted into Lithuanian families, Look said.

Back then, Look said, the West Pullman area of Chicago was a hub for Lithuanians. She remembers her mother speaking the language with friends and relatives. She also remembers attending Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church and eating at Lithuanian restaurants.

Look suspects her mother had wanted to visit her homeland for a long time but Communist control made that prohibitive. After Lithuania declared independence in 1990 and the Soviet Union fell a year later, travel opened up. But conditions were still rough, she said.

It was cold that September. But the hotel wasnt allowed to turn the heat on until October 1st  she said.

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Look said her mother traveled across the Eastern European country learning about the history and participating in cultural activities. It was at an event in the capital of Vilnius that she befriended a woman doctor.

The physician admired Januliss dress and, after telling her how hard it was to find stylish clothing in Lithuania, the woman made an exchange: rich, Lithuanian fabrics for one smartly styled dress. The doctor was so happy, Look recalled her mother telling them.

Aldonna Janulis, right, befriended a doctor while touring Lithuania in 1993. After she was told how difficult it was to find nice clothing in the newly freed Eastern European country, Janulis traded the physician one of her stylish dresses for some fabric. When Janulis passed away a few years later, her daughters shipped all of their mothers dresses to her new friend in Lithuania. (Jan Look)

After Janulis returned to her home in Country Club Hills, a cross continental pen pal relationship began. Look said when her mother passed in 1996, she and her sister decided to send all of her 30-some dresses to the doctor in Lithuania. They believed her mother, who had a soft spot for oppressed people, would appreciate that.

Even though she never had a lot of money, my mother always had the very best of clothes, a phenomenon Look believes many old world cultures still embrace. Shes heard similar stories from her own students of different cultures, she said.

Colbey Emmerson Reid is the chair of fashion studies at Columbia College in Chicago. She said there is a long history of scarcity fueling creativity in fashion, from the British campaign to make do and mend during WWII to Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols safety pinning thrift shop items together and inadvertently kickstarting the punk aesthetic.

In addition, she said, different cultures may also think differently about cleanliness and fashion, with some valuing a natural, unfussed look and others thinking the opposite: if you want to show that youre clean, you ornament yourself  wear perfume, scarves, nice clothes, oil in your hair, makeup and other cosmetics. This shows that you took trouble about yourself, put effort into your appearance.

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Either way, she added, its important to not to make assumptions about the way people dress. It could come down to simply personal preference. Look said, in her family, dressing nicely was a way to defy poverty.

No one knew we were bringing pop bottles to the store to get money for dinner, she said.

For people who didnt have a lot, it was important to be able to say, I do have something. It was a (symbol) of strength in that culture, that nothing will keep you down, Look said. My sister and I inherited that perpetual optimism.

They also inherited their mothers desire to help. Before they could send her dresses overseas, Look said, they needed a translator to decipher the letters, and then write one to the doctor in Lithuania explaining the bequeathment. They found help at the Lithuanian Center in Lemont, which ended up shipping the garments for them.

And, now, Look is hoping to find a way to ship quality garments to Ukraine. But many of the places that were collecting goods at the beginning of the war are no longer doing so.

Unfortunately, all donation sites have been so inundated, that they are no longer able to facilitate collecting and disbursing the items, as it is too costly to ship and/or store, said Jaroslawa (Geri) Abramiuk, manager of the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Chicago.

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Still, Look said, she will continue to pursue opportunities to send shirts, pants and, yes, dresses, to Ukraine.

When I look at those people, I see myself, she said. Not only are there physical similarities, there is an emotional connection, she said.

At the onset of a war, everyone wants to pitch in. But its been a year now, and passion wanes, attention wanes. But it shouldnt, she said. I think people still need things.

Long after the Communist takeover of Lithuania, she said, after the news coverage receded, the people still needed help. Even after the country became independent, the people still struggled, Look said.

There was never a doubt in our minds that they needed help, she said. I think its the same with Ukraine.

donnavickroy4@gmail.com

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Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years.
Naftali Bennett

Bennett and Putin met in Moscow in March 2022, shortly after Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine began.

Read also: Ukraine and Israel refute claims that PM Bennett urged Zelensky to surrender

According to the former Israeli PM, he asked Putin whether he had planned to assassinate the Ukrainian president.

"He said I wont kill Zelenskyy. I then said to him I have to understand that youre giving me your word that you wont kill Zelenskyy. He said Im not going to kill Zelenskyy," Bennett stated.

Read also: Putin may have overestimated Russian militarys own capabilities to capture Donbas by March  ISW

The ex-prime minister noted that he had relayed this pledge to Zelenskyy.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reacted to Bennett's words, noting that the Russian dictator does not keep his word.

Read also: Putin likely wants to encircle Ukraine, Polish PM says

In the past, Putin has made promises not to occupy Crimea, not to violate Minsk agreements, not to invade Ukraine, yet he has done all of these things," the Ukrainian diplomat wrote on Twitter.

Do not be fooled: he is an expert liar. Every time he has promised not to do something, it has been exactly part of his plan.

Read also: Zelenskyy administration furious with U.S. underestimation of Ukrainian capability, writes Politico

In January, the Independent reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had survived more than 12 assassination attempts since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The journalists noted that at least two of them were successfully prevented thanks to U.S. intelligence.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
COSHOCTON  There is one competitive race in the City of Coshocton along with property tax levies for Coshocton City Schools and Coshocton County Job and Family Services slated for the May 2 primary ballot.

The deadline to file for the primary was Wednesday. The Coshocton County Board of Elections will meet Tuesday to validate all candidates and issues.

Stan Braxton

Tom Heading and Stan Braxton are vying for the Republican nomination for mayor of Coshocton. The winner will challenge incumbent Democrat Mark Mills in the fall general election. Mills is seeking a second term, having defeated incumbent Republican Steve Mercer four years ago.

Heading is a research and development chemist for Wiley Companies. He's a member of the Coshocton Tree Commission and Coshocton in Bloom and former president of the United Way of Coshocton County board. Braxton is pastor of Upper Room Assembly and Worship Center and Spring Mountain Chapel Association. He retired as a captain with the Coshocton Fire Department in April 2022 after nearly 25 years of service.

Tom Heading speaking at a past United Way breakfast.

Two other city races will be competitive in the fall general election for law director and city council at-large.

Incumbent Democrat Bob Skelton is being challenged by Republican William Todd Drown for law director. Drown lost the Republican primary last year for judge of Coshocton County Common Pleas Court to incumbent Robert Batchelor.

One Democrat and three Republicans are going after three available at-large seats on council. Democrat Michelle Turner Ganz and Republican Tom Barcroft are the incumbents. The newcomer Republicans are Robert Leist and James Kreis. Leist ran for city council twice before as an independent and lost.

One at-large seat is currently open upon the resignation of Glenn Mishler at the last regular meeting of city council due to health reasons. The Coshocton County Republican Central Committee has yet to announce a replacement. It's unknown if Leist or Kreis are being considered for the post.

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There were no filings for 1st ward on city council. However, that seat is currently held by independent Mike Gross. Independents have a later deadline to file than party candidates. Gross told the Tribune he plans to run for a new term. At this time, Gross would be unopposed in the fall.

Others unopposed at this time, barring the filing of independent or write-in candidates, include Tim France for judge of Coshocton Municipal Court, Sherry Kirkpatrick for Coshocton City auditor, Tom Hilgenberg for president of city council, Chad Johnson for council 2nd ward, Roger Moore for council 3rd ward and Kayley Andrews for council 4th ward. All are currently in those positions.

Levies

A county wide property tax levy of 1-mill for five years is being sought to provide support for children services related to the care, protection and placement of abused, neglected and dependent children. It's estimated to generate $849,147 a year.

A similar levy was defeated in the fall 2019 general election with 5,212 votes against the levy and 3,719 votes for it, in official vote totals from the board of elections.

Coshocton County Commissioners previously said the levy is needed because of rising foster care costs for mandated services by the state. Jed McCoy, executive director of Coshocton County JFS, said average total revenue from all sources is about $2.4 million. This includes reimbursements, a levy originally passed in 1990 that generates about $446,000 annually and some other sources. However, expenses are currently a bit more than $3 million annually, leaving them about $570,000 short.

McCoy said if the levy passes they also hope to add some new preventive services, such as a school outreach worker.

Coshocton City Schools is seeking a substitute levy for a continuing period of time at 4.81-mills, estimated to generate $900,000 annually. It's for general operations and the current levy was first approved in 2008.

The board of education decided to go for a substitute levy as it would allow them to draw funding from new builds within the school district, where the current levy only draws from existing properties.

A carryover property tax levy from Holmes County for Coshocton County residents who reside in the West Holmes School District is a 2.5-mill renewal for five years going to general permanent improvements.

Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Race for mayor nomination, two levies on primary ballot
(Reuters) -Following are reactions to the death on Sunday of former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf:

FAWAD CHAUDHRY, A FORMER MUSHARRAF AIDE AND CURRENTLY A SENIOR LEADER OF FORMER PRIME MINISTER IMRAN KHAN'S PARTY

"He is called a military dictator, but there has never been a stronger democratic system than that under him... Pervez Musharraf led Pakistan at a very difficult time, and Pakistanis believe the era of his reign was one of the best in Pakistan's history."

SHASHI THAROOR, INDIAN POLITICIAN, SAID ON TWITTER

"Once an implacable foe of India, he became a real force for peace 2002-2007. I met him annually in those days at the UN & found him smart, engaging & clear in his strategic thinking. RIP"

MALEEHA LODHI, AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES 1999-2002, TOLD REUTERS

"General Musharraf faced many challenges but of them the three crisis he navigated with much prudence were the aftermath of 9/11, the year-long Indian military mobilisation on the border with Pakistan and the AQ Khan affair."

SHUJA NAWAZ, AN ANALYST AT THE SOUTH ASIA CENTER AT THE ATLANTIC COUNCIL IN WASHINGTON D.C., TOLD REUTERS

"Musharraf was a very smart general who leveraged the U.S. need for a regional base to prosecute the war in Afghanistan to his personal advantage. He failed to build on his early popularity to effect sustainable economic and political reforms ... He failed to understand that his real power came from his uniform.

MOSHARRAF ZAIDI, CEO OF TABADLAD, AN ISLAMABAD-BASED THINK TANK

"The most important legacy Gen. Musharraf leaves behind predates his time as president. It was his planning and execution of the Kargil War (against India) - against the judgement of military officers that preceded him and initially unbeknownst to the elected leaders at the time. The 1999 Kargil War permanently altered ... Pakistan."

TEHREEK-E-TALIBAN, SAID IN A STATEMENT

"This was the infamous army chief who sold off the country's honor and respect, Dr. Aafia Siddiqui (may Allah bless her) by handing her over to the United States for a few dollars, a dark chapter of selling daughters was created in history."

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Tehreek-E-Taliban is an umbrella organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the AfghanPakistani border.

Aafia Siddiqui is a Pakistani neuroscientist who is serving an 86-year U.S. prison sentence on a 2010 conviction for shooting at soldiers and FBI agents.

(Reporting by Gibran Peshimam, Charlotte Greenfield, Ariba Shahid, and Saud MehsudEditing by Christopher Cushing and Frances Kerry)
Then-congressman-elect George Santos during a press conference on November 9, 2022 Alejandra Villa Loarca/Newsday RM via Getty Images

A prospective staffer has alleged that Rep. George Santos sexually harassed him and touched his groin.

Myers also claims that he was made to work as an unpaid volunteer despite being promised employment.

Santos said on Thursday that Myers was let go because he is facing wiretapping charges in Ohio.

A man who briefly worked in Rep. George Santos' office has accused him of sexual harassment and violations of ethics rules.

Derek Myers said that he was offered to work in the congressman's DC office in January, which he did until the job offer was rescinded this week.

In a letter to the House Committee on Ethics, a copy of which he shared on Twitter, Myers described an incident that took place in Santos' office on January 25, in which he claims the congressman sexually harassed him.

Myers' account could not be corroborated, but the letter had been received by the office of Representative Susan Wild, ranking member of the House Ethics Committee, her spokesperson confirmed, reported The New York Times.

Myers said that Santos, a Republican representing New York's Third Congressional District in Long Island, asked him if he had a profile on Grindr, the popular LGBTQ dating app, and revealed that he had one himself.

He said that later in the day he was reviewing mail with Santos in his personal office when the congressman insisted he sit next to him on a small sofa.

Myers claimed that Santos put a hand on his leg and invited him to go to karaoke that night, an invitation which Myers said he declined.

"The Congressman proceeded to take his hand and move it down my leg into my inner thigh and proceeded to touch my groin," Myers said.

"He proceeded to look at me and say, "My husband is out of town tonight if you want to come over" and went on to tell me where the Congressman lived."

Myers said that he pushed Santos' hand away and changed the topic of conversation and shortly returned to his desk.

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He said that on February 1, he was informed that his job offer was rescinded.

Along with the sexual harassment complaint, Myers also claims that he was made to perform staff duties in the congressman's office as an unpaid volunteer while he waited for his paperwork to be processed.

He claims that despite having been promised employment and compensation, he was released from the role and not given any compensation.

Myers said on Twitter that he had filed a police report with Capitol Police along with a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Myers recently grabbed headlines after he leaked an audio recording he secretly made of the congressman on January 30, which was published by Talking Points Memo.

In the audio, Santos can be heard saying: "I've obviously fucked up and lied to him, like I lied to everyone else."

Santos told Semafor on Thursday that his office had been in the process of hiring Myers but paused when they discovered he was charged with wiretapping in Ohio last year after publishing recorded court testimony. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called for the charges to be dropped.

In the letter published on Twitter, Myers claimed that in the days before the job offer was rescinded, he was questioned about his background as a journalist and other matters that he said "had already been disclosed" to hiring managers.

Myers said: "They are serious offenses, and the evidence and facts will speak for themselves if the committee takes up the matter."

Insider reached out to Santos' office for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Rep. George Santos leaves the US Capitol on January 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Getty Images

George Santos doubled down on claims that his mother died due to 9/11.

Santos explained that he meant she died of cancer due to "toxic dust" from the terror attack.

The NYT previously reported that immigration records showed his mother was in Brazil on 9/11.

Rep. George Santos has doubled down on claims that his mother died due to 9/11 and dismissed immigration records showing that she was in Brazil when the attack occurred.

He claimed in a 2021 tweet that "9/11 claimed my mother's life," even though his mother, Fatima Devolder, died of cancer in 2016.

Santos has claimed in a new interview with OANN's Caitlin Sinclair, published Saturday, that he never claimed his mother died on the day of the terror attack, "but that she had died as a result of [them]."

"The toxic dust that permeated throughout Manhattan and my mother being present, downtown Manhattan, that is, was what I was referencing," Santos. "My mom died in home-hospice in 2016."

The New York Republican has long maintained that his mother was in her office in the South Tower on September 11, 2001.

However, The New York Times reported that it had viewed immigration documents that showed that Devolder had been in Brazil and not New York at the time of the terror attack.

According to a 2003 visa application for the United States, Devolder said she had been in Brazil since 1999 and could not return due to a stolen green card.

When asked about the immigration documents in the OANN interview, Santos responded that they "didn't know where that came from."

This is not the only instance that Santos has suggested his mother developed cancer due to 9/11, but it is the first time he publicly acknowledged and dismissed evidence that she was not even present on the day of the attack.

Many New Yorkers did suffer health issues, including cancer, following the terror attack in 2001. However, several law firms and organizations working with survivors told Rolling Stone that they had no records of Devolder filing any compensation claim.

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There is also no evidence to suggest that Devolder ever worked in the South Tower. According to The New York Times, she described herself as a housekeeper and home aide on immigration documents.

The embattled congressman has been mired in controversy amid allegations that he fabricated large swathes of his professional and personal history.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Republican South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson has called for President Joe Biden to resign over his handling of the Chinese spy balloon, which was shot down by the US military off the coast of Mr Wilsons home state.

The catastrophic Chinese Spy Balloon spectacle clearly threatened American families from Alaska to my home community in South Carolina and confirms President Biden and Vice President Harris should resign, Mr Wilson tweeted on Saturday night after the balloon had been taken out of the sky.

My call for their resignation was valid in August 2021 due to the surrender and disastrous withdrawal in Afghanistan, creating a safe haven for terrorists to attack American families. It was not political in 2021, when the succeeding President, then Speaker Nancy Pelosi, would have been a Democrat, or now in 2023 with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, he went on to claim.

Mr Wilson continued: It is irrelevant for American families which party is in power because the first criteria of a leader should be their capability, regardless of party, and sadly Biden and Harris are failures. Resignation now is further reinforced as their open border policies have allowed hundreds of identified terrorists into America to commit mass murder.

When the domestic attack occurs, Biden and Harris will not be able to adequately respond. Credible leadership is imperative to protect American families, he concluded.

Mr Wilson gained notoriety in September 2009 when he shouted you lie at President Barack Obama during his first speech before a joint session of Congress.

There are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants, Mr Obama said at the time. This too is false.

The reforms Im proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally, he added amid groans from the Republicans.

You lie! Mr Wilson shouted, loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) shouts

Thats not true, Mr Obama responded and continued with his speech.

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The Defence Department has said that Chinese balloons entered US airspace at least three times during the administration.

The balloon did not pose a military or physical threat. Still, its intrusion into American airspace over several days was an unacceptable violation of US sovereignty, the departments website states, noting that an official said that Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration.

President Joe Biden said on Saturday afternoon that he ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible.

He added that military leaders chose to wait until the balloon was above water as it was the safest place to do it.

They successfully took it down and I want to complement our aviators who did it, he said after getting off Air Force One on his way to Camp David, according to the Associated Press.
Donald Trump looks at falling balloons at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 21, 2016. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Republicans are criticizing the Biden administration's response to the Chinese spy balloon.

"Would Trump have let China fly a spy balloon over our country?" Rep. Jim Jordan tweeted.

Chinese spy balloons were sighted three times during the Trump administration, US officials said.

A balloon US officials are calling a Chinese surveillance tool spent days flying over the continental United States before it was shot down by an F-22 fighter jet on Saturday.

Pentagon leaders advised President Joe Biden against immediately shooting the flying orb out of the sky due to safety concerns for civilians as the high-altitude object was large enough to create a large debris field, a senior defense official who spoke on background told reporters Thursday.

The dayslong spectacle saw many Republicans criticize the Biden administration for what they viewed as a slow response to the foreign object, while some conservative leaders and pundits took the opportunity to pick at confidence under the Biden administration in general as they claimed no other leader such as Donald Trump would have let a Chinese spy balloon fly over the US.

"Would Trump have let China fly a spy balloon over our country?" Rep. Jim Jordan wrote on Twitter. "Would Reagan? JFK? Truman? No, no, and no."

Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) February 3, 2023

But senior Pentagon officials said in an on-background press conference on Saturday that suspected Chinese surveillance balloons crossed into the US at least three times during the Trump administration and once earlier in the Biden administration.

"PRC [People's Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration, but never for this duration of time," a senior defense official said at the conference.

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Details of the incidents were not provided. It's also unclear if balloons spotted during the Trump administration were shot down. A Pentagon spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the AP that Chinese surveillance balloons were sighted several times in the past five years. Some of them have been spotted near US military bases in Hawaii, he said, though he did not specify when.

Trump on Thursday shared a post on Truth Social from rightwing activist Jack Posobiec, who claimed without evidence that the Pentagon was saying "the quiet part out loud. The CCP [Chinese Communist Party] can send spy balloons over our nuclear silos and we will do nothing."

In a statement to Fox News, Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker claimed that "if press reports are correct, the Biden Administration hoped to hide this incident from the American people."

However, the times when suspected surveillance balloons crossed into the US under the Trump administration were never made public until this past week's incident.

South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott also chimed in and tweeted that "the balloon should have been shot down before it crossed the continental United States, not after," adding that the incident was a "dereliction of Biden's duty."

It's unclear what information the suspected Chinese spy balloon could have gleaned from its various positions. The Montana area the balloon flew over houses the Malmstrom Air Force Base which has intercontinental ballistic missiles.

US officials said the balloon poses little threat in terms of what intelligence it might gather.

The specific dimensions of the device were not disclosed to the public, but one senior official told ABC News that it was estimated to be the size of three buses.

A differing factor in this past week's balloon incident that the senior defense official did acknowledge is the length of time the object has been around.

"It is appearing to hang out for a long period of time this time around, more persistent than in previous instances. So that would be one distinguishing factor," he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Republicans are criticizing the Biden administrations handling of a suspected surveillance balloon from China that entered U.S. airspace this past week  while sidestepping questions about similar incidents happening several times under former President Donald Trump.

The balloon, which looked like a large white orb to bewildered civilians on the ground, moved eastward through U.S. airspace for several days before the Air Forces F-22 fighter jet shot it down with a short-range missile off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday. The interception was televised live, showing the balloon exploding before falling into the Atlantic.

China maintains that the balloon was a civilian airship used mostly for weather research, but the U.S. claims it was a spy balloon that carried sensors and surveillance equipment while passing over sensitive military areas.

Citing an unidentified senior Pentagon official, the Defense Department said in a statement on Saturday that Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration. The Associated Press reported that officials also spoke of another such incident earlier in the Biden administration. None of those four incidents reportedly lasted as long as this weeks, and it has not been confirmed whether the previous balloons were shot down.

President Joe Biden speaks to the press after arriving at Hagerstown Regional Airport in Hagerstown, Maryland, on Feb. 4, 2023.

President Joe Biden speaks to the press after arriving at Hagerstown Regional Airport in Hagerstown, Maryland, on Feb. 4, 2023.

According to the White House, President Joe Biden was first briefed on the balloon last Tuesday, and a day later authorized the military to shoot it down as soon as it was in a location where civilians wouldnt be at risk of damage from the debris. But Republicans have spent the weekend criticizing the administration for not acting fast enough to take down the balloon.

When confronted about the various instances of Chinese balloons entering U.S. airspace during the Trump administration, those same Republicans avoided giving a direct answer.

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Appearing on NBCs Meet the Press, Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), who chairs the House intelligence committee, refused to answer Chuck Todd when asked whether hed been briefed on the several incidents during the Trump administration. Instead, Turner pivoted back to his claim that Biden is not seeing the urgency of the current situation.

When asked about it on Fox News Sunday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) tried to blame the reports of balloons during the Trump years on former President Barack Obama.

So Ive spoken to a lot of former Trump administration officials, they say theyre not aware of anything like this happening during their administration, Cotton told Shannon Bream. Its possible, maybe, that it happened first during the Obama administration and the military was told at the time that this is no big deal and they shouldnt raise the alarm bells on it. We need to get answers to that as well, though.

Mike Pompeo, who served both as CIA director and secretary of state under Trump, told Fox News on Saturday that he was not aware of such incidents happening during our four years in office.

On Sunday, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), vice chair of the Senate intelligence committee, acknowledged the previous incidents of Chinese balloons entering the U.S., but said they are no comparison because of the lengthy flight path taken by the most recent balloon, including over sensitive military installations.

Rubio also claimed that China is trying to signal to the world that the U.S. cant possibly come to the aid of Indo-Pacific nations threatened by China if it cant shoot down a balloon in its own airspace. When reminded by Jonathan Karl on ABCs This Week that the Biden administration did in fact shoot the balloon down, Rubio responded: Yeah.

RUBIO: The message China was trying to send is that the US can't even do anything about a balloon flying over their airspace. How can you count on them?



ABC'S JONATHAN KARL: But the balloon was shot out of the sky.



RUBIO: Yeah. pic.twitter.com/8vv3J0sk2y  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 5, 2023

Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Jim Jordan (Ohio) also claimed that Trump would not have allowed a spy balloon into the country, failing to mention the incidents cited by the Pentagon.

Trump himself rejected the idea that surveillance balloons from China entered the U.S. under his watch, posting his denial Sunday on his far-right platform Truth Social.

[The Biden administration] are only good at cheating in elections, and disinformation  and now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the heat off the slow moving Biden fools, the former president wrote. China had too much respect for TRUMP for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!

Related...
Oleksiy Reznikov

The Presidents Office is considering where to transfer the Minister of Defense, because they believe that he should remain in the team, NVs sister publication Ukrainsky Pravda wrote on Feb. 5 with reference to its own sources.

Read also: Another deputy infrastructure minister resigns after bribe scandal hits

According to Ukrainsky Pravdas journalists, Reznikov may head the Ministry of Justice. And the current head of the department, Denys Malyuska, may be appointed ambassador to a European countries.

When asked by Ukrainsky Pravda about the possibility of his dismissal, Reznikov said that he had had no conversations about the need to leave his post.

The publications sources in the security forces said that Budanov does not want to join the Defense Ministry, because he understands that its a huge bureaucratic machine.

At the end of January, the Ministry of Defense was involved in a scandal due to the purchase of food for the military at inflated prices. The mass media published a contract according to which the ministry procured foods at apparently inflated prices. The total amount of the deal exceeded UAH 13 billion ($350 million).

The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that the details of the contract are being distributed with signs of deliberate manipulation and are misleading.

Reznikov called the scandal an attempt to undermine trust in the departments leadership. Later it was reported that Reznikov had admitted there were mistakes in the contracts.

Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov resigned against the backdrop of the procurement scandal.

Read also: Two senior Ministry of Defense officials now suspects in procurement scandal

On Feb. 2, the court arrested him for two months: according to the investigation, Shapovalov lobbied for the conclusion of contracts for the supply of products and the purchase of low-quality body armor, helmets, clothes and other items for the military for more than UAH 1 billion ($27 million).

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The Ministry of Defense also fired the director of the procurement department, Bohdan Khmelnytskyi.

Furthermore, on Feb. 1, Oleksandr Liev, the temporary head of the Department of Military and Technical Policy of the Ministry of Defense, submitted his resignation. A public discussion developed around him due to scandalous statements made several years ago regarding Crimea.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A jury trial is scheduled later this year for a former fifth grade schoolteacher at St. Stanislaus Catholic School in East Chicago accused of making a hit list.

Angelica C. Carrasquillo, 25, of Griffith, was charged Oct. 14 with intimidation, a Level 6 felony. She posted a $2,000 bond in December.

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Lake Superior Judge Natalie Bokota set her trial on Tuesday for Sept. 11 with a pretrial conference set for June 8, according to court records.

Carrasquillo said she would kill herself, students and staff, according to court records.

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A school counselor was taking two fifth graders to Carrasquillos class for recess detention when one boy told him about the threats and her list of names on it. The boy later told a principal he knew he was on the bottom of the list. Police were called at 4:45 p.m.

Carrasquillo was ordered to the principals office, saying she had struggled with her mental health and sometimes the kids dont listen. She also had unresolved trauma from high school, she said in the affidavit.

Later, Carrasquillo claimed she was only joking. She didnt give a list and only named one student. She later said she had a car that could fit two dead bodies in the trunk.

The East Chicago Police Department was not made aware of the situation until 4 hours later after the teacher was allowed to leave, East Chicago Police Chief Jose Rivera said previously in an email. Once Officers were notified they completed a report and notified the Criminal Investigation Division.

School officials escorted the teacher to the principals office when the teacher admitted to making the comments and saying she had a kill list.

During the conversation, the teacher named a specific student on her list, but did not provide the list. The Principal then advised the teacher to leave and not return to school pending an investigation.

Rivera said police obtained an emergency detention order from the Lake County Prosecutors office and she was taken into custody.

mcolias@post-trib.com

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Post-Tribune freelance reporter Carole Carlson contributed.
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Feb. 5 that the country wouldn't strike Russian territory with longer-range weapons pledged by the U.S.

According to the minister, Ukraine will only target Russian units in the occupied Ukrainian territory.

We always tell our partners officially that we will not use weapons supplied by foreign partners to fire on Russian territory. We only fire on Russian units on temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory, Reznikov said during a news conference.

This week, the Pentagon announced a new security package for Ukraine worth $2.17 billion, which includes long-range Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) missiles for the U.S.-provided HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and Javelin anti-tank weapons.

On Jan. 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine needs longer-range missiles, including ATACMS, to stop Russian terror.
State Sen. Gordon Rogers, a Foster Republican, says that he fought off an intruder who entered his home on Thursday evening.

"I defended myself, and he was on the losing end of that," Rogers told The Providence Journal on Sunday. "He was in the hospital for at least a couple of days."

The incident took place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Rogers said. He had returned from work, taken a quick shower, and gotten dressed before sitting down at his computer to print out some documents on low-and-moderate-income housing that he planned to bring to a Glocester Town Council meeting. When he went upstairs to grab the printouts, he was "startled" to discover an uninvited visitor on the darkened second floor.

Rogers said that the man was someone who he recognized and has known for years, but "was not welcome in, and certainly not welcome upstairs."

"He's got issues," Rogers said. He said that he assumes the man was there to rob the house, and appeared to be "under the influence."

"Im like, 'What are you doing in my house? You shouldnt be here, you need to get out of my house,'" Rogers said. "He said 'Lets go,' and he reached for me and grabbed me by the shirt."

Rogers said that he grabbed the man and hit him twice, knocking him unconscious. He then called the Foster Police, who came and arrested the man, he said.

According to the police report, the perpetrator's speech was slurred, and he yelled a series of obscenities at the officer who handcuffed him. The officer conducted a pat-down and did not locate any stolen items, and Rogers confirmed that nothing appeared to be missing from the house.

The intruder was arrested on a felony charge of breaking and entering and misdemeanor simple assault. On Saturday, after being treated at the hospital, he was released on bail on the condition that he have no contact with Rogers, the police report states.

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The police report indicates that the intruder entered through the unlocked back door. Rogers said that his wife had left for the veterinary clinic when he got home from work, so he was alone in the house when the perpetrator entered. He later reviewed his security cameras and saw that the home invader had only been inside for about three to four minutes before he called the police.

"When Im home, my doors are not locked," Rogers said, noting that he lives in a rural area where his family members are his neighbors. "Theres four generations that live in three houses on a family farm, all within eyeshot of each other. Everybodys always coming in and out... at 4 oclock in the afternoon, I get grandkids running across two different hayfields to go see their great-grandmother and their grandparents."

Rogers noted that he has introduced bills every year to strengthen Rhode Island's "castle laws," which govern when the use of force against an intruder can be ruled self-defense.

"Heres a perfect example why we should have stronger castle laws," he said.

Rogers added that he was eager to clear up any rumors, since the call that went out over the police scanner had been a hot topic of discussion "at 5:30 the next morning at Dunkin' Donuts."

"It came over as an unconscious male, but an assault, so when you have that at a politician's house..."

This story has been updated with details from the Foster Police Department report.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Sen. Gordon Rogers, Foster Republican, says he fought off intruder
Rogers Communications (TSE:RCI.B) Full Year 2022 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: CA$15.4b (up 5.1% from FY 2021).

Net income: CA$1.68b (up 7.8% from FY 2021).

Profit margin: 11% (in line with FY 2021).

EPS: CA$3.33 (up from CA$3.09 in FY 2021).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Rogers Communications EPS Beats Expectations

Revenue was in line with analyst estimates. Earnings per share (EPS) surpassed analyst estimates by 3.2%.

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 4.1% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 3.8% growth forecast for the Wireless Telecom industry in North America.

Performance of the market in Canada.

The company's shares are up 1.2% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

We should say that we've discovered 1 warning sign for Rogers Communications that you should be aware of before investing 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 boater rescued in a dramatic U.S. Coast Guard video as a rogue wave capsizes his vessel faces criminal charges, Oregon police say.

Jericho Labonte, 35, is accused of stealing the boat in the video and leaving a dead fish at the Astoria home where part of The Goonies was filmed, police said in a news release.

The dramatic rescue unfolded at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 3, at the mouth of the Columbia River in 30-foot swells, McClatchy News reported.

(1/4) #BreakingNews - Talk about arriving in the nick of time! While conducting a training mission at the mouth of the Columbia River, 2 Coast Guard air crews received a #MAYDAY broadcast from the master of the P/C Sandpiper. After notifying watchstanders at Sector Columbia River pic.twitter.com/CtYSgpdPUG  USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) February 3, 2023

Two Coast Guard units training in the area responded to a distress call from a vessel floundering in the surf, according to the publication.

A helicopter lowered a rescue swimmer as a wave swamped the boat, causing it to capsize, McClatchy News reported. The swimmer rescued the boater, who was thrown into the sea.

Later on Friday, port security notified Astoria police that the boat involved in the rescue had been stolen, police said in the release.

Other callers identified Labonte as the rescued boater, police said.

Police also were seeking Labonte after someone notified them he had posted an online video of himself leaving a large, dead fish at the so-called Goonies house, the release said.

The iconic home, featured in the 1985 Steven Spielberg film, was listed for sale in November for $1.65 million, McClatchy News reported.

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It was later purchased by a fan of the film, The Washington Post reported.

Police began looking for Labonte, who had been taken to a hospital but later discharged. He was arrested Saturday, Feb. 4, at a warming center.

Labonte faces charges including theft, endangering another person, unauthorized use of a vehicle and criminal mischief, the release said.

Astoria is a city of 10,000 people about 70 miles northwest of Portland.

Nearby boat capsizes during Coast Guard training in Oregon. See the dramatic rescue

Iconic home from The Goonies lists for $1.65 million in Oregon. See the coastal home
Rome police are investigating the shooting death of a man.

At about 7:36 p.m. Saturday, police received a call about shots fired outside an apartment complex located at Park Homes on Reservoir Street.

The victim was found outside the building and had suffered a fatal gunshot wound.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

He was taken to Atrium Floyd Health Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The unidentified victim will be taken to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy.

TRENDING STORIES:

Anyone with information on his death is urged to contact the Rome Police Department Criminal Investigation Division or Investigator Kyle York at 706-238-5127 or email kyork@romepolice.com.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis administration moved on Friday to strip an Orlando performing arts center of its liquor license in retaliation for hosting a holiday-themed drag show in December.

A 27-page complaint filed by the states Department of Business and Professional Regulation alleged that the Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation knowingly welcomed attendees under age 18 to watch A Drag Queen Christmas against Florida law.

The move comes as DeSantis, a hard-right Republican, continues to wage war on drag performers and smear members of the LGBTQ community with accusations of child abuse as he eyes a run for the White House.

The civil complaint acknowledged that a sign at the venue, called The Plaza Live, warned adults about bringing minors with them but claimed that it was barely visible.

The sign implicitly directed parents to make their own decisions  which DeSantis has lauded as a fundamental right in parenting.

The Dec. 28 event was billed as the 8th annual holiday drag show. Photos from the venue show at least two children apparently being led into the audience. The complaint also contained still images of the stage; one featured a screen with a finger pointing into a holiday wreath. Others showed shirtless men and a costumed drag queen wearing antlers.

The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Grainy photos from the event provided by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation show costumed drag performers.

Grainy photos from the event provided by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation show costumed drag performers.

Songs performed included Screwdolph the Red-Nippled Reindeer, which, according to the complaint, featured the following lyrics: Then one soggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say, Screwdolph with your nipples so bright wont you guide my sleigh tonight?

A Florida business regulation department representative told The Orlando Sentinel that the venue could continue to sell alcohol while the complaint was processed.

The complaint outlined six civil counts of violations of Florida statutes relating to lewd content being put on where minors could see it. No criminal charges have been filed.

Related...
(Reuters) - Fierce battles are raging in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region as Russia intensifies pressure before the first anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday.

"Things are very difficult in Donetsk region - fierce battles," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "But however difficult it is and however much pressure there is, we must endure ... We have no alternative to defending ourselves and winning."

Russia, he said, was applying increased pressure to "make up for its defeats last year. We see that on various sectors of the front and also pressure in terms of information."

(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Nick Starkov; editing by Grant McCool)
Russian occupation forces are setting up additional field hospitals on the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Doctors from the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the Russian Far East have been brought in to treat injured Russian soldiers in one such field hospital in Svitlodarsk, Donetsk Oblast.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Quote: "All medical establishments in the temporarily occupied city of Horlivka, Donetsk Oblast, have been flooded with injured invaders."

Details: The General Staff reported that Russian occupation forces are using kindergartens, schools and warehouses to house their hospitals.

Medical staff from the Sakha Republic have been deployed to a hospital in Svitlodarsk, Donetsk Oblast, where around 70 Russian soldiers are hospitalised.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Russian occupation forces launched an attack on the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast on the morning of Sunday, 5 February.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Ihor Terekhov, Kharkiv Mayor, on Telegram

Quote from Syniehubov: "Attention residents of Kharkiv and [Kharkiv] Oblast! The occupiers are carrying out strikes!

Remain in shelters!"

Details: Syniehubov added that preliminary reports indicate that an S-300 missile has struck an area in central Kharkiv.

Terekhov said that two Russian missiles hit the Kyiv district in the centre of Kharkiv city.

No casualties or fatalities have been reported so far.

Updated: Terekhov has reported that one of the missiles hit a residential complex in central Kharkiv.

So far, authorities have reported that a fire broke out in a residential building and that one person has been injured.

Syniehubov said that three people have been injured: a 54-year-old woman and two men aged 51 and 55.

The woman was hospitalised with shrapnel wounds and the men were treated at the site of the attack.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The Russian occupiers are forcibly evicting civilians from their homes in order to accommodate local collaborators in the city of Tokmak, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Source: General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces on Facebook

Quote: "The Russian occupation forces forcefully evict civilians from their homes in order to accommodate local collaborators who support the Russian occupation authorities and work as part of the enemy's so-called law enforcement agencies in the city of Tokmak, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The householders are ordered to leave their homes and move out onto the street."

Details: The General Staff also reports that the occupiers conduct searches in the settlement of Krynky, Kherson Oblast, stealing boats, water engines and other equipment from the civilian population.

In addition, the Russians continue to involve medical personnel from Russia due to huge losses in Ukraine. So, a field hospital with Russian medical personnel and surgeons was deployed on the territory of the local dispensary in the village of Pokrovske, Luhansk Oblast.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A Hammond man has been charged with several felonies in connection with an officer-involved shooting in Munster Wednesday.

Indiana State Police detectives filed seven charges against Roy Viverette, including unlawful possession of a firearm by a aerious violent felon, a Level 4 felony; criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement and auto theft, all Level 6 felonies; and theft, a Class A misdemeanor, ISP spokesman Sgt. Glen Fifield said in a release Saturday. Viverette, 30, was arrested Wednesday evening.

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At around 7:40 p.m. Feb. 1, Munster officers were canvassing the area of Ridge Road and Manor Avenue for a stolen 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which they found at the Mobil Gas Station, 323 Ridge Rd., Fifield said. When the officers drove into the stations parking lot, the suspect, now known as Viverette, got into the Jeep and hit the police cars with it, he said.

An officer then shot his gun at the Jeep, striking the windshield, Fifield said.

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Viverette got out and ran West from the station, at which point officers gave chase and shot him with a stun gun, Fifield said. They then performed first aid on him, and medics took him to a hospital before transporting him to the Lake County Jail, he said.

Viverette also has an active, full-extradition warrant out of Cook County, Illinois. for numerous offenses there, Fifield said.

Michelle Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Russia starts recruiting female prisoners for war against Ukraine

Over the course of a week, the Russian troops managed to recruit about 50 people, the General Staff said.

Read also: Russian troops number in Mariupol rises to 30,000, Andriushchenko says

"In order to replenish losses in manpower, the enemy is trying to involve convicted women in hostilities," the post reads.

During the week, the occupiers recruited about 50 people from the women's correctional colony in Snizhne, a temporarily occupied territory in Donetsk Oblast.

Read also: 10,000 Wagner Group mercenaries remain at the front out of 50,000 recruited  mass media

The army command noted that the women had been sent to Russia for training.

Read also: Wagner Group has brought in more than 38,000 prison inmates: Podolyak

Earlier, NV reported that Russian prisoners recruited by Wagner Group PMC to participate in the war against Ukraine were released from prison by a secret decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The amnesty took place as part of a "pardon procedure" by the dictator.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will arrive in Baghdad on Sunday to discuss boosting bilateral relations and energy cooperation, Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement.

Lavrov, who is leading a delegation that includes oil and gas companies' representatives, is scheduled to meet his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on Monday, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf said in a statement.

Sahhaf said the visit will focus on "strategic relations with Russia and to encourage investment opportunities, especially in relating to energy sectors".

The Russian foreign minister will also meet on Monday Iraqi top officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, President Abdul Latif Rashid and parliament speaker, Sahhaf said.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Toby Chopra)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz

Asked if an agreement had been with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that weapons from the West would only be used on Ukrainian territory, and that Russia would not be attacked on its own territory with them, Scholz said, There is a consensus on that.

Read also: NATO chief welcomes Germanys decision to provide Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

The German Chancellor also commented on Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putins recent speech, in which the Russian leader claimed that German tanks are again threatening the Russian Federation.

(Putins) words are part of a series of absurd historical comparisons he uses to justify his attack on Ukraine, Scholz said.

But this war cannot be justified by anything. Russia is waging a merciless war against Ukraine.

Read also: Germany approves delivery of Leopard 1 tanks to Ukraine, in talks with Qatar over Gepards

Scholz also emphasized in the interview that Germany, together with its allies, is coordinating the provision of weapons to Ukraine.

"Together with our allies, were handing over combat tanks to Ukraine so that it can defend itself, the German leader said.

We carefully weighed each arms delivery, closely coordinated it with our allies, primarily with the United States. Such a joint approach prevents the escalation of the war.

After weeks of hesitation, Germany on Jan. 25 approved the transfer of 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and their re-export from partner countries. On the same day, the United States announced the future deployment of U.S. 31 Abrams main battle tanks to the front.

Read also: Rheinmetall ready to supply Ukraine with lots of ammunition for donated Leopard 2 tanks

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius later said that the first Western tanks could be sent to Ukraine by the end of March.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that Ukraine will receive 120-140 modern Western tanks in the first wave of deliveries. According to him, the tank coalition supporting Ukraine already includes 12 participating countries.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian military needs 300-500 tanks to conduct an offensive to liberate the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
This was a mistake and does not represent the values of our company, and we are committed to doing better in the future, the company stated.

A global food vendor has apologized after serving middle school students in New York chicken and waffles with a watermelon dessert on the first day of Black History Month.

Aramark, a food vendor that serves schools and other institutions around the world, issued a statement Thursday acknowledging the mistake in a letter to parents, Lohud reported.

Food vendor Aramark has apologized after serving middle school students in Nyack, New York chicken and waffles with a watermelon dessert on the first day of Black History Month. (Adobe Stock)

While our menu was not intended as a cultural meal, we acknowledge that the timing was inappropriate, and our team should have been more thoughtful in its service, the food company stated. This was a mistake and does not represent the values of our company, and we are committed to doing better in the future.

David Johnson, principal at Nyack Middle School which is about 30 miles north of Manhattan, said in the letter that Aramark changed the scheduled menu without running it by school administrators, as reported by Lohud.

We are extremely disappointed by this regrettable situation and apologize to the entire Nyack community for the cultural insensitivity displayed by our food service provider, Johnson said. I am disappointed that Aramark would serve items that differed from the published monthly menu. Especially items that reinforce negative stereotypes concerning the African-American Community.

According to Lohud, Aramark has previously served foods connected to racial stereotypes about Black people during African American holidays.

Students at the University of California, Irvine in 2011 were served a menu for Martin Luther King Day that read: MLK Holiday Special: Chicken and Waffles, per the outlet.

The company more recently served New York University students in 2018 ribs, collard greens and Kool-Aid during Black History Month, the outlet reported.

James Montesano, interim superintendent for Nyack schools, said in the letter he is extremely disappointed with what has occurred, but Aramark has been cooperative in addressing the situation, according to Lohud.

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We are encouraged to receive the appropriate response from Aramark in taking corrective action, which includes demonstrating their willingness to participate in training that the district will provide, he said.

Aramark said in its statement it will be working in partnership with Nyack schools going forward so employees who work in the schools participate in training that aligns to the Nyack School Districts vision and commitment to equity-driven work. We believe this will provide a good learning opportunity to deepen understanding on the impact of systemic biases and negative stereotypes concerning the African-American Community.

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The post School food vendor apologies for serving chicken, waffles and watermelon on first day of Black History Month appeared first on TheGrio.
A vendor that provides food service to schools apologized for the "unintentional insensitivity" of its Black History Month menu, echoing similar apologies it has made for more than a decade amid backlash over racially insensitive menus.

Students at Nyack Middle School in New York were served chicken and waffles with a choice of watermelon for dessert on the first day of Black History Month on Wednesday, according to WABC-TV. The school's administration and its food vendor, Aramark, apologized after students and parents pointed out the racial stereotypes the menu reinforced.

Aramark said in a statement to NBC News on Sunday that the situation "never should have happened" and apologized for what it called an "inexcusable mistake."

"We have apologized for our mistake, are working to determine how it happened and make sure it never happens again," the statement said. "Our team at that school should have been more thoughtful in its service."

David Johnson, principal of Nyack Middle School, did not immediately return a request for comment to NBC News on Sunday. He did state in a letter to parents that the school was unaware of the menu, WABC reported.

"The vendor has agreed to plan future menu offerings to align with our values and our longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion," the letter said. "We are extremely disappointed by this regrettable situation and apologize to the entire Nyack community for the cultural insensitivity displayed by our food service provider.

Aramark has been behind similar menus on past holidays commemorating Black people that sparked controversy at two universities going back more than a decade. In 2011, Aramark served chicken and waffles on Martin Luther King Day at the University of California, Irvine.

It said at the time, according to the Los Angeles Times, that the company would conduct cultural sensitivity training for all managers and chefs.

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Students at New York University demanded the school cut its ties with Aramark after its Black History Month menu in 2018 included barbecue ribs, cornbread, collard greens, Kool-Aid and watermelon-flavored water, according to The New York Times.

Aramark said at the time that two employees had planned that menu independently without consulting school advisory or cultural groups, which was a violation of company policy, and had been terminated.

An editorial published in the school's newspaper, Washington Square News, called the "racial stereotyping" by Aramark on college campuses "unacceptable."

"Although Aramark has made wide public apologies, it should be judged on its actions," the editorial said. "Serving racially stereotyped food during Black History Month is another clear indicator that Aramarks values as a company are misaligned."

NYU sought to cut its ties with Aramark in 2019 and searched for other vendors, according to the Washington Square News, after students protested against the company's practices. The university's dining services are now partnered with Chartwells, according to its website.

Associating certain foods with Black culture derives historically from how these foods were once used as symbols in popular media to depict Black people as poor and uncultured following the abolition of slavery.

In the 1915 silent film The Birth of a Nation, fried chicken was used as part of the film's derogatory depictions of Black people. White actors wearing blackface were seen eating fried chicken and tossing bones around the buildings of Congress.

And watermelon has been linked to poverty for centuries. The Atlantic reported in 2014 that as early as 1801, a British officer stationed in Egypt called it a poor Arabs feast.

But these racial stereotypes became more widespread in the U.S. after emancipation, when caricatures of freed slaves sought to paint Black people as ignorant and mindless, according to the Jim Crow Museum at Ferris State University in Michigan.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Executives at ChatGPT creator OpenAI think educators should think twice before writing off artificial intelligence. Sopa Images/Getty Images

OpenAI's CTO shared her thoughts on ChatGPT's place in education in an interview with Time magazine.

Murati said she believes generative text can offer a "personalized education" to its users.

Several school systems and universities have banned ChatGPT for fear of academic dishonesty, reports say.

As schools across the globe express growing concern about the rise of artificial intelligence bots, a ChatGPT executive says the technology can be useful in the classroom.

In an interview with Time magazine, Mira Murati  chief technology officer at OpenAI, the company behind the buzzy AI chatbot ChatGPT  said schools shouldn't rush to ban the technology on their campuses due to concerns over cheating. Instead, Murati said ChatGPT "has the potential to really revolutionize the way we learn," particularly in settings where not everyone has the same learning preferences or abilities.

"With tools like ChatGPT, you can endlessly converse with a model to understand a concept in a way that is catered to your level of understanding," Murati told Time. "It has immense potential to help us with personalized education."

So far, public school systems in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and more have banned use of the bot due to concerns over plagiarism and cheating.

Still, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman echoed Murati, stating he also believes ChatGPT has a place in schools and considers it a more engaging way to learn. In an interview with StrictlyVC, Altman likened the use of generative text to a calculator and encouraged schools to adapt to its existence.

"I have used it to learn things myself and found it much more compelling than other ways I've learned things in the past," Altman told StrictlyVC. "I would much rather have ChatGPT teach me about something than go read a textbook."

However, Altman asserts it'll be nearly impossible to detect AI plagiarism 100% of the time, and Murati said she isn't surprised that academic honesty has threatened schools as ChatGPT grows in its popularity and capability.

Story continues

"When you open it up to as many people as possible with different backgrounds and domain expertise, you'll definitely get surprised by the kinds of things that they do with the technology, both on the positive front and on the negative front," Murati said.

Despite many schools placing limitations on AI use, there are educators who agree with Murati and Altman and use generative AI as part of their lesson plans. A digital-media lecturer at the University of Leeds, for example, told Insider she's used AI in her classroom since 2018.

"We're getting our students to critically think about these tools," lecturer Leah Henrickson said.

She continued: "As long as we're focusing on education as outputs, the GPTs and AI will be a threat, but it can't replace the process of problem-solving, which is the real way to learn."

Read the original article on Business Insider
INGLEWOOD, Calif.  When it comes to his association with Fedor Emelianenko, Scott Coker has very few regrets.

But he does have some, and chances are good theyre shared by the bulk of longtime MMA fans.

If Bellator president Coker had his druthers, hed have been able to witness, as we all would have, a fight between Emelianenko and former two-division UFC champion Randy Couture. And while were at it, Coker would take a Fedor vs. Josh Barnett heavyweight matchup, too.

Emelianenko (40-7 MMA, 4-3 BMMA) set down his gloves inside the cage at Bellator 290 following a first-round TKO loss to heavyweight champion Ryan Bader (31-7 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) in their main event rematch.

Bader took out Emelianenko halfway through the first round. The first time the two fought in 2019, Bader knocked out The Last Emeperor in just 35 seconds to win the then-vacant title.

Emelianenko knew in advance that his one last shot at a Bellator title would be his last fight. So Bellator packed cagegside at Kia Forum near Los Angeles with all kinds of former Emelianenko opponents and is contemporaries from the early era of MMA. And with Couture and Barnett among those former fighters on hand for Emelianenkos swan song, Coker couldnt help but wonder.

Would I have liked to see him and Randy fight? Sure. Him and Josh? Of course, Coker said after Bellator 290. But if you look at the string of fights he had in PRIDE during his hey-day run, it was just incredible.

Emelianenko went unbeaten from late 2000 until mid-2010, almost all for PRIDE in Japan against some of the best heavyweights in the sports history, the majority of whom fought for PRIDE at the time and not in the UFC, which was still under its first ownership group when Emelianenko was getting started on a run that eventually hit 27 straight victories.

Although Emelianenko was sent into retirement with a loss, at 46, he seemed content with his decision. And Coker would co-sign on it.

Fedor has already done it all, he said. He didnt need to do anything. So any time he fights another fight, I think for the last three or four years, its a special occasion  its an event. You can feel it. When he fights, its an event. He doesnt need to prove himself. To me, hes the greatest heavyweight of all time.

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 I was telling him when he left, Its an honor for me to promote you,  Hes a real true champion, and to me hes the GOAT.

Check out Cokers full post-fight interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkies event hub for Bellator 290.

List

Twitter reacts to Fedor Emelianenko's retirement-fight loss to Ryan Bader at Bellator 290

Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
Seattle police arrested a man who allegedly punched and groped a woman at a business near Green Lake on Saturday.

According to the Seattle Police Department, officers were called to a business near North 56th Street and Kirkwood Place North around 11:45 a.m. for reports of an assault. An employee told police that someone entered through a restricted area of the business and punched and groped her.

The woman fought with the man before he ran away, police said.

After a brief foot chase and with the help of bystanders who flagged police down to report a suspicious person, officers arrested the man in the 7200 block of 8th Avenue Northeast.

On Wednesday, The 25-year-old man was charged with Burglary in the First Degree with sexual motivation, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office.

The defendants next court appearance is an arraignment, where an initial plea is entered. That is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 16 in room E1201A of the King County Courthouse.
Sacramento police are seeking assistance from the public in locating a 23-year-old woman.

Idazwia Wilson, who is reportedly at risk due to a medical condition, was last seen in the 6000 block of Bamford Drive, police said in a Sunday morning news release.

Wilson is described as a Black woman who is 6 feet, 2 inches tall and weighs about 200 pounds. She was last seen wearing a blue zip-up jacket, pink pajama pants and pink Nike slip-on shoes.

Anyone with information about the missing womans whereabouts is asked to call 916-808-5471.
Visitors paint Chinese opera masks at a special celebratory event held at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

As the Chinese Lantern Festival is approaching, a special celebratory event is held in Australia's National Maritime Museum over the weekend, providing a unique opportunity for local residents to experience China's fascinating culture and tradition.



The two-day event, jointly hosted by the museum and the China Cultural Center in Sydney, features several workshops including Chinese calligraphy and painting, Chinese opera mask painting, folding fan painting, as well as traditional Chinese musical instrument performances.

A visitor paints a Chinese opera mask at a special celebratory event held at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

Visitors could also wear Hanfu, the traditional Chinese clothing, watch the tea art show, and create their own paper lanterns, shadow puppets and dragon boat models.

The event is also a part of the museum's Lunar Sea program to celebrate the traditional Chinese New Year.

"For us, to be able to share a genuine, authentic experience with Australians on what it means to the Chinese and the Chinese Australian, to get an authentic experience of the music and the dance, and to have people understand the rich complexity of different cultures is a really important part of what we want to do," the museum's director and CEO Daryl Karp told Xinhua.

"The festival also allows us to attract more people who normally don't come to a museum. We'd love to have far more Chinese and international visitors."

A staff member presents a rabbit mascot at a special celebratory event held at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Bai Xuefei)

Wearing a dress drawing inspiration from the design of Qipao, the traditional Chinese clothing in Qing Dynasty, Sydney resident Fabiola Sepulveda has a keen interest in Chinese culture.

She used to study in China for about one year and has some basic knowledge about those traditional festivals, but some of the cultural programs are still new to her.

"I was searching about what was going on for the Year of the Rabbit and I found the event here. I really want to enjoy this activity, and try those that I haven't tried before," Sepulveda said.

"I like a lot of things from the Chinese culture, like the dance, the music, the traditional instrument and the Chinese food, and especially the respect and connection they have with other people."

For the local Australian Chinese, the event also presents a good opportunity to find more about their cultural background.

"We were born in Australia so we weren't really exposed to a lot of the things about the Chinese culture when we were younger. I think right now is a good opportunity for us to learn more about our culture," said Angela who came to the event with her mum.

As a student studying art and architecture in the university, she thought the most fascinating ones would be the things related to the arts, like Hanfu, embroidery and ink painting.

"I'm trying to get a grasp of the Chinese culture, exposing myself more to this ... Hopefully, it may give me inspiration to start doing more things related to the Chinese culture and being influenced by the Chinese culture more, whether that be in my artworks or my design," she said.
Icy conditions ended January and lingered into the first few days of February across the south-central U.S to the Ohio Valley. Now, AccuWeather meteorologists say a springlike weather pattern will turn things around, with risks of both flooding and severe weather on the docket for the same area.

The most recent extreme weather event to strike the center of the country was when days of dangerous ice struck in late January into early February. The widespread ice event halted travel in half a dozen states from Texas to Kentucky, but areas from Dallas into southern Oklahoma and Arkansas were some of the hardest hit, with more than 600 motor vehicle accidents reported.

The ice has since melted, but AccuWeather forecasters say that some of the same locations could be at risk for a new hazard this week: severe weather.

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Severe thunderstorms have been absent across the southern U.S. so far in February. However, an unusual winter severe weather outbreak took place only a few weeks ago along the Gulf Coast on Jan. 24 and Jan. 25. During this event, there were two dozen tornado reports from Texas to western Florida, including an EF3 tornado that struck the Houston suburb of Deer Park.

This late-January round of severe weather, combined with a mid-month severe weather event in Alabama and Georgia helped the first month of 2023 become one of the most active Januarys for tornadoes in history. Both events straddled Jan. 16, which is statistically the least likely date in the year to see a tornado.

"A storm will be strengthening in Texas on Tuesday, bringing the next round of wet weather and severe thunderstorms to the region," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty.

This time, without the presence of exceptionally cold air, icy weather is not expected across most the region. Instead, some cold air following behind the storm, combined with a surge of warm air out of the Gulf of Mexico will make severe weather a possibility with the storm.

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Thunderstorms could start as early as Tuesday morning across the eastern half of Texas; however, storms are unlikely to turn severe until at least midday. Once the stronger thunderstorms do develop, they could linger through the nighttime hours and the threat will expand to east of Houston. Texas cities like San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Waco are all at the risk for severe weather through Tuesday night.

In addition to dangerous lightning, the risk of severe thunderstorms will also bring threats of damaging wind gusts of 50-60 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 70 mph. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out either.

As the cold front bringing the wave of severe weather shifts east on Wednesday, so too will the severe weather risk. Damaging winds and even a few tornadoes are possible on Wednesday and Wednesday night, and wind gusts in excess of 60 mph may be more widespread compared to Tuesday. Overall, the severe weather risk is likely to be more widespread on Wednesday as well.

Cities along Interstate 10 like New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, on northward to Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee, should have a way to get severe weather alerts and be advised of travel disruptions.

"These thunderstorms will also bring heavy downpours in the same area, which together could bring ponding on roads and localized flooding issues," explained Douty.

This is especially true in far eastern portions of Texas through southern Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. In these areas, rounds of heavy rain since mid-January have left the soil on the wetter side and allowed for many secondary rivers to rise to minor flood stage, according to the National Weather Service's network of river gauges. Some locations still have flood warnings in effect as of Tuesday morning.

Douty did warn, however, that the risk of heavy rainfall this week will be even more expansive than the threat of severe thunderstorms.

As the storm continues to move northeastward through midweek, it is expected to pull the warm, tropical moisture from the Gulf of Mexico with it, allowing for heavy rain to extend as far north as the Ohio Valley.

Just like across the lower Mississippi River Valley, cities across the Ohio Valley have had a wetter-than-normal start to 2023. Through the end of January, Louisville, Kentucky, has reported 5.36 inches of rain, a total that is more than 150% of normal. Indianapolis reported just shy of 4 inches of rain (3.97 inches) in January, which is 127% of its average.

In these communities, as well as cities as far southwest as Dallas and Tulsa, Oklahoma, rainfall amounts up to an inch are possible through early Thursday, putting the region on alert for the risk of water-covered roads to minor river flooding.

Behind this round of wet weather, another wave of cold air is expected from the southern Plains to the Ohio Valley. This may open the door for more wintry weather before the end of the week.

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 11% in the last month. But that is minimal compensation for the share price under-performance over the last year. The cold reality is that the stock has dropped 16% in one year, under-performing the market.

Although the past week has been more reassuring for shareholders, they're still in the red over the last year, so let's see if the underlying business has been responsible for the decline.

Check out our latest analysis for Wells Fargo

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

Unfortunately Wells Fargo reported an EPS drop of 36% for the last year. The share price fall of 16% isn't as bad as the reduction in earnings per share. So the market may not be too worried about the EPS figure, at the moment -- or it may have expected earnings to drop faster.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Wells Fargo, it has a TSR of -13% for the last 1 year. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

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A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 8.1% in the twelve months, Wells Fargo shareholders did even worse, losing 13% (even including dividends). Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 0.4% per year over five years. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks, for example - Wells Fargo has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

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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Richard Shelbys last week as our United States senator was poetically amazing.

The nation watched as he gave his farewell address to the Senate. His speech was followed by a tribute from his longtime friend Senator Patrick Leahy.

Shelby and Leahy from Vermont are best friends and as senators they co-chaired the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee together for their final six-year terms, which ended Jan. 3, 2023. They walked out together after a lasting three decade partnership.

The national media made note of the fact that Leahy, a Democrat, and Shelby, a Republican, were the last vestiges of bipartisanship in Congress. They worked together congruently to get things done for the nation and, yes, primarily for the states they represented. Shelby, who served 36 years as Alabama's senator, retired at the age of 88 last month.

More:Lawmakers choose leaders as session nears | INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE

To say that Shelby went out with a bang would be a dramatic understatement. As he was making his farewell speech, he and Leahy were crafting their final federal budget. The budget was passed the next day, two days before Christmas.

When the experts combed through the 4,000-plus page document, it revealed that Shelby had again played Santa Claus to the people of Alabama. He not only brought most of the money from Washington to Alabama, practically speaking he brought the entire North Pole and Rudolph and all of the reindeer to the Heart of Dixie as he was walking out the door of the U.S. Senate.

The national media dubbed Shelby the Greatest King of earmarked procured money for their state in history. Indeed, the amount of federal dollars Shelby brought home to our state as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee is unmatched. He probably surpassed the previous King of Pork for their state, the late Robert Byrd of West Virginia.

In his last hurrah, Shelby appropriated a mind-boggling $660 million of extra earmarked dollars to Alabama. Folks, that is quite an amazingly, unfathomable, incomprehensible Christmas gift for our state.

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Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., is seen in his Capitol Hill office in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, is retiring after 35 years in the Senate. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

As I was exchanging holiday greetings with a state senator who is a close friend, I commented about Shelbys departing $660 million Christmas gift to the state. He quietly commented, Flowers, that is over 25% of our entire state General Fund budget.

However, if you dig deeper into the federal budget that Shelby passed, his $660 million is also met with upgrades of funds Shelby allocated in previous years to amount to $4 billion. That is more than the entire state of Alabamas annual budget. Every part of Alabama was showered with Shelbys gifts, which will make generational changes to our state.

In Huntsville alone, Shelby has played a pivotal role in shaping this Tennessee Valley area into the science, space, and technology capital of the South, if not the nation. In his final hurrah, the Huntsville Redstone area received funds for Army research weaponry, a space launch system, nuclear thermal propulsion for the Marshall Space Flight Center, construction of a new FBI headquarters, which Shelby moved from Washington to the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, and several other new buildings at the Redstone Arsenal.

Shelby earmarked a great deal of federal money for his home area of Tuscaloosa, including millions for new buildings and education centers for the University of Alabama, funds for a new bridge, and millions for the Tuscaloosa airport.

He took care of the Montgomery/Wiregrass area, which is military-laden for years to come. This area received multi-millions in new money at Fort Rucker for flight training and Air Surface Missiles, along with millions for the Hellfire missiles made in Troy.

There is over a billion dollars going to UAB for biomedical research and new buildings. Shelby has been instrumental in transforming UAB into one of the most respected medical research institutions in the nation.

He took care of Mobile for generations to come. There are millions of earmarked funds going to the Port City. In addition, Shelby completed his mission of building Alabama a new deeper and wider port with a $200 million dollar appropriation for the Alabama State Port Authority.

In my 2015 book, "Of Goats and Governors: Six Decades of Alabama Political Stories," I have a chapter entitled Alabamas Three Greatest Senators, John Sparkman, Lister Hill and Richard Shelby." If I were writing that book today, Shelby would be alone as Alabamas greatest United States senator by far.

Steve Flowers

Steve Flowers served 16 years in the Alabama Legislature. Readers can email him at steve@steveflowers.us.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Shelbys last hurrah will benefit generations | INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

"In total, as of Feb. 24, our team has managed to return 1,762 Ukrainian men and women from Russian captivity, Zelenskyy said, giving the official total of those returned.

Read also: About 2,000 Azovstal defenders still in Russian captivity

And I also thank everyone who is involved in helping these people of ours after their return," the head of state said.

Ukraine and Russia conducted a new exchange of prisoners on Feb. 4, with another 116 Ukrainians being returned from Russian captivity. They including defenders of Mariupol, Kherson partisans and snipers from the Bakhmut section of the front.

In addition, Ukraine recovered the bodies of two dead foreign volunteers, as well as the body of a dead volunteer soldier, authorities said.

Read also: Ukraine says over 3,000 Ukrainian POW's in Russian captivity, 15,000 people missing

Ukraines government has not revealed how many Russian soldiers it has in captivity. Generally, prisoner swaps of soldiers have been conducted on a one-for-one basis.

According to a Belgian news report, there are around 500 prisons in Ukraine holding Russian prisoners of war.

Footage from the prison showed several dozen Russian prisoners exercising in a yard, and eating in a prison canteen.

Ukraine claims to have killed 131,290 Russian soldiers, including 700 in the last day alone, since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24.

Read also: Russia has lost over 130,000 of its soldiers so far in full-scale invasion and war

The figures are impossible to verify, but footage released by Ukrainian military sources show the Russians taking heavy casualties in the east of the country, where fighting is currently fiercest.

Ukraine has set up a hotline called I Want to Live through which Russian troops can arrange their safe surrender to Ukrainian forces. Video of Russian troops surrendering and being guided to Ukrainian lines by a drone has circulated on social media.

Ukraines government claims 6,543 Russian soldiers have used the I Want to Live hotline, with the organization receiving 50 to 100 messages from Russian soldiers every day, the UKs Guardian newspaper reported on Jan. 26.



Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Igor Mangushev, a Russian mercenary and propagandist

According to reports circulating on social media, Mangushev was shot in the head at close range, execution-style, at a checkpoint in the Russian-occupied part of Luhansk Oblast.

Mangushev (call sign Bereg) was sent to the neurosurgery department of one of the hospitals in Kadiivka (which the Russians call Stakhanov) with a gunshot wound.

Read also: A look at the trio who convinced Putin to invade

So, performing with someone elses skull has brought (Mangushev) misfortune, Kazanskyi wrote.

Mangushev got shot through his own skull. He is still alive, but with such an injury, the prospects are not very good.

According to the journalist, karma caught up with Mangushev, and it was soldiers of Chechen warlord Ramzan Kadyrov who most likely shot the Russian mercenary.

The details are still uncertain, but they say there is a reason to shout Akhmat-sila! Kazanskyi said, quoting what Mangushevs attackers are reported to have cried during the shooting.

Z /Telegram

Russian sources also confirmed that an accident happened to the mercenary. Russian authorities declined to release more information about the attack, but Russian milbloggers condemned the attack and speculated that Mangushev may have been on his knees and shot from behind.

Information from the doctors: it was made from a short-barreled weapon, a bullet of approximately 9 mm, close-up, occipital-parietal region, wound channel from the back down at 45 degrees, the Russians quoted one of the invaders who fought in the same unit as Bereg.

Mangushev is the leader of the neo-Nazi movement Light Rus. He is also considered the creator of PMC Raccoon, which closely cooperated with Russias FSB security service.

Read also: Tactics of Wagner PMC mercenaries in Ukraine revealed in intelligence report  CNN

The U.S. think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), quoting a Western expert, noted that Mangushev has ties to Wagner Group and that an attack against Mangushev may have been a message to the Wagner Group and its financier, Yevgeny Prigozhin.

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During his shameful skull brandishing speech in the summer of 2022, Mangushev repeated the stereotypes of Russian propaganda and called for the genocide of Ukrainians.

The propagandist stated that the Russian Federation is not at war with people, but with the idea of Ukraines existence, and all bearers of this idea must be destroyed.



Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
An Orlando native became a member of the Navy Honor Guard this week.

Seaman Devonte Miles completed a 10-week training program with the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard.

Read: Report: Military spends money and takes time to train cyber troops, who then leave

Miles graduated from Pointiana High School in 2022 and joined the Navy six months ago.

I joined the Navy to create a better career path for myself and create a legacy for my family, he said.

Read: Report highlights childcare availability and affordability concerns for military families

According to Navy officials, as an official honor guard, Miles represents the service in public, presidential and military services in Washington, D.C.

The Ceremonial Guard includes the drill team, color guard, casket bearers and firing party.

Read: Survey shows fewer Americans can afford to cover emergency expense with savings

The Navy said guardsmen must have coordination, order and discipline but also show pride and teamwork.

Miles said he is proud to earn this achievement because less than 1% of Navy members are considered for the position.

Serving in the Navy, to me, is an honor because I am able to give back to (the) community and be a part of something bigger than myself, he said.

Watch this video below:

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Two women are in critical but stable condition after a shooting at a large gathering of young adults in St. Petersburg early Sunday morning, police said.

The shooting occurred just before 4 a.m. in the parking lot of the Jet Jackson Recreation Center, located at 1000 28th St. S, police said. A group of young adults was hanging out in the parking lot when someone drove up and began shooting.

Police said three people between the ages of 18 and 23 were taken to the hospital, including the women, ages 20 and 22. A man also suffered a wound that was not life-threatening.

The suspect has not been arrested. Police are seeking more information.

To send a tip, call the St. Petersburg police at 727-893-7780 or text SPPD plus your tip to TIP411.
PARIS (Reuters) - French train and air services are expected to be heavily disrupted on Tuesday by a nationwide strike against pension reforms, the national railway and civil aviation authorities said on Sunday.

Rail operator SNCF said that only around half of the usual number of high-speed rail services on domestic lines would be running, while one out of four on the Eurostar line to London would not operate.

Separately the civil aviation authority said delays and disruptions could be expected at airports even though it would activate minimum service guarantees. It said it had asked airlines to reduce flights by 20% out of Paris's Orly airport.

France faces its third nationwide strike since the government presented plans last month to raise the pension age by two years to 64, with unions representing energy sector workers, teachers, civil servants and others also taking part.

More than 1.2 million people took part in the protests during the last strike day on Tuesday Jan. 31, up slightly from during the first nationwide demonstration on Jan. 19.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne offered on Sunday to slightly soften the government's plans by letting some people who started work before reaching 22 years old also to retire early, hoping to win the support of conservatives in parliament.

(Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Editing by David Holmes)
A Chinese surveillance balloon that spent the week traversing the U.S. and renewed calls for police reform in the wake of Tyre Nichols death are likely to dominate the Sunday talk shows circuit this weekend.

The high-altitude surveillance balloon was first spotted over Montana on Wednesday. U.S. defense officials confirmed its presence on Thursday, noting that they were fairly confident that it belonged to China.

Beijing acknowledged on Friday that the balloon was Chinese and lamented that it had entered U.S. airspace but claimed it was primarily being used for meteorological research. However, U.S. officials have largely rejected this explanation, alleging that the balloon was being used to surveil strategic sites in the U.S.

The balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday afternoon, with efforts underway to recover the debris.

Biden said on Saturday that he ordered the balloon be shot down as soon as possible after being briefed on the matter on Wednesday but was advised that the best time to do that was when it got over water due to safety concerns.

The balloon was reportedly the size of about three school buses and had been traveling around 60,000 feet above the ground.

Since reports of the balloon emerged earlier this week, Republicans have hammered Bidens response, calling on him to shoot down the airship immediately.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) on Friday called for the Senate Homeland Security Committee to investigate the Biden administrations baffling response to the Chinese surveillance balloon.

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, said the situation was another sign of weakness for the Biden administration on the international stage and suggested that the balloon contained bioweapons.

Biden should shoot down the Chinese spy balloon immediately, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) added on Thursday. President Trump would have never tolerated this. President Trump would have never tolerated many things happening to America.

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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is set to discuss how Congress should respond to the surveillance balloon with ABCs This Week on Sunday. He will also make an appearance on CNNs State of the Union.

Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) will join CBS Face the Nation and Fox News Sunday respectively this weekend to chat about the balloon, while Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) will discuss the latest on Chinese surveillance on American soil with Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures.

Retired Adm. Mike Mullen, who previously served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will also discuss the national security implications of the surveillance balloon with ABCs This Week.

In the wake of the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police, Democrats renewed calls for police reform are also likely to be a central topic of discussion on the Sunday shows.

Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was pulled over by Memphis police on Jan. 7 on suspicion of reckless driving. During the traffic stop, several officers brutally beat Nichols, who later died of his injuries.

Five officers involved in Nichols death, all of whom are Black, were fired from the police force last month and have since been charged with second-degree murder. A sixth officer, who is white, was fired on Friday after previously being relieved of duty, and a seventh officer has been suspended.

Two emergency medical technicians (EMT) were fired from the Memphis Fire Department and have had their licenses suspended by the Tennessee Emergency Medical Services Board, after the regulatory board found that they failed to provide Nichols with medical attention for nearly 20 minutes while he laid on the ground.

Nichols death has led to a renewed push for policing reform, particularly among Democrats. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.Y.), who is Senate Democrats top negotiator on the issue, is set to join CBS Face the Nation on Sunday to discuss the latest reform effort. He will also make an appearance on NBCs Meet the Press.

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this weeks Sunday talk shows:

ABCs This Week  Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg; Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.); Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.); retired Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

NBCs Meet the Press  Buttigieg; Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.); Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio)

CBS Face the Nation  Booker; Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas); Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), Summer Lee (D-Pa.) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.); Gary Cohn, vice chairman of IBM

CNNs State of the Union  Buttigieg; Rubio; Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)

Fox News Sunday  Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.); Jared Bernstein, member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers

Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures  Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.); Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.); John Ratcliffe, former Director of National Intelligence

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A man suspected of firing a gun possibly loaded with blanks inside a San Francisco synagogue earlier this week has been arrested, authorities announced Saturday. Police believe the same suspect also brandished a gun in a nearby theater.

The suspect was taken into custody Friday evening in the city's Richmond District on suspicion of disturbing a religious assembly, brandishing an imitation firearm and causing another to refrain from engaging in a religious service, San Francisco police said in a news release.

The San Francisco County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as 51-year-old Dmitri Mishin, according to CBS San Francisco. He was booked at around 12:30 a.m. local time Saturday, according to sheriff's office inmate records.

On Wednesday evening, according to police, a man entered the Schneerson Center  located just a few blocks from Golden Gate Park, and fired multiple shots before fleeing. No one was hurt and no property was damaged, police said.

Surveillance video shows a suspect entering a synagogue in San Francisco's Richmond District and appearing to fire a gun. Police later said the suspect had likely fired blanks. Feb. 1, 2023. / Credit: Schneerson Center

Officers weren't called to the synagogue until the following day, CBS San Francisco reports. Police said they found expended casings at the scene which were being "investigated as possible blanks."

Surveillance video shared with CBS San Francisco by the synagogue showed the suspect entering a room which contained several people. He speaks and makes hand gestures before taking out what appears to be a gun and firing.

"He starts shooting in the air everywhere, and talking about the Mossad, and this and that, and craziness, and then he seems to waive and leave," Alon Chanukov, junior rabbi and vice president of the Schneerson Center, told CBS San Francisco.

The FBI, which is assisting in the case, also released a surveillance photo of the suspect in which he appeared to be carrying a handgun.

Police said that Mishin is also suspected in a similar incident which occurred on Tuesday night  at a theater about a half-mile from the synagogue  in which a man entered the theater brandishing a handgun. There were no injuries in that incident either, police said.

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Following Mishin's arrest, investigators searched his residence, where they found evidence linking him to both incidents, police said Saturday. It's unclear if a firearms was also recovered.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discusses Chinese spy balloon

Biden lays groundwork for potential 2024 bid

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Vietnam ready to help Timor Leste become ASEAN official member

The nation will work alongside other ASEAN member states to discuss, agree upon processes , procedures, and necessary measures aimed at supporting Timor Leste to become an official member of the bloc, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said.

Minister Son made the statement during a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno on February 4 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat (AMM Retreat) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno at the meeting





Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son (R) and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Timor Leste Adaljiza Albertina Xavier Reis Magno at the meeting

Both sides consented to intensify the exchange of delegations at all levels, hold the first meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation at the ministerial level in the near future, as agreed as part of the Framework Agreement on Technical and Economic Cooperation in April, 2010.



This is along with carrying out signed agreements and accelerating negotiations and signing of new agreements in order to boost tourism co-operation and people-to-people exchanges.



The Timor Leste Minister applauded important Vietnamese socio-economic development achievements, stating that leaders of Timor Leste are very pleased with the investment of Vietnamese telecoms group Viettel, which has greatly contributed to local development.



There is great potential for the two nations to further expand co-operation in trade, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, she said.



She went on to affirm that she will work to promote co-operation between the two countries moving forward, not only in the bilateral channels but also within ASEAN.



As part of this occasion, Minister Son held short meetings with his counterparts of Indonesia, Laos, Singapore, and Brunei to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations.
A lion dance performance draws a large crowd at Trafalgar Square in London on Jan 22, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

The London Eye glittered in gold and red. A giant rabbit was installed at Trafalgar Square. Dancers put on dragon and lion costumes, waiting for the drumbeat.



People gathered in lantern-laced Chinatowns across the country.

Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, had come to the United Kingdom.

On Jan 22, tens of thousands of people, in the center of London, celebrated the first day of Lunar New Year. People were able to celebrate again after strict COVID-19 quarantine measures were lifted.

Based on the 12 rotating animals in the Chinese zodiac, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, and as the fortunetellers say those who are born in the Year of the Rabbit tend to be vigilant, witty, quick-minded and ingenious.

At 10 am, people dressed in rabbit costumes led a grand parade of around 50 formations, including festive floats and dragon dance troupes, as they made their way from Charing Cross to the north of the city before turning west onto Shaftesbury Avenue and ending in front of the gate of London Chinatown.
SWAT officers arrested a domestic violence suspect in Seattles Lower Queen Anne neighborhood on Saturday after several hours of negotiations with police, the Seattle Police Department announced.

According to SPD, officers saw a suspect in a recent domestic violence-related assault case around 4:30 a.m. in the 700 block of 2nd Avenue West. When an officer approached the man, he went into a nearby apartment unit and refused to come out.

After police ensured that the victim was not with the man, they tried persuading him to come outside. Patrol officers and a negotiator tried getting the man to surrender for several hours, but he did not comply.

Officers applied for a search warrant, which was served by SPDs SWAT team after being approved by a judge. SWAT officers entered the apartment and arrested the man without further incident.

Police booked the man into the King County Jail for felony-level assault and violating a no-contact order.
Hood

RALEIGH  According to the latest-available set of comparable data, North Carolina ranks 33rd in the nation in "deaths of despair"  that is, in the combined rates of suicides, fatal drug overdoses, and alcohol-induced deaths. In 2020 our age-adjusted rate was 55.5 deaths of despair per 100,000 residents, slightly higher than the national average of 54.8. From 2018 to 2020, our rate rose by 26%.

To say the crisis is more acute in states such as South Carolina (65.1) and Tennessee (79.2) is not to say North Carolinians shouldn't be concerned. I also think there are steps policymakers can take to ameliorate the problem. Unfortunately, much of the commentary I've seen lately about deaths of despair is based on facile and politically charged analysis.

The reason I cited age-adjusted death rates in my opening paragraph is that some mortality indicators exhibit strong correlations with age. To respond effectively to a phenomenon such as rising deaths of despair, we need to understand its causes. Looking only a raw data can lead to misunderstandings.

For example, the two Princeton University scholars who helped coined the phrase "deaths of despair," Anne Case and Angus Deaton, argue that the trend is primarily a reflection of rising inequality, inadequate social programs, and weak labor unions. Our free-enterprise system, they argue, once "lifted countless people out of poverty" but "is now destroying the lives of blue-collar America."

A 2019 staff report from the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress threw cold water on their thesis. A careful examination of age-adjusted rates going back to the early 20th century reveals a lack of correspondence between economic indicators such as poverty or inequality and the death rates in question.

For one thing, age-adjusted rates of suicide and alcohol-induced deaths (such as cirrhosis of the liver) were about the same in 2017 as they were in 1975. They also declined from the mid-70s to around 2000, then went up again. These patterns dont comport well with attempts to finger capitalism as the culprit. "It is very difficult," the report notes, "to find such trends that improve over the 1970s and 1980s, then worsen after either 1990 or 2000."

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The trendline looks very different for drug-induced deaths. The rate rose consistently but rather gradually during the last four decades of the 20th century then shot up dramatically during the first two decades of the 21st century. Whats changed? Both the potency (and potential lethality) of illicit drugs and the widespread overuse of opioids.

In other words, if youre looking for a public-policy lever to pull, youre more likely to get results if you pull the one marked "discourage drug abuse" instead of the one marked "strengthen labor unions."

More generally, North Carolina can do a better job of making it easier for residents to obtain high-quality treatment for mental illness and addictions. Government funding can and should play a role here, to be sure, though a recent John Locke Foundation study argues persuasively that loosening the states certificate-of-need laws would also enhance the number and geographical distribution of treatment options.

To the extent deaths of despair reflect a lack of social connection, however, I think private associations need to take the lead in remedying it. Consider a study published a couple of years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Associations psychiatry edition. It found a strong association between death rates and church attendance. For women, regular attendance was associated with 68% lower rate of deaths by despair. For men, the difference was about 33%.

Naturally, we can't just assume a causal relationship from the correlation. There was no experiment here in which the researchers identified depressed or lonely people and then randomly compelled some to go to church and others to stay home. But based on other empirical evidence for religion as a social determinant of health, I think its fair to conclude that faith-based institutions are integral to any realistic strategy for reducing deaths of despair.

John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member. His latest books, Mountain Folk and Forest Folk, combine epic fantasy with early American history (FolkloreCycle.com).

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: John Hood column: Deaths of despair need careful analysis
Texas Senator Ted Cruz has introduced new legislation that would impose a two-term limit in Congress, but cant quite explain why hes currently running for a third term in the Senate.

If passed, the bill would limit senators to two six-year terms and members of the US House of Representatives to three two-year terms after the date of its enactment. In a statement announcing the move, Mr Cruz said that the Founding Fathers had envisioned a government of legislators who would serve for a few years and return home, not a government run by a small group of special interests and lifelong, permanently entrenched politicians.

In an interview with CBSs Face the Nation that aired on Sunday, the Texas senator noted he didnt say he was going to hold himself to that standard just yet. Instead, Mr Cruz said he is going to keep fighting for Texans until and if the bill is passed.

Ill tell you what, when the socialists and when the swamp are ready to leave Washington, I will be more than happy to comply with the same rules that apply [to] everyone, Mr Cruz told host Margaret Brennan. But until then, Im going to keep fighting for 30 million Texans because theyve asked me to do.

Im a passionate defender of term limits, Mr Cruz also said. I think that Congress would work much better if every senator were limited to two terms, if every House member were limited to three terms. Ive introduced a constitutional amendment to put that into the constitution.

Mr Cruz turned down questions on whether he planned to run for president in 2024, highlighting that he is running for a third term in the Senate.

He was also questioned about the Chinese surveillance balloon. The Senator said that the only reason the Biden organisation had shot down the balloon was because it made it into the news.

Mr Cruz was first elected to the US Senate in 2012, and has since faced his fair share of backlash.

Last month, Mr Cruz was called out for wildly different reactions to classified documents found at Mike Pence and Joe Bidens home.

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Appearing on the Fox Business Network programme hosted by former director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow, Mr Cruz called for the FBI to search the homes of Mr Biden and his son Hunter but argued that Mr Pence should be spared.

I believe the FBI needs to search the residences of Hunter Biden and any business offices of Hunter Biden to determine if there are classified materials there, because if these classified materials, in particular, implicate Burisma, Ukraine, communist China, payments going to Hunter Biden or Joe Bidens brother or the Biden family, then this shifts from a political problem to a very serious problem of criminal liability and major crimes, the senator said.

More recently, Mr Cruz said he would not apologise for promoting conspiracy theories about the attack on Paul Pelosi after video was released showing the assault on the husband of former House speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Mr Cruz had quote-tweeted conservative media figure Matt Walsh, when he said I do know that trying to paint a hippie nudist from Berkeley as some kind of militant right winger is absurd and will always be absurd. In response, Mr Cruz tweeted truth.

The day it happened, I said my prayers were with the Pelosi family, Mr Cruz told TMZ at Reagan National Airport.
Indianapolis police are investigating the death of a juvenile who was fatally shot late Saturday night in the Irvington neighborhood.

IMPD east district officers responded to the 5600 block of Lowell Avenue just before 11 p.m. Saturday on reports of a person shot, police said.

More:Jodessa Cooper  loving caretaker, 'darn good' cook, lifetime Colts fan  dies in shooting

When officers arrived at the scene, a juvenile male had injuries consistent with a gunshot who was then taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

IMPD homicide detectives said they do not believe that there is an active threat to the area and that it was an isolated incident.

Anyone with information about the shooting should contact Detective Michael Wright at the IMPD Homicide Office at (317) 327-3475 or e-mail him at Michael.Wright@indy.gov.

Tipsters who want to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at (317) 262-8477 or go to www.CrimeTips.org.

Contact IndyStar reporter Caroline Beck at 317-618-5807 or CBeck@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @CarolineB_Indy.

Carolines work is supported by Report for America and Glick Philanthropies. As part of its work in Marion County, Glick Philanthropies partners with organizations focused on closing access and achievement gaps in education.

Report for America is a program of The GroundTruth Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening local newsrooms. Report for America provides funding for up to half of Carolines salary during her time with us, and IndyStar is fundraising the remainder.

To learn more about how you can support IndyStars partnership with Report for America and to make a donation, visit indystar.com/RFA.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Teen fatally shot overnight in Irvington
MADRID (Reuters) - Thousands of people marched through central Madrid on Sunday to protest against a bill aimed at strengthening animal rights for excluding hunting dogs which opponents say are being exploited.

The protest comes four days before parliament is due to vote on the new animal rights bill proposed by the ruling Socialist part. But the draft law exposed divisions in its support base, with rural voters arguing that sections of the bill would effectively legislate hunting out of existence.

The party submitted a last-minute amendment to exclude hunting dogs and other animals involved in traditional rural activities.

Protesters, many of whom brought their dogs along, held signs including "Killing is not a sport" chanted "Stop hunting".

"Animals should not be exploited, exploitation is mistreatment," dog shelter worker Lara Mena, who attended Sunday's protest, told Reuters.

In Spain, dogs are used to track or catch animals such as deer, wild boar and rabbits. The hunting industry generates more than 5 billion euros ($5.42 billion) a year in economic activity, figures from Deloitte show.

(Reporting by Elena Rodriguez and Marco Trujillo, Writing by Jessica Jones, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
The manatee is one of the most iconic animals in Florida. Few visitors to the Sunshine State's coastal regions consider their trips complete without seeing at least one sea cow.

Sadly, for the past two years, travelers have had about as good a chance to see a dead manatee as a healthy one.

Wildlife officials tasked with helping the beleaguered marine mammals aren't sure they're out of the woods yet. Officials can tell you 1,900 manatees have died since December 2020  1,346 along Florida's Atlantic Coast, according to one Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission official  and they can tell you starvation was the leading cause of death.

Hand-wringing, executive orders, legislative action and listing nomenclature isn't going to save the manatee. The time is past due for real action. Here are three real ways we can all help the manatee.

DeSantis announces $100 million in hurricane erosion help. Here's how much Volusia County got

Calm seas will have Treasure Coast anglers seeking cobia, mahi mahi & tuna

Map tracks whales that can be seen from beaches and oceanfront condos

Staff from the Miami SeaQuarium and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission prepare to return a manatee back into the St. Lucie River on Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021, at Shepard Park in Stuart. The manatee was rehabilitated back to heath after suffering a watercraft strike on May 12th.

1) Stop polluting estuaries

Here's how upland pollution leads to starving manatees: Nutrients  like nitrogen and phosphorous  come from agriculture, urban development and homeowners' septic tanks. They spread into lakes, canals and rivers when it rains. Nutrient-laden runoff flows downstream into brackish and saltwater estuaries. Nutrients feed microscopic algae. Algae blooms shade sunlight from reaching the estuary bottom where seagrass grows. The shading prevents seagrass from growing. Seagrass is the primary food source for manatees and other organisms and provides habitat for fish.

Other pollution comes from aquatic herbicides we use to kill unwanted weeds  like hyacinths, hydrilla and water lettuce  in lakes and canals. No link to seagrass has been connected. Yet. But folks frequently question the connection.

2) Forward-facing scanning

About 80 to 100 manatees die each year from boat strikes. Manatee advocates are correct in saying this is one one of the most preventable causes of manatee deaths.

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There are 1 million registered vessels in Florida and 100,000, or perhaps more, visiting our waterways at any given time. With uncontrolled growth being Florida's brand, more are coming.

The problem occurs when a spinning, slicing boat propellers collide with soft manatee skin. The strikes can leave deep cuts and broken bones.

What if technology could prevent these collisions? Some cars are programmed to start braking when the cars determine there are obstructions in the road, often before the drivers can react. Why can't electronics developers use the same technology with boats? A propeller could be shut off automatically when an obstruction below the water's surface is detected a few hundred feet ahead. Radar and fish finders already scan the air and water in front of or to the sides of a boat. Adapting them to work below the water's surface seems like an easy next step.

3) Expand feeding program

In 2022, under extreme circumstances, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service took a risk. They decided feeding starving manatees at a warm water outflow was better than stacking up their carcasses.

Good call. Thinking outside the box helped the manatees. By the end of feeding season, the state's salad bar dumped 202,000 pounds of romaine and butterleaf lettuce into the warm water outflow of FPL's Canaveral Energy Center. This winter's feeding program will need $180,000 to continue. To donate, call Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida at 800-988-4889.

(By the way, it is illegal for members of the general public to feed or water manatees.)

Manatees seem to be healthier, and fewer are being found showing signs of starvation, state manatee specialist Martine de Wit said Wednesday. Let's hope this trend continues. Perhaps the team of state and federal managers can be ready to stage similar rescue situations at other places where manatees are known to gather, such as Desoto Canal in Satellite Beach, FPL's power plant in Riviera Beach or Tampa Bay, or other warm water sites across Florida.

The good news is we have loads of manatees for residents' and visitors to see. Most are healthy, giving birth to offspring and freely munching on seagrass, which appear to be coming back. Let's do our part to keep the waters clean.

If you see a manatee in distress, please call the FWC Wildlife Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Editorials published by TCPalm/Treasure Coast Newspapers are decided collectively by its editorial board. To respond to this editorial with a letter to the editor, email up to 300 words to TCNLetters@TCPalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Sick of 2K dead manatees since 2021? What can we do to help? Our View
Ohio train derailment sparked massive fire

By Rebekah Riess and Hannah Sarisohn, CNN

(CNN) -- A massive fire broke out after a train derailed Friday night in northeastern Ohio near the Pennsylvania state border, leading officials to issue evacuation and shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents.

No injuries were reported after the derailment in East Palestine, about 15 miles south of Youngstown, Mayor Trent Conaway said during a Friday night news conference.

On Saturday, he issued an emergency proclamation, saying the town had been "threatened" by hazardous materials potentially released in the accident.

The proclamation noted a Norfolk Southern train derailed Friday night.

"As of right now air quality, even one street back is OK," he said. The smell in the air is because of the fire, he said, but there are no concerns about air quality.

The derailed train derailed had more than 100 cars, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

About 50 of them were involved in the derailment -- 20 of which contained "hazardous materials," NTSB board member Michael Graham said during a Saturday afternoon news conference.

"Four tank cars carrying vinyl chloride were involved in the derailment and were exposed to fire," Graham said.

One car released some of the vinyl chloride through a safety release valve, Graham said. State environmental officials say they have not detected any harmful levels of the chemical in the community.

He added there was still an "active fire scene," and could not estimate when the flames would be put out.

The cause of the derailment was not known Saturday.

Investigators say the train had image and data recorders onboard. It will take four to six weeks for the NTSB to have a preliminary report on the accident, Graham said.

EPA: No harmful levels of compounds in air

No harmful levels of compounds have been detected in the air as of Saturday evening, a spokesperson with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency told CNN in an email.

"Ohio EPA will remain on site and air monitors will remain in place as long as necessary," Ohio EPA spokesperson James Lee said in a statement. "Ohio EPA has established containment to help limit any damage to local streams and rivers from water runoff from the firefighting."

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The agency will work with local officials and the railroad company to "identify the nature and extent" of any possible contamination and will work to ensure cleanup efforts to protect human health and the environment, Lee said.

A shelter-in-place order issued

Officials issued a shelter-in-place order for the entire town of roughly 5,000 people, while an evacuation order was in effect within a mile of the train crossing at James Street as of early Saturday. Conaway said he did not know when those orders would be lifted.

Two evacuation stations have opened to provide shelter to residents, and the Red Cross has been notified, Conaway said.

Conaway on Saturday called for the "exercise of all necessary emergency authority for protection of lives and the property of the residents of the Village of East Palestine, Ohio."

The proclamation also called on citizens to comply with the emergency measures.

Traci Spratt, the interim manager of the village of East Palestine, said Saturday an evacuation order for a one-mile radius from the incident remained in place "until further notice," and stressed "we need everyone to stay away from the scene."

Spratt also identified the chemical burning as vinyl chloride and said officials were conducting "continuous air monitoring and have found zero health risks."

"The village's drinking water is safe to drink and is being continually monitored," Spratt added.

Photos from the scene showed a large, dense cloud of smoke engulfing flames atop the train. Firefighters from three states, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia responded, according to Conaway.

The Norfolk Southern train departed from Madison, Illinois, and was bound for Conway, Pennsylvania, when it derailed, according to the NTSB.

Norfolk Southern Railway said in a statement it is aware of the derailment and was "coordinating closely" with local first responders while mobilizing their own teams.

"We will share more details as they become available," the statement said.

CNN has reached out to Norfolk Southern for further comment.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
The following is a transcript of an interview with Reps. Robert Garcia, Mike Lawler, Summer Lee and Zach Nunn that aired Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, on "Face the Nation."

MARGARET BRENNAN: Joining us now for a look at the new Congress, a group of freshmen House members, Congressman Robert Garcia is the president of the Democratic freshman class. He's from the state of California. Gentlemen next to him is New York Republican congressman, Mike Lawler. Congresswoman Summer Lee is a Democrat. And she is from the state of Pennsylvania. And Congressman Zach Nunn is Republican from Iowa.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to talk about some of the things you all think you can get done here in Washington, Congressman Lawler, the former speaker Nancy Pelosi recently told The New York Times that Democrats could have held onto the house if New York politicians had realized earlier on that crime was such a key motivating issue. In the last Congress, they greenlit about $4 billion in grants for local law enforcement. Do you think that money now needs to be accompanied by some kind of reform, something more on crime?

REP. LAWLER: Here in Washington there's a lot of bipartisan support, I think for especially making sure that law enforcement has the resources they need and the training that they need to do their jobs effectively. I think obviously, the situation in Memphis with Tyre Nichols is a- a horrifying example. But I think there's a lot of area where we can work together to address the rising crime and why we are seeing such a rise across the country.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Like what?

REP. LAWLER: You have to look at what are some of the root causes of why, you know, we're seeing such an increase in- in crime, gang activity. Obviously, you see the scourge of fentanyl pouring into our communities, drugs being dealt that are having a devastating impact. So I think there is a lot of area where we can work together to address these challenges.

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MARGARET BRENNAN: What about you, Congressman, this is your party in the majority. Four billion in grants just went to local law enforcement. Does Congress need to do anything more to address crime?

REP. NUNN: When I was chair of judiciary at the state level, Iowa moved very aggressively after the George Floyd homicide. We immediately said that we were going to allow our attorney general to investigate crimes directly so that we weren't waiting on county attorneys. We made sure that bad law enforcement officers couldn't be cycled through without some kind of a background check. We made sure that we made a direct investment in mental health across the state and made sure that our regional- both our urban, but also our rural communities had access to that. And ultimately, we also worked with our law enforcement to make sure that law enforcement had a better relationship with the community, rather than one of conflict. There's some tangible successes we've seen at state levels, let's bring those up to the federal level and make sure they can work the same way.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So you do want to see more legislation on-

REP. NUNN: Yeah, I think there's absolutely more that needs to be done on this. What doesn't need to be done are what I will call these fig leaf grants, the idea that we can just hire more minority officers in rural Iowa, that is a very challenging thing to do, we should be identifying- And we saw tragically, even in Memphis, that that alone is not a silver bullet solution. We've really got to get to the effort of, you know, good policing, but also recognizing when there is good law enforcement, we hold that up as a partner in a community. That's where this money could be going. And it needs to be accountable. I think far too much of this has gone to, you know, some major metropolitan areas which have seen actually, crime spike in those neighborhoods.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Congresswoman, you said, "it would be good to revive the George Floyd Policing Act. But we're so far past that right now. We really need to kind of escalate the conversation faster." What do you mean, what are you calling for?

REP. LEE: So let me be really clear, there is a proliferation of disinformation and bias and conversations about crime and conversations about policing. And to be very clear, police violence is crime. We cannot say that we care about crime, but then do nothing, choose to do nothing over and over and over when the crime is committed by a police officer. There are statistics that show that less than 2% of police officers who are engaged in misconduct are ever indicted at all and while we can all celebrate that five Black police officers right and let it not escape us that it was only when they were Black that there was swift action and there was a sixth who was not Black and there was not swift action. That we can say that Tyre should be alive. So should Atatiana Jefferson. So should Antwon Rose II from my district. So should Mike Brown. So should Philando Castile. They should all be alive. So when we're talking about crime, when we're talking about how we're going to solve it, when I say that we need to change the conversation, we need to acknowledge that public safety does not begin with policing. Public safety begins with investments. It begins with addressing our own implicit and explicit biases in policymaking and education and appropriations.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So when the president talks about reviving George Floyd Policing Act, you're saying, not as it's currently written, you want more measures added.

REP. LEE: Absolutely. I want us to be intentional at every step about addressing racial bias, about addressing poverty, about addressing crime and about addressing police violence.

REP. GARCIA: I think Representative Lee is absolutely right. Listen, I would vote- vote for the George Floyd Policing Act, if it was on the floor tomorrow, but more needs to be done. Additional steps need to be taken

MARGARET BRENNAN: It won't be put on the floor tomorrow under Republican leadership. To be clear, but

REP. GARCIA: Absolutely. And that's why I want to be clear also, with our- when our colleagues bring up that more should be done around this issue. The truth is that you look at a place like California or most of the country, we are actually safer today than we were 15, 20, or 30 years ago, statistically. And so there's a lot of concerns around crime, and there should be. We all want to be safe. But I also think we also got to look at the data and actually look at the facts. The truth is that every single election cycle, it just seems that there's a lot of focus on crime and inner cities. And the truth is that we are safer than we were 20 or 30 years ago

MARGARET BRENNAN: But there was a spike in violent crime.

REP. LAWLER: In New York state- In New York state in particular, the reason there was a focus on crime by voters is because they didn't feel safe. You had people being pushed in front of oncoming subway cars, you had people being stabbed in the street. By the way, the vast majority of victims of crime are Black and Brown people. So to act as though there's not a crime issue, I think is dismissing the fact that it is serious, and people do not feel safe. And so yes, we need to address the root causes of why someone may turn towards crime or why they may find themselves as part of a gang. But we also need to hold people accountable with the decisions that they make. And I think part of the problem here is that oftentimes, it is very easy to go say law enforcement: bad. But the vast majority of people who are in law enforcement are good people. I come from a community that has strong law enforcement presence. 50% of households in my district, have a cop, a firefighter or a first responder or a veteran in them. They're good people. And they want to do right by our communities.

(CROSSTALK)

REP. GARCIA: And I agree with that.

REP. LEE: The vast majority of people in poor working class neighborhoods are good people.

REP. LAWLER: They are. They are.

REP. LEE: And they are victims of crime that we don't say anything about.

REP. LAWLER: And they want police presence. They want police presence.

REP. NUNN: Exactly they want to be protected.

REP. LEE: For instance, for instance there's no police presence when they're a victim of wage theft. We're not seeing anybody

REP. LAWLER: You know what I passed legislation to prosecute that and it should be prosecuted.

REP. LEE: That's awesome and I would like to see it happening here. But what we don't see when we're talking about crime, we're really talking about white collar crime, we're really talking about ways in which we're going to hold corporate criminals accountable. We're really make- taking any strides in any level of government to do anything about that. But we continue to talk about the crimes of desperation, in particularly the crimes in marginalized communities.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you about some other issues you raised, for example, immigration and border security. It has been years and there has been a failure to legislate on this. What's going to be different in a split Congress. Now. Do you see hope for this?

REP. NUNN: I do. I really do.The challenge right now is until we secure the border, we have a really poor situation where the folks who are coming here illegally are jumping ahead of the folks who are coming here legally. The folks who have set up shop in America and want to be good citizens are finding themselves outfoxed by people who are being encouraged to come here illegally. And it's not like everybody has the chance. It's those who can get here.

REP. GARCIA: I think most Republicans in this Congress have been disingenuous on immigration. I'm an immigrant. I came to the U.S. when I was a young kid. I had the privilege and honor of becoming an American in my early 20s. I am grateful to this country, I love this country, immigrants love this country, they just want an opportunity to be here, a pathway to citizenship

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you're talking about Dreamers. You're talking about border security. I mean, there are different aspects of this

REP. GARCIA: But you can do both. You can do both.

MARGARET BRENNAN: What part of this can get through in this Congress. Which piece?

(CROSSTALK)

REP. NUNN: I would like all of the above.

REP. GARCIA: Well, I would hope that both could be part of this Congress.

REP. NUNN: Done. I agree with you on that.

REP. GARCIA: So here's the thing. The thing is, is that unfortunately, we- there's this myth that Democrats somehow aren't concerned about a secure border, or that we don't want an orderly process. But we also want to ensure that we want security- everybody wants to secure border. But we also want to ensure that we're talking about the humanity of people. These are people that are coming to this country that are desperate, that are suffering. And so this idea that we can't give these people justice, we can't support and help them, I think is anti-American. And I am hopeful like some of you, I have talked to some Republicans on the other side, that have an interest in a broader immigration reform package. And that's something that I hope that we can all work on.

REP. LAWLER: My- My wife is an immigrant, as well. And she came to this country about a decade ago, in search of economic opportunity. She comes from Eastern Europe, a former Soviet satellite state. The bottom line here is this, we embrace immigration, all right. But we have to have a legal process. You need to secure the border, we need to increase Border Patrol, we need to increase the number of judges and court personnel to hear asylum cases, nobody should be waiting two to three years to hear an asylum case with the hope that they may come back for the court hearing. That's insane. And then we need to fix the legal immigration process so that people who want to come here can do so legally and contribute to our communities, to our culture, to our economy. And I think there can be broad bipartisan agreement on this, if everybody is willing to kind of give a little. Both sides have failed on immigration for years, for years. This is not one party or the other, both sides have failed miserably here. And we have a situation that is unsustainable.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to move on to governance and debt. Can I see a show of hands? Are you all confident that America will avoid defaulting on its debt?

REP. LAWLER: Yes.

REP. NUNN: Yes.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Show of hands.

(ALL FOUR RAISE THEIR HANDS)

REP. GARCIA: I'd like to think so.

REP. LEE: I hope so.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You are- you're confident we will avoid the cliff?

REP. LAWLER: We- we absolutely will. The bottom line is this. We have incurred debt previously, we have an obligation to pay that we will lift the debt ceiling.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you believe that some of your Republican colleagues who have been very- in a very different place on this will come along? And that the party-

REP. LAWLER: Absolutely, but-but here's the point I would make, over-over the past many decades, major spending reform has been tied to the debt ceiling. Okay, so the White House needs to recognize one thing, one party rule in Washington is over, they need to negotiate with the Speaker in good faith to come to a long term agreement that puts us on the path to fiscal solvency.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Social security, health care, including Medicare and Medicaid, and then defense are the three biggest line items. Where do you cut? If you have to have those conversations, where do you cut?

REP. LEE: Defense. The reality is, is that we can't keep asking the same people to compromise over and over and over. When we talk about these conversations, we have to humanize them. We have to be very clear what we are proposing to cut, who are going to be impacted by it.

REP. GARCIA: What we've actually been spending all this money on is actually getting our country back on track. We just went through the single largest loss of life event in the modern era of our country. We lost over a million Americans. We spent money trying to keep people alive. We spent money trying to keep businesses afloat. We spent money to ensure that people were housed, people that needed support. And so yes, we spent, there was significant spending, but it was spending to respond to this incredible pandemic.

(CROSS TALK)

REP. NUNN: So you're saying the government's the solution for this. I'm saying states like Iowa where they opened back up, people were the solution.

REP. GARCIA: We're in the business of government. Of course government is the solution

REP. NUNN: Absolutely so so let's, with respect

REP. GARCIA: And as far- as the, this, this unity amongst Republicans are in the debt ceiling, the truth is there is no unity

REP. NUNN: You're not in our conference!

REP. GARCIA: We're not the Democrats are united. We're not going to cut Social Security. We're not going to cut Medicare. And so I'm interested to know how we're gonna get to this resolution, so that- because we know that this issue at the end of the day impacts working people the most.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So the discretionary spending you would cut is also in Defense?

REP. GARCIA: If it was up to me, we'd be raising taxes on billionaires- on billionaires and corporations. That's what we'd be getting more- more- more support. But I think Representative Lee is right, I think we have to be able to look at an institution like the Pentagon.

REP. NUNN: So let's be very clear here. If somebody's looking for an opportunity to go to college, they have the opportunity to serve in the military, and it will help pay for them to have the privilege of going to college. What I will not do is see members of the military who are on the frontline defending our very opportunity to even go to college have their paychecks cut, or their opportunity to defend themselves cut because of lackluster equipment.

CROSS TALK

REP. LEE: No, no, no. She asked us, let's humanize. There's a difference between sending our troops somewhere defenseless, and then looking at our defense budget.

REP. NUNN: Right.

REP. LEE: Which is the highest of the next 20 countries combined. We're not saying that we're sending

REP. LAWLER: And we're continually forced to defend the world.

REP. LEE: Endless wars, endless wars.

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you know Speaker McCarthy on this program last week said when it came to cutting discretionary spending, actually one of the places he would look to trim fat was the Defense Department.

REP. NUNN: MARGARET, I think 

MARGARET BRENNAN: You don't sound like you're okay with that.

REP. NUNN: So let's- let's take- first of all, what he did say is take things off the table, we're going to protect Social Security. People have paid into that they deserve to have that back. Republicans are committed to that. Let's take the Medicare that has gotten out there to make sure that people have access to the health care they need to be successful off the table. When it comes to defense spending, what I just heard was cutting things across the board. If there is a review, everything should have the opportunity to be assessed.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So you're on board.

(CROSS TALK)

REP. NUNN: Yeah, I think we should be looking across the board.

REP. LAWLER: We haven't had a real budget process in a very long time. And you have to go line by line. And you need these departments and agencies to justify their spending.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Right.

REP. LAWLER: They have not had to do that in a very long time. We need a real budget process as part of this negotiation.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure, which takes time we're gonna have to leave it there. Thank you all for coming in. And I want to thank each and every one of you for joining our panel.

ALL: Thank you.

Ex-Trump adviser Gary Cohn on job numbers, recession and debt ceiling

Full interview: Sen. Cory Booker on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan"

Red-hot job market complicates Fed efforts to curb inflation
The following is a transcript of an interview with Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas that aired Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, on "Face the Nation."

MARGARET BRENNAN: We want to go now to Dallas, Texas, where we are joined by Republican Senator Ted Cruz. Good morning to you, Senator.

SEN. TED CRUZ: Good morning, Margaret.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So this balloon traversed 11 states, but the Pentagon says they were able to mitigate some of its impact. Do you think there is upside to the fact that this was captured this time?

SEN. CRUZ: Well, listen, I want to start by doing something that I don't do very often, which is commending Joe Biden for actually having the guts to shoot this down. That was the right thing to do. That is absolutely what the President should have done. Unfortunately, he didn't do that until a week after it entered U.S.airspace. He allowed a full week for the Chinese to conduct spying operations over the United States, over sensitive military installations, exposing not just photographs but the potential of intercepted communications. And- and more broadly, I think this entire episode, telegraphed weakness to Xi and the Chinese government. And to illustrate why I would just ask one- one hypothetical question: imagine how this would have played out if nobody had taken any pictures of the balloon, if nobody in Montana had looked up and noticed this giant balloon, if it wasn't in the news. We know that when the Biden administration knew about the balloon, they said nothing, they did nothing, they didn't shoot it down. And at the end of the day, I think the only reason they shot it down is because it made it into the news and they felt forced to as a matter of politics rather than national security. That's a bad message for the Chinese government to hear.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the Pentagon has since disclosed that it's apparently happened four times before, never quite like this. Back in 2020. the Trump administration shuttered the Chinese Consulate in Houston after detecting espionage. Do you think there needs to be more diplomatic fallout on that scale now?

Story continues

SEN. CRUZ: Look, I- I think there does. When- when- when the Trump administration shut the Chinese consulate in Houston, I spoke with the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about it. And what they had discovered about the espionage activities being carried out in the state of Texas by the Chinese government was horrifying. Right now, there is a Texan, Mark Swidan, who is a political prisoner. He is a hostage in China. He's been there for 10 years. This past week, I introduced a resolution on the floor of the Senate, along with John Cornyn, calling on China to release Mark Swidan. He's wrongfully imprisoned. He's been there 10 years, they've sentenced him to death on charges for which they have little to no evidence, and- and I had been urging Tony Blinken when he was going to Beijing, to raise Mark Swidan's case and to make the case for Mark to be released. China, if they want to demonstrate that they're not bad actors, if they want to demonstrate that they can aspire to being a great nation, they should release Mark Swidan because great nations and great powers don't hold political prisoners.

MARGARET BRENNAN: And he is wrongfully detained according to the State Department. This was raised to Xi Jinping in November and there- there hasn't been release to date. Thank you for mentioning that. But I want to ask you about your role. You are the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee. You're also a dad, I know you know how hard it is to keep kids offline on this app called TikTok. It's been downloaded 200 million times. I know you think it's espionage. Are we at the point where we're past a ban, where this is just so embedded, that you can't get rid of it?

SEN. CRUZ: Yeah, look, TikTok is incredibly concerning. You're right. With our kids, if you have teenagers, if you have kids in junior high or high school, they're all using it. And the degree to which they have infiltrated our children is really disturbing. There lots of problems with it. There are problems in terms of the messages that they're pushing on young kids, body image messages, where for girls in particular. You have problems with eating disorders, where they push one message after another. You have messages of self harm, where the algorithms push self harm messages on young girls, and we're seeing really disturbing figures among teenagers. And then on top of that, you've got the espionage risks, the Chinese Communist government has access to all of the information TikTok collects. I think it is a serious, serious threat. I'll tell you on the Commerce Committee, I've already sat down with each of the Republican members on the committee to ask them their priorities, and there was consensus on this side of the aisle that focusing seriously on TikTok is a priority--

MARGARET BRENNAN: As a ban?

SEN. CRUZ: And I think there are a lot of Democrats who are very concerned about it as well as

MARGARET BRENNAN: As a ban or to force the sale of it?

SEN. CRUZ: Well, I- I think all of the options are on the table. And I will tell you, I encourage Maria Cantwell, the Democrat Chairwoman, that I think it makes sense early on for us to have a hearing on TikTok and examine these harms very directly, how it's hurting our kids, and how it's undermining national security. As I said, both Republicans and Democrats are very concerned about the impact of TikTok.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Should America restrict U.S. companies from investing in Chinese industries and key technology sectors?

SEN. CRUZ: Well, I think we should be doing a lot to de-link our supply chain from China, to make it so that we are not dependent on China. We saw during the pandemic, when one of the major Chinese state-owned newspapers threatened to cut off lifesaving pharmaceuticals, things like heart medication that- that people depend upon. And it makes no sense for us to leave the lives of Americans at- at the whim of the Chinese government. I'll tell you in the last Congress, I introduced an amendment on the floor of the Senate to block the United States government from purchasing electric vehicles or batteries that were manufactured using slave labor in concentration camps in China. China has over 1 million Uighurs in concentration camps. And Margaret, sadly, when we voted on it, every Democrat but one, every Democrat but Joe Manchin, voted no. And right now, the Biden administration is one of the largest customers in the world, for the concentration camps that are carrying on murder and torture right now in China. That doesn't make any sense and it's not right.

MARGARET BRENNAN: No- Senator, I want to ask you about something here at home. You also introduced a bill to limit terms to two six-year terms in office for Senators. Why aren't you holding yourself to that standard? You said you're running for a third term.

SEN. CRUZ: Well, listen, I'm a passionate defender of term limits. I think that Congress would work much better if every senator were limited to two terms, if every house member were limited to three terms. I've introduced a constitutional amendment to put that into the Constitution--

MARGARET BRENNAN: But you're still running--

SEN. CRUZ: And if and when it passes- if and when it passes, I will happily, happily comply. I've never said I'm going to unilaterally comply. I'll tell you what, when the socialists and when the swamp--

MARGARET BRENNAN: Are you running for President?

SEN. CRUZ: --are ready to leave Washington, I will be more than happy to comply by the same rules that apply for every one. But until then, I'm going to keep fighting for 30 million Texans because they've asked me to do.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I think you've heard me ask if you're running for President.

SEN. CRUZ: I'm running for re-election to the Senate. There's a reason I'm in Texas today. I'm not in Iowa, I'm in Texas, and I'm fighting for 30 million Texans.

MARGARET BRENNAN: All right. Thank you very much, Senator Cruz, for your time today.

Ex-Trump adviser Gary Cohn on job numbers, recession and debt ceiling

Full interview: Sen. Cory Booker on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan"

Red-hot job market complicates Fed efforts to curb inflation
Former President Trump and a number of the top defense and intelligence officials from his administration are refuting a claim that Chinese espionage balloons flew over the U.S. multiple times during his tenure.

The denials on Sunday puts the former officials at odds with defense officials from the Biden administration, who told reporters the U.S. was aware of at least three other instances during the Trump administration of a Chinese surveillance balloon having transited the U.S.

Trump denied that assertion on social media Sunday.

Now they are putting out that a Balloon was put up by China during the Trump Administration, in order to take the heat off the slow moving Biden fools, Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site. China had too much respect for TRUMP for this to have happened, and it NEVER did. JUST FAKE DISINFORMATION!

A number of former senior defense and intelligence officials also refuted the claim to Fox News on Sunday. Former Trump national security adviser John Bolton told the outlet that he was unaware of any such occurrence during the Trump administration.

I dont know of any balloon flights by any power over the United States during my tenure, and Id never heard of any of that occurring before I joined in 2018, Bolton said to Fox News. I havent heard of anything that occurred after I left either.

Robert OBrien, another former Trump national security adviser, told Fox News, Unequivocally, I have never been briefed on the issue.

And Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe told Maria Bartiromo on FOX News Channels Sunday Morning Futures that the claim was not true.

I can refute it, Ratcliffe said, adding that people would have been able to see the balloons and that the media that hated Donald Trump would have reported on it.

The senior defense official who briefed reporters this weekend admitted that the balloons during the Trump administration did not fly over the U.S. for as long as the one that was shot down this week.

Story continues

Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.), a top GOP member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on CNN on Sunday that the U.S. has seen these balloons in the past.

The existence of the balloons is not a mystery to people in that field, he said. What we have never seen, what is unprecedented, and whoever the source was at the Department of Defense would have to acknowledge this, what is unprecedented is a balloon flight that entered over Idaho and flew over Montana, over all these sensitive military installations, air force bases, ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile] fields, right across the middle of the country. That has never happened before. That is unprecedented, he said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Consumers line up at a store of Zhangyiyuan, a Chinese time-honored tea brand, in Beijing in January. [Photo/China Daily]

China launched its 2023 Time-honored Brand Carnival on Saturday in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, amid the country's efforts to promote consumption.

The carnival aims to provide more quality goods of the time-honored brands and create new consumption scenarios for consumers, said Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in a video address at the launch ceremony.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, 28 major activities will be held nationwide on three main themes, namely holiday consumption, live broadcasting and store exploration. The activities will be held both online and offline throughout the year.

Since 2020, the carnival has been held for three consecutive years, driving a total consumption of nearly 40 billion yuan (about 5.94 billion U.S. dollars) in related sectors.

The Central Economic Work Conference, which was held at the end of last year, stated that priority should be given to restoring and expanding consumption. The country has also planned to develop its time-honored brands and distinctive traditional cultural brands, according to a guideline on expanding domestic demand.
Former President Trump and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) sparred online Sunday after Christie predicted that Trump couldnt beat President Biden if they run against each other in the 2024 presidential election.

Christie, who endorsed Trump in 2016 after dropping his own campaign for the presidency but has since become a vocal Trump critic, made the 2024 forecast Sunday on ABC News, where he is now a contributor.

Trump fired back on Truth Social. Sloppy Chris Christie, the failed former Governor of New Jersey, spent almost his entire last year in office campaigning in New Hampshire for the Republican Nomination for President. Much like his term in office, where he left with an Approval Rating of just 9%, his Presidential campaign was a complete disaster, Trump wrote.

He endorsed me the following day, later recommended Chris Wray for the FBI (how did that work out?), went down in flames, and then was SALVAGED by ABC FAKE NEWS. I never wanted him! the former president said of his former transition team chief.

Christie responded later Sunday afternoon on Twitter, calling Trumps Truth Social post a new tantrum and dismissing the attacks.

Im the target of Donald Trumps new tantrum. None of his lies about me today bothered him when he asked me to prep him for every general election debate or offered me 3 different cabinet posts, Christie wrote on Twitter.

The former governor noted that Trump is the only man to lose to Biden outside Delaware and added that the loss to Joe still stings, referring to the 2020 presidential race.

Christie on ABC Newss This Week on Sunday said, I dont think so when asked by the networks Jonathan Karl whether Trump could defeat Biden in the upcoming election.

Moderate Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire agreed, arguing that Trump could secure the GOPs nomination but likely couldnt beat Biden  because the American people are going to push back against a very extreme candidate.

Trump is the only major GOP candidate to announce a 2024 run so far, but a number of other prominent Republicans are expected to join the race, with Trump seen as a weakened candidate after his 2020 loss and backing of a number of failed candidates in 2022.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Donald Trump Jr. might be getting a call from his dad about this one.

Joining social media buzz over the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down in U.S. airspace Saturday, Donald Trumps son on Sunday shared a joke about the incident, showing the former presidents infamous portrayal as a giant, angry, diaper-wearing baby wielding a smartphone in its tiny hand.

Not gonna lie... this is funny, Trump Jr. tweeted.

Not gonna lie this is funny. pic.twitter.com/KBnQmPBMUe  Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 5, 2023

The Trump Baby blimp, which now lives in the Museum of London, was created for Trumps 2018 visit to London, when tens of thousands of demonstrators protested his visit to the city.

The 20-foot balloon made several more appearances during his presidency, including at anti-Trump protests in Argentina and in Washington, D.C.

Trump Jr. had waded into the Chinese balloon debate last week with an unusable solution that earned him a roasting on Twitter. As the balloon flew over Montana, he suggested that residents in the state could shoot it down themselves with guns.

Related...
The Biden administration is willing to brief former Trump officials on newly discovered intelligence that China sent spy balloons into U.S. airspace during their time in charge.

The offer, described by senior Biden administration officials on Sunday night, comes as former President Donald Trump and senior members of his national security team say they were never briefed on such an incursion by a Beijing-sent aircraft.

This information was discovered after the prior administration left. The intelligence community is prepared to offer key officials from the Trump administration briefings on [Chinas] surveillance program, one of the officials said. The official, along with several others, asked not to be named in order to discuss sensitive information.

Briefers would also be willing to discuss Beijings similar operations in East Asia, South Asia and Europe over the last several years, the official said.

The proposal to brief the Trump officials is the latest development following the militarys shootdown of a Chinese spy balloon on Saturday, seven days after it entered U.S. airspace. Republicans and former Trump officials said this week that they would have downed the airship as soon as it appeared, and criticized President Joe Biden for waiting until the balloon was over water before bringing it down.

Yet on Saturday, a senior Defense Department official said that Chinese spy balloons entered American airspace three times during Trumps tenure and once before during the current administration. The administration officials didnt detail how they learned of those events long after they happened.

Still, it helps explain why five senior Trump administration officials POLITICO spoke with on Sunday said they were never told of such incidents occurring when they were in office. "This never happened. It would have never happened," Trump told Fox News on Sunday .

Im not aware of a single civilian national security leader from the Trump administration who heard of this, a Trump administration national security official said.

Story continues

But the difference between past instances and the one from last week, Defense Department officials said, is that those balloons never stayed above U.S. territory for a significant period of time. When pressed for specifics, such as the date, location and duration of those instances, Biden administration officials refused to provide them to POLITICO, citing the classified nature of that information.



Some officials did speak in generalities, however. DoD tracks hundreds of balloons every day, but they are typically not deemed a threat. Their presence close to or over the United States would not be brought to the attention of senior leaders unless their behavior was completely out of the ordinary, like this one, said one senior Pentagon official.

At lower levels, officials have tracked multiple instances of balloon activity over U.S. territories in recent years. One of the Trump-era balloons hovered over Guam, according to two U.S. officials. And in 2020, the intelligence community assessed that much smaller balloons detected off the coast of Virginia were Chinese radar-jamming devices, according to a former senior DoD official.

Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), a House Armed Services Committee member, tweeted Sunday that the Pentagon had informed his office that several Chinese balloon incidents have happened in the past few years - including over Florida.

Why werent they shot down? he added. And according to several Trump Admin national security officials - they were never informed of these intrusions by the Pentagon.

The other time a similar airship appeared with Biden in the White House was last February near Hawaii .

Those and potentially other events were seemingly not discovered in real-time. One senior administration official said the events went undetected.

Weve gotten better at detection over time, a second senior Biden administration official said, noting that those responsible for surveilling Chinese spy balloons can remain in government even with a new president in the Oval Office.

Before the Biden administrations new offer, Trump officials denied any of this ever happened. I dont ever recall somebody coming into my office or reading anything that the Chinese had a surveillance balloon above the United States, Trumps second Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CNN on Friday.

This never happened in the first two years of the Trump administration, a former senior DoD official said. A senior Trump intelligence official said nothing like what transpired over the past week happened during all four years of the previous administration.

Bidens team has given no indication it will downgrade intelligence to make a public case that there were past examples of Chinese spy balloons above the U.S. from 2017 to 2021. At this point, all briefings will apparently take place behind closed doors.
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) cowers in terror behind an officer at the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection Jan. 6, 2021. Now he's passing out assault rifle lapel pins to his colleagues.

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) cowers in terror behind an officer at the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection Jan. 6, 2021. Now he's passing out assault rifle lapel pins to his colleagues.

Twitter critics incensed Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) is handing out assault rifle lapel pins to his colleagues amid horrific mass shootings are now circulating a photo of a panicked Clyde hiding from violent insurrectionists at the Capitol.

In the photo, Clyde  a look of utter terror on his face  cowers behind a Capitol officer pointing a gun at the door of the House chambers prepared for the insurrectionists to burst in after they stormed the Capitol on Jan, 6, 2021.

Clyde is also photographed helping shove furniture against the door to keep out the Donald Trump supporters. One Twitter wit suggested that maybe Clyde distribute lapel pins of barricades  not assault rifles  to his colleagues.

Clyde has been raked by Democrats and others after distributing the lapel pins of rifles to Republican lawmakers in the House.

Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and George Santos (R-N.Y.) have both been photographed wearing the pins. Luna did so on Monday less than 48 hours after a mass shooting in her state that injured 11 people, two of them critically. There were six mass shootings in Florida in January.

Anna Paulina Luna wore an assault weapon pin at todays Oversight hearing  less than 48 hours after her state experienced a mass shooting.



You cant make this sh*t up. This isnt the flex you think it is. pic.twitter.com/AxEOmM6dN6  Rep. Jimmy Gomez (@RepJimmyGomez) February 1, 2023

Appalled Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) told a reporter this week: Anybody can wear whatever they want, but you have to have some common decency.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) asked Clyde on Twitter: Are you hear [sic] for the kids or the killers? He added: Mr. Clyde just gave us the answer.

Story continues

Clyde, the owner of a major Georgia gun retailer who profits from gun use, quipped in a tweet that he had triggered Democrats with his pins extolling assault rifles, which he wears. He said theyre intended to express support for the Second Amendment.

That drew out a flood of photos on Twitter of the terrified Clyde on Jan. 6, with one critic mocking: Were you triggered here?

Clyde insisted after the storming of the Capitol that the insurrectionists were merely tourists walking through the historic building. Its not clear why he was compelled to help barricade the House chamber from tourists.

Were you triggered here? pic.twitter.com/F5ArQp46CM  John Iadarola (@johniadarola) February 3, 2023

Should have handed out barricade pins. 

"Tourist visits" scare you, why? pic.twitter.com/L5oKqyWYWJ  Laura Apollo (@lauraapollo) February 3, 2023

Were you triggered on January 6th, 2021? pic.twitter.com/W5k7Ayurtz  PARODY - JEWISH SPACE LASER Captain Count De Monet (@johnaddams2022) February 3, 2023

This is GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde cowering behind security guard on Jan. 6th. Now hes passing out plastic assault rifle pins for @HouseGOP to wear in place of American flags. So patriotic! pic.twitter.com/ggSTBAA3Az  Dr. T (@PonderingPrinc) February 4, 2023

andrew clyde pissing himself on January 6 2021 is all you need to know pic.twitter.com/ZdQdHAeSth  Ned Pyle (@NerdPyle) February 3, 2023

This is sick. Georgia Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde is proudly passing out assault weapons pins to his colleagues, who are wearing them. I wonder what the families of victims of mass shootings think about this. pic.twitter.com/5a5vHZuDsg  Mike Sington (@MikeSington) February 3, 2023

@Rep_Clyde, we did notice that it replaced the U.S. flag lapel pin normally worn by members, which is appropriate. Their allegiance is to the gun, not the flag. pic.twitter.com/ipvIFQ42Ep  Tom Shafer (@TomShafShafer) February 3, 2023

Clyde was one of only three members of the House, all Republicans, who last year voted against making lynching a federal hate crime.

Related...
The central building of Kharkiv National University of Urban Economy named after O.M. Beketova

Two missiles from an S-300 air defense system hit the city center, authorities there said. One struck a residential building, and the other the building of a university.

Read also: Russian invaders shell Kharkiv Oblast, killing two brothers and injuring their father

While the S-300 is an air defense system, its missiles can be set to attack ground targets. They are, however, very inaccurate when used in this way.

According to public broadcaster Suspilne Kharkiv, one of the missiles hit the foundations of a four-story residential building: its walls are intact, but all the windows and glass panes are shattered. There are damaged cars, and one of them was smashed to pieces.

Five civilian casualties were reported in the wake of that missile strike: Initial reports said a 54-year-old woman and two men, aged 51 and 55 respectively, had been wounded. Later a fourth casualty from the building was reported.

Additionally, it was reported that a security guard at the university building had been injured in the missile strike there. Video circulating on social media showed heavy damage to the roof of one wing the large university building  the Kharkiv National University of Urban Economics.

Read also: SBU exposes Russian agent responsible for strikes on Kharkiv

According to the mayor of the city, Ihor Terekhov, a fire broke out in the residential building hit by a Russian missile. A fire was also reported at the university building.

Later, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that two enemy missiles had hit the Kyivskyi district of the city of Kharkiv.

"The State Emergency Service is already working at the site of the missile strikes, dismantling the rubble and conducting a search operation," he wrote.

Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office/Telegram

Russian missiles have hit several residential buildings in Ukrainian cities in recent weeks. One hit a residential building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 1, killing three people and blowing out the window and doors of nearby houses.

Story continues

And in a shocking atrocity on Jan. 14, a Russian anti-ship missile with a one-ton high-explosive warhead slammed into an apartment block in Dnipro, in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, demolishing an entire section of the nine-story building, killing 46 civilians and injuring another 80.

Read also: Russian invasion forces launch overnight missile attack on Kharkiv, causing damage and casualties

During the following rescue operation, 39 people were pulled from the rubble of the building. Another 11 people from the apartment block have been reported missing.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)  Tyre Nichols  mother was just steps away from her son but couldn't hear his anguished cries.

Beaten and broken, struggling to survive, Nichols had called out for her as five Memphis Police Department officers punched him, kicked him, and hit him with a baton after a traffic stop on Jan. 7.

Nichols, 29, who lived with his mom and stepdad, had slipped from the grasp of police after he was pulled over, dragged from his car and hit with a stun gun. Caught minutes later near their home and beaten savagely by five officers, he screamed, Mom! Mom!"

Moments later, the police knocked on the mothers door, but not to alert RowVaughn Wells that her child had been savagely beaten, according to Rodney Wells, her husband and Nichols' stepfather. They said Nichols had been arrested for driving under the influence and was being taken to the hospital. Police said they could not go to the hospital because their son was under arrest.

So they waited.

_____

Memphis Police Director Cereyln CJ Davis, a mother herself, didnt find out what her officers had done to Nichols until later either. The lack of police supervisors on the scene would be noted by many after Nichols died Jan. 10.

The fact that no one felt compelled to fill her in until the following day raised questions about the culture of her department she would have to answer in the coming days, even as she was asking them herself.

There were failures of who should render aid, who should have notified, who went to the mothers house, how they communicated, Davis told the Associated Press in a Jan, 27 interview. "Why did the chief get notified at 4 o' clock in the morning and the incident occurred at 8 o' clock the previous night?

It was around that same time of 4 a.m. that RowVaughn Wells received a call from a doctor at the hospital where he had been taken, Rodney Wells said. The doctor told them to get to the hospital immediately.

When she got there, she found Nichols on life support. While Wells was seeing her sons battered body for the first time, Davis police department was swinging into damage control.

Story continues

_____

The coming hours and days in Memphis would set the tone for Americas latest reckoning over police brutality, with RowVaughn Wells and Cerelyn Davis on opposite sides of the same tragedy. Their lives would be altered, in dramatically different ways.

Wells and her family seethed, cried and mourned for Tyre Nichols, the happy-go-lucky skateboarder and amateur photographer who came to Memphis from California about a year ago. She ultimately hung on to the hope her sons fate might mean something, taking its place as it did in the long line of young Black men who have died at the hands of police.

Davis, the first Black woman to run the Memphis Police Department, faced heavy criticism. As she and other city officials came to grips with what had happened, they gradually took steps to hold the officers accountable, share the horror of the case with the public, and try to minimize the possibility that the incident could set off unrest in Memphis and beyond.

But she would be called out in vivid terms at Nichols funeral as a beneficiary of the progress that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was in Memphis to fight for when he was shot to death more than half a century earlier.

_____

At 6:03 a.m. on Jan. 8, the police department posted a vague statement on social media saying that Nichols had two confrontations with police. He had "complained of having a shortness of breath, at which time an ambulance was called to the scene, the statement said.

Wells knew better by then. She had seen him bruised, swollen, hooked up to machines.

Memphis' fire department later revealed that 27 minutes elapsed from the time emergency medics arrived on the scene to the moment when an ambulance took him to a hospital.

When I walked into that hospital room, my son was already dead, Wells said during a Jan. 23 news conference.

____

Doubts about the police department's initial account only grew. A photo of a bruised Tyre in the hospital was distributed in the media. Activists questioned the department's account and pushed for release of the arrest video.

Nichols' family hired lawyer Ben Crump, known for representing the families of others struck down by police, including George Floyd. Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020 led to nationwide protests and raised the volume on calls for police reform.

Wells cried throughout a Jan. 17 memorial service for her son but would not speak publicly until later.

Gradually, a fuller portrait of Nichols emerged. He had lived with his mom and stepfather and made boxes at FedEx alongside Rodney Wells. He had two brothers, a sister and a 4-year-old son. He was an amateur photographer who loved sunsets and skateboarding.

Tyre had his mother's name tattooed on his arm.

This man walked into a room, and everyone loved him, said Angelina Paxton, a friend who traveled from California for the service.

That same day, Memphis officials pledged to release video of the attack.

____

The five officers were fired Jan. 20 after an internal police investigation revealed violations of police rules, including excessive use of force, and failure to intervene and render aid.

In a statement, Davis called their actions egregious.

The family met with authorities to see the video  horrific footage RowVaughn Wells said she was unable to watch at that meeting. Later, she warned parents to avoid showing it to their children.

Wells said she was inside her house at the time of the beating, waiting for Tyre to get home and give his customary cheerful greeting of Hello parents!

For a mother to know that their child was calling them in their need, and I wasnt there for him, do you know how I feel right now? Wells told media during a Jan. 27 news conference.

I wasnt there for my son. I was telling someone that I had this really bad pain in my stomach earlier, not knowing what had happened, she said. But once I found out what happened, that was my sons pain I was feeling.

She also shared how an ordinary day had turned horrible.

Tyre, on the day of the arrest, had seen her pulling out some chicken before he left the house at around 3 p.m. to snap pictures of the sunset at a suburban park, she said.

He said, 'Mom, are you cooking chicken tonight? I said Yes.

He said, How are you cooking it?"

With sesame seeds.

He loved that.

_____

In a late-night video statement released Jan. 25, Davis said she had met with the Nichols family and offered her condolences. She promised to continue investigating other officers' actions.

I am a mother, I am a caring human being, who wants the best for all of us," Davis said. This is not just a professional failing. This is a failing of basic humanity.

Officers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith were charged the next day  19 days after Nichols' arrest. It's a length of time that Crump said should be a blueprint for other police agencies to follow when dealing with similar situations.

When asked about the charges, Rodney Wells told the AP that the family was fine with it.

He also said his wife thought Davis was doing an excellent" job.

_____

Friday, Jan, 27 was the day Memphis and the nation had waited for  the video release.

Hours before it was posted by the city, Davis told the AP that the footage failed to show what still remains a mystery  why Nichols was stopped in the first place.

Officers were already amped up, at about a 10, she said, when the video started. The members of the crime-suppression team known as the Scorpion unit were aggressive, loud, using profane language and probably scared Mr. Nichols from the very beginning,

"We dont know what happened, Davis said. All we know is the amount of force that was applied in this situation was over the top.

Rodney Wells, Davis and community leaders had called for protests to be peaceful, in honor of Kings belief in nonviolent action.

Protesters blocked an interstate bridge, but there was no violence. No property damage. No arrests.



Davis disbanded the Scorpion unit on Jan. 28, after listening intently to the Nichols family, community leaders and other officers on the team.

Crump said the Nichols family considered the move appropriate and proportional to the tragic death of Tyre Nichols.

He also called it a decent and just decision for all citizens of Memphis.

___

Tyre Nichols was laid to rest on Feb. 1. The funeral at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, delayed by icy weather, featured a rousing choir, a eulogy by the Rev. Al Sharpton and a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris.

Also present were relatives of Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, Botham Jean, Jalen Randle and Floyd  Black people who also had been cut down by police.

Harris praised Nichols' parents for their extraordinary strength, courage and grace throughout the ordeal.



In his eulogy, Sharpton said he had taken his daughter Ashley early that morning to the site of the former Lorraine Motel, a Black-owned business where King was shot on April 4, 1968. The motel is now the National Civil Rights Museum.

Sharpton noted the civil rights movement led by King opened doors for Black city workers in Memphis and elsewhere and said the five Black officers insulted King's legacy by beating Tyre to death.

Sharpton called out the officers and Davis, reminding them of those who marched, went to jail and died while fighting for racial equality.

You didn't get on the police department by yourself. The police chief didn't get there by herself, he said.

___

Despite her grief, RowVaughn Wells spoke, too. Speaking from a lectern in the large church, she wiped away tears and said she believed her son was sent here on an assignment from God.

And I guess now his assignment is done. Hes been taken home.

Someone in the audience yelled that Nichols was going to change the world.

Yes, his mother said, nodding. Yes.

And then, once again, she praised Davis for acting swiftly.

-

For more coverage of the beating death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of Memphis police officers, go to https://apnews.com/hub/tyre-nichols.
Oluwatobi Odugunwa chanted Power! in response to the call Fight for it!  along with several dozen people gathered in Public Square Park on a chilly Saturday evening.

They were there to remember Tyre Nichols and others killed by police, and to share their belief that these cases illustrate why police departments across America should be defunded and, ultimately, abolished.

Theeda Murphy cleanses a community altar honoring those who have been killed by police at Public Square Park Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 in Nashville, Tenn. Black Nashville Assembly hosted the vigil for Tyre Nichols and others killed by police.

Im here to spark some hope inside me, Odugunwa said. Ive been close to tears every day now because the group of officers that killed Tyre are all Black. Its further proof that the system itself causes people to dehumanize even those that look like them.

Black Nashville Assembly, the organizers on Saturday's event, formed about a year ago as part of the Southern Movement Committee to organize Black people to transform Nashville through political engagement.

Twenty-eight days ago, Nichols was brutally beaten to death by a group of Memphis police officers who have since been fired and charged with second-degree murder.

Though this happened three hours away, organizers and attendees at Public Square Park said they believe officers in Nashville and across the nation are trained in similar environments.They hope the case sheds a light on the deep-seated racism inherent in the system, which they say should be redesigned to abolish police departments and focus on social services.

Justice means we commit ourselves to radical, systemic change and commit to the making of a better world, said organizer Maxine Spencer. The issue we have here is about policing and the violence that is inherent in it. It is time that we divest from policing. What good are these guns doing that affordable housing could not?"

Body cameras and diversity training dont work, organizers said, because the agencies are inherently racist.

Linda Allen, mother of Eric Allen who was recently killed by a Mt. Juliet police officer during traffic stop, gets emotional as she listens to her attorney recount her son's story at the Black Nashville Assembly's vigil for Tyre Nichols an other killed by police at Public Square Park Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn.

Local lawyer: Remember about Eric Allen

Nashville attorney Terry Clayton told the group he's dismayed by the lack of community concern about a fatal police shooting in Mt. Juliet which is being investigated by the District Attorneys office.

Everybodys asking me about whats going on in Memphis, but no one is talking about the murder  by a police officer  of Eric Allen, Clayton said. African Americans are being pulled over routinely just because theyre Black.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tyre Nichols vigil outside Nashville City Hall: 'Divest from policing'
By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department will participate in a review of the Memphis Police Department after the death of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man fatally beaten by officers in the Tennessee city last month, according to city officials.

The review was disclosed in a bulletin by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. The bulletin said the Justice Department as well as the International Association of Chiefs of Police would take part in an "independent, external review" requested by the city to assess the Memphis Police Department's special units and use-of-force policies.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Memphis police on Friday fired a sixth officer involved in the death of Nichols. Five other officers, all Black, were previously fired and charged with second-degree murder. The sixth officer to be fired is white.

Nichols repeatedly cried, "Mom! Mom!" as the five Memphis police officers charged with the Black motorist's murder pummeled him with kicks, punches and baton blows after a Jan. 7 traffic stop, video released by the city showed.

He was hospitalized and died of his injuries three days after the confrontation in the city where he lived with his mother and stepfather and worked at FedEx.

His death has further fueled an ongoing national debate in the United States about race and police brutality.

The Justice Department's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services will take part in the review, the city said.

The mother of Nichols, RowVaughn Wells, and his stepfather, Rodney Wells, are due to attend President Joe Biden's State of the Union address on Tuesday in Washington.

Nichols' funeral, held in a Memphis church on Wednesday, was attended by Vice President Kamala Harris and relatives of other Black people killed by police in U.S. cities.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)
FLINT  In the lobby, they shucked their coats, straightened their gowns and made sure their caps were securely perched atop their heads. They headed toward the hall where the ceremony was about to start, walking past a table with small mirrors, bottles of static spray and lint rollers galore.

Inside the large ballroom, they were shown to their seats by smiling university employees. Once seated, they passed the time by taking selfies with family members who were along for their big day, including several with their own children. "Take a deep breath, you've made it," one employee told a soon-to-be-graduate who was looking a little stressed.

Then, after a few speeches, names were called, diplomas were handed out. The December 2022 graduates of the University of Michigan-Flint's College of Arts & Sciences were officially done.

It's a scene that has been repeated time and again since students first walked into U-M Flint  then known as Flint Senior College  in fall 1956. But in recent years, the numbers of students at the school have shrunk and its graduation rate has dipped. There have been financial struggles as well, leading to cuts and rising faculty concerns about the future direction of the school.

U-M Flint is one of three campuses making up the University of Michigan system. The other two campuses are in Ann Arbor and Dearborn. Each operates largely as its own entity, including receiving separate funding from the state of Michigan. However, the chancellors of Flint and Dearborn report to U-M President Santa Ono and all three campuses are overseen by the Board of Regents.

A woman walks through the U-M Flint campus in downtown Flint on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, toward the Harding Mott University Center.

"It is really a system that has three distinct but aligned campuses," Ono told the Free Press in a recent interview. "Each of them makes a contribution (to the overall higher ed system in the state). I think it (U-M Flint) is very much needed."

It might be needed, but questions regarding the form, size and academic focus it should have moving forward are currently the subject of conversations, both formal and informal, around the campus that occupies one end of Flint's downtown. The answers will directly impact whether U-M Flint's future is that of a thriving university  with thousands of students restoring vigor to the downtown of a once-prosperous city  or one that is marked by a collection of mostly empty buildings standing as a symbol of what could have been.

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The answers  or at least some sort of direction  will come through a formal study process now ongoing. There is no set date for a final report to be issued.

In late August, then-U-M President Mary Sue Coleman told the Flint campus leadership it needed to conduct a "transformation" study to determine the course of the campus' future. In a letter explaining the move, Coleman cited a 25% decline in enrollment over the last seven years and six-year graduation rates ranking at the bottom of the 15 public universities in the state. The latest figures show 1 in 3 U-M Flint students graduates in six years.

We must make changes, and they must be bold, if U-M Flint is to thrive, Coleman said at a Board of Regents meeting announcing the move.

U-M Flint students walk past photos of fraternity and sorority members posted in the Harding Mott University Center at the U-M Flint campus in downtown Flint on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.

In other words, U-M Flint needs to find a way out of the current downward spiral.

"We've not been attractive for what the students are considering when they are considering what college to attend," U-M Flint Chancellor Deba Dutta told the Free Press recently. "In this competitive environment, we have lost ground. We have to make it up."

The overall U-M system is ready to invest up to $100 million into the Flint campus, officials said, with the goal of not only turning U-M Flint around but growing it and stabilizing it, as well as the surrounding city of Flint.

But even that money has sparked fears among faculty and staff. Several told the Free Press they are concerned about which programs would get the funding and whether the university might withhold some of that funding from faculty who have raised concerns about the school's leadership. A dozen faculty members spoke with the Free Press on the condition of anonymity because of fears of retribution.

Fewer students, fewer dollars

As the mid-December commencement ceremony concluded, a big smile creased Catherine Aucompaugh's face as she switched the tassel on her cap from one side to the other, signifying she was now a graduate.

Like many of those graduating in the December exercise, Aucompaugh, 28, took a nontraditional path to obtain her college degree. As she was getting ready to graduate from Flint's Kearsley High School, she met with representatives from both U-M Flint and the Navy. She found out how expensive college was and decided that going into the Navy to get help paying for college, plus the opportunity to travel and serve her country, was too great a draw. When she got out of the Navy, she enrolled in Mott Community College in 2016 and got an associate degree before transferring to U-M Flint, which she attended from 2019 to 2022.

Like many of her class, she had a different college experience than she thought she would have, thanks to the pandemic. But her professors rallied, were helpful and offered support. She learned to keep pushing forward and to adapt.

She did notice a drop in the number of students involved in student organizations  something tied to both pandemic restrictions and the dwindling number of students attending the university.

The 2010s and early 2020s haven't been kind to U-M Flint in terms of enrollment. It has seen its undergraduate enrollment  which accounts for the bulk of its students  decrease every year since fall 2013, when 7,143 students were taking classes. This fall, there are 4,609 undergraduates on campus. That's a 35% decrease.

This fall, 1,376 graduate students also enrolled, down slightly from the 1,423 graduate students enrolled the previous fall.

Administrators, however, point to some positive signs: 76.4% of first-year students last fall came back for their second year this fall, a five-year high in that rate. More students  330  are living on campus this fall than last fall, when 232 did. That's just 31 short of pre-pandemic levels.

A variety of factors play into the drop. Nearly every regional university in Michigan has seen steep enrollment decreases, thanks to a dwindling number of students graduating from high school each year, the result of people moving out of Michigan and a declining birth rate.

More:Michigan colleges feeling pinch, compete over shrinking pool of prospective students

Then there's the fallout in Flint's reputation, thanks to factory closings and the water crisis. Administrators say that narrative shouldn't dominate the conversation about Flint.

"It's a perception, not a reality," Dutta, the chancellor, said. "This is an iconic city."

A mural is painted on the side of a parking garage at the U-M Flint campus in downtown Flint on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, near the Mott Foundation Building.

None of that talk, however, changes reality: U-M Flint's enrollment is really hurting. And when enrollment drops, so do bank accounts. U-M Flint made a series of budget cuts, including big cuts to lecturer ranks, salary reductions and freezes on various projects and hiring in 2020.

More:U-M Flint cuts 41% of lecturers, citing dire financial outlook

In a town hall this fall, Dutta said early projections for fiscal 2023 show a $13.9 million budget deficit. Falling enrollment plays into that, Dutta said, creating a situation where U-M Flint's student-to-faculty ratio is 13.6 to 1. At most other regional universities in Michigan, the ratio falls between 16 to 18 students for every 1 faculty member. While the smaller ratio means smaller classes, it also means less money coming in to cover the cost of faculty and other staff.

"This is not financially viable," Dutta said during that town hall.

Turning that around means attracting more students.

"Unfortunately, we aren't competing well against the other (Michigan public universities)," Dutta said. "We are much better than the public gives us credit for. That's something we have to proactively get the word out about."

Competition among Michigan's public universities has intensified as the number of high school graduates has shrunk. U-M Flint still primarily gets students from in its home county, Genesee. U-M Flint had 20.5% of all students who graduated from a Genesee County high school and enrolled in a college within six months show up on its campus for the 2011-12 school year, state records show. A decade later, U-M Flint had 20.9% of the same pot of students.

Seems pretty flat, but a closer look shows the problem: The pot of students was smaller, meaning fewer students on campus. In 2011-12, 323 students from Genesee County showed up as first-year students. In 2020-21, only 227 did. That's a 30% drop.

No argument over the problem

Stroll through campus buildings during the middle of a school day and you'll see a dichotomy of views.

Classrooms look like just about any other college classroom across the state. Students have laptops open, mostly taking notes while a professor lectures. Small groups work on projects while a professor circles the classroom, observing and occasionally interjecting with comments.

But at spots designed for students to eat or hang out or study together, it's a different story.

U-M Flint student Eric Melen, of Swartz Creek, studies in a section of the Murchie Science Building as the First Street Residence Hall is seen through a window at the U-M Flint campus in downtown Flint on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.

"It feels kind of empty," said Mark Freeman, 25, of Flint. He works in downtown Flint and meets his girlfriend, a student at U-M Flint, for lunch a couple of times a week on campus. "There doesn't seem like there's a big mass of students here, even though I know there are a bunch of people taking classes right now. Just seems like they could use a lot more students."

Few people on U-M Flint's campus would dispute that or the notion that changes need to be made if the school is going to survive.

Organizers of a nonofficial town hall on a snowy January evening were quick to acknowledge those sentiments, as a few dozen attendees gathered virtually and in-person.

Where the disagreements occur, however, is in how to remedy the decline.

"We need to be focused on the students we have, not just the students we want to get," faculty member Kimberly Saks, who led much of the discussion, said in her opening remarks.

Long considered a commuter college

For years, U-M Flint has recruited students with a simple pitch: Come to Flint and get a U-M degree at a greatly reduced price from a school with one of the lowest tuitions of any public university in the state.

It garnered a diverse student body, including in age, with adults and traditional-age college students sitting side-by-side in class.

Students check out an Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. table during the 1980s.

Those who came to U-M Flint in the 1990s and early 2000s saw a campus bustling with students, including many first-generation students who grew up in a factory worker's house. It has largely been a commuter campus, with the first on-campus housing opening in 2007.

"My dad always wanted me to go to college," said Mary Ann Williams, who graduated in the late 1990s. "I could live at home, pay reasonable tuition and get a great education. Seems like a lot of the students I went to high school (in the Flint area) spent at least a year or two there. The faculty and staff were great."

But Williams' daughter, now a college freshman at Grand Valley State University, never had any real interest in attending U-M Flint, said Williams, who lives in Grand Blanc.

"It might have been too close to home," Williams said. "But her really big reason was that she wanted to go to a school where she could hang out with friends and do lots of social things, especially after COVID and having some time when it was hard to see anybody other than her family. That's hard for (U-M Flint) to compete with."

Future focus is still up in air

Across the Flint River from where the bulk of campus is, a vacant patch of ground is about to become the site of the first new academic building to be built on campus in 20 years. The last free-standing building to be built there was the First Street Residence in 2008.

A $10 million building for the university's College of Innovation and Technology has been approved. The 15,000-square-foot building will house various lab teaching spaces and areas designed to encourage collaboration and interdisciplinary research. It will be paid for with a combination of U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Grant, Mott Foundation and university funds.

U-M Flint student Hana Zineddin works in a study room in the new section of the Murchie Science Building at the university's campus in downtown Flint on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.

It did not pass unnoticed by the campus community that the university, despite financial issues, is putting money into something as ambitious as the CIT. Dutta formed the college in 2020 to help attract students interested in cutting-edge areas of study. He envisions students coming to U-M Flint for a degree from the CIT and sticking around the city as they form or work for tech-related companies. The CIT was supported by a $10 million grant from the Mott Foundation.

But not all are excited by what they see. The fear, many faculty told the Free Press, is that U-M Flint is going to be turned into a tech school and leave the traditional liberal arts curriculum behind. They cite a preliminary report by consultants hired to study Flint, which stresses rising demand in the marketplace for computer science and technology-related degrees, while noting the decline in market demand for degrees such as English and other traditional liberal arts programs.

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At a recent faculty meeting, there was discussion about different departments wanting to move under the CIT's banner in hopes of remaining funded, faculty told the Free Press. There's also confusion about when decisions will be made about Flint's future and who will decide which transformation projects will be funded and which won't.

During the October Board of Regents meeting, held on U-M Flint's campus, senior Alexiss Woodard expressed concerns about the breadth of Flint's programs being cut, especially in the liberal arts.

Throughout my time here, however, I have seen how these programs have suffered from disinvestment, including my own program, Spanish, Woodard said. I am not only saddened by this, but I am extremely concerned for others. It would be a dangerous mistake to further diminish any other liberal arts or science programs from this community.

Students walk through the Harding Mott University Center at the U-M Flint campus in downtown Flint on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023.

College administrators deny the school is getting out of the liberal arts business but say they do see opportunity in technology.

Some faculty have said there hasn't been the increased enrollment the CIT was meant to bring. Dutta said patience is needed.

"We are a new player to this marketplace. Any new program takes a while to get to maturity," he said.

Dutta is preaching patience for the overall transformation as well.

"In three or four years, you ought to be able to see results; in two to three more years, you will see stability," Dutta said. "In seven to 10 years, this will be a very vibrant institution."

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: U-M Flint hits crossroads as enrollment slumps; transformation study underway
The K2 unit of the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant begins operating in Pakistan in May 2021. Both K2 and K3 units use Hualong One, China's third-generation nuclear power technology with full intellectual property rights. [Photo/Xinhua]

The first delivery of China's Hualong One project in the overseas market will further enhance the world's confidence in Chinese nuclear power technology, market observers and analysts said on Friday.

China officially delivered the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant to Pakistan on Thursday, said its operator China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC).

The plant consists of two units  K2 and K3  that use Hualong One, China's third-generation nuclear power technology with full intellectual property rights. Together, K2 and K3 form the largest nuclear power plant in Pakistan.

Hualong One is also one of the most widely accepted third-generation nuclear power reactors in the current global market, CNNC said.

K2 was put into operation in 2021, followed by K3 in 2022, but both were under CNNC's operational control to ensure smooth operations in the initial phase. On Thursday, the whole plant was handed over to Pakistan.

An analyst said K2 and K3 illustrate the strategic and stable partnership between China and Pakistan for green and low-carbon energy.

Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University, said China has been moving away from imports of nuclear power technology in recent years to accelerate the development of homegrown technology.

"The delivery of the Karachi project on Thursday will further boost confidence in China's nuclear technology and potentially pave the way for its adoption in not only developing countries but developed ones," he said. "Chances are high that China will further export its nuclear technology in the years to come."

By now, the accumulated generated electricity of the Karachi Nuclear Power Plant has reached nearly 20 billion kilowatt-hours, providing power for 2 million local residents, CNNC said.

The annual nuclear power generated by K2 and K3 is equivalent to the power generated by 6.24 million metric tons of coal. This has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 16.32 million tons, optimizing the energy structure of Pakistan and easing pressure from climate change, it said.
Reznikov assures that defense forces are ready for a possible new Russian offensive

Read also: Ukraine needs hundreds of thousands of UAVs, says Defense Minister Reznikov

However, as of now, no enemy strike formations have been detected, Reznikov said.

Of course, we still expect possible offensives from the Russians, because its February, and they like symbolism, Reznikov was quoted by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne as saying.

Feb. 24 will mark a year since this invasion began, the open stage of the Ukrainian-Russian war, which began in 2014. Therefore, we expect this pressure.

The minister said that there are no unexpected things and everyone in the Ukrainian military was ready for a possible Russian offensive.

Read also: CIA chief says next six months of Russia-Ukraine war will be critical

We are ready, the Armed Forces are ready, the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is constantly (monitoring the situation), so there are no unexpected things for (us), the minister said.

Read also: Reznikov may resign from post of defense minister, Budanov being considered for job, MP says

Reznikov called on Ukrainians to trust only official information about possible Russian offensives and not to succumb to the enemys attempts to sow panic.

There is a lot of information, everyone must have read (various) Telegram channels that there will be an attack at night, the minister said.

Read also: Russian saboteurs active near Kherson, five groups on boats destroyed in one day

(But) no such attack took place. Its very important to listen to the General Staff, its official position. When it becomes clear that (the Russians) have formed strike groups, , our General Staff will know very well where, in which place (they are).

Reznikov added that, in particular, there are no strike groups from Russia near Kharkiv.

However, it cannot be ruled out that after some time they may appear, he said.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Oleksiy Reznikov speaks during a meeting with UAV manufacturers

According to the Ministry of Defense, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Strategic Industries Pavlo Ryabikin and a representative of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Read also: Ukraine to develop attack drones to defeat enemy UAVs  Fedorov

Reznikov stressed Ukraine had to support the development of its UAV market. He said the Ministry of Defense aims to help develop the drone market so that it can meet demand for a wide range of military applications.

"Were talking about adjusting artillery fire, and about inflicting damage on the enemy (strike drones), and about the delivery of military equipment, evacuation of the wounded, and so on, Reznikov told those at the meeting.

Read also: Long-range UAVs have already been used against Russians, says Ukrainian defender

Currently, the needs of the Defense Forces of Ukraine are calculated to be hundreds of thousands of UAVs of various types. Work to meet these needs continues  in particular, in the first eight months of full-scale war (by Russia on Ukraine), more UAVs were put into operation than in the last five years.

Discussions at the meeting focused on the topic of the need to create an association to represent the interests of manufacturers. Both the UAV manufacturers and the Ministry of Defense supported this idea.

Read also: Defense Ministry gives thumbs up to site of Bayraktar service center in Ukraine

Reznikov also presented several drone manufacturers with certificates of registration with the defense ministry, meaning that their products were now certified for military use.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Ukraine will not use the long-range weapons pledged by the USA to launch attacks on the territory of Russia.

Source: Oleksii Reznikov, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, at a press conference on Sunday, 5 February, as reported by European Pravda, with reference to Reuters

"We always make an official declaration to our partners that we will not use the weapons provided by our foreign partners to launch attacks on Russian territory. We only launch attacks on Russian units deployed in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine," Reznikov said.

The USs $2.175-billion military aid package for Ukraine includes long-range shells with a 150-km range. However, ATACMS missiles, which are capable of shooting ground targets within a range of 300 km, have not been included in the latest package.

The HIMARS multiple-launch missile systems currently used by the Ukrainian military are reportedly able to hit targets from a distance of about 80 km.

Ukraine has been asking the US for long-range projectiles - specifically, for ATACMS - for a while now, arguing that the weaponry that Ukraine has in service at the moment is not able to reach and destroy the Russian occupying forces logistics centres on Ukrainian territory.

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Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraines Defence Minister, is in favour of partial openness of defence procurement, following the example of the Prozorro system [public electronic procurement system  ed.]; the official proposes to create Military Prozorro.

Source: Reznikov, at a press conference on Sunday, 5 February, reports Ukrinform news agency

Quote: "My idea is currently being discussed so that we will be able to publish [data on procurement] without [specifying] a legal address or location, but [specifying] the volume, the amount of the contract, etc., so that the public can see it not after the agreements are concluded, but before. Together with Yuliia Svyrydenko, Deputy Prime Minister, we met with the prime minister, because she [Svyrydenko  ed.] has experts on Prozorro, and I asked her: develop a Prozorro program that would be... let's call it Military Prozorro. That is, let there be certain restrictions, but we all trust Prozorro, and I hope that we will succeed."

Details: In addition, the Defence Minister noted that purchasing food for military servicemen can be made seasonal, for a shorter period of time.

"We have now agreed with the Verkhovna Rada [i.e., parliamentary] committee to try to review the legislation that will allow such purchases to be made seasonal for shorter periods, but at the same time, our main goal today is the stable and high-quality supply of Ukraines Armed Forces, especially now, during wartime. This is a key priority," the minister emphasised.

Reznikov also said that a public anti-corruption council will be created under the Defence Ministry.

"We will form a working group of anti-corruption activists to create a public anti-corruption council under the Defence Ministry," he said.

Reznikov noted that such a council would allow the ministry to receive public examination. The minister emphasised that it is very important to close access to certain information during martial law and at the same time provide the opportunity for society to control public funds.

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He noted that he held meetings with parliamentary committees, during which they discussed updating the legislation. In particular, the MPs plan to normalise procurement in the security and defence sector in such a way that important information will be protected, but these purchases will be made more public.

At the same time, Reznikov stated that the facts of the handing over suspicions to representatives of the Defence Ministry do not relate to the food procurement system.

"Today, I am not aware of a single fact of suspicion being handed over to anyone, or the application of a preventive measure of detention against any official of the Defence Ministry related to the food procurement system, with those contracts that became the subject of the research of journalist, Mr. Yurii Nikolov," he emphasised.

Background:

On 21 January, Zn.ua reported that the ministry purchases food for servicemen at a cost two- to three-times higher than that in Kyiv stores.

The Ministry of Defence called this information a lie and manipulation and promised to contact the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) at first. Minister Oleksii Reznikov rejected the accusations.

Later, Viacheslav Shapovalov, Deputy Minister of Defence, resigned and was fired. Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, Head of the State Procurement Department at the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, has been dismissed from his position as well.

On 1 February, Khmelnytskyi was accused of embezzling state funds and was arrested. According to the investigation, he purchased almost 3,000 bulletproof vests worth more than US$2.9 million for Ukraines Armed Forces, which turned out to be of poor quality. Viacheslav Shapovalov was arrested for two months and was set a multi-million-dollar bail on 2 February. He is suspected of lobbying for the conclusion of contracts for the supply of food for the military at inflated prices, as well as the purchase of body armour, helmets, clothing and other items for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of poor quality for a total amount of over UAH 1 billion [roughly US$24,691,000].

On 2 February, the State Bureau of Investigation reported that, together with the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU), it had exposed and detained a criminal group that was overcharging the Ukrainian Armed Forces for produce, and supplying "imaginary" food. In particular, the official press release referred to the purchase of "eggs for 17 hryvnias" [approximately US$0.46]. Later, Pecherskyi District Court of Kyiv City arrested 5 people whom the Defence Ministry suspects of conducting procurements under unreasonably high prices.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Soldiers prepare to head out near the Bakhmut front lines with Russia in Chasov Yar, Ukraine, on January 22, 2023. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Ukrainian defense Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, said the country got everything on its "wish list to Santa."

Baltic states and Poland have agreed to supply Ukraine with jets, according to the Associated Press.

Reznikov said the planes were necessary to prepare for a potential Russian offensive on February 24.

A top Ukrainian defense official said the country's military got everything on its "wish list to Santa," a quip on Western allies shipping over much-needed military weaponry as the war with Russia shows no signs of stalling.

Ukrainian Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, said the country had already received what it asked for from Western leaders at a press conference in Kyiv on Sunday, according to The Associated Press.

He said the country has yet to receive the warplanes, but the logistics are being worked out and countries, such as Poland and the Baltic states, have agreed to send warplanes to aid Ukraine, the outlet reported.

"There will be planes, too. The question is just what kind exactly ... Consider that this mission is already completed," Reznikov said at the press conference, according to the outlet.

The Ukrainian military is still standing nearly a year after Russia's incursion, and its success has been attributed to the readiness training implemented by the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Insider previously reported.

However, Ukraine military officials say the country's military needs more jets to challenge Russia in the air, the AP reported. Reznikof told reporters the planes were necessary to prepare for an anticipated Russian offensive on February 24, the one-year anniversary of the conflict, according to the AP.

"Not all Western weapons will arrive by then, but we have the resources and reserves to help stabilize and sustain the offensive," Reznikov said, per the outlet.

Western leaders have previously rejected Ukraine's demand for weapons such as long-range missiles, tanks, and warplanes, only to subsequently reverse course, the AP reported. Canada, Poland, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States have all announced they will supply Ukraine with tanks, the report says.

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"Not all Western weapons will arrive by then, but we have the resources and reserves to help stabilize and sustain the offensive," Reznikov said, the AP reported.

The Kremlin has criticized Western countries offering weapons to aid Ukraine and claimed that the assistance will prolong the conflict, and has characterized NATO as a "direct participant," according to the outlet.

The AP reported that Reznikof told reporters, "I absolutely boldly claim that we have become a de facto NATO country. We only have a de jure part left."

Read the original article on Insider
(Reuters) - Ukrainian forces remained in control of the village of Bilohorivka, the Luhansk region governor Serhiy Haidai said on Sunday, adding that the situation there is tense, but under control.

"Information is being spread in the Russian Federation about the alleged capture of Bilohorivka and the removal of our people from there," Haidai told the national broadcaster.

"Our troops remain in their positions, nobody has captured Bilohorivka, nobody has entered there, there is no enemy there."

Some Moscow-installed officials and pro-Russian military bloggers have recently claimed Russian advances in the direction of Bilohorivka, the last part of Luhansk held by Ukrainian forces.

"The situation at the front is tense, but controlled by Ukrainian forces," Haidai said.

"The number of Russian attacks has ... increased, but all of them have been repulsed by our troops, who remain in their positions."

Reuters was not able to independently verify the report.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that the situation on the front lines in the east of the country was getting tougher and Russia was throwing more and more troops into battle.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Soldiers of the 25th Separate Airborne Sicheslav Brigade, together with their comrades from the National Guard of Ukraine, have successfully destroyed Russian military equipment.

Source: leadership of Ukrainian Air Assault Forces

Details: The Air Assault Forces command specifies that the Ukrainian soldiers are destroying Russian occupiers in Luhansk Oblast.

Quote: "Another Russian tank and truck have turned into scrap metal!

And we warned them: Dont step on Ukrainian soil, or you will be buried in it!"

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






SAMP/T-Mamba ground-to-air system

Both France and Italy have expressed their readiness to deliver SAMP/T anti-missile systems to Ukraine in the spring.

Read also: Italy to supply Ukraine with artillery and Israeli-sourced drones, media report says

I immediately ordered to send the necessary number of units of anti-aircraft missile forces for training. And they are already on their way, said the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk.

We are looking forward to our specialists return in the spring, as they will come back to Ukraine not empty-handed, but with knowledge, skills, and SAMP/T Mamba systems themselves, the commander added.

Read also: Italian SAMP-T air defense system will soon be deployed in Ukraine

France and Italy agreed on technical issues regarding the transfer of the SAMP/T anti-missile defense system to Kyiv. It will be deployed in Ukraine in the spring of 2023.

Read also: Germany provides Ukraine with additional Iris-T SLM missiles

It was reported earlier that France and Italy signed a contract for the purchase of up to 700 missiles for SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile systems.

At the end of December, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as a result of which he announced the agreement on the transfer of air defense systems to Ukraine. In January, it became known that Rome and Paris were already finalizing preparations for sending the SAMP/T systems.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Marketer and soldier Maksym Kolesnikov, February 4, 2023

Snapped by photographer Andriy Kachor, in the photo, Kolesnikov is holding an apple.

Read also: 50 Ukrainian defenders freed from Russian captivity, some captured in Mariupol, Chornobyl NPP

Hes seeing fruit for the first time in almost a year. He says: Im almost afraid to taste it. But he wasnt. He took a bite of it. And in a second, he said: This is awesome. Its just awesome, Kachor wrote on Facebook.

According to the photographer, he photo was actually taken by accident: while trying to record a video, he pressed the wrong button. However, the picture has now gone viral around the world.

Kolesnikov comes from Donetsk, but later he moved with his family to Kyiv. He worked in business, and was the director of marketing and advertising at the Eldorado, Good Day Pharmacy, and other chains. He defended Ukraine when he was mobilized to the Armed Forces during the anti-terrorist operation, serving in the 26th Artillery Brigade.

Read also: Ukraine says over 3,000 Ukrainian POW's in Russian captivity, 15,000 people missing

Also, during his service, he was engaged in the provision of the army in the Office of Reforms under the Cabinet of Ministers for half a year. In 2022, he again joined the ranks of the Armed Forces, news outlet Novynarnia wrote on Feb. 4.

Kolesnikovs friends say that they did not know about his whereabouts for a long time since the start of the war. In enemy captivity, he lost a lot of weight and turned gray.

Read also: About 2,000 Azovstal defenders still in Russian captivity

Russia and Ukraine conducted a new exchange of war prisoners on Feb. 4, with 116 Ukrainians returned from Russian captivity, including defenders of Mariupol, Kherson partisans, and snipers from the Bakhmut area. In addition, Ukraine managed to return the bodies of two dead foreign volunteers, as well as the body of a dead volunteer soldier.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, since the beginning of Russias full-scale war against Ukraine, 1,762 Ukrainian men and women have been returned from enemy captivity.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
You are here: China

From Jan. 27 to Feb. 2, medical institutions on the Chinese mainland reported 3,278 deaths in hospitals due to COVID-19, down from 6,364 between Jan. 20 to 26, according to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday.

As of Thursday, 98,742 infected cases have been hospitalized and 7,918 of these are severe cases.

As of Thursday, more than 1.31 billion people have been vaccinated. Among them 241.64 million people are over 60 years old.
Matt Gaetz and Kevin McCarthy. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images; Win McNamee/Getty Images

A far-right faction of House Republicans is pushing against continued US aid to Ukraine.

The US's security assistance has played a crucial role in helping Ukraine fend off Russian aggression.

Congressional gridlock could threaten that aid as the war enters a decisive period.

As Ukraine continues a painstaking fight to drive out Russian invaders, national security veterans are raising serious questions about whether the US  particularly, the newly empowered House GOP majority  has the political will to continue backing Kyiv with vital security assistance.

Those concerns ratcheted up amid House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's tumultuous journey to secure the gavel last month. After more than a dozen rounds of voting, an increasingly desperate McCarthy caved to a list of demands from a far-right faction of the House GOP, led largely by Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida firebrand who made it clear to McCarthy that he may be speaker, but it was in name only. McCarthy won the speakership in the 15th ballot.

Now, with the Ukraine war entering what NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg called a "decisive phase," Gaetz and a number of fellow hardliners appear poised to collect on their debt, and Ukraine may pay the price. He and other far-right GOP members have repeatedly raised doubts about US assistance to Ukraine, with some saying outright that they would oppose the substantial level of aid that Democrats and most Republicans have supported thus far.

"For me, it's America First all the way and we're not doing anything about our own southern border," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia told Insider. "Why are we protecting the border of another country?"

In a recent tweet, Greene also called Ukraine "one of the most corrupt countries in the world" and questioned whether "American's hard earned tax dollars are being stolen."

Foreign policy experts have sounded the alarm about the House GOP's fringe right potentially blocking the US from providing critical weapons like artillery and tanks that Ukraine needs to regain its territory. Indeed, sustained assistance to Ukraine looms as perhaps the biggest foreign policy battle in the new, divided Congress.

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"The success of US assistance to date and the changing battlefield situation mean that many are worried about the fragility of the US Congress following the speaker vote, where a small number of members could derail future US assistance," Sean Monaghan, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Insider in an interview.

Kyiv, for its part, has kept a close eye on Congress' dynamics since the GOP won a narrow House majority in the November midterms. The following month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a risky, historic visit to Washington  his first time abroad since Russia invaded nearly a year ago  to emphasize the importance of the US's support and ask Congress to continue approving security assistance.

Those calls to ensure aid gets sent to Ukraine are only growing. Just this week, former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with congressional Republicans to push for continued US support to the country. And Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin is slated to meet with a handful of senators on Wednesday to provide an update on the war.

A Ukrainian soldier fires towards Russian positions outside Bakhmut, Ukraine, on November 8, 2022. Bulent Kilic/AFP via Getty Images

'What I'm not for is just continuing to write a check'

The GOP's shift away from Ukraine and toward Russia has been years in the making, and reached a turning point when Donald Trump ascended to the White House.

In addition to repeatedly castigating Ukraine and amplifying Russian leader Vladimir Putin's pro-Russian conspiracy theories, Trump leveraged US aid to Ukraine while trying to strong-arm Zelenskyy into supporting his domestic political campaign, a scheme that eventually led to his first impeachment.

Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to the US and the United Nations, told Insider that Putin couldn't have asked for more from the US vis-a-vis Ukraine.

"The Russians have always dreamed of having Trump back because, in military terms, the support of the Americans is really overwhelming compared to the support of the Europeans," he said.

In the two years since Trump left office, Republicans loyal to the former president have continued his crusade against Ukraine and promoted his isolationist stance. Many of those Republicans were also part of the so-called "Never Kevin" camp of lawmakers who stood in the way of McCarthy securing the speakership, until he made a slew of concessions.

Among those concessions: any lawmaker can force a vote to oust the House speaker; any lawmaker can force a vote to amend government spending bills; and hardline Republicans will get one-third of the seats on the House Rules Committee.

Some members of the Never Kevin camp have been evasive when asked about what they plan to do about key issues including the Ukraine war and the debt ceiling.

"Well, I mean, we'll see," Gaetz recently told The New York Times.

Others have been more forthcoming.

"It's a little premature to be talking about Ukraine aid when we just spent another $45 billion in December," Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas told Insider, referring to the massive spending bill the House passed in December, that included $45 billion in assistance to Ukraine.

"I have never said that I'm not for supporting Ukraine. In fact, I've said the opposite," added Roy, who opposed McCarthy's bid in 11 votes but later backed him. "But what I'm not for is just continuing to write a check, after check, after check without me understanding what's going to be the actual end result of this."

With the war expected to intensify as Russia gears up for a renewed offensive, it's possible those funds could quickly run out.

The US has provided more security assistance to Ukraine than any other country  over $27 billion  since Russia invaded last February. That aid includes weapons and equipment like Javelin anti-tank missiles, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), drones, Howitzers and over one million artillery rounds, and the Patriot missile system. Last week, the US announced it would send 31 M1 Abrams tanks, fulfilling a major request from Kyiv.

"It is no exaggeration to say the military assistance provided by the US since February has prevented Ukraine's capitulation. US arms, training and intelligence has helped Ukraine turn the tide against Russian forces and galvanized European support, while sanctions have severely constrained the Russian economy and defense industry," Monaghan, the CSIS analyst who previously served at the British Defense Ministry, told Insider.

A High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) is pictured during military exercise in Skede, Latvia, on September 26, 2022. Photo by GINTS IVUSKANS/AFP via Getty Images

'This GOP House majority will demand more oversight'

The US has also been instrumental in setting an example for other Western countries to follow.

If Washington's political support for Kyiv weakens, European countries, fearing they were facing Russia alone, might get "cold feet" about continuing to back Ukraine, Araud told Insider.

The Western alliance against Russia is "very clearly" led by the Biden administration and the US, Araud said, adding, "What happens in Washington, of course, will be carefully followed by everybody."

But Monaghan also cautioned that fears about US assistance suddenly drying up could be overblown, given that congressional Republicans have generally been supportive of aiding Ukraine.

"Given previous US assistance packages have been approved with an overwhelming bipartisan majority, and a majority of Americans support current levels of aid, this risk is greater in theory than in practice," he said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington, DC on December 21, 2022. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

GOP Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, echoed that view, telling Insider that there's continued bipartisan support for Ukraine in Congress.

"This GOP House majority will demand more oversight, transparency, and accountability to ensure assistance to Ukraine is used as intended," McCaul said in a statement.

Most European embassies in Washington have likely "sent a message back to their capital that actually the anti-Ukrainian people are not the majority of the Republican party," Araud said.

The general feeling is that it might be more difficult for the Biden administration to get what it wants for Kyiv with Republicans in charge of the House, Araud explained, and there could be "a bit less money or more accountability" and calls for "fighting corruption."

"Most Europeans don't think that suddenly the US is going to cut support to Ukraine," Araud said, adding that nobody anticipates Washington will "dump Ukraine."

Read the original article on Business Insider
WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. officials have offered to brief congressional leaders on their investigation into the classified documents found at former President Donald Trump's Florida residence as well as President Joe Biden's Delaware home and former private office, people familiar with the matter said Sunday.

A briefing could come as soon as this week. But it may not meet demands from lawmakers who want to review the documents taken not just from Mar-a-Lago but also from the locations belonging to Biden and the Indiana home of former Vice President Mike Pence.

Six months after federal agents first conducted an unprecedented search of a former president's home for classified documents, the White House faces bipartisan pressure to share what it found with lawmakers who say they are concerned about the potential damage to national security and intelligence sources. Separate special counsels are investigating the documents found in the possession of Trump and Biden.

Officials have declined to answer most questions in public or private about what they found, citing the ongoing criminal investigations and a separate risk assessment of the possible damage to intelligence sources.

Rep. Mike Turner, who heads the House Intelligence Committee, told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday that the administration notified him it would brief on the documents this week.

This administration needs to understand we do have national security urgent matters, said Turner, R-Ohio. He also called on the White House to brief him on the Chinese balloon shot down Saturday.

What's interesting is that the moment this balloon became public, I got a notice not from the administration that I'm going to get a briefing on this balloon, but they have to rush to Congress now to talk to us about Donald Trump's documents, he said, adding that a discussion of Biden and Pence's records was expected to be included.

Three people familiar with the matter confirmed a congressional briefing was offered to the Gang of Eight  the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate and of both intelligence committees. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.

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Any briefing is not expected to include direct access to the documents that were seized, the people said.

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, asked for that access in a letter last week to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.

The director of national intelligence's office and Department of Justice both declined to comment Sunday.

The Justice Department says roughly 300 documents with classified markings, including at the top-secret level, have been recovered from Mar-a-Lago after being taken there after Trump left the White House. Last August, FBI agents executed a search warrant at the property after developing evidence that led them to believe that Trump and his representatives had not returned all the classified files.

The material taken at that time included roughly 13,000 government documents, including about 100 bearing classification markings. Some of the material was so sensitive that Justice Department prosecutors and FBI counterintelligence investigators required additional security clearances to review them.

A special counsel, Jack Smith, is investigating whether to bring charges against Trump or anyone else related to the documents. Prosecutors have revealed that they are investigating possible violations of multiple criminal statutes, including willful retention of national defense information and obstruction. A grand jury in Washington has been hearing evidence and federal prosecutors have interviewed multiple Trump associates. It is not clear how much longer that investigation will last.

Trump has claimed that the materials were declassified and that he had the power to do so just by thinking about it, though his lawyers have not repeated that claim. They tried to have an independent arbiter conduct an outside review of the documents, though a federal appeals court late last year ended that work and said Trumps team was not entitled to that assessment.

Biden's lawyers say they contacted authorities after first discovering a small number of documents with classified markings on Nov. 2, 2022, in a locked closet at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. The documents were found as Biden's attorneys were clearing out the offices.

A second batch of documents  again described by Biden's lawyers as a small number  were found in a storage space in Bidens garage near Wilmington, Delaware, along with six pages located in Bidens personal library in his home.

FBI agents on Jan. 20 located six additional items that contained documents with classified markings and also took possession of some of Biden's handwritten notes, according to Biden lawyer Bob Bauer. The FBI subsequently searched Biden's vacation home in Delaware but found no classified documents, Bauer said afterward.

___

AP White House Correspondent Zeke Miller contributed to this report.
(Bloomberg) -- Venezuela condemned what it called an attack by the United States against an unmanned civilian aircraft of Chinese origin, taking a clear side in the growing international dispute after a similar balloon was reported over Latin America.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The US once again resorts to the use of force against a device that didnt represent any military or physical threat to people on the ground, according to a Venezuela Foreign Ministry statement.

Latin American leaders have remained quiet about the presence of a Chinese balloon over their territories while the US has said the discovery in its airspace is part of a broader Chinese spying program. The balloon over the US was shot down Sunday by an F-22 Raptor.

Venezuelas leftist government, led by President Nicolas Maduro, has had strained relations with the US, and the South American country has been under economic and oil sanctions since 2019. Meanwhile, China has been the main buyer of Venezuelas sanctioned oil.

Read More: China Moves From Contrite to Confrontational Over US Balloon

Venezuelas statement makes no mention of the other Chinese surveillance balloon that the US Defense Department said Friday was floating over Latin America. Responding to reports of a balloon over its territory, Colombias Air Force issued a statement saying it detected an object flying at 55,000 feet entering the countrys airspace in the north, which was then monitored until it left the airspace.

In this way, it was possible to determine that this element didnt represent a threat to national security and defense, as well as air safety, Colombias Air Force said.

Latin American media reported the balloon flying over Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela without incident.

Story continues

(Updates paragraphs three and four with Latin American leaders reaction to a Chinese balloon and context about Venezuela-China relations.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Wareham firefighters had to fight fire and ice in order to extinguish a house fire Saturday during frigid temperatures.

Wareham fire chief John Kelley told Boston 25 News that some of their equipment kept freezing while the firefighters worked to extinguish the large blaze on Knowles Avenue.

Trying to fight this fire in this kind of weather was really difficult, said Kelley. Their gear is frozen, some of the trucks are freezing up, the lines are freezing.

The large fire has rendered the two-story house uninhabitable, according to Kelley.

A third alarm was struck in order to rotate more firefighters to the front line of the fire and limit exposure.

There was nobody inside the house when the fire began, Kelley said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
TOKYO (Reuters) - Washington has suggested deploying medium-range missiles in Japan as part of a plan to bolster defences against China along the East and South China Seas, the Sankei newspaper reported on Saturday citing unidentified people involved with U.S.-Japan relations.

The deployment to U.S. forces in Japan may include long-range hypersonic weapons and Tomahawks, the newspaper reported, adding without citing sources that Tokyo is poised to start serious discussion toward accepting the deployment.

Though the location is undecided, the Sankei said Japan was considering the southern island of Kyushu as a possibility. It was not clear from the report whether the Sankei was citing one or multiple sources.

Japan and the United States want to reinforce islands separating the East China Sea from the Western Pacific because they are close to Taiwan - a democratically governed island which China claims as its own territory - and form part of what military planners refer to as the 'First Island Chain' extending down to Indonesia that hems in China's forces.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
Illustration by Mitchell Preffer for Decrypt

The steady recovery of market leaders Bitcoin and Ethereum was outdone by several surging altcoins this week, including Polygon, Render and Shiba Inu. The fifth week of the year was the fourth week of 2023 growth for crypto markets.

Public interest in the cataclysmic unraveling of FTX continued unabated this week. On Monday, crypto news account @tier10k shared an email sent by disgraced former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried to a witness in the ongoing case against him for several financial crimes. An email in which he suggested to 'Witness 1' that they "use each other."

In a similarly obsequious tone, SBF also tried to link up with the new FTX CEO, bankruptcy lawyer John Jay Ray III.

Also on Monday, blockchain attorney Lisa Rubin tweeted some important but overlooked news about the many bills relating to crypto that were considered in last years Congress.

Any crypto bills introduced in 2022 are now wiped clean. The new Congress took office January 2023. This means for any crypto bills discussed last year to be considered, they will have to be re-introduced to the 118th Congress. #DC #Congress #cryptoregulation #cryptodaily  Lisa Rubin (@lisaerubin) January 30, 2023

Who's Eligible to Get Their Crypto Back From Bankrupt Celsius?

On Tuesday, avid crypto fan Thomas Braziel shared a graph from the Examiners Report into bankrupt crypto lender Celsius. Its more ammunition for crypto skeptics who say the space is covered in Ponzi schemes.

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#Celsius - wow using the Examiners report and excluding CEL tokens, it seems Celsius was insolvent as far back as early 2021 pic.twitter.com/WCeC65Zp9t  Thomas Braziel (@ThomasBraziel) January 31, 2023

Twitter user @MyDogKopi, a declared fan of cryptocurrencies Avalanche and Fantom, on Tuesday announced an unfortunate rugpull from a so-called social token and NFT platform named Rally. The projects website is down and the last activities from the official Twitter account were a like and a retweet back in September.

Hope yall didnt buy any NFT on @rally_io, cause they are about to be dust in the wind. They got your money, and you dont have your NFT anymore. Might as well right-click it before the site is gone. pic.twitter.com/VzxyzYcsY1  Kopitar.fire  (@MyDogKopi) January 31, 2023

That same day, Coinbase director Conor Grogan shared an incriminating list of purchases made by Sam Bankman-Fried and his former crypto hedge fund, Alameda Research. Last Sunday Grogan even accused the FTX clique of contributing to the bank run that collapsed Celsius by depegging Lido Staked Ethereum (stETH).

Some of the things that SBF/Alameda bought:

- $18k of Pebble, a fractionalized NFT of a picture of a rock

- 540 "Storyblocks" NFTs "AI generated short-stories for your Loot"

-$605 of CarolineDAO NFTs a "SimpDAO for Caroline Ellison"

-$135k of "CUMROCKET"

-~$20k of "TENDIES" pic.twitter.com/GKy9r3qYFT  Conor (@jconorgrogan) January 31, 2023

An account dedicated to Polygon news called @NarbTrading tweeted some bullish stats. More individual NFTs were sold on Polygon than Ethereum via leading marketplace OpenSea for the second consecutive month in January, according to analytics by Dune.

In January, OpenSea @0xPolygon had the highest amount of monthly active users since September 2021 This is the second highest amount of monthly users ever. pic.twitter.com/pM0bZHjN7j  Narb (@NarbTrading) January 31, 2023

Many DAOs and Web3 Projects Are Decentralization Theater: Tezos Co-Founder

On Wednesday a Twitter account devoted to making sense of DAOs, which goes by the handle @DeepDAO.io, shared a table highlighting the pronounced growth in DAO treasury funds over January.

1/4 DAO treasuries jumped 38.5% in January, from $8.9B to $12.3B  With their strong performance, the DAOs out performed both ETH (30.9%), and BTC (38.2%) In the top 20, the biggest gainers are @decentraland, @fraxfinance, @LidoFinance, and @CurveFinance Here are the top 20 pic.twitter.com/0rmhhEVyyv  DeepDAO.io (@DeepDAO_io) February 1, 2023

British thespian Anthony Hopkins continued his journey into the NFT space with a piano composition that has been in the works for a while.

Over the last few years, Ive been composing this piano piece

Today I am titling it Eternal in gratitude to all The Eternal NFT collectors.

Your support and engagement continue to inspire me. Hope you enjoy it. @orangecometnft @opensea pic.twitter.com/QHtNUYo2Z4  AHopkins.eth (@AnthonyHopkins) February 1, 2023

MasterCards former NFT Product Lead Satvik Sethi announced his resignation on Thursday in a multi-tweet thread. He also included harrowing allegations of workplace bullying and exploitation in the company.
As criticism mounts against the portrayal of obesity in the new film The Whale, one man has defended it against its detractors.

In the movie, Brendan Fraser plays the reclusive English teacher named Charlie who is affected by obesity. He begins the film in a downward spiral both physically and emotionally as he attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter.

One man, named Sean Crawford, has defended the film, as he found parallels between the films plot and his own life.

The father of one told the BBC that he cried when he saw the films trailer.

Crawford, who is from East Lothian, Scotland, explained that he rapidly gained weight after a close friend of his died. He now weighs 30 stone (190kg).

He says that the film has given a voice to people in his situation, noting similarities between his life and that of Charlie in the movie.

[Charlie] instructs a class from behind a computer because he is ashamed of his weight, I hid away from things because I was ashamed of mine, Crawford said.

The main focus is making sure our daughters turn out to be good human beings just in case we arent there to see them grow up, he continued, adding: I think people need to realise big people are human beings.

Fraser, who has been nominated for an Oscar for his role in the film, wore heavy prosthetics and a fat suit for the role.

Brendan Fraser wore heavy prosthetics for new film The Whale (A24)

Some critics have called out the casting of Fraser as a bigger-bodied person when they could have hired an actor who already fitted that description.

Others, however, have decried the film as fatphobic trauma porn.

Meanwhile, Crawford said that the film raises awareness of people experiencing weight gain and mental health issues.

I often get adults looking at me in disgust, kids stare and make comments  but I understand this is the innocence of youth.

I so often hear people talk about the likes of anorexia and bulimia with a degree of sympathy, whereas obesity is frowned upon, he said. Both are illnesses at the end of the day.

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Crawford gained weight rapidly after losing a close friend and takng voluntary redundancy from his role as a maintenance supervisor after 12 years of working. He said he put on 12 stone (76kg) in 18 months.

I neglected my life and spent 99.9 per cent of my time watching TV, eating and drinking fizzy juice, he said, adding: I dont sleep much so I have 18 to 19 hours a day to do this.

When he got weighed at the hospital, Crawford found that he weighed 30 stone (190kg).

It was soul destroying and I lost all my confidence, he said.

Crawford said he is desperate to see The Whale.

I couldnt tell you the last time I wanted to see a film at the cinema but this one massively ties into my situation, he told the BBC, saying that he relates to the storyline.

I empathise with him [Charlie, Frasers character] and it also gives a voice to people in my position.

He is a teacher and is helping society. It shows people benefitting from his life, as normally overweight people are hidden away and are not given the credit they are due.

The Whale is out now in UK cinemas.
A patient rests on a gurney inside a Los Angeles hospital. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

As COVID-19 began to rip through California, hospitals were deluged with sickened patients. Medical staff struggled to manage the onslaught.

Amid the new threat of the coronavirus, an old one was also quietly on the rise: More people have suffered severe sepsis in California hospitals in recent years  including a troubling surge in patients who got sepsis inside the hospital itself, state data show.

Sepsis happens when the body tries to fight off an infection and ends up jeopardizing itself. Chemicals and proteins released by the body to combat an infection can injure healthy cells as well as infected ones and cause inflammation, leaky blood vessels and blood clots, according to the National Institutes of Health.

It is a perilous condition that can end up damaging tissues and triggering organ failure. Across the country, sepsis kills more people annually than breast cancer, HIV/AIDS and opioid overdoses combined, said Dr. Kedar Mate, president and chief executive of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

"Sepsis is a leading cause of death in hospitals. It's been true for a long time  and it's become even more true during the pandemic," Mate said.

The bulk of sepsis cases begin outside hospitals, but people are also at risk of getting sepsis while hospitalized for other illnesses or medical procedures. And that danger grew during the pandemic, according to state data: In California, the number of "hospital-acquired" cases of severe sepsis rose more than 46% between 2019 and 2021.

Experts say the pandemic exacerbated a persistent threat for patients, faulting both the dangers of the coronavirus itself and the stresses that hospitals have faced during the pandemic. The rise in sepsis in California came as hospital-acquired infections increased across the country  a problem that worsened during surges in COVID-19 hospitalizations, researchers have found.

"This setback can and must be temporary," said Lindsey Lastinger, a health scientist in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion.

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Physicians describe sepsis as hard to spot and easy to treat in its earliest stages, but harder to treat by the time it becomes evident. It can show up in a range of ways, and detecting it is complicated by the fact that its symptoms  which can include confusion, shortness of breath, clammy skin and fever  are not unique to sepsis.

Theres no gold standard test to say that you have sepsis or not, said Dr. Santhi Kumar, interim chief of pulmonology, critical care and sleep medicine at Keck Medicine of USC. Its a constellation of symptoms.

Christopher Lin, 28, endured excruciating pain and a broiling fever of 102.9 degrees at home before heading to the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center. It was October 2020, and the hospital looked "surreal," Lin said, with a tent set up outside and chairs spaced sparsely in the waiting room.

His fever raised concerns about COVID-19, but Lin tested negative. At one point at the emergency department his blood pressure abruptly dropped, Lin said, and "it felt like my soul had left my body."

Lin, who suffered sepsis in connection with a bacterial infection, isn't sure where he first got infected. Days before he went to the hospital, he had undergone a quick procedure at urgent care to drain a painful abscess on his chest, and got the gauze changed by a nurse the following day, he said. Such outpatient procedures aren't included in state data on hospital-acquired sepsis.

Someone with sepsis might have a high temperature or a low one, a heart rate that has sped or slowed, a breathing rate that is high or low.

It can result from bacteria, fungal infections, viruses or even parasites  "and the challenge is that when someone walks into the emergency department with a fever, we don't know which of those four things they have," said Dr. Karin Molander, an emergency medicine physician and past board chair of Sepsis Alliance. Treatment can vary depending on what is driving the infection that spurred sepsis, but antibiotics are common because many cases are tied to bacterial infections.

The pandemic piled on the risks: A coronavirus infection can itself lead to sepsis, and the virus also ushered more elderly and medically vulnerable people into hospitals who are at higher risk for the dangerous condition, experts said. Nearly 40% of severe sepsis patients who died in California hospitals in 2021 were diagnosed with COVID-19, according to state data. Some COVID-19 patients were hospitalized for weeks at a time, ramping up their risk of other complications that can lead to sepsis.

The longer youre in the hospital, the more things happen to you, said Dr. Maita Kuvhenguhwa, an attending physician in infectious disease at MLK Community Healthcare. Youre immobilized, so you have a risk of developing pressure ulcers"  not just on the backside, but potentially on the face under an oxygen device  "and the wound can get infected."

"Lines, tubes, being here a long time  all put them at risk for infection," Kuvhenguhwa said.

Experts said the pandemic may have also pulled away attention from other kinds of infection control, as staff were strained and hospital routines were disrupted. California, which is unusual nationwide in mandating minimum ratios for nurse staffing, allowed some hospitals to relax those requirements amid the pandemic.

Nurses juggling more patients might not check and clean patients' mouths as often to help prevent bacterial infections, Kumar said. Mate said that hospitalized patients might not get their catheters changed as often amid staff shortages, which can increase the risk of urinary tract infections.

Hospitals might have brought in traveling nurses to help plug the gaps, but if they dont know the same systems, its going to be harder for them to follow the same processes to deter infections, said Catherine Cohen, a policy researcher with the Rand Corp.

Armando Nahum, one of the founding members of Patients for Patient Safety U.S., said that pandemic restrictions on hospital visitors may have also worsened the problem, preventing family members from being able to spot that a relative was acting unusually and raise concerns.

Molander echoed that point, saying that it's important for patients to have someone who knows them well and might be able to alert doctors, "My mom has dementia, but she's normally very talkative."

Sepsis has been a long-standing battle for hospitals: One-third of people who die in U.S. hospitals had sepsis during their hospitalization, according to research cited by the CDC. But Mate argued that sepsis deaths can be reduced significantly "with the right actions that we know how to take."

In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Jefferson Health began rolling out a new effort to combat sepsis in the fall of 2021, just before the initial Omicron wave began to hit hospitals.

Its system includes predictive modeling that uses information from electronic medical records to alert clinicians that someone might be suffering from sepsis. It also set up a "standardized workflow" for sepsis patients so that crucial steps such as prescribing antibiotics happen as quickly as possible, hospital officials said.

The goal was to lessen the mental burden on doctors and nurses pulled in many directions, said Dr. Patricia Henwood, its chief clinical officer. "Clinicians across the country are strained, and we don't necessarily need better clinicians  we need better systems," she said.

Jefferson Health credits the new system with helping to reduce deaths from severe sepsis by 15% in a year.

In New York state, uproar over the death of 12-year-old Rory Staunton led to new requirements for hospitals to adopt protocols to rapidly identify and treat sepsis and report data to the state. State officials said the effort saved more than 16,000 lives between 2015 and 2019, and researchers found greater reductions in sepsis deaths in New York than in states without such requirements.

If your child gets sick, he said, "you shouldn't have to wonder if the hospital on the right has sepsis protocols and the one on the left doesn't," said Ciaran Staunton, who co-founded the organization End Sepsis after the death of his son. His group welcomed the news when federal agencies were recently directed to develop "hospital quality measures" for sepsis.

Such a move could face opposition. Robert Imhoff, president and chief executive of the Hospital Quality Institute  an affiliate of the California Hospital Assn.  contended that expanding the kind of requirements in effect in New York was unnecessary.

"I don't think hospitals need to be mandated to provide safe, quality care," Imhoff said.

State data show that severe sepsis  including cases originating both outside and inside hospitals  has been on the rise in California over the last decade, but Molander said the long-term increase may be tied to changes in reporting requirements that led to more cases being tracked. California has yet to release new data on severe sepsis acquired in hospitals last year, and is not expected to do so until this fall.

For Lin, surviving sepsis left him determined to make sure that the word gets out about sepsis  and not just in English. In the hospital, he had struggled to explain what was happening to his mother, who speaks Cantonese. After recovering, Lin worked with local officials to get materials from Sepsis Alliance translated into Chinese.

"I can't imagine if it were my parents in the hospital," he said, "going through what I was going through."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
iStock; thelinke/Getty Images; Robyn Phelps/Insider

Bias and stereotypes lead to college-educated Black women facing greater challenges in the dating market.

Black women are among the highest educated female demographic in America.

Students and experts told Insider that predominantly white college campuses don't create a fair playing field for Black women when dating.

A viral TikTok of white, female college graduates showcasing their engagement rings while waiting to receive their degrees sparked a conversation online about the pressure on young women at southern colleges and universities to get engaged before graduation.

The phenomenon has many names, but is perhaps most commonly trademarked as "ring by spring" or obtaining an "MRS degree." While the terms can have a negative connotation  implying that a young woman's main intention in attending college is to find a partner  it sheds light on the very real experience of young, white women finding their life partners on campus.

It isn't comparable to the experience of college-educated Black women who are 53% less likely to marry a well-educated man (with at least some post-secondary education) than their white counterparts.

"For Black women attending college, we're really striving to level the playing field or become economically stable. Our goal is to secure a career, and in turn, secure our families," said Anjerrika Bean, the assistant director of Howard University's Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership. "Securing a spouse isn't the ultimate agenda for us. That doesn't mean we aren't interested in it, but it isn't the reason we are choosing to further our education at said institution."

'The marriage squeeze'

Whether dating to marry or focusing on dating at all is a priority for Black women in college, uncontrollable factors like systematic racism, preference, and stigma in a society influenced by western beauty standards play into the experience of singlehood amongst Black female college students.

According to the book "The Dating Divide: Race and Desire in the Era of Online Romance," young Black women, like most everyone else, want to marry someone who's similarly educated. But in a society where Black women are among the highest educated female demographic in America (in terms of post-secondary education) and only 36% of Black male students complete a bachelor's degree within six years, the dating pool drastically decreases for college Black women seeking an equal on campus.

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"We have an economic system that creates real inequality, in particular for Black men. And so you have a situation known as the marriage squeeze, where Black women tend to be more highly educated than Black men because of the different ways in which a racist society impacts men versus women," said Jennifer Lundquist, professor of Sociology and Senior Associate Dean of Research & Faculty Development at the University of Massachusetts, and co-author of "The Dating Divide."

Issues like a higher mortality rate among Black men  both for health reasons, but also systematic violence  including police brutality, affects the gender proportions in the Black community. In terms of challenges surrounding completion of secondary education, factors like being a first-generation college student, needing to work a full-time job while in school, or not having the savings or financial support to afford tuition slow down the rate at which Black men graduate.

A hostile dating environment

While Black women have the lowest rates of dating across race lines, predominantly white institutions don't necessarily create an inviting environment for those who are open to pursuing love outside their race. "These are Black women in an institution that is increasingly hostile towards people of color, particularly Black women," said Celeste Currington, an assistant professor of sociology at Boston University and co-author of "The Dating Divide."

"Black women often don't feel comfortable or welcome in what is the pervasive romantic scene, which is the hookup scene  the parties, the drinking, fraternities. Those are often white men's territory on campus," Lundquist added.

Long standing images and stereotypes assigned to Black femininity that devalues it as something that is deviant and undesirable also plays a role in why Black women are being approached less on campuses.

"These white supremacist initiatives throughout history paint Black women as aggressive or hypersexual on the one end, but also non-feminine on the other hand. A lot of people internalize these images and of course they're also pinned against white femininity," Currington said. "Blackness, particularly gendered blackness, was not framed as something that is beautiful, that can be desirable. And this impacts people's experiences." On dating apps, Black women with a college degree are more likely to be passed on by non-Black men than a white woman with less education.

"A lot of my roommates were white and they were always quickly getting into a relationship, even as freshmen. Whereas I was on that same campus for four years and never found anyone," said Lauryn Craine, a recent graduate from Missouri Valley College. Craine, who dated intra- and interracially, said she had several experiences where she would casually date men who would tell her they weren't looking for something serious, only to see them in a relationship with a non-Black woman later. "They pretty much only wanted sex when it came to me," she said.

'I was not used to being overlooked instead of being celebrated'

Stereotypes of Black women as hypersexual and not worthy of commitment are still prevalent. Kierra Grayson, a 26-year-old consultant who attended Cornell University for undergraduate school, detailed a similar experience. "I talked to a couple of guys, but it never got to be anything serious because I just don't think I quite frankly fit into the category of women that they were looking for," she said.

While Grayson didn't date outside her race during her time in undergrad, she felt the landscape of a predominantly white institution (PWI) put Black women in competition with non-Black women and Black women from wealthy backgrounds to find a partner. "I had a very isolating and discomforting experience because I don't think PWIs are ready to accept the multiple ways that Black people can appear. They are prepared to accept elite Blacks who know how to do these elite things and are accepted in these elite circles versus people who have to learn how to do that," said Grayson.

Grayson said she had never felt discriminated against by her own community until she went to a PWI. "I was not used to being overlooked instead of being celebrated. There was a huge point in my freshman year where I became very insecure and just felt like, maybe I wasn't attractive or maybe I was doing something wrong because suddenly guys weren't into me," she said.

Tension from other community members also plays a part. "Black women often face a double standard when they date outside their race because sexuality and intimate decisions are more policed among other Black community members, Black men for example. Whereas Black men might not face the same type of gendered policing that Black women do," Currington said, noting that Black men are more likely to interracially date on campus.

But just because college-educated Black women aren't reporting being married at large rates doesn't mean they aren't experiencing intimate relationships. "Maybe marriage is not the goal for some, but it doesn't necessarily mean they don't have relationships," said Currington. Lindquist adds: "Marriage has increasingly become an institution that is tied to social class, like expensive proposals, rings, and weddings  all very white behaviors. So I think it's important often to spread the category to be about cohabitating partners as well. There's still differences, but they do look a lot more similar, across race and education when we factor in other forms of relationships."

Read the original article on Insider
University mascots. Illustrated | Gettyimages

U.S. News & World Report's rankings of the nation's best colleges and universities have been at the pinnacle of educational excellence for decades. But with a growing number of the nation's top law and medical schools now boycotting the annual lists, could this be the end of the college ranking system as we know it? Here's everything you need to know:

What are the 'U.S. News & World Report' college rankings?

For over 30 years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked the nation's undergraduate and graduate institutions across a slate of annual lists, each with an outsized ability to influence a university's reputation. Students often reference the rankings when choosing a school or program to attend, while colleges themselves work overtime to improve (or maintain) their highly-publicized spot. But despite the lists' influence, higher education experts have long criticized the rankings, which they believe promote elitism and rely on a flawed methodology.

Why are certain grad schools boycotting the rankings?

The drama first began in November 2022, when the dean of Yale Law School announced her decision to part ways with the law school list. "The U.S. News rankings are profoundly flawed  they disincentivize programs that support public interest careers, champion need-based aid, and welcome working-class students into the profession," Dean Heather Gerken said at the time. "We have reached a point where the rankings process is undermining the core commitments of the legal profession." Despite Yale having been ranked in the top spot since the law school list's inception, Gerken said U.S. News' methodology "not only fails to advance the legal profession but stands squarely in the way of progress."

Hours later, Harvard Law School followed suit and announced it would also be withdrawing from the rankings. "It has become impossible to reconcile our principles and commitments with the methodology and incentives the U.S. News rankings reflect," Dean John Manning wrote in a message to the Harvard Law community. Over a dozen other law schools with similar concerns eventually joined Harvard and Yale in their boycott.

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Inspired by his law counterparts, Harvard Medical School Dean George Daley in January decided to pull his school from the rankings, as well. In a letter, Daley said he had been reconsidering his program's participation in the U.S. News process since becoming dean six years earlier, and that his concerns were "more philosophical than methodological."

"Rankings cannot meaningfully reflect the high aspirations for educational excellence, graduate preparedness, and compassionate and equitable patient care that we strive to foster in our medical education program," he said.

Twelve other medical schools have since joined Harvard in boycotting the list, per Becker's Hospital Review, including those at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, and Stanford University. J. Larry Jameson, dean of Penn's Perelman School of Medicine, said the rankings "perpetuate a vision for medical education and the future physician and scientist workforce that we do not share." He also denounced the lists' overemphasis on high test scores and grades, noting "we strive to identify and attract students with a wide array of characteristics that predict promise."

How has 'U.S. News' responded to critics?

U.S. News responded to the wave of law school boycotts by announcing new criteria for future lists while stating that it would continue to rank law schools based on data from the American Bar Association, "whether or not schools respond to our annual survey." After hearing from over 100 law school representatives, the magazine decided to lessen its emphasis on peer evaluations, give equal weight to all fellowships, and make data more transparent for prospective students.

"We have helped expand the universe of well-known law schools beyond the club of Ivy League schools of the last century, " U.S. News wrote in a letter to law school deans. "But we realize that legal education is neither monolithic nor static and that the rankings, by becoming so widely accepted, may not capture the individual nuances of each school in the larger goal of using a common set of data."

It remains to be seen whether the outlet will make similar changes to the medical school ranking methodology. Otherwise, it has continued to defend its rankings as an essential resource for prospective students and their families.

"Our mission is to help prospective students make the best decisions for their educational future," U.S. News CEO Eric Gertler said in a statement responding to Harvard Medical School's departure. "Where students attend school and how they use their education are among the most critical decisions of their life, and with admissions more competitive and less transparent, and tuition increasingly expensive, we believe students deserve access to all the data and information necessary to make the right decision."

Is this the beginning of the end for college ranking systems?

The dean of Yale Law certainly thinks so. In an interview with The Atlantic, Gerken said her subsequent discussions with U.S. News "really cemented our decision to leave the rankings." She described the publication as a "commercial entity" that lacks legal-education expertise and "has produced a set of rankings that don't give a full and accurate picture for the huge, varied set of institutions."

"In the 40 years of rankings, this is the biggest shock to the system  that gives me hope," Colin Diver, a former president of the ranking-abstinent Reed College, told the Journal's Josh Zumbrun. Even so, such hope is "likely to be in vain," Zumbrun continued. Sure, prospective students might have a better college experience if they consider factors beyond ranking when selecting a school. But will they actually start to "ignore publicly available compilations of how their schools rank? Probably not anytime soon."

Further, it remains to be seen whether universities will pull their undergraduate programs from the rankings, as well. "It's fascinating they go, 'That graduate school methodology is trash. Oh, let's not talk about the undergraduate,'" Akil Bello, director of advocacy for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, told the Chronicle of Higher Education's Francie Diep.

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Whatcom County prosecuting attorneys dont believe newly elected Whatcom County District Court Judge Jonathan Rands can fairly handle any DUI cases, and theyve taken drastic steps to ensure he wont get the chance to prove it.

Rands has argued thats untrue and is pushing back on what he sees as an attempt by the prosecutors office to tie his hands and intimidate him in his first few weeks as judge.

Many of these arguments will be on display next week as a Whatcom County Superior Court judges will decide whether Rands will be required to remove himself from presiding over more than 100 criminal cases in District Court.

Whatcom County District Court consists of two elected judges who serve four-year terms and preside over cases that include criminal misdemeanors, no-contact orders, general civil actions, small claims and infractions, such as traffic tickets and code violations.

Rands was elected to the District Court bench after winning the November election with 62.3% of the vote. Rands won against senior deputy prosecuting attorney Gordon Jenkins, who remains an attorney within the county prosecutors office.

Rands was sworn in as judge Jan. 9 and took over the caseload of his predecessor, former Judge Matthew Elich, who retired.

Breath test evidence

The issue of DUI case evidence, first brought up in Kitsap County, has now been taken up by the Washington State Supreme Court. The case could be heard during the high courts spring or fall term. It also links back to Rands. Before becoming judge, he ran a multi-county DUI defense law firm.

In late November and December, Rands partnered with George Bianchi, a fellow DUI defense attorney, to file so-called Kitsap motions in two Whatcom County District Court cases that alleged the software used by breath test machines, and whose results are often entered by prosecutors in drunken driving cases, didnt follow state law. The two cases became representative for all DUI cases in Whatcom County, according to court records.

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On Jan. 10, his second as a judge, Rands was asked whether he would hear the motion arguing to suppress breath test evidence. Rands said hed already looked into whether he could rehear the motion and decided he could, court records state.

Rands said he wouldnt remove himself from hearing the cases where a breath test motion had been filed, and said attorneys could present him with the records from one of the two cases he had handled as a private defense attorney so he could make his own ruling on the breath test motion, according to court records.

Ethics concerns

Rands comments concerned a deputy prosecutor, who then informed his supervisor and other attorneys within the county prosecutors office.

Attorneys in the prosecutors office said Rands comments suggested he would grant a motion to suppress the breath test evidence if it were filed in a case he was presiding over, court records state.

No one in the District Court Division had ever heard of any other judicial officer suggesting that it would be appropriate for them to review a record which they created as an attorney to rule on their own motion, the records state.

District Court prosecuting attorneys subsequently filed around 50 affidavits of prejudice against Rands in cases where a breath test motion may be possible, according to court records. The cases included DUI, physical control and minor operating cases filed before Nov. 6, court records show.

Affidavits of prejudice are filed against judges in cases where attorneys dont believe they can have an impartial trial or hearing before the judge. During a court session on Jan. 17, Rands declined to remove himself from handling the affidavited cases, saying the affidavits were untimely, and then made rulings in some of the cases.

Prosecutors became extremely concerned about Rands ability to fairly hear DUI cases, according to court records.

The attorneys believed Rands was revealing he couldnt remain impartial in DUI cases and that he was attempting to keep as many DUI cases as possible under his jurisdiction, the court records state. They argue it would be irresponsible to allow Rands to handle any DUI cases. The result: a total of 133 affidavits of prejudice against Rands in all remaining DUI cases before him, filed within his first three weeks on the bench.

I know from my experience in District Court that drunk drivers present an extreme threat to community safety, deputy prosecuting attorney Levi Uhrig wrote in court documents. Impaired driving is a frequent cause of property damage, personal injury, and death in Whatcom County and across Washington State. Effective prosecution of drunk drivers is one of our most important goals in the District Court Division.

The prosecutors office also filed petitions Jan. 20 seeking writs of mandamus and certiorari from Whatcom County Superior Court that would require Rands to recuse himself in all the affidavited cases and would void any rulings Rands had made in the cases since prosecutors requested he not hear them.

The same day, a temporary restraining order was also issued against Rands, barring him from handling the affidavited criminal cases, The Bellingham Herald previously reported.

That order was vacated and a new one was issued during a Jan. 27 hearing in Superior Court. The new temporary restraining order also allows Whatcom County District Court Judge Angela Anderson to preside over the cases Rands is restricted from hearing.

Intimidation concerns

Rands former attorney in the writs case has accused the prosecutors office of using the affidavits of prejudice as a way to intimidate and retaliate against Rands due to personal or political motivations.

Stephen Hayne, the former attorney, argued that Rands didnt violate any laws and was following court rules when he denied recusing himself from hearing the affidavited cases in District Court.

Hayne argued court clerks had been announcing since November and December that Rands would be taking over cases previously assigned to the retiring judge and would begin handling them in January, the court records state. Because of this, the affidavits filed against Rands were untimely, Hayne wrote.

Hayne also raised concerns with how the temporary restraining order was issued and accused the prosecutors office of deliberately filing the request for the order in a way that denied Rands, and District Court, an opportunity to be heard on the matter, the court records show.

Shane Brady, a special attorney appointed Jan. 27 to represent District Court, and by extension Rands, filed documents in the case making similar arguments and added the affidavits are preventing a newly elected judge from doing his job.

Brady contends legal actions barring one of two seated judges in District Court from hearing more than 100 cases prevents the District Court from serving the public. Rands had barely put on his robe before the prosecutors office filed its affidavits, Brady wrote.

The State couldnt even give the public one week to allow the judge they elected to perform his duties unfettered, Brady wrote. There is no comparing whatever the prosecutors office interest is to the voting publics will and allowing Judge Rands to perform his duties.

Nothing about Rands decision to deny recusing himself from hearing the affidavited cases prevents attorneys from still prosecuting the cases or filing motions in them, Brady also wrote in court documents. The prosecuting attorneys are free to prosecute the cases without hindrance from District Court, he stated.

Rands has also stated that if breath test motions are made in cases he is handling, or if there are requests made that are related to documents and issues he helped create and argued as an attorney before becoming a judge, he will recuse himself from handling those motions, court records show.

While the prosecutors office can disagree with Rands decision to not recuse himself, it doesnt justify the extraordinary steps it has taken to request a higher court take emergency action, Brady wrote.

Brady has requested the temporary restraining order be vacated and that the emergency measures the prosecutors office is requesting be denied, court records show.

A hearing will be held Feb. 13 where attorneys will make arguments regarding the merits of the overall case and the measures the prosecutors office is requesting the higher court take against Rands.
WisdomTree, Inc. (NYSE:WT) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript February 3, 2023

Operator: Greetings. Welcome to WisdomTree's Fourth Quarter 2022 Earnings Call. At this time, all participants will be in a listen-only mode. A question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. Please note this conference is being recorded. At this time, I will turn the conference over to Jessica Zaloom, Head of Corporate Communications. Jessica, you may now begin.

Jessica Zaloom: Good morning. Before we begin, I would like to reference our legal disclaimer available in today's presentation. This presentation may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the risks set forth in this presentation and in the Risk Factors section of WisdomTree's annual report, on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, as amended, and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022. WisdomTree assumes no duty and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements. Now it is my pleasure to turn the call over to WisdomTree's CFO, Bryan Edmiston.

Bryan Edmiston: Thank you, Jessica, and welcome, everyone. I'll begin by reviewing the results of the fourth quarter, and we'll then turn the call over to Jarrett and Jono for additional updates on our business. Fourth quarter caps what's been a very successful year for WisdomTree. We generated net flows totaling $5.3 billion, with positive flows in both our U.S. listed and European-listed products. This was our strongest flowing quarter since 2015, and we closed out the year with $82 billion of AUM, our highest quarter end on record. Flows of $3.4 billion into our Floating Rate Treasury product, USFR, was the primary contributor. That was followed by flows across most other product categories, including our U.S. equity products with about $1 billion of flows as well as our commodity suite having turned a corner with $800 million of flows mostly into oil.

We have overcome an incredibly challenging market backdrop, with negative market movement, impacting our AUM by almost $8 billion for the year. Notwithstanding the market declines, our revenues were essentially flat year-over-year as we generated over $12 billion of net flows, our strongest flowing year since 2015, representing annualized organic flow growth of 16%. USFR was a shining star, but not the only story. Our U.S. equity product flows have been consistently strong with positive net flows for 30 of the last 31 months and over $3 billion of flows during the year and annualized organic flow growth rate of 14%. We ended the year with sustained momentum as evidenced by nine consecutive positive flowing quarters. Our AUM currently stands at a record level, $87.2 billion, an increase of 6% from the end of December as our momentum continues, having generated almost $1.7 billion of flows in January and having benefited from positive market movement.

Next Slide. Revenues were $73.3 million, essentially unchanged from the third quarter as our higher average AUM was offset by a 2 basis point decline in our average advisory fee due to changes in our AUM mix. Adjusted net income was $7 million or $0.04 a share. Our non-GAAP results exclude a non-cash after-tax loss of $35 million for our future gold commitment payments due to an update to the discount rate used to compute the present value of the annual payment obligations. Next Slide. Our operating expenses were up 7% for the quarter. This increase was largely due to higher incentive compensation accruals as well as higher seasonal marketing and sales-related expenses. We ended the year with compensation expense of about $98 million for the middle of our previously disclosed guidance and with discretionary spending of $49.4 million, the low end of our guidance range.

Next Slide. Now a few comments on our 2023 expense guidance. This upcoming year will include a reinvestment into future growth initiatives, taking into consideration our anticipated national launch of WisdomTree Prime and continued focus on organic growth. We are forecasting our compensation expense to range from $96 million to $106 million. This guidance includes hires, both in sales and digital assets as well as year-end compensation adjustments and annualization of hires made in 2022. The range considers variability in incentive compensation with drivers, including the magnitude of our flows, our share price performance in relation to our peers as well as revenue, operating income and operating margin performance. Also, just a reminder that we experienced elevated seasonality in the amount of compensation we report in the first quarter as we recognized payroll taxes, benefits and other items in connection with the payment of year-end compensation.

We estimate first quarter compensation expense to be approximately $27 million to $28 million. Discretionary spending ranges from $56 million to $59 million as compared to the $49.4 million recognized in 2022. This guidance includes a modest uplift for WisdomTree Prime marketing and other related costs. Our gross margin is anticipated to be 78% at current AUM levels. We would anticipate margin expansion, assuming continued organic flow growth. Our contractual gold payment expense is forecasted to be $18 million, assuming gold prices remain flat at current levels. As a reminder, this expense is based on us paying 9,500 ounces of gold on an annual basis and is measured based upon monthly average gold prices. Third-party distribution expense is forecasted to be approximately $8 million to $9 million and is dependent upon AUM growth on our respective platforms.

Our adjusted tax rate is expected to be about 23%, taking into consideration a change in U.K. corporate income tax rate from 19% to 25%, which is effective in 2023. As a reminder, the UK rate increase is something that will impact all companies with the footprint in the United Kingdom. And in June of this year, $175 million of our convertible notes are coming due. While not setting stone, we're currently planning to reduce our debt by approximately $50 million and refinancing the remainder. Our interest cost is estimated to temporarily rise in 2023 to about $16 million as any debt reduction will occur midway through the year, coupled with a higher interest rate associated with our refinancing. Our normalized interest expense exiting 2023 is estimated to be about $14 million or $1 million lower versus what was recognized this past year.

That's all I have. I will now turn the call over to Jarrett.

Jarrett Lilien: Thanks, Bryan and good morning, everyone. While many other asset managers struggled with the challenging markets, WisdomTree delivered its best year of net inflows since 2015 and exited 2022 with record AUM. Our 16% organic growth rate was best-in-class versus our publicly traded peers. Our product performance was and is outstanding with over 80% of our U.S. AUM beating benchmarks. Our managed models business continues to grow in significance with platform partners such as Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley and with RIA and independent broker-dealer partners through our WisdomTree portfolio and growth solutions offering. We continue to increase our efficiency and scalability in our global ETP and models business now delivers incremental margins well north of 50%.

And we have staked out a first-mover advantage in digital assets and blockchain-enabled finance, now with a suite of 10 blockchain-enabled funds effective with the SEC in addition to our gold and dollar tokens. And this all sums up a highly successful 2022, but it also highlights why 2023 and beyond will continue to be strong. We have the products and solutions. We have the fund positioning and performance. We have the first mover positioning in digital assets and blockchain-enabled finance. And we have multiple years of momentum with global inflows for the past nine consecutive quarters, 30 of the past 31 months in the U.S. and then seven of eight of our major product categories over the past year. All in all, 2022 was another successful year, and we are confident and excited about 2023 and beyond.

And with that, let me now turn it over to Jono.

Jonathan Steinberg: Thank you, Jarrett. The momentum in our ETF franchise is incredible. WisdomTree was one of the only asset managers with net inflows in 2022. And as Jarrett said, best-in-class 16% organic growth. We exited the year with over $5 billion of inflows in the fourth quarter, our best quarter in nearly seven years. We expect our momentum to continue in 2023, and we are off to a strong start with year-to-date inflows of almost $1.7 billion. We expect strong and steady organic growth based on our strong fund performance, a shift in sentiment to value and our ever-expanding model franchise. 2023 looks to be even more exciting. In digital assets and blockchain-enabled finance, the pace of our progress is sped up. After years of engagement with the SEC around our process and protections, our first blockchain-enabled fund was declared effective in late September.

Then roughly 2.5 months later, nine additional blockchain-enabled funds went effective with the SEC. We now have a broad investment suite of digital funds that span both fixed income and equities plus our gold and dollar tokens. These are the building blocks investors or consumers need to build holistic portfolios or to facilitate financial services inside WisdomTree Prime. As we refine our launch plans, our goal now is to launch WisdomTree Prime in the app stores in Q2. That's the significant go-live event. Investors and consumers should be looking forward to. We are on the precipice of a major shift in financial services into digital blockchain realm, and WisdomTree is well positioned to meet that opportunity. The beauty of our digital wallet is that it can be many things to various types of users and with a nimble blockchain-based tech backbone, WisdomTree Prime has the ability to evolve quickly to meet future use cases.

Business, Company, Finance

Photo by Rodeo Project Management Software on Unsplash

I'm excited for all of you to try our platform later this year, and we look forward to sharing our successes in product development and feature enhancements with you throughout the year. And finally, the operations and strategy committee concluded at the end of last year. The committee dug deep into WisdomTree and generated a report for the Board. I'm pleased to report that the Board unanimously voted in support of both the executive management team and with the strategy of the firm. WisdomTree remains on track with incredible momentum and a tremendous opportunity ahead in ETFs, model solutions, digital assets and blockchain-enabled finance. I look forward to sharing our ongoing progress with you in coming quarters. With that, operator, can you turn the call over to our Head of Investor Relations, Jeremy Campbell, to take some questions from our shareholders.

A - Jeremy Campbell: Hello, and good morning, everybody. Similar to prior quarters, we're going to do some Q&A from the retail shareholders via the Say platform. The first question goes to Will Peck, Head of Digital Assets for WisdomTree. And the question is, who do you view as the major competitors to WisdomTree Prime? And what is the go-to-market strategy and competitive dynamics in digital assets given all the messy news flow over the past year?

William Peck: Thanks a lot, Jeremy, and good morning, everyone. I'll start to answer this question a bit more broadly. Digital assets at WisdomTree is about  one term could be real-world asset tokenization that's certainly been a more topical term for a lot of people and bringing the benefits of blockchain technology to traditional real-world assets, right? And in that space, I'd highlight two firms as kind of competitors or peer firms or whatever you want to call them. That would be Circle and Paxos who's kind of a and gold token issuer in the space, and engage in other aspects here. Specifically, within digital assets, obviously, WisdomTree Prime is a huge key component of it. WisdomTree Prime, like Jono said, it's an app that allows you to save, spend, invest using this new digital asset technology.

Aspirationally, I'd highlight someone like Revolut as a competitor here. They've done a good job kind of combining those pieces together, I think. For us, it will take some time to kind of build out the full functionality of that. Whereas initially, we're going to have a very curated and user-friendly investor experience, combined with good cash management functionality is what we're striving for. And that kind of leads into the second part of the question in terms of our go-to-market strategy. It's really going to be articulating those areas where we're adding value for customers, we're laser focused on acquiring them and a high ROI way. Cost-effective acquisition where we have a hook. And in terms of the last part of the question on messy news flow, it's only a positive for WisdomTree.

We think how we're different, how we can be a good counterparty for people both on the retail and institutional side. So no concerns there at all. And ultimately, our strategy and position is going to be about customers not but its on blockchain. So no concern there whatsoever.

Jeremy Campbell: All right. We'll move on to the next question. This one is going to be to Jeremy Schwartz, our Chief Investment Officer. We had a few questions kind of along the same line, so just kind of combining them here into this one. The question is, what do you think will be the biggest driver of flow growth in 2023 for both the ETF industry overall and for WisdomTree in particular? And will the rotation from growth to value hold up?

Jeremy Schwartz: Well, thanks for those questions, everyone. For the industry at large, we continue to see ETFs taking market share from legacy structures. And you'll have active managers who like to equip that ETF and indexing do well riding bull markets but bear markets where their nimbleness and activeness can add alpha but flows really show the reverse. Investors use bear markets to liquidate their legacy positions. And that's basically exactly what happened across the globe last year. We saw ETF gaining market share really in most asset classes, we continue to see the long-term trend and structural advantages of ETFs remaining firmly in place for as far as we can see, yet we continue to innovate as well as just talking about in future structures.

And so we're doing both continuing with ETFs for a long time and investing in the future. Now for us, in particular, in flows for WisdomTree, obviously, there are so many places, we're excited about in both the U.S. and Europe due to just such broad strength we have within the product set. I think on the major theme we're talking is that there's income back in fixed income, and we're having so many more consultations with clients about how they're managing cash and short duration exposures. Certainly, that floating rate treasury product we've talked about continues to remain attractive as they're essentially the highest yielding treasuries in the market because of the shape of the yield curve that looks to continue to be the case for some time, and we're going to continue to expand the scope of those discussions but we're broadening fixed income discussion to high-yield bonds, core bonds, our fixed income model portfolios and even digital funds of those models that are income based to capitalize on the yields we see at the short end of the curve.

So all that has the potential to expand our fixed income AUM momentum this year, all very exciting trends. Within equities, there's a number of different styles, but I'd emphasize as a firm we have more diversification globally across varying styles than we've ever had before. If you took Europe, we have a very robust thematic lineup for the growth style, and that's complemented, of course, by our quality dividend value approaches. But what's exciting is, we're seeing traction on all those sides in the usage range across the style box there. Of course, we believe in value and dividends over the long run. That was our original launch, but we think there's some really compelling opportunities in high dividend stocks globally and that strong performance from last year with dividend funds with 15-year track record, that should be a very useful catalyst going forward.

2022 was the best year for many of our U.S. dividend ETFs in their history for flows and even performance. So we expect that to continue catalyst B flows for this year. The flagship equity was Quality Dividend Growth is now our largest ETF. It's coming up on 10-year history in a few months and had a great long-term track record, a great 2022, that is traveling globally to the European business and clients there, and we see that driving existing and future innovation for Europe as well. And finally, I have to talk about commodities. It's benefiting cyclically from China's reopening. You can see that in Q4 and continuing with a very strong January, that market leadership position we have with now the world's largest oil ETP as well as five of the six largest inflows to industrial metals, which are part of the energy transition story coming to our product set.

I mean we're very excited about the single commodities but also broad-based commodities. We think there's opportunities to gain market share both for that asset class and within that asset class with our recent innovation. Just in short, you could hear, we believe our asset mix is very well positioned for this current macro. And then you can add model portfolios that are packaging all these solutions together, gaining more traction. We believe that's all stackable on top of the current product set, which is more stickier, more recurring. We're very excited about that managed model franchise growing in proportion to the business and helping flow growth pick up and be more resilient than it was in the past.

Jeremy Campbell: Great. Thanks, Jeremy. And then the final question, we're taking from the Say platform from shareholders is going to go to our Chief Financial Officer, Bryan Edmiston. The question is, WisdomTree's revenues have been remarkably stable between $72 million and $78 million over the last four quarters. Why haven't you achieved consistent profitability?

Bryan Edmiston: Thanks, Jeremy. Yes, I would agree with the characterization that our revenues have been remarkably stable, especially taking into consideration the market environment this past year. Our AUM was negatively impacted by about $8 billion from market move this year, but we were able to overcome this headwind on strong and steady flows. As mentioned in our prepared remarks, we generated over $12 billion of flows this year, 16% annualized organic growth rate, best-in-class amongst our traditional asset manager peer group, and this is our strongest flowing year since 2015 and the momentum continued into 2023. Flows are the reason why our revenues are flat versus last year and not down. We estimate that negative market move impacted our revenue by over $20 million this past year.

As it relates to the question of consistent profitability, I think this is referring to the fluctuations in our GAAP net income. The primary reason for the fluctuation is due to the deferred consideration we're carrying on our balance sheet and it relates to our contractual gold payments. When we acquired our European business back in 2018, we inherited this obligation and it requires that we make annual payments of 9,500 ounces of gold through the year 2058 and two-thirds of this amount, almost 6,400 ounces into perpetuity. So for accounting purposes, we have a large liability on our balance sheet, representing an obligation to make these payments essentially forever. As gold prices change, this impacts the value of this liability. Changes in the discount rate we used to present value.

This obligation, will also change the value of this liability. That change in value is reported in our income statement as a gain loss on revaluation of deferred consideration, and it's a non-cash item. Over the last four quarters, we've had gains and losses ranging from $2 million to $78 million due to changes in value of this obligation. That's the main reason for the volatility observed in our P&L. It's essentially accounting noise, and we exclude this from our results when reporting our earnings per share on a non-GAAP basis.

Jeremy Campbell: Great. Thanks, Bryan. And operator, I'll turn it over to you to field some questions from the sell-side community that are dialed in.

See also Fastest Cars in the World and Michael Burry Stock Portfolio: 10 Stocks He Sold .

To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here.
Moscow and Tehran have advanced plans to build an Iranian-designed factory in Russia that could produce more than 6,000 combat drones, the Wall Street Journal reported on Feb. 5, citing unnamed "officials from a country aligned with the U.S."

According to the report, an Iranian delegation came to Russia to visit the planned site for the plant and work out the details of the deal in early January.

"The two countries are aiming to build a faster drone that could pose new challenges for Ukrainian air defenses," the WSJ said, citing officials.

Iran has supplied Russia with hundreds of its drones, including the kamikaze Shahed-136 models, according to Kyiv. Russia has been using these drones along with missiles to strike at critical infrastructure across Ukraine.

As of early January, Ukraine's air defense shot down nearly 500 Iranian-made drones launched by Russia since September, according to the Air Force.


Cognizant contractors, working for YouTube Music, on strike outside Google's office in Austin, Texas. SUZANNE CORDEIRO/ Getty Images

Staff working for YouTube Music protested on Friday in Texas over a return-to-office requirement.

Cognizant workers said most were hired to work remotely and a quarter were not even based in Texas.

"It's unfeasible for me to move back to Austin," one worker now based in Florida said.

More than 40 contractors working for YouTube Music workers protested Friday outside Google's office in Austin, Texas, against a return-to-office order.

The workers were calling for management at their employer Cognizant, a major contractor for YouTube's parent company, Alphabet, to create a return-to-office policy that is "fair" and "flexible."



Cognizant workers are paid an hourly rate close to $19 an hour, according to Alphabet Workers Union-CWA, whose members say is not enough to cover the cost of relocating, commuting, and childcare that working from the office will entail.



The workers were notified in November they would have to all start working from the Austin office from February 6, Axios reported. But a majority of Cognizant's workers joined the company remotely and nearly 25% are not based in Texas, the union said.

"The upcoming return to office date threatens the livelihoods of workers who do not live in the Austin area," Alphabet Workers Union-CWA said in a statement.



Greg Mobley, a subject-matter expert at Cognizant and union member, called the mandatory notice to return to office on February 6 "abrupt," in a video shared on the union's Facebook page.

Florida-based Mobley, who joined the company two years ago, said: "It's unfeasible for me to move back to Austin, especially with the rising cost of living and no assistance from Cognizant or Google to relocate."



Neil Gossell, another YouTube Music contractor employed by Cognizant, said: "No workers should be paid so little that they cannot afford to go back to work in the office, and no worker should be forced to return to the office when it is clear we can effectively accomplish our work from home."

Story continues

When asked to comment, a Cognizant spokesperson told Insider an impending return to office "has been communicated to them repeatedly since December 2021," adding it was "disappointing some of our associates have chosen to strike" over it.

The spokesperson added: "Associates working on this project accepted their employment with the understanding that they were accepting in-office positions, and that the team would work together at a physical location based in Austin."

The spokesperson added: "Cognizant also wants to make clear that individuals who want to pursue alternate jobs where they may be able to work remotely have the option to do so."

Google workers also staged protests on Wednesday and Thursday in both California and New York over pay and amid the recent layoffs after the company decided to cut 6% of its workforce, or 12,000 employees.

Approximately 50 employees protested over low wages outside a Google store on Thursday in New York, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the protests, minutes after parent company Alphabet released its fourth-quarter results. It followed a protest that took place the day before at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, California.

Some of the protesters in California, which included dozens of contractors, denounced what they called "poverty wages and no benefits," according to Bloomberg.

Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
ATACMS missile launch

According to Rice, the Russians have moved supply depots beyond the range of HIMARS. Therefore, Ukraine needs the capability to reach deep and disrupt any supply depots, large troop concentrations and command and control that are outside the range of HIMARS.

Read also: Germany might start producing HIMARS multiple launch rocket system

Rice said he believes that the West should provide such assistance as soon as possible, so that Ukrainian forces can already use them in the spring or summer to repel the attacks of the invaders and carry out a counter-offensive.

In January, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl said that the United States maintained an agree to disagree position regarding the supply of ATACMS to Ukraine.

Read also: U.S. defense officials have not ruled out transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine

CNN, citing its sources, wrote on Jan. 20 that in keeping with Londons more forward-leaning attitude toward military support for Ukraine, some British officials have expressed an openness to supplying the longer-range systems to the Ukrainian military.

Read also: New US aid package to include long-range rockets for the first time

Deputy White House National Security Adviser John Feiner said on Jan. 26 that the U.S. is ready to tentatively discuss with Kyiv and its allies the idea of supplying fighter jets to Ukraine. And Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, when asked about the possibility of supplies, said that the United States is not going to remove anything from the agenda.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden later responded negatively to a question about whether the country would supply F-16s to Ukraine. However, he did not elaborate on his words.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has enacted the decision of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) of Ukraine on sanctions against Russia's nuclear industry.

Source: Zelenskyys evening address; decree on the president's website

Quote: "Today we have another sanctions step by our country against the terrorist state. The NSDC decision on sanctions against Russia's nuclear industry has been put into effect. This is not the last decision regarding this industry of theirs. The point of our steps is also to bolster the efforts of our diplomats to extend global sanctions to this part of the Russian aggression machine."

Details: Zelenskyy emphasises that Russia is the only country in the world that allows its military to shell nuclear power plants and use NPPs as a cover for shelling. He reiterated that Russian missiles have repeatedly followed trajectories over Ukraine's nuclear facilities.



"The terrorist state uses the nuclear industry as one of the elements of foreign expansion. To put pressure on other states. To create respective threats to the sovereignty of other states. All of these are sufficient reasons for Russia's nuclear industry to be subject to global sanctions. And we are working on this with our partners," said Zelenskyy.

The President's website publishes a list of 200 legal entities that have been sanctioned for 50 years.

These include the Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, its subsidiaries, a number of institutes and research centres, factories, and the Russian joint-stock company Zaporizhzhia NPP Operating Organisation.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Man charged with attempted murder after Nelson deputy is injured in chase

Authorities say a Madison Heights man faces charges of attempted second-degree murder and other offenses after a police chase in which a deputy was injured.

Thomas Wayne Board Jr., 39, is also charged with felony receiving stolen goods, driving suspended after certain offenses, three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, obstruction of justice, felony eluding, reckless driving, driving with inoperable exhaust, failure to wear a seatbelt, failure to appear in court and revocation of bond, the Nelson County Sheriffs Office said Sunday.

The latter two charges were out of Campbell County, the sheriffs office said.

The sheriffs office said it was conducting surveillance on criminal activity in the Afton area on Saturday evening when a deputy tried to stop a black 2011 Hyundai Azera at 10:25 p.m. on Mill Lane.

The driver rammed a sheriffs office vehicle, and deputies continued to chase it on and off road with the help of Virginia State Police.

The driver, later identified as Board, crashed the vehicle and was taken into custody at 10:29 p.m., the sheriffs office said.

Both the deputy who was rammed and Board were hospitalized with injuries, the sheriffs office said.

The sheriffs office did not provide their conditions in a social media post describing the incident.

The sheriffs office said the vehicle had been reported stolen from the Lynchburg area.
Jean Bowman and her daughter, Lauren Weakley, met Garry Viar, owner of Garrett Wayne Exquisite Apparel, four years ago when they were downtown looking for a formal dress for Laurens high school prom.

We had not been having tremendous luck and we were unaware of his shop until we walked past and saw the beautiful gowns in the window display, Bowman said. We stopped in, ended up having one of the most fun afternoons ever, left with a dress and have returned for every formal event since then  we are to six and counting. We never even look anywhere else.

She praised the gown selections  which she describes as unique, beautiful, and affordable  and the ambience of the store.

But what really sets it apart the most is Garry himself, his intuition and observation, she said. He pays attention to the reactions of his clients and uses those responses to guide them to the perfect gown. Every time we went to the shop with an idea in mind, my daughter chose a dress that Garry suggested instead.

Viar, a Lynchburg native, opened his shop inside the Galleria at 915 Main St. seven years ago and sells prom, pageant and mother-of-the-bride dresses.

He said his style tends to lean more toward classic elegance.

I grew up in Lynchburg. I know Lynchburg. I know what Lynchburg has, what Lynchburg needs, and I try to bring another element to eveningwear. I just I put my all into it. And so far its worked, he said.

Bowman recalled a time that her daughter needed a shorter gown for a semi-formal event once and he assisted them in finding a floor-length gown that could be shortened, which ended up being one of Weakleys favorite looks ever.

Weakley, 18, said she has never left the shop without having fun and feeling like her most beautiful self.

And isnt that what we all want? Garry is simply the best there is, she said.

In the 1980s, he moved to New York and became involved with the Miss America Pageant as well as the Miss Manhattan pageant, which he directed.

He was there for about 10 years before returning to Lynchburg to care for his sick mother, all the while thinking he would eventually return to New York City.

He became involved with the Miss Virginia pageant at the Lynchburg level because he missed having a local competition.

He started the Miss Amherst County competition in 1989 where Shannon Bream, now a journalist for Fox News, won and eventually became Miss Virginia in 1991. Viar continued working with the Miss Lynchburg pageant, eventually became the director and did that for a few years.

The dress shop stemmed from Viar sending the girls to get their undergarments from a store in the Galleria.

The lady who owned the store called me one day and said she was going to sell the store and asked if I was interested, so I just did it and I went to market and bought gowns, he said.

The shop started as just as pageant dress boutique but Viar began carrying prom dresses when girls came in looking for those and eventually started carrying mother-of-the-bride dresses too when women were asking for those.

He carries dresses in sizes from 0 to 30 and he has pageant contestants come to him from all over the United States.

Government restrictions in the height of the pandemic almost shut him down.

I couldnt do anything. Everything stopped, he said. In that entire year, I sold two dresses. So many times I thought, you know, just lock the doors. Its not worth it. But something kept saying dont, so I didnt. I love fashion. I love beautiful things and so I love seeing people love what theyre going to wear. And thats why I kept it.

Pageants can get really expensive so Viar tries to help people as much as he can.

Youre going to be in a pageant to try to win a $5,000 scholarship, and youre going to spend $1,000 on an evening gown. That makes no sense, he said. Ive worked with so many Miss America contestants in which many of their parents couldnt afford to send them to college. But by competing at Miss Virginia, Miss whatever, theyre now doctors and lawyers. Thats the passion that I have with that. I love seeing people achieve their goals.

I know a little thing about pageant dresses were Viars words when Ava Braatz walked into the shop wide-eyed and totally overwhelmed by the pageant process.

Garry took me under his wing and influenced me more than just getting me bejeweled and beautified for the Miss Virginia Pageant, said Braatz, who competed last year. He makes you feel bold, passionate, and altogether fabulous and thats before you even step into the dressing room. Garry quickly became someone I hold very near to my heart, because when he sees something in someone, he wont let it go.

Every dress in this store, Viar has seen on a human being.

I go to market. I watch the lines that I carry, I watch their runway shows and I call it my process of elimination, he said. I go away and come back and I mark the ones that I like and then we come back, we watch it again.

There are a few dresses of which he has two, of but most of the time, there is just one of each dress in the shop. If a girl comes in to buy a prom dress, he wont sell that same prom dress again that season.

Regardless of whether you are a single mother thats working and trying to buy her daughter a prom dress or if youve got no limit as to what you can spend on a prom dress, I treat everybody the same, he said. I want everybody to have a wonderful experience and I want everybody to have a dress for prom that they love that she loves.
Liberty Universitys Chaplains Museum held its open house Friday afternoon, welcoming the public into its new space.

It was founded on Libertys campus in 2005 by former English Professor Kenny Rowlette and a group of community members.

Originally, the museum was focused solely on chaplains during the Civil War, but with the new space its expanding to tell the story of chaplains from all U.S. military conflicts.

The most important thing is honoring the work of the men and women who have made such great sacrifices to serve as chaplains for our military, said Donna Davis Donald, director of public history initiatives for LUs history department.

Donald said Rowlette and community members obtained permission to use space over beside what is now Slim Chickens, a restaurant on the LU campus. She said it was the first open to the public version of the museum.

Donald said the museum moved into the new location, in the Jerry Falwell Library, last summer and construction for the museum was completed just a couple of weeks ago.

The museum is staffed entirely by history students. When they are not giving tours, theyre doing research and creating exhibits.

The museum has eight exhibits: Service on the Battlefield, Diversity in Service, Service on the Homefront, Chaplains in the Service of the Gospel, Partners in Service, Shiloh Chapel, Service to the Suffering and Introducing the Chaplaincy.

Brian Harvey, assistant director of the center for chaplaincy, said he loves the refocusing of the museum.

Its phenomenal to understand the role that chaplains played during the Civil War, but to see how chaplains have been serving our nation, from the Civil War even going forward, and in the many areas that weve deployed to, Harvey said, ... It brings a lot more clarity and understanding of who chaplains are and what they do.

Harvey has been in the army for 22 years and the chaplain corps for 12 years, and was deployed twice as an infantry soldier in Iraq. He said God rescued him from the infantry and called him into ministry.

I fought the call to chaplaincy for about a year and a half and then surrendered, said OK, and then became a chaplain, Harvey said.

Steven Keith, director of the center for chaplaincy at the university, said a museum like this is exciting because theres only a few places in the world where another museum like this exists.

Keith said hes excited about the fact the museum can display and show not just the general way of chaplaincy but many other topics can be discussed such as revivals, the use of the Bible in military settings and so forth.

Keith served in the Air Force as a chaplain for 30 years and went on 14 assignments in different places.

He shared a story about a time when he was in Iraq working in a hospital tent every night, as soldiers experienced various injuries from explosions such those from improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.

Keith said a nurse brought him over to a soldiers bedside; the soldier was lying on a stretcher, experiencing survivors guilt. The soldier just learned that some of his friends and partners were killed and he said, Chaplain, why am I here, my buddies are gone?

Keith responded, Someone must be praying for you.

Through conversation, Keith learned he knew the soldiers grandmother and they were able to make a connection.

Keith ultimately led the soldier in prayer as he gave his life to Christ, and Keith was able to call his grandmother.

Keith gave this example as a way to show the importance of a chaplain.

When I raised my hand to be a chaplain, I didnt really know what I was signing up for; I wouldnt have guessed this. It was peacetime when I signed up, and all of a sudden its wartime. This is what chaplains do, Keith said.

The museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Donald said she and faculty hope to increase the amount of public participation with the new space.

The thing Im most excited about for the future is the ways in which this will be a learning tool for students from multiple disciplines, Donald said.
Its hard to keep your tootsies warm on some wintry days, so each year FAMILY Inc. reaches out to little toes.

On Thursday, the nonprofit organization, in collaboration with Shoe Carnival, held its third annual Toasty Toes shoe and boot giveaway for children who participate in its programming. The event was made possible by the Cindy and Jerry Mathiasen Family Fund and contributions from employees at National Indemnity.

For all of the children enrolled in our programs, we purchase the shoes, said Kim Kolakowski, executive director of FAMILY. We buy a pair of shoes for each of them. Anything additional the families want to buy, the store gives them 20% off.

Thats one of Shoe Carnivals efforts to help the local community, said store manager Doug Krebs.

We try to help out different groups, and well offer discounts with our charities, he said. We do that with a lot of nonprofits; we do it with some businesses.

The store was also offering socks at 20% off.

The kindness and generosity of the Mathiasen family and National Indemnity allows families to fulfill a basic need in a most empowering and dignified way, Kolakowski said. Parents can come to the store and shop for the style, color and size of footwear that fits their child best and will keep their little toes toasty warm.

Kolakowski figured FAMILY had enough money donated this year to provide shoes or boots to about 60 families, and the Council Bluffs store was bustling with young shoppers during the designated hours of 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday.

We have a multi-family fund, and then our kids and grandkids also contribute annually to supplement our grant out of our fund, and we decide what charities we want to give to at Christmas, said Jerry Mathiasen. We decided to give to FAMILY because Toasty Toes is a great program to keep families warm with shoes, boots and socks. Part of FAMILYs mission is to keep families healthy, and obviously helping them be warm during the winter is a big part of that.

In addition, this type of giving every year teaches our grandkids about how important that is, he said. We have four grandkids, and they give their nickels and dimes and quarters out of their allowance to give back at this time of year. We just want to do our small part to help families in the community improve their quality of life.

The employees of National Indemnity Company and Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies appreciate how valuable the support is that FAMILY Inc. provides to women, children and families, National Indemnity said in a prepared statement. Our hope is that the generosity of our employees to programs such as Toasty Toes relieves a bit of the stress that our neighbors in the community are experiencing.

Said Kolakowski, This is a perfect example of why the southwest Iowa community is so great. The partnership between businesses, philanthropists and nonprofits demonstrates the commitment of our community to invest in a brighter future for everyone. FAMILY extends gratitude to all involved and is in hopes to continue hosting this event yearly.

For more information about FAMILY, visit familyia.org.
The national Democratic Party approved changes Saturday to its presidential primary calendar for 2024, knocking the Iowa party off its envied first-in-the-nation perch as the starting gun for the presidential election.

Iowas caucuses have led the pack in presidential preference contests since 1972, drawing national media attention and millions of dollars in campaigning from presidential hopefuls.

Democratic National Committee members, meeting in Philadelphia, by a voice vote granted waivers to South Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Georgia and Michigan to hold their presidential primaries ahead of the rest of the country  stripping Iowa Democrats of their first-in-the-nation status and moving the contest out of the early window entirely in favor of more diverse battleground states.

South Carolina will go first in 2024, holding its primary on Feb. 3, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on Feb. 6, Georgia on Feb. 13 and Michigan on Feb. 27.

"This calendar does what is long overdue. It expands the number of voices in the window and it elevates diverse communities that are at the core of the Democratic Party, said DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, who is from South Carolina. It puts Black voters at the front of the process in South Carolina."

Harrison, too, said the calendar allows "campaigns of all sizes to compete and build more momentum" before moving to bigger battleground states in Georgia and Michigan, and "elevates the backbone of our party" and voices of labor and Latino voters.

And it adds Michigan, the heartland where unions built the middle class of this nation, Harrison said. This calendar reflects the best of who we are as a nation and sends a powerful message all across the county."

Iowa DNC member and former state party chair Scott Brennan of West Des Moines, however, noted New Hampshire and Georgia cannot comply with the condition of the party waiver.

I would be remiss if I did not say we were creating a situation of continued uncertainty that will drag on throughout 2023, he said.

New Hampshire and Georgia were granted conditional waivers. The national partys rule-making arm last month granted both states an extension until June 3 to implement changes to when and how they hold Democratic presidential primaries. New Hampshire must also expand access to early voting.

The additional time, though, is unlikely to sway Republican leaders in those states, who remain opposed to the changes.

DNC member Joanne Dowdell of New Hampshire said the primary calendar puts that states Democrats in a no-win position.

Georgias primary date is set by Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, whose office has said it will neither hold two separate primaries nor hold the primary at a time that could cost one party delegates or violate the rules of either party. Moving the states primary to Feb. 13 would run afoul of GOP rules.

"We can vote on this calendar  but we will leave here with absolutely nothing settled, Brennan said. "There is a limited amount of calendar real estate, conflicting state laws and a GOP calendar that no longer bears any resemblance to ours. If the past is prologue," states will spend the coming year maneuvering for their preferred position.

Republicans already have agreed to keep the early-voting order of Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada for the 2024 presidential cycle  and several Republicans already have been to Iowa to weigh the possibility of presidential runs.

Iowa and New Hampshire have state laws requiring them to hold contests before other states. Party officials in both states have rebuked the decision, saying they still intend to hold caucuses and primaries as prescribed by state law.

If the states opt to hold their nominating contests outside that window without the waiver, they could face repercussions from the national party, including a prohibition on Democratic presidential candidates campaigning in the state and the state losing half its delegates at the convention.

Iowa does not have the luxury of conducting a state-run primary, nor are Iowa Republicans likely to support legislation that would establish one, newly-elected Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement following the vote.

Iowa law requires the state party to hold precinct caucuses before the last Tuesday in February, and before any other contest in other states.

When we submit our delegate selection plan to the Rules and Bylaws Committee, we will continue to do what is best for Iowa, adhere to any state legal requirements and utilize the vote-by-mail process outlined in our application for an early-state waiver, Hart said.

National Democrats soured on Iowa following a chaotic 2020 caucus night for Iowa Democrats when a smartphone app  meant to make reporting results easier  failed. As a result, the official Democratic caucus results were not reported for several weeks.

The debacle compounded existing concerns about Iowa's lack of racial diversity and barriers to participation, requiring in-person participation at the caucuses.

Democratic President Joe Biden, who in 2020 didnt win a contest until South Carolina, requested the shift in the partys presidential nomination process to amplify diverse voices earlier in the presidential selection process.

Biden, in a letter last month to DNC rules committee members, also said the party should scrap restrictive caucuses  as opposed to state-run primaries  because their rules on in-person participation can sometimes exclude working-class and other voters.

Biden in his presidential campaigns has never done well in the Iowa caucuses  coming in fourth in 2020.

In its bid to remain in the early nominating window, the Iowa Democratic Party proposed an overhaul of the caucuses that would allow Democrats to express their preference for president by mail ahead of the precinct caucuses.

On the night of the caucuses, Democrats would announce the results of the early vote and conduct the regular party-organizing business of the caucuses.

State party officials argued the changes would increase participation and accessibility, making the process more inclusive, straightforward and understandable.

"Our proposed reforms went above and beyond anything suggested by previous reform commissions. We unfortunately were given no credit for our commitment to ending the caucuses as they have been conducted for the past 50 years, said Iowa DNC member Jan Bauer from Ames.

Hart, addressing DNC members, said it is vital that small, rural states like Iowa do not lose our voice in the presidential nominating process. The new calendar includes no early states in the central and mountain time zones.

Democrats cannot forget about entire groups of voters in the heart of the Midwest without doing significant damage to the party, Hart said. "Let me tell you, Republicans in Iowa have already seized the opportunity to double down on their caucuses and on their commitment to Iowa as an early state. At the same time, they feed the narrative that Democrats have turned their backs on Iowa and on rural America. In the coming weeks, our state will be flooded with Republican hopefuls spreading this damaging message to every corner of our state.

Hart said she nonetheless vigorously supports Biden and the principles that guide the calendar review process.

But I cannot support a proposal that further erodes Democratic Party support in my state and the entire middle part of the country, she said. Iowans value common sense, and it just doesnt make sense to entirely remove representation from rural, Midwestern states in the pre-window.

Iowas Republican U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst echoed those concerns.

Joe Biden and the Democrats have officially ditched #Iowa, Ernst tweeted. Theyre giving middle America the middle finger.

Grassley tweeted the DNC pulled rug out (from) Iowa Democrats by revoking first in the nation status.

The Iowa caucuses were a decades long tradition of BIPARTISANSHIP its sad Dems dont value the voice of rural America, Grassley posted. Fortunately republicans will continue 2carry 1st in the nation mantle.

Brennan, speaking to The Gazette by phone after the vote, said Iowa Democrats will put our head down and keep working, noting the DNC will likely revisit the issue June 3, the deadline for New Hampshire and Georgia to comply with the requirements.

By June 3 were going to see a calendar that is still a mess, he said.

Brennan said the revamped nominating lineup could largely be moot for 2024 if Biden runs effectively unopposed for the Democratic nomination. But it may lay the groundwork to remake Democratic presidential cycles after that. The DNC plans to revisit the nominating calendar before 2028.

Iowa Democrats have expressed concern the loss of the first-in-the-nation caucuses will make it more difficult to raise money, as national donors direct their focus to other states, and will be a blow to Iowa Democrats organizing capacity in future presidential election years, especially with Republicans retaining their first-in-the-nation status.

Others say theyre more concerned with rebuilding the state party and hope it refocuses on year-round grassroots organizing after years of election losses.

The Iowa Democratic Party is way more than just the Iowa caucuses, Brennan said. The Iowa Democratic Party exists to elect Democrats up and down the ticket, and on that Chair Hart is laser focused on  getting Democrats elected.
Recent visits to Africa by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield came as a new study by Boston University found Chinas overseas investments in the Covid-19 era have slid to a 13-year low.

Analysts say Washington is trying to compete with China for influence in Africa, with China having invested heavily on the continent through its Belt and Road Initiative and with the US playing a catch-up by recently pledging to step up its own investments.

The report by Boston Universitys Global Development Policy Center found loan commitments from Chinas two policy banks  China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China  totaled $3.7 billion in 2021, sharply down from an average of $35.6 billion a year in the 2008-2021 period. The study notes that China has struggled to recoup its money from several African countries and now has to participate in complicated debt restructuring negotiations, such as currently in Zambia.

Washington, on its part, pledged to invest $55 billion in Africa at the US-Africa Summit in December last year. To that end, Thomas-Greenfield noted that people and leaders in Africa are extraordinarily appreciative of the African Leaders Summit that we just hosted and the efforts that we are making to engage more proactively on the continent of Africa. Also, Treasury Secretary Yellen sought to assure the African leaders that Washington has many programs that are oriented to help efforts to build infrastructure, and when we do that, we want to make sure that we dont create the same problems that Chinese investment has sometimes created here.

But it does not mean that the US is going to replace China as a top investor in Africa any time soon. Instead, Chinese President Xi Jinpings landmark Belt and Road initiative to bring infrastructure to developing countries may just be transforming the way money is spent, the authors of the Boston University study said.
The full resumption of operations on international routes by African airlines and also the return of Chinese tourists to Africa have contributed to the fact that some countries on the continent have now surpassed pre-covid arrival numbers and revenue levels.

Three African countries  Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa  are now on Chinas list of 20 destinations across the globe for piloting outbound group tours, nearly a month after lifting travel restrictions. The latest World Tourism Barometer published by the United Nations World Travel Organization (UNWTO) confirms the return of Chinese tourists will significantly boost Africas international arrival numbers and push them to 2019 levels. And the resumption of entire operations and re-introduction of higher capacity aircraft on African routes in 2023 is yet another indicator of a rebounding tourism industry, badly hit by the covid-19 pandemic two years ago.

In a recent speech, China Tourism Academy President Dai Bin said destination Africa needed to optimize its promotion strategy and improve its hospitality system for the Chinese market to unlock its vast growth potential. In 2019, Chinese international outbound arrivals were recorded at 155 million  more than double Africas inbound arrivals, which totaled 68.8 million in that period. Africa has so far recovered about 65% of its pre-pandemic visitor numbers following a more than doubling of international arrivals from 19.4 million in 2021 to 45 million in 2022.

According to the UNWTO Barometer, for example, Moroccos tourism receipts grew 6% in the first ten to twelve months of 2022, while Ethiopias arrivals had risen 3% above pre-pandemic levels.
Somalia sits at the bottom on the list of 180 countries of the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index by Berlin-based corruption watchdog Transparency International, which blames terrorism and armed conflict in the east African country for creating worlds biggest breeding ground for corruption.

The never-ending conflict in Somalia remains the leading cause of the runaway corruption, as terrorism, suppression of press freedom, political, social and economic instability, and suppressed freedom of speech have created fertile grounds for the vice to thrive. According to the survey, corruption undermines governments ability to protect people and erodes public trust, provoking more and harder to control security threats. On the other hand, conflict creates opportunities for corruption and subverts governments efforts to stop it.

Corruption in the Horn of Africa country virtually runs throughout the regime, starting from its judicial system, to public services, administration, police, tax and customs administration, legislation, natural resources, public procurement, and the civil society, the scourge remains unabated.

But it is not just the case of Somalia because Africa as a whole has not been able to root out corruption. On the one hand, Botswana, Cape Verde, Cote dIvoire, Kenya, Niger, Mauritania, Sudan, South Sudan, and the DRC, have seen the most marked improvement in their corruption perception scores. But all the other countries in the continent have either stagnated or deteriorated in their ratings as Africa keeps struggling to kick out corruption. Seychelles, ranked 23rd in the world, one point ahead of the United States, remains the least corrupt country in the continent. At the bottom of the Index, Yemen and South Sudan join Somalia as the worlds worst performing countries in stamping out corruption.
The submarine tunnel project to link Morocco and Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar which was elaborated decades ago has been put on the table of discussion again on the sidelines of the 12th Moroccan-Spanish high-level meeting held this week in Rabat.

The project was at the focus of talks held between Moroccan ministers of Equipment & Water and of Transport & Logistics, Nizar Baraka and Mohamed Abdel Jalil, and Spains Minister of Transport and Urban Programs, Raquel Sanchez Jimenez.

During the talks, the two sides committed to set a date in the coming days for a meeting of the joint committee, in order to discuss the next steps regarding the submarine tunnel project between Spain and Morocco across the Strait of Gibraltar.

As previously agreed upon, the projected 28 kilometers-long tunnel would lay across the seabed at the intersection of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, at a depth of 300 meters, and would link Punta Paloma (Tarifa) with Malabata (Tangier).

The Spanish minister was quoted by Spanish media as saying We will give impetus to the studies of the project to link the Strait of Gibraltar, which was initiated by both countries forty years ago. He described the project as strategic for Spain and Morocco, as well as for Europe and Africa.

Although it was not on the official agenda of the high-level meeting, the project had been in the working for some months now.

The Moroccan Government Council approved in November the appointment of Abdelkabir Zhoud as Director General of the National Company for the Studies of the Strait of Gibraltar of the Ministry of Equipment and Water, a step forward in the promising Morocco-Spain maritime tunnel project.

The company is tasked with coordinating with the Spanish Company for Fixed Telecommunications Studies Across the Strait of Gibraltar (SECEGSA), in order to re-examine the underwater tunnel project linking Morocco and Spain.

The Joint Committee was appointed to study the feasibility of linking the two continents back in 1979, a project that was affected in more than one stage by many factors, including political and diplomatic crises.

SECEGSA recently announced its inclusion among the beneficiaries of European support under Spains recovery plan to conduct new studies on this infrastructure.

As part of the draft budget for 2023, the Spanish government allocated 750,000 for the company, in order to prepare a new study with the participation of a German company specializing in the preparation studies related to maritime tunnels.

Although the amount is not huge, it is a gesture from the Spanish government and a message that the project is far from forgotten, and that progress is being made to make it a reality despite the difficulty, Spanish newspaper Larathon reported.

Izzedine Khresh, a professor of political science and international relations at Hassan II University in Casablanca, said that the appointment of a general manager of the National Company for the Studies of the Strait of Gibraltar is a signal from Morocco of its desire to reactivate the project and bring it into existence.

This project has long been the subject of a Moroccan-Spanish agreement, and promises significant material and logistical gains for both countries and continents.
The World Bank announced that it has allocated additional financing of $200 million to the Education Support Program in Morocco, bringing the total project value to $700 million.

In a recent document, the World Bank spoke of additional financing aimed at restructuring the results of the main indicators, in addition to extending the program from September 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026.

The funding seeks to implement a more challenging reform that supports monitoring and evaluation of results, and the promotion of evidence-based policy-making, the bank said, noting that the reform will allow greater focus on teacher qualifications, measuring the quality of early childhood education services, and adopting flexibility in Education system and its governance.

Morocco has achieved great social and economic progress over the past two decades thanks to political stability However, despite these achievements, the growing aspirations of Moroccans, especially young people, remain unfulfilled, the international financial institution said.

The proposed restructuring does not affect the development goals of the project, but the changes to the original program fall within the limits and results of the government program.

The World Bank has previously allocated a financial envelope of $500 million to finance the support program for the education sector in Morocco, which was launched in October 2019.

The program, which focuses on supporting improved educational outcomes will benefit from IFC financing in the form of a Results-Based Program Loan, with loan payments made conditional on achieving results.
 Flash

Several members of the Libyan House of Representatives, or the parliament, on Saturday expressed concern about the country's current political stalemate.

The members made their remarks in a meeting with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily, during which they shared their perspectives on ways to push forward the country's political process.

"Several in the group voiced concern about the political stalemate and its implications for Libya's stability and security. They also expressed their desire to unify Libyan institutions as a prerequisite to breaking the political impasse," the UN Envoy tweeted.

Bathily welcomed their commitment to Libya and finding a way forward, and expressed hope that they continue to be vocal about their convictions in the interest of the country and its people.

"I stressed the need for all leaders to meet the expectations of the 2.8 million Libyans who registered to vote and the need for the HCS (High Council of State) and HoR (House of Representatives) to positively and constructively engage to reach a constitutional basis for elections as soon as possible," Bathily said.

Libya failed to hold general elections in December 2021 as previously scheduled due to disagreements over election laws among the Libyan parties.

Earlier in January, the Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah said his government is ready to hold general elections in 2023.

Ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid escalating violence and political division.
Morocco is a strategic partner and the number one priority of Spains foreign policy, said the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, who hailed the success of the 12th high-level meeting, held Wednesday and Thursday in Rabat.

He told the Spanish public television (TVE) that the 12th high-level meeting has had the most concrete results in the history of the two countries, with the signing of a record number of agreements.

Albares noted that the results of this bilateral meeting, the first since 2015, are the outcome of many months of joint work.

He said that a roadmap has been put in place with a new dynamic and a new will, which is mutually beneficial in important sectors such as the economy, migration management and also education and culture.

Morocco is fundamental for Spain, and Spain is fundamental for Morocco, said Albares.

Spanish exports to Morocco have exceeded the 10 billion mark and the overall volume of bilateral trade has reached 20 billion, an unprecedented fact in economic relations between the two countries, he said.

He hailed Moroccos collaboration in the management of irregular migration flows, saying this collaboration has led to a 69% reduction in arrivals on the Spanish coast last January compared to January 2022. He also underlined the positive outcome of bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism, saying this cooperation led in recent months to the dismantling of six jihadist cells.

All these data confirm that Morocco is a strategic partner for Spain, Albares insisted.

The 12th Morocco-Spain high-level session adopted a Joint Statement, in which both parties express commitment to perpetuate and enrich the excellent relations that have always linked the two countries.

The two parties signed, on this occasion, several cooperation agreements covering several areas including migration management, tourism, infrastructure, water resources, environment, agriculture, vocational training, social security, transport, health security and research and development.
Miss America 2023 Grace Stanke blew out the candles at the 10th anniversary Crowns and Gowns Decade Birthday Celebration on Saturday at Venue 304.

Located in downtown North Platte, setting up the venue was a lot of work, according to Abbie Pack of Hirschfields Prom Shoppe.

The event was free and open to the public. Many pageant winners from all over the state of Nebraska were there to meet and greet.

There was cake and music. Many winners of Nebraskas local Miss America pageants attended with their parents. They danced and partied and celebrated their titles.

There were many colors, colorful dresses, colorful lights and colorful cake.

Mother Erica and Daughter Lexi Johnson are from Gothenburg. Lexi is 2023s Miss Capital City and said she was excited to be there to meet Stanke.

This is (Lexis) passion, Erica said. And so weve always said whatever her passion is, Im going to help her with whatever she needs to make her goal.

Lexi won Miss Nebraska Preteen in 2020 and said she worked hard to get her title.

I dont think a lot of people realize how hard and mentally tough pageants are, she said.

She said the toughest thing about pageants is keeping up morale and sticking with the challenge.

We train for hours on end, our feet constantly hurt because of high heels, we are on strict training schedules to make sure that our academics stay up as well as our pageant game.

Lexi said she has to keep a certain independence to keep up with the latest styles and trends. She said that means finding other ways to obtain clothing besides relying on her parents to buy them before she changes her mind in two months.

Stanke also met with Mayor Brandon Kelliher. He handed her the key to the city, which didnt open anything in the city itself, but you will always have a place in our hearts, said Kelliher. This key represents that you will always have a home in North Platte, Nebraska.

Kelliher and Stanke had a good back and forth: I wasnt expecting you to be a good foot taller than I am, Kelliher said.

Stanke noted his dry sense of humor and said he had a dad-joke like quality to his comedy.

She is an advocate for young women, and its an advocacy for empowerment which is something that is highly important in our world, Kelliher added. More important than some of us realize, so thank you for doing that.
The two Orthman plants in Lexington are now under new ownership. Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc., headquartered in Kalida, Ohio, announced purchase of the plants on Wednesday.

Were very enthusiastic about it, said Jerry Ecklund, communications manager for Unverferth. Both companies are very family and community minded, and Orthman equipment will complement the rest of Unverferths lineup.

The Orthman stack-fold toolbar is used in the manufacture of the DR series of John Deere planters.

We plan to continue supplying these planters to equipment dealerships, Ecklund said.

Unverferth also has a sales branch in Kearney, where they stock dual wheels and equipment parts for ready access to dealers.

People in western Nebraska will not notice any difference as a result of the acquisition, Ecklund said. He does not anticipate any manufacturing changes at the Lexington plants or Unverferths plants in Kalida and Delphos, Ohio, and Shell Rock, Iowa.

John McCoy, previous owner of the Lexington plants, retains ownership of Orthman conveying systems.

The Orthman name will continue to be displayed on equipment that comes out of the Lexington plants.

I have the utmost confidence that Unverferth Manufacturing will continue growing the Orthman name and most importantly take care of the respective employees, McCoy said in a press release.

Unverferth was founded by a father-son duo, Lawrence (L.G.) and Richard Unverferth, when they began making tractor step plates and control levers in their Kalida, Ohio, family barn in the late 1940s. They began producing dual tractor wheels in the early 50s, and that became their mainstay.

They acquired other companies over the years, including Brent, Killbros and Parker, well known names in grain carts. They also manufacture field cultivators and other tillage equipment, seed, hay and grain handling equipment, fertilizer applicators, etc.

Orthman Manufacturing was founded in the mid 1960s by Henry Orthman, according to orthman.com. He had begun building and modifying equipment for growing sugar beets on his farm, to make it adaptable to a three-point hitch invented by Harry Ferguson and available on Ferguson and Ford tractors.

Other beet growers in the Lexington area wanted similar equipment, so he built it for them during the winter months in the shop on his farm.

When the patent on the Ferguson hitch expired other tractor companies began placing similar hitches on their machinery. Orthman then started building a conversion unit to allow farmers to use their older attachments on the newer tractors.

As his business grew, in 1965 he moved it into a 50-by-30-foot hay shed and, in 1967, incorporated as Orthman Manufacturing, Inc.

The (companys) first complete machine was a cultivator using a large diameter hollow toolbar as the basic frame, according to orthman.com. That lead to developing and building gauge wheels, row markers, lift assist wheels, etc. In 1972 Henry Orthman patented a folding toolbar with hydraulic cylinders inside the structure. He licensed the design to John Deere, International and other equipment manufacturers.

The company continued to develop and build other innovative equipment under the leadership of Henrys son, Bill, who became president and CEO in 1978; and John McCoy, who bought the company in 2000.

Today, the Unverferth brands and Orthman equipment are sold by dealers throughout Nebraska and the United States, and internationally.
The Lancaster County Attorney's Office has formally requested a special prosecutor to review the Lincoln Police Department's investigation into a break-in reported at the Nebraska Republican Party's downtown headquarters last summer.

County Attorney Pat Condon, a Republican, said his office had filed a motion to appoint a special prosecutor in the case Friday  two days after LPD officials requested that a special prosecutor be appointed to take a second look at its investigation into the break-in, which was reported to police July 11.

LPD referred questions to Condon, who largely declined to explain the rationale behind appointing a special prosecutor.

"I consider these open cases and, as you know, I don't comment on open cases," he said.

"I just thought there needed to be a special prosecutor in this matter for the integrity of the judicial process," he added.

Nebraska GOP officials reported a computer, a camera system, paperwork and files were stolen from the partys headquarters at 1610 N St.

The reported burglary occurred the same weekend as the partys contentious state convention in Kearney, where Eric Underwood was elected as the partys new chairman after delegates ousted Dan Welch of Omaha, the longtime chairman, from the position.

The files and paperwork were later recovered, according to the public incident report stemming from the case.

In an email last week, Lincoln Police Capt. Todd Kocian said LPDs investigation into the incident had concluded.

No arrests were made as the investigation yielded no criminal offense that would support law enforcement action, he said.

But the party  now led by a grassroots faction following last summer's convention and subsequent exodus of the party establishment  hired Tom Nesbitt, the former superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, to independently investigate the break-in.

At a quarterly party meeting in Omaha last month, Nesbitt raised concerns about what he described as LPDs refusal to release reports stemming from the agencys investigation, according to live tweets of the meeting from the Nebraska Freedom Coalition, a political action committee.

Nebraskas public records statute allows law enforcement agencies to withhold records they deem investigatory in nature. The statute does not require an investigation to be active or ongoing for an agency to withhold records.

Paul Kratz, the Nebraska GOPs attorney, filed a document in October in Lancaster County Court seeking permission to subpoena the police departments case file stemming from the reported break-in.

In a motion to quash the partys request filed in December, Tonya Peters, an assistant city attorney and LPDs legal adviser, said there is no legal basis for granting (the partys) request, in part because Kratz and the party havent actually filed a lawsuit against the city seeking the records.

A day before the two sides were set to argue at a hearing on Peters' motion Friday morning, Kratz moved to withdraw the party's subpoena request for the department's file due to Condon's request for a special prosecutor.

A judge approved Kratz's request Friday in a hearing that lasted less than a minute after Peters  the only attorney who attended the hearing  offered no objection to the motion.

Reached by phone Friday, Kratz said the party's quest for the records is "just on hold" as the second look at LPD's investigation into the break-in unfolds.

Kratz declined to speculate on whether the party would attempt to subpoena the records again if a special prosecutor came to the same conclusion LPD did: that no criminal offense that would support law enforcement action occurred.

It will be up to a Lancaster County District Court judge to appoint a special prosecutor to the case. No judge had been assigned to the case as of Friday afternoon.

Top Journal Star photos for February 2023
MONTGOMERY  The Alabama Hospital Association (ALaHA) announced Thursday morning that hospitals across the state have lost a combined $1.5 billion since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. That number takes into account federal stimulus aid such as the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) given to hospitals during the pandemic. Without federal COVID relief funding, the estimated loss would be well over $2.4 billion, the ALaHA board said.

According to ALaHA documents, hospital margins across the state have dropped by 79% since the beginning of the pandemic despite federal assistance. Currently, 50% of hospitals in the state are operating in the red.

The news has brought with it fears of smaller rural hospitals having to close, as well as potential issues for urban hospitals around the state. The state currently has 16 hospitals ALaHA classifies as rural that face immediate closure.

Across the country, there has been a realization that COVID has created significant and new financial challenges for hospitals, said AlaHA President Dr. Don Williamson. We continue to hear reports from our members about the grave situations in which they have found themselves.

ALaHA reached out to national healthcare consulting firm Kaufman Hall to research and report on the financial crisis Alabama hospitals now face.

According to Eric Swanson, senior vice president of data and analytics at Kaufman Hall, 2022 was the worst year financially for hospitals in Alabama since the beginning of the pandemic. Swanson attributed the financial problems to an increased expense load, a smaller work force, fewer patients coming into the hospitals, and patients that did come in staying longer.

Hospital expenses rose by nearly $2.6 billion over pre-pandemic levels, Swanson told the ALaHA board.

That is nearly 20% growth and expense, but which has greatly outpaced an increase in revenue of 15% ultimately leading to financial losses, Swanson said. Taken together, what we find is that hospitals face profound financial toll in 2022 with no further relief in sight.

Williamson said: This data shows that, frankly, Alabama hospitals face an existential crisis in terms of survival.

It was reported that while hospitals across the nation have faced declines, Alabama was more severe than the country as a whole.

One key issue comes down to payroll. According to the Kaufman Hall study, wage and salary expenses for 2022 were $1 billion above 2019 levels. The increase in wage and salary expenses represents 75% of the total increase in labor expenses.

AlaHA is petitioning the state to use remaining ARPA funds to help fill the financial hole that the hospitals currently face. However, they acknowledged that it likely wouldnt be enough to fill the financial losses.

Weve got to have ARPA funds so that we can have all of our hospitals make payroll, now, Williamson said. We need a long-term solution, but the ARPA funds are a shortcut.

The ARPA funds would only provide an immediate short-term solution to the problem.

There isnt enough ARPA funds out there to plug the hole, Williamson said. But what we desperately need is a significant infusion of ARPA funds, enough to serve as a bridge till we can address some of the other fundamental challenges in the reimbursement system.

Joseph Marchant, chairman-elect of ALaHa and CEO of Bibb Medical Center said: These COVID dollars that were sent to the state are paramount in that they are front and center of what we need. We will continue to explore other options, but certainly theres nothing else thats immediately available to the type of infusion of cash This would really help to replenish some of those balance sheets that have been depleted.

Williamson added: We would hope that the legislature, whenever they consider the distribution of the ARPA funds, that as soon as they make that decision that those funds  because the state already has them  that those funds will be available to hospitals to help with that $1.5 billion hole thats out there.

Laura Grill, president and CEO of East Alabama Medical Center, is the secretary and treasurer of ALaHa. Grill said that EAMC and EAMC-Lanier are in a very hard place as well but did not indicate any closures were imminent.

One of the things were having to do, as every other hospital, is look at the services we offer, look at the future viability of those services, and make some tough decisions, Grill said. And its a very hard place to be.

She added that the EAMC is controlling costs and reinvesting in staff caring for the patients at the bedside.
Celebrities are just like us in the sense that they have hobbies too, and some of them enjoy collecting artand a lot of it. With a wide variety of tastes ranging from Old Masters to more contemporary artists and media, these celebs can be found at Art Basel (OG as well as Miami) as well as the auction and gallery circuit. While heavy hitters like John McEnroe prefer to sell art, others are content to enjoy art for arts sake, and many own several pieces from their fav artists.Post Inspiration: That Madonnas WWII Artwork post someone made a few weeks ago here. I also want to acknowledge(who suggested I do a post on celebrity art collections), andandwho made suggestions and provided useful links.The Criteria: This list only includes celebs who genuinely love art and having it in their homes (as opposed to collectors who buy things only for investment purposes and promptly store them in a warehouse somewhere). Thats not collecting, thats hoarding; and we shall have none of that here.This Wild and Crazy Guy has been an avid collector from the age of 21. The comedian owns artworks by contemporary American artists such as Cindy Sherman, Eric Fischl, and Roy Lichtenstein, as well as examples of post-war paintings by Edward Hopper, and a Willem de Kooning drawing. His collection tends to be a bit on the conservative side as it includes only paintings, photography, and drawings and contains little avant-garde, conceptual, or media art.Fun Fact: Martin considers collecting art as one of his biggest hobbies. In an 1987 interview he stated Art is so different from what I do that its an escape for me Its like, good grief, these things are so beautifulhow did this happen?The Rocket Man knows what type of art he likes, and what he likes is photography and lots of it. His collection includes work by Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, and Robert Mapplethorpe along with works by Minor White, Irving Penn, Man Ray, and George Platt Lynes. Not only does he has a veritable museum-quality collection of works, in 2016 he loaned a good portion of his works to the Tate Modern for the show The Radical Eye: Modernist Photography From the Sir Elton John Collection.Fun Fact: Elton once owned one of the rare Basquiat/Warhol collaborative pieces, which he consigned to Sothebys and sold for a cool $935,000.Oprah loves Americana art and has many pieces spread out amongst her various estates; a tour of one of her homes revealed works by sculptor Gaston Lachaise and painter Harry Roseland in her library, and at her Indiana farmhouse a portrait by Thomas Hart Benton calleddepicts a female slave on the auction block hangs for all to see. Oprah is a big fan of Benton as she also owns his(1945), which hangs above her mantlepiece.Fun Fact: Originally purchased in 2006, Oprah auctioned off Gustav Klimtsfor a cool $150 million dollars (Why, OprahWhy? Its a Klimt, goddammit! It was all so beautiful once*sob*).Madonna supports female artists and has a special fondness for paintings by Frieda Kahlo and Tamara de Lempicka, as she owns several works by both. A particular favorite is Kahloswhich she hung in her house as a type of litmus test for people, and has famously stated that she knows she can't fuck with anyone with negative impressions of it. Her fondness for that particular painting is such that she has repeatedly refused to loan it out to different museums for special exhibits (though she did make an exception for The Tate once, lol). Other works in her collection include Man Ray, Diego Rivera, and Salvator Dali. In addition, she also owns Fernand LegersPicassosand is a fan of guerrilla street artists Banksy and JR.Fun Fact: When she and Basquiat were dating he gave her a few paintings but he either destroyed/took them back after they broke up because he was salty, lol.Is a big fan of Kerry James Marshall, and by big fan I mean hes bought some really pricey pieces because the good sir Kerry doesnt come cheap. Has been spotted at Art Basel: Miami with art advisor to the stars Maria Brito (where he was checking out works by Ruben Ortiz Torres and Julieta Aranda) and is a regular on the art circuit.Fun Fact: Diddy made history when he made the winning bid on Kerry James Marshallsat Sothebys in 2018. The price? A record breaking 21.1 million, the highest price ever for a living African American artist.One of the things that is probably being contested in their acrimonious divorce is who gets the $25 million dollar art collection the couple has amassed over the years. Their taste tends to run more towards street artists like Banksy and Dom Pattinson, along with more traditional offerings from Ed Ruscha, Schoony, and Richard Serra.Fun Fact: One of my personal favorites from their collection is the Banksy painting Picnic which depicts a rich family having a picnic while starving people look on.Another fan of Americana, Jane Fondas collection has a special emphasis on Black Outsider art from the American South. Fonda is currently on the board of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation & Community Partnership which champions robust support systems for Black artists from that region. She started collecting their work twenty years ago through late Atlanta art dealer Bill Arnett. Favorite artists include Thornton Dial Sr, his brother Arthur Dial, and Thornton Dial Jr; all of whom worked in mixed media and found objects. Both brothers lived through Jim Crow, and were influenced by the triumphs and tumult of the 1960s civil rights movementand the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which inspired Thornton Sr. to develop an allegorical style that was abstracted but narrative, conveying concerns both personal and universal.Fun Fact: Jane contributed 14 drawings, paintings, sculptures, and assemblages from her personal collection to Christies Outsider and Vernacular Art auction that was held last month in New York. I encourage everyone to check out the Artnet link featured below as there are several celebs in it not mentioned here such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Beyonce and Jay Z, Alicia Keyes, and others. ONTD, what artist work would you collect if you were rich? Discuss.Die Quellen:
Energy companies and governments are picking up the pace of the development of tidal energy operations in 2023, as countries worldwide look to diversify the renewables mix in a response to growing energy insecurity. Tidal power, a long-neglected green energy option, has finally gained greater traction in recent years, as governments look for innovative ways to meet their climate targets over the coming decades. This year, several countries have big plans for new tidal power projects, which will see the worlds tidal energy capacity grow significantly.

The global wave and tidal energy market is expected to grow from $0.58 billion in 2021 to $4.41 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 33.2 percent. This will be spurred by greater investment in new wave and tidal energy-related power projects across several countries. This forms part of a larger aim globally to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable alternatives. Some analysts believe that tidal and wave energy could provide up to 10 percent of the worlds energy needs thanks to the worlds abundant water sources. However, the International Energy Agencys (IEA) Ocean Tracking Report suggests tidal and wave power technology must be deployed at a faster rate if countries around the world hope to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Several countries are launching tidal energy operations and expanding on previous projects in the hope of boosting their renewable energy capacity and diversifying the mix of green energy sources. In the Philippines, the San Bernardino Ocean Power Corporation (SBOPC) has launched a request for proposals for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for its Capul Island Ocean Power Project, the first project of its kind. The aim is to produce 1MW of tidal energy using tidal instream energy conversion technology. Over the last nine years, SBOPC has carried out multiple surveys of the ocean to assess the suitability of the San Bernardino Strait between the Luzon and Visayas island groups.

Related: Everybody Loves Oil Again



Meanwhile, in the U.K., well-known for its tidal energy operations, greater development is planned for 2023, as Orbital Marine Power commercialises its tidal stream technology. The companys O2 project, in partnership with Horizon 2020, provided the worlds most powerful tidal turbine in 2021, and now the firm wants to go even further. Orbital was awarded 7.2MW of contracts for difference (CfDs) by the U.K. government in 2022. This will allow it to deliver a multi-turbine project in Orkney, Scotland, providing power to the U.K. grid for around 10,000 homes.

The U.K. continues to compete with the EU over tidal power dominance, with the EU having installed around half of the worlds new wave energy capacity in 2021. Europes tidal and wave energy installations increased to pre-pandemic levels in 2021 and 2022 as the EU drove forward its renewable energy policy to meet its ambitious climate targets. Across the region, 1.38 MW of wave energy came online, and 3.12 MW of tidal stream capacity was installed. This brings the figure to 11.5 MW of tidal stream installations in European waters.

And in the U.S., several tidal projects are already underway, with more expected to follow this year. The Department of Energy (DoE) announced in October that it would be making $10 million of funding available for tidal and current energy systems, as part of President Bidens Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This makes a total of $45 million available for tidal projects. The DoE is encouraging community-based organisations to apply for the funding, to develop a tidal or current energy planning and execution project.

As several countries around the globe put tidal energy on the political agenda, adding another renewable source of power to the green energy mix, we can expect several more projects to be developed over the next few years. While some governments, particularly in Asia, are still in the policy stage of tidal power development, other regions, such as Europe and North America, already have several tidal energy operations in full swing, with more expected to come online this year.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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The prolonged political instability in Bulgaria will continue to impact critical energy security decisions and maintain the countrys status as Russias best client in Europe. Bulgaria, currently the third-largest buyer of Russian oil in the world, is heading for another round of general elections on April 2, since the parliament failed to form a regular cabinet following the October 2022 elections (Dnevnik.bg, February 2). This will be the fifth parliamentary poll in the past two years.

The Bulgarian National Assembly will dissolve on February 5, and another interim government appointed by the president, the fifth in two years, will take office. Critical energy decisions, including seeking alternative oil supplies and taking control of the Russian oil refinery on Bulgarias Black Sea coast will likely be postponed, perhaps for another year if a regular government is not formed this spring (Euronews, January 13).

While the European Union has now phased out 90 percent of oil imports from Russia, Bulgaria became the third-largest buyer of Russian crude after China and India, overtaking Turkey on that list in December 2022 (Svobodnaevropa.bg, January 10). The Port of Burgas is the only one in Europe where Russian oil can still embark after Sofia succeeded in lobbying the European Commission for an exemption from the ban on seaborne Russian oil, which became effective on December 5, 2022. Russian oil deliveries to Bulgaria actually increased by 30 percent in mid-2022 and remained stable after that, allowing the refinery to work at its full capacity of 196,000 barrels per day (Svobodaevropa.bg, May 13, 2022).

Oil transported via the Black Sea by tankers from Novorossiysk is refined at the largest refinery in the Balkans, which is wholly owned by Lukoil, the second-largest oil company in the Russian Federation. Moscow has attempted to preserve its traditional markets and influence using Lukoil and Rosneft refineries in Europe; but after the latest embargo, this is only possible in Bulgaria. This, in turn, will make the country particularly vulnerable to the Kremlins propaganda during the upcoming elections.

Overall, Bulgaria has not made sufficient attempts to secure alternative crude supplies for its only refinery, which is also a major supplier of gasoline and motor oil to most of the Balkans. As oil from Kazakhstan is becoming available, not only through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium to the Port of Novorossiysk but also through the Port of Supsa in Georgia, Sofia has not planned to tap into this potential.

Only now, almost a year after Russias all-out war against Ukraine began, did the interim Bulgarian government sign a memorandum with Greece to explore whether the now-defunct Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline project could be revived and used in the reverse to send crude from Greek ports to the Port of Burgas, bypassing the Turkish Straits (Money.bg, January 5).

But Russian ownership of the refinery will continue to be a problem until the Bulgarian government takes control of the facility as Germany did with the Rosneft-owned Schwedt refinery (Euractiv, September 16, 2022). Bulgarian lawmakers voted in January this year that the government could take over operation of Russian company Lukoils Neftochim Burgas refinery for up to a year to ensure protection of critical infrastructure and fuel supplies (Trud, December 7, 2022). But this leaves the decision to the economic minister, and at a time of pending parliamentary elections in a politically unstable country with a strong pro-Russia lobby, this may be problematic.

Since the spring of 2021, Bulgaria has held four general elections that have produced a fragmented parliament unable to appoint a prime minister, save oneKiril Petkov, who only served for seven months. But Petkovs government fell after one of the four-party coalition partners withdrew its support in mid-2022, amid a natural gas supply crisis. As Petkov refused to pay for Russian gas in rubles, Moscow suspended gas supplies to Bulgaria, together with Poland.

Although the government quickly secured alternative gas supplies from Azerbaijan and the United States, powerful Bulgarian businesses connected to Gazprom set out to bring down the government (SeeNews.com, June 8, 2022; Fakti.bg, June 23, 2022). Simultaneous public revelations that Sofia had been secretly selling weapons and ammunition to third parties for delivery to Ukraine added to the political campaign launched by Russian loyalists, which eventually brought down the government (Standart, June 26, 2022).

On February 5, another EU embargoon petroleum products produced from Russian oilwill come into effect. According to the conditions of the European Commissions exemption, Bulgaria will not be able to export petroleum products, except to Ukraine. Previously, gasoline, diesel and motor oil were supplied to the entire Balkans, making Lukoil a major regional player.

On February 1, the interim Bulgarian government announced that the export of petroleum products made from Russian oil to Ukraine will continue after 5 February (Euractiv.bg, February 1). Lukoil has denied that fuel produced from Russian oil was sent to Ukraine in 2022, claiming that it deals with over 500 different intermediaries and not directly with Ukraine (EurAsia Daily, January 18). But an investigation by the Bulgarian service of Euractiv found that, according to the National Statistical Institute, Ukraine had bought 1,000-times more fuel from Bulgaria in 2022 than in 2021. In fact, the scale of Bulgarian petroleum products exported to Ukraine is as large as 1 percent of the Bulgarian economy (Euractiv, February 2).

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It seems that Russian President Vladimir Putins decree, starting February 1, to stop supplies of oil to countries that support the price cap has not affected Lukoils Neftochim refinery (Kremlin.ru, December 27, 2022). As an EU member, Bulgaria supports the price cap adopted by the G7 economic group, the EU and Australia, currently at $60 per barrel. But further publicity about Russian oil being used to supply the Ukrainian army with diesel fuel may change Putins mind. Sofia evidently has little time to find alternative oil supplies for its economy.

By Jamestown.org
Medical Solutions Promotes Amber Ireland to Chief Marketing Officer

Medical Solutions, one of the largest healthcare talent ecosystems, today announced the promotion of Amber Ireland to Chief Marketing Officer.

Ireland has been with Medical Solutions for four years and brings over 20 years of industry experience to her new role. As CMO, Ireland will oversee the strategy, development, and execution of all Marketing initiatives for Medical Solutions', including creative, operations, communications, and public relations activities, along with support of the company's M&A strategy and related integrations.

Ireland most recently served as Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy for Medical Solutions. She developed strategies to support lead generation, brand awareness and social media engagement and led the company's customer experience, marketing operations, and creative teams. Prior to joining Medical Solutions, Ireland served in various marketing leadership positions with PPR Talent Management Group, before its acquisition by Medical Solutions in 2018. During her career, she has directed recruitment teams and launched new business units for managed services programs and recruitment process outsourcing. Ireland holds a bachelor's degree from the University of North Florida.

Ireland assumes the CMO position previously held by Joe Greene, who recently announced his retirement.
Milan Laser Hair Removal Announces New Chief Development Officer

Mike Clem joins nation's largest laser hair removal provider.

Milan Laser Hair Removal announced that Mike Clem has been named Chief Development Officer. Clem joined the Milan Laser team in October 2022.

Clem has over 20 years of extensive experience in site selection and lease negotiation covering the broadest spectrum of real estate and markets. He comes from FOCUS Brands, a leading developer of global, multi-channel food service brands including McAlister's Deli, Jamba Juice, Cinnabon, Carvel, and Schlotzky's. Clem brings his experience with development projects for malls, outlets, lifestyle, power centers, and small-town Walmart centers from metro New York and Miami to smaller markets.

"I could not be more honored and excited to join this team," Clem said. "Milan Laser has an impressive group of professionals who are innovative, creative, and intelligent. I'm excited to build on the momentum Milan Laser has created and bring its services to new locations faster."

At Milan Laser, Clem will oversee the planning and implementation of the company's growth, as it continues to expand its footprint across the country with over 250 locations in 28 states.

"We are thrilled to welcome Mike to our team at Milan Laser!" said Dr. Shikhar Saxena, CEO and co-founder of Milan Laser. "Milan Laser has experienced immense growth over the last year, so having Mike in this position will lead to invaluable contributions towards our expansion efforts."

To learn more about Milan Laser Hair Removal, visit www.milanlaser.com.
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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday that he has fired Masayoshi Arai as secretary to him over discriminatory remarks against sexual minorities.

Kishida, who has recently expressed caution over legalizing same-sex marriage, told reporters that he took the issue "very seriously" and that Arai's successor has already been decided.

"Executive secretary Arai's remarks totally contradict the government's policy and are inexcusable," said the prime minister.

Arai, an elite bureaucrat from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) who serves as an executive secretary to the prime minister, said during an off-the-record conversation with reporters the previous day that he would "not want to live next door" to an LGBT couple and that he would "hate even to see them."

Arai also said that if same-sex marriage is introduced in Japan, it would "change the way society is" and that "there are quite a few people who would abandon this country."

Arai quickly retracted the comments on Friday after they were made public by the media and apologized, adding that the remarks did not reflect Kishida's own thinking.

Arai, 55-year-old, was appointed an executive secretary to the prime minister in October 2021, when the Kishida administration took office, from his post as director-general of the commerce and information policy bureau at the METI.
Emmy-winning and Tony Award-nominated actor Richard Thomas believes you cant play icons, but you can play people. When the person you are playing is Atticus Finch, an iconic character in American literature, there are certain things you have to keep in mind.

Atticus doesnt exist outside of his iterations in screenplays, novels or play text, Thomas said in an interview with The World-Herald. Hes different from place to place depending on hows hes portrayed on the page.

As Atticus Finch, Thomas leads the national touring company cast of Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird, coming to Omahas Orpheum Theater Tuesday through Feb. 12. The Omaha show is the 2018 adaptation by Aaron Sorkin, whos writing credits include A Few Good Men, The Social Network and The West Wing.

Thomas lengthy career has included notable television, film and stage work. Some of his most-known performances include John-Boy Walton from the TV series The Waltons (for which he won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series), Frank Gaad on The Americans, the Rev. Bobby Joe in Glory! Glory! and most recently, Nathan Davis on the popular Netflix series Ozark. In 2017, he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in The Little Foxes on Broadway.

To Kill a Mockingbird, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that is considered a classic piece of American literature, is loosely based on Lees childhood in late 1930s Alabama. The story deals with the controversial issues of racism and rape, while also looking at the relationships and heart of a southern family. Atticus, a key figure in the novel and the narrators father, is a lawyer who is tasked with defending Tom Robinson, a Black man accused of raping a young White woman. Lees depiction of Atticus has made him a hero to many readers and a role model for many lawyers. Actor Gregory Peck played Atticus in the 1962 film version of the book  for which he won an Academy Award for best actor.

Thomas said Sorkins stage version takes Atticus off the pedestal and gives him a wonderful journey as a vulnerable, flawed person.

All of the unassailable virtues that, that Atticus presents in the film are interrogated in this particular adaptation, Thomas said. His ideas about community, his optimism, his idealism, these things are interrogated beautifully. One of the things that (Sorkin) has done is give him a sense of humor ... and a lot of humility. He is humble and hes nice. Hes a lovely person, but not perfect. And so that makes it a much more interesting play.

One of the shows major themes is how youths view society around them and their responses to what Robinsons trial stirs up in their small town. While the book has been required reading for many classrooms, Thomas said its important to remember this is not a young adult novel. Though he read the story in his youth, he re-read it in preparation for his stage performance. Reading it as an adult was a completely different experience, he said.

The trial of Tom Robinson, I think is like two chapters in the book, but so much of this is about Atticus trying to parent these kids, Thomas said.

He added that Atticus is a very big role, not just in terms of the amount of dialogue but also for the magnitude of his presence on stage.

Theres a great emotional journey and its very powerful. Its a lot of work because its heavy and thats why the humor is so important, Thomas said. The first act is essentially comedy with serious parts and the second act is essentially tragedy with funny parts. Its beautifully constructed, but its a huge part and it takes everything youve got.

ABOUT THE SHOW What: The national tour of Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird," part of Omaha Performing Arts' Broadway series When: Tuesday through Feb. 12. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Feb. 12. Where: The Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. Tickets: Tickets are still available and range from $39 to $115. They can be purchased at ticketomaha.com or at the Omaha Performing Arts box office inside the Holland Center, 1200 Douglas St. More information: o-pa.org

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of January 2023
How does the celebration for Punxsutawney Phil differ from the popular Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day" and what are some of the gaffes that have happened there over the years?
Officials in Nebraskas largest school district are opposing the majority of Gov. Jim Pillens school finance and property tax reduction plan, saying it would cause significant, meaningful cuts to its budget.

During a special meeting on Tuesday, the Omaha Public Schools board approved a legislative report that included the districts positions on nearly 20 bills that are being considered by state lawmakers.

Shane Rhian, chief financial officer for OPS, said the district is focusing on two separate packages related to school aid and tax reform that Pillen proposed in January.

If all the bills are approved, the district could lose up to nearly $18 million in funding. While Rhian said this would cause significant damage to OPS, the districts general fund budget is $710 million for the 2022-23 school year.

When we began analyzing the bills individually, it quickly became apparent that we needed to look at the impact if all 11 of the bills were approved as currently introduced in the Legislature, Rhian said.

The districts most vehement opposition pertains to Pillens package of proposals for school funding, which consists of three legislative bills.

Legislative Bill 583, introduced by State Sen. Rita Sanders of Bellevue, would allocate $1,500 in foundation aid annually for every K-12 public school student through the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act (TEEOSA). It also includes a substantial surge of special education reimbursement from the state.

Under Nebraskas current formula, the bulk of education funding comes in equalization aid, which goes to high-need districts. Rhian said the foundation aid would offset equalization aid from TEEOSA, meaning OPS would not gain any extra funding from the state with that part of the new bill.

Kenny Zoeller, a spokesman for Gov. Pillen, said while the foundation aid might not add new funding to the district, OPS would get more than $22 million in new special education funding under LB 583.

LB 681, introduced by Sen. Rob Clements of Elmwood, would establish a $1 billion education future fund in Nebraska. The fund would receive a transfer of $250 million per year and could be spent on foundation aid, the increased special education funding, increased school funding and grant programs for things like teacher retention.

Rhian said the governors plan for the future fund is unsustainable and the spending for foundation aid and special education together already amounts to about $300 million a year.

By 2030, the fund is estimated to be drained to $500 million and would need a substantial infusion of money to keep it going, Rhian said.

Surely they can see that if they are spending $300 million annually  it goes away. Theres no sustainability to it, said board member Jane Erdenberger.

Rhian said a future Legislature could change the amount transferred into the account each year to fit the budget.

The Governors Office said OPSs stance that the fund would be unsustainable is incorrect.

OPS is flat wrong. It is financial fiction to discuss a fund balance of nearly a half billion dollars as drained seven years in the future, Pillen said in an official statement. According to my math and most Nebraskans, thats a lot of money.

OPS officials also oppose the last leg of the funding plan, LB 589, introduced by Sen. Tom Briese of Albion. It establishes a 3% cap on property tax revenue for school districts. The cap could increase to 4% with a vote by the school board, though it would require support from a supermajority of board members.

Rhian said if the district continues to see property valuations increase at the 5-7% range, which it has seen in the last four years, the 3% cap could potentially impact OPSs equalization aid.

The 3% cap, combined with the other bills if they are passed, could cause the district to lose almost $18 million, Rhian said. If the board were to move the cap to 4%, it would lose about $11 million.

Superintendent Cheryl Logan, along with superintendents in Millard, Lincoln and Papillion La Vista, met with Pillen Tuesday morning to discuss the bill and possible changes that could be made.

There are some proposed changes that may be introduced as amendments in the Legislature that would soften the blow of the revenue cap limits and also include equalization aid as an allowable use out of the education future fund, Rhian said. While those may help make the bills more palatable, they would still have serious consequences to the state and to the district, even with the proposed changes.

The district also opposes a group of bills that revolve around income tax relief. This includes LB 753, introduced by Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Omaha, which has come up several times in previous legislative sessions. It would create tax credits for donations to organizations that provide scholarships to attend private and parochial schools.

Logan testified against LB 753 during a lengthy public hearing Friday, which drew a contentious response from Sen. Kathleen Kauth, an Omaha-area lawmaker who supports the bill. OPS also opposes the controversial parent bill of rights legislation.

The boards legislative report on Tuesday only contained one bill that the district supports: LB 673, introduced by Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair. It would provide grants to schools that adopt a policy to provide emergency response mapping data to law enforcement agencies.

Logan also voiced her support during testimony on Tuesday for LB 519, introduced by Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont. It would eliminate teaching certificate fees, increase the maximum loan for students looking to enter the teaching field, establish a loan for student teachers and establish a grant for employee retention in school districts.

OPS doesnt have a conclusive stance on the remainder of this sessions education bills yet. According to the report, the district will continue to monitor and research the rest of the bills as they move through the Legislature.

Photos: 2023 Nebraska legislative session
More than 100 Omahans gathered Saturday for the Black Political Summit, a high-energy nonpartisan workshop aimed at creating a plan to increase voter turnout and civic engagement in North Omaha.

The event was hosted by Preston Love Jr., the founder of Black Votes Matter Institute of Community Engagement, and represented the first step in the creation of a comprehensive 18-month plan to boost voter turnout in the 2024 election cycle.

North Omaha has long lagged behind the rest of the city in voter turnout. In the 2022 general election, only 45% of registered North Omaha voters, defined by Love as City Council Districts 1 and 2, voted. That was 9 percentage points lower than overall Douglas County turnout.

The goals set by Love and other organizers are lofty: They hope to register 15,000 new voters and raise North Omahas turnout percentage to 60% and 70% in the 2024 primary and general elections, respectively.

But with dedication, grit and a whole lot of community work, advocates say they are hopeful that it can happen.

Instead of a traditional conference with panels and speeches, Saturdays four-hour event largely consisted of group brainstorming sessions. Attendees were split into five groups: community members, young professionals, Black church leaders, grassroots organizers, and other communities of color like Hispanic and refugee populations.

The groups spent an hour participating in lively discussions, identifying what they see as barriers to political involvement in North Omaha and brainstorming what they can do to increase turnout in the upcoming election.

Michaela Atkins shared the ideas of the young professionals group. She spoke about the lack of political education offered to students in Nebraska schools, saying that students should be taught about voting and local politics throughout their educational career  not just at the end of it when they are preparing to vote for the first time.

She also emphasized the importance of community outreach in getting young people interested in and involved with politics.

Its vital to meet young people where they are, Atkins said. Not only in schools, but in our communities. If you know a group of young Black kids go down to the court on 24th Street, thats where you go to engage them and connect with them. Thats how you do it in a way that is authentic.

Each group took detailed notes, which will be compiled into a comprehensive strategic plan to boost turnout for 2024. Once the plan is completed, it will be presented at another summit in March for community feedback. The strategic plan will be implemented in May by a task force of advocates and community organizers.

After the workshop portion concluded, attendees ate lunch and listened intently to a rousing speech from Cliff Albright, co-founder of the Atlanta-based voting rights and community empowerment group Black Voters Matter. Albright spoke about his own experiences with community organizing and stressed the importance of a communitys belief in itself.

Yes, we agree on the problem, Albright said at the conclusion of his speech. We agree on the symptoms of the problem. But most importantly, I need us to agree that we will believe that we have the power to win. We must believe that our community has the power to win.

Photos: North 24th Street Streetscape Master Plan receives federal and city funding
This year will mark the 85th anniversary of the first issue of the Omaha Star, a weekly publication and Nebraskas only Black-owned newspaper.

As founder, publisher and editor of the Omaha Star, Mildred Brown fought bigotry with words. She also provided neighborhood news and commentary for more than 50 years, giving her readers a weekly helping of information about events and opinions in the Black community.

The Star grew into one of the most prosperous weekly newspapers in the country. It has been distributed in as many as 48 states and, at one point, the paper boasted a staff of 20 and circulation of more than 30,000.

Under Browns leadership, the Star worked to open up jobs for Black people and push for desegregation of restaurants and public facilities. The vivacious woman, who always wore a fresh corsage, helped organize marches and boycotts.

The newspaper always has operated under this motto: Dedicated to the service of the people that no good cause shall lack a champion, and that evil shall not thrive unopposed.

The Omaha Star building, at 2216 N. 24th St., was designated an Omaha Historical Landmark Site in 2006 and was officially entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Services will be held Monday for a 19-year-old Schuyler man who died last week in a two-vehicle crash in northeast Nebraska.

Jeyco Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene Thursday on Nebraska Highway 15 near rural Clarkson, according to a statement from the Stanton County Sheriff's Office. A funeral Mass for Gonzalez will be celebrated Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Marys Catholic Church in Schuyler.

Investigators said Gonzalez was driving a Toyota SUV northbound on Highway 15 about 3 p.m. when he turned west to 822nd Road. The SUV turned into the path of a southbound pickup truck driven by Tyler Regan, 24, of O'Neill, Nebraska. Gonzalez was ejected from the SUV.

Regan, who was wearing a seatbelt, was extricated from the wreckage and taken to a West Point hospital. He was later flown to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy in Omaha with severe injuries.

The collision caused the front transaxle of the SUV to detach from the frame before ending up in a ditch. Both vehicles were destroyed in the high speed impact.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of January 2023
DES MOINES  Using mobile devices while driving a vehicle would be illegal except when using hands-free modes, under a proposal being considered by Iowa state lawmakers.

The concept is nothing new: Similar legislation has floated around the Capitol ever since the state in 2017 enacted a ban on texting while driving. But some lawmakers think momentum is building around the proposal, and with a large number of new legislators, this may be the year the ban on mobile device operation passes both chambers of the Iowa Legislature and makes it to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds desk for her consideration.

Its time to get it done, Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls, a Democrat from Coralville and leader of the Iowa Senate Democrats, said Friday while recording Iowa Press on Iowa PBS. I sure hope so. Its something that, certainly, its long overdue.

From 2015 to 2021 in Iowa, the average annual number of crashes that involved distracted driving increased 64.9% over the previous 14 years, according to state transportation data.

Over the same period, the number of distracted driving-related crashes involving fatalities and total deaths from crashes both spiked by 237% in Iowa.

In 2022, a total of 338 people died on Iowa roads, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. Already this year, 25 have been killed.

State law enforcement officials say the current ban on texting while driving is nearly impossible to enforce because it is difficult to prove a driver was texting, which is illegal, and not making a call, which remains legal.

Proposed legislation that is advancing in the Iowa Senate would allow for mobile device use while driving only in hands-free mode. Any hand-held use of a device while driving would be prohibited.

The bill, Senate File 60, is supported by five different organizations that represent state law enforcement officials, plus the state public safety and transportation departments, according to state lobbying records. The proposal also is backed by groups representing insurance companies, car dealers, lawyers, senior citizens, brain injury prevention advocates and local governments.

No groups are registered in opposition to the proposal.

Sen. Mark Lofgren, a Republican from Muscatine, Iowa, who has been managing the proposed legislation in the Senate, said that as an avid runner he has witnessed an increase in drivers who operate mobile devices while driving.

It seems like 20 years ago, as a runner you didnt see many (drivers) distracted, Lofgren said. It seems like its gotten worse, and its gotten worse, and its gotten worse.

Lofgren said he also hopes the proposal passes the Iowa Legislature this year.

Thirty states prohibit the hand-held use of mobile devices while driving, according to the national Governors Highway Safety Association.

Rep. Pat Grassley, the Republican speaker of the Iowa House from New Hartford, said he is not sure how many House Republicans support the proposal, given 24 of them are in their first year in the Legislature.

Sen. Jack Whitver, the Republican Senate majority leader from Grimes, Iowa, said something similar; there are nine new Senate Republicans this year. He said now that the bill managed by Lofgren has passed out of the Senates transportation committee, the full roster of Senate Republicans will start discussing it.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of January 2023
BLOOMINGTON  Spring is on the horizon, but unpredictable weather in February means blood drive cancellations and travel woes can keep people from donating blood as they had planned.

"The need for blood is constant. Every two seconds somebody in the U.S. needs blood," said Brian Williamsen, communication manager for the American Red Cross of Illinois. "We've actually had throughout the country probably thousands of appointments canceled this winter because of severe weather."

As those cancellations continue to affect blood supply, the Red Cross and local hospitals are urging donors to make and keep appointments to help prevent a shortage from arising.

Williamsen said donors of all blood types, along with platelet donors, are needed daily to meet the demand of hospitals and patients. However, they are especially in need of Type O blood donors, as that is the most common blood type used for transfusions.

"Type O-positive ... is actually given to patients more than any other blood and it's referred to as the most-needed blood type, but it's the most common, with almost 40% of the U.S. population," Williamsen said.

Hospitals use blood supplies for patients who have experienced significant blood loss, such as in trauma cases and cardiac surgeries, Williamsen said.

Blood supplies may also be used in childbirths when hemorrhage occurs, and for cancer patients who need platelet transfusions when their bone marrow is not making enough, said Janell Durdle, lab director at Carle BroMenn Medical Center in Normal.

"We have established a minimum volume that we need for each of the blood types in our blood bank, and we've been able to maintain that to be able to service all the patients that we need to," Durdle said. "It's about five days that we have on supply, and we're constantly in communication with the American Red Cross on how much we can get."

Durdle said they primarily receive blood from the American Red Cross, which supplies blood all over the nation. Its supply is constantly rotating due to expiration dates of units and to make sure there is enough blood on hand for patients. A unit of blood can only be stored for up to 42 days.

Although blood donations tend to falter during the winter, they also were hit hard during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were concerned about going to blood drives or donation centers and being infected, Durdle said.

"I'm knocking on wood right now that we don't see a shortage in our current supply," said Dr. Rick A. Anderson, vice president and chief medical officer at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington. "The thing is that we tend to be a little low on O-negative blood, which is the universal donor blood type."

Anderson said OSF St. Joseph works with Impact Life, which serves over 100 hospitals around the Midwest, to supply its blood bank and have a five-day supply of blood ready for use when needed.

"I think people don't think about it very often," Anderson said. "People that may have a loved one that needed a blood donation or have made a blood donation themselves really think about it."

Anderson said people often worry about the pain and the time commitment that could come with blood donation. But, he said, donation centers and drives have made it easier and faster for people to donate.

"It's absolutely essential that we do have those blood donors who are willing to do that and we're thankful for them," Williamsen said. "You're doing something that's bigger than yourself and you're helping people in the process."

In an effort to to keep hospitals shelves stocked, anyone who donates blood through the American Red Cross this month will receive a $10 Amazon gift card and will be automatically entered to win a trip for two to Clearwater Beach, Florida.

For information on appointments and the drawing, go to redcrossblood.org/heart.

Donors can even track their donation through the American Red Cross' Blood Donor App. For more details, visit redcrossblood.org/blood-donor-app.

People can donate blood through Impact Life by scheduling an appointment at bloodcenter.org/donate or by calling 1-800-747-5401. ImpactLife also has a mobile app for users to schedule and track appointments.

Upcoming blood drives American Red Cross blood drive include the following: American Red Cross Bloomington Blood Donation Center, 1 Westport Court, Bloomington, Feb. 6-8 and Feb. 13-14 from 12:15-7:15 p.m. as well as Feb. 10-12 from 7:45 a.m.-2:45 p.m.

State Farm, 2702 Ireland Grove Road, Bloomington, Feb. 8 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Illinois Sate University Watterson Towers, 301 S. Fell Ave. in Normal, in the Rosa Parks Room on Feb. 10 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Heyworth High School, 308 W. Cleveland St., Heyworth, on Feb. 10 from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

North Danvers Mennonite Church, 5517 E. 1950 North Road, Danvers, on Feb. 11 from 8 a.m.-noon. Impact Life blood drives include the following: Illinois State University Bone Student Center, 100 N. University St., Normal, on Feb. 6 from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Feb. 13 from 12:30-4:30 p.m.

OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, 2200 E. Washington St., Bloomington, on Feb. 9 from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Feb. 10 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Hopedale Medical Complex, 107 Tremont St., Hopedale, on Feb. 17 from noon-3 p.m.
BLOOMINGTON  Bloomington Lodge No. 43 and Normal Lodge No. 673 recently donated $16,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal.

The grant funding was secured from an Illinois Freemasonry Charity, the Illinois Masonic Children's Assistance Program.

Grants were requested by Christopher Hathaway, of Bloomington Lodge No. 43, from IMCAP to be used to fund programming and youth needs throughout the year, as well as assist with two holiday programs providing new coats and holiday food baskets for member families. Hathaway personally reached out to Boys & Girls Club CEO Tony Morstatter and Family & Volunteer Coordinator Leslie Adams to understand their financial needs.

Lodge members Connor Ramsey of Bloomington and Joseph Farley of Normal wrote the proposals for IMCAP.

"All great partnerships start with a common cause," Morstatter said. "We are so appreciative of this generous gift to the club, which will make a great impact in helping us meet the developmental, social, and academic needs of our members, while also supporting the financial needs of our club families through various resources, such as coats and food boxes."

The Boys & Girls Club's mission is to empower youth to become productive, caring, responsible citizens, which aligns with IMCAP's mission: "To support children and young adults in need with developmental, social, financial and educational means, encouraging them to achieve their goals, maintain high ambitions and see opportunities as they grow and mature into future leaders of our society."

Visit ilmason.org or imcap.org for more information.

Close Tony Morstatter, Jay McGee Phillip Ellis, Julio and DJ Wince, Dodie Dunson Cat Woods, Terry Reid Ben Hartl, Heartland Community College President Keith Cornille Ron Greene, Joan Stralow, Shelleigh Birlingmair, Mark Houska Vicki Tilton, Denise Geske Harlan Geiser, Kevin Birlingmair, Jeff Leverton, Rick Mehall Kris Kline, Jon and Ed Voegele, Jeannie Higdon Dave and Cathy Oloffson Bryce and Heather Miller, Susan Mitchell Holly Houska, Melissa Isenburg Julie Kubsch, Elliott Renfroe Bob Dobski, Mike Matejka, Ronnie Paul 2022 Be Great Breakfast Boys &: Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal Wednesday, Dec. 14 Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Normal Approximately 800 guests attended this signature fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club. The Boys & Girls Club mission is to empower all young people, especially those who need them most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. For more information go to bgcbn.org Tony Morstatter, Jay McGee Phillip Ellis, Julio and DJ Wince, Dodie Dunson Cat Woods, Terry Reid Ben Hartl, Heartland Community College President Keith Cornille Ron Greene, Joan Stralow, Shelleigh Birlingmair, Mark Houska Vicki Tilton, Denise Geske Harlan Geiser, Kevin Birlingmair, Jeff Leverton, Rick Mehall Kris Kline, Jon and Ed Voegele, Jeannie Higdon Dave and Cathy Oloffson Bryce and Heather Miller, Susan Mitchell Holly Houska, Melissa Isenburg Julie Kubsch, Elliott Renfroe Bob Dobski, Mike Matejka, Ronnie Paul
NORMAL  Viraasat in Hindi means heritage.

A broad range of Indian customs were displayed Saturday afternoon by the McLean County India Association during its 2023 Viraasat celebration at Heartland Colleges Astroth Community Education Center.

The event was also held to recognize India Republic Day, which has been celebrated each Jan. 26 since the 1950 implementation of the countrys constitution.

Several association members interviewed by The Pantagraph, including MCIA Vice President Akanksha Mehta, spoke about how the organization unites people living in the county from all parts of India. The country comprises 28 states and eight territorial unions.

Mehta also said the event helps build a sense of patriotism for Indian people.

Association president Shweta Sawant, also a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway, said MCIA is coming back in 2023 as an organization, after holding off on events like Viraasat during COVID. A few upcoming programs she noted are Womens Day, a Feb. 11 badminton tournament and a summer picnic.

Afterward on Sunday, Sawant said in a telephone interview that Saturday was a good welcome back, with over 300 attending Viraasat.

MCIA treasurer Nirmal Jain was also present Saturday, donning a Nehru jacket, the same style worn by the first prime minister of India.

Originally from the state of Maharashtra, Jain said hes lived in Bloomington since 2011. He said his family is very far from their home, so their kids need to know about their culture, and learn what Indian heritage is. Hes a husband to Nita Jain, and a father to 18-year-old Shreni and Sourya Jain, 11.

He said association members come from all different states, all different backgrounds, but we all come together.

Tracing roots

Serving as emcees were Aruna Ravichandran and Aric Diamani, introducing musical and theatrical skits covering both modern and early Indian history. There were also several dance numbers.

The emcees posed trivia questions to the crowd, including on how the nations capital, New Delhi, celebrates Republic Day, the number of mosques in the country, and the percentage of spices that India contributes to the global economy (over 70%).

Correct answers were rewarded with candy. Samosas and chai lattes were also served during a snack break.

Uma Balakrishnans 12-year-old daughter, Rhea Balakrishnan, sang national anthems for both America and India. Then, a childrens fashion show was held, with over a dozen youngsters portraying notable Indian and Indian American figures. Sawants daughter portrayed the 1994 Miss Universe recipient.

In a later skit titled Freedom Time Travel, two children went back in time to learn about several notable figures, such as Mahatma Gandhi, constitutional author Babasaheb Ambedkar, Swadeshi shipping company founder V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, and feminist activist Sarojini Naidu.

A yoga demonstration was presented by 7-year-old Aadhuai Vijay. The girls father, Vijay Kumar, said she picked up yoga several years ago to help treat issues with pressure behind her eyes. Kumar said his daughter was able to avoid surgery thanks to yoga exercises, and yoga instructions by her mother.

City of Bloomington Ward 8 Alderman Jeff Crabill was in attendance, and was invited to light a ceremonial candle set. He said hes known Sawant for two years, and couldnt think of anyone better to run MCIA.

By joining MCIA events like on Saturday, Crabill said hes learned more about Indian culture and been amazed by how much theyve brought here. Also noting how the Indian community has established several local businesses over the years, he suggested audience members run for city council or even mayor in two years.

Diamani, an event emcee, told The Pantagraph that Viraasat helps bridge cultural gaps. Noting he has choreographed other dances in town, he said music and art is the glue of society.

He said it brings people from all walks of life together, fostering harmony, peace and happiness.

It uplifts everyone together, said Diamani.

To learn more about MCIA programing, visit their website ourmcia.org or social media page, facebook.com/OurMCIA.

A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the MICA vice president, who is Akanksha Mehta.

Photos: Illinois State Finals Cheerleading Preliminary Round
A wise person of our past said, You could take the first 10 people on any page of the telephone book, and they could do a better job of guiding our government than most politicians in Washington, D.C.

If I were one of the 10 and could be president, my first action would be to call up the Navy to police the Rio Grande River between the U.S. and Mexico to keep illegal people from entering our country. Then I would call up the Army to our southern U.S. border to capture any illegals crossing over the river.

We could pay for all this by getting rid of the Environmental Protection Agency. They take in millions of dollars to try and control our weather patterns. Has any congress man introduced a bill consult the author of our climate? Its God, you can read his plans in the Bible. Start with Genesis.

Marilyn Hakes, Normal
Memories can be instructive. That is why I support Steven Nalefski for Ward 4 Alderman.

Twenty years ago, about 60% of voters supported a referendum opposing the building of a Colosseum. They cited evidence from other cities in Illinois showing that such buildings were never able to sustain themselves except as a continuing burden to the taxpayers.

I remember, too, how the city council and its consultants contended that a Colosseum in Bloomington would support itself-against all the evidence. Those consultants were gone as soon as they were paid. The politicians of that day were soon gone as well. And even the management who later engaged in criminal financial transactions are gone now. So why do we taxpayers still remember that sad event in Bloomington history? Because we are still paying for it.

And why should we recall that dismal history now? Because the Bloomington City Council has just voted to spend $750,000 for a consultant to provide political cover for a project, a streetscape, whatever that may be, that City Manager Gleason guesses may come in at a price of $25-$30 million.

The consultants will make the project look attractive, but as one honest council member observed recently, a few years later it will look like Decatur again. Meanwhile the city has slow-walked resources needed for the Locust Colton project to separate sanitary and storm water sewers, to say nothing about improving our streets or addressing the $250 million EPA mandated improvements needed to insure water safety.

So we remember with every tax bill the history of the Colosseum and try to learn from it. Voters in Ward 4 remember, and I ask them to vote for Steven Nalefski, a voice for the people, for alderman. Steven remembers too.

Gary Lambert, Bloomington
South Africa has recorded two confirmed imported cases of cholera, the health department said on Sunday, as it called for vigilance.



The cases were of sisters who had in January travelled to Malawi, where a cholera outbreak since last year has claimed more than 1,000 lives as of January, the highest on record in the country.



"Both patients had developed symptoms on their return to Johannesburg," the health department said in a statement.



"A close contact (household family member) of one of the patients was admitted to hospital on 4 February with diarrhoea and dehydration, and is considered a possible case," it said, adding laboratory test results were pending.



Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae and can be deadly if left untreated. It is mainly spread by contaminated food and water.



Cholera is not endemic in South Africa, the health department said. The last outbreak in the country was in 2008/2009 when about 12,000 cases were reported following an outbreak in neighbouring Zimbabwe which led to a surge of imported cases and subsequent local transmission.











Source: Reuters









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Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says he received a promise from Russian President Vladimir Putin that he will not kill his Ukrainian counterpart.



Bennett emerged as an unlikely intermediary in the early days of Russias 11-month war with Ukraine, becoming one of the few leaders to meet Putin during the war in a trip to Moscow last March.



While Bennetts mediation efforts appear to have done little to end the ongoing bloodshed, his remarks, in an interview posted on his YouTube channel late on Saturday, shed light on the backroom diplomacy and urgent efforts that were under way to try to bring the conflict to a speedy conclusion in its early days.



In the five-hour interview, which touched on numerous other subjects, Bennett says he asked Putin about whether he intended to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.



I asked Whats with this? Are you planning to kill Zelenskyy? He said I wont kill Zelenskyy. I then said to him I have to understand that youre giving me your word that you wont kill Zelenskyy. He said Im not going to kill Zelenskyy.



Bennett said he then called Zelenskyy to inform him of Putins pledge.





Listen, I came out of a meeting, hes not going to kill you. He asks, Are you sure? I said One hundred percent he wont kill you.



Read Full Story .... Aljazeera >>> :









Source: Aljazeera









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Thirty out of a total of 34 sex workers, who appeared before the Tema Magistrates Court, were on Tuesday granted GH5,000 bail each with two sureties for allegedly engaging in prostitution in the Tema Metropolis.



This was after they pleaded not guilty to charges levied against them.



The four, who pleaded guilty, were discharged and cautioned to stay away from prostitution by the court.



The accused, believed to be Ghanaians, Liberians and Nigerians, were rounded up by the Tema Regional Police Command through an intelligent-led operation on Tuesday at Subin Valley, Community 7, Viena City, Community 8, Sabrina Hotel, at Site 17, Community 1, and Datus School Complex Area, also at Community 8.



Detective Corporal Richard Owusu Asante told the court presided over by Ms. Siran Mahama that the accused were arrested soliciting clients in the metropolis.



The accused are to reappear in court on March 15.

Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh









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NIGERIA: A 46-year-old man identified as Hassan Azeez has been arrested by men of the Ogun state Police Command, for allegedly pouring petrol on his wife and setting her ablaze.



A statement released by SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, spokesperson of the state police command, says the suspect was arrested following a report lodged at Ibogun divisional headquarters by the victim's father, that on October 22, 2022, his daughter, Olayinka Hassan was set ablaze by her husband over a minor disagreement, and that the victim, a mother of one, had been rushed to an hospital in Ibadan.



Upon the report, the DPO Ibogun division, CSP Samuel Oladele quickly mobilized his men and moved to the scene. But before getting there, the suspect had escaped. Since then, the police operatives have been on his trail until 22nd of January when he was eventually apprehended.



On interrogation, the suspect who claimed to have ran away to Benin Republic confessed to the commission of the crime but blamed it on the devil.



According to him, he asked the victim to prepare food for him but instead of the victim to prepare his food, she was busy washing clothes. He stated further that he got annoyed because he was hungry and the annoyance made him to pour petrol on her and set her on fire. When asked whose clothes the woman was washing, he confessed that it was his clothes.'' Oyeyemi said



The suspect has been transferred to the Homicide section of the state Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and possible prosecution.

Source: LIB









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A Kumasi-based Prophet who is famously credited with predicting election results accurately has once again prophesied victory for the ruling NPP in the 2024 elections with the Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia as its flagbearer.



Prophet Paul Kusi Appiah of the Charismatic Temple International Ministry located at Asenua says the ruling party will secure 50.9% in the Presidential elections and 153 seats come December 7, 2024.



"The NPP will surely emerge victorious in the 2024 elections; Dr Bawumia will be their flagbearer and he will win 13 regions out of 16 whilst the NPP will secure 153 seats to lead Parliament " Prophet Kusi Appiah stated.



"Dr Bawumia will secure 64% of the votes in the NPP Presidential primaries by winning 13 out of the 16 regions" He predicted



According to him, the current Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Chairman Wontumi holds the key to the victory of the NPP, adding "Chairman Wontumi will also take the mantle from Mr. Stephen Ntim who will only serve one term as National Chairman of the NPP "



The famous Prophet, who has given similar prophecies in the past, further stated that the NPP will win 44 seats in the Ashanti Region with 74% percent in the Presidential elections.



Meanwhile, the Man of God has asked all Ghanaians to pray for peace and unity in the country

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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President Nana Akufo-Addo on Friday urged Germany to encourage China, an ad hoc member of the Paris Club, to support Ghanas debt restructuring efforts.



He said it is critical that the Paris Club swiftly establishes, with the participation of other official creditors, a creditors committee, to support the efforts that would enable Ghana to restore economic growth.



The President made the call when the visiting German Finance Minister, Christian Lindner called on him at the Jubilee House, Accra.



Linden, who was the head of a delegation from his country, held bilateral talks with the President aimed at boosting relations and economic ties between the two nations.



President Akufo-Addo told the Minister that the main concern for his government is to conclude negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), particularly at the Board Level and seal a deal with the Bretton Woods institution by mid-March this year.



Our main concern right now is the arrangements that we are in the process of concluding with the IMF and the specific assistance that will be useful to us and help us fast-track the process.



Our target is that by the middle of March, we should be before the Board for the full agreement. We have already taken one important step forward in concluding a staff-level agreement with the IMF and we are now looking to go the full haul in concluding the agreement. We are hoping that it will be done by the middle of March.



One of the steps towards that has been the domestic debt exchange programme that we are on, which unfortunately, we have quite a lot of difficulties, but has now been virtually concluded, he stated.



However, President Akufo-Addo stressed, that there is a vital need for other creditors to support the efforts that his government is undertaking to restructure both the external and domestic debts of the country, to enable the IMF deal to go through quickly.



We now have our relations with the Paris Club and the common framework, and we are looking for as quickly as possible a creditor committee to be established, so we will have the body with whom we can engage to bring those discussions as quickly as possible.



We have good relations with China. We will like you to encourage China to participate in these programmes as quickly as possibleA very important consideration for us is the financial stability fund that has been promised us as one of the key outcomes of these negotiations and definitely once again, your voice in trying to bring that into being is something that we would appreciate very much, President Akufo-Addo told Finance Minister Lindner.



The President commended the German government for extending support to Ghana to enable her overcome the current economic difficulties.



He said the German government had proven to be a reliable ally and Ghana would continue to count on the European nation as a privileged partner as the country seeks a bailout from the IMF.



IMF last December reached a Staff-Level Agreement on a $3 billion, three years Extended Credit Facility with Ghana to relieve its debt distress. The approval of the package is however subject to Ghana comprehensively restructuring its domestic and external debts.



The President in further discussions with the German delegation praised the German government for supporting peace efforts in the West African region.



He was particularly distressed about the spillover of terrorism from the Sahel region and the instability posed by cross-border terrorism in West Africa.



Currently, there are some 4,000 Burkinabe citizens seeking refuge in Ghana following attacks by suspected terrorists and militants in Burkina Faso.



We are directly in the line of fire. Burkina Faso is our northern neighbour and to have the jihadist menace there, which is very real, I think in the last six weeks some 4,000 young people from Burkina Faso have come to take refuge here in Ghana and those are the ones that the Refugee Board can officially count.



And usually, in these matters, you have to add another third of the numbers coming in, unaccounted for, so we are talking about substantial numbers of people who are already coming southwards as a result of the difficulties in Burkina Faso to Ghana.



So we have a direct important strategic interest in doing whatever we can to bring this insurgency to an end and help in stabilizing the government in Burkina Faso and in that exercise you have been very useful and helpful to us, he said.



On his part, Mr Lindner said the German government would do whatever it can to support West African deal with its issues.



We know that the stability and security in this region of Africa are essential for our security in Europe and we see economic challenges in Ghana but opportunities for bilateral trade and this is why we are here, he said.





Source: GNA









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A Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Joe Ghartey has reiterated his desire and readiness to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 Presidential race to clinch victory for the party.



The Former Minister for Railways Development and Member of Parliament (MP) for Essikado-Ketan, told Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview that he brings on board new and revised human-centered policies.



He expressed confidence that his underground campaign was said to be in high spirits as the party gears up to elect a leader for the 2024 presidential election.



Joe Ghartey said he was fast gaining popularity in all 16 Regions of Ghana with special reference to the Volta and Oti Regions.



The aspirant said even though he hailed from the Western and Central Regions, his popularity in the Oti and Volta Regions was extraordinary.



Joe Ghartey revealed that his relationship with the original Volta Region, from which the Oti Region was carved, began before his political career, an assertion which was confirmed by Divisional Chief of Gbi-Bla of Honoe, Torgbui Ayim IV.



Joe Ghartey is a Ghanaian lawyer, academician, and politician.



He is a former Attorney-General of Ghana between 2006 and 2009, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 2013 to 2017 and the Railways and Development Minister from 2017 to 2021.



He is an indigene of Shama in the Western Region.

Source: GNA









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Stakeholders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Western North are fuming with rage over what they say is an attempt by former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen to take them for granted as the NPP gears up for its flagbearership contest.



Alan resigned from government as Trade Minister to pursue his flagbearership dream and over the weekend, his campaign took him to the Western North to solicit for votes of delegates.



However, his rare visit to the Western North has incensed delegates who have accused Mr. Alan Kyerematen of neglecting that part of the country for so long and only finding his way there now because he wants their votes.



A number of executives and delegates who attended the meeting with Alan on Saturday were heard murmuring in disappointment and anger after the meeting.



"Alan has neglected us all these years, and he shows up now as if he really cares about us. Why now? Clearly it is because he wants our votes but, trust me, we are not stupid", a constituency executive said.



"I have been an active member of the NPP for many years, both under the old Western Region and the new Western North Region and I can say for a fact that I don't remember any level of serious interaction and support Alan has had with us and members of the party in the region as a senior member of government. The relationship is is non existent, but what are we seeing today? He is here with his team to solicit our support to lead our party. It doesn't work like that", another executive fumed.



The delegates added that, in the NPP, all persons who have succeeded in winning the delegates' hearts to lead the party as flagbearers in the past; from former President John Agyekum Kufuor to President Nana Akufo-Addo, maintained strong relationships with party members throughout the country and also worked for the party prior to their election.



"This is the difference between Alan Kyerematen and Dr. Bawumia. While Alan has not been visible here at all all these years, Dr. Bawumia frequents here to attend events both by the party and joins us for other social events of party members", the executives added.



"Also Dr. Bawumia spent many days with us here working and campaigning for the party and he always comes around. So if we see Dr. Bawumia here today and he says we should support him, it won't be because of votes that he is here. We have already built the relationship and it will be the right time to back him and support him."



Meanwhile, both NPP executives and delegates in the Western North have also expressed disappointment and anger over Alan's campaign message which they say is aimed at attacking the NPP government.



Several media have reported how the former Trade Minister has been telling delegates how bad the economy has been under the Akufo-Addo government and how it would be difficult for the NPP to even craft a campaign message for the 2024 elections.



The delegates are angry that Mr. Alan Kyerematen, having been part of the Akufo-Addo government until last month, is subtly attacking the government because of his flagbearership ambition.



"I t is quiet unfortunate that he is seeking to lead the NPP, yet he finds it convenient to attack the NPP government because he wants to take himself out for his presidential ambition."



"The question we delegates have been asking ourselves is that if you are attacking the NPP Government this way, which government's record will you use to campaign as you seek to lead the party?"

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Officials say 10 people have been arrested on suspicion of having set some of the fires.

Forest fires have killed 24 people, injured nearly 1,000 and destroyed 800 homes in five days as a blistering heat wave grips south-central Chile, authorities said Sunday.

Fueled by strong winds and temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), hundreds of fires have razed some 270,000 hectares in a region about 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of the capital Santiago.

The toll increased by one since Saturday with the death of a person who was being treated for injuries in hospital, said interior ministry official Manuel Monsalve.

The fatalities included one firefighter as well as two crew members of a helicopter that crashed on Friday.

Monsalve also reported 997 people with fire-related injuries, 26 of them in serious condition.

Eight firefighters are among the injured.

There were scenes of devastation Sunday in areas surrounded by burning forests, with farming plots reduced to ashes, dead animals and rural people who lost everything overnight.

"It was hell," Maria Ines, a 55-year-old social worker in Santa Juana in the hard-hit Biobio region told AFP after numerous houses were razed by the flames.

"It is a miracle that some of the houses were spared," she said, but "now we are afraid that the fire will return.... Where will we find refuge? Where? How?"

The dead included one firefighter as well as two crew members of a helicopter that crashed.

Miguel Angel Henriquez, a 58-year-old farmer from Santa Juana in the same region, told AFP that he saw a neighbor brave the flames to try and rescue some of his animals. "He did not come out. I yelled at him to come out of the fire, but he didn't listen."

A woman from El Santo, in the municipality of Tome, described that "most of the houses" in her settlement were burnt.

"The people did not manage to save anything, they left with what they wore, because the fire advanced very quickly."

President Gabriel Boric attended the wake of a firefighter in the town of Coronel, telling mourners: "The whole of Chile cries with you. I am here to tell you that you are not alone."

'Small window'

On Sunday morning, a drop in temperature promised some respite for the 5,300 firefighters deployed against the blazes.

Interior Minister Carolina Toha said Chile was becoming one of the countries most vulnerable to fires due to climate change.

"There is a small window of improvement in climatic conditions on Sunday and Monday," Monsalve told reporters, but warned temperatures could once again approach 40 C by Tuesday.

Ten people have been arrested, the official added, on suspicion of arson.

With some 260 active fires, the government maintained a state of emergency in the regions of Nuble, Biobio and La Araucania, allowing the deployment of additional resources, restriction of free movement of people and the use of soldiers in containment operations.

"We face the emergency with unity," Boric said on Twitter.

A plane left from Spain Sunday with 50 firefighting specialists, soldiers and drone pilots on board.

"We have just sent a plane to Chile with a contingent of the Emergency Military Unit to help extinguish and control the fires that are plaguing the country. All our support for the Chilean people," tweeted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

A plane left from Spain Sunday with 50 firefighting specialists, soldiers and drone pilots on board.

Other countries including Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Mexico have also offered help, according to the Chilean government.

On Saturday, Interior Minister Carolina Toha said Chile was becoming one of the countries most vulnerable to fires due to climate change.

Fire conditions that would have seemed extreme just three years ago are becoming more common, she said.

In 2017, a rash of fires in the same region left 11 people dead, injured nearly 6,000 and destroyed 1,500 homes.

 2023 AFP
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Researchers in the woods investigating rates of weathering in Pennsylvania. Credit: Penn State

Rocks, rain and carbon dioxide help control Earth's climate over thousands of yearslike a thermostatthrough a process called weathering. A new study led by Penn State scientists may improve our understanding of how this thermostat responds as temperatures change.

"Life has been on this planet for billions of years, so we know Earth's temperature has remained consistent enough for there to be liquid water and to support life," said Susan Brantley, Evan Pugh University Professor and Barnes Professor of Geosciences at Penn State. "The idea is that silicate rock weathering is this thermostat, but no one has ever really agreed on its temperature sensitivity."

Because many factors go into weathering, it has been challenging to use results of laboratory experiments alone to create global estimates of how weathering responds to temperature changes, the scientists said.

The team combined laboratory measurements and soil analysis from 45 soil sites around the world and many watersheds to better understand weathering of the major rock types on Earth and used those findings to create a global estimate for how weathering responds to temperature.

"When you do experiments in the laboratory versus taking samples from soil or a river, you get different values," Brantley said. "So what we tried to do in this research is look across those different spatial scales and figure out how we can make sense of all this data geochemists around the world been accumulating about weathering on the planet. And this study is a model for how we can do that."

Weathering represents part of a balancing act of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere. Volcanoes have emitted large amounts of carbon dioxide through Earth's history, but instead of turning the planet into a hot house, the greenhouse gas is slowly removed via weathering.

Rain takes the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and creates a weak acid that falls to Earth and wears away silicate rocks the surface. The byproducts are carried by streams and rivers to the ocean where the carbon is eventually locked away in sedimentary rocks, the scientists said.

"It has long been hypothesized that the balance between carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere from volcanoes and being pulled out by weathering over millions of years holds the temperature of the planet relatively constant," Brantley said. "The key is when there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the planet gets hotter, weathering goes faster and pulls more carbon dioxide out. And when the planet is cooler, weathering slows down."

But much remains unknown about how sensitive weathering is to changing temperatures, partly because of the long spatial and time scales involved.

"In a soil profile, you are seeing a picture of soil where the camera shutter was open for sometimes a million yearsthere are integrated processes happening for a million years and you're trying to compare that with a two-year flask experiment," Brantley said.

Brantley said the field of critical zone sciencewhich examines landscapes from the tallest vegetation to the deepest groundwaterhas helped scientists better understand the complex interactions that influence weathering.

For example, rocks must fracture for water to get in cracks and start breaking down the materials. For that to happen, the rock must have large, exposed surface areas, and that is less likely to happen in regions where soil is deeper.

"It's only when you start crossing spatial and time scales that you start seeing what's really important," Brantley said. "Surface area is really important. You can measure all the rate constants you want for that solution in the lab, but until you can tell me how does surface area form out there in the natural system, you are never going to be able to predict the real system."

The scientists reported in the journal Science that temperature sensitivity measurements in the laboratory were lower than estimates from soils and rivers in their study. Using observations from the lab and field sites, they upscaled their findings to estimate the global temperature dependance of weathering.

Their model may be helpful for understanding how weathering will respond to future climate change, and in evaluating man-made attempts to increase weathering to draw more carbon dioxide from the atmospherelike carbon sequestration.

"One idea has been to enhance weathering by digging up a lot of rock, grinding it, transporting it and putting it out in the fields to let weathering happen," Brantley said. "And that will workit's already working. The problem is, it's a very slow process."

Though warming may speed up weathering, pulling all the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere that humans have added could take thousands or hundreds of thousands of years, the scientists said.

Other Penn State researchers who participated on the study were Andrew Shaughnessy, doctoral candidate in the Department of Geosciences and Marina Lebedeva and Victor Balashov, senior scientists in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute.

More information: S. L. Brantley et al, How temperature-dependent silicate weathering acts as Earth's geological thermostat, Science (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.add2922 Journal information: Science
Other Findings

Approximately 6% or 1 in 17 residential properties were institutionally owned in 2020, a 2.5 percentage point increase over 2012. The number of these properties nearly doubled over that eightyear period.

About 71% of institutionally owned residential properties are owned by corporate or business entities, followed by trusts at 22% and banks at 4%.

South Jersey municipalities tend to have the highest shares of these properties and growth in institutionally owned home shares, followed by Central Jersey.

Hudson, Union and Ocean counties by far have the highest average shares of these properties. Growth in institutional homeownership has been strongest in Hudson, Camden, Ocean and Mercer counties.

Mantoloking, a shore community, has the highest share of institutional homeownership, with one in four residential properties institutionally owned. Trenton takes the second spot and the top spot among municipalities with 500 or more residents, followed by Deal (another shore community), Atlantic City and Woodlynne.

Trenton had the biggest shift toward institutional homeownership since 2012, seeing 15% or almost 1/6 of its residential properties shift to institutional hands. South Jersey communities Woodlynne (13.7%), Bridgeton (12.5%) and South Toms River (12.2%) take the second, third and fourth spots.

Central cities by far tend to have the highest rates of institutional homeownership, averaging 15%, followed distantly by urban suburbs at 8.3%. They have also seen the fastest growth in institutional property ownership, followed distantly by urban suburbs.

In shore communities, institutional homeownership is about two times the level for nonshore communities. Shore towns have also seen larger increases in institutional homeownership since 2012.

Distressed neighborhoods within urbanized communities tend to have very high institutional homeownership shares. Distressed cities tend to experience the greatest rises in institutional homeownership.

Areas targeted by corporate buyers tend to be lowerincome, more distressed and have a resident population consisting mostly of renters. These areas tend to have less available inventory for purchase and much faster growth in home prices.

The regression results reveal a positive relationship between the percentage of residential properties that are institutionally owned and the fiveyear change in the average sales price. A one percentage point increase in the share of institutionally owned properties increases fiveyear sales price growth by $7,891.

The areas where many lowincome homebuyers live are also the ones losing the most available housing stock and seeing larger home price increases as a result.

Source: "Buying New Jersey" from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
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The city engineer for the Pune Municipal Corporation has filed a complaint with the Pune city police against the owner of the Twitter handle 'Legal Rights Observatory - LRO' for allegedly broadcasting derogatory and false information about him

Prashant Waghmare, Pune Municipal Corporation's city engineer, has filed a case with the Pune city police against the owner of the Twitter handle 'Legal Rights Observatory - LRO' for allegedly publishing defamatory and false information about him.

On Friday, an FIR was filed at the Shivajinagar police station under sections 499 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving defamatory content) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

LRO is a group that engages in 'legal activism.' LRO accused Waghmare and Madhav Jagtap, Deputy Commissioner (Encroachment) of PMC, of "creating illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshi hawkers in exchange for money" in a tweet on February 2.

In the tweet, LRO also stated that they will write to Devendra Fadnavis (deputy chief minister and home minister) and the Income Tax department to request an FIR and an investigation into the two PMC personnel.

In his FIR, Waghmare stated that false and defamatory stuff was sent from the Twitter handle. "We have initiated an investigation into this issue," stated the case's investigation officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police Narayan Shirgaonkar. We have contacted Twitter and Gmail to learn more about the Twitter username mentioned in the complaint."

Meanwhile, on February 3, LRO stated that they had formally filed a 'tax evasion suit' against the two PMC officials with the Income Tax department "for disproportionate assets obtained via establishing infiltrators on streets."
A Davenport man on probation in Scott County and also awaiting trial in Rock Island County has been arrested on drug and weapons charges after Davenport Police allegedly caught him selling marijuana and possessing a handgun that had on it a switch that would make it fully automatic.

Trevon Demon Horne, 22, is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, failure to affix an Iowa drug tax stamp, felon in possession of a firearm and unauthorized possession of offensive weapons.

Each charge is a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of five years.

According to the arrest affidavits filed by Davenport Police Officer Robert Myers, at 6:10 a.m. Thursday, members of the Davenport Police Departments Narcotics Unit served a search warrant at Hornes residence in the 2600 block of North Harrison Street.

Horne was under investigation for selling marijuana.

From his residence, officers seized 514.15 grams of marijuana, 10 packages of marijuana edibles, packaging materials, a digital scale containing marijuana residue and $1,656 in cash.

Officers also seized a loaded .45-caliber Glock semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine. The pistol also was equipped with what is known as Glock full auto switch that makes the pistol fully automatic, such as a machine gun.

Having such a switch on a gun is illegal under federal law.

During a first appearance on the charges Friday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Catherine Cartee scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case for Feb. 10.

Horne was released Saturday from the Scott County Jail after posting 10% of a $17,000 bond through a bonding company.

Federal authorities could take over the new drug and weapons case against Horne under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Justice Department initiative instituted in 2001 that brings together law enforcement at all levels to reduce gun violence.

Horne allegedly was selling marijuana while in possession of a firearm, which would draw a charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. That charge carries a minimum prison sentence of five years and must run consecutively to any sentence on other drug or weapons charges. Also, it would be up to Hornes attorney to prove that the gun in his possession was not being used to further his drug crime.

Horne already is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm in that he is a convicted felon. In the federal system, the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Horne was convicted in Scott County District Court of second-degree theft and on Dec. 31, 2020, and was sentenced to serve two years on supervised probation by District Judge Mark Cleve.

Horne violated his probation in May of 2022 after he was arrested by Rock Island County authorities on one count of felon in possession of a firearm, a Class 3 felony under Illinois law that carries a prison sentence of 2-5 years, and one count of possession of a stolen firearm, a Class 2 felony that carries a prison sentence of 3-7 years.

A probation revocation status hearing is scheduled for April 17 in district court.

A pre-trail conference is set for Feb. 9 in circuit court on the Rock Island County weapons charges.
SPRINGFIELD  People whove been subject to fingerprinting, face or retinal scans as either employees or customers of Illinois companies have five years to file lawsuits if they believe the business violated a stringent state privacy law, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Its the latest in a handful of cases that have reached Illinois high court in recent years, all refining the states Biometric Information Privacy Act. Also known as BIPA, the first-of-its-kind law has, since 2008, made Illinois the only state that grants a private right of action to sue over the improper collection and mishandling of biometric data.

The justices on Thursday ruled BIPA has an unequivocal five-year statute of limitations on all claims under the law  not a one-year window as employers and business groups had hoped for.

In this case, logistics company Black Horse Carriers Inc., which has since been acquired by trucking giant Penske, faced a class action lawsuit. A former employee initiated the suit, alleging the company violated BIPA by requiring time clock fingerprint authentication without maintaining a publicly available policy on how the company would treat employees biometric data.

The suit also claimed Black Horse failed to provide notice to employees that the timeclock was collecting their fingerprints, and didnt explicitly get employees consent. The company argued the court shouldve applied the one-year statute of limitations under Illinois Right of Publicity Act. But the court unanimously disagreed.

In issuing a blanket five-year statute of limitations for all BIPA claims, the 5-0 majority of the court emphasized that the full ramifications of the harms associated with biometric technology is unknown. Without the law, the court wrote, individuals whose biometric data was improperly collected or disseminated might never even know it  at least until they felt the consequences.

We find that a longer limitations period would comport with the public welfare and safety aims of the General Assembly by allowing an aggrieved party sufficient time to discover the violation and take action, the court ruled.

Danielle Kays, an attorney with Chicago-based firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP with experience in cases involving biometric information, said employers like her clients were already working under the assumption that a five-year statute of limitations was likely to prevail. But this recent ruling, she said, provides more clarity in a law thats still taking shape in a sea of legal challenges.

Nearly 1.5 million Illinoisans were eligible for their share of a $650 million class action settlement with Facebook under BIPA in 2020, a five-year case that was one of the first among thousands of suits filed under the law, with the trend really taking off around 2018, Kays said.

She said she advises clients to stay on top of compliance that may evolve with each major decision, including this one, which solidifies a five-year statute of limitations.

Many cases have been stayed waiting for those decisions, Kays said. So there are many factual and legal defenses that have not been litigated still.

Thursdays opinion was another legal victory for proponents of BIPA  especially a handful of law firms specializing in filing class action cases over biometric data. Those attorneys have made the same basic argument in thousands of lawsuits over the last several years: if someones identity is stolen, they can obtain a new social security number. But if their biometric data is stolen, its impossible to get a new fingerprint or face.

So far, Illinois high court has agreed  as did a federal jury in October, granting $228 million in damages in a class action BIPA case against BNSF Railways, the first jury test of the law.

The Black Horse Carriers case was argued in front of the court in September, but Kays and other attorneys involved in BIPA litigation are waiting on an even more consequential decision in a class action suit against fast food chain White Castle.

In that case, the court is being asked to decide whether each time an employee clocks in and out using his or her fingerprint constitutes a separate violation of BIPA. Such a ruling could prove extremely costly to employers, as damages under the law start at $1,000 for negligent violations and $5,000 for violations deemed reckless.
Western Illinois University-Quad Cities, alongside the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and city of Moline, will host a kickoff meeting for the Business Owner Occupied Stabilization Transformation (BOOST) program at 6 p.m. on Monday in Riverfront Hall, 3300 River Drive in Moline.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and any small business owner or entrepreneur may attend. Light refreshments will be provided to all participants.

Participants will gain insight into how to invest in running a small business. The BOOST program is designed to provide entrepreneurs or current small-business owners financial assistance, access to tools and skills to make their business endeavor a success; an understanding of forgivable loans; direct funding; and brick and mortar for home-based and/or mobile businesses.

The SBDC WIU-QC is happy to host the city of Moline and help entrepreneurs start their businesses and local business owners continue to grow their businesses, SBDC Assistant Director Ann Friederichs said. This is truly an exciting time for the city of Moline.

Applicants must attend business-building workshops, work with program mentors and create a business plan throughout the program.

For more information, contact the SBDC at 309-762-3999.
Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region plans eight new airports

09:20, February 02, 2023 By YANG ZEKUN ( China Daily

The Taxkorgan Airport opens in Taxkorgan Tajik autonomous county, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Dec 23, 2022. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region plans to construct eight new airports to form a modern airport network system.

Xinjiang Airport Group announced its plan on Tuesday to build airports in Qitai, Bayanbulak, Barkol, Bugur (Luntai), Wusu, Hoboksar, Pishan and Qiemo from 2023 to 2025.

The region has 25 civil airports, with six built during the past five years, ranking the region first in the number of civil airports in China.

Last year, the Zhaosu Tianma Airport in Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture, Alaer Tarim Airport in Alaer, and Tashikurgan Airport in Tashikurgan Tajik autonomous county were completed and put into operation.

According to Xinjiang Airport Group, it will work with local governments to accelerate the preliminary work on the airport construction projects for Wusu, Hoboksar and Pishan in 2023.

It will also push forward construction of the Qitai and Bayanbulak airport projects and strive to start construction on the Bugur airport project this year.

So far, 61 percent of Qitai Airport and 64 percent of Bayanbulak Airport have been completed, and the overall planning and preliminary design of Barkol Airport have been approved, according to Xinjiang Airport Group.

The group has intensified efforts in market development and expanding air routes.

At least four international passenger air routes will be opened or resumed, and over two domestic and foreign airlines will be introduced to operate scheduled flights this year.

In addition, about 18 air routes within Xinjiang and between cities in Xinjiang and other provinces will be opened.

It said the logistics resources of airports in Xinjiang will be further integrated to promote the construction of aviation logistics parks, and the group will expand domestic and international cargo routes and develop chartered cargo flight services and international air logistics services in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and other regions.

(Web editor: Cai Hairuo, Liang Jun)
In a world where both our temperatures and our politics are continually growing more heated, how do we cut through the culture wars to talk about our changing environment in a meaningful way?

A group of concerned Montanans is working to address just that through a series of live storytelling events across the state focused on peoples personal experiences related to our changing climate and how it has affected them, their businesses, agriculture or people and places they love.

Climate can be a hard topic to talk about," said Winona Bateman, Families for a Livable Climate director. Storytelling, using our personal stories and experiences, is a way for people to talk about climate, or their concerns about it, or just their concerns about the changes they're noticing, in a way that can connect them with other people and be non-confrontational, and be, just more deeply personal, connecting the issue to their personal lives.

Montana Climate Stories is a project of Families for a Livable Climate, a statewide organization that advocates for climate action in Montana. The project is aimed at collecting the stories of everyday Montanans as they navigate and document our changing environment. The group will be holding storytelling events in Butte, Bozeman, Hamilton, Missoula and the Flathead Valley starting this summer and is looking for participants interested in sharing their experiences of how climate change has affected them personally.

There's a lot of climate storytelling projects around and we were like, what if we just started collecting stories for Montanans about the changes they're noticing, the impacts that are happening, what they hope for the future, what solutions inspire them that can be done here in Montana, Bateman said. There's a lot of climate solutions in Montana. So that's where it all started. And we've just been gathering stories for like the last year and a half.

The Montana Climate Stories website contains an archive of personal stories from people across Montana, discussing issues from the physical and mental toll of wildfires on firefighters to protecting tribal traditions amid a changing landscape.

Climate concern is growing, Bateman said. Ninety-nine percent of scientists say it's happening, it's real, it's human-caused, and it's serious. And an understanding that that's true, is growing. All these different areas are pointing to growing concern, growing desire for action, all those things are increasing nationwide. The one thing that's not increasing, how many people are talking about it, those numbers haven't changed.

Montana Climate Stories is currently selecting submissions to be shared at the storytelling events. The deadline for submission is Feb. 27. The first 30 selected storytellers will receive $100 for their submission. Indigenous voices are a priority for this round, and submissions are limited to one per person.

I just think everybody has a climate story, Bateman said. I think most people, if they think about how our seasons have changed, and how our growing seasons have changed, especially in Montana, where everybody you know, most people have a connection to the land in some way, whether it's fishing or hunting, or just getting out in the rivers or backpacking and enjoying our summers, noticing that we have more wildfire smoke and not being able to do things at the same time anymore. You know, reflecting on those impacts and time and using that place to start talking about climate is just really powerful. And we just really hope that taking the story angle can help people start talking about it because if we can't talk about it together we're not going be able to address it, and it is going to make adapting, mitigating and resiliency much harder.

Bateman hopes the events will serve to generate more conversations on our changing environment between individuals in a productive manner that leans more toward the personal than the political.

I think there's a lot of reasons people don't talk about climate change," she said, citing the divisive language often used surrounding the issue. It's just not going to serve us. Climate doesn't care where you live, what you believe. Rising temperatures are rising temperatures, it's going to dry out your crops, just like it's going to dry out your neighbors who you might not agree with politically, and we're going to have to work together to address the problem. We need a way to connect with each other, because we're going to need each other for resilience and adaptation in our changing world.

For more information on the Montana Climate Stories project, or to submit your climate story consideration, please go to mtclimatestories.org.
As a fifth generation Bitterrooter, Ive recently witnessed the drastic decline in our outdoor sporting heritage and am concerned that my grandchildren will miss out on much of what makes Montana, well Montana. And our states Fish & Wildlife Commission has a big part in that.

Montana has seven citizen commissioners appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Montana Senate to oversee the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, one for each administrative region.

Here in the Bitterroot, thats Region 2. Our outgoing commissioner, Jana Waller, did a great job, but she's leaving the state and decided not to seek a second term. Waller has publicly acknowledged that the responsibilities that came with being a commissioner were comparable to a full-time position to do it correctly. I sincerely thank and appreciate Ms. Wallers service.

But Im left scratching my head at how Governor Gianfortes new Region 2 appointee, Mr. Jeff Burrows, thinks hes going to have the time for this. Burrows, on taxpayers dime, currently sits on the Ravalli County Commission representing the south valley portion. Not sure how he expects to be able to juggle the responsibilities of these two demanding public positions, and am left wondering who will get the short end of the stick: Montanas taxpayers or Montanas sportsmen and women? Either way, we lose.

Plus, during his time on the Ravalli County Commission, Burrows repeatedly failed to protect the publics interest. Hughes Creek road has twice been deemed a public road by the Montana Supreme Court, yet Burrows wouldn't take the necessary actions to reopen the road after it continued to be illegally blocked. It took legal action from Public Land Water Access Association to get Burrow and the Ravalli County Commission to finally act and get the obstructions removed. Yet somehow Gov. Gianforte thinks hell protect the publics interest in this new role? I wouldn't count on it.

As an active member of many Montana sporting groups and as a founding member of the Montana Sportsmen's Alliance, I took great issue when several years ago, Mr. Burrows felt the need to question the legitimacy of the groups I helped form and am actively engaged in. I felt personally attacked  all Montana sportsmen did. This sort of conspiracy dealing, anti-public access, anti-sportsmen Burrows is the exact opposite of what Montanans want to see in charge of FWP. Its maddening.

And its not like Gov. Gianforte didnt have better options.

I know of two retired department biologists and past private lands wildlife managers who threw their names in the hat to represent Region 2. Both would have helped bridge the gap between landowners and sportsmen, and both were fully qualified to represent hunters and anglers while letting science guide their decisions. Yet both were overlooked.

Montana sportsmen better speak up before its too late and Mr. Burrows ends up making decisions that impact your opportunities to hunt and fish for the next four years. Contact your state Senator and members of the Senate Fish and Game and express concerns with Mr. Burrows, specifically related to Senate Resolution 3, which seeks to confirm him.

Montanans deserve better.
QUESTION: I was advised that I cant ask female applicants whether they have children or what their child care arrangements are. But I need to know if the candidate is going to come to work on time. How can I get this information legally?

ANSWER: In our opinion, asking applicants (female or male) whether they have children is not a good practice. Thats a can of worms that you just dont want to open. Its also not necessary. You can get the information you seek without asking inappropriate questions.

Having children does not necessarily make an employee less reliable . In our 50-plus years as business professionals, we have disciplined many childless employees for attendance issues. Our opinion aside, you have already answered your own question. If you want to know whether a person will come to work on time every day when scheduled, the first step is to ask that question.

Begin by describing the job and the attendance requirements associated with the position. For instance, The successful candidate for the receptionist position will need to be at the front desk at 8 a.m. ready to serve our clients and answer the phones. If the receptionist is absent, I have to move another employee to the front desk. This means that two employees are not at their usual jobs. Probably more than any other position in the firm, the receptionist role requires a person who will have near-perfect attendance.

You have described the requirements of the job and explained why they are important. Now, ask what you really want to know: Is there any reason you could not be here every day ready to start work at 8 a.m. and be here for the entire workday?

When asked a direct question, most applicants will give a truthful answer. Those who have situations that would keep them from meeting your attendance needs will most likely take this opportunity to disclose them. For candidates who say that the requirements are not a problem, you should dig a little deeper and ask them to describe a time when they worked under similar circumstances.

In addition to asking the applicants, call former employers to verify attendance histories. Include recent employers, if possible. Even if the candidates are employed and dont want their current employer contacted, they should be able to provide a reference who is familiar with their attendance history.

Further, go beyond the references given to you by prospective employees. Most people are clever enough to give you the names of three people who will say nice things about them. Call others at the companies where the candidates were employed. Call the heads of the departments in which they worked. Ask the references provided by the candidates if they can give you the names and contact information of others with whom the candidates worked closely. Dig deep. Getting to the second and third level will often get you a more forthright answer than candidate-supplied references might provide.

Finally, if you are going to ask this question, ask it of every interviewee. Remember, both men and women have outside obligations that can sometimes interfere with work performance. Keeping the focus on the job requirements, not on assumed gender roles, will get you the information you need to make good employment decisions, while reducing the risk that you are perceived to be asking inappropriate questions.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch follows its tradition of publishing the names of donors to the Richmond Christmas Mother Fund throughout the holiday season. Your generosity helps the fund support initiatives across the region to brighten the holiday season for thousands of your neighbors.

The Times-Dispatch has sponsored the Richmond Christmas Mother program, a yearly holiday fund drive, since 1935, with some of those years spent in partnership with the former afternoon newspaper, The Richmond News Leader.

The Richmond Christmas Mother program receives donations from Times-Dispatch readers and advertisers, and it is building an endowment to help future services. Last year, the program collected over $323,000 in contributions.

Visit richmond.com/christmas-mother/donate/christmas_mother_donations/ to give. You can send contributions by mail to Richmond Christmas Mother Fund, P.O. Box 25864, Richmond, VA 23260. Checks should be made payable to Richmond Christmas Mother Fund.

Donations are accepted throughout the year. Publication of contributions will resume in November in The Times-Dispatch.

Previously reported  $343,352.79

Todays gifts  $476.69

Grand total  $343,829.48

Richard and Sarah Collier, in honor of our employees, Bill Reynolds, Glenn Duty and Donald Manke; and in memory of Dutch Goddard  $2,000 (this donation was previously included in the totals)

Frances F. Householder, in honor of Terrell Luck Harrigan  $50

United Way of Greater Richmond and Petersburg  $226.69

In memory of Jimmie Massie, whose Christian values and work ethic for the community will be sorely missed  $100
The year before a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher at Richneck Elementary School, he choked another teacher until she couldnt breathe, a pending claim against the Newport News school division contends.

And two days before the first-grader shot and wounded 25-year-old Abigail Zwerner during class, he slammed her cellphone and broke the device, the claim asserts. That resulted in the boys one-day suspension the next day.

Zwerners attorney, Diane Toscano, previously announced the teachers intention to sue the school division, and laid out a timeline of warnings about the boy having a gun on the day of the shooting.

But the official 3-page notice of claim  which Toscano sent to the school division on Jan. 24  provides more details of events leading to the Jan. 6 shooting and prior interactions school staffers had with the boy.

The claim also for the first time discloses the identity of the administrator Zwerners lawyers say failed to act on stark warnings that the boy had a gun in school, naming Assistant Principal Parker. The school district identified the schools assistant principal as Ebony Parker in announcing her resignation effective Jan. 31.

Three different times Assistant Principal Parker was warned by concerned teachers or employees that the shooter had a gun on him, the claim says. The tragedy was entirely preventable if Assistant Principal Parker had done her job and acted when she had knowledge of imminent danger.

Instead, in the middle of class that afternoon  as Zwerner sat at a reading table and the boy at his desk  he pulled a gun from his hoodie pocket and shot her, the claim says.

The notice filed on Zwerners behalf expands on details Toscano provided at a Jan. 25 news conference and delves into problems with the shooter.

The claim said the account is based on extensive interviews with people with direct knowledge of these events. While the claim identifies Parker, it does not identify other teachers or staff by name. Here is a series of events as outlined in the claim:

Between 11:15 and 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 6, Zwerner went to Parkers office to tell her the 6-year-old student seemed more off than usual and was in a violent mood. The boy had threatened to beat up a kindergartner and angrily stared down a security officer in the lunchroom.

At about 11:45 a.m., another teacher  Teacher 2  was told the 6-year-old had a gun in his backpack before going outside for recess. That teacher took it upon herself to search the boys backpack at 12:30 p.m. Though that teacher did not find a weapon, Zwerner told her she was concerned that the shooter had the gun because she saw the boy take something out of his backpack and put it in his pocket just before the search. The first-grader was wearing a hoodie, which typically has large front pockets.

Teacher 2 went to Parker to voice the concern, but the claim contends Parker dismissed the concern by saying the boy has small pockets  meaning he couldnt possibly have the gun. The claim contends Parker should have called the police at that time, but instead chose to do absolutely nothing.

About 1 p.m., one of Zwerners students told a different Richneck teacher  Teacher 3  the boy showed him the gun at recess and threatened to shoot that student if he told anyone. Teacher 3 kept that student in her class because he was so upset and then called the Richneck administration office.

Teacher 3 told a colleague  Teacher 4  about what had been relayed by the student at recess. But when Teacher 4 went to Parker, the assistant principal said the boys bookbag had already been searched.

A guidance counselor also approached Parker, seeking permission to search the boy further. But Parker denied the request because the shooters mother would be arriving soon to pick him up, the claim asserted.

The shooter spent his entire recess with a gun in his pocket, a gun that was loaded and ready to fire, with his hand in that pocket while lots of first-grade students played, the claim said.

While sitting at his desk roughly 45 minutes later  about 2 p.m.  the boy pulled a handgun from his hoodie and shot Zwerner, police said. One round went through her hand and struck her in the upper chest.

Police Chief Steve Drew said police were not told about a report of a gun on school grounds until it was too late.

Police have said the gun, a Taurus 9 mm, was legally purchased by the boys mother and that he brought it to school in his backpack. Through an attorney, the boys family has said the firearm was secured with a gun lock and stored on the top shelf of a bedroom closet.

Failing to take seriously the report of a gun at the school is even more astonishing given the boys difficult history at Richneck, the claim filed by Zwerners lawyers contends.

The shooter had been removed from the school a year prior after he choked his teacher until she couldnt breathe, the claim says.

At the start of this school year, the claim says, the boy constantly cursed at the staff and teachers, and one day took off his belt on the playground and chased kids trying to whip them. That led to the 6-year-old being put on a modified schedule.
Clarification Feb. 8, 2023 3:45 p.m.: A proposal to provide financial benefits to electricity ratepayers through the establishment of solar energy plants would exempt low-income customers from paying a monthly fee of up to $20, called a minimum bill. An earlier version of this story omitted this detail and has been updated.

A solar energy producer has proposed a 30-acre plant in Ellison that it says would save ratepayers money on their electric bills, a first-of-its-kind opportunity in Montgomery County.

County planning staff endorsed the proposed 5-megawatt plant, while a majority of county planning commission members disagreed. In December, with strong resident opposition in the room, a motion to recommend approval of the project to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors failed on a 4-5 vote.

The company asked to pause further consideration of the project until at least late March.

This is Montgomery Countys first proposal for a major solar energy system within its borders. Nearby localities including Henry County have approved or are reviewing major solar field projects. Up to this point, Montgomery County has approved only solar systems of less than an acre for private use in residential and commercial construction.

Justin Sanders, senior planner for the county, said that renewable energy targets set by the state signal a coming wave of these types of projects throughout Southwest Virginia.

Pivot Energy, a Colorado solar provider, applied last year for a permit to mount 10,560 panels on 28 acres in the middle of the 3-mile-long Elliston Valley along U.S. 11/460. Pivot Energy would deliver the electricity to Appalachian Power Co. and says customers could buy it at cost below conventional electricity prices.

The Virginia General Assembly is considering a bill that would let Appalachian Power customers buy solar energy in such a fashion.

A proposal to provide financial benefits to electricity ratepayers through the establishment of solar energy plants would exempt low-income customers from paying a monthly fee of up to $20, called a minimum bill.

This project will positively impact the local community by employing local labor, decarbonizing the local grid, offering a discount to local subscribing AEP/APCo customers, and providing increased resources to the county over the life of the project, according to the companys application.

Pivot Energy calls itself a national solar provider that develops, finances, builds, owns and manages solar and energy storage projects. It has 13 years of experience, 1,284 projects and 648 project clients, according to its website.

The Chesapeake Solar & Storage Association said Pivot is a member in good standing. Energy Capital Partners, a major investor in the renewables industry based in Summit, New Jersey, has owned Pivot Energy since 2021.

The solar plant is to be located on the Fotheringay farm, a former plantation with a residence believed to have been built in 1796. The farms owner, Fotheringay LLC, represented by Sarah Dabney Jacob of Louisiana, signed Pivot Energys application and stands to receive economic benefits, the application said.

Area residents have told county officials the project would damage natural resources, degrade animal habitat, depress property values and bring industrialization to the corridor with unsightly industrial facilities. Several people said they would rather see homes built along the table land bordering the South Fork of the Roanoke River between Elliston and Shawsville.

A site plan shows the closests panels standing 1,500 feet from the historic home, which once belonged to a Revolutionary War colonel. Still in good shape, the dwelling rents for $500-plus a night on the Airbnb vacation-spot website.

The opponents dont oppose solar energy, but see the project as misplaced at the farm, said Steve Fijalkowski, a member of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors who represents the district where the project would be situated. Fijalkowski, who has attended a meeting held by opponents, said surely, theres got to be other areas other than this one.

Pivot Energy told county officials it wanted to respond to local concerns its project has raised, and changed details of its original proposal, but last I heard that probably wasnt going to be enough to sway this group, Fijalkowski said.

The commission took up the new version in December, hearing from three speakers who voiced support and 12 speakers against. The 4-5 vote followed. Pivot Energy asked the county to place the application on hold and delay holding any public hearing before supervisors until at least that bodys March 27 meeting, county spokeswoman Jennifer Harris said. That date coincides with the end of the current state lawmaking session and governors bill-signing window.

Solar power involves converting energy from the sun into electricity, a production method that does not emit pollution or greenhouse gases like coal and gas-fired power plants.

An estimated 5.4% of electricity used in Virginia comes from solar energy, the association said. But much more is possible, Virginia leaders say. The state has directed electricity providers to transition to renewable energy by mid-century or pay penalities.

The planned Elliston project would be a fraction of the size of a utility-scale facility built by an electricity company such as Appalachian Power. The panels would sit on metal racks mounted to the ground and adjust to track the sun, topping out at 12 feet high at peak tilt, and in rows 25 feet apart. Crews would wire the components to create circuits with inverters and underground cables transmitting the power to a transformer on a concrete slab, according to a county planning report. An 8-foot fence would surround the facility.

Although about 30 acres would be involved, the panels themselves would cover about a fourth of the space. Pivot Energy would procure sheep herds to provide vegetation control within the compound, the company said.

The closet edge of the solar array field would sit 360 feet from U.S. 11/460 and 700 feet from Eastern Montgomery Elementary School.

The developer proposed installing a 50 foot-deep planted buffer at least as tall as the fence. Noting the green buffer would incorporate an existing tree line, county staff called the proposed screening extensive. Noise from the equipment will measure a minimal 30 decibels at 50 feet away from the fence, the staff report said. Thats about as loud as a whisper.

The surface of the panels would contain an anti-glare coating to maximize sunlight penetration, reducing reflection.

According to the company, no critical habitats were found within the project limits, nor any wetlands or historic resources. No water or well would be required. If construction could begin as planned in fall, production could begin in spring 2024 and generate enough power for 795 homes, the company said.

County land use policy designates the area for careful stewardship and permits agriculture, forestry, outdoor recreation and conservation. It allows non-agricultural activities compatible in scale and intensity with existing uses that do not harm public health or public safety and preserve farmland, open space and scenic and natural resources.

Staff called the project compliant as a natural resource-based use that would require minimal site work and preserve vegetation and forested areas on the rest of the farm. In addition, the economic benefit to the property owners allows for the preservation and continued operation of other agricultural operations on the largest farm and maintenance of existing open space, the staff report said. The host property spans 241 acres in all.

There would be a direct public benefit from the project providing renewable energy to the grid, the staff report said.

The county would receive new tax money in addition to a voluntary annual payment by the company, the report said.

At the end of the projects life, the developer would have to recycle or reuse the components and restore the land within a year.

Legislation before the General Assembly to make a shared solar program available to Apco customers could boost Pivot Energys project. Under this concept, the Elliston array would become a shared solar facility and Apco customers could purchase electric power through a subscription to it. Since solar power costs less money to produce, customers would stand to save money.

The wrinkle is that the program would charge shared solar subscribers a fee that, depending on the amount, would eat into or even eat up the savings. However, it would exempt low-income customers from paying the so-called minimum bill.

A household using the average amount of electricity would save $150 a year when subscribed to the project, or about 10% of the average annual electric bill of $1,541, the company said.

Pivot Energy said shared solars benefits represent a key factor in a potential approval for the project."
Plenty!, the local food bank in Floyd County, received a tractor-trailer load of food donated by the Floyd Chapter of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Thursday.

More than 38,000 pounds of food on 24 pallets arrived from Salt Lake City Utah  the churchs national headquarters  after members in the Floyd chapter of the church found out there was a need for donations in their community.

Plenty! is a volunteer-run nonprofit foodbank for any resident in Floyd County. This is one of our biggest donations ever and really comes at a time when many more people are needing help obtaining groceries to feed their families, wrote Plenty! board member Helen McClain in an email.

- Matt Gentry
Artificial intelligence is not your fathers pocket calculator, but educators are comparing a new wave of machine-learning to the leaps in efficiency offered by that now-familiar instrument.

Like a calculator allows for accurate and efficient processing of mathematics, so too might new forms of artificial intelligence help students process writing, research and ideas, said Jill Sible, associate vice provost for undergraduate education at Virginia Tech.

Just like the calculator years ago, that was forbidden in any sort of quantitative test, Sible said. Now, its a pretty universal tool thats allowed in many classes, and on most exams.

The humble calculator might be taken for granted as a smartphone application today, but its introduction to classrooms in the 1970s caused quite some upheaval.

With artificial intelligence finding its way into classrooms now, Sible said educators at Virginia Tech are as curious as they are concerned, if not outright excited about the possibilities.

Theres definitely a buzz on our campus, Sible said. Lots of curiosity. Lots of questions among our faculty and our administrators.

In particular, an online bot called ChatGPT, backed by billions of dollars from tech giant Microsoft, has in recent weeks brought public attention to new possibilities of artificial intelligence.

Made by a startup called OpenAI, the bot is capable of answering for itself. Just ask it a question, or type it a prompt.

ChatGPT said it is trained on a massive amount of text data, and can handle a wide range of topics and tasks.

ChatGPT is a type of artificial intelligence model that can generate human-like text in response to prompts, allowing it to chat with people, answer questions, and perform other language tasks, ChatGPT said. Its good for tasks that require understanding and generating text in a conversational manner.

Its an example of generative AI, part of a new wave of machine-learning technology that can be trained to use troves of digital data to conjure new sentences, sounds, images, sitcom plots, or in theory just about anything else, said Sylvester Johnson, founding director of the Virginia Tech Center for Humanities.

That generative part is important, because what it means is that the software can generate an image, or a composition like a sound or music, or some act of language, Johnson said. Its not repeating what it has been given, its taking what it has been trained on and generating its own content.

Johnson, whose work as a humanities scholar includes studying technology, said generative AI has potential to impact many aspects of life, including learning.

Students went home for winter break back in early December, and thats about when this ChatGPT got released, Johnson said. Its just a stark difference from a month and a half ago to now.

He said that difference is because learning institutions are grappling with how to be sure students human intelligenceand not some artificial technologysare the brains completing writing assignments.

The biggest challenge that were seeing in educational institutions is of course around writing assignments, Johnson said. And thats not just writing essays. Thats also writing code.

Johnson said OpenAI has at least tried to establish guardrails and encourage responsible use of its technology. Earlier this week, the startup released an AI detection tool to help educators catch bot-assisted plagiarists.

ChatGPT is game-changing in a way that other similar chat software has not been, because its able to maintain a conversational thread it can remember what it just talked about, Johnson said. So you can refer back to something in the conversation and it will go deeper you can build out a set of responses to very complex things, by just asking one piece at a time.

Looking ahead, Johnson said he expects universities to amend honor codes to account for advances in artificial intelligence.

But Sible, who works with the academic integrity office at Virginia Tech, said it is too soon to tell what kind of policies might need changing, or whether changes are needed at all.

Obviously, it presents a new challenge with respect to academic integrity, Sible said. Although in some respects, not terribly new.

A small subset of students try to cheat, and thats always been true, she said.

So in some ways, that hasnt changed, Sible said. Theres just a new piece of technology in the mix.

She said ChatGPT has been cause for excitement among teachers considering how to incorporate artificial intelligence into their curriculum. But of course there are challenges and constraints to consider.

Our honor code absolutely already highlights that students work should be their own, and that they need to follow the rules set by that assignment and that professor, Sible said. This new technology really fits within the umbrella of policies that we already have.

Cheaters beware, in the case of ChatGPT, the technology is still a work in progress. Its listed limitations include occasionally generating incorrect information, harmful instructions, biased content, and limited knowledge of world and events after 2021.

And the bot doesnt cite sources in its writing, Johnson said.

One of the challenges is that the generative AI, of which ChatGPT is an example, is so good, Johnson said. Its not infallible, it can make errors that are really obvious to human beings but most of it is actually really good.

Outside the classroom, a bevy of ethical considerations await society as artificial intelligence continues to improve and become more commonplace. Johnson said adopting a public interest approach to artificial intelligence is a good way forward.

How do we get it to work in a way that gives us a better society? Johnson said. Whats going to be good not only for growing our private capital, but also for strengthening our public institutions and benefitting the public good?

These issues are very much on the minds of people working in government, private industry, academia and beyond, far more so today than even in 2015, Johnson said.

I hope that we get less inequality, because this could really expand the precarity of peoples lives, Johnson said. A lot of people who thought they were going to be OK in our economic environment could suddenly find themselves unable to participate gainfully in the labor economy.

Unlike the uproar in classrooms caused by early calculators of the 1970s, many educators today are more interested in artificial intelligence as a tool to improve learning outcomes, Johnson said.

If youre an engineering student, youre taking very advanced forms of math. Youre not being tested on whether you know the answer to 7 + 12, Johnson said. You need to use the calculator in order to do something thats more sophisticated.

The bot brain behind ChatGPT aligns with that idea. The bot said artificial intelligence, should not be used in a way that undermines the educational process or takes away from the valuable experiences and interactions that students need to thrive.

I hope that students use AI as a tool to enhance their learning and deepen their understanding of various subjects, as well as to facilitate the discovery of new information and knowledge, ChatGPT said. Additionally, I hope that AI can assist students in developing their critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity skills, by providing them with instant access to information and new perspectives.
Hundreds turned out Saturday to enjoy the Lunar New Year celebration at the Taubman Museum of Art.

While most people in the U.S. celebrated the new year Jan. 1, there are many Asian cultures that wait a bit longer to celebrate.

Lunar New Year (sometimes referred to as Chinese New Year) is an ancient tradition in Asian cultures of marking the arrival of a new year around the first new moon of January.

This years holiday started Jan. 22 and runs until Sunday night, according to Roanoke College history professor Stella Xu.

She told those in attendance it's now the year of the rabbit, the luckiest of all the zodiac animals in the lunar calendar.

Last year was the year of the tiger and the animals repeat themselves every 12 years, Xu told those in attendance.

Performed by the Shaolin Dragon Martial Arts Academy, the Lion Dance '' was one of the first in many displays of visual art, and is said to ward off evil spirits to make sure the new year starts off on a good foot, according to Xu.

Lunar New Year is recognized by Asian communities throughout the world, and is celebrated with special foods, gifts and customs to mark the changing of the moon-centric Chinese calendar.

Xu also said since the Lunar New Year is based on an agrarian calendar, many believe it is more accurate for predicting when its time to start farming.

Those in attendance also enjoyed singing, choreographed dancing, martial arts demonstrations and music from a childrens band from the Blacksburg Chinese School

Roanoke Vice Mayor Joe Cobb, who helped emcee the event, said he was glad to be able to celebrate the holiday with everyone in attendance.

We welcome the year of the rabbit to bring us good luck, peace and calm for everyone in our community, he said.
Writing about the U.S. Postal Service and its problems over the years has served up an endless incoming stream of reader complaints about lost mail and waylaid deliveries. The well is truly bottomless when it comes to tracking packages.

If I had a dollar for every tale Ive heard about an item from New Jersey that bounced through Philadelphia, then Minneapolis, then Indianapolis, and finally Roanoke  while on its way to Smith Mountain Lake  I could retire.

(Mary Sue Pedigo of Penhook informed me Jan. 28 of the particular tracking misadventure above.)

Until last week, though, Id never heard of an entire town complaining. And then an email from John Clark arrived Thursday.

Hes town manager of Chilhowie in far Southwest Virginia. Chilhowie comprises 2.5 square miles in Smyth County along the middle branch of the Holston River. It has 2,060 residents, according to the 2020 census.

Supposedly, the towns name derives from a Cherokee term meaning valley of many deer. These days, Chilhowie might be more fittingly called the valley of many mail complaints. In December, they skyrocketed into the hundreds, after the U.S. Postal Service lost nearly 4,000 water bills the town had mailed.

The missing bills, mailed Nov. 30, prompted a flurry of phone calls with the Postal Service, and later, an official written complaint from Chilhowie to U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. In what follows, well quote liberally from that.

We send monthly bills out to our 2,500 water customers and 1,300 sewer customers serving about 5,000 residents in the Town, [and parts of] Smyth and Washington Counties, plus numerous other businesses and industrial customers, Clarks complaint to Kaine began.

For the December billing, as in the past, we sent the 4-by-6-inch cards out on November 30, with the customary due date of [December] 15th.

Beginning on or about December 5th we began getting deluged with customers calling or coming by complaining they had not gotten their bills, Clark told Kaine. Over the next week or so, we literally got hundreds of calls/contacts complaining about the same thing.

Naturally, the town contacted the Chilhowie Post Office and asked: What gives?

Because the bills were due Dec. 15, and nobody had received them, some customers had expressed concern their water might get shut off during the winter holidays, Clark told me.

We didnt do cutoffs obviously in December, its Christmas, Clark said.

The postmaster in Chilhowie said the bills were stuck in Greensboro, [North Carolina] and they would send an email there and inquire about the hold up, Clark continued in his complaint to Kaine.

When Clark had heard nothing by Dec. 9, he called the Chilhowie postmaster and inquired again.

He said he had emailed Greensboro. Clark wrote the senator. I asked him to place a phone call to them. Later that day the postmaster called back and said Greensboro had found [the bills] and had begun to process, and our customers should receive them by December 12.

Clark wrote in the complaint that the postmaster stated that part of the problem was we sent out bills on 4-by-6 inch postcards. That left Clark flummoxed.

The town of Chilhowie, he told me Friday, has been sending its water bills on postcards for the past 40 years, and for most of that four-decade stretch, there has been no problem, Clark added. Postcards are the most economical way to send the bills.

In his letter to Kaine, Clark noted that on one or two previous occasions since 2020, the water bills were delivered late. The Postal Service, Clark said, blamed those instances on the COVID-19 pandemic.

But as of today, December 16, we are still getting reports of customers not receiving their bills, Clark wrote in the complaint to Kaine. This current delay cannot now be blamed on COVID.

Clark finished up his complaint noting that Chilhowie issues $2.7 million worth of water and sewer bills annually, and the revenue from them makes up almost half of the towns annual budget. In the current year, the budget totals $5.5 million.

The town has to pay bills, too, in a timely manner, Clark told Kaine. With the situation as described above, what can Senator Kaines office do to help avoid future delays like this?

Kaine replied by letter Dec. 21, thanking Clark for the information and promising to look into the matter. Subsequently, Kaine sent Clark another letter, on Jan. 17, which included a response from Scott Slusher, director of the Postal Services government-liaison office.

We apologize for the inconvenience and frustration that the Town experienced with an incidence of delayed mail, Slusher wrote. It is disappointing to the U.S. Postal Service as well as our customers when we fail to deliver correspondence as expected.

Slusher noted his office had contacted Chilhowie Postmaster Doug Corbitt, the person with whom Clark had earlier spoken on the phone. Corbitt told Slusher the mail is processed at the Greensboro and Roanoke Processing and Delivery Centers, Slusher wrote.

Although both facilities were experiencing delays at that time, we are unable to comment on the specific reason for the delay of this mailing, Slusher wrote. The letter also noted that Corbitt had discussed with Clark the mailpiece design of the water bills and offered suggestions for changes that would enable easier processing.

Clark told me he interpreted Slushers response as the Postal Service distribution centers in Roanoke and Greensboro blaming each other for the missing water bills, apparently without identifying what caused them to become lost.

Clark said he doesnt understand the Postal Services suggestion that bills mailed in envelopes would garner more reliable deliveries than bills mailed as postcards.

We could do that, but theres an extra cost to that, Clark said. Wed have to pass that onto our customers. Weve been sending them out that way [on postcards] for the past 40 years.

Clark wondered what has happened at the Postal Service in the past three years that has suddenly made postcard bills unreliable for delivery. Thats a fair question, but I hope hes not expecting a specific answer. Those are hard to come by, from the Postal Service.

Friday morning, I sought some answers, too, in an email to Philip Bogenberger, a Postal Service spokesman in Charlotte. I also sent Bogenberger the text of Clarks complaint to Kaine.

How did the bills get lost? I asked Bogenberger. How were they found? What actions has the Postal Service taken to help ensure it doesnt happen again?

Bogenberger replied at the end of the day, with zero specifics.

We apologize for the inconvenience. There was a delay during mail processing. Once we were notified of the issue, we took steps to correct it as soon as possible, he wrote.
This article was republished with permission from CalMatters. Read more of their coverage of California state government on CalMatters.org.
" " Modern elevators have mechanisms in place to prevent elevators from falling to the ground if the cable breaks. Entienou/Getty Images

In November 2018, six people boarded an elevator at the former John Hancock Center in Chicago for the ride down from the Signature Room bar on the 95th floor to the lobby. But the long ride got a lot worse when one of the cables snapped and the elevator plunged 84 floors to the 11th floor.

"At the beginning I believed we were going to die," one of the passengers told CBS Chicago. "We were going down and then I felt that we were falling down and then I heard a noise  clack clack clack clack clack clack."

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Amazingly, none of the passengers had to be hospitalized and there no serious injuries. The passengers thought they had only fallen a few floors. However, they did have to wait three hours to be rescued by firefighters because there were no openings between the floors [sources: CBS Chicago, Leone and Sobol].

So, how was it possible that one of the worst things that can happen to people in an elevator occurred and everyone survived? Action movies often show the hero getting in an elevator after the evil villain has cut the cables  and disaster ensues.

Fortunately, elevators in the real world have so many safety features that this kind of stuff usually never happens. Here's the breakdown:

Snapping Cables

In a cable elevator system, steel cables bolted to the car loop over a sheave. A sheave is a pulley with a grooved rim surface, at the top of the elevator shaft. The sheave's grooves grip the steel cables. So when an electric motor rotates the sheave, the cables move, too. The cables that lift the car are also connected to a counterweight, which hangs down on the other side of the sheave. The car and the counterweight both ride along on steel rails.

Each elevator cable is made from several lengths of steel material wound around one another. These cables very rarely snap, and inspectors regularly look at them for wear and tear. But even a steel cable can break. So what happens then?

" " Steel cables are bolted to the car loop over a sheave. HowStuffWorks

Almost all pulley elevators have multiple cables -- between four and eight total. Even if one cable snapped, the remaining cables would hold the elevator car up. In fact, just one cable is usually enough.

Safeties and Governor

But let's say all the cables did snap. Then the elevator's safeties would kick in. Safeties are braking systems on the elevator car that grab onto the rails running up and down the elevator shaft. Some safeties clamp the rails, while others drive a wedge into notches in the rails. Typically, safeties are activated by a mechanical speed governor.

" " If one or more cables did snap, the elevator's safeties would kick in. HowStuffWorks

The governor is a pulley that rotates when the elevator moves. When the governor spins too fast, the centrifugal force activates the braking system.

At the Bottom

If the safeties failed, you would be plummeting rapidly, but you wouldn't quite be in a free fall. Friction from the rails along the shaft and pressure from the air underneath the car would slow the car down considerably (you would feel lighter than normal though). On impact, the car would stop and you would keep going, slamming you into the floor.

" " A built-in shock absorber at the bottom of the shaft would cushion the blow. HowStuffWorks

But two things would cushion the blow. First, the elevator car would compress the air at the bottom of the shaft as it fell, just as a piston compresses air in a bicycle pump. The air pressure would slow the elevator car down. Second, most cable elevators have a built-in shock absorber at the bottom of the shaft  typically a piston in an oil-filled cylinder. That would cushion the impact too. With all these features in place, you would have an excellent chance of surviving any elevator mishap.

In the case of the Chicago elevator incident, once the firefighters figured out where the passengers were, the crew put up struts to make sure the elevator did not drop any further. Then they broke a wall, forced the elevator door open and put a ladder into the elevator to help people up and out.

"We don't like to have to go through walls unless it's absolutely necessary," Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford told the Chicago Tribune. "The only other way to get to the elevator would have been ropes from the 97th floor, and that would not be safe. We don't come down like Batman so we must go through the wall."

Don't Bother Jumping You sometimes hear that you should jump immediately before the elevator crashes, so you would be "floating" at the second of impact. Would it work? Nah. Even if you could perfectly time such a leap, it wouldn't help. Let's say you and the elevator are falling at 100 mph (161 kph). When you jump up in the elevator, you would still be going about 100 mph. You would hit the ground at 100 mph, just like the elevator. Ouch! Your best bet would be to lie flat on the floor. This would stabilize you and spread out the force of the impact so that no single part of your body would take the brunt of the blow. But, it's still gonna hurt!
 Notable new grant of sentence reduction for California medical marijuana operator given nearly 22 years in federal prison back in 2008 | Main | US Representatives create new "Bipartisan Second Chance Task Force" 

February 4, 2023

Federal judge gives cocaine trafficker time served ... and a requirement that she complete her JD program

Here is another notable sentencing story that might keep the comments buzzing This one comes from the ABA Journal under the headline "Federal sentence includes law school, and attorneys wonder why." Here are the basics (with links from the original):

Based on federal sentencing guidelines, people found guilty of trafficking large amounts of cocaine usually face lengthy sentences. However, a Texas defendant received what many say is an unusual punishment: five days in prison with credit for time served and direction from the judge to complete her JD. Chelsea Nichole Madill was accused of trafficking 28.5 kilos of cocaine in a 2018 criminal complaint. She was charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and in 2019, Madill pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II drug. Federal sentencing experts say the average penalty for that crime is around five years. In addition to the law school piece and no prison time, Madill was sentenced to three years of supervised release. The 2023 sentencing judgment was written by Southern District of Texas Chief Judge Randy Crane. Much of the record is sealed, and whether Madill attended or completed law school is not disclosed. There is someone with that name listed as a 2L Florida A&M University College of Law student bar association board member. A 2019 order authorized travel expenses for Madill, directing the U.S. marshal to obtain the cheapest means of noncustodial transportation possible between her Florida residence and the McAllen, Texas, courthouse.... Madill did not respond to an ABA Journal interview request sent through LinkedIn, and her phone number listed in court records was disconnected. FAMU Law also did not respond to ABA Journal interview requests.... Jesse Salazar, the assistant U.S. attorney assigned to the case, referred an ABA Journal interview request to a public affairs officer. The PAO said the office did not object to the sentence. Richard Gould, a federal public defender, represented Madill. A receptionist at the Southern District of Texas Federal Public Defenders Office told the ABA Journal Gould does not speak to reporters.... The sentence is unique, says Michael Heiskell, a Texas attorney and president-elect of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Indeed, being a law student could have resulted in a longer sentence if the court was persuaded a defendants legal education helped them commit the crime, he adds. Kudos to her and her counsel for being able to convince the court to do this. Hopefully, this gives her the motivation to complete her JD. Maybe her story resonated with the judge since he is obviously an attorney, says Heiskell, a former state and federal prosecutor who does criminal defense work. According to Heiskell, credit for time served is unusual in drug cases involving delivery, and the sentencing range for Madills conviction is between 87 and 108 months. He adds that a purpose of the federal sentencing guidelines is to avoid disparities, so Madills sentence may be useful for defendants with cases similar to hers. You would want to make the argument of the courts being consistent in its sentencing for cases such as this. If I had a situation where my client was learning to be a plumber, electrician, etc., I would cite this case, Heiskell says.

The ABA Journal reporter called me about this case; I mentioned that, given that the plea was entered in 2019 and then the sentence was not imposed until 2023, it seems quite likely the defendant provided some cooperation in exchange for a reduced sentence. The article does not quote me on that point, but does highlight some of my other speculations for the very special law-school-completion condition of supervision.

For those so interested, here is the exact language in the sentencing entry from Chief Judge Crane: "You must continue to participate and complete an educational program designed to receive a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree." I joked to the ABA Journal reporter that, in some quarters, this condition might be viewed as "cruel and unusual punishment." That quote also did not make the article, But now that the piece is published, I am eager to hear reactions to this very lawyerly federal sentence.

February 4, 2023 at 09:16 PM | Permalink

Comments

Seriously? For a woman who indirectly has probably killed people, or could have, if she wasnt caught?

Its hilarious how people claim being a felon is a lifelong punishment because you are held back from getting gainful employment, yet she can enter the bar.

Under the right governor or President, she will become a judge.

Im sure she will be getting speaking fees and job offers from law schools around the country. You know, because she is a hero.

Posted by: TarlsQtr | Feb 5, 2023 2:10:13 AM

This gives me hope. A young relative of mine made the biggest mistake of his life and got into drug trafficking, and of course started using harder drugs - the same ones he was distributing. He was a college student at the time, and school was super hard for him because of learning disabilities. Plus, he couldn't navigate the social scene and make friends because he's on the autism spectrum. He was arrested, and is now expecting sentencing. It's been almost a year since his arrest, and he's been out on bail the whole time during which he's gone to two residential rehabs and continued his college studies. Now that he is sober, he realized the gravity of his prior actions. He is deeply remorseful and regrets what he's done to others and to himself. It would be such a shame to imprison him now that he's actually a law abiding and most importantly sober person. I hope his lawyers see this case and bring it up to the judge, and that the judge exercises the authority to allow him complete his degree.

Posted by: Anna | Feb 5, 2023 3:38:06 AM

20+ years ago when I practiced law in Atlanta, there was an interesting case involving a young woman who had been involved in her teens with her then-boyfriend in committing two bank robberies. She did her time and then became a star law school student (top 5 G.P.A. in her class). With knowledge of her background, she was hired as a summer associate by one of Atlanta's largest law firms, and then received a permanent job offer from them. There was much controversy and disagreement about whether she should be permitted to sit for the Georgia Bar exam because of her prior felony conviction. Ultimately, she took the Georgia Bar exam, passed it, and was admitted to practice. The facts working in her favor were how young she was at the time she committed the crimes, and how she had clearly turned her entire life around since then. America can and should remain a country where people receive second chances. The alternative is to throw away people's lives, which is just cruel. How much punishment is enough? Why should people work to turn their lives around, if they receive no reward for it? If we want former felons to become productive members of society, we must give them incentives to improve.

Posted by: Jim Gormley | Feb 5, 2023 7:44:50 AM

Jim, your comments reminded me that it was nearly 20 years ago that Prez GW Bush said this in his 2004 State of the Union Address: "America is the land of second chance, and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life."

Notably, President George W. Bush appointed Chief Judge Randy Crane to the federal bench back in 2002.

Posted by: Doug B. | Feb 5, 2023 9:48:49 AM

Tarls, bear in mind what Justice Rehnquist said some years ago: "it has been uniform and constant in the federal judicial tradition for the sentencing judge to consider every convicted person as an individual and every case as a unique study in the human failings that sometimes mitigate, sometimes magnify, the crime and the punishment to ensue. Koon v. U.S., 518 U.S. 81, 113 (1996), that

Posted by: Anon | Feb 5, 2023 6:20:54 PM

That was Justice Kennedy writing the opinion for the Court in Koon. CJ Rehnquist did join the opinion.

Posted by: Doug B | Feb 6, 2023 12:13:10 AM

Truth be told, I was involved in a similar case during my career as a USPO - defendant was facing 120 mand min for a meth conspiracy, but she cooperated and was looking at closer to 4-5 years - she was young, gainfully employed at a large company who not only knew of her pending charges when they hired her, but fully supported her during the sentencing phase. I initially recommended a prison sentence, but sentencing was delayed for close to a year because of her pending cooperation. When others in the conspiracy pled out knowing she was scheduled to testify in their trial, I changed my rec in chambers with the Judge. It certainly helped that she was gainfully employed and had successfully completed drug treatment too. Fortunately, the Judge agreed and she too was given a time served sentence and a short TSR term. You have to sentence the individual and really look hard at the 3553(a) factors.

Posted by: atomicfrog | Feb 6, 2023 7:40:57 AM

Sounds like cruel and unusual punishment to me.

Posted by: A | Feb 6, 2023 10:55:37 AM

https://nypost.com/2023/02/05/former-az-state-trooper-sentenced-after-sexually-assaulting-women-during-traffic-stops/

His sentence fair?

Posted by: federalist | Feb 6, 2023 3:21:23 PM

Not sure what "fair" means here. I can recall cases involving more extreme conduct producing much longer sentences. And google got me to a florida case with seemingly somewhat similar facts producing a somewhat similar outcome: https://www.local10.com/news/2015/02/12/jonathan-bleiweiss-gets-plea-deal-after-victims-refuse-to-testify/

Maybe that all need to be sentenced to law school!!

Posted by: Doug B | Feb 6, 2023 4:13:39 PM

Anon,

The specifics of this case are this.

If someone willingly sold or was trafficking baby food that may be laced with arsenic, he would go to prison and likely never see the light of day.

This woman was trafficking a substance she knew damn well might be (very likely) laced with Fentanyl, if the cocaine isnt bad enough.

We arent talking about a kid selling pot out of his trunk.

Posted by: TarlsQtr | Feb 7, 2023 1:38:35 PM

Post a comment
 Federal judge gives cocaine trafficker time served ... and a requirement that she complete her JD program | Main | Federal judge declares federal law criminalizing marijuana users from gun possession violates Second Amendment 

February 5, 2023

US Representatives create new "Bipartisan Second Chance Task Force"

I was intrigued and pleased to come across this press release from this past week discussing a new bipartisan group of Representative working on an important criminal justice issue. Here are the details:

Representatives David Trone (D-MD), John Rutherford (R-FL), Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) announced the creation of the Bipartisan Second Chance Task Force in an effort to promote policies that will improve reentry outcomes and reduce employment barriers for returning citizens. At the time of its launch, the Task Force comprised of 26 Members of Congress (13 Democrats and 13 Republicans). During its inaugural event, members and co-chairs were joined by Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director, Colette Peters, and Acting Head of National Institute of Corrections, Alix McLearen, for an introductory briefing on the challenges that the BOP faces in establishing and maintaining successful reentry programming. Over 600,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons every year in the United States, and recent studies show that formerly incarcerated people are currently unemployed at an average rate of over 27 percent. The new task force aims to address these barriers to successful reentry by developing and promoting reform policies in Congress and hosting monthly roundtable discussions. Returning citizens continue to face hurdles that prevent them from rebuilding their lives and becoming productive members of society. After paying their debts to society, they are effectively shut out of housing, employment, financial support  you name it. This isnt fair, and this isnt right, said Congressman Trone. As a businessman, I know firsthand that there is a lot of value in hiring returning citizens and giving folks a second chance. Im proud to co-found and co-chair the Bipartisan Second Chance Task Force so that we work together  Republicans and Democrats  to address the problems in our criminal justice system head-on, and provide returning citizens with the resources they desperately need. As a lifetime member of law enforcement, I saw firsthand how difficult it can be for those leaving our jails and prisons to re-enter society. From getting an ID to finding a job, stable housing, and healthcare, these individuals face many barriers to success after incarceration. When I was sheriff, I created a robust reentry program in Northeast Florida, and I look forward to continuing that work in Congress. Helping the formerly incarcerated become productive members of society makes our communities safer and reduces the number of repeat offenders. Thats not being soft on crime, thats being smart on crime, said Congressman John Rutherford. I look forward to working with Representatives Trone, Armstrong, and Blunt Rochester, and all of my colleagues on the Second Chance Task Force, to support those reentering society and reduce recidivism.... Other Members of Congress in the Task Force include Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Danny Davis (D-IL), G.T. Thompson (R-PA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Stephanie Bice (R-OK), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Barry Moore (R-AL), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Rick Crawford (R-AR), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), Anthony DEsposito (R-NY), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), David Rouzer (R-NC), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Randy Weber (R-TX), Wiley Nickel (D-NC), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Susan Wild (D-PA), John James (R-MI).

February 5, 2023 at 12:37 AM | Permalink

Comments

This is incredibly important work. I have seen people who can no longer get hired even after having a simple conviction for misdemeanor assault - domestic violence, even with no prior criminal history. One friend could not even get rehired by a company he had previously retired from after 20 years of service, because of a misdemeanor assault conviction. His wife had gone out behind his back and signed contract to buy a $300,000 home, and had put down $60,000 of their savings, without his prior knowledge. When she told he, he slapped her face once. There is no prior domestic violence in their 20 years of marriage. As a result, he has a conviction for misdemeanor assault and was terminated from his job as a licensed practical nurse in a hospital, and cannot find another nursing job. He had to self-report the conviction to the state nursing board, and now his nursing license is in jeopardy. It's a nightmare. This 50-year old man has 2 college degrees and no prior criminal history in his entire life. Here in Lexington, Kentucky, more than 80 percent of landlords will not rent to someone with a felony conviction, even if the crime was simply not paying child support. Thankfully, there is a program here to help such people, called "Jubilee Jobs of Lexington". They have a group of employers who trust their judgment to send them responsible felons to work for them. Jubilee provides coaching, rehearses interviewing strategies, and even provides appropriate clothing for interviews for free. How are people coming out of prison supposed to avoid committing new crimes if no one will hire them or rent an apartment to them? Sober living houses become the last resort, even for people who don't have addiction issues. Society needs to wake up, if it wants people emerging from jail and prison to succeed and become productive members of society.

Posted by: Jim Gormley | Feb 5, 2023 7:22:36 AM

The added difficulty in finding housing is that the Landlord is held responsible for someone else's actions. Landlord's can't afford to take the risk even if they wanted to. That is what happens when you become a society that put's the fault on someone else to pay the price.

Posted by: Mp | Feb 5, 2023 4:52:50 PM

Doug,

Did you see this? Another Bruen case.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/marijuana-users-constitutional-right-own-firearms-judge-rules

Posted by: TarlsQtr | Feb 5, 2023 5:31:39 PM

In my experience, the cohort most in need of consideration for "second chances" are those those convicted of sex offenses. I believe it would be a tragic mistake to exclude them as a group from receiving the benefits of being given a second chance.

While it is certain that there exists a small percentage of sex offenders who pose a continuiing and persistent risk, the majority of first-offense sex offenders (that is, offenders who have not recidivated) do not pose the level of risk that would justify exclusion. The re-offense rate for such offenders is actually below 5%, which is the lowest percentage of all category of offenders, with the exception of murderers.

To single out and exclude sex offenders due mainly to (a) the inherent emotional and moral repugnancy associated with their offenses, and (b) inherent political pressures and risks resulting from their inclusion, is both shortsighted and antithetical to the goals set forth by this bipartisan group.

This newly constituted committee has a golden opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of people, and their families, as well as a much-needed positive impact on the mindset of our nation as a whole. Their stated intentions are noble, and we should all support their reformative efforts, provided they do not exclude those most in need of help.

Posted by: SG | Feb 5, 2023 11:57:38 PM

Thanks, Tarls: I saw the ruling late Saturday, but did not have a chance to blog from the road until late Sunday. And I expect the Bruen brouhaha to continue for many, many years to come.

Posted by: Doug B | Feb 6, 2023 9:15:35 AM

We'll wait till the Task Force issues it's report. ugh

Posted by: beth curtis | Feb 8, 2023 1:17:58 PM

Post a comment
SIOUX CITY  The chief judge in Northwest Iowa's state judicial district has issued a reminder to court workers and sheriffs to deal with mental health committal requests and orders as quickly as possible.

The order, which also applies to substance abuse committals, doesn't overhaul existing procedures, District Judge Patrick Tott said, but aims to keep cases filed late in the business day from falling through the cracks.

Filed Jan. 12 and directed to the clerk of court staffs and sheriffs in the 16 counties of Iowa's Third Judicial District, the order was filed on the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Meredith, a Sergeant Bluff man who was fatally shot by a Woodbury County Sheriff's deputy after rushing him and striking him with a tire iron.

Meredith had been hallucinating much of the day and was experiencing a mental health crisis. His mother and an uncle had filed an application for a court-ordered involuntary committal about 15 minutes before the Woodbury County Clerk of Court's office was to close at 4:30 p.m., but said they were told it wouldn't be reviewed until the following day.

Meredith was shot less than two hours later after authorities responded to a call of a possible burglary in process in a Sergeant Bluff mobile home park. His family believes the incident was a suicide in which he took actions that forced the deputy to respond with lethal action.

After the shooting, Tott said, there were questions why the committal request wasn't processed the same day because judges were still in the courthouse. If a request is filed just before closing time, it should be reviewed and, if granted, sent to the sheriff's office so officers can attempt to locate the individual and transport him or her to a hospital. Though applications aren't often filed that late in the day, the filing time shouldn't matter.

"A lot of times it's routine," Tott said. "Other times stuff comes in at 4:15 and we have to deal with it."

In his order, Tott cited Iowa code and emphasized its wording that court workers should immediately notify a judge or magistrate when an application for a mental health or substance abuse committal is filed and that upon its approval, the sheriff's office is required to attempt immediate service of the order.

Meredith's death and the family's unsuccessful efforts to get help for him the day of his death were the subject of a special report in January by the Journal.

David Gill, Meredith's uncle and a local attorney, emphasized the family's reason for going public with their efforts on Jan. 12, 2022, was to raise awareness about the problems they encountered and to encourage the judicial system, law enforcement and others to examine their procedures so future tragedies might be prevented.

"We're pleased Judge Tott issued an order directing all stakeholders to respond to these situations according to the Legislature's intent," Gill said. "For the judge to issue this order, that's great, and we're pleased to see he issued it."

There have been no ongoing problems with court staff not following the law, Tott said, and he believes sheriffs are performing their duties as the law requires.

"My impression is they do make their best effort," he said.

Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan said Tott's order would have little impact on his department, because his officers follow what the law instructs them to do when receiving committal orders.

"We do what the orders say and what the law requires," Sheehan said.

Since the order was issued, Tott said he's had few questions from law enforcement or court staff, but it seems to have reinforced the importance of processing the committal requests quickly. He said a clerk in Monona County recently called him, unable to locate the county's magistrate to review an application. Tott had the clerk forward it to him, and he reviewed it. It's one example of how court clerks can reach out to other judges to make sure the applications are processed in a timely manner.

An involuntary committal is often a family's last resort to get emergency mental health treatment for a loved one refusing to seek help or voluntarily go to a hospital. Law enforcement officers may take a person in crisis for an emergency hospitalization, and state law allows doctors to hold the person at the hospital for 12 hours. If doctors believe the person needs extended care but he or she doesn't want to stay at the hospital, they can seek a 48-hour hold from a judge.

Those two hold options can cover times when the courthouse is closed at night on at weekends, when families would be unable to file for a court-ordered committal, Tott said. Expanding the court's business hours to provide greater opportunity to file committal applications would require hiring more workers or paying overtime, costs that can't be covered in the state judicial system's current budget.

"Costs and manpower issues are too extreme to accommodate that," Tott said.
NEW YORK  As the Manhattan district attorney's office ramps up its yearslong investigation of Donald Trump, a new book by a former prosecutor details just how close the former president came to getting indicted  and laments friction with the new D.A. that put that plan on ice.

Mark Pomerantz, who oversaw the investigation until early last year, writes in "People vs. Donald Trump: An Inside Account" that then-District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. authorized him in December 2021 to seek Trump's indictment.

After scouring Trump's life and business, Pomerantz writes that prosecutors agreed on a case involving allegations that Trump falsified records by inflating the value of assets on financial statements he provided lenders.

Vance was leaving office within weeks, but he expressed confidence that his successor, Alvin Bragg, would agree with his assessment, Pomerantz writes. But Bragg and his team had other ideas  expressing trepidation about the strength of evidence and the credibility of a key witness.

They decided not to proceed, at least not with the speed Pomerantz and co-lead prosecutor Carey Dunne wanted, Pomerantz writes. The stagnation compelled both men to leave the office.

"Once again, Donald Trump had managed to dance between the raindrops of accountability," Pomerantz writes in the book, which is set to be published Tuesday by Simon & Schuster.

The Associated Press and other news outlets received copies of the book Friday.

Trump has threatened legal action against Pomerantz and Simon & Schuster for what he contends are "defamatory statements" and "groundless falsehoods" about his alleged criminal conduct.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said the New York investigations are attempts by Democrats to keep him out of the White House.

In a post to his Trump Social platform, Trump said Pomerantz's book "is turning out to be a hit on the District Attorney and the 'weak' case 'with many fatal flaws.'"

Pomerantz's 304-page volume weaves his behind-the-scenes account of the spirited battle over whether to charge Trump with anecdotes from his decades-long career as a mafia prosecutor and white-collar litigator. Those experiences contrast with Bragg's work as a former federal prosecutor, law professor and, in the years prior to his election, pursuing civil cases against Trump as a top official in the state attorney general's office.

The book also works to temper the drama surrounding Pomerantz's split from Bragg, which spilled into the public last year when his resignation letter appeared in The New York Times.

Pomerantz portrays the dispute not as a brawl, but as a legitimate difference of opinion shaped by lengthy Zoom calls and telephone conversations. During the sessions, Pomerantz writes that he and Dunne would detail the pros and cons of pursuing a Trump indictment, while Bragg or members of his team pushed back with questions and concerns.

At first, Pomerantz writes, Bragg seemed overwhelmed by other matters  managing the massive D.A.'s office and dealing with blowback from his approach to prosecuting certain crimes. He writes that Bragg showed up late to an initial meeting where he laid out the case and that Bragg ended up looking at his phone most of the time. The D.A. was more attentive at subsequent sessions, Pomerantz said.

At one point, he writes, Bragg said that he "could not see a world" in which he would indict Trump and call Trump's long-estranged former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen as a witness.

Cohen, who claims to have intimate knowledge of Trump's financial dealings, was convicted in a parallel federal case of lying to Congress.

Cohen's lawyer, Lanny Davis, said in a statement Friday: "We were treated respectfully and professionally by Mr. Mark Pomerantz and his team. We appreciated their integrity and hard work. Despite the denied allegations concerning Mr. Cohen's credibility, I can confirm that Mr. Cohen will continue to cooperate with DA Bragg and his team, speaking truth to power  as he has always done."

Aside from a few blunt emails he wrote criticizing Bragg's deliberateness, Pomerantz said his rift with the D.A. was civil.

"There was never any yelling or screaming," he writes of their final conversation in February 2022. He defended Bragg against people suggesting he had an ulterior motive not to indict, saying that they "had no clue about how these prosecutorial decisions are made or were bloodthirsty for some action against Trump," Pomerantz writes.

Bragg's office sought last month to delay the book's publication, saying in a letter to Pomerantz and Simon & Schuster that he was violating a confidentiality agreement he signed upon joining the D.A.'s office and that the book could "materially prejudice" the investigation. Pomerantz said nothing in the book jeopardizes the probe. Simon & Schuster said it will release the book as scheduled.

In a statement Friday, Bragg said he hasn't read the book, and "won't comment on any ongoing investigation because of the harm it could cause to the case." He defended his decision to refrain from charging Trump.

"After closely reviewing all the evidence from Mr. Pomerantz's investigation, I came to the same conclusion as several senior prosecutors involved in the case, and also those I brought on: more work was needed. Put another way, Mr. Pomerantz's plane wasn't ready for takeoff," Bragg said. "Our skilled and professional legal team continues to follow the facts of this case wherever they may lead, without fear or favor. Mr. Pomerantz decided to quit a year ago and sign a book deal."

Timeline: Key dates in the investigation into Trump's Mar-a-Lago docs Jan. 20, 2021 May 2021 December 2021 NARA "continued to make requests" for records it believed to be missing for several months, according to the affidavit. Around late December 2021, a Trump representative informed the agency that an additional 12 boxes of records that should have been turned over had been found at the former president's Mar-a-Lago club and residence and were ready to be retrieved. Jan. 18, 2022 NARA received 15 boxes of presidential records that had been stored at Mar-a-Lago  14 of which, it would later be revealed, contained classified documents. The documents were found mixed in with an assortment of other material, including newspapers, magazines, photos and personal correspondence. In total, the boxes were found to contain 184 documents with classified markings, including 67 marked confidential, 92 secret and 25 top secret. Agents who inspected the boxes also found special markings suggesting they included information from highly sensitive human sources or the collection of electronic "signals" authorized by a court under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Feb. 9, 2022 Feb. 18, 2022 Feb. 19, 2022 NARA revealed in a letter to a congressional oversight committee that classified information was found in the 15 recovered boxes and confirmed the Justice Department referral. Trump's Save America PAC released another statement insisting, "The National Archives did not 'find' anything," but "were given, upon request, Presidential Records in an ordinary and routine process to ensure the preservation of my legacy and in accordance with the Presidential Records Act." April 12, 2022 NARA informed Trump of its intent to provide the documents to the FBI, at the request of the Justice Department. A Trump representative requested an extension until April 29. April 29, 2022 May 10, 2022 NARA informed Trump's lawyers that it would provide the FBI access to the records as soon as May 12. May 11, 2022 The Justice Department issued a subpoena for additional records. June 3, 2022 June 8, 2022 The Justice Department sent a letter to Trump's lawyer requesting that the storage room be secured, and that "all of the boxes that were moved from the White House to Mar-a-Lago (along with any other items in that room) be preserved in that room in their current condition until farther notice." Aug. 5, 2022 Aug. 8, 2022 Aug. 12, 2022 Aug. 26, 2022 Aug. 30, 2022
Before summer, 14 more humans could launch from U.S. soil as SpaceX has three missions set to lift off from Kennedy Space Center on Crew Dragons while Boeing looks to send its CST-100 Starliner up to the International Space Station for the first time with people on board.

Were heading into, I would say one of the busiest increments in the history of station, said Kathryn Lueders, NASAs associate administrator for the Space Operations Mission Directorate. We have a string of critical missions coming up.

That includes not only crewed flights from the Space Coast, but a replacement Soyuz capsule to be sent up from Russia to the station for one damaged by micrometeorites and resupply missions from SpaceX, Northrop Grumman and Russia in the next four months.

The first crewed flight, though, coming no earlier than Feb. 26 is the Crew-6 mission flying on SpaceXs Crew Dragon Endeavour taking up NASA astronaut and mission commander Stephen Bowen, flying for the fourth time, and first timers pilot Woody Hoburg of NASA, United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev. Liftoff from KSCs Launch 39-A atop a Falcon 9 rocket is slated for 2:07 a.m.

This is the second SpaceX launch to bring up a Russian cosmonaut, part of the U.S.-Roscosmos exchange that sends up NASA astronauts on Soyuz crews as well. The presence of AlNeyadi, though, marks the first long-term stay of an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, and his flight was part of a game of musical chairs among the U.S., Russia and Axiom Space, which had previously purchased a ride on board a Soyuz in 2020, but traded to NASA for a future seat  this seat  on a SpaceX flight.

Its exciting to have another countrys astronaut onboard and its exciting to expand human spaceflight across the globe, said NASAs Joel Montalbano, manager of the International Space Station Program.

The quartet have more than 250 scientific experiments on their plate for whats planned to be around a 180-day stay on board. They take over for Crew-5, who arrived to the ISS back in October and will fly home with a splashdown off Floridas coast in early March.

Crew-6 joins Expedition 68 on the station, which currently features NASAs Frank Rubio and two Russian cosmonauts who flew up to the ISS on board a Soyuz spacecraft last September, but that spacecraft suffered damage to its coolant system, leading to Russias decision to replace their ride on a launch planned for Feb. 20. The existing Soyuz will depart the station without anyone on board making way for the replacement vehicle. The trio is now scheduled to remain on board until the fall.

The ISS has been continuously occupied since November 2000, orbiting the Earth about every 90 minutes at around 250 miles altitude on average traveling about 17,500 mph.

The normal population of seven could get bumped twice before the summer with short-duration visits from both Boeings Starliner on the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission as early as mid-April and the second private Axiom Space mission on a SpaceX Crew Dragon that could come before the end of June.

CFT will bring NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams launching atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Stations Space Launch Complex 41 on a planned eight-day mission that if successful will pave the way for Starliner to join SpaceX Crew Dragons for normal ferry service from the U.S. on crew rotation missions to the ISS.

The Ax-2 mission will bring up former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who last flew in 2017 setting an American record with 665 days in space. Now Axiom Spaces Director of Human Space Flight, Whitson will command the crew of four that also features aviator John Shoffner as pilot and two mission specialist seats paid for by the Saudi Space Commission. The names of those two have not been released.

On the schedule for no earlier than March, and shoehorned between Crew-6 and Ax-2 but not headed for the ISS, is a third SpaceX Crew Dragon mission from KSC  Polaris Dawn.

Its the first of three planned private missions dubbed the Polaris Program spearheaded by billionaire Jared Isaacman that will fly him and three others on board the same spacecraft that flew him on the three-day orbital flight Inspiration4 back in fall 2021  the Crew Dragon Resilience. Also flying are Scott Poteet, given the title of mission pilot, specialist Sarah Gillis, and specialist and medical officer Anna Menon. Both Gillis and Menon are SpaceX employees.

The mission plans to let at least one of the four crew venture outside the spacecraft on a tethered spacewalk during a five-day mission orbiting the Earth at more than 853 miles altitude, which would break a mark set by Gemini 11 in 1966 for crewed low-Earth orbit.

SpaceX has surged ahead of Boeing with its crew capsule since 2020. Both had been running at similar paces in 2019, but Boeings first attempt to rendezvous with the ISS in December of that year failed, causing more than a year and a half of delays before finally making a successful docking last May.

SpaceX, however, was able to complete its crewed test flight, Demo-2, back in May 2020, setting up its first operational mission later that year with Crew-1. Crew-6 marks SpaceXs sixth operational flight with Crew-7 planned this fall.

With private missions Ax-1 and Inspiration4 already under its belt, the four existing Crew Dragon spacecraft  Endeavour, Resilience, Endurance and Freedom  have flown eight times with humans on board. That total could grow to 12 by the end of the year.

50 space terms for understanding the universe 50 space terms for understanding the universe #1. Aberration of light #2. Alpha Centauri #3. Andromeda Galaxy #4. Asteroid #5. Barycenter #6. Big Bang #7. Binary star #8. Black hole #9. Brown dwarf #10. Celestial sphere #11. Comet #12. Constellation #13. Dark energy #14. Dark matter #15. Doppler shift #16. Eclipse #17. Equinox #18. Escape velocity #19. Exoplanet #20. Fermi paradox #21. Galaxy #22. Gamma-ray burst #23. Gravity #24. Hypergalaxy #25. Light-year #26. Magellanic clouds #27. Magnitude #28. Meteor #29. Milky Way #30. Moon #31. Nebula #32. Nebular hypothesis #33. Neutron star #34. Oort Cloud #35. Orbit #36. Parallax #37. Quasar #38. Red giant #39. Red shift #40. Solar system #41. Solar wind #42. Spaghettification #43. Star #44. Star cluster #45. Supernova #46. Telescope #47. Theory of relativity #48. Tides #49. White dwarf #50. Universe 50 space terms for understanding the universe #1. Aberration of light #2. Alpha Centauri #3. Andromeda Galaxy #4. Asteroid #5. Barycenter #6. Big Bang #7. Binary star #8. Black hole #9. Brown dwarf #10. Celestial sphere #11. Comet #12. Constellation #13. Dark energy #14. Dark matter #15. Doppler shift #16. Eclipse #17. Equinox #18. Escape velocity #19. Exoplanet #20. Fermi paradox #21. Galaxy #22. Gamma-ray burst #23. Gravity #24. Hypergalaxy #25. Light-year #26. Magellanic clouds #27. Magnitude #28. Meteor #29. Milky Way #30. Moon #31. Nebula #32. Nebular hypothesis #33. Neutron star #34. Oort Cloud #35. Orbit #36. Parallax #37. Quasar #38. Red giant #39. Red shift #40. Solar system #41. Solar wind #42. Spaghettification #43. Star #44. Star cluster #45. Supernova #46. Telescope #47. Theory of relativity #48. Tides #49. White dwarf #50. Universe 50 space terms for understanding the universe #1. Aberration of light #2. Alpha Centauri #3. Andromeda Galaxy #4. Asteroid #5. Barycenter #6. Big Bang #7. Binary star #8. Black hole #9. Brown dwarf #10. Celestial sphere #11. Comet #12. Constellation #13. Dark energy #14. Dark matter #15. Doppler shift #16. Eclipse #17. Equinox #18. Escape velocity #19. Exoplanet #20. Fermi paradox #21. Galaxy #22. Gamma-ray burst #23. Gravity #24. Hypergalaxy #25. Light-year #26. Magellanic clouds #27. Magnitude #28. Meteor #29. Milky Way #30. Moon #31. Nebula #32. Nebular hypothesis #33. Neutron star #34. Oort Cloud #35. Orbit #36. Parallax #37. Quasar #38. Red giant #39. Red shift #40. Solar system #41. Solar wind #42. Spaghettification #43. Star #44. Star cluster #45. Supernova #46. Telescope #47. Theory of relativity #48. Tides #49. White dwarf #50. Universe
The Montana J-Term program has ended. The students have all returned to their homes in Illinois and Wisconsin. By the time this piece runs, I will be home as well, getting ready for the classes I will be teaching spring semester.

Several have said that they would like to hear the student responses to the program. With their permission, I share their responses.

One student observed, I never imagined what Id get from this trip aside from simply enjoying the landscape. But the trip was not only educational but transformative.

The time we spent with the Amish was high impact. A student observed So many people live in excess and waste nowadays, but the Amish have totally circumvented that ... (They are) unburdened by unnecessary technology, using only what they need for practicality .. .. I understand their lives a bit better now, and Id say their quality of life easily matches ours, if not completely surpassing it.

Another student observed, This trip made me realize that I dont need the latest iPhone ... . This trip was a huge life changing moment for me.

Similar sentiments were shared by another student, who stated, I loved getting to see the Amish community and how truly happy they are living in simplicity. Their community helped me ... think about ways that I can simplify my own way of life.

The Amish are kind, gentle people who warmly welcomed us to their community, including to their Sunday morning worship service.

Contrary to what is widely assumed, they do not reject all modern technology. There were solar panels on the roof of the house of an Amish farm that we visited. They make careful decisions about what forms of technology are practical without threatening the integrity of their way of life. The farmer and his wife traveled to the Sunday morning worship service in a horse-drawn buggy.

Meeting with members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes was also high impact. Particularly interesting was a two-hour meeting we had with Tom McDonald, who chairs the Confederated Salish Kootenai Council. A few days later, we attended a meeting of the council and had an opportunity to meet all the members of the council.

McDonald talked about the work the tribes are doing to protect the environment on tribal lands and preserve endangered species. After meeting with him, one of the students observed, I now have a new mindset and appreciation of the environment and the work that goes into preserving and protecting it.

Another high-impact experience we had was a meeting with Salish Kootenai College President Sandra Boham. She talked about the colleges programs to preserve the tribal languages and other cultural traditions (she prefers the term perpetuate) while preparing students for success in the world as it exists today. A day later we met with Dr. Joe McDonald (Tom McDonalds father), who was the founder of Salish Kootenai College.

Dogsledding was also a highlight of the trip. One student reported, We were chatting about this class when we found out that (the musher) was currently in college studying religion ... . We had a really memorable discussion about his experiences while barreling through the forest pulled by a small army of hyperactive dogs.

The students bonded, both with each other and with the world of nature. A student observed, During my time at Dr. Lees cabin, I found peace in the mere conversations and activities in the cabin, isolated from the outside world. Something I hadnt done before was bake bread the old-fashioned way ... . I felt connected to my classmates and nature outside the cabin as everyone talked, cooked and baked for each other, completely in awe of the snow and wildlife that could be seen just outside the cabin.

Another student noted, Though we are already a month into the New Year, I would like to make it a goal to spend more time in nature and enjoy its beauty. I owe this realization to this trip.

One of her classmates noted, Connections are such a powerful thing to have and I can safely say that I consider each one of my classmates a friend now.

Another member of the class noted, The laughter, joy and unconditional happiness I have gotten while being here is something I will carry with me throughout the rest of my time at Augustana and the rest of my life. I have to go back to Montana because this place truly is my home away from home.
Do you get the feeling some Iowa legislators hated high school?

Why else would they be so determined to derail an education system that was once hailed as the best in the country?

In addition to their ill-advised private school voucher program, theyve been talking about book banning  something we havent considered since the 1950s. These red scare issues  which dont have anything to do with most Iowans -- are simply designed to plant fear in the minds of parents who worry that problems in our world begin in our schools. They dont.

The fear-mongering is actually a political thing.

Politicians talk about change as if its a bad thing. The internet alone has revolutionized what gets taught, whats valued in the workplace and what challenges we face.

At a forum with the Moms for Liberty, Gov. Kim Reynolds said if any one school bans a book that book should be prohibited in all Iowa schools. That overreach flies in the face of Republicans call for less government and totally ignores an even more pressing matter  that ol internet.

Just because you ban a book from schools doesnt make it go away. You can find many of those volumes listed among Amazons best sellers. If you put them on a dont read list, theyre probably going to be more popular than if you just left them alone.

The Leave it to Beaver lifestyle that the governor and others want to rekindle cant exist in our society. The naivete sitcoms embraced disappeared when government officials allowed cable channels to air profanity, nudity and violence in their shows and cellphones became a way of life. You cant insulate a generation if youve already removed the wrapper.

And, if youre not able to control the internet (ask China about that one), youre not going to keep young people from learning about any number of things.

Helping students understand the world that surrounds them is much better than trying to cancel it.

Maybe a proactive approach would produce more favorable results.
It will be a cold day in Sioux City, with temperatures in the 30s. The forecast calls for it to be a cold 34 degrees. Today's forecasted low temperature is 25 degrees. It should be a fairly cloudless day. The forecast is calling for clear skies. The Sioux City area should see a light breeze, with winds only reaching 9 miles per hour, coming from Northwest. This report is created automatically with weather data provided by TownNews.com. Keep an eye on siouxcityjournal.com for forecast information and severe weather updates.
This story was originally published by Wired and has been republished here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

At first glance, electric vehicles seem like rolling disasters for the power grid. Surely the ancient, creaky network in the United States cant handle the demand for charging those massive batteries. But a new analysis suggests that just a fraction of EV owners could make the grid more flexible and reliable by plugging into a system called vehicle-to-grid charging (V2G), or bidirectional charging.

V2G means that when demand spikes, utilities can pay EV owners to tap into their idle car batteriesa distributed network of ready-to-go backup power. Thatll be critical as we transition to renewables: Wind and solar power wont always be available, so we need to bank energy when supplies are low. We can use some energy thats already stored in our EVs to give back to the grid, says Chengjian Xu, an industrial ecologist at Leiden University in the Netherlands and lead author of the paper, which was recently published in Nature Communications. Last year, the Natural Resources Defense Council estimated that if California exploited all of the 14 million EVs itll have by 2035, they could power every home in the state for three days.

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Xus modeling finds that by the year 2030, only 30 percent of the worlds EV owners would need to opt in to V2G programs to meet energy storage demand. Thats a global average; each country differs in how quickly its adopting EVs, how much energy it uses, and the pace at which its switching to renewables, among other variables. Depending on the country, the modeling found that participation rates of between 12 and 43 percent of EVs would suffice.

Better yet, the paper suggests that over time, the system wont even need to rely on parked carstheir old batteries could be semi-retired and repurposed into large stationary power storage arrays. EV batteries usually need replacing once they get to 70 or 80 percent capacity and a vehicles range begins to suffer. Depending on how much you drive and the climate where you live, a battery might last 10 to 20 yearswhich means that batteries in early models of popular EVs, like Teslas and the Nissan Leaf, are now reaching retirement.

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The teams modeling finds that if we did that for half of used batteries, wed need less than 10 percent of EV owners to participate. Thankfully, battery degradation doesnt seem to be limiting the total available energy that could be used for V2G, says Paul Gasper, a staff scientist at the National Renewable Energy Lab who studies battery degradation and coauthored the paper.

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Using parked cars as battery banks is a powerful way to shift energy demand. If drivers charge their cars during the day at offices or as they run errands (when the sun is shining and theres lots of solar power being fed to the grid), they can drive home and provide extra power to their community in the early evening, right as demand soars because people are returning home and switching on appliances. EV owners would also agree that their power company could tap into their battery during extreme heat events, when lots of people are running air conditioners.

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The key is to stagger supply and demand between when people need power to drive and when they need it to run their homes. Yes, if everyone plugged in at the same time and charged a car at full power, that would not work on this antiquated model of charging, says Jan Kleissl, director of the Center for Energy Research at the University of California, San Diego, who wasnt involved in the new modeling. But if we are able to vary demand, then we can certainly make it work because no vehicle needs to charge 24 hours a day.

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Commercial and government vehicles, like public transit or school buses, can also hook into V2G. A company called Nuvve, which develops V2G technology, has been working with school districts in Southern California to turn their buseswith their prodigious batteriesinto V2G assets. School buses run on a reliable schedule, so their batteries can feed power to the grid after the kids are dropped off, then recharge in time to pick them up the next day. On weekends and holidays, a bus battery would be available at all times.

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One of the perks of V2G is that it can subsidize the cost of owning an EV: The more it sits in your garage, the more money you make. If youre the type of person who can work from home and doesnt have to drive your electric vehicle very often, then participating in V2G could likely make some revenue, says Gasper. So youre providing more utility for the vehicle to help divert the cost of owning the vehicle, which is huge.

You might think extra use would rapidly degrade the battery, but thats not always true. If you own an EV and dont drive it very often, V2G could actually extend the lifetime of your vehicle battery, says Gasper. Discharging it from time to time is essentially exercising it to keep it healthy. There are two ways to kill a battery, and one is to have it sit fully charged all the timewhy laptop batteries die very quickly. And the other one is to use it constantly.

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Wide-scale V2G faces some major challenges, though. For one thing, not every EV is equipped to do bidirectional charging, though automakers are increasingly adopting those capabilities for vehicles like the new Nissan Leaf and the Ford F-150. It also requires a special charger that reverses the current to pull energy out of the battery. Given those limitations, V2G is still in early development, with around 100 pilot programs running worldwide.

For another, theres no industry standard for the intersecting components of V2G: Right now, theres a patchwork of vehicles from different manufacturers plugging into different charging systems that themselves plug into different grids.

And utilities might offer different compensation, whether to individual EV owners or a fleet operators. One of the things we really need to learn is: What are the incentives that we need to offer drivers in both categories to get them to participate? says Joseph Vellone of Ev.energy, which makes software that regulates EV charging and is working with a consortium of charger manufacturers and automakers to test V2G strategies.

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A utility might subsidize or rebate the cost of bidirectional chargers, for example. Or a state might enact a law that says its utilities have to pay a certain rate for a specific amount of battery power, the way homeowners who install solar panels are compensated for sending excess power back to the grid. We have this asset, and if we have a certain degree of flexibility, we can leverage it when the grid might need it the most, says Patricia Hidalgo-Gonzalez, who is director of the Renewable Energy and Advanced Mathematics Laboratory at the University of California, San Diego, and wasnt involved in the new paper. The question is: How this will get materialized in the different utilities?

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And finally, EVs remain expensive, often out of reach for lower-income drivers. A lot of the cheaper vehicles that people will be buying will be secondhand EVs, and they wont have the bidirectional charging in them unless they get retrofitted, says Paul Behrens, an industrial ecologist at Leiden University and coauthor of the new paper. Plus, if youre not a homeowner, you may not have the luxury of a dedicated garage socket you can plug your car into; apartment buildings with chargers are few and far between.

Yet while there are still hurdles to overcome, automakers, charger manufacturers, and some utilities are already collaborating to turn EVs into grid assets, not burdens. Bidirectional charging is really the key to enabling EVs as being a viable backup power option, and thats really where the future lies, says Paul Doherty, a spokesperson for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, one of Californias utilities. Its just such a huge shift in the way we think about EVs and personal vehicles overall. Its not just about getting from point A to point B anymore.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230204/no-threat-of-terrorist-attack-against-consulates-in-istanbul-media-reports-1106982031.html

No Threat of Terrorist Attack Against Consulates in Istanbul, Media Reports

No Threat of Terrorist Attack Against Consulates in Istanbul, Media Reports

The threat of a terrorist attack against the consulates of Sweden and the Netherlands, as well as religious sites in Istanbul, was not confirmed after the arrest of 15 suspects, Turkish media reports.

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Turkish media reported on Saturday that over a dozen people were detained during a joint operation of intelligence and law enforcement forces against IS members. A total of 15 people were reportedly arrested, suspected of receiving instructions from IS branch "Vilayet Khorasan"* regarding the consulates of Sweden and the Netherlands, as well as Christian and Jewish religious sites in Istanbul.Turkeys national public broadcaster said later on Saturday that the 15 people who were arrested did have ties to IS, but suspected threats to the consulates and religious sites were not confirmed.On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that it was difficult to call the countries that had decided to close their consulates in Istanbul because of an alleged terrorist threat allies and friends.Earlier in the week, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland and the UK all suspended operations at their consulates in Istanbul, citing security concerns, after a series of Quran-burning protests in northern Europe. The US and several other countries issued travel warnings.Islamic State (also known as ISIS/ISIL/Daesh) is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other states.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230204/russia-calls-on-european-lawmakers-to-condemn-perpetrators-of-quran-burning-1106967935.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230204/uae-making-continuous-efforts-to-mediate-between-russia-ukraine-1106981543.html

UAE Making Continuous Efforts to Mediate Between Russia, Ukraine

UAE Making Continuous Efforts to Mediate Between Russia, Ukraine

DOHA (Sputnik) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are making mediating efforts between Moscow and Kiev to deescalate tensions and strengthen global peace and... 04.02.2023, Sputnik International

2023-02-04T22:06+0000

2023-02-04T22:06+0000

2023-02-06T12:34+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

uae

united arab emirates

russia

ukraine

special operation

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On Saturday, the Russian defense ministry said that a total of 63 Russian military personnel returned home from the Ukraine-controlled territories as a result of a complex negotiation process. The ministry added that the exchange had been successfully carried out thanks to the UAE mediating efforts. The official added that the UAE were making efforts to mediate between Moscow and Kiev in accordance with the agreement reached by Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in St. Petersburg in October. Over the months, the UAE has been expressing willingness to facilitate exchanges of prisoners of war between the two countries. In October, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian side had interest in continuing Abu Dhabi's mediation efforts in these matters.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/actor-accused-of-cannibalism-reveals-he-was-sexually-abused-by-pastor-as-teenager-1106989404.html

Actor Accused of Cannibalism Reveals He Was Sexually Abused by Pastor as Teenager

Actor Accused of Cannibalism Reveals He Was Sexually Abused by Pastor as Teenager

Armie Hammer broke his silence more than two years after finding himself in the epicenter of a scandal involving allegations of rape, sexual abuse, and cannibalistic fantasies.

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2023-02-05T12:57+0000

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viral

us

armie hammer

child molestation

sexual abuse

child sexual abuse

cannibalism

pastor

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Armie Hammer broke his silence more than two years after finding himself in the epicenter of a scandal involving allegations of rape, sexual abuse, and cannibalistic fantasies.In a wide-ranging interview with a US weekly, Hammer denied any criminal wrongdoing, arguing that all the sexual encounters with women accusing him of sexual abuse were consensual. "Every single thing was discussed beforehand. I have never thrust this on someone unexpectedly. Never. Thats a very important part of the BDSM world. The consent. Because youre doing things that are pushing envelopes. Youre doing things that are beyond the [realm of] Lets have missionary sex with the lights off. You have to have that trust. You have to have that vulnerability with someone. You have to have that aspect of I am willingly giving my control over to this person,'" he continued.He, however, admitted to emotionally abusing his ex-partners, and revealed that he attempted suicide in February 2021 after facing multiple accusations, which led to his career downfall."I just walked out into the ocean and swam out as far as I could and hoped that either I drowned, or was hit by a boat, or eaten by a shark. Then I realized that my kids were still on shore, and that I couldnt do that to my kids," the actor told the publication. At the time, he was quarantining in the Cayman Islands with his children.The 36-year-old actor also revealed that he had been molested by a pastor when he was only 13. This trauma, he said, prompted his interest in BDSM.The account was confirmed by his godmother, with Hammer saying that he had also confided in an older friend, who has since died, about being sexually abused as a teenager. He went on to explain that the abuse he had suffered as a teen "set a dangerous precedent in my life," and his "sexual interests became about being in control, because being out of control was very dangerous for me and very uncomfortable."He also spoke about the possibility of making a Hollywood comeback, saying that no one "will hire me, no one will insure me. I can't get bonded for a project -- nothing."Nearly three years ago, Hammers wife, Elizabeth Chambers, filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. Months later, accusations of sexual and emotional abuse, and messages allegedly sent by Hammer on social media, which detailed sexual fantasies - from rape to cannibalism - were leaked online by an anonymous account. At the time, the actor blasted the allegations as "vicious and spurious online attacks against me." After the graphic messages were leaked, other women came forward with allegations that they had been sexually abused by the actor.Hammer has since been dropped from or had to exit multiple projects, including "Shotgun Wedding," starring JLO, "The Offer," limited series "Gaslit" and the Broadway play "The Minutes." Hammer was also dropped by talent agency, WME, while his personal publicist also stepped down.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20210319/armie-hammer-reportedly-under-investigation-over-claims-he-violently-raped-woman-for-four-hours-1082390087.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20210129/armie-hammers-ex-wife-speaks-for-the-first-time-after-cannibalism-and-abuse-allegations-1081919246.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/anarchists-clash-with-police-in-rome-milan-1106982658.html

Anarchists Clash With Police in Rome, Milan

Anarchists Clash With Police in Rome, Milan

ROME (Sputnik) - Italian anarchists have staged protests in Milan and Rome that resulted in clashes with police, Italian media report. 05.02.2023, Sputnik International

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milan

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About 200 protesters gathered in front of the Opera prison in Milan on Saturday to demand the release of anarchist Alfredo Cospito, who has been on a hunger strike for months, the Italian Rai News 24 TV channel said.Cospito is striking against the prison regime called 41-bis, which involves solitary confinement in cells even smaller than the typical type used to house prisoners. It is reserved for inmates who are deemed dangerous even when inside prison.Cospito has reportedly lost around 100lbs (45kg) since his hunger strike began more than 100 days ago.After the protesters threw rocks and smoke grenades at the prison, they were rebuffed by law enforcement. Another unauthorized demonstration was held in Rome on Saturday. Italian police said about 800 people gathered in the capital city and attempted to construct barricades in order to block one of the major roads. The protest ended in clashes with police. At least two protesters were injured. According to Rai News 24 TV, three people were detained.Cospito is serving time for shooting the head of an Italian nuclear energy company in the knee and for bombing the Carabinieri cadet barracks in Fossano in 2006. No one died in the bombing and the head of the Italian energy company survived the attack. Cospito was sentenced to ten years in prison for the shooting and life without parole for the bombing.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/china-expresses-protest-over-us-downing-balloon-1106983020.html

China Expresses Protest Over US Downing Balloon

China Expresses Protest Over US Downing Balloon

A Chinese high-altitude balloon has been floating over the United States. It first became public knowledge after it was spotted over the skies of Montana... 05.02.2023, Sputnik International

2023-02-05T01:38+0000

2023-02-05T01:38+0000

2023-02-05T02:35+0000

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chinese balloon over us

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The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed protest after the United States Military shot down a Chinese balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.The spokesperson added that China will defend the rights of the company that owned the craft and was reserving its right to take further retaliatory actions.The foreign ministry spokesperson also stated that the United State's reaction was "excessive and seriously violates international practice."The United States claims that the unmanned balloon was a spy aircraft. China insists that the airship was a civilian craft engaged in scientific research that was blown off course by high winds.The balloon was first spotted near Alaska before traveling over Canada and eventually the lower 48 of the United States. The United States delayed shooting down the craft for several days, saying it was too dangerous to do over land. Once the balloon floated off the coast, President Biden ordered it shot down.After its destruction, officials gathered the debris for study. A Pentagon spokesperson told reporters that they had no doubt that the craft was used for surveillance. The spokesman also gave details about the operation, saying the United States used F-22 fighter jets and downed the balloon using an AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile.US officials also admitted Saturday that similar balloons flew over the United States at least three times during the Trump administration and once earlier in the Biden administration. It is not clear what required this balloon's destruction. Unlike previous balloons, this one was known to the public and stayed over the United States for several days. US officials said the previous incidents lasted a shorter period of time.Tensions between China and the United States have been intensifying over the past year. In December, a US reconnaissance plane, colloquially known as a spy plane, was intercepted by a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea.In 2021, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative said it found a "sharp increase in the intensity and frequency" of aerial reconnaissance operations in the area.[This article was updated at 2:17 (GMT) to include details provided by the Pentagon and more quotes from the Chinese foreign ministry]

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221230/watch-chinese-fighter-jet-intercepts-us-surveillance-aircraft-over-south-china-sea-1105902174.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/denmark-does-not-provide-information-on-nord-stream-attack-probe-russian-envoy-says-1106985548.html

Denmark Does Not Provide Information on Nord Stream Attack Probe, Russian Envoy Says

Denmark Does Not Provide Information on Nord Stream Attack Probe, Russian Envoy Says

Denmark does not provide any information on the progress and results of the investigation into explosions at the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which raises questions,

2023-02-05T07:24+0000

2023-02-05T07:24+0000

2023-02-05T07:24+0000

nord stream sabotage

nord stream

russia

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"The Danish side currently does not provide any information on the progress and results of the investigation into the sabotage of gas pipelines. There is no cooperation with the Russian side. In this regard, the secrecy of the investigation raises many legitimate questions," Barbin said. The ambassador added that it was widely recognized that explosions at the gas pipelines had been carefully prepared. The blasts occurred on September 26 at three of the four strings of Nord Stream 1 and 2 underwater pipelines built to carry a combined 110 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe annually. Germany, Denmark, and Sweden launched separate investigations into the suspected sabotage, with German media reporting trust issues among the three EU nations. The Russian chief prosecutor's office said it had opened an inquiry into possible international terrorism.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221228/western-media-admit-ukraine-had-a-motive-to-axe-nord-stream-1105846286.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/iranian-supreme-leader-to-pardon-some-protesters-1106994958.html

Iranian Supreme Leader to Pardon Some Protesters

Iranian Supreme Leader to Pardon Some Protesters

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has agreed to a proposal by the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, to pardon or commute the sentence for some of detained protesters.

2023-02-05T21:19+0000

2023-02-05T21:19+0000

2023-02-05T21:27+0000

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Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has agreed to a proposal by the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, to pardon or commute the sentence for some of detained protesters, according to Iran's state-run news agency. The amnesty will coincide with the 44th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution and the Rajab month festivities.However, Iranian officials have said that amnesty and sentence reductions will not be applied to the following individuals:However, the Iranian authorities have not yet announced the exact number to be amnestied. Some foreign media reported that the number of detainees was in the tens of thousands, but no exact figures have been provided.Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei added that, although: "[Iranian authorities] offered them [detained individuals] this opportunity by offering amnesty and closing their case at every stage so that their future will not be affected by criminal records," but "If these pardoned people commit crimes again, they will be dealt with more severely according to the law."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221123/foreign-traces-in-irans-protests-1104609994.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/iraqi-ex-intelligence-officer-breaks-down-us-2003-invasion-preparations-1106972600.html

Iraqi Ex-Intelligence Officer Breaks Down US 2003 Invasion Preparations

Iraqi Ex-Intelligence Officer Breaks Down US 2003 Invasion Preparations

On February 5, 2003, US Secretary of State Colin Powell gave a speech to the UN Security Council in which he made the case for the US invasion of Iraq, claiming that the country possessed weapons of mass destruction.

2023-02-05T15:00+0000

2023-02-05T15:00+0000

2023-03-17T12:25+0000

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iraq

iraq war

2003 invasion of iraq

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Sputnik spoke to Khaled Al-Douri, a key official of the US section of Iraqi intelligence before the 2003 invasion, to discuss Powell's lies at the UN and their consequences. In 2003, Powell held up a prop vial that he claimed could contain anthrax as "proof" that Iraq was developing WMDs.Sputnik: Many people see the events of February 5, 2003, as the beginning of the US plan to destroy Iraq. How would you characterize them?Al-Douri: It is certainly a dark day for the Iraqi people. But as far as we know from the intercepted documents, the US began working on a plan to invade Iraq as early as 1988, a few months after the end of the Iran-Iraq War. The Americans were simply unhappy with the serious military power left in Iraq at the end of the war and Saddam's unwillingness to eliminate Iraq's ballistic missile system. A pretext for an invasion was created and the invasion took place.Sputnik: So was Powell's vial speech on February 5 the culmination of the US conspiracy against Iraq?Al-Douri: Exactly. Up to that point, there had been several UN inspections in Iraq: it turned out later that they had given all the data needed to prepare for the falsification of the vial and the subsequent invasion. They gave it not only to the USA but also to the UK as well. But the arguments of the Americans didn't convince, for example, a number of Arab countries. Only the West believed them. However, at that UN Security Council meeting, they failed to get a resolution to send troops to Iraq. But certainly, that day turned out to be a point of no return.Sputnik: It's been established that a certain spy in Iraq informed German officials of some bioweapon labs. What can you tell us about this case?Al-Douri: The fact is that German intelligence did not really trust the words of [Rafid Ahmed Alwan] al-Janabi, whom they had previously recruited. But they passed this information on to the Americans: there was a convenient pretext for the invasion. After the war, al-Janabi returned to Iraq and publicly admitted that all the information he had given at the time was a figment of his imagination and untrue. This was in 2011. In any case, it cannot be argued that it was al-Janabi's lies that destroyed Iraq. The West used him.Sputnik: It is clear that Powell's accusations were lies. But what about the British statements?Al-Douri: The lies of Tony Blair, the British prime minister at the time, are no less appalling. He said that Iraq could prepare its missiles with chemical and biological warheads and hit London within 40 minutes. He openly lied and intimidated his fellow citizens to justify the impending occupation. Blair was, after all, a servile follower of Washington, but he was also interested in invading Iraq himself. One wonders how the subjects of Great Britain, years later, have understood nothing.Sputnik: Could the UN Security Council have somehow prevented the invasion of Iraq?Al-Douri: No, the US was much stronger and more powerful in its actions. As soon as the US admitted that it had invaded Iraq and now controlled all of its territory, the UN Security Council began to deal with the new situation and sent its envoy to Iraq. But what could he do against the Americans? Nothing, of course, except the appearance of peacemaking.Sputnik: Do you think the invasion of Iraq was the first symbol of a unipolar world and US hegemony?Al-Douri: If you look at the slogans of the US Secretary of State at that time (e.g. the "New Middle East"), this is exactly what they wanted to demonstrate. The invasion of Iraq was the first step to demonstrate the unrestrained and unpunished US policy. The next step was to divide Syria and then other countries in the region. When the stay of American troops in Iraq became quite costly, they began to send terrorists into the country and prepare the ground for a major collapse. Then they began to say that Iraq was a breeding ground for terrorism. But the Americans themselves did everything for that.Sputnik: What did the US gain by invading Iraq?Al-Douri: America announced its withdrawal from Iraq in 2011 because of the heavy losses it suffered at the hands of the Iraqi resistance. Nevertheless, it has kept all the political elites under its influence - the occupation is over, but the protectorate is not. The US got money from the resale of Iraqi oil and is still getting it. They are not happy with the growing influence of Iran in the country, because they look at us as a colony. But they are not welcome here; the Iraqis are saying on every possible platform that America has done a reckless act and destroyed the sovereignty of Iraq.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/making-the-case-for-war-20-years-ago-colin-powell-lied-to-the-un-1106970009.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/lie-of-the-century-how-powells-speech-changed-the-middle-east-for-decades-1106972051.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/israels-netanyahu-calls-on-law-enforcement-officials-to-act-amid-threats-against-him-1106989019.html

Israel's Netanyahu Calls on Law Enforcement Officials to Act Amid Threats Against Him

Israel's Netanyahu Calls on Law Enforcement Officials to Act Amid Threats Against Him

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on law enforcement to act against threats to murder him that were disseminated online.

2023-02-05T11:51+0000

2023-02-05T11:51+0000

2023-02-05T11:51+0000

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"Today we have heard and seen an explicit threat to murder the Prime Minister of Israel I expect the law enforcement officials to take immediate action against those who are inciting to murder," Netanyahu was quoted as saying by his office. According to Israeli media, the remarks came late Saturday in response to a social media post by a former air force pilot and an anti-government protest figure Ze'ev Raz. On Friday, Raz wrote that "if a sitting prime minister assumes dictatorial powers, this prime minister is bound to die, simply like that, along with his ministers and his followers," as quoted by The Jerusalem Post. On Saturday night, the Israeli police launched a probe into the matter, the report said. Raz reportedly backtracked on his comments, saying that he did not identify with that post and noting that it was "a quote from a person who retracted it." On January 4, Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin rolled out a legal reform package that would limit the authority of the High Court of Justice and give the cabinet control over the selection of new judges. The planned overhaul sparked public criticism and prompted a wave of protests.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/making-the-case-for-war-20-years-ago-colin-powell-lied-to-the-un-1106970009.html

Making the Case for War: 20 Years Ago, Colin Powell Lied to the UN

Making the Case for War: 20 Years Ago, Colin Powell Lied to the UN

On February 5, 2003, US Secretary of State Colin Powell addressed the UN Security Council that would go down in infamy. Over the course of a 76-minute briefing... 05.02.2023, Sputnik International

2023-02-05T05:00+0000

2023-02-05T05:00+0000

2023-03-06T17:40+0000

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colin powell

2003 invasion of iraq

iraq war

war in iraq

invasion of iraq

anthrax

20 years since us invasion of iraq

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My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by solid sources, he confidently declared. These are not assertions. What were giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence.To bolster his case, Powell presented satellite photos, audio recordings of intercepted conversations between Iraqi soldiers, testimonies from high-level defectors, and even a tiny vial of white powder that was meant to serve as a symbol for Baghdads supposed anthrax program. At first glance, the evidence seemed both robust and dramatic.There was only one glaring problem: None of it was true. The satellite images did not show what Powell claimed they did, while the audio recordings and testimonies were deliberately manipulated. More than 70 UN site inspections in Iraq over the preceding years had found absolutely no evidence that the country was developing chemical, nuclear, or biological weapons. Following the US invasion in March 2003, even the Bush administration was forced to admit that Iraq did not possess WMDs.Although the truth eventually prevailed, it came at an extraordinarily high price. The Iraq War resulted in hundreds of thousands Iraqis dead and more than 9 million displaced, according to data from Brown Universitys Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. Nearly twenty years after the US invasion, Iraq is still grappling with the sectarian and political violence unleashed by Washingtons military debacle.How was the Bush administration able to sell a war based on dubious intelligence not only to the American people, but also to much of the international community? Perhaps even more importantly, did the US political and military leadership learn any lessons from its disastrous invasion?To answer these questions, Sputnik spoke to former Pentagon and State Department officials who witnessed firsthand the Bush administrations drift to war and spoke out against it.Anatomy of a LieThe push for the US to invade Iraq began not long after President George W. Bush took office in January 2001, according to retired Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, who served as a senior Middle East analyst for the Pentagon in the months leading up to the war.She explained that shortly after Bush's inauguration, Vice President Dick Cheney began to staff the Pentagon, National Security Council, and the key US intelligence agencies with a large number of political appointees, most of whom came from neoconservative think tanks. These hawkish officials were longtime advocates of regime change in Iraq, arguing that such a move would allow the US to strengthen its control over the Middle East and militarily encircle neighboring Iran.It was not long before the neoconservatives in the Bush administration launched a concerted campaign to lay the informational foundation for an invasion of Iraq. Kwiatkowski told Sputnik that beginning in August 2002, Middle East analysts such as herself were instructed not to contradict intelligence notices and briefings which suggested that Iraq was developing WMDs. Dissenters who expressed concerns about the veracity of these claims were fired.These dubious reports ended up not only on Bush's desk, but also on the front pages of the New York Times and the Washington Post. Even amid this formidable propaganda push, there were many in the highest echelons of Washington who had information contradicting the official narrative on Iraq. One of them was none other than Colin Powell. In the months leading up to the invasion, Powell privately expressed his doubts about the Bush administrations drift towards war to British Foreign Minister Jack Straw and his own chief of staff, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson. Just days before Powells infamous UN speech, the US Secretary of State received two memos from his intelligence staff that directly refuted many of the claims made in the presentation.At the same time, Pyne stressed that even if Powell had genuinely believed that Iraq possessed WMDs, that still was not strong enough of a reason to invade the country. He explained that Iraq was too weakened after losing sixty percent of its military equipment and personnel in the First Gulf War of 1991 to pose much of a threat to its neighbors, let alone the US.Pyne noted that many in the intelligence community shared his assessment of Iraqs capabilities. Having personally toured the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia and interviewed the then Director of the National Intelligence Council, John C. Gannon, in October 1999, I can tell you that Iraq was not even on their top five list of major threats at that time, he said.Although Powell decided to brush his reservations about Iraq aside, some lower ranking officials in the Pentagon and State Department chose not to remain silent. Both Kwiatkowski and Pyne published articles in the lead up to the Iraq War warning about the potential consequences of the invasion.Another dissident was Ann Wright, a US diplomat who also served 29 years in the US army as a colonel. On March 19, 2003, just one day before the US sent troops into Iraq, Wright submitted her letter of resignation to Powell. Lessons Learned?Wright warned that there were many concerning parallels between the lead-up to the US invasion of Iraq and the Biden administrations growing military involvement in Ukraine. She explained that just as opponents of the Iraq War were browbeat into silence, Ukraine skeptics are likewise being intimidated into towing the hawkish party line.Wright expressed skepticism that the proponents of diplomacy would ultimately prevail in Washington since the US always needs an enemy in order to keep the military industrial complex going, noting that major campaign donors are involved in arms production.Similar concerns were voiced by Kwiatkowski, who noted that Washington had undertaken no major reforms of the intelligence bureaucracies in the two decades following the Iraq invasion. At the same time, US human intelligence gathering resources are actually weaker today than they were in 2003. Finally, the US governments growing control over news reporting and social media means that it is becoming even more difficult for Americans to access objective information about international developments.There is a vast difference between the reporting from the Pentagon via Defense Intelligence Agency and presumably other US intelligence agencies and the actual events and progress of the war on the ground in Ukraine, Kwiatkowski said. Where are the dissenters, and where is the human intelligence on the ground -- and how is what they are observing reaching US political leadership?

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/colin-powells-career-ruining-un-testimony-1106969315.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20171105/gordon-brown-uk-iraq-invasion-1058829875.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/mass-brawl-over-window-seat-on-airplane-at-brazil-airport-1106983319.html

Mass Brawl Over Window Seat On Airplane At Brazil Airport

Mass Brawl Over Window Seat On Airplane At Brazil Airport

There was a fight between 15 people from two families, when boarding a flight from San Paolo. It started when one woman didn't want to give up her seat to the other so that the latter could sit next to her disabled son.

2023-02-05T03:12+0000

2023-02-05T03:12+0000

2023-02-05T03:12+0000

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A mass brawl involving 15 people took place on board a Brazilian Gol Airlines flight due to leave Salvador, Brazil for Sao Paulo on Thursday, February 2. The cause of the conflict, according to media reports, was a mother's inability to sit next to her disabled son.The incident occurred while passengers were boarding flight in Sao Paulo, according to Simple Flying. The conflict arose between two families, when one of the passengers asked the other to swap seats on the plane, so the first could have sat with her special needs child. The latter refused the request, which enraged the former and she started to attack her. The quarrel between the two passengers quickly escalated into a mass fistfight involving total of 15 family members.The GOL Airlines' representative commented the incident to US media as following:The footage of the fight, which has hit the internet, shows people shouting at each other, hitting each other and pulling each other's hair. The heat of the fight reached its peak when one of the participants exposed her breasts due to her top slipping down as a result of the active movement.After some time, the flight attendants managed to take control of the situation.All participants of the brawl were escorted off the aircraft. After a delay of almost two hours, the plane still flew to Sao Paulo, but without the rowdies.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/over-40-of-americans-say-biden-probably-deliberately-kept-classified-documents-poll-shows-1106988382.html

Over 40% of Americans Say Biden 'Probably Deliberately Kept' Classified Documents, Poll Shows

Over 40% of Americans Say Biden 'Probably Deliberately Kept' Classified Documents, Poll Shows

A total of 43% of US citizens believe the classified documents that were found in President Joe Bidens home and former office were "probably deliberately kept" by him and/or his staff

2023-02-05T10:52+0000

2023-02-05T10:52+0000

2023-02-05T10:52+0000

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Meanwhile, 34% of those sampled think that the classified documents were kept there "probably mistakenly," with another 23% undecided. The poll also found that 42% of the respondents believe "the story has been overblown." A further 65% of those polled are in favor of searches of all Biden's properties by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The survey was conducted from January 2829 among 1,500 eligible voters. On January 9, US media reported that Biden's personal attorneys discovered 10 classified documents pertaining to Ukraine, Iran, and the United Kingdom at his think-tank's office, prompting a federal probe into the matter. Several new packages of classified official papers have been discovered in Biden's personal home in Wilmington, Delaware since then. The US Department of Justice is investigating how classified documents related to the period of Biden's vice presidency ended up in office and residential premises not authorized for their storage.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/putin-never-threatened-me-or-germany-olaf-scholz-says-in-wake-of-boris-johnsons-missile-claims-1106988011.html

'Putin Never Threatened Me or Germany,' Olaf Scholz Says in Wake of Boris Johnson's Missile Claims

'Putin Never Threatened Me or Germany,' Olaf Scholz Says in Wake of Boris Johnson's Missile Claims

The Kremlin blasted Boris Johnson for lying last week after the former prime minister of Britain alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally threatened to take him out in a missile strike during a phone call.

2023-02-05T10:49+0000

2023-02-05T10:49+0000

2023-02-05T10:49+0000

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boris johnson

olaf scholz

germany

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Vladimir Putin has never threatened Germany or its leadership, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said.Scholz said he made very clear to the Russian president Berlins position that Moscow alone was responsible for the Ukrainian crisis, and that Russia purportedly launched its special military operation for no reason. We cannot simply accept that, because it's a fundamental violation of the European peace order. That is why we support Ukraine financially, through humanitarian aid and also with arms, Scholz said.The chancellors comments on the absence of threats against Germany by Russia stand at odds with remarks made by Johnson in a documentary which aired last week, in which the former prime minister said that Putin had told him Boris, I dont want to hurt you but, with a missile, it would only take a minute or something like that. Jolly.Johnsons tendency to exaggerate, embellish or outright lie to voters, constituents and parliament was a consistent staple of his reputation in his own country, with media even putting together compilations of his worst lies, gaffes and scandals after his resignation in disgrace last summer.The Kremlin responded to Johnsons Putin missile comments with alarm, asking whether the lies were conscious or unconscious, and reiterating that what Putin actually told him was that if Ukraine joined NATO, the potential deployment of NATO or American missiles at our borders [would] mean that any missile [would be able to] reach Moscow in a matter of minutes. These comments appear to echo remarks Putin and other Russian officials made publicly before the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis last February.Tanks for UkraineCommenting on Germanys decision to approve the deployment of Leopard 2 main battle tanks in Ukraine, Scholz dismissed concerns aired by Moscow that the move was a reminder of German panzers in Ukraine during the Second World War, characterizing the latter as a series of abstruse historical comparisons. The chancellor assured instead that Berlin was sending battle tanks to Ukraine so that they can defend themselves, and that every arms shipment was being weighed in coordination with NATO and Washington to prevent the conflict from escalating.Scholz said there was a consensus among Western powers that Ukraine would not use its NATO-provided weapons to attack Russia.Ukraine has faced criticism even among sympathetic Western media for its governments decisions to ban nearly a dozen so-called pro-Russian political parties, consolidate state control over television and print media, and institute a campaign of repression against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, again allegedly over its links to Russia. Ukraine has consistently ranked among the most corrupt countries in Europe, with corruption-related concerns exacerbated amid questions about where the $100+ billion in US and EU aid to Kiev has gone, and evidence that arms sent to help fight Russia have wound up in the hands of criminal gangs in Europe and conflict zones far from Ukraines shores.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230203/scholz-berlin-carefully-weighs-all-arms-deliveries-to-kiev-in-bid-to-prevent-russia-nato-escalation-1106936666.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230202/attempts-by-france-germany-to-negotiate-with-russia-should-be-prevented-bolton-tells-pranksters-1106933377.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/report-to-congress-warned-about-potential-aerial-surveillance-last-month-reports-say-1106984751.html

Report to Congress Allegedly Warned About Potential Aerial Surveillance Last Month

Report to Congress Allegedly Warned About Potential Aerial Surveillance Last Month

Suspected instances of rival powers using advanced aerial technology to spy on the United States were outlined in a classified report to Congress prior to the Chinese balloon incident

2023-02-05T05:05+0000

2023-02-05T05:05+0000

2023-02-05T13:07+0000

americas

us

china

surveillance

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The report on unidentified aerial phenomena submitted last month discussed the use of unknown cutting-edge technology for alleged surveillance. Two American officials familiar with the research told the newspaper on Saturday that the surveillance was likely conducted by China, but the report does not attribute the incidents to any country. The incidents covered in the report involved balloons and quadcopter drones, while Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada and Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan were among the sites mentioned as the potential surveillance targets, according to one US official. US media said citing officials that since 2021, the Pentagon has examined 366 incidents that were initially unexplained and said 163 were balloons, although none of them conducted persistent surveillance of US military facilities and did not generate much concern with the Pentagon. On Thursday, the Pentagon announced the detection of an alleged surveillance balloon from China over the US state of Montana. Beijing stressed that the balloon was a civilian airship engaged in scientific research, mainly meteorological studies, and expressed regret over its unintended entry into US airspace. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday that a US fighter aircraft successfully brought down the balloon that had been used by China in efforts to "surveil strategic sites" in the US. A Pentagon spokesperson told journalists on Saturday that US experts had studied the balloon equipment and Washington had no doubt that it was used for surveillance. On Friday, the US State Department announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would not leave for Beijing later in the day as initially planned due to the balloon incident. The Pentagon specified on Friday that it detected another Chinese surveillance balloon - this one transiting Latin America - a day after the US identified the first one over Montana. The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed protest on Sunday over the downing of the Chinese balloon, saying that the US reaction to the incident was excessive.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230204/breaking-us-shoots-down-alleged-chinese-spy-balloon-1106980202.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/republicans-call-for-probe-bidens-resignation-amid-chinese-spy-balloon-blunder-1106990963.html

Republicans Call for Probe, Biden's Resignation Amid 'Chinese Spy Balloon' Blunder

Republicans Call for Probe, Biden's Resignation Amid 'Chinese Spy Balloon' Blunder

An F-22 Raptor was scrambled to shoot down an errant Chinese weather balloon over US airspace on Saturday, putting an end to days of drama and confusion as Americans watched the alleged spy craft float over the country.

2023-02-05T13:42+0000

2023-02-05T13:42+0000

2023-02-05T13:55+0000

americas

chinese balloon over us

balloon

weather balloon

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joe biden

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Republicans are fuming with the Biden administrations delayed response to popping Chinas weather balloon, with at least one lawmaker calling for the president and vice president to resign in disgrace.My call for their resignation was valid in August 2021 due to the surrender and disastrous withdrawal in Afghanistan, creating a safe haven for terrorists to attack American families, Wilson wrote, listing off his outstanding beefs with the Biden administration. Resignation now is further reinforced as their open border policies have allowed hundreds of identified terrorists into America to commit mass murder, the lawmaker fumed.A few pro-Biden media personalities rushed to defend the White House, with infamous Russiagater Keith Olbermann calling Wilson an a**clown and suggesting the lawmaker should stop, resign, and leave the country.However, other lawmakers, even including a few Democrats, similarly piled on Biden over his perceived late response to the incident. The Chinese unmanned airship reportedly entered the US air defense zone off Alaska on January 28, and proceeded east and south, traveling over Idaho and Montana, including over military bases which host US nuclear missile silos.Why was this allowed to go clear across the country for so many days? You know, you look at this, national security is one of the biggest things that any country can do. It is a core function of government, GOP Congressman Russell Fry complained.Andrew Garbarino, another member of the Homeland Security Committee, also attacked the administration. Not only was the Homeland Security Committee not informed of this CCP [Chinese Communist Party, ed.] provocation before it broke on the news, but it has since come to light that officials were monitoring the balloon before it entered US airspace and could have been shot down over the water before ever reaching our shores. This was the CCP testing their boundaries and President Biden failed in his response, Garbarino said.Senate Arms Services Committee Republican Roger Wicker suggested the balloons trip across the US was a clear indication that standard protocol for defense of US airspace was ignored, and accused Biden of trying to hide this incident from the American people from the start.Hawkish Texas Republican Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, slammed the administration over its embarrassing display of weakness.Congressional Democrats did their best to defend the president, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressing "strong condemnation" of President Xi [Jinpings] brazen incursion into American airspace, and commending Bidens leadership in taking down the Chinese balloon over water to ensure safety for all Americans.However, Montana Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat, joined his GOP colleagues in demanding real answers from Biden, dubbing the balloon story a clear threat to US national security. I will be pulling people before my committee to get real answers on how this happened, and how we can prevent it from ever happening again, he said. Tester is chairman of a Senate defense panel in charge of the Pentagon budget.Comedic OpportunityThe balloon story has had diplomatic repercussions  including Secretary of State Antony Blinken cancelling a planned trip to China, but has also given amateur comedians on social media plenty of opportunities to arouse a few laughs, with former President Donald Trumps son Don Jr posting a series of balloon-related memes to his Instagram* page. Elon Musk did some joking of his own, posting a photoshopped image of a US fighter blowing up the house from Disney/Pixars 2009 animated film Up.What can the Balloon teach us about White Rage? MAGA Republican Matt Gaetz tweeted, referencing the Biden administrations penchant for identity politics policies and attributing many of Americas political and socio-economic problems to white people. The Department of Defense would like to know the Balloons pronouns, Gaetz quipped in another tweet.Fox News host Tucker Carlson devoted an entire segment to the balloon story on his Friday broadcast, suggesting the crafts ability to travel clear across the US was a sign of potential shady behind-the-scenes activities involving payoffs to President Bidens family by Beijing.Consider how would we respond if Putin were doing this, if this were a Russian spy balloon? Well youd have the worlds shortest news story: Russian spy balloon spotted off US shore, entire US Air Force mobilized, balloon reduced to vapor in seconds. So there would not be a lot of debate about what to do about a Russian spy balloon. Wed kill it instantly, as you would any hostile foreign intrusion. But things turn out to be a little different when its a Chinese spy balloon. As far as we know Vladimir Putin has never sent cash to Joe Bidens crackhead son. He probably should have. That would have been a very wise investment in retrospect, Carlson said, referring to revelations from Hunter Bidens lost laptop of alleged pay-to-play deals with foreign interests involving his powerful father, and Hunters personal struggle with drug addiction.Bunch of Hot Air?Chinese officials slammed the US for its destruction of the dirigible, assuring that the spy balloon was really just a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological purposes and that it had deviated far from its planned course, which resulted in it making its way into US airspace.Meanwhile, Chinese social media users mocked Americans overreaction to the incident, asking why the US was making a big issue over nothing, christening the airship the wandering balloon, and suggesting the US should respect" it. The Lantern Festival is around the corner. The balloon is actually a sky lantern we sent over to wish Americans a happy Lantern Festival, one user quipped. Who cares if Antony Blinken will come or not? America always bills itself as No.1 in the world but it got spooked by just a balloon, another wrote.Some American social media users joined in the mockery.An Air Force F-22 Raptor was scrambled out of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia to pop the balloon on Saturday afternoon using a single air-to-air Sidewinder missile, with the airships remains touching down in waters off South Carolina. The US military plans to study what's left of the balloon, presumably to search for any surveillance equipment in support of Washingtons claims that the balloon was not merely a meteorological craft.*Instagram is banned in Russia over extremist activities.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230204/breaking-us-shoots-down-alleged-chinese-spy-balloon-1106980202.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230131/hunter-biden-supporters-reportedly-mulling-legal-defense-fund-1106860327.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/rocket-sirens-sound-across-israeli-city-sderot-other-gaza-border-towns-1106992233.html

Rocket Sirens Sound Across Israeli City Sderot, Other Gaza Border Towns

Rocket Sirens Sound Across Israeli City Sderot, Other Gaza Border Towns

Rocket sirens sounded across the Israeli city of Sderot and other towns near the Gaza border on Sunday evening, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson's unit.

2023-02-05T15:52+0000

2023-02-05T15:52+0000

2023-02-05T17:18+0000

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Rocket sirens sounded across the Israeli city of Sderot and other towns near the Gaza border on Sunday evening, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson's unit. Local residents reported no explosions on the ground.According to media reports, sirens were sounded in the areas of Sapir College, Gevim, Ivim, Nir Am, and Or Haner. The IDF is looking into the cause.Overnight, the Iron Dome air defense system intercepted a small aircraft over the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli media reports, the intercepted aircraft was a suspected drone, and the interception came after reports of an explosion in Sderot.Earlier this week, the IDF struck what it claimed were weapon production and storage facilities in the Gaza Strip on Thursday night after rocket sirens sounded in Sderot, Ibim and Nir Am the night before.The rocket alert comes amid heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians after an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin that killed nine Palestinians and injured 20 others on January 26. Israel claims to have neutralized Palestinian militants suspected of preparing major terror attacks. The next day, seven Israelis were killed in a terrorist shooting near a synagogue in Jerusalem, while two others were wounded in a different shooting in the City of David the following day. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised a "strong, fast" response to the attacks.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230204/six-palestinians-injured-by-israeli-forces-in-refugee-camp-in-west-bank-media-reports-1106976412.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/shooting-at-fredo-bang-concert-leaves-one-dead-four-injured-1106995622.html

Shooting at Fredo Bang Concert Leaves One Dead, Four Injured

Shooting at Fredo Bang Concert Leaves One Dead, Four Injured

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - At least one person was killed and four others were injured in a shooting at a concert in the US state of Arkansas, local media report. 05.02.2023, Sputnik International

2023-02-05T22:45+0000

2023-02-05T22:45+0000

2023-02-05T22:45+0000

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concert

fredo bang

arkansas

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A concert of US rapper Fredo Bang was held at a converted school in Newport, Arkansas on Saturday night. Police received a call about a shooting at the venue in the early hours of Sunday, at around 2:30 a.m. local time (08:30 GMT), KARK-TV said. A 19-year-old woman was killed in the shooting and four other people were injured, the Arkansas-based television station said, citing the Newport Police Department. KAIT-TV reported on Sunday, citing Chief of Police Larry Dulaney, and Lieutenant Mark Harmon, that one of the injured was flown to a hospital for further treatment. Two people were arrested following the shooting, KAIT-TV said, specifying that they have not been charged. More arrests are expected. An investigation is underway. According to data from the Gun Violence Archive nonprofit group, there have been over 50 mass shooting incidents in the United States since the start of this year.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/spycraft-or-not-shootdown-of-chinese-weather-balloon-using-5th-gen-jet-looks-silly-observer-says-1106993766.html

Spycraft or Not, Shootdown of Chinese Weather Balloon Using 5th-Gen Jet Looks Silly, Observer Says

Spycraft or Not, Shootdown of Chinese Weather Balloon Using 5th-Gen Jet Looks Silly, Observer Says

A US jet destroyed a Chinese weather balloon off the coast of South Carolina Saturday, with US officials saying the balloon had engaged in espionage. Beijing insists the dirigible was just a meteorological research balloon that drifted off course.

2023-02-05T19:11+0000

2023-02-05T19:11+0000

2023-02-05T19:32+0000

analysis

china

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It's unclear whether the Chinese weather balloon downed over the Atlantic was an intelligence-gathering vessel, but the incident has certainly given Washington the pretext it needs to feed anti-China hysteria amid tectonic shifts being witnessed in the global geopolitical and economic order, former Department of Defense analyst-turned anti-war whistleblower and activist Karen Kwiatkowski has told Sputnik.The only reason to shoot down the balloon after it had completely transversed the continental US would be to confirm exactly what the balloon was carrying before it got out of the 200 nautical mile exclusion zone. If we do hear about any analysis from the Pentagon later, this could be used to inform or propagandize the Biden administrations actions or inaction, Kwiatkowski explained."The Chinese response may have been to chuckle, or it helped inform the Chinese government as to the air defense capabilities of the US, or both. Obviously, if it is determined that [the US] belatedly shot down a weather balloon with a 5th generation fighter jet with a standoff air-to-air Sidewinder missile, it feeds into the global narrative of the US military as an offensively-oriented warmonger, and kind of silly," Kwiatkowski stressed.Either way, Washingtons overreaction (or untimely underreaction, as the case may be) will be sure to inform Beijings perceptions of US air defense capabilities, as well as perceptions of the US leadership in general, according to the retired officer.Conceding that any airborne object can and probably does collect data, and that all countries do this, whether they admit it or not, Kwiatkowski believes that the longer the Pentagon waits to produce evidence of the balloons malicious nature, the more likely it will be that it really was just a harmless weather balloon, as the Chinese say it was. However if the surveillance equipment on this balloon is found to be interesting, we can be sure this will be used to whip up Chinese war narratives, she said.PR Stunt?Kwiatkowski emphasized that as a critic of the Biden administration, she would actually be gratified to learn that the spy balloon drama was just a PR stunt on the part of the White House, since this would at least indicate some strategic unity and a well-defined set of military and diplomatic objectives vis-a-vis China in the coming years.Instead, she said, this administration has so far only demonstrated its propensity to bicker, and faces a massive trust deficit with the public due to difficulty communicating honestly and clearly with the American people.Officials in the Biden administration are not only bickering amongst themselves over the Ukraine tar-baby, they are not trusted by anyone, and will not be until Blinken and Victoria Nuland and others are removed from their posts, Kwiatkowski stressed.Ominous OmenThere is also a more ominous aspect of the balloon story, related to the growing push by Washington to prepare Americans for a possible direct conflict with China, according to the observer.Did Someone Forget What Century Theyre In?Commenting on the balloon incident and Pentagon chief Lloyd Austins remarks about the Chinese dirigible being used to monitor American military facilities, Russian military observer Oleg Glazunov told Sputnik that it seemed like Washington had forgotten what century they're in as far as intelligence-collecting methods go.When was the last time you heard of reconnaissance by balloon? This was over 50-60 years ago. Moreover, there is a Chinese diaspora in the United States of over 2 million people, with their position so strong in some cities that the FBI cant do anything. What balloon are we talking about? he said.Giraldi echoed Kwiatkowskis sentiments that the balloon hysteria supports the Biden administrations push to portray China as a future "adversary" or even "enemy" of the United States. However, he doesnt expect China to react to the provocation through escalation, as its leadership is more sensible than what we are forced to suffer with here in the United States.I believe that the relationship between Beijing and Washington will continue to be difficult, with most of the problems coming from the political posturing engaged in by a clueless White House, the observer concluded.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230204/breaking-us-shoots-down-alleged-chinese-spy-balloon-1106980202.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/republicans-call-for-probe-bidens-resignation-amid-chinese-spy-balloon-blunder-1106990963.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230203/the-memo-monger--1106936833.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230124/eus-borrell-says-russia-capable-of-destroying-satellites-in-space-1106658669.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230205/turkish-experts-interpret-photo-of-us-envoy-aboard-warship-as-threat-to-turkey-1106992815.html

Turkish Experts Interpret Photo of US Envoy Aboard Warship as 'Threat to Turkey'

Turkish Experts Interpret Photo of US Envoy Aboard Warship as 'Threat to Turkey'

Turkish security experts and ex-military commanders interpreted a recent photo of US Ambassador Jeffry Flake on board a US destroyer in the Bosphorus Strait as a "threat message" to Ankara and called on the country's foreign ministry to summon the top diplomat, a Turkish newspaper reported on Sunday.

2023-02-05T16:17+0000

2023-02-05T16:17+0000

2023-02-05T16:17+0000

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USS Nitze, a US destroyer which also took part in the Yemeni Civil War, anchored off Istanbul's coast near the Dolmabahce Palace earlier this week ahead of a scheduled port call at Golcuk Naval Base. On Friday, the US Embassy in Turkey posted a photo of Flake and other officials standing on the deck of the warship. Aside from the presence of the US ambassador, Turkish experts pointed out that the Turkish flag hoisted on the mast of the destroyer was much smaller than the American banner, calling it a "show of strength" by the United States. Retired Lieutenant General and former Turkish intelligence chief Ismail Hakki Pekin argued the display of disproportionately-sized flags was a conscious move. The ex-official told the newspaper there was "serious reaction against the US in Turkey" in light of Washington's alleged "ties to terrorism." He also argued that the Turkish Foreign Ministry should summon Flake after the incident. Another expert, retired Colonel Halil Ozsarac, told the newspaper that the size of the US flag hoisted on the warship was a "show of strength." He also said that he had never encountered such an "unpleasant" situation before, having visited many ports in his life. Earlier in the week, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland and the United Kingdom all suspended operations at their consulates in Istanbul over security concerns after a series of Quran-burning protests in northern Europe. The United States and several other countries issued travel warnings. On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that it was difficult to call the countries that had decided to close their consulates in Istanbul allies or friends.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230204/no-threat-of-terrorist-attack-against-consulates-in-istanbul-media-reports-1106982031.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230202/ankara-says-west-waging-psychological-war-against-turkey-by-closing-istanbul-consulates-1106919190.html

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A $14 million expansion of Lincolns longtime program of turning waste into biosolids sold to farmers to use as fertilizer will allow the city to increase production of the cake-like substance by 25%, officials said Thursday.

City officials recently completed a three-year process to install equipment at the Northeast Water Recovery Facility, 7000 N. 70th St., that will allow it to convert Lincolns waste into the dry, nutrient-rich, soil-like fertilizer for crops.

The city has been doing that at the Theresa Street plant since 1992, a program that began as a cooperative venture between the city, county and University of Nebraska Extension.

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said the latest expansion will bolster efforts to build a more resilient city, one of her administrations priorities.

Expanding the biosolids program lowers costs, helps the environment, and supports the local economy, she said. By joining forces with our partners in agriculture, our biosolids program enriches the future by enriching the soil and water on which our future depends.

Since 1993, the city has pumped liquid biosolids produced at the northeast plant to city-owned farmland, but that was an expensive and difficult process that could only happen during certain times of the year, said Todd Boling, Lincoln Wastewater System superintendent.

Because of the difficulty of transporting the liquid biosolids, the amount produced at the plant exceeded the number of farm fields that the city could get it to, said David Smith, the biosolids coordinator.

Its incredibly expensive to haul the liquid biosolids to farmers, he said.

Being able to create dry biosolids at the northeast plant will save about $200,000 a year in transportation costs, said Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott.

There are other benefits, she said, including saving landfill space and reducing the use of synthetic fertilizer by farmers.

One fourth-generation farmer told us hes been able to decrease his use of synthetic fertilizer by 80% since he began incorporating our biosolids into the soil, Bohling said.

Because its easier to apply than liquid biosolids, the market will increase, Elliott said. The city expects to collect about $40,000 a year from the sale of larger amount of biosolids. That money is reinvested back in the program, she said.

The city had been planning for the conversion process, which has been part of LTUs capital improvement program for several years, she said.

The Theresa Street plant generates enough biosolid material to fertilize 1,500 acres of farmland a year, LTU officials said. The work at the northeast plant will allow the city to convert 175,000 gallons of the liquid biosolids generated there into enough of the dry material to fertilize another 500 acres of land.

Since it began the program in 1992, Lincolns wastewater system has had nearly 90 agriculture partners and has applied biosolids to more than 37,000 acres of agricultural land, city officials said.
Valley Airways owner and operator Dick Bosn, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday, is marking another significant milestone this year  Valley Airways is in its 48th year of operating at West Nebraska Regional Airport.

Weve been here longer than anyone else has been at the airport, Bosn told the Star-Herald in a recent interview.

Bosn, who originally grew up in ONeill, Nebraska, found himself in the Panhandle after he graduated high school. He attended Western Nebraska Community College  Sidneys aviation maintenance program, receiving his aircraft mechanics license in 1971.

There were a lot of kids going to school there at that time, he said. It was the only aircraft mechanic school in the state of Nebraska at that time, too.

After meeting his wife while attending college, Bosn decided to stay in western Nebraska and he took a job with Scottsbluff Aviation. He worked there for a couple of years before he and three other partners started Valley Airways in 1975.

Asked why he started his own business, he says, after a career of being self-employed, Right now, I couldnt work for anybody else anyways.

As a young man, he said, he had been attracted to air mechanics after watching his father, who was a car dealer in ONeill. He had initially planned to go to GM maintenance school, but he said, My dad said there is no money in cars. And, of course, he was in it for 70-80 years.

He had never been around an airplane before mechanic school, he said, but his education started a decades-long career.

Valley Airways is a fixed-base operator, a commercial business, that is approved by the airport authority to operate at West Nebraska Regional Airport. Valley Airways provides aeronautical serves such as fueling, hangaring, aircraft maintenance, private pilot services and even flight instruction. Bosn has been the sole owner of Valley Airways since 1999.

Were the ones that do all of the fueling for the airlines that come in for diversions, and of, course, thats why theyre here  for the fuel because they have had delays getting into Denver. And then, I have air taxi available from an operator out of Pierre, South Dakota. I also have a training airplane and have a part-time instructor.

Bosn himself is a private pilot, receiving his pilot license in about 1976-1977, he said. Having been in an airplane prior to his training and having flown on his own during training, he describes his first solo flight as anti-climactic for me. I was used to flying from the right side anyway, as far as that goes, he said.

He jokes that he didnt become a commercial pilot because I dont wait very well. If youre hauling for someone else, youre waiting for them.

For those not in the airline industry, it might seem like wintertime is the busiest time of the year for diversions to the airport as cancellations for weather seem to get a lot of press in the wintertime. However, Bosn says that is not the case  summertime is the busiest time of the year for plane diversions and the fueling that takes place at the airport.

Those weather fronts move real fast, he said. And then these airplanes come in from the East Coast, West Coast and are going into Denver. They close the airport because of wind shear. With all the airlines, they have it to where the airlines are running to where they have enough fuel to get (to their destination) and thats it. So, if they have to circle anywhere, they have to get fuel somewhere.

He said that practice started about eight to nine years ago, resulting in greater need for fueling services at the local airport. The Scottsbluff airport has more ramp space and longer runways than some other airports in the region, making it a good location for airlines flying into Denver. Without a long wait  its just a 20-minute flight to Colorado  airlines can get back on track quickly when diversions happen.

West Nebraska Regional Airport also sees a good amount of traffic from private and business planes. Of the aircrafts that have landed at the airport, Bosn cites wartime airplanes as among the most interesting. The community is fortunate to see those planes come into the area due to events such as the Airport Appreciation Day and other events.

Like the pilot industry, the airplane mechanic industry has also experienced shortages in recent years.

Im getting emails every day, people trying to get me to work for them, he said. However, Bosn likes operating his own business so he has stayed the course. Were competing with wages from the airlines and others like that, he said. It can be hard to compete with the benefits they offer and all that stuff, but its throughout the industry.

Asked about a part of the industry that has surprised him or experienced a lot of changes during his career, Bosn said paperwork is the key area. The paperwork involved  Its not just the aviation business, but in tax forms and other business forms that you have to fill out every year. Its a little unwieldy compared to the way it used to be.

However, though he has a talent for mechanics and other pieces of the industry, Bosn said the thing that has kept him in the industry every year  the people.

I really like people, he said. The people that know how to fly and manage airplanes, theyre above average intelligence. ... We have great conversations.

For more about Valley Airways, visit its website, www.valleyairways.com.
Here's how to follow the Unicameral from afar

Heres how to watch the Legislatures activities and follow bills by using the Unicamerals website at nebraskalegislature.org:

Click on the Nebraska Public Media logo and look under Streaming Now or Coming Soon for the schedule of livestreamed floor debates and public hearings by committees.

Floor debate also is telecast live by Nebraska Public Media on NE-W, formerly known as NET2 (Allo Communications Channel 11 or Spectrum in Scottsbluff-Gering).

If you know the number of a legislative bill or constitutional amendment, type it under Search Current Bills to call up the measures text and related votes and documents. (For the language of current state laws, type their number or keywords under Search Laws.)

Computer users can leave comments of up to 500 words on individual bills by clicking the appropriate spot on the main page for that bill.

If the bill hasnt yet had its public hearing, users may ask their comments to be included in the bills official hearing record. Such requests must be made by noon CT (11 a.m. MT) on the last work day before the hearing.

Nebraskans with disabilities as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act can do likewise but also can attach PDF files or supporting documents.

Click on Hearing schedules on the main Unicameral webpage, choose the appropriate week and click either Submit Comment Online or ADA Accommodation Testimony, depending on whether you qualify for the latter.

The Unicameral website offers many other documents for understanding and following the Legislature, including its online Unicameral Update newsletter.

 Todd von Kampen
I was in Hickory in a well-known bookseller last Thursday, a favorite place of mine, with the stores very air full of coffee flavors and ideas from old and new books. You might imagine that if you inhaled a lung-full and your IQ might go up five points. Maybe.

I wandered around the aisles for a few minutes, then moseyed over to the magazines display. And there I saw his face staring at me from a magazine cover. Not the face of Jesus, nor the face of Joe Biden, not the face of former-President Trump, but his face: Him, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, JFK, although with trim grey hair, but still with that Harvard-educated poker face that was about halfway between a smile and frown, sort of a manly Mona Lisa smile. The same look that had taken on Soviet leader Krushchev over the Bay of Pigs fiasco and those Russian ICBMs in Cuber.

The enhanced cover photo had him in a conservative black suit complete with his ultra-white dress non-button-down collar and black tie. He had an All Business look about him; a confident look.

JFK would be how old now? Well, he was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1917, so  hed be 106 years old! Could that be right? I rechecked my math. I came up with 106 again. On the magazine cover he looks pretty good  make that damned good  for 106.

OK, Fat Man, his eyes seemed to say to the Soviet Premiere, You really want to play chicken over the fate of the whole world?

The early 1960s. Maybe you had to be here. There were options then. There was the Peace Corps. There was The First Family, 1962 comedy LP album, a spoof on what was later revered as Camelot. My family had a copy of the LP disc, and even though I suspect that my father voted for Nixon, Dad played the comedy album for visitors to our home and laughed with them over comic impressionist Vaughn Meaders Massachusetts-inspired accent. It was said to be a good-natured parody.

When I look at the altered photo of the 35th president, I get a feeling that something that could have been great was stolen from us, snatched away like the work of a pickpocket in a crowd.

Alternative history, or alt-history is an interesting literary genre, a sort of cross between real history and sci-fi.

Some alt-history possibilities besides speculating on what if Kennedy had not been shot on Elm Street (the REAL nightmare on Elm Street) near the grassy knoll in Dallas: What if Hitler had succeeded in invading England? What if a Chinese fleet had made it to what we now call America years before Columbus bumped into the West Indies?

This is not a cheap magazine; published in the U.K. it cost me $19.99, with tax. But I received several B&N gift cards from Christmas, and this single issue will keep my mind busy longer than a novel. The magazine even suggests calling itself a bookazine.

Nov. 22, 1963, was a pivotal date in American history, like 9/11/2001 or Jan. 28, 1986, for the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy.

Back to 11/22/63, which also happens to be the name of a Stephen King alt-history novel about a man who goes back in time to Dallas on the fateful day and tries to, well, he tries to alter things just a little.

Well, can HISTORY be changed? I dont know, but I do know, from my reading on historical subjects for the better part of half a century, that many of historys big events were near things: turning points, that could have easily turned the other way, and then where would we be?

Ask yourself: What if Britain had beaten the stuffing out of the rebelling American colonists back circa 1776? After all, it was the Brits who had the best-trained and supplied army, the best navy in the world and a government already in business. The French could have had second thoughts about backing out ancestors, or North Atlantic storms could have delayed the French arrival and then the Battle of Yorktown would have turned out very differently, nest ce pas?

And what if the first Atomic Bomb dropped on Japan had turned out to be a dud? Now that, friends, would make an interesting novel, especially if the Japanese military shared the undetonated A-Bomb with their allies, the Nazis, who had the V-2 rocket.

What if the so-called guard at Fords Theatre in April 1865 had remained at his post instead of going to a tavern and the guard had stopped, searched and arrested John Wilkes Booth before the actor carried out his portion of the nefarious plan?

Lincoln, presumably, would not have been assassinated, would have presided over Reconstruction and the re-admission to the Union of the Southern states, perhaps in a gentler manner than that of the Radical Republicans.

Consider what the ramifications of that change might have been. What would the ripple effect have been on Black culture, post-war Southern white politics, and civil rights legislation?

Not all is highly serious, epic drama in the bookazine. One scenario, for example, poses the question of what would have happened had the Beatles not gotten together in Liverpool in the late 1950s.

Yes, I agree that $19.99 (plus tax) is a lot to pay for a magazine, even one of 159 pages with great illustrations, but I try to think of it as a full-sized book with a very flimsy book cover. There is enough variety of scenarios (53 of them) to lure the most casual armchair time-traveler. And there are many maps, photos, some period and some combined by something like Photoshop into could-have been photographs. The authors of the scenarios are a varied lot of expert historians.

The editors, Jack Parsons and Hannah Westlake, have also conveniently contributed a select list of novels that use alt-history, which the casual reader may not have known. One such is Harry Turtledoves Guns of the South, in which the Confederacy gets hold of shipments of Russian AK-47 automatic assault rifles prior to the Battle of Gettysburg. Mr. Turtledove has made a career of writing interesting, semi-plausible alt-history novels.

Altogether, this bookazine, makes for a pleasant romp through familiar, yet subtly different, landscapes.
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Amanda Jane Moyer was sentenced last week to one year in prison and nine on probation after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of Schedule II drugs.

Moyer, who lives in Roanoke, will get credit for time served since her latest arrest in December, and face some or all of remaining time on probation if she violates any terms of suspended sentences.

Circuit Judge Mike Fleenor told Moyer that her sentence fell within Virginias sentencing guidelines and the recommendations of Commonwealth Attorney Eric Branscom.

Moyer was arrested after police discovered her distributing Schedule II drugs from a car in a parking lot of a store in Floyd, Branscom said during the sentencing hearing Jan. 24.

As part of the plea deal, Branscom asked the judge to dismiss the remaining failure to appear charges.

Moyers hearing was one of the few that were not continued on a long day in court on Jan. 24.

In one of the hearings, Jodie Allan Owens of Floyd was given a 12-month suspended sentence for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Darryl Giles Snead was granted at $200 cash bond on a charge of burglary.

A scheduled trial of Julio Cesar Contreras Canale of Floyd in charges of an indecent act with a child was continued to July 25.
Whenever smelt dips open along the Cowlitz River, thousands turn out to catch a bucket of the small silver fish.

Part of the dips popularity is that smelt are one of the only species of fish that Washingtonians can catch without a fishing license. A bill going through the state Legislature could change that.

House Bill 1226 would require a recreational fishing license to catch freshwater smelt, crawfish or carp  the only three species currently exempt from the license requirement. The bill was passed by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Jan. 27 on a 6-5 vote along party lines.

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Mike Chapman, D-Port Angeles, but the change was a request from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Fish and Wildlife officials said the license would help educate the public and regulate the small but intense windows for smelt dipping.

Not having a license gives this idea that it is a free-for-all and its not. This is still a federally protected species, said Laura Heironimus, who leads the smelt and sturgeon unit for WDFW. It would be an opportunity for anyone participating to read about the license, see the information and the rules for participating in the fishery.

There were 16,000 people who dipped for smelt during the one day the run was open last March. There were 169,000 pounds of smelt caught, meaning the average was slightly above the legal limit of 10 pounds per person. The average is skewed by the gross violators who tried to fill vehicles with smelt, but Heironimus said it was common for people to accidentally go over the weight limit.

The license requirement would not be in place for any dips this spring. Children 14 and younger would not need to get a fishing license, though they do still need to follow the 10-pound limits.

For most people who went over the limit, Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers provide weigh-in stations for the catches and verbal warnings. Heironimus said the department needed the requirement more for the frequent or extreme violators, who can escape punishment by claiming ignorance about the limits.

We know at least 70% of those people did not have a fishing license. The challenge is being able to hold them accountable in court, Heironimus said.

Fish and Wildlife enforcement issued 51 citations in 2022 and seized more than 2,000 pounds of illegally caught smelt.

Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, voted against the bill when it came to the Agriculture Committee. Orcutt is very familiar with the local popularity and family traditions of smelt dipping on the Cowlitz River.

Should Washington state require a license to dip for smelt? House Bill 1226 would require a recreational fishing license to catch freshwater smelt, crawfish or carp  the only three species currently exempt from the license requirement. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife proposed the change, saying a license would help educate the public and regulate the small but intense windows for smelt dipping. You voted: Yes No Vote View Results Back

Orcutt said he felt the license requirement would be less effective than other methods of educating the public, such as sending out more Fish and Wildlife officers to the sections of the river where smelt dips are most common.

A license isnt going to stop somebody from doing those sorts of things. If people dont know the limit, then when you put out the notice, you put out the educational information too, Orcutt said.

Fish and Wildlife officials cited different concerns for the other two species that would be added to the license requirement. There are three species of invasive crawfish in Washington, so the license process would help provide education about how fishermen can avoid spreading those species to new bodies of water.

When it came to carp, enforcement officials had reported issues going after suspected illegal salmon fishers who claim to be catching carp instead, an alibi that was tough to challenge.

HB 1226 is currently under review by the House Rules Committee before a potential vote on the House floor.
There is already action happening for the Longview City Council races in November.

Three candidates have announced their plans to run for a council seat later this year: Colby Conerly, Erik Halvorson and Randy Knox. Halvorson and Knox were the finalists for the council seat that Christopher Ortiz was appointed to in March.

The four seats that will be up for election at the end of the year are currently held by Ortiz, Mike Wallin, Ruth Kendall and Hillary Strobel.

Halvorson moved to Longview in 2018 and works in the I.T. department for Red Canoe Credit Union. He previously ran for a City Council seat in 2019, finishing third in a primary race that Strobel eventually won. He plans to run for Ortizs seat in position 3 this year.

Halvorson said he was already door-knocking in the city to figure out the biggest local issues and collect signatures to waive the filing fee cost. If elected, Halvorson said he would take a harder look at the citys budget and focus on improving the current city amenities instead of adding new programs.

Knox said he was motivated to run by how the city handled homelessness over the last year, in particular the long life of the Alabama Street campsite and the rapid establishment of HOPE Village. If elected, Knox said he would prioritize the law enforcement needs for the city.

You need a majority on the council that would bring forth new ideas. We have a council that is not responsive enough to the public, Knox said.

Knox moved to Longview from northern California with his wife in 2015 after retiring from the Shasta County District Attorneys office. He currently works as a senior special agent in the Washington Attorney Generals Office.

In his filing with the Public Disclosure Commission, Knox elected to run for seat 4 against Ruth Kendall. Knox said he would see how the rest of the field shook out before making a final decision about which seat to pursue.

Conerly had not run for public office before but was a door knocker and organizer for Republican campaigns last year, including 3rd Congressional District candidate Joe Kent. Conerly said that he was concerned with the City Councils recent tax increases and wanted to help the city improve its reputation. In his announcement, Conerly said he would run against Strobel for position 2.

Conerly works as an independent graphic designer. He graduated from Kalama High School in 2017 and has lived in Longview for the last year.

These early declarations fall into a gray area on the campaign timeline. The Cowlitz County Elections Office will not begin accepting formal declarations from candidates who will be listed on the ballot until May. The filing week begins May 15, though the county will accept mail declarations for the two weeks prior.

The public announcement from the candidates, on Facebook and elsewhere, does require them to register as a candidate with the state Public Disclosure Commission.
The public is being asked to give their opinion on an environmental analysis focused on managing Eulachon in the Columbia River basin.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife drew up a draft management plan for Eulachon, also known as smelt, in the Washington and Oregon populations.

Overall, this updated plan is not a drastic departure from current management strategies, said Laura Heironimus, Columbia River smelt lead with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in a news release last week. The updated plan is meant to help us continue to put conservation first while still offering flexibility for strategic harvest when the population can support it.

Fisheries

Commercial and recreational smelt fisheries once thrived along the Lower Columbia River and its tributaries, WDFW said in the news release. The Columbia River mainstem averaged anywhere from 200,000 to 1 million pounds of fish every year.

The Cowlitz River before 2010 accounted for the largest returns when it came to smelt, according to the Washington and Oregon Eulachon Management Plan. Smelt returns from the Cowlitz River alone could reach 2 million to 3.7 million pounds of fish on any given year between 1938 and 2010.

Abundance soon changed due to overharvesting, bycatch in shrimp fisheries and climate change, the report said.

By 2009, the Cowlitz River on average saw a startling decline of only 100,000 pounds of fish. Poor returns spelled bad news for smelt, and the fish is listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

ESAs listing led to the closure of most fisheries in the river basin between 2011 and 2013. A conservation-minded commercial fishery opened in 2014 to monitor smelt returns but saw such poor runs that even that fishery closed for a year in 2019.

In 2014, 18,600 pounds of smelt were commercially harvested in the mainstem of the Columbia River. In 2018, only 100 pounds were commercially harvested in the mainstem.

The only recreational fishing opened after 2014 did so only on the Cowlitz River and the Sandy River in Oregon with a limit of 10 pounds per angler, and only by emergency rule.

But the fish have made a cautiously promising comeback, according to a 2023 state report on sturgeon and smelt management.

The silvery, bright-eyed fish started to grow again in population around 2020 between the Skeena River in British Columbia and the Mad River in Northern California.

About 10,300 pounds of smelt were commercially harvested in 2020 in the mainstem of the Columbia River, then 11,000 in 2021 and 27,400 pounds in 2022.

A new management plan

The Washington and Oregon fish and wildlife departments are using this data to draft an updated plan that seeks to open recreational and commercial fisheries once again  with a few caveats and lots of caution.

The plan includes an updated monitor system focused on public outreach, environmental DNA, developing a publicly funded test fishery and acoustic surveys. These surveys, used in studying Pacific hake off the Oregon and Washington shores, sends a ping into the river to listen for echoes off objects in the water. The louder the echo, the bigger the fish.

How to comment Comment online: publicinput.com/eulachonplan or email eulachonplan@publicinput.com Comment by mail: Lisa Wood, with the WDFW Habitat Program at P.O. Box 43200, Olympia, WA 98504 Deadline: 5 p.m. Feb. 22

Applying fishery management means a flexible, abundance-based approach that divides harvests into stepwise phases, the draft plan reads.

Under lower phases, only the Columbia River mainstem could open commercial fisheries. Recreational fisheries would be limited to the Cowlitz and Sandy rivers and with narrower windows for anglers. If the population trends upward, both commercial and recreational fisheries on the mainstem and in tributaries could open.

When population is high and increasing, harvest rates are set at 10% maximum based on data from the year prior. Commercial fisheries on the Columbia River and its tributaries could have 60 open periods for 24 hours per period. Recreational fisheries could open for up to 15 periods at 10 hours per period.

Depending on whether abundance grew or shrunk in the last two years and what trends predict, commercial and recreational fishing will vary. Harvest would be limited to percentages: about 13 million to 20.4 million pounds at 6%, 6 million to 12.9 million pounds at 4%, or 1 million to 5.9 million pounds at 2% based on the different designations.

Most open periods follow smelt return patterns, with the best fishing from February to April.

Anonymous public comments posted on WDFWs website show some support for regulation.

Recreational dippers should be required to have fishing licences (sic) like in Oregon, one commenter said. Also since the commercial fishery has very low participation it should be eliminated.

Many people take part in the recreational smelt dipping that dont do any other fishing throughout the year, another wrote. Its a family friendly activity and should not be required to have a full fishing license to participate. Maybe a 1 or 3 day license, like for clam digging. ALL commercial fishing in the Columbia should be eliminated, especially smelt.
Its been quite a week for Victoria, B.C. native Jericho Labonte. On Friday morning, the 35-year-old Labonte was rescued by the Coast Guard after waves threw him off a yacht into the Columbia River in Oregon. That rescue effort saw a rescue swimmer enter the water to pull him to safety (as seen above), then a helicopter take him to Coast Guard Base Astoria. There, he was treated for mild hypothermia and then transported to a local hospital. But, later in the day Friday, the yacht Labonte had been on was reported stolen, and authorities revealed that they had been looking for him after he posted a video to social media Wednesday that saw him leaving a dead fish on the porch of the Astoria house featured in 1985s The Goonies. On Friday evening, the Astoria Police Department announced that theyd taken Labonte into custody:

Here are some of the videos of the Coast Guard rescue of Labonte Friday:

(2/4)who launched motor life boats from STA Cape Disappointment, the air crews arrived on scene to find the vessel floundering in the surf! The surf made rescue by boat dangerous, so the aircrew decided to lower the rescue swimmer and have the owner enter the water for rescue pic.twitter.com/z92WvzpTG9  USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) February 3, 2023

(4/4) All in all, its just another day for the Coast Guard men and women who spend their days #ProtectingThePNW Photos and video by AET1 Kyle Turcotte pic.twitter.com/WNUnAe5OF5  USCGPacificNorthwest (@USCGPacificNW) February 3, 2023

As per Gene Johnson of The Associated Press, police officers had been looking for Labonte since Wednesday, but that wasnt communicated to the Coast Guard until after Labonte left their custody. But the police department got him in the end, and revealed that hes also wanted in his home province:

Officers had been looking for the man since Wednesday, when an acquaintance alerted them to a video he posted on social media of himself leaving the fish at the house and then dancing around the property, Astoria Police Chief Stacy Kelly said. Kelly identified the man as Jericho Labonte, 35, of Victoria, British Columbia. Labonte is also wanted in British Columbia on criminal harassment, mischief and failure to comply cases from last fall, Kelly said. The yachts owner, who lives in nearby Warrenton, Oregon, reported the vessel stolen later Friday, the police chief said. The hospital had already released Labonte when police saw the Coast Guard photos and video and realized it was the same person who they said covered over security cameras at the Goonies house and left the dead fish on the porch. Kelly didnt know what kind of fish it was, but said police believed it was caught locally because after the video started circulating another person reported having taken Labonte fishing. Its been a really odd 48 hours, Kelly said.

An odd 48 hours indeed! And while Goonies never say die, perhaps dont leave a dead fish at their house.

[The Associated Press; image from @USCGPacificNW on Twitter.]
Editors note: This story is part of Broken Defense, an investigative series from Lee Enterprises.

Public defense across the West suffers deep-rooted, decades-old problems. States have two solutions to consider: dole out more cash or shrink the criminal justice system.

More cash would help states hire public defenders, increase pay and add support staff, all which lessens workloads and improves representation quality.

Not jailing people for non-violent crimes related to mental illness, homelessness, poverty and addictions would lessen the strain on public defenders. Treatment or community programs could handle those minor cases.

Those strategies combined would increase the supply of public defenders and ease current demands on them. People without attorneys in hundreds of felonies and more than 100,000 misdemeanors across the West could get public defenders who have time to represent them effectively.

Neither option seems particularly savory to many. A public defense system overhaul is expensive, particularly for smaller, resource-strapped counties. Some states controlled by conservative politicians want more people locked up, said University of Wyoming professor Daniel Fetsco, who has worked as both a prosecutor and public defender.

However, I believe you can try to persuade people through awareness and education that some of these issues are not conservative, theyre not liberal, Fetsco said. It goes beyond politics. I think its a matter of humanity.

Stephen Hanlon leads a national public defense reform effort and has half a century of legal experience. He says change is long overdue.

Judges, prosecutors and public defenders have for decades pushed millions through the criminal justice system without fully investigating their cases or ensuring an effective defense, Hanlon said.

We became the principal facilitators of mass incarceration  the whole profession, Hanlon said.

Black, brown and low-income people are disproportionately affected by public defense crises, said Jason Williamson, executive director of NYUs Center on Race, Inequality and the Law, which helped sue Oregon to dismiss cases without attorneys. Black people made up nearly 20% of people waiting for attorneys in Multnomah County on one day in October, according to the lawsuit. That countys population is less than 6% Black.

The legal profession is starting to come to terms with this problem, Hanlon said. Were gonna need the governors and state legislators  and Congress [to] step up and address this problem. This is a national embarrassment.

Hanlon advocates for federal legislation that could better fund state public defense. He and other national legal organizations soon will have a very powerful lever to push for improvements.

His law firm, Lawyer Hanlon, partnered with the American Bar Association, the National Center for State Courts and the public policy research RAND Corporation to develop new national public defender workload standards expected in February, Hanlon said.

Whats about to happen is a watershed moment in public defense, Hanlon said.

The standards will be the first in the nation to prove with reliable data the extent to which public defenders are overworked, Hanlon said. They will be based on public defender workload studies in 17 states. Two of those studies revealed Oregon and New Mexico have about a third of the public defenders needed to provide adequate representation to everyone accused of crimes.

Outdated standards

The National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals (NAC) adopted national standards 50 years ago that now overestimate how many cases attorneys can effectively handle.

Hanlon said those standards are based on nothing. A few lawyers scribbled them on a cocktail napkin in the 70s, he said.

Im old enough that I know who was there, Hanlon said. About seven or eight guys in a bar at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego who sat around and came up with those numbers, but there was no methodology. There was no data.

Its truly astonishing that we relied on that for 50 years, and theres no excuse for having done that.

The lawyers Hanlon said were at that bar were National Legal and Defender Association committee members. The association in a statement acknowledged those standards are outdated and ignore modern-day case complexity and time-intensiveness. The association hopes updated standards will provide a wake-up call to states and localities on the need to properly invest in public defense.

Jessica Kampfe, Oregon Office of Public Defense Services executive director, said national caseload maximums would be hugely helpful for Oregons dire public defender shortage. The new standards will offer a reference tool to show lawmakers that public defender caseloads go far beyond the acceptable limit, she said.

Idaho has proven that caseload standards work to motivate local lawmakers to support public defense. The states 2019 caseload cap has helped public defenders secure more county resources when theyre stretched thin.

Idaho contract public defender Rick Cuddihy said his Nez Perce County office was way over the annual maximum of 210 felonies per attorney within eight months.

We went to the (county) commissioners and they gave us more money to hire more help, Cuddihy said. I think the system works very well.

The new standards could work the same on a national scale. Hanlon assembled his old law firm Holland & Knight, consulting firm Moss Adams, research organization the JFA Institute and civil rights organizations to implement and enforce the standards. The team plans to file lawsuits that demand minor case dismissals to help decrease public defender caseloads and that states fix public defense systems within five years.

We will be aggressively advocating for the changes that are so obviously needed, and if we cant get them, we are prepared to litigate to get them, he said.

Federal funding

Some federal lawmakers agree state public defense needs improvements.

Oregon Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici in November reintroduced a bill that would provide $250 million for public defense grants. The bill would set public defender workload limits, establish pay parity with prosecutors and improve training and data collection.

Right now, we have a dangerous shortage of public defenders, Bonamici said in a statement. Im leading the EQUAL Defense Act to finally secure the resources that our public defenders and people in the criminal justice system need and deserve.

The bill would require participating states to show measurable improvement over the next five years. States could model a five-year plan proposed for New Mexico, Hanlon said.

New Mexicos public defender office recently tapped Moss Adams and the JFA Institute to help close the states attorney shortage. New Mexico would have 600 of 720 needed attorneys by 2028 if it follows the plans suggestions, improving the current gap.

The state currently has one third of the 900 attorneys it needs to handle public defense cases effectively. More funding would double the states existing attorneys, meaning the state would have 600 of the 900 attorneys needed. A decriminalization effort would reduce the need to 720, further closing the gap.

The report calls on New Mexicos Legislature to more than double public defender office funding over five years to help hire 300 full-time public defenders and add support staff, such as paralegals and investigators. The offices budget would increase from $64 million to $157 million, but would make up less than 1% of the state budget.

The plan also suggests decriminalizing some charges, including half of traffic violations and non-violent misdemeanors, and most drug possession, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and probation violations. That would decrease cases by a third, reducing the public defenders needed from 900 to 720.

Decriminalization

Idahos ACLU backs a similar decriminalization effort for its state, legal director Aadika Singh said. Offenses that could be removed or made a lesser charge to lighten attorney workloads include alcohol age violations, drug possession, gambling, prostitution, disturbing the peace, trespassing, littering, graffiti and driving with a suspended license, Singh said.

These are people we are not scared of, were just upset with them, Hanlon said. Theres no reason for that to be in the criminal justice system. None.

Many Arizona drug cases shouldnt be prosecuted, said Dean Brault, Pima County Public Services director. His staff is nearly maxed out on cases, but prosecutors office leaders told him they wont change how they charge people.

Washington County District Attorney Kevin Barton said he would support more funding for Oregon public defenders, but that the claim by some that the solution is to stop prosecuting crimes is detached from reality and reckless. People must be held accountable, he said.

Lassen County District Attorney Susan Melyssah Rios said she cant overlook minor crimes in California. Property damage victims, for example, deserve restitution, she said.

What gives someone the right to damage, deface, destroy the hard earned property of someone else? Rios said. What about the people whose property is damaged? Why should they have to pay to fix that?

The New Mexico report emphasizes that only victimless crimes should be decriminalized.

23 cases, one man

Those cases can consume public defender resources.

Joel Trombley, a transient in Great Falls, Montana, was cited nearly two dozen times in two months for carrying alcohol in an open container or trespassing, sometimes both, always around the same location. Twice he was cited three times in one day.

Each of Trombleys citations were filed as separate cases. An open container violation equals about three hours of work, potentially creating a nearly 70-hour workload for his public defender.

So my caseload looks like I got 23 misdemeanors, and its one guy whos just existing, his court-appointed attorney Caitlin Boland Aarab said.

Great Falls city code has no defined open container violation penalty, so the violation faces a catch-all penalty of a possible 6 months in jail and a $500 fine.

State Sen. Ryan Lynch, D-Butte, has filed draft legislation that would make local governments shoulder public defense costs when the city violation penalty is undefined, like Trombleys case.

Lynch says a funding shift could help cities see how often they charge people for minor offenses and evaluate whether to slow that practice or provide public defenders more resources to handle the work.

If were going to put resources into prosecuting people, we should put similar resources into defending that, Lynch said.

State action

This year, all 50 states will have legislative sessions and the opportunity to pass new public defense laws. Idaho and Oregon, in particular, are poised for change.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a bill into law last year to create a statewide public defense system by October 2024.

Lawmakers want to make right the ACLUs 2015 lawsuit that shows poor defendants received inadequate representation, said Rep. Jon Weber, R-Rexburg, a lead sponsor of that bill.

Weber and other Idaho lawmakers will develop a statewide model for public defense in the upcoming session.

Each Idaho county runs its public defense how they want. They funded their own systems before the state began helping in 2019.

County-by-county public defense models can lead to resource disparities. In Washington, for example, poor, rural Whitman County spent less than $8 per capita on public defense in 2019, according to Washington State Office of Public Defense data. Wealthier and urban King County spent nearly four times as much to defend people.

Last summer Idaho took over all funding responsibility.

Weber and Singh, the Idaho ACLU legal director, agree a uniform statewide system will address disparities between counties and work better for defendants.

Singh said the Legislatures annual $50 million for public defense keeps the current system running, but is way too low and keeps things static. She said more money is needed to hire attorneys, investigators and social workers who can help lighten workloads and improve representation quality. Singh worries the Republican-controlled Legislature wont approve enough funding.

The new systems cost is difficult to estimate because there is no chosen model yet, Weber said.

If it does cost more (than $50 million), we will address it at that time and see what that number is, Weber said. But this isnt an open checkbook, if you will, to see how much money we can spend on public defense.

Oregon lawmakers last spring gathered attorneys and judges to develop public defense crisis solutions.

Co-chair Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, said the group will consider how to restructure the system and recommend ideas to the Legislature. The groups recommendations so far are unclear.

The Legislature, in emergency sessions last year, approved more than $100 million to address the public defender shortage.

The Fair Shot of Oregon coalition includes nearly 30 racial justice groups, community organizations and labor unions, and supports two bills to reduce public defenders workloads, Oregon ACLU policy director Jessica Maravilla said. One bill gives public defense more money, including for state student loan forgiveness. The other suggests low-level, nonviolent crime incarceration alternatives.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, has proposed a 22% budget increase for the public defender office.

That could add 20 attorneys, but would still leave the agency shorthanded. Since 2019, the Montana public defenders office needed an additional 63 attorneys on average to handle the caseload assigned to the agency and still meet its workload management limits, according to the agencys December budget request to the state Legislature.

The proposed budget includes a $1.5 million rapid response cushion to contract private attorneys or raise wages when the agency cant fill vacant positions.

Its unclear whether Montanas majority Republican legislature will support public defense changes. Other agencies in severe disrepair, including the state prison and hospital, may need some of the $2 billion surplus more than the public defenders office.

Legislators have grown more responsive to the public defender offices appeals since the agency illustrated its issues in data presentations  its the difference between hearing the barn is on fire and seeing it for themselves.

Single greatest tool

Whether run by counties or the state, an office with full-time attorneys is the best way to provide effective public defense, experts in multiple states agree. Creating more offices is a reasonable solution for state or local governments.

More than 2,000 of the roughly 3,000 U.S. counties have no public defender office, said Jon Mosher, Sixth Amendment Center deputy director. The default for those counties is for judges to assign public defense cases to private attorneys.

Texas had five county public defender offices in 2001, said Geoff Burkhart, Texas Indigent Defense Commission executive director. Now it has offices that serve 70 counties.

More people who need public defenders get them when counties operate their own office, according to a June 2019 study of Texass system. The quality of representation also improves, Burkhart said.

It is probably the single greatest tool we have for improving Texas public defense, Burkhart said.

Locally controlled offices are not a cure-all, Burkhart said, but benefits, salary and student loan forgiveness can attract public defenders to rural areas. A federal program allows forgiveness for government employees. Private attorneys contracted for public defense work are not eligible.

County office attorneys also can provide holistic defense that aims to support defendants and prevent them from reentering the criminal justice system, said Graciela Martinez, California Public Defender Association president.

Support staff, including case managers, social workers and mental health professionals, can help defendants find treatment. Immigration experts can help defendants who make plea agreements avoid deportation. Case investigators can strengthen a defense.

I dont think theres any substitute for having an institutionalized public defender system in any county, Martinez said.

The Texas Indigent Defense Commission is requesting from the Legislature another $50 million over the next two years to continue building public defender offices, including one taking shape in College Station.

We actually see change here as we build these public defender offices, Burkhart said. Thats hundreds, sometimes thousands of defendants with a lawyer by their side  and hopefully a really qualified lawyer by their side  who might not have had a lawyer otherwise. So it makes me feel really excited about this work. Weve done a lot, but we have a lot more work to do.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The United States on Saturday downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America and became the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing.

An operation was underway in U.S. territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean to recover debris from the balloon, which had been flying at about 60,000 feet and was estimated to be about the size of three school buses.

President Joe Biden had told reporters earlier Saturday that "were going to take care of it, when asked about the balloon. The Federal Aviation Administration and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water below the balloon as it reached the ocean.

Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon descending toward the water. U.S. military jets were seen flying in the vicinity and ships were deployed in the water to mount the recovery operation.

Officials were aiming to time the operation so they could recover as much of the debris as possible before it sinks into the ocean. The Pentagon had previously estimated that any debris field would be substantial.

The balloon was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas as it approached the coast. In preparation for the operation, the FAA Administration temporarily closed airspace over the Carolina coastline, including the airports in Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina. The FAA rerouted air traffic from the area and warned of delays as a result of the flight restrictions.

The Coast Guard advised mariners to immediately leave the area because of U.S. military operations that present a significant hazard.

Biden had been inclined to down the balloon over land when he was first briefed on it on Tuesday, but Pentagon officials advised against it, warning that the potential risk to people on the ground outweighed the assessment of potential Chinese intelligence gains.

Read more about the suspected spy balloon here:

___
Its tough to decide whats more odious: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis racist, authoritarian, and nakedly political power play rejecting an Advanced Placement course on African American studies, or the College Boards cowardly decision to revise the course in the face of this thuggish criticism.

The boards decision has effectively has erased broad swaths of history, dropping topics such as Black Lives Matter, which is now central to the modern civil rights movement; reparations for slavery, and queer theory  a double-whammy that attacks both Black people and LGBTQ Americans  who also are Black. These topics are now only included as recommendations for endof-the-year projects that students could undertake on their own, NPR reported.

In a statement, the College Board denied that it was bowing to political pressure, arguing that No one is excluded from this course. Though that sounds much more like an exercise in face-saving. And its a win for DeSantis, whos burnishing his credentials for an all-but-declared White House bid in 2024.

Forget for a moment that this gobsmacking collapse of backbone has empowered a fearful and noisy minority, supposedly dedicated to the freedoms embedded in the Constitution, to dictate education policy for the rest of us.

Instead, consider the absolutely chilling effect this will have on classroom discussions when Black, brown, and white students quite reasonably try to ask questions about the news theyre seeing on TV or what theyre talking about around the dinner table.

Sorry kids, the teacher, fearing prosecution, will answer. The government has banned any and all discussion of these topics. Best of luck trying to be an informed citizen.

If you think thats hyperbole, its not. In Florida, two school districts told their teachers to hide books temporarily to avoid felony charges, The Washington Post reported.

And in Pennsylvania, in the very same deep blue Philadelphia suburbs that have put Democrats into office for the past two campaign cycles, officials in one school district defied a federal investigation and moved ahead with a policy censoring classroom decor and discussions  a move widely viewed as targeting LGBTQ students, WHYY-FM in Philadelphia reported.

There always has been a corrosive element of know-nothingism, a fear of the foreign and different, in our politics, and hence, our classrooms.

In the 1850s, the nativist political party of the same name flourished by training its sights on the wave of German and Irish immigrants who were viewed as a threat to the established white, Protestant order. A century later, in the 1950s, Republican Sen. Joe McCarthy led anti-communist purges that had an undeniable taint of antisemitism to them.

But we could at least be assured that Americans wanted to know something, and had not completely pulled the gangplank up behind them.

Consider the way the nation rallied around President John F. Kennedys 1961 call to put boots on the moon by decades end. And despite the complaints of some, weve welcomed wave after wave after wave of refugees into our communities  most recently Afghans and Ukrainians fleeing the ravages of war in their homelands.

But this latest attack on knowledge, this disparagement of our fellow citizens who have fought for decades to emerge from the shadows of bigotry and discrimination, has a malevolence and mean-spiritedness that echoes the worst of our history  even as it reaches new depths of cruelty.

Data show a frightening rise in antisemitic attacks  reaching a historic high in 2021. Transgender Americans also remain at risk of violent attack. And as the tragic death of Tyre Nichols reminds us, there is still a profound  and too often fatal  hostility between Black Americans and law enforcement.

Yet, against this backdrop, those in power have decided that the best recourse is to strip us  and more critically  our children, of the very tools that could put an end to the cycle of violence: knowledge of our differences, our experiences, and, yes, even those things that bring us together.

Critics falsely call this education on our shared humanity indoctrination. But as Sonny Albarado of the Arkansas Advocate writes so eloquently, its really about the powerful mounting a rear-guard action to protect their privilege against a world they are powerless to keep from changing around them.

Last week marked the start of Black History Month across the nation. But there is no doubt that Black history is history. It is too broad, too rich, and too central to the American experience to be confined to a single month.

And we need it more than ever.
Cybersecurity is a hidden occupation, but necessary, according to Central Community College instructor Dan Gompert.

A lot of us just dont think about it.

We should, Gompert said.

If you havent been hacked, you will be. If you havent had a credit card compromised and got a phone call from the credit card company, you probably will have that happen. It happens to the best of us and it really is a broad thing.

For a vocation that touches so many lives, the shortage of workers is shocking.

Currently, Microsoft claims theres (a shortage of) about 500,000 people right now in the United States, Gompert said. My guess is its even more than that.

Central Community Colleges Associate Dean for Career and Technical Studies Brian Hoffman likened the shortage to other better-known ones.

Its a high need right now, just like nurses are, CNAs, automotive technicians, hospitality industry workers  theres a high demand so we go out there and we work with it, Hoffman said.

Currently, CCC offers a certificate in cybersecurity  15 credit hours consisting of four specific courses and one elective  but recently received a grant to enhance cybersecurity education.

Central Community College is one of 14 community colleges nationwide to participate in the Cyber Skills for All initiative. It is a partnership between the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Microsoft.

Large corporations like Microsoft arent the only businesses concerned about the cybersecurity workforce, Hoffman said. There are a lot of companies that come to (CCC) and say, what can we do to ensure that our future employees are going to be well equipped for the future? Are we going to have a workforce? I have five, six jobs that are opened, how can I fill these jobs?

Those jobs vary.

Almost every single company has some kind of need, whether theyre running a computer at the secretarys desk, Gompert said. Every one of those points becomes a potential vulnerability to an attacker.

All it takes is one access point for attackers, no matter how benign the computers role might seem.

Nicholas Brand, a Cozad High School graduate, remembers being an IT director, trying to convey the importance of cybersecurity at a directors meeting.

I was putting all the cybersecurity programs in place and systems in place to help us better secure networks. I heard a lot in of, this isnt Fort Knox. This isnt the federal government, why are we doing all this stuff?

We had critical infrastructure, like utility networks for power plants, wastewater treatment plants, dispatch-related activities.... If those critical infrastructures are affected in a cyber incident, that could have cascading effects on a lot of different people.

Brand is now a cyber security advisor and coordinator for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Brand now resides near Omaha, and helps coordinate outreach efforts to state, local and tribal government entities and public utilities.

(CISA helps) with commercial facilities communications, like critical manufacturing, water, wastewater, energy sectors. Weve done a lot of work with healthcare facilities and in state and county governments, Brand said.

Part of Brands role is to assess and discuss relationships with organizations to teach best practices. He also reaches out to organizations that have vulnerabilities actively exploited on the internet, he said.

I like it because Im never bored. Theres always something going on. I like to be engaged in and learn new things. Thats why I find it rewarding, Brand said.

Gompert likened cybersecurity professionals to front line, first responders for computer networks and computer infrastructure.

The spread of a threat  whether from an unfriendly nation or an individual conducting a romance scam  is both literally and figuratively viral, Gompert said.

If somebody gets the flu, its pretty easy for it to spread. Same thing is true in (cyber)security; if somebody is weak and makes a mistake, that easily transitions to other people a lot of times.

Its not just, youre a big company and you have a cybersecurity need. It really goes across the board.

Brand presented a startling scenario: Sitting at my computer, in Yutan, Nebraska, if I know what your IP address is, I can use some tools that are free to download, find out what your vulnerabilities are through a scan, and then I can exploit those, if I know how to do that.

At 17 Brand joined the National Guard, which set him up for being a public servant, he said. He gained extra skills through his military experience which he augmented with a college degree.

Being a public servant, as I have been throughout my adult life  I take that very seriously  because these are your tax dollars  my parents tax dollars. These are my family and friends tax dollars, Brand said.

I take it probably to the next level but I take this job very seriously. I do find it rewarding.

The Cyber Skills for All initiative will help CCC fund scholarships for up to 15 students this year, Gompert said. Then well buy a little bit of equipment and some other things. Were going to try to expand a little bit and provide some additional opportunities and some more advanced technology with this grant.

That includes small-scale computers students can tinker with to learn about vulnerabilities and best practices.

If youre an IT student, theres nothing better than being able to build a computer, being able to load software, to be able to load our solutions, to be able to test it, break it and try to fix it, Hoffman said.

Gompert said they hope to connect with area high schools and industry partners as well. There is a lot of potential for current tech professionals to up their skills.

Hoffman said, A lot of companies are now looking towards retraining other employees.

Rollout of CCCs enhanced cybersecurity offerings is anticipated for this fall, Gompert said.

The goal is that we will be able to provide training for as many people as we can possibly get trained in the cybersecurity field, he said. We have a tremendous deficit of need. Its not that its that difficult, but it does take a little bit of training and a little bit of time to get skilled up.

Brand said there is a lot of crossover in industries when it comes to cybersecurity.

Theres lot of crossover, especially within rural communities. You have IT professionals doing the cybersecurity stuff on top of their normal duties.

Education and awareness efforts, whether from community colleges or government agencies like CISA, are essential, Gompert said.

We cant get a vaccine, but we can certainly train people to make sure that our systems are set up in such a way to limit the expansion, or the migration of these infections and attacks, he said. Its really a global community.
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CHICAGO  The Big Apple now has a small bean.

Artist Anish Kapoor, who designed the iconic stainless-steel Bean in Millennium Park, finished a strikingly similar sculpture in New York City earlier this week.

The artwork is wedged under the corner of the towering 56 Leonard luxury apartment building in the Tribeca neighborhood. The buildings developers spent $8 million on the sculpture, according to real estate outlet Curbed.

Fortunately, it is smaller than Chicagos version. The original Bean, unveiled in 2004 and officially titled Cloud Gate, weighs in at 110 tons and is 66 feet long and 33 feet high. The so-far-unnamed New York sculpture reportedly comes in at just 40 tons, 48 feet long and 19 feet tall.

There are a lot of wannabes, but nothing will beat Chicagos, Choose Chicago President and CEO Lynn Osmond said.

The downsized duplicate does differ from the original Bean in some ways. It sits flatter on the ground and isnt as symmetrical as Chicagos sculpture.

Chicagos Bean sits between Michigan Avenue and Lake Michigan, offering unobstructed views of the citys tall buildings and the sky beyond, Osmond said. But the cramped copycat Wannabean is shoved into the corner of the building, she added. It might be the same object, but it is not enhanced by its surroundings in the same way Chicagos larger version of the sculpture is, Osmond said.

I dont think its competitive. I just think its complementary, she said.

We have Cloud Gate, and they have Corner Gate, she added later.

Sculpture strife aside, Osmond praised Kapoor as a fabulous sculptor. When people think of Chicago, they think of the citys skyline or his iconic sculpture, she said.

The Bean attracts 20 million visitors to Millennium Park each year, a Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events spokesperson said. It is the No. 1 attraction in the Midwest and No. 7 in the United States, according to the spokesperson.

Its our postcard, Osmond said.

The New York City bean isnt the first to bear a noticeable resemblance to Chicagos. Kapoor said in 2015 that he wanted to sue after a similar sculpture appeared in China.

The Chinese authorities must act to stop this kind of infringement, he wrote at the time.

Although Chicago-centric thinkers might see his new sculpture as constricted amid the packed streets of Manhattan, the sculptor has his own thoughts on what the piece offers.

The city can feel frenetic, fast and hard, imposing architecture, concrete, noise. My work, at 56 Leonard Street, proposes a form that though made of stainless steel is also soft and ephemeral, Kapoor said in a statement shared with The Tribeca Trib.

Mirrors cause us to pause, to be absorbed and pulled in a way that disrupts time, slows it down perhaps; its a material that creates a new kind of immaterial space.

Kapoor bought a $13.5 million, four-bedroom apartment in the tower, according to Curbed.

The New York sculpture, which sits under a building referred to as the Jenga tower for its many cantilevers, took over four years to complete. The sculpture is said to have ruptured at one point because sunlight caused it to unevenly expand.

Compared with Chicagos Bean, the new piece required equivalent accuracy and precision, but with an added component, the Tribeca Citizen wrote in 2018, citing the sculptures fabricator.

The New York version was set to be made by joining slices together and then smoothing the joints over, the fabricator said. The COVID-19 pandemic and its many travel and supply chain challenges surely made the work even harder.

The end product is distinct from Chicagos version for reasons beyond its smaller stature. The buildings website cites The Art Newspaper to argue that instead of a luxe legume, the New York sculpture resembles a squashed balloon.
CHICAGO  City officials in Chicago have announced the winning monikers in their "You Name a Snowplow" contest  and they're so Chicago.

The contest began in December. In the first contest of its kind, Chicago city staff chose 50 finalists, and residents had until Jan. 31 to vote for six winners, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday. The mayor's office received more than 80,000 votes, WGN-TV reported. Staff ultimately chose seven winners due to a near tie for sixth place, the Sun-Times reported.

The top name was Mrs. O'Leary's Plow, a play on the famous cow said to have started the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Da Plow, a play on the "Saturday Night Live" skit "Da Bears," came in second, followed by Salter Payton, after famous Bears running back Walter Payton. Fourth was Sears Plower, after the Sears Tower skyscraper, now known as the Willis Tower.

Sleet Home Chicago, a riff on the song "Sweet Home Chicago," came in fifth, followed by Holy Plow!, a play on the late Cubs announcer Harry Caray's signature "Holy Cow!" exclamation. Finally, just narrowly behind, seventh place went to Jean Baptiste Point du Shovel, a reference to Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, thought to be Chicago's first non-indigenous settler.

Signs with the names will be installed on seven snowplows operating around the city. Residents who voted for any of those names will get a photo opportunity with the named plow, WGN-TV reported.
SPRINGFIELD  A temporary restraining order that partially blocks Illinois new assault weapons ban from being enforced will remain in place after a divided state appellate court panels ruling Tuesday, Jan. 31.

The restraining order was issued Jan. 20 by Effingham County Circuit Judge Joshua Morrison, but it applies only to the 800 or so gun owners and firearms dealers named as plaintiffs in the suit. The case was filed by southern Illinois attorney Thomas DeVore, the unsuccessful Republican candidate for attorney general in 2022. On Thursday, Feb. 2, a White County judge issued a similar order for a separate set of plaintiffs.

At the appellate level, in a 2-1 ruling, the justices said plaintiffs in the Effingham County case made a plausible argument that the law violates their rights to equal protection under the law. Under the law, some categories of people  active and retired law enforcement officers, correctional officers and military personnel on active duty, for example  may purchase and possess those weapons. Other groups, such as retired military personnel or those who are not on active duty, are barred from obtaining assault-style weapons after Jan. 1, 2024.

Attorneys for the state argued that it was reasonable to exempt certain groups of people who have extensive training in the use of such firearms. But the court majority rejected that argument, saying: The fundamental rights at stake require lawmakers to narrowly tailor legislation to effectuate its purpose.

In accepting the argument that equal protection rights are at stake, the appellate court also rejected arguments that the General Assembly violated the Illinois Constitutions requirements that bills deal with only one subject, that they be read three times on different days in both chambers, and the guarantee of due process.

Justice Barry L. Vaughn wrote the decision. Justice Mark M. Boie concurred in the opinion while Justice James R. Moore dissented in part, saying he would have overturned the circuit court entirely by rejecting the equal protection argument.

The law bans the sale and purchase of a long list of semi-automatic weapons defined as assault weapons, .50 caliber rifles and large-capacity magazines, as well as various devices that effectively convert other weapons into something identical to one of the banned weapons.

The ruling means that the state is prevented from enforcing the law against the named plaintiffs in the case. The decision is expected to be appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court.

* * *

TEACHER SHORTAGE: Illinois schools are still grappling with a teacher shortage that seems to only be getting worse, a recent survey by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools shows.

This mirrors the states own data, which shows Illinois teacher shortage is at the highest level in the last five years. More than 5,300 classroom positions, including administrative and support personnel, went unfilled in 2022, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

As a result, teachers often have to absorb unsupervised students into their existing classes or fill in for subject areas in which they have no background.

According to their 2022 survey of more than 700 districts, 68% of districts reported fewer teacher applicants than the year before. And 45% of districts reported the shortage in their school had worsened from the year prior.

One area of focus, IARSS President Mark Klaisner said, is improving the pipeline between education institutions and Illinois K-12 schools by starting educator recruitment earlier. That could include programs that allow middle schoolers to shadow teachers.

He also advocated for dual credit programs that allow students to earn some college credit while in high school.

The report also calls for direct state funding to key areas to encourage more diversity within the profession. This includes increasing funding from $4.2 million to $7 million annually for the Minority Teachers of Illinois scholarship; investing more money into the Illinois Teachers Loan Repayment Program which helps pay down student loan debt for Illinois college students that qualify to teach in low-income areas; and further increasing the states Monetary Award Program by $50 million.

To better fill gaps in the short term, Klaisner pointed to incentivizing teachers to complete additional subject endorsements, which can be done through the ISBE website.

Other recommendations include observing how districts have used federal pandemic-era Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to help teachers get provisional licenses in shortage subject areas. Additionally, the survey recommends strengthening the states educator prep programs by showing which paths have stronger results in teacher placement and success.

Several survey respondents also noted that a 2010 state law creating a lower tier of pension benefits for new employees has made the teaching profession less desirable from a compensation standpoint.

The survey also showed strong support for policies increasing the number of days retired teachers can substitute without impacting their retirement benefits and allowing currently enrolled teaching students with at least 90 credit hours to be licensed as substitute teachers.

* * *

COLLEGE BOARD CONTROVERSY: Gov. J.B. Pritzker this week asked the College Board for more information about its reasoning for changing the final framework of a new Advanced Placement course in African American studies after it had been criticized by Floridas Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Although we are pleased to see many core ideas remain in place, there are still significant issues with the way the College Board has chosen to present this curriculum, Pritzker said in an email statement. Refusing to name the components of Black history that Gov. DeSantis is most afraid of like intersectionality, feminism and queer Black life but still including them in the curriculum can be viewed as a weak attempt to please extremists.

The College Board  the not-for-profit organization that administers the SAT test as well as AP courses through which high school students can earn college credit  first released a pilot course in August in 60 high schools. It then spent months refining the course with feedback from college professors and high school teachers before releasing the final framework on Wednesday, Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month in the United States.

But the subject immediately became embroiled in culture war politics when conservatives attacked it for promoting critical race theory  the idea that racial disparities are the result of systemic prejudices that are woven into the fabric of institutions. DeSantis blocked it from being offered in his state, claiming it violated a Florida law known as the Stop Wrongs Against Our Kids and Employees Act, or the Stop WOKE Act.

According to reports, DeSantis specifically objected to the teaching of concepts like intersectionality  the overlapping of categories such as race, class and gender and other sources of discrimination to create unique dynamics and effects  as well as Black queer studies, the Black Lives Matter movement and the reparations movement.

That prompted a backlash from Democratic lawmakers in Florida as well as Pritzker, who wrote to the College Board on Jan. 25, warning it not to change the curriculum or cave in to pressure from conservatives like DeSantis.

The College Board, meanwhile, issued a news release announcing the final framework and addressing controversy.

No states or districts have seen the official framework that is released, much less provided feedback on it, the board said. This course has been shaped only by the input of experts and long-standing AP principles and practices.

A spokeswoman for Pritzker said Wednesday that any local district in Illinois that wants to offer the course is free to do so.

* * *

NEW SUPT: The Illinois State Board of Education announced Tuesday, Jan. 31, that Elgin-based School District U-46 Superintendent Tony Sanders will become the next state superintendent of education.

Sanders, 53, will succeed Carmen Ayala, who announced in November that she would retire effective Jan. 31. ISBE said Sanders will take over the post in late February while Deputy Education Officer Krish Mohip will serve as interim superintendent during the transition.

Sanders has been superintendent of the Elgin-area district since 2014. It is the second-largest district in Illinois, serving more than 35,000 students across five high schools and nearly 50 elementary and middle schools, according to the most recent state report card. Of those students, 46% are classified as low-income, and 39% are English language learners.

Gov. Pritzker recommended Sanders for the job.

Dr. Tony Sanders is an extraordinary choice for State Superintendent of Education, Pritzker said in a statement. Dr. Sanders breadth of experience as superintendent of School District U-46 and his entire background have prepared him to take on this role. His focus on innovation, social emotional development, and academic excellence make him an extraordinary pick.

According to ISBE, Sanders expanded the Elgin districts offerings during his time as superintendent, adding full-day kindergarten for all students, expanding the districts dual language program and establishing an alternative high school, the DREAM Academy, to reduce expulsions and serve students in need of trauma-informed care.

Before becoming U-46 superintendent, Sanders served as the districts chief of staff for 11 years following a stretch as the districts chief communications officer.

He received his bachelors degree from the University of Illinois Springfield, a masters degree in business administration from the New York Institute of Technology, a Chief School Business Official endorsement from Northern Illinois University and his doctorate in education from Aurora University.

* * *

COVID DISASTER: Illinois will no longer be under a disaster proclamation as of May 11, Gov. Pritzker announced Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Thats the same day President Joe Biden will end the national public health emergency, which just passed the three-year mark last week.

Pritzker had declared a public health emergency two days before the World Health Organizations pandemic determination and has renewed his disaster proclamation every 30 days since then.

The repeated proclamations gave the governor authority for actions such as closing schools, issuing stay-at-home orders and mandating masks and vaccines. But they were a source of consternation for Pritzkers political opponents.

The governor had slowly rolled back his COVID-19 mandates over the past year, including an action in October when he reversed the requirement for vaccines, testing and masks in health care settings.

But Illinois is still one of seven states with some sort of COVID-related emergency proclamation on its books.

These disaster declarations have allowed those states  including Republican-run Texas  to continue benefiting from COVID-era bumps in federal reimbursements for programs like Medicaid, additional benefits for those on food stamps and the ability to quickly deploy emergency workers to respond to areas in need, like hospitals with severely short staffing.

Pritzker said 1.4 million children in Illinois received nutrition support under the additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. He also pointed to the expansion of telehealth during the pandemic under his disaster proclamation, which has largely been adapted into state law after it proved popular with doctors and patients alike.

The governors disaster proclamation also allowed for the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center, which brokered cooperation between the leaders of different state agencies in response to COVID-19.
Barnyard briefs

Irrigation, mulch workshop

Clemson Extension is offering a free Drip Irrigation and Plastic Mulch Application workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Edisto REC, 64 Research Road, Blackville.

Morning session consists of basic discussions about drip irrigation, irrigation cycles and nutrient management. Field demonstrations will take place after lunch. Two Continuing Certification Hours (CCH) will be offered. Lunch will be provided.

For information, contact Rob Last at rlast@clemson.edu or 803-259-7141, or Gilbert Miller at gmllr@clemson.edu, 803-793 6614.

Pre-registration is required. Workshop is limited to first 100 registrants. Register: http://bit.ly/3k7OrcV

Unrealized soybean value

ST. LOUIS  In some instances, two heads are better than one. For a new multi-regional research effort, five organizations put their heads together to achieve full genetic yield potential of the soybean.

A new partnership, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, aims to increase soybean flower and pod retention. This unrealized value could bring $50 per acre or $400 million in economic return for U.S. soybean farmers.

The collaborative focus will test how heat and drought impact flower bud retention. Flower production dictates the final pod number and, ultimately, yield in soybeans.

The Atlantic Soybean Council, Mid-South Soybean Board, North Central Soybean Research Program, Southern Soybean Research Program and United Soybean Board all agree this is a priority issue impacting the entire industry.

Farmer-leaders across the major soybean regions came together and asked: What roadblocks do we face, and how can we combine research dollars to make the most impact? said Suzanne Shirbroun, president of the North Central Soybean Research Program and Iowa farmer. While we all farm differently across the country, we also share common challenges. Together we can focus on one large-scale research objective to reduce a major deterrent that limits productivity.

Texas Tech University, in collaboration with Kansas State University, the University of Missouri and the University of Tennessee, will lead the research on this national effort.

Drip Irrigation and Plastic Mulch Application Workshop

Clemson Extension is offering a free Drip Irrigation and Plastic Mulch Application workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 17, 2023, at the Edisto REC, 64 Research Road, Blackville, SC 29817. Morning session consists of basic discussions about drip irrigation, irrigation cycles and nutrient management. Field demonstrations will take place after lunch. Two Continuing Certification Hours (CCH) will be offered. Lunch will be provided. For information, contact Rob Last at rlast@clemson.edu or (803) 259-7141, or Gilbert Miller at gmllr@clemson.edu, (803) 793 6614.

Pre-registration is required. Workshop is limited to first 100 registrants. Register: http://bit.ly/3k7OrcV
An Orangeburg law firm is celebrating its fifth year anniversary.

The Bill Connor Law Firm LLC at 1408 Russell St. will hold an open house on Monday, Feb. 13.

"We cannot thank long-term clients enough," Connor said, reflecting on the past five years. "All of us have a purpose in life which transcends business, and our purpose is helping our clients navigate various important issues."

"Beyond individual cases, we appreciate greatly those who come in to pray with us or keep us up to date with their lives (and the lives of their families)," he said. "As the years role by, it is so rewarding to see the fruits of work on cases in the lives of clients and their families."

The open house is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event is being catered by Cindy Smoak. Heavy hors doeuvres, drinks and decor will be on display to celebrate the past half decade.

The Bill Connor Law Firm opened in February 2018 on Centre Street in Orangeburg.

Due to an exponential increase in clients, the firm moved to Russell Street in July 2019.

Over the past five years, Connor said the client base has expanded from Orangeburg outward both in and out of state.

"Russell Street has been a wonderful location right near both the courthouse, the center of Orangeburg and along the main thoroughfare of the City of Orangeburg," Connor said.

The last five years have also proven challenging.

A retired Army Infantry colonel, Connor operated the law firm while he was on active duty.

He founded the firm while he was working on his masters degree in strategic studies from the US Army War College and while handling Federal Support for Emergency responses in South Carolina as the senior officer from Northern Command, Army North.

In 2020, Connor was mobilized to active duty for COVID response for almost five months.

The firm continued to operate and was able to maintain employees and clients through help on various fronts.

Connor said in order to keep operational, he utilized the U.S. Small Business Administration's Payment Protection Program loan to pay employees and keep them on payroll.

"Second, I had an amazing staff able to handle many of the administrative matters and yet get with me about questions or issues that had to be answered by a lawyer," Connor said.

Connor specifically noted his senior paralegal, Doug Thomas, was instrumental in keeping the office running.

Thomas, an ordained minister, has worked in the Orangeburg Post Office for about three decades and spent time as a medical office manager previously.

Connor said the SC Court system was also very understanding about military service "in a way similar to state legislator-lawyers in pushing back cases."

Connor said his clients were also understanding of delays during that time and, in some cases, understanding about his transferring duties to other attorneys.

"Lastly, God was very good to us getting through that challenging time and we leaned on him in prayer all the time," Connor said.

Connor retired from the military after 30 years at the end of 2020.

Beyond his military service, the law firm has continued operating amid Connor changing residences to Mount Pleasant.

It was a move he made a few years ago when the last of his three children had gone to The Citadel (and when he was subsequently elected to The Citadel Board).

"We finalized our decision to downsize and move there," Connor said. "I had and have no intention of moving my Orangeburg office, so I am still connected to the Orangeburg community and dont mind the over-an-hour commute."

Connor makes the trip three times a week. He works out of Mount Pleasant on days when he is not in Orangeburg and plans to set up a formal office satellite office soon.

"Our main office will always be in Orangeburg," he said.

Connor said the law firm over the past five years has focused on providing the best service all through a Christian ethos.

Connor said those who come to the law firm and need legal assistance will be kept informed of the process as a resolution is worked toward.

"We, as a firm, discuss every case we handle every day at our morning meetings to ensure we are on top of everything," Connor said. "Our clients are like family and we treat them as such."

Connor said daily staff meetings end with a Bible passage and prayers for our clients and families.

"With our clients we pray with those who would like to pray about their cases," Connor said. "In addition to legal advice, we attempt to provide a Christian perspective (to Christian clients who desire it) in counseling them about how to handle cases."

The firm also has a focus on Christian missions.

Connor's interpreter while he served in Afghanistan, James Stephens, is a missionary in India.

The law firm supports Stephens in his efforts to bring Bibles to people in the country as well as offering prayers for Stephens and his fellow missionaries.

Over the past five years, Connor has represented various cases in which the issues involved going well beyond the parties to the specific cases.

For example, he has done work for the American Heritage Association protecting American historical monuments.

"One case I am particularly blessed to have represented is for those bravely standing up for deeply held convictions, against the odds and at personal/professional risk, to fight vaccine mandates," Connor said. "The case is not done yet, but appears very hopeful. I commend those plaintiffs, and believe fighting mandates is fundamentally important for the liberty of all Americans in so many aspects of life."

The Bill Connor Law Firm is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The law firm specializes in personal injury, probate, civil litigation, business law and general practice law. The firm serves clients in 13 counties.

For more information call: 803-937-5571 or email: Office@BillConnorLaw.com
A chicken and fish restaurant has opened in Orangeburg.

Cyn-Ron Chicken and Fish Place opened Jan. 14 at the former Pizza Hut at 991 John C. Calhoun Drive.

"I felt that Orangeburg needed a restaurant with good food," owner Ronnie Hughes said.

The restaurant is named after Hughes' deceased wife, Cynthia, as well as after him -- Ron.

"I ain't found nobody else close to her," Hughes said. The couple was married 21 years before she died in 1995.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and closed on Mondays and Sundays.

Cyn-Ron serves baked chicken, fried chicken, hamburgers, fried whiting and fried tilapia fillet sandwiches.

The restaurant also has sides to include: cole slaw, potato salad, onion rings, French fries, string beans, rice, macaroni and cheese.

Cyn-Ron fills a building that has been vacant for nearly seven years. Pizza Hut closed the restaurant in September 2016.

Hughes, who is originally from Brooklyn, New York, has lived in Orangeburg for the past three years. He once owned a restaurant in New York.

"For the three years I have been here, the food for the most part is terrible," he said. "I won't name names, but it is bad."

"I was very disappointed," Hughes continued. "I figured if I opened a restaurant here, I would have no competition."

The restaurant provides dine-in and offers take-out and currently employs two.

As the business grows he plans to hire more people.

"I want to start small and get a signature dish or two and then that will attract people," Hughes said. "Then I will slowly add to it.

"We had to put quite a few dollars in here," Hughes said. "It needed a lot of work."

The 77-year-old said he would like to see more seniors start their own business.

Former Central Park once again a restaurant A new drive-through restaurant is opening its doors in Orangeburg.

"I encourage older people to do this," he said.

In addition to Cyn-Ron, Hughes also has a produce farm in Cope where he grows watermelon, cantaloupe, corn, okra, squash, green peas and cabbage.

Jilbonna Jennings praised the restaurant, which she has visited a few times.

"I came back because the food is fresh, hot and it was good," Jennings said, noting in her opinion the restaurant is the best in Orangeburg at the present time.

For more information about Cyn-Ron or to place an order, call 803-855-2531 or 347-836-1123.
PHILADELPHIA  The Democratic Party on Saturday approved reordering its 2024 presidential primary, replacing Iowa with South Carolina in the leadoff spot as part of a major shake-up meant to empower Black and other minority voters critical to its base of support.

Although more changes are possible later this year, the formal endorsement by the Democratic National Committee during its meeting in Philadelphia is an acknowledgement that the start of the 2024 primary will look very different from the one in 2020. Hundreds of party stalwarts climbed to their feet and cheered after the easy passage by voice vote.

States with early contests play a major role in determining the nominee because White House hopefuls struggling to raise money or gain political traction often drop out before visiting states outside the first five. Media attention and policy debates concentrate in those areas, too.

The new plan was championed by President Joe Biden, who is expected to formally announce his re-election campaign in the coming months. The reconfiguring would have South Carolina hold its primary on Feb. 3, followed three days later by New Hampshire and Nevada, which is swapping the caucus it used to hold in favor of a primary.

Georgia would vote fourth on Feb. 13, followed by Michigan on Feb. 27, with much of the rest of the nation set to vote on Super Tuesday in early March.

The Democratic Party looks like America and so does this proposal, said DNC chair Jaime Harrison, an Orangeburg, S.C., native. The change continues to make us stronger and elevates the backbone of our party, he said.

Biden wrote the DNC rules committee in December, saying, We must ensure that voters of color have a voice in choosing our nominee much earlier in the process and throughout the entire early window. That committee approved the new lineup, setting up Saturdays vote.

The move remakes the current calendar, which saw Iowa start with its caucus, followed by New Hampshire and then Nevada and South Carolina. The Republican Party has voted not to change its 2024 primary order, meaning the campaign has already began in Iowa.

The DNC has decided to break a half-century precedent and cause chaos by altering their primary process, and ultimately abandoning millions of Americans in Iowa and New Hampshire, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement Saturday.

Four of the first five new states under Democrats new plan are battlegrounds, meaning the eventual party winner would be able to lay groundwork in important general election spots. Thats especially true for Michigan and Georgia, both of which voted for Republican Donald Trump in 2016 before flipping to Biden in 2020.

The exception is South Carolina, which hasnt backed a Democrat in a presidential race since 1976, leading some to argue that the party shouldnt be concentrating so many early primary resources there. But the states population is nearly 27% Black, and African American voters represent Democrats most consistent base of support. Iowa and New Hampshire are each more than 90% white.

The revamped calendar could be largely meaningless for 2024 because Biden is expected to run for a second term without a major primary challenge. Also, the DNC has already pledged to revisit the voting calendar before the 2028 presidential election.

Still, this years changes could establish precedent, just as a new lineup that moved Nevada and South Carolina into the first states to vote did when the DNC approved a new primary calendar before the 2008 presidential election.

These things may be symbolic, but theyre realistic, South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, assistant Democratic leader in the House and a close Biden ally, told The Associated Press.

The new order follows technical glitches that caused Iowas 2020 caucus to meltdown. It also gives Biden the chance to repay South Carolina, where he scored a decisive 2020 primary win that revived his presidential campaign after losses in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.

Democrats have worked on overhauling their primary lineup for months. On Saturday, nearly an hour of final debate turned raw at times.

Some Black members of the DNC said those arguing to abide by tradition could be seen as implying that states with larger African American populations were incapable of handling the responsibility of going early in the primary.

If were really a family, it means some of yall got to shift to make room at the table for others, said Leah Daughtry, a DNC rules committee member from New York.

Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart argued that Republicans in her state were already accusing Democrats of have turned their back on Iowa and on rural America. But Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell, to sustained applause, countered: No one state should have a lock on going first.

Despite the approval, the final slate is not yet set. South Carolina, Nevada and Michigan have met party requirements to join the partys new top five. But in Georgia may not change its Democratic primary calendar date without the Republicans also doing so.

Iowa argued that continued uncertainty could cause other states to try and jump ahead of the new DNC calendar, as happened before the 2008 presidential race. The new rules include penalties for states trying to move up without permission, including possibly losing delegates to the partys national convention.

New Hampshire has a state law mandating that it hold the nations first presidential primary, which Iowa circumvented since 1972 by holding a caucus. New Hampshire Democrats have joined with top state Republicans in pledging to go forward with the nations first presidential primary next year regardless of the DNC calendar.

No major challenger has yet emerged from his own party to run against Biden for president next year. Still, top New Hampshire Democrats have warned that another Democrat could run in an unsanctioned primary the state stages and, if Biden skips it in accordance with party rules, could win and embarrass the president  prolonging a primary process that wasnt supposed to be competitive.

Respecting our state law and lifting up diverse voices need not be mutually exclusive, said Joanne Dowdell, a DNC rules committee member from New Hampshire.
Lets Talk about Tyre Nichols: Black Bodies and Institutional Violence.

That was the title of a panel discussion sponsored Tuesday by South Carolina State Universitys Department of Social Sciences to focus on policing and the African American community. The event was held in Nance Hall Auditorium.

Tyre Nichols died three days after being beaten by five Black policemen during a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee. His death has sparked a national outcry.

During the forum, students and faculty shared their feelings regarding the race of the officers.

It hurts because Black people have a long history with police brutality. You would think Black police officers would be different, a student said.

Police brutality has never been about the race of the police, it has always been about the race of the victims, South Carolina State President Alexander Conyers said.

Students posed questions to the panelists, essentially asking, How do we make it home safely if stopped by the police?

Before giving suggestions, the panelists acknowledged that the tips may be ineffective.

Its tough to be in an environment where three of us can sit up here but we cannot tell you how to make it home safely, attorney and panelist Chelsea Glover said. Even when you do everything right, you still cant guarantee that things will go right.

Alongside Glover, other panelists were Orangeburg County Councilwoman Latisha Walker and American Civil Liberties Union Director Jace Woodrum.

They stressed the importance of having evidence when reporting a claim against law enforcement.

You have to document these things, Walker said.

You are 100% in your rights to document what you see is happening, Woodrum said.

Understand the power of the devices in your hand and the justice they can bring, Glover said.

Dont reach for your phone; you should have everything ready by the time they approach your car, Walker said.

You have to be smart in what youre doing, they want to make it home safely too, Walker said.

The panelists also encouraged involvement and education.

We have to get involved and educated, Walker said.

Corporate Gilmore, a community outreach officer for Orangeburg County, said that their focus is on engaging with education. Weve been working on educating the public.

President Conyers urged students to educate their peers.

I need your help to continue educating each other, Conyers said.

Conyers plans to develop a speaker series to further the conversation at South Carolina State.
DENVER  A federal appeals court on Friday threw out the convictions of a doctor accused of overprescribing powerful pain medication and ordered a new trial for him.

The Denver-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in the case of Shakeel Kahn, who worked in both Arizona and Wyoming, hinged on the instructions given to jurors during his trial and came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of him and another doctor convicted in Alabama in a case stemming from the nations opioid addiction crisis.

In June, the Supreme Court ruled that the government needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that doctors accused of overprescribing medication intended to act without authorization and sent Kahns case back to the 10th Circuit, which previously had upheld his conviction. In its latest ruling, the appeals court found that jurors were repeatedly told they could convict Kahn if they found that he did not did not conform with usual medical practices or act without a legitimate medical purpose, which fell short of the legal standard set by the Supreme Court.

Kahn was sentenced to 25 years after being convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances resulting in death, including oxycodone, an opioid pain reliever, and fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, in 2019.

According to prosecutors, he prescribed nearly 2.2 million pills, nearly half of which were oxycodone, between 2011 and 2016, routinely after only perfunctory examinations or no examinations at all.

Kahn worked in Fort Mohave, Arizona before opening a second practice in Casper in 2015.
Wyoming law enforcement officers who have sex with people in their custody could face second-degree sexual assault charges without exception if new legislation passes.

Since 2019, there have been at least 10 cases of peace officers being investigated and decertified, meaning they are no longer allowed to work as an officer in the state, for having sexual relations with a person in their custody, said Rep. Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, who co-sponsored the legislation.

But only four of those resulted in some sort of criminal charge.

Last year, Congress eliminated a consent loophole by making it a crime for any federal law enforcement officer to engage in a sexual act with anyone under their custody. But that doesnt apply to state-employed officers, who are still able to claim mutual consent in some states.

The federal law was sparked after two on-duty New York City police officers were accused of raping an 18-year-old woman in their patrol van after arresting her on marijuana charges, which made national headlines. She said she was raped, but the two officers claimed it was consensual sex; they reached a plea deal and didnt serve jail time.

Rep. Mike Yin, D-Jackson, who sponsored the bill, said this is the exact reason Wyoming need a similar law  to make it crystal clear that there will be second-degree sexual assault charges in all cases. There are existing laws surrounding sexual assault and authority in Wyoming, but Yin has not personally seen any case where the officer was charged. They simply lose their certification.

I realized this was one of the states  where officers who have people in custody could still have sex with them. You could believe there could be a consensual relationship there. I truly do believe that if you have someone in your custody, you have power over them where they can essentially not say no, Yin said.

Byron Oedekoven, executive director of the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police, said the statute will muddy the water, as there is already a Wyoming law that addresses those in positions of power who have sex with the people under their control. That law, for example, was used to prosecute a Casper gynecologist who was ultimately found guilty of sexually assaulting his patients.

Rep. Jeremy Haroldson, R-Wheatland, raised questions about a marriage exception; specifically, if it would be considered sexual assault in a scenario where a police officer arrested his or her own spouse.

That officer still shouldnt be having sex in that situation, even if the two people involved are married, Yin said.

I think it would be a very interesting situation if your spouse arrested you, placed you into their custody, and then you guys  and then they had sex. And then marriage was used as a defense. I think that is a situation that is very hard for me to imagine happening, Yin said.

Haroldson ultimately voted in favor of the bill.

The House Judiciary Committee passed the measure with a 7-2 vote on Friday. Rep. Ember Oakley, R-Riverton, and Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, voted against it.

It must still clear several more votes before it can become a law.
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.
Doctors tried to resuscitate and save the life of pregnant Chavelle Mitcham and her baby, bu
BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- "The mainstream media and quite a number of politicians and governments intimidate us daily that China's rise poses a threat to the rest of the world and especially to the West," said veteran Spanish journalist Javier Garcia in his new book "China, Threat or Hope. The Reality of a Pragmatic Revolution."

"China is not a threat at all," Garcia said in an interview with Xinhua, noting that the country has become the second world economic power "without practically firing a single shot, without violence, without wars, without colonialism."

SMEAR CAMPAIGN

For the former delegate of EFE, the leading news agency in Spanish, in the Middle East, Venezuela, Germany and China, the supposed "China Threat" theory is nothing more than a systematized U.S. trick to contain the peaceful rise of the Asian country, which for Washington means a great challenge to its hegemony.

"The U.S. refuses to accept that its days to maintain the world hegemonic dominance are numbered," Garcia said in the book, which was published by Ediciones Akal.

Washington, he said, has launched a "hybrid war" like "an octopus with multiple tentacles" in the economic, commercial, technological, scientific, political, health and media sectors, combined with intelligence and espionage operations, destabilization campaigns in regions such as Xinjiang, support for separatism in Hong Kong or Taiwan, and military intimidation along China's coast.

Among the multiple battlefronts, Garcia said he is very familiar with the smear campaign against China orchestrated by the Western media that "set the agenda and the tone about China" so that the rest of the Western press follows them "mostly without reservations."

In his work, Garcia listed the "arsenal of words" aimed at instilling fear in anything related to China and reinforcing the negative image installed in the heads of readers, manipulating the terms like "regime," "purge," "propaganda" and "repression" or expressions like "power struggles," "under threat" and "debt trap."

In this sense, the rich in the United States are millionaires or great entrepreneurs, while those in China are oligarchs; China does not fire corrupt or inefficient officials, but rather "purges" them; China does not grant advantageous loans to develop infrastructure in poor countries, but "traps" them in debt; China adopts "vaccine diplomacy," and other countries donate them selflessly; China "monitors and controls" close contacts of COVID cases, and other countries trace them.

According to Garcia, the Western media have even created a universal rhetoric of "at what cost," in order to seek in any case the negative consequence of positive news about China, such as "the Chinese economy grows, but at what cost"; "Chinese cities are getting smart, but at what cost"; "China provides abundant snow for the Olympic Games, but at what cost"; "clean air, at what cost?"; "Wuhan is safe from Covid, but at what cost"; "China invests in Ethiopia, but at what cost"; "China boosts Cambodia's economy, but at what cost"; etc.

One of the most "curious" examples is that Bloomberg reported in December 2019 that "China cures cancer faster and cheaper than anyone else, but some worry it's too fast."

Garcia explained that the U.S. media is those who set the tone, and it is really very difficult for other Western media to get out of that way, since they are very much influenced by the former.

A DIVERSE, FASCINATING COUNTRY

The journalist took advantage of his stay of more than four years in China to observe the country closely. With an independent approach, he has found an authentic China which is totally different from the one described by the Western media.

"The truth is that China surprised me. It is a very different country, very diverse, very developed in certain things. It is a fascinating country and has many things that one does not expect what life is like in the country," said the writer. "I tried to arrive in the country freeing myself from all prejudices and with the most open mind possible."

While working as a reporter, Garcia met Ding Yan, 34 years old, who told him how her life had changed, from her childhood years in the countryside without running water or electricity, to studying at the university, receiving a degree in philology and settling into a city with access to top-quality public services.

"When you start talking to people, you realize the changes in China. The change that this generation has experienced in the last 20 or 30 years is impressive," he said.

Ordinary citizens brimming with joy and placidity deeply moved the then EFE delegate in Beijing, who felt, at the same time, tired of the incessant disinformation of the Western media against China.

As a result, Garcia decided in September 2021 to quit journalism after more than 30 years in the profession, because "the embarrassing information war against China has taken away a good dose of my enthusiasm for this profession."

For Garcia, the much-touted Western totem of "free press" boils down to "saying exactly the same thing," "sticking to the script," and "emphasizing over and over again how bad communism is," since anyone who steps off the path set by the U.S. State Department and the U.S. media "will be sidelined."

After submitting his resignation, Garcia began to write a book about an authentic China, because, in his opinion, "many things about China are not known, and some key issues, which are very important to the world, are also not known because the readers are not informed."

HOPE FOR MULTIPOLAR WORLD

The author traveled to various regions, provinces and cities in China, such as Xinjiang and Shenzhen, to see firsthand the topics he was curious about. Regarding the alleged genocides in Xinjiang, Garcia said such accusations are solely based on data collected from the Internet and "not based on any real situation or field work."

"In Xinjiang, the Uygur culture is respected. The Uygur language is taught in schools and used in local media. The Uygur population has grown by 16 percent in the last ten years, which is three times more than the national population growth," he said.

When asked about Chinese measures against COVID-19, Garcia said that "there have not been human rights violations at all" and that the recent optimization of its COVID response has come at a time when the virus is less aggressive and the danger of death is significantly reduced.

"If we consider that the priority of any government should be to save the lives of its population, of its inhabitants, Chinese policy has clearly been effective. There have been far fewer deaths in China than in Western countries and, above all, than in the United States," he said.

With regard to the fight against poverty, the author believed that it is the main concern of all citizens of the world. Official data showed China has lifted some 770 million rural residents out of poverty during the past 40 years, accounting for over 70 percent of global poverty reduction.

On the ecological issue, Garcia was aware that the world has "the image of China as a very polluting country," however, in his investigation he concluded that "it is just the opposite."

"China has totally changed its economic development model, it has gone from a development model focused on growth above all else, regardless of the consequences, to a much greener one, to one that has a lot of consideration for the environment," he said.

He said that China "is undergoing an energy transformation and has become a leader in renewable energy, electric mobility, electric cars, reforestation, with sponge city projects as an example."

Garcia attributed the admirable achievements to the "pragmatic revolution" led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and described the way of doing politics as very "characteristic of the Chinese style."

"The CPC experiments with different solutions for any problem that arises, launches pilot projects in different cities on measures that it wants to apply, and experiments with them. Those that work best will be adopted and those that do not go well are rejected," Garcia explained.

In Garcia's opinion, China is not a threat, but rather the hope for a multipolar world in which everyone can live much more peacefully, trading with the rest of the globe, dedicating their energies and resources to improving the lives of their population instead of to the enrichment of a few, and exchanging goods, knowledge and culture, instead of weapons and bombs.

"China has no intention of imposing its vision on others" and stands ready to live with all nations in a multipolar world, a more peaceful,more just and better world, Garcia said. 
The Government needs to promote discussion and engage the public more on initiatives that have major implications for the people and society of Trinidad and Tobago.

One example is the current push towards a cashless society in a world touted as one of financial inclusion. This initiative is being led by the Trinidad and Tobago International Financial Centre (TTIFC), which heads the Governments digitalisation initiatives in the financial services sector, and Visa, one of the worlds biggest names in digital payments.
Students at the University of Arizona who struggle to find consistent access to a reliable internet source will soon have more options for getting online.

The UA is expanding its high-speed internet access after receiving a $3 million grant from the federal government.

The Department of Commerces National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced last week it had awarded 12 grants totaling $33.5 million as part of its Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program. The grants are part of the Biden administrations broader plan to put $65 billion toward expanding internet access across the country.

According to a 2021 report from the White House, 14% of Arizonans live where there is no broadband internet infrastructure with adequate speed; 45% live where there is only one such internet provider; and 13% of Arizonans have no internet subscription at all.

The aim of the specific grant the UA received last week, according to a news release, is to expand community technology hubs, upgrade classroom technology, and increase digital literacy skills at 12 minority serving colleges and universities across 10 states.

The UA, which is a federally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution, plans to use its $3 million grant to expand broadband internet access in Southern Arizonas rural communities. The details of that plan include:

Creating equipment bundles that can be checked out by students from UA Libraries. The equipment bundles will include hotspots, laptops, headphones and webcams.

Expanding UA network and classroom technologies.

Providing support personnel at education sites in rural Arizona.

Providing broadband internet access and equipment and helping to facilitate educational opportunities and resources for project subrecipients Dunbar Pavilion and the Tucson Urban League, as well as the surrounding community.

Connecting Arizonans to high-speed broadband is one of our highest priorities, because its how we prepare for the economy of the future, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a news release. It is absolutely critical that all communities across our country are included in that future. We are grateful that these funds will be used to hire and train the leaders of tomorrow.
PHOENIX  A veteran state lawmaker thinks hes found a way to finally end the debate over whether humans are better or worse than machines at counting ballots.

Put them both to the test.

A head-to-head contest will prove that hand counting can both be accurate and produce timely results, Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, told Capitol Media Services.

And if thats the case, he said, the machines that some say can be hacked and can produce inaccurate results  allegations never proven  can be scrapped to help restore voter confidence.

But he conceded it is, at this point, only a theory.

The only example Arizona has was the audit of two of the contests in the 2020 election in Maricopa County. And that took months and failed to show any significant different between the hand count and the official tally.

So Kavanagh has crafted SB 1471 to set up the procedures to test it out.

The measure already has gotten the endorsement of Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican like Kavanagh, who dubbed it a man-versus-machine test. But Richer already thinks he knows how at least part of this will go.

This legislation will build confidence in our election system by showing that machine tabulation is highly accurate, free of bias, and fast, he said.

SB 1471 comes amid claims by some, including failed Republican gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake, that machine counting is inherently suspect and susceptible to fraud and hacking. In fact, she and Mark Finchem, who ran unsuccessfully for secretary of state, are still trying to have the procedure declared the procedure illegal despite a federal court ruling against them.

And there are separate proposals at the Capitol to outlaw hand counts in one form or another.

That includes HB 2307 crafted by freshman Rep. Cory McGarr, R-Marana, to mandate hand counts in all future city, town and county elections. It was approved this past week on a 6-4 party-line vote by the House Committee on Municipal Oversight and Elections.

What Kavanagh is proposing is selecting four precincts at random and taking 100 ballots from each.

The actual ballots would be put through a tabulator, with the results of all the races  there can be more than 80 given statewide, congressional, legislative, judicial and local races, plus special districts and ballot measures  initially kept confidential.

Duplicate ballots would be made and given to volunteers. They would have to conduct the hand count the same way counties are now required to conduct hand counts of a few races in a few precincts: teams of volunteers composed of at least one person from two of the states three recognized political parties.

Under the terms of SB 1417, if the numbers come out within 0.1% of each other, that ends that part of the test. If not, both halves are rerun using different tabulators and different hand counters.

But thats just half the issue.

The local recorder would be required then to figure out the average number of ballots counted for each counting team. That number would be extrapolated out to determine how many people working 16-hour days would be required to hand count the nearly 2.6 million ballots cast in the last general election.

The main argument against doing hand counts is that theyre inaccurate and would take too long, Kavanagh said.

So the purpose of this is to have a very controlled experiment, he said, to measure not just accuracy but also the time it would take to implement this on a statewide basis.

As crafted, the test mandated in SB 1471 would occur in Maricopa County. But that now is uncertain.

I may need to relocate this, Kavanagh said. And the reason, he said, is Richers comments that he believes the test will show that hand counting is inferior.

So, hes immediately biased his county for counting, Kavanagh said. The results can be challenged because his counters were biased because he had a position.

Richer, for his part, said hes not hoping for a specific outcome. But he conceded to Capitol Media Services he thinks he knows what the test will show, regardless of in which county it is conducted.

Unless 50 years of social science is wrong, then it will show that machines are far more accurate, far faster, far less biased when it comes to repetitive tasks, he said.

Arizona does have at least one example of how hand counting works.

After the 2020 election, Karen Fann, then the Senate president, contracted with Cyber Ninjas to audit the 2.1 million returns only from Maricopa County, including conducting a hand count. That ended up with two six-hour shifts, with anywhere from 50 to 100 people working at any one time, for more than two months on just two races.

In its report, Cyber Ninjas said there were more than 1,500 individuals involved at one point or another, with a total of 100,000 hours contributed. But not all that was involved in counting, with time also spent examining ballots for bamboo to see if they were fake and doing microscopic reviews to see if it looked like some ovals next to candidate names had been filled in by machine rather than by hand.

The upshot of all that?

It confirmed that Joe Biden won the vote in the states largest county.

In fact, it showed that Biden tallied 99 more votes than the county tabulators had recorded  and Donald Trump had 261 fewer votes than the official record.

And in the race for U.S. Senate, which also was reviews, there also was no major change, with a difference of just 1,167 votes between the two tallies. This, too, confirmed that Democrat Mark Kelly handily defeated incumbent Republican Martha McSally.

Despite that there are people who still question the results as the report did not specifically say that Biden or Kelly won. Thats because Cyber Ninjas, which had no previous experience with elections and was largely funded by donations from Trump supporters, also claimed to have found other problems which, at least theoretically, could have affected the outcome.

None of those ever were proven in court challenges.

Jack Sellers, who was chairman of the county board of supervisors at the tie, seized on the report to say it exonerated the countys handling of the election.

This means the tabulation equipment counted the ballot as they were designed to do, and the results reflect the will of the voters, he said. That should be the end of the story. Everything else is just noise.

Richer said the results of the review sought by SB 1471 should rebut arguments by those who say the experience in other countries proves that hand counting works.

Take, he said, the presidential election in France.

You just have the presidential election on the ballot, Richer said. And early voting is not permitted.

Counting is done at each polling place, with initial results posted that night.

Whats lost in that comparison, said Richer, is that ballots in Arizona contain not just the gubernatorial contest but a multitude of races. And each one of those races needs to be counted, not only by at least two workers from different parties, but also transcribed.
NEW YORK  That the death of Tyre Nichols  young, Black, just trying to get home  came at the hands of Memphis police officers was a familiar refrain in the nations seemingly endless lamentation of racism and police brutality aimed at Black people.

This time around, though, it was five Black officers who were fired and charged with second-degree murder in the horrifying Jan. 7 beating that was caught on video and led to Nichols death in a hospital bed three days later.

But the fact that Black officers killed a Black man didnt remove racism from the situation. If anything, say reform advocates, it showed that a police culture of racial bias and dehumanization is pervasive enough to spread in all directions, even among minority officers whose presence in law enforcement is often touted as proof of reform efforts.

What we have to understand is it is not the color of the officer, said Joshua Adams, an activist in Memphis. It is the color of whos being policed. Thats what creates the difference. The key question is why does policing show differently for Black people?

Black and brown officers can be conditioned to view Black and brown people as suspect, advocates say.

With any organization or institution, there is a period of orientation where you are being introduced to core values and philosophies, said the Rev. Earle J. Fisher, senior pastor at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Memphis.

I think this happens with police regardless of the color of the police officer. You have spent time in the indoctrination process, and part of that indoctrination is certain people on their face  from what some would call cultural bias, or others would call internalized white supremacy  youre indoctrinated to believe that certain groups are more prone to criminal behavior than others, he said. And so you treat Black people as if they are guilty until proven innocent. You treat white people as if they are innocent until proven guilty.

Legal scholar Amara Enyia said, being Black and a police officer does not undo the inherent anti-Blackness in the policing system.

Thats one of the most insidious characteristics of the system, because we may buy into a notion that because theyre Black means they cant possibly have adopted the norms and values of the system, said Enyia, policy and research manager for the Movement for Black Lives, a national advocacy coalition aligned with the broader Black Lives Matter movement.

Many of the highest-profile deaths, such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Michael Brown, were due to the actions of white officers. But other deaths, including Philando Castile, Freddie Gray and Sean Bell, showed that the officers responsible could come from a range of racial backgrounds.

And more broadly, in a country riven with as many racial fault lines as the United States, no one is exempt from absorbing some brand of racial messaging throughout their lives, said Derald Wing Sue, professor of psychology and education at Columbia Universitys Teachers College.

We are all socialized into a society that imbues in us these images of one another, he said. We can, as people of color, inherit these biases toward one another and often times to our own group as well.  They come out in ways that can be very harmful unless we get in touch with them and give ourselves counter messages.

The officers charged in Nichols death drew condemnation for being Black men who committed fatal violence against another Black man.

At Nichols funeral Wednesday, the Rev. Al Sharpton said that while he was in Memphis for the service, he visited the site where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968. He said King was in Memphis to fight for Black city workers to be able to work in sanitation and as police.

If not for the efforts of King and others in the civil rights movement, the five officers would not have had jobs in law enforcement or been assigned to an elite police squad, Sharpton said.

Not far away from the hotel balcony where King was fatally shot, the Black officers beat a brother to death, Sharpton said in a eulogy.

Addressing the officers, he said: Theres nothing more insulting and offensive to those of us that fight to open doors that you walk through those doors and act like the folks we had to fight to get you through them doors.

You didnt get on the Police Department by yourself. The police chief didnt get there by herself, he added. People had to march and go to jail  and some lost their lives  to open the doors for you. And how dare you act like that sacrifice was for nothing?
BEIRUT, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- A drastic decline in rain and snowfall this year is posing dire consequences to Lebanon's agricultural livelihoods, Lebanese officials and experts have warned.

"The decline in rain and scarcity of snow are all factors that negatively affect the stock of ground and drinking water and the ability to irrigate crops and fruit trees and provide wild animals with their water and food needs," said Michel Afram, director general of the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institution.

In addition, the temperatures registered in Lebanon in January were higher than in previous years, added Afram.

"One can notice the big difference in precipitation between this season and last year and the average over 30 years," Joseline Abou Fares, an expert from the weather forecasting division at Beirut airport, told Xinhua.

According to the airport's forecast, precipitation in the capital city from September 2022 to Jan. 30 stands at 322.4 mm, compared to 425.2 mm for the same period last year, while the average of the same periods over the past 30 years is 520 mm.

In Zahle, a large city in eastern Lebanon, and Tripoli, a major northern city, September-January precipitation was registered at 202 mm and 378.8 mm respectively, while their same-period average over the past 30 years is 355 mm and 530 mm.

The drop in rainfall could negatively affect irrigation and crop yields, especially wheat and other cereals. At the same time, the rise in temperatures might cause tree buds to open prematurely, exposing them to the risk of late frost, Afram said.

He urged the government to declare a state of alert on water quantity and quality, and the agriculture ministry to pursue a climate-adaptive plan and develop a mechanism to rationalize water resources.

Ghaith Maalouf, an agricultural engineer, told Xinhua that the unusually warm weather had already affected almond orchards in areas about 500 meters above sea level, as flowers and buds opened about two months ahead of their time.

Lebanese caretaker Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan told Xinhua that his ministry is working to activate a support plan for farmers under the impact of climate change, with steps including land reclamation, building water tanks, providing modern irrigation networks, and securing agricultural supplies such as seeds and fertilizers.

The ministry, in cooperation with international donors, is establishing mountain reservoirs with a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters to 15,000 cubic meters to collect rain and spring water during peak periods for use in dry seasons, noted Hassan.

Worrying that Lebanese farmers are particularly vulnerable to climate damage because of insufficient public funding for their adaptation, Antoine Howayek, head of a local farmers' association, called for the passing of a law to establish the National Fund for Agricultural Security for better financing. 
WASHINGTON  Supreme Court police officers last fall staffed a table at Washingtons armory, where runners picked up their numbers and T-shirts for the Army 10-Miler road race. The officers were promoting an entirely different kind of competition, seeking to recruit new officers in a tight employment market.

High court personnel also are showing up on college campuses and military bases to try to fill some of the many vacancies on a police force thats charged with protecting the nine justices and the majestic marble building.

The struggle to find new officers is similar to staffing shortages facing police departments across the country. But it comes as the court copes with a rise in threats against the justices, including last years arrest of an armed man outside Justice Brett Kavanaughs house, following the leak of the draft abortion opinion overturning Roe v. Wade.

The court wont say how many jobs are open on a force with an authorized strength of 189 officers, although job postings say there are many vacancies for new and experienced officers. It would not make available either its marshal or its police chief for this story, and court spokeswoman Patricia McCabe said the court does not talk about security issues.

But one visible manifestation of the diminished size of the force is that, as the court has reopened in recent months from its coronavirus pandemic-induced closure, security officers with the U.S. Marshals Service have taken over some of the tasks previously handled by the police, including screening visitors when they enter the building.

It once was common to see justices around town without any police presence, shopping at local markets, attending cultural events or eating at Washington restaurants. But as security concerns have grown, even before the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and the opinion leak last May, the justices have acquired a relatively constant guard of officers dressed in suits when they travel to or from work or around town. At the court, police in uniform stand watch at various spots inside and outside the building.

Police departments generally are dealing with a drop in applications, an increase in retirements and more difficulty in keeping existing officers. Policing experts say there were signs of these issues before the pandemic, but the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in 2020 sent morale spiraling in many departments.

The George Floyd murder had a profound impact on policing, and for some it was deciding this isnt the profession they wanted to be in, or officers deciding to leave the profession, said Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum. If you look at the Tyre Nichols case, there will be ramifications for who wants to be a police officer in America after everything thats happened in Memphis.

The Supreme Court is offering a $5,000 recruitment bonus and another $5,000 within 18 months to some officers who transfer from another department. Congress recently authorized the court to grant student loan forgiveness, matching a perk that long has been available for officers with the U.S. Capitol Police. New hires with no previous law enforcement experience are paid a starting annual salary of $73,852.

Officers get four weeks of vacation after three years on the force and are eligible for retirement after 25 years of service, or at age 50 with 20 years of experience.

Its unclear whether those benefits will be enough in the nations capital, where there are many separate police forces, including for museums, mass transit, parks, the postal service, the Capitol, Amtrak and several colleges.

That doesnt include the capitals main force, the Metropolitan Police Department, which is engaged in its own struggle to lure new officers in what Wexler described as an especially competitive market. The Washington force advertised at bus stops and on local television in Philadelphia in the fall.

Nationally, the shortages have led to unprecedented incentives to be a police officer, like a $30,000 signing bonus for experienced officers to join Seattles police department and a $7,500 bonus to entice officers in Portland, Oregon, to stay.

The number of police officers nationwide dropped by about 5,000 from the start of 2020 to the start of 2022. New recruitment has somewhat bounced back, according to a survey of about 180 departments done by the Police Executive Research Forum, though not to pre-pandemic levels.

In some places, entrance standards are changing to allow things like visible tattoos.

But not at the Supreme Court, according to job postings. No visible body markings are allowed on the head and neck above the uniform collar or on fingers and hands and fingers below the wrist bone.
A life-threatening cold spell began to ease its grip on the northeastern United States on Saturday, but only after a new national windchill record was set in New Hampshire.

The record was set at Mount Washington Friday night when it felt like minus 108 F thanks to a temperature of minus 46 F and wind gusts of 127 mph.

Wind chill records are not historically tracked as closely as temperature records, but the mark would beat what most meteorologists believe to be the US record (minus 105 F in Alaska). The prior record for Mount Washington was minus 102.7 F in 2004.

Early Saturday, about 15 million people in the United States were under wind chill alerts, but that number dropped to less than 1 million by midday as the extreme cold began to wrap up. The majority of the remaining wind chill alerts will end by 7 p.m. ET Saturday as temperatures begin to stabilize and winds die down.

Temperatures will rebound 5 to 10 degrees above normal on Sunday.

Several daily low-temperature records were set across portions of the Northeast on Saturday morning, according to local National Weather Service offices.

Boston hit a morning low temperature of minus 10 degrees Saturday morning, breaking its previous daily record of minus 2 degrees. The weather service also tweeted that it is the first double-digit negative temperature recorded since 1957.

Worcester, Massachusetts, hit minus 13 degrees beating the previous daily record of minus 4. Providence, Rhode Island, recorded minus 9 degrees beating the previous daily record of minus 2. Hartford, Connecticut, hit minus 9 degrees, beating the previous daily record of minus 8.

Government leaders urged people to stay inside if at all possible.

"Our state is facing dangerously cold temperatures & extreme wind chills today & tomorrow," Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday morning on Twitter. "We are coordinating with local officials to ensure they have what they need to keep New Yorkers safe. Please limit time outdoors, wear layers, & use caution with alternative heat sources."

departure from average temperature

Northern Maine feels the freeze

The dangerously cold winds are descending on the region from Canada, putting entire states at risk. The worst impacts are expected in northern Maine  where about 70,000 people in Penobscot and Aroostook counties are under blizzard warnings through Saturday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

"Ground blizzard conditions in heavy blowing snow are expected today through Saturday across open areas. Please to not drive if you don't have to!" the weather service in Caribou, Maine, said.

Maine State Police shared photos of deteriorating road conditions in Aroostook County on Friday and warned drivers that any area across the state with open fields and snow can expect periods of "blinding whiteouts."

"One of the beauties of the County is (its) open fields and views but on days like this they become a hazard. Drive safe. What looks like safe and normal driving conditions quickly deteriorate into almost zero visibility stretches of roadway," Maine State Police said in a Facebook post.

In addition to the blizzard conditions, parts of northern Maine on Friday night felt as cold as minus 69 degrees, with many other areas seeing their winds feel as bitterly cold as between minus 35 degrees to minus 50 degrees, according to the weather service in Caribou.

The local weather service also reported some power outages in Maine, where water inside trees froze, expanded and caused trees to snap and knock down power lines  though impacts did not appear extensive or widespread Friday.

Freezing temperatures this week have not only affected the Northeast. Farther south, severe cold weather also led to ongoing power outages across Texas and Arkansas as an ice storm lashed the region, killing at least eight people.

About 130,000 homes and businesses in Texas were still in the dark early Saturday stemming from multiple rounds of ice, sleet and freezing rain that made roads deadly and weighed down trees, also causing them to break and take down power lines. In Arkansas, more than 36,000 homes and businesses were experiencing outages early Saturday, according to the tracking site Poweroutage us.

Aid to those experiencing homelessness

Amid the ongoing dangerous cold in the Northeast, New York City issued a "cold blue" Friday evening, the city's Department of Homeless Services said on Twitter.

The designation generally indicates temperatures have reached an extremely low threshold that requires them to make resources available to the public. Under that code, people may use the city's homeless shelter system on an emergency basis and directs New Yorkers to report people on the street as a safety measure.

"No one who is experiencing homelessness and seeking shelter in New York City during a Code Blue will be denied," a spokesperson for the department said.

New York City is forecast to see single-digit temperatures, with the coldest point coming Saturday morning at 8 degrees and winds could feel as cold as 7 degrees below zero.

"Homeless outreach teams will be talking to any New Yorker on the street and offering them warm shelter," the city said Friday in a tweet.

In Erie County  home to Buffalo  officials also issued a "code blue" and opened three overnight shelters in the county and daytime warming centers.

Warming centers have also opened across Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont, officials said.

In New Hampshire, where the coldest winds could feel as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit below zero, Cannon Mountain Ski Resort in Franconia and Wildcat Mountain in Gorham have closed due to the severe cold, according to their Facebook pages.

Similarly, several ski areas turned away customers and shut down operations in Vermont on Friday.

___
WASHINGTON  The U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft and threatened repercussions.

President Joe Biden issued the order but wanted the balloon downed earlier, on Wednesday. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose a risk to people on the ground.

China said it reserved the right to "take further actions" and criticized the U.S. for "an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice."

"China will resolutely uphold the relevant company's legitimate rights and interests, and at the same time reserving the right to take further actions in response," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The balloon in the skies above the U.S. dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations. It had Americans looking to the skies and prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a high-stakes diplomatic trip to Beijing.

The giant white orb was spotted Saturday morning over the Carolinas. The Federal Aviation Administration and Coast Guard worked to clear the airspace and water below the balloon as it reached the Atlantic Ocean.

About 2:39 p.m. EST, an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it about 6 nautical miles off the coast near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, senior defense officials said. Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the giant deflated balloon descending like a ribbon.

The debris landed in 47 feet of water, shallower than officials expected, and spread out over roughly seven miles. The recovery operation included several ships and the officials estimated the process would be completed in a short time, not weeks.

U.S. defense and military officials said Saturday that the balloon entered the U.S. air defense zone north of the Aleutian Islands on Jan. 28 and moved largely over land across Alaska and then into Canadian airspace in the Northwest Territories on Monday. It crossed back into U.S. territory over Idaho on Tuesday, the day the White House said Biden was first briefed on it.

The balloon was spotted Thursday over Montana, home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which has fields of nuclear missile silos.

Billings Gazette photos play role in White House response to Chinas spy balloon The White House wanted to keep the balloon secret fearing it would sabotage Secretary of State Antony Blinkens planned diplomatic trip to China.

The Americans were able to collect intelligence on the balloon, giving them a number of days to analyze it and learn how it moved and what it was capable of surveilling, two senior defense officials said on condition of anonymity.

The officials said the U.S. military was constantly assessing the threat and concluded that the technology on the balloon didn't give the Chinese significant intelligence beyond what it could already obtain from satellites, though the U.S. took steps to mitigate what information it could gather.

Republicans were critical of Biden's response.

"Allowing a spy balloon from the Communist Party of China to travel across the entire continental United States before contesting its presence is a disastrous projection of weakness by the White House," said Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"Now that this embarrassing episode is over, we need answers from the Biden Administration on the decision-making process," Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., tweeted. "Communist China was allowed to violate American sovereignty unimpeded for days. We must be better prepared for future provocations and incursions by the CCP."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was more positive: "Thank you to the men and women of the United States military who were responsible for completing the mission to shoot down the Chinese surveillance balloon. The Biden Administration did the right thing in bringing it down."

The Pentagon rejected China's claims that the balloon was merely a weather research "airship" that blew off course. Officials said the balloons are part of a fleet China uses for surveillance, and they can be maneuvered remotely with small motors and propellers. One official said they carry equipment in the pod under the balloon that is not usually associated with standard meteorological activities or civilian research.

Such balloons entered U.S. airspace at least three times during the Trump administration and at least one other time during Biden's presidency they've seen balloons cross, but not for this long, one official said.

The Pentagon acknowledged reports of a second Chinese surveillance balloon over Latin America. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a question about it.

The Chinese government on Saturday sought to downplay the cancellation of Blinken's trip. "In actuality, the U.S. and China have never announced any visit, the U.S. making any such announcement is their own business, and we respect that," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP)  Pope Francis, the head of the Anglican Communion and top Presbyterian minister together denounced the criminalization of homosexuality on Sunday and said gay people should be welcomed by their churches.

The three Christian leaders spoke out on LGBTQ rights during an unprecedented joint airborne news conference returning home from South Sudan, where they took part in a three-day ecumenical pilgrimage to try to nudge the young countrys peace process forward.

They were asked about Francis recent comments to The Associated Press, in which he declared that laws that criminalize gay people were unjust and that being homosexual is not a crime.

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalizes homosexuality, 11 of them with the death penalty. LGBTQ advocates say even where such laws are not applied, they contribute to a climate of harassment, discrimination and violence.

Francis referred his Jan. 24 comments to the AP and repeated that such laws are unjust. He also repeated previous comments that parents should never throw their gay children out of the house.

To condemn someone like this is a sin, he said. Criminalizing people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice.

Read more about it here:
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: In the Spring of 2020, the Tucson City Council unanimously adopted the mayors declaration of a climate emergency. Since that time the City has moved forward with specific, measurable actions aimed at decarbonization, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and securing our water future. Literally thousands of Tucson residents are directly participating in many of these efforts.

In that same time frame, Republic Services, despite their marketing claims to the contrary, has rejected partnering with the community and the City. Their actions are those of a corporate predator and an environmental pariah. The welcome mat for partnering is still in front of them.

In response to the climate emergency declaration, the City has moved forward with a project that takes glass out of landfills and puts it to productive new uses. I spent the better part of a year crushing bottles in the Ward 6 garage and donating the sand to construction work all over the community. The City is now in a third-party relationship in which thousands of pounds of glass are crushed and used in both construction and manufacturing.

Republic Services has a contract to operate the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Tucson. They say the City is in default of our contract because were putting the glass to productive new uses. When they applied for the contract to run the MRF, Republic committed to aggressively looking for secondary uses for glass to avoid landfilling the material. They didnt. We did. So who is in default?

Thousands of residents are now participating in the City/ByFusion plastic reuse program. When this was first introduced, I included Republic in meetings in an effort to get them involved in a supportive role. Instead, with a focus solely on their own bottom line, Republics concern was the program inadvertently diverting recyclable plastic from the MRF. They threatened to send us a bill if we moved forward with the program. The community has provided over 44 tons of plastic to the program. Republic has been conspicuously absent from any involvement. That welcome mat is also still in front of them.

The Republic marketing slogan is Environmental Services for a more sustainable world. While the City has moved ahead diverting waste from the landfill, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and involving the public in our work, Republic has demanded six amendments to their MRF contract, the combined result being enhancing their financial standing. Republic is a Fortune 300 mega-company. In the state of Arizona, Republic is one of the top companies in terms of stock market capitalization or worth. The community is looking for partners in climate action, not a player whose motive is maximizing profits at the environments expense.

The City has voluntarily left thousands of acre feet of water in the Colorado River in an effort to address the drought-caused water security challenges we face. The City has adopted forward-looking electric vehicle requirements for new construction. The mayor was successful in negotiating a commitment from Tucson Electric Power to work with the City and reach 100% clean energy as quickly as possible for all City operations. Throughout all of this, Republic has threatened litigation and demanded adjustments in their MRF contract to further enrich themselves.

Republic charges many of their customers double what the City charges them to use the landfill. Factoring in the revenues Republic receives, they earn up to eight times what the City nets per ton in operating the landfill. Theres nothing wrong with a responsible concern over a secure bottom line, but Republic has long been in the position of having Tucson residents subsidizing their operations through the rates customers pay to the City for trash and recycle collection.

The City is studying the costs involved in building and operating our own Material Recovery Facility. While that will cost millions of dollars, without a responsible true partner in our recycle/reuse efforts we owe it to city residents and businesses to explore cutting ties with Republic.

The welcome mat is still in front of them. I say to Republic, join us in standing up a region-wide plastic reuse operation with ByFusion. Join us in finding a rate structure that avoids more increases in our residential and commercial rates. Stop with the threats of litigating over what Republic itself has failed to pursue: productive third-party arrangements for the reuse of glass.

The true bottom line is, join us in a focus on responsible environmental actions that go beyond a corporate slogan. Join us in actions that may not maximize your immediate financial bottom line, but actions that recognize we are indeed in a climate emergency.
Love is in the air, Tucson! Valentines Day may be less than two weeks away, but theres still plenty of time to plan a romantic date with your boo or a self-care day for yourself. 

No matter how you celebrate, here are a few ideas on how to celebrate Valentines Day in Tucson  for all personality types.

For the adventurers 

Take a tour of Colossal Cave

Colossal Cave, 16721 E. Old Spanish Trail, offers a couple different tours including the Classic Cave Tour, which is a half-mile, 40-minute tour through the cave where youll learn about the history of the cave and some of the rock formations that have developed over the years. If youre looking for something a little more adventurous, check out their Ladder Tour which takes you through narrow passages. Prices start at $22 per person.

Fly above the Sonoran Desert at sunrise in a hot air balloon

Nothing says romance more than flying above your favorite city in a hot air balloon. Tucson Balloon Rides offers a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the Tucson Mountains, Saguaro National Park West and parts of Avra Valley. Each flight comes with a post-flight continental champagne brunch, according to their website. Flights start at $250 per person.

Stay grounded with a sunset horseback ride at Tanque Verde Ranch

Not an early bird? Hate flying? Not a problem. We have something a little more grounded for you  a sunset horseback ride through the Sonoran Desert at Tanque Verde Ranch, 14301 E. Speedway. They also offer sunrise horseback rides, if youd prefer a morning ride. Prices start at $95 per person.

Find your way out of an escape room

What better way to bond with your significant other than being stuck with them in a room until youre able to find a way out? Tucson has a few escape rooms to test your problem-solving skills (and your relationship), including Fox in a Box, Ace of Escape, Mystery Escape Room and Will You Escape? Prices vary per location.

Food options nearby:

If youre going horseback riding at Tanque Verde Ranch, the resort has dining options including a breakfast ride, a cowboy cookout and a classic bistro dinner menu.

The pick-up and drop-off point for the hot air balloon rides is at the IHOP on Grant Road, west of the highway. Just 10 minutes away is the JW Marriott Starr Pass, where you can double down on great views at the resort's multiple dining options.

If youre heading as far east as Colossal Cave, another half-hour away is Bensons Horseshoe Cafe, filled with country-western glamor (a neon horseshoe fills the ceiling), great ham steaks and drink specials that cant be beat.

For the art enthusiasts 

Take a stroll through the Tucson Museum of Art

Museums make great dates with your significant other, or even just for yourself. The Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave., is no exception. This museum offers a quiet and relaxing stroll through exhibits featuring art from all walks of life and eras. Plus, if you celebrate Valentine's Day early on Sunday, Feb. 12, there will be a market, book signing, mimosa bar and more! Tickets start at $12 for adults on normal days, but it's pay-what-you-wish admission on Feb. 12.

Spend a few hours at MOCA

Luckily for us, Tucson has its fair share of art museums. If youve already checked out the Tucson Museum of Art, try checking out Tucsons Museum of Contemporary Art, 265 S. Church Ave. The museum isnt open Monday through Wednesday, so you arent able to check out MOCA on Valentines Day, but you could check it out before or after the holiday. Tickets are $7 per adult.

Buy tickets for a Broadway show in Tucson

Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd., often brings Broadway productions to Tucson through Broadway in Tucson. Although there are no Broadway in Tucson shows playing on Valentines Day, the Broadway production of "Dear Evan Hansen" opens up on Feb. 21. Who says you can only celebrate Valentines Day on Feb. 14 anyway? Tickets start at $50 per person.

Catch a movie at The Loft Cinema

Its not unusual to watch a movie at a major theater for Valentines Day, but consider giving your date a Tucson twist by taking them to a movie at a local theater. The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway, is showing a few fun movies during Valentines week including "Twilight" on Feb. 10, "The Princess Bride" on Feb. 14 and "Star Wars" on Feb. 16. Tickets start at $8 per person.

Food options nearby:

For the nature lovers 

Test your green thumb with a succulent workshop

Ponderosa Cactus, 3751 E. Fort Lowell Road, is hosting a Valentines succulent workshop from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11. The workshop includes all materials, step-by-step instructions, and details on how to care for, handle and artistically prune your masterpiece as the succulents begin to grow, according to the events ticket page. Tickets cost $55.66.

Take a ride through Sabino Canyon on their electric shuttle

One of the best ways to take in Sabino Canyon's beauty is by taking a relaxing ride through the area on the Sabino Canyon Crawler. The electric shuttle offers hourly rides every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $15 per adult.

Have a picnic on Mount Lemmon

While youre on Tucsons northeast side, pick up some goodies to have your very own picnic on Mount Lemmon. If you dont want to make your own lunch, check out your favorite restaurant for some takeout. Dont forget to dress accordingly as Mount Lemmon is around 10 to 20 degrees cooler than Tucson.

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Pet stingrays at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Did you know there are stingrays here in Tucson? The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road, has a big tank of stingrays that you can pet as they swim by. There's also the opportunity to feed them during specific hours of the day. The smooth but slimy creatures are bound to make you laugh when you see their tiny excited faces. Museum admission is $24.95 (for Arizona/Sonora residents) plus an additional $3 to pet the stingrays and an added $3 if you want to feed them.

Food options nearby:

For the night owls 

Relax with a jazz show at The Century Room

If youre looking for something a little more mellow compared to a Broadway musical or an action-packed movie, check out a jazz show at The Century Room, 311 E. Congress St. The venue has multiple jazz shows leading up to Valentines Day. Prices vary per show.

Grab a drink or two on Fourth Avenue or Downtown Tucson

Fourth Avenue is the perfect place to grab a drink or two with your loved one. The area is home to various bars and eateries, many of which offer their own specialty drinks. We recommend trying a fish bowl at The Hut, a refreshing hard cider at Bawker Bawker or a signature cocktail from IBTs. If you head outside the avenue, try a drink at Cobra Arcade Bar while you play the bars classic arcade games.

Show off your skills at a Cyber Bowl night

Many local bowling alleys have something called Cyber Bowl nights. These nights provide a new twist to your typical bowling dates with their black lights, glow-in-the-dark bowling balls and colorful lights. To find a local Cyber Bowling night near you, check out Vantage Bowling Centers.

See the stars at a local stargazing party

The Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association hosts numerous stargazing parties each month. This month, they are hosting the Tucson Star Party from 2-9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Pima Community College East, 8181 E. Irvington Road. The party includes astronomy talks, solar observing, and evening stargazing, according to their event page.

The Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E. University Blvd., is hosting its Love is Universal event on Tuesday, Feb. 14. For $25 per person, you can watch one of the planetariums shows, check out the exhibits after hours and view the stars from the observatory. For more information, check out Flandraus website.

Food options nearby:

If you're looking for late-night dining with atmosphere downtown, Ermanos Bar and its speakeasy, Portal, are open until 1 a.m. on weekends (midnight on Valentine's this year, a Tuesday).

The honky-tonk rockstar of downtown, The Delta, is open until midnight on weekends.

For something less formal, split a slice of pizza at Empire Pizza, open until 3 a.m. on weekends.

For the homebodies 

Pick up a book and a game from a local bookstore for a chill night in

Valentines Day doesnt mean you have to pull out all the stops. Sometimes doing the simplest things with the person you love can mean the most. Try picking up your favorite book and a board game from a local bookstore to have a relaxing night at home. Local shops include Bookmans, Mostly Books and Antigone Books.

Grab takeout from your favorite local restaurant

Some of Tucsons best restaurants tend to book up in advance for Valentines Day, but that doesnt mean you cant pick up some delicious food (to go) from your favorite local eatery. Places like Rollies and Chef Wang have great takeout options. If you're missing Pizza Luna, Jaime's Pizza Kitchen is a takeout-only option by a former pizza chef of the now-closed pizzeria.

Have a paint night at home

Dont want to go out on Valentines Day night? Head to a local art supply store and pick up some paints and canvases for a fun paint night at home. Local art shops include Posners, Arizona Art Supply and Sarnoff Art.

For the foodies 

Prix fixe romance

Prix fixe specials can make the holiday feel like a special occasion. This year, The Coronet, 198 W. Cushing St., is putting on a five-course dinner featuring dishes like a duck leg confit galette or savory bread pudding stuffed quail for $120 per person with sparkling wine or $170 per person for the menu with wine pairings.

Blue Willow, 2616 N. Campbell Ave., will offer a Galentine's prix fixe brunch on the weekend before Valentine's Day. For $40, two diners can split mini pancakes, frittatas, bacon hearts and more.

The Dutch's shared Valentine's menu serves a couple with an appetizer and dessert to share, a mini-split of champagne and two entrees for $98. Find The Dutch at 5340 E. Broadway.

Kingfisher, 2564 E. Grant Road, has two options for their prix fixe dinner: one with yellowfin tartare and duck and scallop cassoulet, and another with smoked duck breast and a ribeye steak. There will be three seatings for $75 per person or $125 with wine pairings.

Bakery specials and cottage baker boxes

Gluten-free bakery Dedicated has released a Valentine's special menu, including pies with mini heart cutouts, specially decorated sugar cookies and more. Bolita Bakery is accepting preorders of their romantic pan dulce boxes until Feb. 9. La Estrella Bakery is also accepting special orders of themed pan dulce, and Monsoon Chocolate has a sweetheart bon bon box.
Choosing compassion over profit, local developer Stuart McDaniel is seeking to construct mainstream housing for people with special needs.

His inspiration is his sister-in-law Amy Arnold, who lives with a genetic disorder called Prader-Willi syndrome.

Right now, individuals with those types of disabilities are kind of housed wherever they can find something, McDaniel said this month at a Tulsa Development Authority meeting. I approached the VOA, Volunteers of America, and said What if I built something for these types of residents, and they about broke out into tears.

It was kind of like Nobodys ever built something for us.

The TDA has approved schematic designs for at least a $4.5 million, three-story residential project of McDaniels lots at 22 N. Utica Ave. and 1626 E. Admiral Place. Construction could start within six to nine months, McDaniel said.

He is keen to the struggles of Arnold, a 42-year-old who lives in Bethany and wants to move into the Tulsa development once its completed. People with Prader-Willi can deal with a number of physical, mental and behavioral problems. A key feature of the syndrome is a constant sense of hunger, according to mayoclinic.org.

These types of individuals have cognitive abilities of like a teenager, McDaniel, who heads GuRuStu Communities, said by phone. They have wants, desires, dreams and ideas, but they are physically limited to what they can do and comprehend. ...

She cant detect heat. She can scald herself in hot water or on a stove. They dont feel pain exactly the same way. They can hurt themselves without knowing it. They also have eating issues. They can eat endlessly until they get sick.

The second floor of the building will have six, four-bedroom/two-bathroom units, each of which will accommodate three residents and a caregiver. Rotating caregivers will cover a 24-hour shift.

Special design features will include wider hallways, walk-in showers, securable kitchens with concealed doors and temperature-controlled hot water with color indicators showing heat level.

The unit would have the appearance of a home, McDaniel said. It would have the dignity and respect of a real space that is not institutional. It will not look like a nursing home. It will not look like a hospital.

You are going to have a variety of residents all within one space. From the outside, the average person will look at it and its just going to look like a nice little mid-rise apartment building. ... So it doesnt look wildly out of character.

The first floor is scheduled to have 16 senior-living apartments. The third level will feature nine, mixed-market rate and affordable units.

With this being a unique prototype of what youre trying to do in that defined area of need, that is fantastic, Carl Bracy, a TDA commissioner, said at a recent meeting. We should do whatever we can to assist within the bounds of TDA.

McDaniel said he is negotiating with nonprofits that would manage floors one and two.

The cheapest and most profitable thing would be to build a 30-unit, market-rate apartment building, and we would get the rent with the view of downtown and the shortage of housing, he said by phone. I would fill that thing up in a matter of weeks. And it would be easy and it wouldnt be a lot of brain loss.

But I think after we get this built, people are going to be coming from other communities outside of Tulsa to say, How did you did this? We want to do this, too. Im of the school of thought of Here you go, heres the roadmap because every community needs a dozen of these. Rather than look at Dallas and see how they did it, maybe people will be looking at Tulsa to see how we did it.

Homelessness in Tulsa: What was shocking to officials from 2022 survey
She may be a poor relation, dressed in rags and sleeping amidst the ashes of the fireplace, but the truth is, Cinderella can be one very expensive lady to take out onto the town.

Tulsa Ballet is readying a brand new production of the full-length story ballet, by British choreographer Andrew McNicol, which will have its world premiere Feb. 9-12 at the Tulsa PAC.

It will be the first time McNicol, who has created two one-act ballets for Tulsa Ballet in past seasons, has attempted to create a evening-length work.

Ive done a number of short ballets that are narrative-driven, McNicol said, but doing a full-length is another beast entirely. Thats due in large part to the fact that it really does take a village to put on a ballet of this size and scale.

Its like putting together a gigantic jigsaw, he said. Besides the choreography, there are people creating the sets, the costumes, the video projections, all of which goes into creating this world of full of color and magic and music and dance. And as you see all the work being done to make all these pieces come together, its truly exciting.

Tulsa Ballet Artistic Director Marcello Angelini said Cinderella is one of several classic story ballets that the company regularly presents, which include such ballets as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Romeo & Juliet.

In years past, the company has presented the Cinderella created in the mid-1960s by the legendary dancer and choreographer Ben Stevenson.

I love Bens version of this ballet  I think it is just brilliant, Angelini said. However, its a ballet we have presented over the past 25 years, and I think we owe our audiences something new.

Angelini said he soon discovered there are not a lot of new versions of Cinderella out there in the world that would offer something fresh and exciting.

And, regardless of the production, it would cost us about $100,000 just to get the sets and the costumes shipped to Tulsa, he said. It actually makes better financial sense that we spend the money to create our own productions of these classics. We are lucky that we have a group of donors who are willing to fund these creations, which will now be part of our repertoire, and which we could also rent out to other companies.

As with many classic stories, Cinderella has been told and re-told hundreds of times  in prose and pantomine, stage and screen, opera and ballet. McNicol recalled reading the Brothers Grimm version of the story as a youngster.

I kept discovering all these different iterations and versions through the years, he said. That was one reason why I was interested in working on a classic story such as Cinderella, to really understand what it is about this story that has lived in peoples hearts and minds for all these years.

The basic plot of Cinderella is a pure romantic fantasy: A young woman, reduced to menial labor by her high-handed stepmother and step-sisters, is given the magical opportunity to attend the gala event at the nearby castle, not knowing that it is actually a way for the kingdoms young prince to select a potential queen.

But when the magical spell that has transformed Cinderella ends at midnight, she is forced to escape  leaving behind only a single shoe. The prince then sets out to find out which young woman in the land is capable of properly filling this particular shoe.

We know that people are going to have certain expectations about what Cinderella is, and how it should be presented, McNicol said. And we certainly want to meet and exceed those expectations, when it comes to the romance, the magic, the comedy inherent in the story.

The transformation scene, in which Cinderellas Fairy Godmother turns ordinary things such as pumpkins and mice into extraordinary ones, will benefit from all manner of stage magic, including special video projections.

Most of the comedy in the ballet comes in the form of Cinderellas stepsisters, who, in several productions, including the Ben Stevenson version, are performed by men.

McNicol acknowledged there is a long tradition of comedic cross-dressing in ballet and theater but said he chose to cast female dancers as the stepsisters.

Ive created work for this company twice before and have gotten to know the dancers fairly well, he said. That got me to reflect on what dancers would be best suited to dancing a given role. And this company has a number of dancers who are wonderfully suited to perform the stepsister roles, and who will bring something incredible to them.

Angelini said he considered a number of choreographers for the Cinderella project but gravitated toward McNicol for two reasons beyond the quality of the work he has already done with the company.

I knew that I wanted someone who was a great storyteller, and Ive learned over the years that the best storytellers in the dance world come from the United Kingdom, he said. You think of people like McMillan, Ashton, Christopher Wheeldon and Kenneth Tindall, who created our new Carmen this season. Its a tradition in which these people grew up.

Also, I wanted a choreographer who is on the verge of breaking through, who is strongly rooted in classical ballet but willing to push things to the edge, Angelini said. And I wanted this to be that choreographers first full-length work, because a full-length ballet is a statement. You want someone who understands that if this goes well, it will take their career to a new level, because if it doesnt go well, it could disaster. So you want someone with a combination of talent, accomplishment and daring, and I believe Andrew has all those qualities.
Professional ballerinas line the hallway of Tulsa Ballet. A dancer lies on a table getting a massage. The therapeutic kind, not the pleasurable kind. Other dancers work on their pointe shoes, bending and sewing them. Muscles bulge from their arms and legs with every slight movement.

Linda Dyson walks gingerly past them making her way back to studio E. A large silver cross hangs from her neck. Shes never been an accomplished dancer. In fact, she didnt really start dancing until after she was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. She slips on her ballet shoes and stands near a barre on the wall and stretches.

They know how to bring it out of us, she says of the teachers in the class. The class is very liberating for our bodies. It lets us move in ways we didnt know we could.

Tulsa Ballet started teaching Dance for Parkinsons a few years ago after the Oklahoma Parkinsons Alliance shared the cost to train teachers with Tulsa Ballet. The teachers trained in New York with the Mark Morris Dance Group. Oklahoma Parkinsons Alliance and Tulsa Ballet share the cost of paying the teachers to teach the weekly class.

The class is free for people with Parkinsons Disease as well as their caregiver if theyd like to attend.

Participants start the class in their chairs, but soon are up dancing to pop music, doing classical dance movements and line dancing. Then they start theatrically lifting imaginary weights. Some participants can finish out the class standing. Others need to move back to their chairs. When they do, one teacher always sits down with them so they see how to move from a chair.

DeLynn Fairless, one of the teachers in the class, says the class offers participants an escape from prolonged isolation.

The vulnerability just kind of melts away and people really allow themselves to have fun, she says.

Julie Marquet, the other teacher in the class, adds: We are not therapists. We are not doctors, but its another sort of medicine.

June Autry was diagnosed with Parkinsons Disease in 2019. She danced in high school, but she didnt even think about dancing when she got her diagnosis. All she thought about was one day at a time. Learn to walk again. Do speech therapy.

I didnt think that far ahead, she says. Now the class helps. She raves about how supportive the group is.

Fairless says she has heard from students that their memory or range of motion has improved even hours after class.

They always go home happy, with a smile on their face, and this is what matters, Marquet says.

To sign up, email education@tulsaballet.org or call 918-392-5948.
A City Council working group established to review Tulsas emergency medical services and provide possible recommendations for improving them met for the first time last week.

The Pre-Hospital Community Healthcare Working Group is led by Councilor Lori Decter Wright.

Basically, we have to look at how emergency medical service is delivered to Tulsans in the current model and say, is it working, do we need to make adjustments? Wright said. If we need to make adjustments, what would those adjustments look like?

Tulsans who call 911 for emergency medical care are served by the Tulsa Fire Department and EMSA. While both agencies respond to calls, EMSA is responsible for transporting patients to the hospital.

The authority has been providing emergency response services in Tulsa since 1977.

Wright said she decided to establish the working group because a 2017 council review of EMSAs services never happened, nor did it occur last fall before councilors approved significant changes to the organizations trust indenture.

We need to do the work, Wright said.

That fact-finding effort will include analyzing response time data, surveying Tulsans about the citys emergency response system, meeting with local hospital officials, and reviewing best practices.

The working group also will look at workforce shortages and other challenges in the healthcare industry, Wright said, and EMSA will be asked for its input.

For too long, I feel like the community at large has not been engaged, in the discussion, Wright said.

Tulsa Fire Chief Michael Baker is a member of the seven-person working group. He also sits on the EMSA Board of Trustees.

For me it is, really, what does pre-hospital emergency room health care look like in Tulsa down the road? Baker said. And what roles do we have, and how do we make it the best served Tulsa community in the future?

Baker said that although response times, staffing and other issues related to Tulsas working agreement with EMSA are and should be on the table, he believes the discussion needs to be broader to encompass all aspects of emergency and preventive health care.

It is a good time to just take a look around and see, where are we?, Baker said. Because we are not always a healthy city? Can we do some things to help out?

Adam Paluka, chief public affairs officer for EMSA, said the organization provides high, clinical-quality, pre-hospital care in the most economically feasible way possible.

According to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, EMSA is the lowest cost EMS provider in the state, Paluka said. Transport costs for other EMS service models are up to 80% higher than EMSA, based on Medicaid cost report data.

We remain committed to the Tulsa community and look forward to sharing the value of the EMSA model with Tulsa city councilors.

The other working group members include Tulsa Fire Department Capts. Justin Lemery and Mike Ward, and Councilors Vanessa Hall-Harper, Jeannie Cue and Christian Bengel.

Wright said the working group plans to meet weekly for at least the next two months before determining what the next step in the process will be.

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How China becomes a strong buttress to UN

Xinhua) 09:02, February 05, 2023

Photo taken on Sept. 14, 2020 shows the outside view of the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- "A strong buttress to the blue flag (of the UN)" was how Csaba Korosi, president of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), depicted China in late September last year.

The UN official, who took the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China back then to acknowledge the country's contribution to promoting development and prosperity, gave credit to China's strong support of the United Nations one more time on Thursday.

China is an important partner of the United Nations, Korosi said as he is visiting the country from Wednesday to Saturday at the invitation of Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.

There are good reasons for Korosi's comments. China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the first country to put its signature on the UN Charter, has been firmly supporting the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law, and helping build a more peaceful and better world with its wisdom and solutions.

KEY FORCE FOR WORLD PEACE

Founded at the end of World War II, the United Nations bears the expectation of all for permanent peace. Sharing its vision of maintaining peace and stability, China believes that peace is the most precious, and has practiced "harmony without uniformity" since antiquity.

Since the founding of the United Nations, China has actively participated in the political settlement of major regional hotspot issues, including the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the Iran nuclear issue, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and the Palestine-Israel issue.

It has been upholding the authority and unity of the UN Security Council, and supporting UN mediation in accordance with its mandate. It has also played an active role in the international arms control and disarmament process, and has acceded to dozens of international arms control treaties and mechanisms, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

In response to mounting conflicts and security challenges in today's world, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI) at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022.

The GSI has won wide recognition from the international community, including the United Nations. The initiative advocates that humanity is an indivisible security community. It offers Chinese wisdom to bridge the peace deficit of mankind, and contributes Chinese solutions to address global security challenges.

Regarding the ongoing Ukraine crisis, China decides its position and policy based on the merits of the matter concerned, upholds objectivity and fairness, and actively promotes peace talks.

"China's idea of being a builder of world peace, contributor to global development, defender of the international order and provider of public goods are consistent with the ideals of the UN Charter," former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said.

ENGINE OF GLOBAL GROWTH

"Facing the severe shocks of COVID-19, we need to work together to steer global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth. To this end, I would like to propose a Global Development Initiative (GDI)," Xi put forward this idea for the first time at the general debate of the 76th session of the UNGA in September 2021.

The initiative aims to stay committed to development as a priority, to a people-centered approach, to benefits for all, to innovation-driven development, to harmony between man and nature and to results-oriented actions.

The GDI has yielded preliminary results. To date, more than 100 countries and a number of international organizations, including the United Nations, have committed support to the GDI, and close to 70 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the GDI.

A Global Development Promotion Center was created, with 31 countries and regional organizations joining its network. A Global Development Project Pool was set up, with the first list of 50 projects launched. A total of 1,000 human resources training programs have been conducted, including more than 50 member countries of the Group of Friends of the GDI.

Meanwhile, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has become a popular international platform to promote the public good and cooperation since it was proposed 10 years ago, covering two thirds of countries and a third of international organizations in the world.

China's development and contributions will benefit many countries as the world's population exceeds 8 billion, said Natalia Kanem, executive director of the UN Population Fund.

MAKING THE WORLD LESS POOR

"China has met the basic living needs of its 1.3 billion-plus people and lifted over 700 million people out of poverty, which is a significant contribution to the global cause of human rights," said Xi in his keynote speech at the UN Office at Geneva in January 2017.

In December 2020, China announced that it has accomplished its poverty alleviation target of the new era as scheduled. During eight years of sustained work, China has lifted its entire rural poor population under the current standard out of poverty.

Poverty is a chronical problem in human society. China is ready to share its experiences with the rest of the world for the global cause of poverty alleviation.

In recent years, China has supported the development of developing countries through "six 100 projects" -- 100 poverty reduction projects, 100 agricultural cooperation projects, 100 aid for trade projects, 100 ecological conservation and climate change response projects, 100 hospitals and clinics, and 100 schools and vocational training centers.

In Asia, China carried out the East Asia Poverty Reduction Demonstration Cooperation Technical Assistance Projects program in the rural communities of Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

In Africa, China has helped African countries build water conservancy infrastructure, set up demonstration zones for agricultural cooperation, and carried out China-Africa cooperation projects involving a Chinese-invented technology using grass to grow mushrooms.

In the South Pacific region, China has carried out technical cooperation assistance projects in infrastructure construction, agriculture and medical care.

In Latin America, China has built agricultural technology demonstration centers to help local people in recipient countries shake off poverty.

Commenting on China's poverty reduction drive, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said those achievements are "the biggest contribution for dramatical reduction of poverty."

FIGHTING COVID TOGETHER

"People of different countries have come together. With courage, resolve and compassion which lit the dark hour, we have confronted the disaster head on. The virus will be defeated. Humanity will win this battle," Xi said in a statement at the general debate of the 75th session of the UNGA in September 2020, when the world was ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has been sharing with the world its experience in fighting against the virus in a timely manner, assisting other countries with much-needed supplies, and actively engaging in global anti-pandemic cooperation.

So far, it has provided anti-pandemic supplies to 153 countries and 15 international organizations, and co-hosted more than 300 exchange activities on epidemic prevention and control and medical treatment with over 180 countries and regions and more than 10 international organizations.

China is also the first country to propose COVID-19 vaccines as a global public good, support vaccine intellectual property rights exemption, and champion cooperation on vaccine production with developing countries, which has injected strong impetus into bridging the global immunization gap. Applying Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the treatment of COVID-19 infections, the country has introduced TCM techniques to more than 150 countries and regions, and offered ready-for-use TCM to those in need.

Lauding China's help for developing countries in their fight against the pandemic, Romina Sudack, a member of the Study Group on China and Argentina of the National University of Rosario, said China has been implementing the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind with concrete actions.

CHAMPION OF GLOBAL CLIMATE GOVERNANCE

Championing the vision of ecological conservation, China has become a solid contributor to tackling climate change and the betterment of global climate governance.

And the Chinese president has on multiple occasions elaborated on China's propositions on jointly building a clean and beautiful world for all countries.

"Clear waters and green mountains are as good as mountains of gold and silver. We must maintain harmony between man and nature and pursue sustainable development," Xi said at the UN Office at Geneva in 2017.

In the past decade, China made historic contributions to the conclusion and quick implementation of the Paris Agreement, was among the first to adopt and release the country's National Plan on Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and implement the obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

China also announced 1+N policies for peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality with clear timetables and roadmaps. The country has become a world leading player in renewable energy, and is mounting consistent efforts to tap the potential of a green BRI.

As the largest developing country, China is striving to build a community of life for man and nature with unprecedented ambition and action to help achieve sustainable development worldwide.

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell spoke highly of China's firm and consistent stand on actively tackling climate change, as well as its moves to turn climate commitments into concrete actions.

At a time when the world is facing an energy crisis, China continues to make solid progress in dealing with climate change and plays an important role in advancing the global response to climate change, Stiell said.

(Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Wu Chaolan)
CANBERRA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Australian Health Minister Mark Butler has identified attracting more foreign doctors as key to fixing the country's health system.

The minister said on Sunday that a review into general practice (GP) should investigate ways to attract more foreign health workers to Australia and have their existing qualification recognized.

Federal, state and territory leaders agreed on Friday to the review of GP before they address widespread problems in the health system later this year.

A separate report on Medicare, Australia's universal health care system, made recommendations to improve the accessibility and affordability of health care.

Butler, who has said Medicare is in the worst condition in its 40-year history, believed attracting more GPs would relieve pressure on the whole system.

"It's about going overseas and recruiting as an Australian healthcare system doctors and nurses and other health care professionals to come to Australia," he told Sky News Australia.

"I think the premiers and chief ministers recognised that last week, they're seeing the pressure on their hospital systems because of the problems in general practice. If we don't turn that around, then the whole of our healthcare system is going to be under enormous pressure."

Additionally, the government has flagged giving pharmacists the ability to prescribe medications for common conditions rather than requiring a GP visit.

According to the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA), the measure would circumvent 6.5 million GP visits every year.

Butler said it "doesn't make sense" to have health workers not working to the full extent of their training. 
Fourth District Congressman Tom Cole likes to tell the story of how, in his second term almost two decades ago, he was asked by then-Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois if he wanted to join the Rules Committee.

Not really, said Cole.

Tom, thats not the appropriate answer, replied Hastert.

That inauspicious fork in the road 18 years ago has brought Cole to an important position in this, the 118th Congress, as Rules chairman.

Historically, Rules has been unofficially known as the Speakers Committee. Speakers, regardless of the party in power, have stocked it with like-minded loyalists in order to advance majority leaderships priorities.

The narrow Republican majority in the 118th Congress, though, gave a small number of fiscal hawks not entirely in tune with caucus Leader Kevin McCarthy the leverage to wheedle three spots on Rules in exchange for letting McCarthy become speaker.

The placement of those three on the committee that decides the conditions, or rules, by which bills are considered on the House floor has caused a great deal of hand-wringing inside the Washington Beltway. Combined with the Democratic minority, the three could theoretically keep legislation bottled up.

But Cole doesnt think it will happen.

I actually dont think it will be much different, he said in a telephone interview with the Tulsa World last week. A lot of people thought that somehow these three would work to control the agenda. But  theyre not going to vote down Republican bills that are coming out of committee and that have been approved by an overwhelming majority of Republicans on that committee.

Rules has only 13 members, and unlike other committees it is not divided proportionately. So, while Republicans have only a 222-213 overall House majority, they have a 9-4 advantage when it comes to deciding how bills will be heard on the floor.

This includes determining which amendments, if any, will be considered and whether there will be debate and for how long.

It puts the majority party in an extremely powerful position, said Cole.

Still, it is up to Cole to balance the demands of the nine Republican members enough that three of them dont join with the four Democrats to effectively block majority legislation.

Occasionally, youll get a few people who try  to leverage their position, and that can be a problem, Cole said. Ive seen the Democrats have to pull bills from the floor because they couldnt pass the rule, but that is a rare occurrence.

The only danger youd have is that some (Republicans) vote against the rule because they thought either the bill or the rule was not conservative enough, and the Democrats vote against it because its too conservative, Cole said. Theoretically, that sort of alliance could shape up, but it almost never does. Ive never see it happen in Rules.  Every (majority member) will vote for the rule, even if theyre going to vote against the underlying legislation.

In a recent interview, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of the three contrarians appointed to the committee, seemed in accord with Coles assessment.

Im ready and fully prepared to vote for rules on bills that Ill be a hell no on the bill when it gets to the floor, Massie told The Hill.

One of the demands of the Republican holdouts, which included new 2nd District Congressman Josh Brecheen, was for a more open rule policy, meaning more amendments.

In the first week of business, the House considered a bill under an open rule for the first time in seven years. That meant any and all amendments could be brought forward  and almost 150 were.

To what degree that will continue remains to be seen, but Cole said he favors a more open process because it allows for a more careful examination of legislation.

Unusually, Cole is actually wielding two gavels this Congress. He is also one of the 12 Cardinals  chairman of an appropriations subcommittee. This term hes switched to Transportation, Housing and Urban Development after terming out as the top Republican on the panel overseeing research and human services.

That is one of the reasons Cole, an historian by training, says Oklahomas House delegation may be in its strongest position since the late Carl Albert was speaker in the 1970s and Oklahoma had six instead of five members. He points out Oklahoma has two full committee chairs while Florida, with 20 members, has none.

Besides Cole, 3rd District Congressman Frank Lucas is chairing the Science committee and is back on Agriculture, which he formerly chaired, just in time to help write a new Farm Bill. Lucas is also on Financial Services, where he is involved in writing new crypto-currency regulations.

First District Congressman Kevin Hern is on Ways and Means, which writes tax policy, and is chairman of the influential Republican Study Committee.

Fifth District Congresswoman Stephanie Bice, in her second term, has just joined Cole on Appropriations, giving Oklahoma two seats on that top-tier committee for the first time since the 1990s.

Bice will also chair a small House Administration subcommittee.

Brecheen, as first-term member, hasnt much seniority but did exert some influence during his first week in office by joining the small group withholding speaker votes in exchange for concessions on rules.

On Rules, though, Cole said a member can impact almost any piece of legislation by adding a little something to it.

You probably know more about whats happening in Congress, across the board, from this committee than from any other committee.

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15 years ago today, Oklahomans turned out in record numbers on a cool, wet day to cast their votes in the most competitive race in two generations for presidential nominations.

For the Republicans, U.S. Sen. John McCain held off former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. McCain finished with 37 percent  close to his figures in recent polls Huckabee added 10 percentage points to his latest polling numbers and finished with 33 percent, or a little more than 11,000 votes behind McCain.

On the Democrats' side, Hillary Clinton swamped the eventual Democrat nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, 55 percent to 32 percent. Former Sen. John Edwards, who suspended his campaign a week ahead of the primary, got 10 percent.

See photos of Hillary Clinton and John McCain's past visits to the state below:

Throwback Tulsa: Clinton, Trump have Oklahoma connections
After the federal government announced plans in 1937 to build a massive new lake in northeastern Oklahoma, a petition circulated in Tulsa to name it after the states most famous native son.

Will Rogers Lake was going to cover more than 46,000 acres in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains northeast of Tulsa, where the Roosevelt administration saw potential to help Oklahoma recover from the Great Depression by boosting the states tourism industry.

Of course, it would also generate electricity for the region and provide flood control. But from the very beginning, the lake was always intended to attract visitors from surrounding states to help diversify the states economy, which relied too much on oil and agriculture, officials said at the time.

Rogers, who had died in a plane crash only a couple of years earlier, remained one of the most recognizable celebrities in the world, a movie star of almost incomparable fame, who was universally associated with Oklahoma.

The name would give the states new lake a powerful brand that would appeal to tourists, proponents argued. And for a while, Rogers Lake seemed very likely to become official.

Then the Tulsa World invited letters to the editor to suggest alternatives.

Popular candidates included Magic Empire Lake, a reference to an early nickname for Tulsa, and Indian Lake, in homage to the states Native American heritage. Others wanted to call it New Deal Lake in gratitude to President Franklin Roosevelt or Mid-Continent Lake to emphasize Oklahomas location.

But Christian Jensen, secretary of the Oklahoma Park and Forestry Association, argued in favor of calling it Grand Lake.

The idea wasnt exactly original  Grand River was being dammed to create the lake and Grand had been one of the first suggestions for the lakes name. But Jensen subtly pointed out that Grand Lake avoided the political overtones that some of the other names carried.

The name Grand is the greatest name applicable to any earthly thing or place, Jensen wrote in December 1937. It is universal and signifies something great and fine, useful and beautiful.

Tulsa resident E.E. Coates wrote in favor of Grand as well.

Grand Lake on a Grand River in a grand state, Coates wrote. Surely no name could be grander.

Grand Lake O the Cherokees, as it ultimately became known, officially opened in May 1947, five years behind schedule thanks to construction delays during World War II. Five thousand people came to hear Gov. Roy Turners dedication speech, which emphasized the potential for tourist dollars to forever change the area.

Within a short distance of where I am standing, Turner said from behind the podium, there are many acres of beautifully wooded but undeveloped land.

Seventy-six years later, development continues and is even picking up pace. Lake Homes Realty, the countrys largest lake-focused real estate broker, recently included Grand Lake at No. 4 on a national list of Hot Lakes for 2023.

Would it be even more popular if it was called Rogers Lake? No one will ever know.

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The president of the United States knew about the presence of the Chinese spy balloon for several days before it was spotted drifting over Montana.

But, the White House wanted to keep it secret fearing news of the surveillance balloon would sabotage Secretary of State Antony Blinkens planned diplomatic trip to China, the first such visit in five years, Bloomberg News has reported. Blinken was to go to China on Friday.

That changed when on Wednesday Billings Gazette photographer Larry Mayer, responding to vague reports that the airspace around Billings had been closed, photographed an odd glowing orb high in the sky.

Using a large telephoto lens, Mayer discovered it was high-altitude balloon powered by a large solar array. The balloon was also photographed by Billings videographer and former Gazette online editor Chase Doak.

The Gazettes publication of those photos, connecting them to the closed airspace and the fighter jets being scrambled to track the balloon, was quickly picked up by other media around the world  and the White House.

By Thursday evening, China acknowledged the balloon was theirs, but insisted it was a harmless weather balloon that had simply blown off course.

The Pentagon wasnt buying it.

We know its a surveillance balloon, and we know that it has violated U.S. airspace, and violated international law, which is unacceptable, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told a packed news conference Friday morning.

The White House was especially alarmed the balloon was hovering over a part of Montana that houses intercontinental nuclear missile silos.

During that Pentagon press conference, military officials said it wasnt the first time foreign surveillance balloons had been spotted over the United States. Asked why the Pentagon disclosed the most recent balloon and not the others, the brigadier general cited the publicity generated by the photos being published around the world as playing a role.

Were certainly aware of photos of it being posted online, he said.

Before the press conference had ended, Blinkens trip to Beijing had been abandoned.

On Saturday, the Associated Press reported, federal officials confirmed U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft shot down the balloon off the Carolina coast. Federal authorities cleared the airspace and water surrounding the balloon prior to its downing.

The balloon, which traveled most of its distance across the U.S at an altitude as high as 60,000 feet, has been described as being the size of four school buses. Shooting it down would cause debris that could kill civilians and damage property, the Pentagon said. Since passing over Montana, the balloon has traveled into the eastern part of the nation, said Brig. Gen. Ryder.

On Friday, the Pentagon also acknowledged its aware of a second balloon flying somewhere over Latin America.

Montana Sen. Jon Tester, chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said he will hold a hearing to demand answers from the Biden Administration about the spy balloon.

I will be pulling people before my committee to get real answers on how this happened, and how we can prevent it from ever happening again, Tester said.
ESGphobic: State Treasurer Todd Russ last week began the states inquisition of financial institutions in order to identify those deemed insufficiently supportive of oil and gas.

Under legislation approved last year, the treasurer is required to determine which banks and investment firms doing business with the state boycott energy companies and begin the process of terminating the states relationship with them.

To do this, Russ has sent questionnaires to suspected violators asking for information about their environmental, social and governance policies.

ESG, as its known, has become a target for the oil and gas industry and conservative politicians because, in theory, it includes environmental, social and governance factors in investment decisions.

One result is a constriction of investment in fossil fuel industries.

Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, the author of last years legislation, said at the time he didnt think the state should support financial institutions with policies contrary to the states dominant economic sector.

Interestingly, some on the left are also critical of ESG  because, they say, most companies with ESG policies dont really follow them.

There are also arguments that neither ESG nor anti-ESG legislation is exactly fiscally or legally sound. Investment decisions, whether by government or private entity, are supposed to be based on best returns.

The highest-profile target of the anti-ESG movement is the investment giant BlackRock, which holds 60% of the Oklahoma Public Employee Retirement System portfolio, according to Russ.

Moodys rates BlackRock Aa3, the highest possible for an investment firm. So forcing OPERS to divest itself of Black Rock could have a noticeable impact on the primary pension system for state employees.

Judgment calls: Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously summarized the difficulty in defining obscenity thusly: I know it when I see it.

This was in 1964, in the landmark Jacobellis v. Ohio, when seven of the nine justices ruled that Louis Malles The Lovers was not obscene but could not agree why.

Sixty years later, the Oklahoma Legislature is still struggling with the definition of what is, if not obscene, at least inappropriate for minors. Lawmakers are pretty sure schools and libraries are providing kids with things they shouldnt but cant agree on what exactly is and isnt appropriate.

State Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, wants newspapers and television to decide.

His Senate Bill 1056 would define as obscene anything that one or more news outlets or secular print outlets would refuse to print or communicate because the material is inappropriate, vulgar or  too sexually explicit.

Meetings and events: Route 66 Alliance Executive Director Ken Busby is featured speaker for Heart of the Party, the Tulsa Chapter of the Oklahoma Federation of Democratic Women, 6:30 p.m., Monday, at Baxters Interurban, 717 S. Houston Ave.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs will hold a public meeting on proposed changes to rules related to the leasing of Osage mineral rights at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, at the Osage Casino and Hotel, 5591 W. Rogers Boulevard, Skiatook.

AARP Oklahoma is hosting a Facebook Live presentation at 10 a.m. Thursday with Executive Director Sean Voskuhl discussing the state organizations advocacy work. The program will include a question and answer period and is open to the public at Facebook.com/AARPOK.

The Tulsa County Democratic Party has scheduled a series of informational meetings ahead of spring precinct meetings:

- 6:30 p.m., Feb. 16, Peggy Helmerich Library, 5131 E. 91st St.

- 2 p.m., Feb. 28, Tulsa County Democratic Party Headquarters, 3930 E. 31st St.

- Noon, March 8, Zoom.

- 6:30 p.m., March 9, Rudisill Library, 1520 N. Hartford Ave.

- 2 p.m., March 11, TCDP Headquarters.

- Noon, March 14, Zoom.

Campaigns and elections: A panel discussion on State Question 820, which would legalize recreational medical marijuana, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, Learning Center Room 145.

Panelists are Tulsa County Health Department Executive Director Bruce Dart, Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, Oklahoma Policy Institute Criminal Justice Policy Analyst Damion Shade and Yes on 820 Campaign Director Michelle Tilley.

The program is sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

Gov. Kevin Stitt and First Lady Sarah Stitt joined the Republicans at the state Capitol lining up in support of Maressa Treat, wife of Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, for Oklahoma County Clerk.

Bottom lines: Americans United for Separation of Church and State urged state officials to disregard a decision by former Oklahoma Attorney John OConnor that would make it easier for religion-sponsored schools to receive state aid.  Current Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond joined a federal lawsuit filed in Texas over the scope of the federal governments authority to declare a public health emergency.  Drummond also jumped on the pile of state officials trying to stop relisting of the lesser prairie chicken as an endangered species.  2022 U.S. Senate candidate Jackson Lahmeyers Sheridan Church has affiliated with the Christian Nationalist organization Ekklesia of Oklahoma.  The National Governors Association meets next weekend in Washington.

 Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World

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Vietnam set a target to earn US$393-394 billion in export revenue in 2023, up $22 billion or six percent over last year, said Phan Van Chinh, head of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. At a conference on domestic production and consumption promotion and export market expansion held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on Friday, Chinh said that the target is challenging as the local export sector has been facing many shortcomings, such as high but unsustainable growth and trade deficits with some large markets. To reach the target, the industry and trade sector should take measures to boost exports, and bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities to seek new markets and exploit the export potential of sectors in which Vietnam has advantages, Chinh added. In addition, it is essential to foster trade promotion in the domestic market and the distribution of goods via digital and e-commerce platforms to encourage consumption and develop local brands. At the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the industry and trade sector to continue expanding export markets. According to the government leader, Vietnams exports remain reliant on foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises, which needs adjusting. Moreover, it is a must to diversify markets, products, and supply chains, and convert from unofficial to official exports. Chinh also stressed the need to encourage local consumers to use made-in-Vietnam products. He required completing energy development plans with a focus on the appropriateness of electricity prices to the economys resistance, removing difficulties and boosting production in association with digital transformation. Meanwhile, Vu Ba Phu, head of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that despite multiple programs to develop the local and foreign markets, the countrys capital for these programs has been kept at VND136 billion (some $5.7 million) per year, which is unreasonable. Meanwhile, other countries have spent big on trade promotion activities, such as Thailand with $74.6 million, China with $15 million, and South Korea with $330 million. The small capital has hindered Vietnams trade promotion programs. Therefore, Phu proposed increasing the investment in trade promotion and market development to support export enterprises. Vietnam generated import-export turnover of $732 billion last year, up 10 percent year on year. Of the total, the country exported $371.5 billion worth of products, rising 10.5 percent. The country enjoyed a trade surplus for the seventh consecutive year, at nearly $11 billion, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnam set a target to earn US$393-394 billion in export revenue in 2023, up $22 billion or six percent over last year, said Phan Van Chinh, head of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

At a conference on domestic production and consumption promotion and export market expansion held by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on Friday, Chinh said that the target is challenging as the local export sector has been facing many shortcomings, such as high but unsustainable growth and trade deficits with some large markets.

To reach the target, the industry and trade sector should take measures to boost exports, and bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities to seek new markets and exploit the export potential of sectors in which Vietnam has advantages, Chinh added.

In addition, it is essential to foster trade promotion in the domestic market and the distribution of goods via digital and e-commerce platforms to encourage consumption and develop local brands.

At the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested the industry and trade sector to continue expanding export markets.

According to the government leader, Vietnams exports remain reliant on foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises, which needs adjusting.

Moreover, it is a must to diversify markets, products, and supply chains, and convert from unofficial to official exports.

Chinh also stressed the need to encourage local consumers to use made-in-Vietnam products.

He required completing energy development plans with a focus on the appropriateness of electricity prices to the economys resistance, removing difficulties and boosting production in association with digital transformation.

Meanwhile, Vu Ba Phu, head of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that despite multiple programs to develop the local and foreign markets, the countrys capital for these programs has been kept at VND136 billion (some $5.7 million) per year, which is unreasonable.

Meanwhile, other countries have spent big on trade promotion activities, such as Thailand with $74.6 million, China with $15 million, and South Korea with $330 million.

The small capital has hindered Vietnams trade promotion programs.

Therefore, Phu proposed increasing the investment in trade promotion and market development to support export enterprises.

Vietnam generated import-export turnover of $732 billion last year, up 10 percent year on year.

Of the total, the country exported $371.5 billion worth of products, rising 10.5 percent.

The country enjoyed a trade surplus for the seventh consecutive year, at nearly $11 billion, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A 16-year-old girl died on Saturday after being mauled by a shark in a river in Western Australia's state capital Perth after she jumped in the water to swim with a pod of dolphins. Police said they were called to the scene of the attack about 3:45 p.m. Saturday (0745 GMT) near a traffic bridge in the Swan River, in the Fremantle port area of Perth. The girl was pulled from the water with critical injuries and she died at the scene, police said in a statement. Police believe the victim was with friends and jumped off a jet ski to swim with a pod of dolphins in the river when the shark attack occurred. Authorities were not sure what kind of shark attacked the girl, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported. People were being urged to take extra caution in the Swan River around Fremantle in the wake of the mauling. The last fatal shark attack in Western Australian waters was in November 2021 when a 57-year-old man was killed by a great white shark at Perth's Port Beach. A man was severely injured by a bull shark while swimming in the Swan River in January 2021. More than 100 species of shark live in the waters of Western Australia - the nation's largest state, with bull sharks often found many kilometres upriver. The risk of shark attacks in the state is low, according to the state government, which has set up a dedicated shark response unit to work with first responders on shark incidents. On the east coast, several Sydney beaches, including the iconic Bondi and Bronte, were shut down last February after a swimmer was killed in a shark attack, the first such fatality at the city's beaches in nearly 60 years. Australia ranked behind only the United States in the number of unprovoked shark bites on humans in 2021, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.

A 16-year-old girl died on Saturday after being mauled by a shark in a river in Western Australia's state capital Perth after she jumped in the water to swim with a pod of dolphins.

Police said they were called to the scene of the attack about 3:45 p.m. Saturday (0745 GMT) near a traffic bridge in the Swan River, in the Fremantle port area of Perth.

The girl was pulled from the water with critical injuries and she died at the scene, police said in a statement.

Police believe the victim was with friends and jumped off a jet ski to swim with a pod of dolphins in the river when the shark attack occurred.

Authorities were not sure what kind of shark attacked the girl, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported.

People were being urged to take extra caution in the Swan River around Fremantle in the wake of the mauling.

The last fatal shark attack in Western Australian waters was in November 2021 when a 57-year-old man was killed by a great white shark at Perth's Port Beach.

A man was severely injured by a bull shark while swimming in the Swan River in January 2021.

More than 100 species of shark live in the waters of Western Australia - the nation's largest state, with bull sharks often found many kilometres upriver.

The risk of shark attacks in the state is low, according to the state government, which has set up a dedicated shark response unit to work with first responders on shark incidents.

On the east coast, several Sydney beaches, including the iconic Bondi and Bronte, were shut down last February after a swimmer was killed in a shark attack, the first such fatality at the city's beaches in nearly 60 years.

Australia ranked behind only the United States in the number of unprovoked shark bites on humans in 2021, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.
Read what is in the news today in Vietnam: Politics -- Former State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, at a ceremony to hand over work to Acting State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan on Saturday, said he was aware of his responsibility for letting some officials commit violations that caused serious consequences, so he tendered his resignation from all posts to retire. He added that his family, wife, and children were not involved in corruption related to a COVID-19 test kit scam at Ho Chi Minh City-based Viet A Technology Corporation. Society -- Dien Bien Phu City and some adjacent districts in Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam on Saturday evening experienced hail accompanied by a thunderstorm for 20 minutes. -- Ho Chi Minh City has failed to attract excellent university graduates and young officials to its administrative agencies since 2018, according to the municipal Department of Home Affairs. -- Hundreds of bus stops in Ho Chi Minh City have been repaired and upgraded, which will help improve the citys public transport services. Business -- Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, at a conference held in Khanh Hoa Province on Saturday to seek ways to develop agriculture on Vietnams south-central coast, called on localities to develop agriculture in association with tourism, saying this is the orientation of the sector in the future. -- Vietnam set a target to earn US$393-394 billion in export revenue in 2023, up six percent over last year, Phan Van Chinh, head of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said at a conference on Friday, adding that the target is challenging. -- Vietnam had attracted new registered foreign investment totaling $1.69 billion in the year to January 20, with Singapore being the largest foreign investor with a proportion of 63.7 percent, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Lifestyle -- Mu Cang Chai Rice Terrace Fields in Yen Bai Province and Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, both in northern Vietnam, have been listed among the 40 most colorful destinations in the world by luxury and lifestyle travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Read what is in the news today in Vietnam:

Politics

-- Former State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, at a ceremony to hand over work to Acting State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan on Saturday, said he was aware of his responsibility for letting some officials commit violations that caused serious consequences, so he tendered his resignation from all posts to retire. He added that his family, wife, and children were not involved in corruption related to a COVID-19 test kit scam at Ho Chi Minh City-based Viet A Technology Corporation.

Society

-- Dien Bien Phu City and some adjacent districts in Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam on Saturday evening experienced hail accompanied by a thunderstorm for 20 minutes.

-- Ho Chi Minh City has failed to attract excellent university graduates and young officials to its administrative agencies since 2018, according to the municipal Department of Home Affairs.

-- Hundreds of bus stops in Ho Chi Minh City have been repaired and upgraded, which will help improve the citys public transport services.

Business

-- Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, at a conference held in Khanh Hoa Province on Saturday to seek ways to develop agriculture on Vietnams south-central coast, called on localities to develop agriculture in association with tourism, saying this is the orientation of the sector in the future.

-- Vietnam set a target to earn US$393-394 billion in export revenue in 2023, up six percent over last year, Phan Van Chinh, head of the Agency of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade said at a conference on Friday, adding that the target is challenging.

-- Vietnam had attracted new registered foreign investment totaling $1.69 billion in the year to January 20, with Singapore being the largest foreign investor with a proportion of 63.7 percent, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Lifestyle

-- Mu Cang Chai Rice Terrace Fields in Yen Bai Province and Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province, both in northern Vietnam, have been listed among the 40 most colorful destinations in the world by luxury and lifestyle travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A court in Japan has sentenced a Japanese man to life imprisonment for murdering and robbing a Vietnamese woman in early April last year. The defendant, 60-year-old Toshiie Yamaguchi, received the jail term at his trial opened at the Osaka Court in western Japan on Friday last week, according to the Vietnam News Agency. The victim was Vo Thi Le Q., a Vietnamese national who was killed at age 31. Yamaguchi was charged with murder and robbery, and concealment of the body of Q., according to the courts judgment. Q. was a part-time employee of a lunch box restaurant located on the first floor of a building in Osakas Yodogawa District, while Yamaguchi was a local office worker. The woman had lived in Japan for five years after graduating from a university in Vietnam, according to her husband, also a Vietnamese. On April 3 last year, after Q. was reported missing by her relatives, police came to the building for investigation and then discovered Yamaguchi lying unconscious with a neck stab wound in his flat on the second floor of the said building. A day later, Q.s body was found in a bag in the flat and an autopsy on the corpse confirmed that the woman had been killed. After Yamaguchi recovered from his wound, he confessed to investigators that he had killed Q. and hidden her body after she refused to lend him money when they met at his flat on an appointment. The man admitted to strangling Q. from behind to death and stole 26,000 Japanese yen in cash (about US$200) from her. He then used a bag and tape to hide her body. Regarding the mans neck injury, police said he could have committed suicide or wanted to create a false crime scene. At the trial, Yamaguchi firmly denied the charges of murder and robbery, but presiding judge Ayako Nakagawa rejected his arguments, affirming that the collected proof, including the images recorded by relevant security cameras, was enough to prove his crimes. The punishment for Yamaguchi was completely appropriate since he committed his crimes despicably, only for money, the judge concluded. Attending the hearing session, Q.s husband Pham Thanh Duy and the brother of the deceased said they were satisfied with the sentence, which helped partly relieve their great pain. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

A court in Japan has sentenced a Japanese man to life imprisonment for murdering and robbing a Vietnamese woman in early April last year.

The defendant, 60-year-old Toshiie Yamaguchi, received the jail term at his trial opened at the Osaka Court in western Japan on Friday last week, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The victim was Vo Thi Le Q., a Vietnamese national who was killed at age 31.

Yamaguchi was charged with murder and robbery, and concealment of the body of Q., according to the courts judgment.

Q. was a part-time employee of a lunch box restaurant located on the first floor of a building in Osakas Yodogawa District, while Yamaguchi was a local office worker.

The woman had lived in Japan for five years after graduating from a university in Vietnam, according to her husband, also a Vietnamese.

On April 3 last year, after Q. was reported missing by her relatives, police came to the building for investigation and then discovered Yamaguchi lying unconscious with a neck stab wound in his flat on the second floor of the said building.

A day later, Q.s body was found in a bag in the flat and an autopsy on the corpse confirmed that the woman had been killed.

After Yamaguchi recovered from his wound, he confessed to investigators that he had killed Q. and hidden her body after she refused to lend him money when they met at his flat on an appointment.

The man admitted to strangling Q. from behind to death and stole 26,000 Japanese yen in cash (about US$200) from her. He then used a bag and tape to hide her body.

Regarding the mans neck injury, police said he could have committed suicide or wanted to create a false crime scene.

At the trial, Yamaguchi firmly denied the charges of murder and robbery, but presiding judge Ayako Nakagawa rejected his arguments, affirming that the collected proof, including the images recorded by relevant security cameras, was enough to prove his crimes.

The punishment for Yamaguchi was completely appropriate since he committed his crimes despicably, only for money, the judge concluded.

Attending the hearing session, Q.s husband Pham Thanh Duy and the brother of the deceased said they were satisfied with the sentence, which helped partly relieve their great pain.

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A pregnant woman was killed after a boat carrying 12 passengers capsized along a river in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday morning. A passenger boat was traveling along a section of Dong Nai River between Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai Province at around 9:30 am when it hit a barge and overturned, according to preliminary information. The location where the boat capsized was in the territory of Ho Chi Minh City. The location where the accident took place. Photo: A.B. / Tuoi Tre The boat was carrying 12 passengers from Chau Doc 3 Pagoda on Ba Xe Islet in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City to Xua Wharf in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province, a representative from the Dong Nai Department of Public Security stated. Meanwhile, the barge was carrying shipping containers in the opposite direction. Following the incident, the Dong Nai waterway police unit coordinated with their counterparts in Ho Chi Minh City to rescue the victims. Victims are brought ashore following the accident. Photo: A.B. / Tuoi Tre Eleven passengers were later brought to safety, while the remaining victim, 32-year-old Nguyen Thi Huong, was killed after being trapped inside the boat. An official from the Ho Chi Minh City waterway police unit confirmed that Huong was pregnant. All passengers were wearing life jackets prior to the incident, he added. Further investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the accident. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

A pregnant woman was killed after a boat carrying 12 passengers capsized along a river in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday morning.

A passenger boat was traveling along a section of Dong Nai River between Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai Province at around 9:30 am when it hit a barge and overturned, according to preliminary information.

The location where the boat capsized was in the territory of Ho Chi Minh City.

The location where the accident took place. Photo: A.B. / Tuoi Tre

The boat was carrying 12 passengers from Chau Doc 3 Pagoda on Ba Xe Islet in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City to Xua Wharf in Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province, a representative from the Dong Nai Department of Public Security stated.

Meanwhile, the barge was carrying shipping containers in the opposite direction.

Following the incident, the Dong Nai waterway police unit coordinated with their counterparts in Ho Chi Minh City to rescue the victims.

Victims are brought ashore following the accident. Photo: A.B. / Tuoi Tre

Eleven passengers were later brought to safety, while the remaining victim, 32-year-old Nguyen Thi Huong, was killed after being trapped inside the boat.

An official from the Ho Chi Minh City waterway police unit confirmed that Huong was pregnant.

All passengers were wearing life jackets prior to the incident, he added.

Further investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the accident.

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Dien Bien Phu City and some adjacent districts in Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam on Saturday evening experienced hail accompanied by a thunderstorm for 20 minutes. A representative of the provincial committee for natural disaster prevention and control told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the province was assessing the damage of the hail and thunderstorm. Traffic light poles and a welcome gate collapse in Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam, February 4, 2023. Photo: D.Bien / Tuoi Tre A resident of Dien Bien Phu City said the hail with hailstones as big as thumbs together with strong winds and a heavy rain started at about 6:00 pm, forcing many road users to seek shelter. Many trees were uprooted, crops were damaged, while traffic light poles and a welcome gate collapsed. In addition, some streets in Dien Bien Phu City, such as Vo Nguyen Giap and Hoang Van Thai, were inundated severely, causing difficulties in travel. The hail was heavy with hailstones as big as thumbs. Photo: D.Bien / Tuoi Tre The hail accompanied by a thunderstorm lasted for some 20 minutes. Photo: D.Bien / Tuoi Tre The hail and thunderstorm cause chaos on a street. Photo: D.Bien / Tuoi Tre Hailstones invade a local house. Photo: D.Bien / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Dien Bien Phu City and some adjacent districts in Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam on Saturday evening experienced hail accompanied by a thunderstorm for 20 minutes.

A representative of the provincial committee for natural disaster prevention and control told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the province was assessing the damage of the hail and thunderstorm.

Traffic light poles and a welcome gate collapse in Dien Bien Province, northern Vietnam, February 4, 2023. Photo: D.Bien / Tuoi Tre

A resident of Dien Bien Phu City said the hail with hailstones as big as thumbs together with strong winds and a heavy rain started at about 6:00 pm, forcing many road users to seek shelter.

Many trees were uprooted, crops were damaged, while traffic light poles and a welcome gate collapsed.

In addition, some streets in Dien Bien Phu City, such as Vo Nguyen Giap and Hoang Van Thai, were inundated severely, causing difficulties in travel.

The hail was heavy with hailstones as big as thumbs. Photo: D.Bien / Tuoi Tre

The hail accompanied by a thunderstorm lasted for some 20 minutes. Photo: D.Bien / Tuoi Tre

The hail and thunderstorm cause chaos on a street. Photo: D.Bien / Tuoi Tre

Hailstones invade a local house. Photo: D.Bien / Tuoi Tre

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Mu Cang Chai terraced rice fields and the famous UNESCO-listed world heritage site Ha Long Bay, both in northern Vietnam, have been placed in the 2023 list of the most splendid destinations in the world by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. This list includes 40 famous landmarks from around the world, selected by the U.S.-based travel magazine, based on their vibrant scenery, including those of the aforementioned attractions of Vietnam. As a small mountainous town of Yen Bai Province, Mu Cang Chai is located at the foot of the Hoang Lien Son Mountain, about 300km from Hanoi. The town has long been well known for its charming rice terraces that are beautiful year-round. This destination is widely famous for its impressive and spectacular pictures posted on the social network Instagram. The green shade of the terraced fields in spring, when the seedlings sprout from the water, will turn to brilliant yellow at the end of fall, when the harvest season comes. Visitors should visit this place in early October when the rice is about to be harvested to be able to admire the wonderful scenery. The best time to see the ripe rice is at sunrise and sunset. At Mu Cang Chai, visitors can pass the yellow hue rice terraces to meet and talk with local people belonging to different ethnic minority groups, such as Thai, HMong, and Dao Do. They can enjoy delicious, authentic meals that are prepared directly from farm to plate imbued with local characteristics. Meanwhile, Ha Long Bay, in Ha Long City of Quang Ninh Province, has been also honored by the magazine as an attractive destination, which has been voted by UNESCO as one of the most beautiful places in the world. Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognized World Natural Heritage Site, in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam is seen from above. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre Ha Long Bay is endowed with clear blue water and more than 1,900 large and small islands, creating magnificent and fascinating scenery. The bay, which was recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site in 1994, is also a destination not to be missed for those who love exploring nature. Tourists can take sightseeing tours by boat to indulge themselves in enjoying the quiet, romantic atmosphere of the elegant place. Victors can experience impressive moments when taking special tours using helicopters and hydroplanes to contemplate the bay from above. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Mu Cang Chai terraced rice fields and the famous UNESCO-listed world heritage site Ha Long Bay, both in northern Vietnam, have been placed in the 2023 list of the most splendid destinations in the world by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine.

This list includes 40 famous landmarks from around the world, selected by the U.S.-based travel magazine, based on their vibrant scenery, including those of the aforementioned attractions of Vietnam.

As a small mountainous town of Yen Bai Province, Mu Cang Chai is located at the foot of the Hoang Lien Son Mountain, about 300km from Hanoi.

The town has long been well known for its charming rice terraces that are beautiful year-round.

This destination is widely famous for its impressive and spectacular pictures posted on the social network Instagram.

The green shade of the terraced fields in spring, when the seedlings sprout from the water, will turn to brilliant yellow at the end of fall, when the harvest season comes.

Visitors should visit this place in early October when the rice is about to be harvested to be able to admire the wonderful scenery.

The best time to see the ripe rice is at sunrise and sunset.

At Mu Cang Chai, visitors can pass the yellow hue rice terraces to meet and talk with local people belonging to different ethnic minority groups, such as Thai, HMong, and Dao Do.

They can enjoy delicious, authentic meals that are prepared directly from farm to plate imbued with local characteristics.

Meanwhile, Ha Long Bay, in Ha Long City of Quang Ninh Province, has been also honored by the magazine as an attractive destination, which has been voted by UNESCO as one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO-recognized World Natural Heritage Site, in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam is seen from above. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

Ha Long Bay is endowed with clear blue water and more than 1,900 large and small islands, creating magnificent and fascinating scenery.

The bay, which was recognized by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site in 1994, is also a destination not to be missed for those who love exploring nature.

Tourists can take sightseeing tours by boat to indulge themselves in enjoying the quiet, romantic atmosphere of the elegant place.

Victors can experience impressive moments when taking special tours using helicopters and hydroplanes to contemplate the bay from above.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
2021 Block winners Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie have landed the hosting roles on 10s upcoming property series Location, Location, Location.

An adaptation of the UK original helping home buyers to retire, upsize or downsize, it was previously produced for Foxtel from 2012  2014.

We are so excited to be hosting Location, Location, Location. Its such a privilege to meet and help Aussies looking to find their new home in such a dynamic market, where hidden opportunities are just waiting to be found, they said.

Weve learnt a lot from our own experiences of searching, buying, renovating and selling properties. We know how to look through the staging to see what a property is really offering, the good and the bad, and seeing the opportunities that others might not see in an ugly duckling property that you can transform into a swan!

Weve loved watching the UK series, and now we are so thrilled to add our touch to the Aussie series. Its going to be so much fun sharing our experience and knowledge.

Daniel Monaghan, Senior Vice President, Content and Programming, Paramount ANZ, said: Mitch and Mark have really captured the nations heart and we are excited to have them join us here at 10. Their authentic, fun and warm approach makes them a perfect fit for the Network.

Mitch and Mark arent just expert renovators, theyve built successful careers in sales and marketing and their own property empire. Their unique backgrounds place them perfectly to shed some much needed light on Australias property market as they help Aussies make the most important purchase of their lives, plus we know theyll make it entertaining! Whats not to love?

Produced by Endemol Shine Australia, the series is now casting for homebuyers. Applicants must have all their finances in place and be ready to make an offer or bid at auction.

The series will screen later this year, rumoured for Friday nights on 10.
JAKARTA - The Vietnamese delegation to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat, led by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son, has actively contributed ideas to creating consensus on many important decisions such as measures to improve the group's institution effectiveness, implement the five-point consensus on the Myanmar issue, and support Timor Leste.

The statement was made on Saturday by Ambassador Vu Ho, acting head of SOM ASEAN Vietnam, in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Indonesia on the outcomes of the retreat.

Ambassador Ho said that the Vietnamese delegation not only discussed with other delegates to identify ASEAN's focuses and priorities, but also actively proposed many practical initiatives that are in line with the common concerns of other countries and the region.

Foreign Minister Son announced Viet Nam's plans to organise activities to promote inclusive recovery in ASEAN, respond to climate change, energy transition, as well as a number of cooperation activities with partners such as the Republic of Korea Day in ASEAN, and ASEAN-China meetings on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

At the event, the Vietnamese official emphasised the meaning of a Community that truly serves the people and benefits the people. Accordingly, he suggested ASEAN pay more attention to cooperation and equitable and inclusive development in sub-regions, contributing to ensuring that people enjoy equitably the fruits of the Community building process.

Minister Sn also raised Viet Nam's view and stance on many issues that directly affect ASEAN and peace and security in the region.

According to Ambassador Vu Ho, Viet Nam's opinions on the East Sea and Myanmar are assessed balanced and constructive, contributing to promoting the values of dialogue and cooperation, upholding international law, while promoting the spirit of solidarity and mutual assistance, and reinforcing ASEAN's principle stance.

He added that this ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat put forward important orientations for the groups activities in 2023.  VNS
A recent series by reporters for Lee Enterprises, the parent company of the Tribune-Herald, has highlighted overwhelmed and underfunded indigent defense systems across the West.

In McLennan County, opinions vary on the effectiveness of the system in place. Local officials in the judicial system, including court appointed attorneys, said defendants with court appointed representation can get a thorough and vigorous defense. Local NAACP leaders said the system should be studied thoroughly to determine whether a public defender office or some type of nonprofit defense for the indigent should be implemented.

The county does not have a public defender office. Instead, an indigent defense coordinator assigns cases on a rotating basis to a pool of private-practice defense attorneys who volunteer to take cases as they come up. Minimum trial experience requirements increase as the level of a defendants charge increases. Officials agreed that appointed attorneys are paid at rates that fall well short of market rates for a privately funded criminal defense attorney.

In the 2023 budget, the McLennan County Commissioners Court approved $6.4 million for the Criminal District Attorneys Office, and the Indigent Defense Coordinator has $5.6 million available, of which the county expects about $200,000 to $250,000 to be reimbursed by the state.

The district attorneys office prosecutes all misdemeanor and felony cases in the county. Court appointed attorneys only defend clients whose income and assets fall below 125% of the federal poverty level or who can show significant financial hardship because of other factors.

Data from the Texas Indigent Defense Commission shows the vast majority of felony charges, typically more than 90%, and between half and three quarters of misdemeanor charges in McLennan County were defended with appointed counsel between 2017 and 2021, the most recent data available. Commission data shows the countys total indigent defense spending was about $3.5 million per year between 2017 and 2019, then $2.6 million in 2020 and $2.8 million in 2021, when trials were severely limited by the pandemic.

Neither McLennan County Indigent Defense Coordinator Tami Parsons nor Judge Virgil Bain, who supervises the countys pre-trial office and the indigent defense coordinator, agreed to be interviewed for this article.

County Judge Scott Felton and County Administrator Dustin Chapman said the indigent defense system used in the county works fairly well.

Felton said cases handled by appointed attorneys and cases handled by privately funded attorneys in McLennan County have similar rates of reversal on appeal, indicating the quality of representation is the same.

Court appointed attorneys in McLennan County are paid a flat fee of $350 per misdemeanor plea, or $225 for a dismissal, and $800 per felony plea, or about $650 for a dismissal. Hourly rates for trials run as high as $125 per hour for first-degree felonies, less for less severe cases.

Court appointed attorneys in the county can also request money for paid investigators and paid experts in such fields as forensics or medicine.

Defense attorney Jonathan Sibley said all such requests he had made have been approved. Sometimes the experts are approved one stage at a time as he moves through as case, but he always has them when needed, he said.

The system also allows attorneys who do not properly defend their clients to be removed from the rotation.

Sibley said he knows of fewer than five attorneys who have been removed from the indigent defense rotation for cause.

McLennan County Criminal District Attorney Josh Tetens, who was a defense attorney himself from 2008 until he took office last month, also said the system in place works.

An indigent client in this county can get a defense attorney who is certified to try capital cases, Tetens said. He will work just as hard for them as he does for his paying clients.

Many defense attorneys who participate in the indigent defense program have more than a decade of experience and have tried hundreds of cases, Tetens said.

A defense attorney who takes court appointed appellate cases, Jessi Freud, said all the defense attorneys she knows who take appointed clients treat them the same and work just as hard for them as they do for retained clients.

Judge Thomas West of Wacos 19th State District Court said the county recently increased experience requirements for defense attorneys trying higher degree felonies.

McLennan County Commissioner Pat Miller said she looks to national and statewide trends indicating the system can be improved.

Our system is a part of the whole system, Miller said. Im starting from the fact that the United States leads the world in number of people incarcerated and that Texas has more incarcerated than any other state.

She said the publicly funded criminal defense system operates with one hand tied behind its back.

When a court appointed attorney in this country goes up against a fully funded DAs office, there is room for the justice system to be unfair, unjust and unconstitutional, Miller said.

Miller said she would like to see a public defender office in the county sized according to the proportion of indigent defendants in the county. It should be staffed with investigators and forensics experts just like the district attorneys office.

She said its attorneys and staff should be paid at the same rate as the district attorneys office.

Considering the low rate of pay for appointed attorneys and the high rate of cases resolved through plea deals, the system in McLennan County should be thoroughly studied, said Cris Houston, second vice-president of NAACP in Waco and an attorney herself.

Also, when defense attorneys have both retained clients and court appointed clients, the opportunity exists for them to work harder for the client who pays the market rate, Houston said.

She said court appointed defense attorneys are paid a third or less of the market rate.

A thorough study of the indigent defense system would require input from officials involved in the system and from members of the broader community, Houston said.

That means talking to defendants and their families, too, she said.

Houston said she would recommend adding a public defender office or a nonprofit that funds defense for indigent clients alongside the present system.
Loop 340 lane closures

The Texas Department of Transportation plans full main lane closures Monday and Tuesday nights on Highway 6/Loop 340 for the mall-to-mall project.

Full westbound closures will start at 7 p.m. Monday and conclude at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning. Westbound closures will run from North Old Robinson Road to the on-ramp just before Beverly Drive, including sections of frontage road, on-ramps and the direct connector from northbound I-35 to westbound Highway 6.

Various eastbound closures will start at 7 p.m. Tuesday and conclude at 7 a.m. Wednesday. Eastbound closures will run from the off-ramp to Exchange Parkway to the off-ramp just past Bagby Avenue. The eastbound on-ramp just before Bagby also will be closed.

The schedule is dependent on weather.

Bound for the Brave 5K

A Bound For The Brave 5K/10K Run will start at 8 a.m. Feb. 18 at the Woodway Public Safety Department, 920 Estates Drive.

All proceeds will be donated to the Texas Police Chiefs Association Foundation and the Heart of Texas 100 Club to assist families of first responders who were injured or killed in the line of duty.

Registration costs $30. To sign up, go to discoverwoodway.com/events or runsignup.com.

42 domino tournament

The annual Westphalia Knights of Columbus Council 42 Domino Tournament will be held Feb. 19 at the Westphalia Community Parish Hall on Highway 320 in Westphalia. Registration will start at 11:30 a.m., followed by play at 12:30. Each player will draw for a partner between rounds and will play four 30-minute rounds. Cost is $5 per player.

For more information, call 254-721-4443 or 254-985-2510.

Free legal clinic

Greater Waco Legal Services monthly free legal clinic will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Indian Spring Middle School, 500 N. University Parks Drive.

The clinic provides free 20-30 minute consultations on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information, call 254-733-2828 or email staff@greaterwacolegalservices.org.
LINCOLN  Nebraska State Sen. Tom Brewer faced questions in 2014 and 2016 over whether he lived in the Sandhills district he aimed to serve.

He won election and re-election despite those concerns. Now one of his constituents in Cherry County has filed a complaint with the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office and the Clerk of the Legislature.

Years of public records obtained in light of the complaint raise new questions about his residency.

Constitutional concerns

Chief among them: Did Brewer really make his main home in the three-bedroom, two-bathroom Sheridan County cabin built inside a machine shed in Gordon, Nebraska?

Or did he, as the records suggest, live primarily in his Cass County house, 300 miles southeast of District 43, which he was elected to represent?

If the Legislature determines that Brewer violated residency requirements in the Nebraska Constitution, he could forfeit his seat.

At issue is Article III, Section 8. It says no person elected (to the Legislature)  shall hold his office after he shall have removed (sic) from such district.

Citizen complaint

Valentine resident Sherri Bacon (no relation to U.S. Rep. Don Bacon), said she wants the Legislature to investigate whether Brewer is violating the requirements.

Bacon, who said she has gotten more active recently in local GOP politics, said she has struggled to get people in authority to take her complaint seriously.

Brewer is widely known in the state and well-liked among his conservative peers. He is known for stressing his military service.

But Bacon said Brewer made a legal mistake last summer when he registered to vote in Murdock, Nebraska, which is in Cass County in southeast Nebraska.

If those who make the laws and rules are exempt from following them, the citizens are nothing more than subjects, serfs, Bacon said. If law-abiding citizens remain silent, arent we making a mockery of the law?

Records raise issues

Brewer, asked to explain, said he was accidentally and automatically re-registered last year when he signed the Voter ID petition using his Cass County address.

However, records indicate that is not the case. Brewer signed a Voter ID petition for Sheridan County in April and listed his Sheridan County address.

Brewers voter registration shifted to Cass County on July 26, 2022, the Examiner confirmed, the same day he renewed his drivers license using his Cass County address.

He and his wife, Kelli, re-registered to vote in Sheridan County on Dec. 8, eight days after the Examiner contacted the Secretary of States Office to verify his registration in Cass County.

Brewer, who was told of the reporters inquiry, said he learned about the Cass County registration when he tried to vote in Sheridan County last fall and wasnt allowed.

Election records show he did not vote in the general election or request a provisional ballot, which is typically offered when someone tries to vote but cant.

Brewer had been registered to vote in Cass County from at least 1996 to 2013. He re-registered in Sheridan County before running for the U.S. House in 2013.

He is not the first state senator to be questioned about living outside of his or her district. Others include former Sens. Ernie Chambers and Tyson Larson.

But unlike them, Brewer registered to vote in a legislative district he does not represent.

Homestead exemption

Case law regarding the residency of political candidates have often hinged on a candidates domicile, the place where a person intends to return home.

The factors in such cases include voter registration records, drivers license records and real estate records.

Brewer received a homestead exemption for 100% of the property taxes on his Cass County house in 2022, the county assessors office confirmed.

Brewer had not applied for a similar homestead exemption on the Sheridan County property as of early January, a Sheridan County official verified.

The instructions for the homestead exemption application form say the applicant must verify that the exemption is for the persons primary home, meaning where the person lived from Jan. 1 to Aug. 15 that year.

Other records point to Cass

Most of the other types of public records that courts have used to verify residency in related cases point to Brewer living in Cass County.

For instance, his drivers license listed a Cass County address from at least 2012 to January 2023, the Examiner confirmed.

The majority of motor vehicles registered each year in Brewers name have listed Cass County addresses from 2011 through 2022. Midway through the decade, he registered some of those vehicles in Sheridan.

Brewers donations to federal political candidates in the Federal Election Commission database, including to former President Donald Trump, list the Cass County address.

Brewer says he splits time

Brewer, in an interview, acknowledged that he has spent less time in Sheridan County over the past year than normal, maybe two months.

He said he and his wife have spent more time in the Cass County home than in Sheridan over the past year, because he spent five months in Ukraine.

Asked where he makes his primary residence, Brewer said, It depends. He said he lives primarily in Sheridan County in years with short legislative sessions.

He said he lives primarily in Cass County in years with long legislative sessions, like this year.

He said he couldnt remember if he applied for a homestead exemption, but he said if he had, he would have sought it for the Cass County property because property taxes are higher there.

He said he grew up in the Sandhills and most of his family still lives in the area.

I wish I was there all the time, Brewer said of Gordon, in Sheridan County. Every weekend we have a three- or four-day weekend, Im out there, including this last one.

Legislature could act

Bacon has asked the Attorney Generals Office to investigate Brewer. The AGs office told her in September that only the Legislature can expel a member, based on the Constitution.

She wrote this month to the Clerk of the Legislature, who replied that she lacked standing to challenge Brewers residency and that only a losing candidate for the legislative district could file a formal complaint.

Brewer is term-limited from running again in 2024. He said last week he might run for a seat on the Nebraska Public Power District board.

That utility serves Gordon. The Omaha Public Power District serves Murdock. Under state law, he would need to live in a subdistrict he seeks to represent.
More than 3 million people in the U.S. are estimated to be living with glaucoma. By 2030, that number is expected to increase by 58% to more than 4.2 million people.

Glaucoma is an eye disease typically characterized by elevated pressure in the eye that causes damage to the optic nerve as well as defects in the field of vision. The increase in eye pressure is caused by a reduction in the ability of fluid to drain from the eye, the cause of which is unknown. However, as eye pressure increases, nerve cells (which carry the information we require to see) are damaged, and gradually begin to die, which causes the loss of vision.

Usually, peripheral vision or side vision is lost first. This often goes unnoticed. Ultimately, central or reading vision is affected. Blindness caused by glaucoma occurs in thousands of people every year and is the most common cause of blindness in African-Americans.

Glaucoma can develop at any age in life, from infancy through late life, though it most often affects people who are 45 or older. Groups at increased risk include people who have a family history of glaucoma; African and Hispanic Americans; people who have diabetes, hypertension, myopia (nearsightedness), poor ocular circulation or a previous eye injury; people who have used steroid/cortisone medications on a long-term basis, and people with elevated intraocular pressure.

Regular dilated eye examinations are required for early detection of glaucoma. When detected early, treatment can generally control glaucoma and prevent loss of vision. During the exam, a painless test to measure eye pressure is performed. Structures of the eye also are examined, including the optic nerve.

Other tests can detect damage to the field of vision. Visual field tests measure light sensitivity of your eye. Damage to the optic nerve caused by glaucoma produces a distinct pattern of visual field loss. Doctors can use the visual field to detect and follow the course of glaucoma over time.

Some patients can develop glaucoma without ever having high pressure. In other cases, individuals with elevated eye pressures may never develop glaucoma.

In most cases, glaucoma is a painless disease, so patients frequently are unaware that they have a problem until significant visual loss has already occurred. It has been estimated that half of those with glaucoma are unaware of their diagnosis. Unfortunately, visual loss caused by glaucoma is irreversible.

Current treatments include topical and/or oral medications, laser surgery or conventional surgery. The iStent Trabecular Micro-Bypass can be used to treat mild to moderate open-angle glaucoma. Inserted in conjunction with cataract surgery, the iStent works similarly to stents that prevent heart attacks and strokes. It creates a permanent opening through the blockage to improve the eyes natural outflow to lower eye pressure and help prevent further damage.

Based on the discretion of your doctor, the procedure may reduce the number of glaucoma medications you need. About 70% of patients are able to get rid of one eye drop after they receive the iStent.

A new novel treatment modality for glaucoma has been approved by the FDA to help patients who have a difficult time using eye drops. Durysta (bimatoprost implant) is a prescription medicine to reduce eye pressure in patients with glaucoma. With a quick office procedure, the Durysta implant can be inserted in the front chamber of the eye where it slowly releases the active medicine to help control the intraocular pressure.

Research is looking at the genetics of glaucoma, as well as examining certain neurotransmitters to determine the cause. Hopefully, this research will help identify the cause of glaucoma and improve methods of detection and treatment.

The material contained in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider.

Dr. Nikhil Wagle is board-certified with a fellowship in glaucoma. He sees patients at Eye Surgeons Associates in Rock Island and Bettendorf. For more information, visit esaeyecare.com.
WATERLOO  Waterloo residents stuff was safer in 2022, even though residents themselves were not.

The city saw a record drop in overall crime last year, led largely by an 8% dip in property crimes. But that decline was tempered by a record number of homicides during the same year.

The increase in violent crime appears consistent with preliminary national data reported throughout the country, Police Chief Joe Leibold said.

The Waterloo Police Department released its annual crime statistics Thursday, showing a 4% dip in overall reported crime but a 4% increase in violent crimes.

Total index crimes reported  homicide, robbery, rape, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft  were at their lowest point in at least 17 years, according to Courier archives.

In 2022, some 1,722 index crimes were reported. This in a city that usually sees anywhere from 1,859 to 3,162 index crimes annually, going back to 2006.

Burglary and larceny  a term for theft  saw significant drops in 2022.

The biggest decline in larceny came from a drop in stolen automobile parts, according to the numbers. Thieves struck vehicles 155 times in 2021, usually cutting off catalytic converters to sell as scrap for valuable metals inside.

In late November 2021, investigators began making arrests in a converter theft ring, charging about a dozen people. As a result, reports of stolen auto parts dropped to 70 in 2022, a 55% decrease.

Meanwhile, burglaries saw a 9% drop  from 415 to 375  a record low looking back more than 15 years. Rural Black Hawk County saw a corresponding drop in burglary reports, according to numbers released by the sheriffs office last month.

Aggravated assaults were up. Rapes and robberies were down.

I am also happy to see a reduction in sexual assaults. These numbers often get lost in the data, but having worked many of them over the years, there is no more personal offense than sexual assault, Leibold said.

Homicides were at an all-time high in 2022, tying 1993 for the most violent year in recent memory.

Nine people lost their lives to violence last year. So far, police have made arrests for murder or related charges in five of the deaths.

Courtney Lamont Harris, 18, was shot and killed while sitting in a car on Broadway Street on Jan. 8, 2022. One person has been charged with murder and is awaiting trial.

LaVance Cooper, 41, was shot and died in an argument with his cousin on March 22. The cousin pleaded to manslaughter.

Ana Berinobis-McLemore, 26, was shot and killed when she was a passenger in a car traveling on Manson Street on May 22. No arrests have been made.

Anthony Jacobs, 27, was shot on West First Street on May 29. No arrest have been made.

Tony Lewis Grider, 60, perished in a fire at his East Second Street home on Aug. 19. A longtime acquaintance was charged with murder and arson.

Johnnie Murrell Rose, 32, was shot and killed while walking on West Fifth Street on Aug. 21. No arrests have been made.

Savion Wilson, 23, was shot while sitting on a couch in a Palmer Drive apartment Aug. 27. An acquaintance was charged with murder and is awaiting trial.

Keivon Latrell Anderson, 20, died of a gunshot wound after he was found in a parking area outside a Miriam Drive apartment building on Nov. 12. No arrests have been made.

Rebecca Taylor, also known as Rebecca Todd, 39, was found unconscious with a head injury at her Oelson Road home Nov. 30 and died days later. Her boyfriend was arrested for domestic assault.

Crime data show Waterloo police seized 250 firearms in 2022, guns that were used in crimes or were in the hands of people prohibited from having firearms.

The department also noted an increase in opioid deaths. In 2020 and 2021, the city had two overdose deaths; there were six in 2022. Police investigate the deaths and have referred the cases to federal prosecutors in the past.

Calls for service for Waterloo police were down about 3%, but arrests were up 16% over the prior year, according to department numbers.

Any reduction requires a police-public partnership, and I am hopeful that as we continue to lay the framework for more community partnerships we can further reduce these numbers, Leibold said.
Since the 1930s the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been in place as a safety net for people who are on limited income.

When it began, there were widespread food surpluses and high unemployment, according to the Food and Nutrition Services at the United States Department of Agricultute. In 1943 the program ended. Fast forward to the 1960s: The first Food Stamp Act (1964) was enacted to strengthen the agricultural economy and enable families to purchase nutritious food. Since that time there have been many improvements to the program over the years, keeping the safety net for families in need.

One of the early requirements of the program as it exists today is for each state to have a plan. This plan guides the state in how it distributes SNAP to the communities. Some of the many requirements of the program include that there must be income guidelines, there are work requirements, under certain circumstances you cant stay on SNAP forever. These are just a few of the many requirements in place already.

The Iowa House has introduced a bill that is harmful to the very people it is supposed to help. On Jan. 26 the Health and Human Service Subcommittee passed House File 3 onto the full committee. Last week the Iowa Senate released Senate Study Bill 1105, which also aims to increase requirements to be able to access SNAP.

Within these bills are proposals that will keep people from even applying for SNAP. The most harmful proposal is asset limits. The current proposal is that anyone who is on SNAP will only be able to have limited assets. This means that if you own a car that has any value or a house that has any value, you cant even apply. If a person or family runs into hard times  increased medical bills, loss of job, taking in grandchildren  you cant even apply for SNAP. If you are retired and have a small pension and Social Security  where your income qualifies for SNAP  and you own your house, you cant apply. Currently Iowa is included with 34 other states that no asset limits. It can be the difference between having a roof over your head and being able to eat. Your car can be the difference in keeping your job because you can get to work.

Secondly, these bills will require a those on SNAP to go through regular reviews by DHHS. As the House legislation reads, anyone who is on SNAP will be required to go through a monthly screening. At a time when we want less government, this can only cost the state government more money. As of today, there has been no fiscal note on either bill sharing what it will cost the state of Iowa to implement the proposed legislation.

Finally, the effects of either bill will undoubtedly push more people to food banks and food pantries in our state. In the Spring when the pandemic disaster proclamation ended in Iowa, demand on local organizations increased dramatically. In the first quarter of FY23 the Cedar Valley Food Pantry, one of the many programs of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, saw an increase of 60%, if you compare the numbers to the first quarter of FY2020. Other programs are seeing increases by as much as 25%.

To sustain our work, the Northeast Iowa Food Bank asks for continued support from our businesses, churches, foundations and individuals who support us year-round. We are so appreciative of the support we receive from the community to meet the need when we are faced with things we cant control, such as harmful cuts like this SNAP proposal. However, if these provisions are put into place demand will continue to rise and Iowa will be less food secure.

You can help us by reaching out to your elected officials at the state level and by asking others to reach out. Ask them to oppose any legislation that attempts to cut assistance. SNAP is the safety net, it helps people when they need it most, and it helps our local economies. Life is tough for many people. Lets not make it harder by cutting a benefit that was built to help the agricultural economy and give people choice when they need it most.
DES MOINES  If one Iowa school decides to remove a book from its library, all Iowa schools would be required to do the same under a proposal floated this week by Gov. Kim Reynolds at an event hosted by a national group that advocates for parents rights in public education.

At the Thursday night event hosted by the group Moms for Liberty, Reynolds said under her proposal, educational material removed by any Iowa school district would be required to be removed by every district in the state.

The governors office said Monday that under the proposed policy, any books removed by a school would remain available to students at other schools, but only with written permission from students parents.

Groups like Moms for Liberty and its advocate members are pushing for public schools to not only be more transparent with curriculum and library materials, but for schools to remove library books and classroom materials that they find objectionable. Almost exclusively, the subject matter of the materials that are challenged have to deal with LGBTQ people or issues, or discussions of race.

During her remarks, Reynolds said there is a need to restore sanity, to make sure our schools are a place of learning and not indoctrination.

Its sad that any of this actually needs to be written into law, Reynolds said.

Reynolds accused the radical left of treating students like their personal property, and asserted some educators believe patriotism is racist and that pornographic books are education.

Reynolds was greeted with loud applause and multiple standing ovations by most of the roughly 200 people who attended. But her remarks also were interrupted at least a half-dozen times by protesters who shouted while she was speaking. Each protester was escorted out of the auditorium by law enforcement officials.

It is my job to keep your children safe, one protester yelled while being escorted out. Another, who on her way out of the auditorium toward the end of the event, sarcastically assured the audience that there are no litter boxes in Iowa schools.

The comment was a reference to the widely debunked Internet rumor that some schools have been placing litter boxes in bathrooms to accommodate students who wish to identify as cats. No actual evidence of this has ever been found in any schools.

During a panel discussion and a question-and-answer session that featured seven Republican state lawmakers, two legislators said they would like to move legislation that would create more spots for members of the public to serve on the state board that licenses and disciplines Iowa teachers and other educators.

Currently, the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners is required by state law to include 12 members: two from the public, the state education department director, and nine licensed practitioners.

Rep. Steve Holt, a Republican from Denison who has been active in advancing bills regarding public education transparency and curriculum requirements, pledged legislation to change how the education oversight board is populated.

Were going to put parents on the board of examiners, Holt said. Were going to change that system.

Moms for Liberty is a national nonprofit issue advocacy organization that was founded in Florida. It mobilizes individuals around parents rights in educations, and trains candidates for political office, including local school boards.

During the event, Reynolds and multiple state legislators highlighted the new, $345 million state-funded private school financial aid package that Reynolds recently signed into law. Reynolds and other Republicans said the new state funding will help families find the Iowa school that they feel is best for their children.
It will be a cold day in Waterloo, with temperatures in the 30s. The forecast calls for it to be a cold 34 degrees. 17 degrees is today's low. We'll see sunshine today, but also cloud cover at times. Waterloo could see periods of brisk winds today, with winds reaching 15 miles per hour, coming from Northwest. This report is created automatically with weather data provided by TownNews.com. For more daily forecast information, visit wcfcourier.com.
Controversial and the critically acclaimed Pakistan film Joyland is finally having its theatrical release in other countries. Directed by Saim Sadiq, the flick is Pakistans official entry to the Oscars. Unfortunately, it failed to grab a place in the final nominations.

Popular multiplex chain PVR Cinemas is going to release Joyland in India and 6 other countries on different dates. In India, the flick will hit screens on March 10, 2023. More details about the release will be announced soon.

Ali Junejo, Rasti Farooq, Alina Khan, Sarwat Gilani, and Salmaan Peerzada played key roles in this flick, which has Abdullah Siddiquis music. Keep watching this space to get more interesting updates.

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Weather Alert

.Warming temperatures this weekend will bring renewed snowmelt and streamflow rises, especially for snow covered terrain below about 7000 feet. Creeks that brought impacts this past week are likely to be problematic again and potentially reach higher levels, especially by late Sunday. ...FLOOD WATCH FOR SNOWMELT IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Flooding caused by snowmelt is possible. * WHERE...Portions of California and western Nevada, including the following areas, in California, Greater Lake Tahoe Area, Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties and Surprise Valley California. In western Nevada, Greater Lake Tahoe Area, Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area and Mineral and Southern Lyon Counties. * WHEN...From Saturday afternoon through Monday morning. * IMPACTS...Creeks and streams will be running high and fast. Low-water crossings may be flooded. Minor mainstem flooding along the Susan River, Forks of the Carson River, and the East Walker River below Bridgeport Reservoir cannot be ruled out. Anyone participating in outdoor recreation this weekend should use caution as water will be running high, fast, and potentially out of banks for some creeks and streams. The water will be extremely cold as well, quickly causing shock. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. &&
Marlton, NJ (08053)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 87F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.
Im writing for two reasons. The first is for the love of my grandparents, Ed and Marie Brown.

For as long as I can remember, my grandparents have been such a huge part of my life. From sleepovers, pool parties, backyard barbecues, movie nights, lap story telling and playing dress up, they were just the best. Always there.

Every boy cousin in our family would learn about cars from my grandpa. Just by hanging out in his garage, he taught them simple lessons on how to work on their own cars when the time came for them to drive.

I would always say: I am my grandmother. From her driving habits, her sometimes silly outbursts, to even having her name as my middle name.

Until my teenage years, everything was as it should be until my grandparents told me they were moving to New Mexico. This was devastating news to me. So far away. Of course I cried and cried till the day they left and still afterward. They both told me they would keep in touch with letters, phone calls and pictures, which helped ease my mind, to an extent. We did correspond back and forth, but still with the distance, it just didnt feel like them being here in New York. I missed them terribly.

Years had gone by, and the distance grew further. I would still send my family photos, cards and simple notes to let them know I was thinking of them -until I received horrific news about them both. They had both passed away.

Both? How? What happened?

My first thought was car accident. They were both together going grocery shopping or something like that. That in itself was so traumatic to have lost them both. I had to accept that they would no longer be in my life. I was crushed. Devastated.

A day or two later we got a phone call from my cousin here in New York. My grandparents had been murdered by the instruction of my cousin, Michael Brown.

What? Are you sure? No way. Why? What in Gods name happened?

Not one family member from New Mexico called to speak to us, to try to explain what happened or to console us. Not one.

My grandparents have three daughters: Marie (New York), Dorothy (New York) and Helen (California)  all my aunts. Were they called, told what happened or why? Why was there such a disconnect or secret for that matter?

I was disgusted and so very angry when I found out that Michael Brown had my grandparents murdered by his friends, at his instruction  and over not being able to drink beer in their home. He was told no. His friends were asked to leave the home that my grandparents and Michael Brown lived in, only to return later, getting so drunk and killing them.

My grandparents took Michael Brown in, gave him a home and loved him. Sure, they may have been strict, but thats what parents do to protect the ones they love. Structure and discipline makes for a well-rounded adult  something his own parents couldnt give him. Being told he was an out-of-control child from the age of 12, my question then is why would you have sent Michael Brown to live with my grandparents when he was out of control? They were in their 80s for Gods sake.

My second reason for writing my story is the second chance bill (Senate Bill 64).

If you have just a thought in your mind to commit a crime, any crime  as in this case murder  you do your time. At age 16 or 17, your brain is certainly developed to drink, construct a plan to kill and follow it through. Michael Brown was no child. He had a very evil plan, played it out, stole keys from his dead grandparents, took their car and drove to a friends house to brag about his accomplishments. There are no second chances.

Let me ask  and thanks to my Aunt Helen for saying this  Why should Michael Brown get a second chance when my grandparents will never see the light of day again? Ever!

Where are the rights of the victims families that remain alive? Why do we have no say in what happens to the criminal who took them from us? We lost two amazing people  parents and grandparents who were truly loved. There are so many stories and memories that I have kept in my heart and mind that can never be taken from me. Not even by Michael Brown. My entire family here in New York is behind me and this fight to keep Michael Brown in jail where he belongs. Forever, never to walk free again.

This second chance bill cannot be enforced nor come to fruition.

From the hearts of: Helen Kumanchik, Marie Doran, Dorothy Langdon  daughters of Ed and Marie Brown; 10 or more grandchildren; (and) arms full of great-grandchildren: We will forever keep the lights shining bright for Ed and Marie Brown and make sure that justice never fails them.

With much sorrow, and much love. 
Editors note:

The Journal continues Whats in a Name?, a once a month column in which writer Elaine Briseno will give a short history of how places in New Mexico got their names.

Theres not always a lot of thought when bequeathing a name. Sometimes its done out of pragmatism. (Think Central Avenue). Sometimes it takes inspiration from nature. (The Sandias). Other times it reflects the locale (Rio Grande Boulevard steps from the Rio Grande) or a prominent local family (Coors and Eubank boulevards).

But sometimes a name is selected with serious deliberation and intent, its choosing a claiming of power and identity. Thats the story of Kewa Pueblo.

Most non-Native people know the pueblo by the name Santo Domingo. Its a name the Spanish explorers gave to the pueblo in the 17th century and subsequently adopted by other outsiders, including non-tribal government officials. As the territory of New Mexico passed through the hands of various countries, finally becoming American soil and eventually a state, the name prevailed.

Until 14 years ago in 2009, when the tribal council quietly made the unanimous decision to officially change its name to reflect what it had always called itself  Kewa Pueblo. It made no formal announcement and instead relied on word of mouth. The quiet gesture became a public statement in March 2010 when the state announced its new Rail Runner Express stop would be called Kewa Pueblo Station.

The pueblo sits about half-way between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, just west of Interstate 25, within the borders of Sandoval County. According to the tribal website, it has been one of the central pueblo communities in New Mexico with ancestral ties (that) can be traced back to Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon ancestors.

The people there are known for their artistry, especially jewelry and pottery, and often travel to Santa Fe to sell their creations under the portal at the Palace of the Governors on the Plaza. It was there, in early March of 2010, that some of the tribal members told a reporter from the Santa Fe New Mexican that even they were not aware of the official name change.

The name change, according to the article, had been disclosed to a larger sector in January of 2010 at a meeting of the All Indian Pueblo, which is now called the All Indian Pueblo Council of Governors. Former Kewa Pueblo Gov. Everett Chavez told the New Mexican it was he who had suggested the name change, saying it was how his tribal people referred to themselves privately.

Historically, thats our name, he said. Everybody knows us as Kewa. Its just going back to our original name.

After voting for the name change, the tribe hired Zia Graphics to redesign its tribal seal. The mission church, which dominated the original image, was reduced and became part of a more varied seal design that also featured cornstalks along with the pottery and jewelry styles for which the pueblo is well-known.

Harlan McKosato, host of the syndicated radio show Native America Calling, said at that time in a column for the New Mexican, that the tribes action was a culmination of the tribal rights movement. He grew up in the Cimarron Valley on Iowa lands in Oklahoma.

Red Power is only fully displayed when a tribe changes its name back to what they call themselves in their traditional language, he said. And Santo Domingo did it.

McKosato passed away July 21, 2020 in Albuquerque at the age of 54.

So how did it come to be called Santo Domingo? Its Spanish-given name means Holy Sunday when translated into English. Its not unusual that Spanish people would bestow a religious name upon a place they discovered, because converting the Native people to Catholicism was one of the missions of Spanish officials and clergymen who came to New Mexico. The religious traditions Native people had practiced for thousands of years were banned and categorized as paganism.

According to The Place Names of New Mexico by Robert Julyan, the mission church there commemorates St. Dominic, the 13th-century Spanish preacher who founded the Dominican order and it is for him that the pueblo was named. Others believe it was Don Juan De Onate who gave the pueblo its holy name because he arrived on a Sunday in the late 16th century.

There is no dispute, though, that the pueblos modern-day name of Santo Domingo was not chosen by its members. Kewa was its chosen identity.

The present pueblo was established in 1770 and given the name Kiva, referring to the underground ceremonial chamber of pueblo Indians, Julyan writes.

Chavez stressed at the time that the change was not made to demean St. Dominic, but instead a long-awaited move back to recognition of ourselves. We were Native first and foremost, before Catholicism and the Spaniards.

Curious about how a town, street or building got its name? Email writer Elaine Briseno at ebriseno@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3965 as she continues the monthly journey in Whats in a Name?
Zakiya, the title character in Gloria L. Velasquezs new teen novel Zakiyas Enduring Wounds, is a confident African American high school sophomore with a sunny disposition.

She enjoys some of the poets shes reading in English, shes excited about her dance class, shes the star player on the school volleyball team, she likes spending time with her girlfriends, shes scoping out a cute boy.

And Zakiya has a special, loving relationship with her dad.

But her world collapses when her father suddenly dies. His death sets in motion a downward emotional and behavioral spiral in Zakiya.

She angrily rejects her mother. She turns against school life so much that she starts ditching classes. Zakiya meets Becky, a white girl who tells Zakiya shes found solace in self-harm. Zakiya tries it, hoping it will relieves the terrible pain when she thinks of her dad.

At home, Zakiya hides her emotions behind the locked door of her bedroom. In one scene, shes been arguing with her mother. Older brother Tyrone tries to talk with Zakiya to help her overcome her indifference.

This leads to an if only moment when Zakiya wishes her dad was still alive and could offer his sensible answer to her dilemma.

She orders Tyrone out of her bedroom. Alone and sad she buries her face in a pillow, and cries and cries, though she feels remorse for yelling at Tyrone.

Zakiya is thinking: He was only trying to help. If only I could talk to Dad, if only he were here to hold me and tell me everythings gonna be all right.

Zakiyas life begins to turn around when she  and her mother  begin seeing Dr. Martinez, a female psychologist, to get professional advice in dealing with their feelings and with family dynamics.

Mostly, the story is told through the character of Zakiya. But Dr. Martinez unexpectedly becomes a second narrator in the novel, assisting Zakiya and her mother in smoothing a path toward reconciliation and understanding of their changed relationship.

Dr. Martinez uses her own personal experience  she lost her husband to suicide  in self-recovery and in helping Zakiya and her mother come to terms with the loss of a loved one.

Zakiyas attitude  and self-identity  brighten when she is hired as an assistant instructor in a weekend class at a private dance studio.

A secondary character in the novel is an African American Catholic priest, Father Brown, a friend of Zakiyas family. The character is based on a real person, the late Father Kenneth Brown, who the author said was a friend and colleague at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

Velasquez is a professor emeritus from the university where she had taught Latin American and Chicano literature.

Zakiyas Enduring Wounds is the 11th volume in Velasquezs Roosevelt High School Series. At the back of the book is a two-page glossary of Spanish words found in the text.

The series is important to me because it empowers young people, she said in a phone interview.

Velasquez has said she created the series so that young adults of different ethnic backgrounds would find themselves visible instead of invisible.

Previous novels in the series have addressed social issues such as AIDS, teen pregnancy, domestic violence and alcoholism.

Velasquez likes to end each novel with a happy ending because she wants youngsters to know they can resolve their problems and make their dreams come true.

A native of Colorado and a daughter of farm workers, Velasquez said she was involved in the Chicano civil rights movement in the 1960s and 70s.

She sent the manuscript of her first book in the series to many publishers. They rejected it for being too ethnic, she said. I am blessed that Arte Publico Press picked it up and realized the importance of writing about people of color, said Velasquez, who is also a poet.

BOOK OF THE WEEK
New Mexico is a state with a conscience. In 2009, I stood with advocates, legislators and then-Gov. Bill Richardson as New Mexico abolished capital punishment. I was so grateful the New Mexico Legislature took this thoughtful, critical and moral step forward. But much work remains to ensure New Mexicos legal system leaves room for rehabilitation and reintegration, especially for those who committed crimes when they were too young to truly grasp the gravity of their actions. Every child is worthy and capable of redemption, but children sentenced as adults in New Mexico still face the grim possibility of never leaving prison.

Since 2021, New Mexico has made progress toward joining the rapidly growing number of states that have abolished life without parole as a sentencing option for children. New Mexico should not miss this opportunity. This year, I hope you will say yes to the hope of mercy and redemption for children by voting yes on Senate Bill 64.

Life without parole is, as Pope Francis recently called it, a hidden death penalty. By allowing New Mexicos children to be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and equivalent sentences, we are literally condemning them to die in prison. We ignore the potential for growth and change that every young person possesses. We say to our children: It does not matter the ways in which you commit yourself to rehabilitation, healing and accounting for the harm that you caused. Nothing you do matters. You will never be welcomed back. There is no mercy and no hope for you.

At the same time, we must acknowledge the profound grief and pain experienced by victims of violence and their families. This is not an either-or proposition. Early on in my work against the death penalty, I made the mistake of not reaching out to victims families. I learned from Lloyd LeBlanc, the hero of Dead Man Walking, whose son was murdered, about the real needs and pressures faced by survivors and victims families. They deserve all the resources and support in the world. Too often, we assume that the harshest punishment will make victims families whole again. Every survivor or victims family has different needs, and this focus on vengeance can obscure opportunities for healing. Accountability is important, but punishment alone will never mend broken hearts.

When a child causes harm, we must join with our communities in mourning alongside those harmed. But we must not forget that within a hurt child is an invitation for redemption. The ultimate practice of justice is to heal those who cause harm, not to harm them further.

I hope this legislative session New Mexico will choose mercy and compassion, not vengeance. I hope New Mexico will choose not to condemn children, no matter how far they may stray, but instead choose to honor the sacredness of life and the promise of a childs potential. If it does, New Mexico will move closer to a loving Gods vision of justice.
Im lucky to be raising my children in the Land of Enchantment for one very specific reason: school choice.

New Mexico law allows for my family to choose where I send my kids to school. If I like the neighborhood district school, I can enroll my children there. If we prefer a magnet school a few miles down the road, I can file for a district school transfer. If we choose a charter school and its focused mission, I can fill out an enrollment application for my prospective students. If private school is within our means, I can easily sign them up. If I want to keep the schooling within my home or with a group of like-minded families, we can even choose to homeschool our youngsters.

Lets say that again  New Mexico families have a choice of where they send their children to school. For many families, free public schools are the preferred option. Charter schools are free and open to all students to attend, regardless of the students abilities and prior academic experiences. Charter schools were designed to be hubs of innovation for education in the state. Each school is driven by a community-based need with a mission focused on a new way to deliver quality education to children and give them an opportunity to love what theyre learning. When students can explore their passions, they thrive.

Public charter schools are part of the public school system but work a little differently than traditional public schools. Theyre held to a high standard of quality, provide individualized attention, and are born out of a community need. In New Mexico, there are 100 public charter schools in 28 communities with dozens of unique models, ranging from Montessori to college prep, STEM to performing arts, project-based learning to dropout re-engagement and more. These schools serve over 30,000 students.

As a family choosing to exercise our choice in our childrens education and their school, we appreciate the structure and the oversight that is impressed upon New Mexicos charter schools. Accountability is vital for our students and public school success. Charter schools are governed independently to have the freedom to meet students needs without bureaucracy.

Charter school governing council meetings are open to all members of the school community to listen in on school progresses (and) operational management, and the meetings are open for community input with public comments. Remember, charter schools can be closed if they do not meet performance objectives laid out in their charter contract. Charter school success is ensured through accountability measures consistently in review.

Free, public charter schools offer choice to families of all backgrounds and income levels and provide diverse educational options for a diverse student population in our state. Charter schools offer innovation for students that dont fit the one-size-fits all model of traditional public schools.

My family is not passing up the opportunity to take a lead role in our childrens education by choosing where we send them to school. We are grateful for school choice and thankful for the free, public charter school in which we entrust our childrens education.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of a report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education titled, A Nation at Risk, which described Americas public education system as suffering from a rising tide of mediocrity and documented that students were falling behind other nations. In four decades, we have not turned the tide.

One major recommendation in the report was to significantly increase learning time. In Think New Mexicos 2022 roadmap of education reforms, we cited more recent studies showing improved academic outcomes with increased learning time. A study from economists at Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania found a longer school year showed an extremely robust association with higher student achievement.

Out of 21 characteristics studied, extended learning time had the greatest impact. Likewise, when New Mexico implemented K-3 Plus in 2007 at high-poverty elementary schools, students who attended more days scored 8% higher in math and 11% higher in reading.

We applaud the governor for her support of extended learning time and commend legislators for proposing two bills that, while they differ in details, increase learning time to 1,140 hours, or 150 more hours for elementary students and 60 more for middle and high schools. Currently, those numbers are 990 and 1,080, respectively.

Think New Mexico supports both House Bill 130, sponsored by Reps. Andres Romero and Joy Garratt and Sen. Mimi Stewart, and House Bill 194, sponsored by Rep. Nathan Small and Sen. Mimi Stewart. We especially appreciate that HB 194 goes further for students and teachers by giving school districts extra funding to support teachers with 80 hours of professional development, planning, and collaboration time on top of the increased instructional hours. Meanwhile, HB 130 allows districts to add 60 hours of teacher work time, but those are carved out of the additional student instructional hours. Time for teachers shouldnt compete with time for students. We should give this reform its best shot to succeed by maximizing student time.

The primary arguments against the bills are that more time could lead to student and teacher burnout and that other supports are equally deserving of funding. We support a complete package of reforms moving through the session, including improved teacher and principal training and smaller class sizes. These all have a direct impact on what we can achieve in our classrooms.

As an educator, it was heartbreaking to inform parents how far behind their child had fallen. In my last classroom, seven of my 21 third-graders struggled to read basic words. We didnt have a reading interventionist, small-group tutoring, nor adequate time to plan for so many varied student needs. We all needed more time and support.

In-school tutoring is a great way to use additional time wisely. Many students cant stay after school because of transportation issues, nor can many utilize online programs because they dont have adequate internet access. Another way to implement extended time is to provide in-school enrichment in everything from the arts and STEM to cultural activities important to communities. Enriching activities that motivate students to learn can level the playing field for those who arent getting enrichment outside of school. There also would be more time for meeting students social and emotional needs, a growing concern among parents and educators alike.

Optimizing time for learning is a proven reform and was identified as a step the state should take to meet obligations of a 2018 district court ruling that stated our education system had violated students constitutional right to an adequate education.

By embracing transformative ideas, we can create a rising tide of excellence that our students deserve. Ensuring that we have time to meet all of their needs is a foundational first step. If you agree, please visit the Action Center on Think New Mexicos website at www.thinknewmexico.org and contact your legislators and the governor.

Mandi Torrez is the education reform director for Think New Mexico and is the 2020 New Mexico Teacher of the Year.
We, the providers of Womens Specialists of New Mexico, are a combination of doctors, midwives, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who work together to provide womens health care to the women of New Mexico.

Our practice was founded in 1974 and next year we hope to celebrate our 50th anniversary. We saw about 88,000 patients last year and employ over 100 people. We take a variety of payers, allowing our patients to stay with our practice regardless of changes in their insurance.

As a practice, we pride ourselves on providing the best care we can in a personalized, evidence-based manner. We are proud of the fact that we have an excellent reputation for quality care with health care providers and patients. We worry, however, that the health care environment here in New Mexico may prevent us from celebrating our 50th anniversary.

As a well-established practice we have providers with a variety of ages. As the older providers retire, we, like all the health care practices in the state, need to recruit new, young providers. We seek to bring new providers to New Mexico but ranking 37th on a list of the best places to practice hinders us. It is especially difficult when our three border states rank higher.

Many factors contribute to this low ranking. The lack of providers is a major one. We work very hard to take care of our patients. When someone has a problem that we cannot or do not know how to treat we refer them to another provider. Since there are not enough providers we cannot get our patients cared for in a timely fashion.

This makes us sad, angry and frustrated. This inability to care for patients leads to burnout which in turn causes providers to leave the state or stop practicing. Another major factor in this state is the cost of malpractice insurance. In New Mexico an OB-GYN physician can expect to pay $100,000 a year. In Arizona, Texas and Colorado they pay $50,000 to 60,000 for the same coverage.

In 2021 the state Legislature made changes that make an already difficult health care environment even worse for providers. They raised the malpractice caps, which has the result of raising the cost of malpractice insurance. Medical practices cannot find an insurance company willing to insure them.

They also grouped independently-owned surgery centers, like the ones belonging to Southwest Gastroenterology, Eye Associates of New Mexico, and the one being built by X-Ray Associates of New Mexico, in with hospital-owned surgery centers. This change will have the effect of closing some of our most referred-to practices. Patients with pelvic pain often have digestive issues rather than gynecologic issues and Southwest GI cares for many of those patients. The surgery center being built by XRANM will be dedicated to breast surgery and taking care of women with breast cancer. Both offices help our patients get the care they need.

We love the people of New Mexico and want to continue caring for them to the best of our ability. We ask that you help us by reaching out to your state legislators and tell them that recent legislation will drive providers out of our already underserved state. Help us help New Mexico.
Rep. Patricia A. Lundstrom, D- Gallup, has represented McKinley County since 2001 and spent the last six years as chairwoman of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. The self-described moderate was removed from that committee on the first day of the 2023 session by the new speaker, who she says told her I dont meet his vision.

In her half-hour meeting with the Journals editorial board, she repeatedly stressed her concern that the new committee appointments mean there are no backstops to the leaderships agenda. Here are excerpts from our discussion on her vision of, and for, New Mexico:

Why that removal hurt

I have self-identified as a moderate Democrat  youll see that in my voting record throughout the last 20-plus years, Lundstrom says. And I actually come from a fairly conservative area in New Mexico, you know rural New Mexico tends to be pretty conservative, particularly on things like gun control, abortion issues, spending, things like that. So Im pretty representative of that group.  Since 2003, when we went through that redistricting, Ive always represented a Native American district.

I think thats part of what was so disappointing for me when I was removed from the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee.  Im concerned (things are) not being balanced, that theres not a backstop now.  Im hearing and looking through some of the bills that have been introduced about even raising taxes, which is unbelievable  with the kind of funding that the state of New Mexico has today 

Why public-private partnerships

New Mexico does not have authorizing language for a public-private partnership; we should. I think were one of the few states that does not have that available to us as an economic development tool 

But theres also some public responsibilities. I take (the shuttered power plant) Escalante as an example: Its a hard-to-get-to place. In other words, the road access is undersized for truck traffic. The P3 piece would be you have to show a public benefit if youre using government money.

Lundstrom has been an advocate for turning the old plant near Gallup into a hydrogen hub for electricity production and building an industrial cluster around it.

Why couldnt government pay for upgrading those roads that everybody can take advantage of, or wastewater and water systems or broadband systems that a new industry would need?  Big companies dont need our money.  But we do need to make investments to make it more attractive.

Why invest in infrastructure

When it comes to investing in public infrastructure to bolster the economy, Lundstrom says theres no better example than I-40. Youve seen all the problems weve had out there; we need three lanes both ways east and west. The delays are incredible. How on earth are we ever going to attract a semi-truck industry into a hydrogen fueling station if theyre stopped for five hours at a time on the interstate? .. But what happens if through a P3 process, we build another lane that helps everybody  and it helps us with safety?

Why we need to get the word out on NM

Where we are missing the boat is that I dont think we have incentivized business to want to be here, Lundstrom explains. Im not talking about giveaways; Im talking about things like P3s, where it is a fair cost to everybody. I also think were a little light on marketing. I go to a number of trade shows throughout my year working in economic development. And most of the time I spend explaining where New Mexico is, and why should (they) come to New Mexico.

Why improve education

I do not believe that we should be reducing what were requiring seniors to take.  When all the business interests (spoke) up and said that they didnt agree with it tells me everything I need to know.  I wont vote for that on the floor. I just bet that Im outnumbered and that bill is probably going to pass. But this is what I mean about a backstop. Wheres that? Wheres that going to come from statewide whether Im there or not?

What are we doing different that could be a game changer?  Pumping so much money into it (education), if it was successful, why are we getting sued all the time?

So Ill be looking for that when that budget comes to the floor.  I do plan to ask a lot of questions.

Editors note: The Journal Editorial Board is fortunate to get to meet with a diverse cross-section of people. Often the conversations, which are on the record, are wide-ranging and include information that may not make its way into news stories. This new feature is a way to share some of those discussions with our readers.
Were two-and-a-half weeks into New Mexicos 2023 legislative session, and so far things dont look good  unless youre a criminal, predatory lender, low-performing school or in economic development in another state. Because so far our lawmakers have:

Sided with criminals

Last week Democrats on the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee  Reps. Joanne Ferrary and Angelica Rubio of Las Cruces, Andrea Romero of Santa Fe and Liz Thomson of Albuquerque sided time and again with criminals over law-abiding New Mexicans. They voted to table anti-crime bills that target those who make our communities dangerous places to be.

Rep. Bill Rehm, R-Albuquerque and a veteran of the Bernalillo County Sheriffs and Albuquerque Police departments, proposed bills that hone in on specific criminal behavior, including protecting businesses that detain thieves in a reasonable manner for a reasonable time (HB 57); enhancing sentencing for fentanyl trafficking of certain amounts (HB 60); enhancing penalties for felons who use a firearm to commit another crime or for straw buyers who purchase a gun for someone who cant, say a felon or a minor (HB 61); punishing repeat offenders who commit separate violent felonies under the three-strikes law (HB 58); and making it a third-degree felony to a take gun to a drug deal (HB 59).

You know our state has fallen down Alice in Wonderlands rabbit hole when the Legislature sides with thieves over consumers, drug dealers over drug victims, and armed felons and career criminals over crime victims. Watch the meeting, at nmlegis.gov, for hours of comments defending violent and illegal behavior.

An example of the misguided rhetoric that dominated the debate came from Kim Chavez Cook for the Office of the Public Defender and the Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, who said with a straight face a firearm is often quote-unquote necessary for these folks in these situations to protect themselves because its an inherently dangerous environment to be involved in a drug transaction. Being in the inherently dangerous environment of a drug transaction is a choice that puts the entire community at risk. In a sane world, where Rehm and Republican Reps. Stefani Lord and John Block who supported his bills reside, going to a drug deal with a gun should have serious consequences.

A January 2023 survey by the N.M. Chamber of Commerce of 500 N.M. voters found three out of four were somewhat or very dissatisfied with crime in the state. A way to fix that is to ensure New Mexico is a tougher place to be a criminal.

Dumbed down education

Meanwhile, the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee chose inflating graduation rates over preparing our students for college and careers, voting 8-2 on HB 126 to remove Algebra II and a foreign language from high school graduation requirements and dropping the number of needed credits from 24 to 22. The bill is sponsored by Reps. Andres Romero, D-Albuquerque and a high school teacher, and Ryan Lane, R-Aztec. The bipartisan vote in favor of weakening the requirements included Reps. Doreen Y. Gallegos, D-Las Cruces; Linda Serrato, D-Santa Fe; Joshua N. Hernandez, R-Rio Rancho; Janelle Anyanonu, D-Albuquerque; Mark Duncan, R-Kirtland; Derrick J. Lente, D-Sandia Pueblo; Alan T. Martinez, R-Bernalillo; and Jimmy G. Mason, R-Artesia.

While we agree not every student should be expected to prepare for/go to a four-year university, every student should be ready for college or a career. But this bill doesnt substitute requirements; it summarily drops them, including the current unit in a career cluster or workplace readiness (which already can be substituted for the foreign language) and a unit in an Advanced Placement, dual credit or distance learning course.

Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, crystallized our concerns when she explained her no vote. She calls it a dumbing down of education likely to hurt low-income areas as highly qualified teachers leave/dont come because of limited course offerings. She says theres nothing stopping future shedding of requirements. And when the business community comes out in force because students, the future workforce and economy will suffer, they get her attention.

The state chamber poll found just 32% of respondents favor reducing graduation requirements, and the majority want more spent on getting students ready for the next step: 91% want more invested in reading and math tutoring, 85% want more incentives to community colleges for offering technical education, and almost 80% want third-graders to read at grade level before advancing to fourth grade.

To add injury to insult, the committee also rejected Rep. Marian Matthews amendment to require a financial literacy course (Lundstrom and Matthews voted for the amendment and against the bill and were the true, though thwarted, champions of our students on the committee). Considering the pervasive poverty too many New Mexicans struggle with  an estimated 382,798 of 2,076,524 live in poverty, roughly one in five  to not equip our young people with the knowledge they need to become financially secure is a grave disservice that helps keep people reliant on predatory lenders and handouts from the states poverty industry.

Ignored economic needs

We also learned last week that unless New Mexico quickly weans itself from its over-reliance on oil and gas revenue and broadens its tax base it faces a potential $36 billion budget catastrophe by the mid 2030s.

PFM Group Consulting released its financial analysis of the state, and Director Ryan McNeely said its urging policymakers to strike while the iron is hot and to prepare for the downturn while excess state revenue and federal opportunity allows for decisive and impactful action toward revenue diversification.

So far the loudest voices from the Roundhouse have been about piecemeal spending the nearly $3.6 billion in new money from oil and gas. There has been little to nothing on attracting private-sector companies in pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and PPE; aerospace; microelectronics; advanced manufacturing; rare earth minerals; the defense industrial base; or something else. And theres been little on statewide game-changing infrastructure investments for clean water, safe bridges and highways or internet connectivity.

Meanwhile neighboring states are crushing us. Look at Arizona (employment 2019-2022 up 220,233 vs. our -22,714), Colorado (manufacturing output $26.5 billion vs. our $4.6 billion), Texas (63.5% labor participation vs. our 56.7%) and Utah (July unemployment 2% vs. our 4.5%). Our poor education system, unfriendly business environment and substandard infrastructure routinely come up when trying to recruit companies here.

Theres time to help New Mexicans live in safe communities where kids get world-class educations that set them up for success in a diverse economy with high-paying private-sector jobs. But its up to our lawmakers to make that happen. So far things dont look good.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
A suspected drug trafficker is accused of fatally shooting another man early last month during a fight outside an East Central convenience store.

Martin Osoria, 33, is charged with an open count of murder in the Jan. 1 death of 40-year-old Felipe Vigil.

Federal agents arrested Osoria on Wednesday after he allegedly sold fentanyl to an undercover officer at his apartment, two blocks from where Vigil was killed.

Authorities found 370 grams of fentanyl, a pistol, AK-style rifle, a drum-style magazine and cash in Osorias car and home.

His attorney could not be reached Saturday.

An online obituary described Vigil as a father of three who had a passion for tattooing.

He had a big heart and was loved by many. When he went to the store at least 3 or 4 people knew him, according to the obituary.

Police responded just after midnight on New Years Eve to reports of a body near Dallas and Central, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Officers found Vigil shot to death and the bullet trajectory showed he was shot at least twice while on the ground.

Surveillance video showed Vigil got into back-to-back fights outside the Adam Food Market near Central and Pennsylvania. The store has been the site of a number of homicides, violent incidents and drug dealing in recent years.

Police said video showed Vigil being thrown out of the store and beaten while on the ground. Vigil is seen running away before Osoria appeared to grab something from another man and running after Vigil.

Within 10 seconds of Osoria chasing Vigil out of the cameras view, gunfire rang out, according to the complaint. Weeks later a confidential informant  who is facing drug charges  told police Osoria was responsible for Vigils death.

Police said the informant told them during the fight Osoria grabbed a gun from someone else and said he was going to kill Vigil. The informant said Osoria then followed Vigil before he was fatally shot.
Federal court records detail the case against a suspected human trafficker accused of opening fire on a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a traffic stop last month near the Bootheel of New Mexico.

Roberto Esquivel is charged federally with attempted murder of an officer, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, among other charges in the Jan. 5 incident near Animas.

The agent was struck by two bullets in his bulletproof vest and returned fire as Esquivel fled, according to court records. Esquivel flipped the vehicle soon after, injuring several migrants who were inside.

The agent has not been identified.

It was around 11:30 a.m. when the Border Patrol agent stopped a car that displayed unusual behavior on N.M. 146, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. Esquivel, a U.S. citizen, gave the agent his drivers license and the agent asked the other five people inside where they were from.

Authorities said the passengers told the agent they were from Mexico and in the country illegally and the agent asked Esquivel to get out of the car. Esquivel reportedly opened the door but suddenly pulled out a handgun and fired at the agent.

The agent ran across the street to find cover and returned fire as Esquivel sped away, according to the complaint. The agent then discovered he had been struck by two bullets in the back of his bulletproof vest.

Authorities said Esquivel crashed the car and agents found a handgun more than 100 yards from where the car flipped. The migrants told agents they pleaded with Esquivel to stop the car after the shooting but he told them to shut up.

Esquivel told agents he was driving the migrants to Deming and hid a gun under his leg so the agent wouldnt see it, according to the complaint. Esquivel said he panicked when the agent asked him to get out and fired at him multiple times.

Authorities said Esquivel told them he tried to run away after the crash, tossing his gun and collapsing in the desert. Esquivel said he had transported migrants at least four other times and used Whatsapp to coordinate with others.

Esquivel told agents he was expecting to be paid $300 a head for each migrant after delivered them to Deming.
A man is accused of fatally shooting a social studies teacher from Jemez Valley Public Schools last week at a cabin in Ponderosa.

David Salazar, 36, is charged with an open count of murder in the Jan. 30 killing of Joseph William Keleher, 59. Salazars attorney could not be reached Saturday.

Salazar has been booked into the Sandoval County Detention Center.

Salazars criminal history includes arrests in violent and property crimes.

In November, he allegedly fled from a Sandoval County deputy with his 12-year-old son in the car, driving up to 120 mph, and later trying to head butt a deputy.

Salazar was released and awaiting trial in that case when Keleher was killed.

On Facebook, a woman memorialized Keleher, calling him a neighbor, teacher, writer, and friend.

He was a Quaker in his faithquiet and peaceful, she wrote. Lord, have mercyage 59. Such a loss.

Keleher, who published several books, announced that his latest book Draculas Son was on sale. His Jan. 27 Facebook post was filled with congratulations on the release that soon turned into grieving.

One man commented, Mine comes today. It will probably be hard to read now but healing too. Ill miss your advice and adventures. Thank you for one last story.

It was around 12:30 p.m. when Sandoval County deputies responded to a shooting on Salazar Lane, according to a criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court. Salazar was at the scene with his son and told the deputy it was a tribal matter and a tribal official was requested.

He appeared nervous and was not cooperative or forthcoming with information, according to the complaint. Salazar said a teacher was dead inside one of the cabins.

The deputy found one cabin had a shattered window and she could see Keleher facedown on the ground as music played inside. Salazar reportedly told the deputy he shot Keleher because the teacher assaulted his relative.

Salazar told deputies he was a cacique  or tribal chief  and needed to commit honor killings, which he had been doing since childhood, according to the complaint. At the sheriffs office, Salazar refused to speak with detectives and asked for an attorney.

Deputies said they found a shotgun shell outside the shattered cabin window and found a shotgun on top of Salazars car in his garage.
Grace Dougan, volunteer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, carries a tranquilized female Mexican wolf from the helicopter during the annual Mexican wolf count near Apache Creek in southwest N.M., Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. The female wolf was found with a bite wound on her neck. Vets treated her wound, administered antibiotics and vaccinations, drew her blood, measured her weight and length, and fitted her with a tracking collar before she was released back into the wild. As part of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, each year federal, state and tribal agencies across New Mexico and Arizona tracks and records the progress of population growth and overall health of the endangered species. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal) Dr. Susan Dicks, veterinarian of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, center, treats a bite wound on the neck of a female Mexican wolf during the annual Mexican wolf count near Apache Creek in southwest New Mexico on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. (Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal) Grace Dougan, volunteer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife, stands ready to retrieve a darted female Mexican wolf from the helicopter during the annual Mexican wolf count near Apache Creek in southwest N.M., Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. As part of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, each year federal, state and tribal agencies across New Mexico and Arizona tracks and records the progress of population growth of the endangered species. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal) Medical supplies during the annual Mexican wolf count near Apache Creek in southwest N.M., Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. As part of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, each year federal, state and tribal agencies across New Mexico and Arizona tracks and records the progress of population growth and overall health of the endangered species. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal) Theo Guy, with the White Mountain Apache Tribe Mexican Gray Wolf Reintroduction Project, measures the paw of a female Mexican gray wolf. (Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal) Blood is drawn from a Mexican gray wolf during the annual Mexican wolf count near Apache Creek in southwest New Mexico on Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal) Dr. Susan Dicks, a veterinarian with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, measures the incisors of a female Mexican gray wolf during the wolf count near Apache Creek in southwest New Mexico. (Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal) Savannah Cantrell, volunteer technician with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, carries a tranquilized male Mexican wolf from a helicopter during the annual Mexican gray wolf count. (Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal Cassidi Cobos, biologist with Turner Endangered Species Fund, back, and Pamela Cabana, sanctuary manager and Mexican Wolf SSP Liaison at Wolf Haven International, front, carry a tranquilized male Mexican wolf to the tailgate of a truck to be examined and fitted with a tracking collar during the annual Mexican wolf count near Apache Creek in southwest N.M., Friday, Jan. 27, 2023. As part of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, each year federal, state and tribal agencies across New Mexico and Arizona tracks and records the progress of population growth and overall health of the endangered species. (Chancey Bush/ Albuquerque Journal) Grace Dougan, volunteer with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, carries a tranquilized female Mexican gray wolf from a helicopter during the agencys annual wolf count in southwest New Mexico on Friday, Jan. 27. As part of the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Plan, each year federal, state and tribal agencies across New Mexico and Arizona track and record the progress of population growth and overall health of the endangered species. (Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal) Prev 1 of 10 Next

Copyright  2023 Albuquerque Journal

APACHE CREEK  It was a clear, sunny day with snow on the ground, when a helicopter landed in a clearing on the Gila National Forest. A woman in a baggy jumpsuit, orange helmet and aviators approached the helicopter and came away with a 50 pound Mexican gray wolf.

The pup of the year in a soft, winter coat was limp in her arms. She was greeted by the crew of government and nonprofit workers about 100 feet away, where they weighed her and laid her on a padded truck bed. A half dozen people, including veterinarians, swarmed in.

This is a part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services annual Mexican gray wolf count, an effort to collect data on population and health that is published in the spring.

Last year, the program reported a minimum of 196 wolves and 5% growth from the year before and 12% over the last 10 years. Its goal is to maintain at least 10% growth.

As part of the federal agencys Wolf Recovery Plan to bolster the population of the endangered species, it keeps tabs on more than just their numbers. This wolf would get a health check, her vaccines and a tracking collar in this makeshift vets office.

We shoot them with an anesthetic dart so that they wont remember all of this, FWS veterinarian Dr. Susan Dicks said.

A team of three in a helicopter locates the wolves and darts them from the air. We do nothing painful to them, but if youre a wild animal, the whole experience is terrifying.

She said they dont want to hurt the wolves, they also dont want the wolves to lose their healthy fear of humans, which keeps them safely away from cars and communities.

Dicks was one of the lead veterinarians on this team, which had people at all stages of their careers in wildlife preservation. When the group made their introductions, she corrected a younger veterinarian who left the title doctor out from her name.

She and her colleague Dr. Ole Alcumbrac narrated what they did and guided others through procedures.

This wolf had a wound on her neck that the team treated.

The most common reason she might have an abscess would be squabbling with her family, Dicks said. If she were your dog, we might give you some pills to give twice a day for 14 days. But because shes a wolf, we cant do that.

Instead, they gave her a long-lasting antibiotic injection that Dicks said would do the trick.

As the team checked out the wolf on the truck bed, one of her features sparked interest and a flurry of pictures  her bobtail. Alcumbrac said thats unusual, and something she couldve been born with. It wouldnt hinder her, but it might mean shes a little more subtle.

A sign of dominance in a canine is tail up, and sign of submission is tail down, Alcumbrac said. She can still do that and communicate those  itll be just a little bit different and a new language that the pack has to learn.

The FWS program is in this wolfs genes. Part of the difficulty of rehabilitating Mexican gray wolves is that their gene pool is thin  these wolves descend from seven wolves captured in the 1980s. Conservation groups often protest that this program doesnt address that.

FWS Mexican Wolf Recovery Coordinator Brady McGee said the team walks a very thin line in that regard. Youre not going to be able to please everybody in this program, he said. Im trying to find a middle-of-the-road balance to offset the impacts to the livestock industry, but also at the same time grow the population and reestablish it here to a point that its self-sustaining.

Michael Robinson, a Center for Biological Diversity senior conservation advocate, argued that in walking that line the Fish and Wildlife Service has missed opportunities to expand and protect the gene pool. That includes the recent capture of another young, female wolf near Taos, who had wandered outside of the protected zone and was relocated temporarily to the Sevilleta Wolf Management Facility near Socorro.

They should be doing the opposite, he said They should be introducing a population of Mexican wolves into the southern Rocky Mountains, cooperating with authorities and in Colorado and in New Mexico.

But the wolf on the end of the truck beds family has crossed paths with Dr. Susan Dicks before. She calls puppy cross fostering, where conservation workers like her introduce young wolves raised in captivity to wild wolf dens, her pet, baby, area of expertise.

I put her mom in a den when she was a tiny puppy, she said. I took a bunch of pictures so that I can send them to the Brookfield Zoo and say here is a granddaughter in the wild of the wolf you have.

As the veterinarians wrapped up their work, two members of the team brought out a crate that they had warmed up in a truck and put the wolf inside it.

A second wolf arrived via helicopter, and as he was checked and vaccinated by the team, an intern sat in a fold-up chair, under a blanket, waiting for the first wolf to stir and show signs she was ready to go back into the wild.
Copyright  2023 Albuquerque Journal

Two local journalists have been elected to join the New Mexico Foundation for Open Governments board of directors.

Chris Keller, managing director of Albuquerque Business First, and Rebecca Valdez, assistant news director of KOB-TV, were selected as new members of the foundations board, according to a news release from NMFOG.

Apart from the new board members, NMFOG also elected new members for its executive committee, which Executive Director Melanie Majors describes as the overall management of the organization.

Karen Moses, editor of the Albuquerque Journal, was selected as president of the committee. Jessica Onsurez, news director of the southern New Mexico and Farmington Gannett papers, was chosen as vice-president.

Rashad Mahmood, co-director of the New Mexico Local News Fund, joins the committee as secretary and Sammy Lopez, executive director of the New Mexico Press Association, as treasurer, according to the release.

Former NMFOG President Kathi Bearden will remain on the boards executive committee, the release states. Two at-large members who also remain on the executive committee are Daniel Yohalem, a Santa Fe attorney, and Paula Maes, president of the New Mexico Broadcasters Association.

Majors praised all members of NMFOGs board of directors for their interest and contribution to open government. She said everyone who is asked to join the foundation is someone who believes in their mission, who supports it with their time, their talent and their dollars.

NMFOGs mission, described as three-pronged, is to educate, advocate and litigate while upholding the Open Meetings Act and the Inspection of Public Records Act, Majors said.

Open government is really important, its more than just a media operation. Majors said. Its important to economic development, its important to all the other facets of society and if we dont have an open government then things dont work very well.
Yet another young black man is beaten to death by police in a major city. So what is the response by the political class?

From the left comes the predictable pablum: systemic "racism," etc., etc.  even though all the policemen were black, and so is the chief policeperson.

But what do we get from the right? Mostly their own predictable pablum: "It is not systemic racism." Oh, yes, and "not all police are bad," etc., etc.

But this time, we get a little something more, or at least I thought we did. During an interview with Tucker Carlson, Jason Whitlock put his finger right on it. His words are too good not to be quoted in full:

I would examine the racial element, because there is a racial element. ... Everybody involved in this ... was ... 2432 years old. ... It looked like gang violence to me. It looked like what young black men do when they're supervised by a single black woman. And that's what they've got going in the Memphis police department. They've ... put some black woman in charge of the police force. And we're getting the same kind of chaos and disunity and violence that we see in a lot of these cities that are run by single mothers. If we want to discuss the breakdown of families that leads to disrespect for authority, that causes you to resist the police and run from the police ... because you resist authority at all times, because there was no male authority in your home, let's have that discussion. But that's not where they want to take us. ... It's the breakdown of families and the buying in of these left-wing things that have nothing to do with promoting families.

This kind of honesty is extremely rare in the media. (Note that the chief of police in Memphis is actually married, but that doesn't hurt Whitlock's point about violence in black culture.) I know nothing about Jason Whitlock except that he is not a politician, because if he were, we would not be hearing this kind of truth-telling.

So are we going to have that discussion now? Are we going to ask why the fathers are gone from the black households? Are we going to get a real discussion, an honest discussion this time? Because an honest discussion will inevitably lead us to the corrupt, feminist-driven welfare machinery, which systematically drives black fathers out of their families and destroys the lives of black children by handing control of them and their communities to single mothers and gangs. An honest discussion will also lead us to the corrupt family courts, which routinely steal the children of black men (and white men, Hispanic men, Asian men...) and throw the fathers in prison without trial. An honest discussion will also ask why Republicans and conservatives steadfastly refuse to challenge any of this.

Is Fox News going to sponsor this discussion? Until now, the conservative as well as the liberal media adamantly refuse to "go there."

We have indications that Carlson himself wants to. For some time now, his commentaries have been sprinkled with asides hinting at what Whitlock now makes explicit. Not long ago, while expressing the usual outrage over the explosion in carjackings and other violent crimes, Carlson blamed leftist mayors and Soros-appointed prosecutors. Then, suddenly, he paused to remind us that savage violence by 15-year-olds has deeper causes: "disintegrating families, that's the real reason". And a few minutes later, "Maybe these people need a father at home, the nuclear family." But that was the end of it. Subject changed. No more discussion. No follow-up reports. No investigation. But if that is "the real reason," why are we not talking about that on Fox News and what to do about it?

Carlson is not the only commentator stepping up to the line but not crossing it. Following George Floyd's death, Heather Mac Donald explained why "savagery is spreading with lightning speed across the United States, with murderous assaults on police officers and civilians and the ecstatic annihilation of businesses and symbols of the state." At first, she followed the standard conservative line, taking pains to exculpate the police from unfair accusations of racism: "Why are the Minneapolis police in black neighborhoods" in the first place? "Because that`s where violent crime is happening." But then she adds "the breakdown of the black family that drives it."

Having identified the deeper cause, did Mac Donald then explore it further or suggest that others do so? No  she too abruptly changed the subject. But if that is what "drives it," why are we not discussing that? Mac Donald's Manhattan Institute, which claims to specialize in urban social pathologies, seems to ignore what she herself identifies as the principal cause.

(Incidentally, Carlson just interviewed Mac Donald about the death in Memphis, and neither mentioned family destruction.)

Here is one more: The Epoch Times ran an interview with actor Greg Ellis on how, when they confiscated his children, they also locked him in what amounted to a psychiatric prison, all without any charges of legal wrongdoing. Yet here, too, there is no follow-up investigation.

So I repeat my challenge to Fox News and other conservative news organizations. Will we now hear the truth, or will we hear the usual mumbled untruths about how fathers are "abandoning their children"? Will we get more calls for more "child support" enforcement that only worsens the problem by providing a subsidy on single motherhood  and astoundingly, by the way, a stream of extra-parliamentary revenue that fills the coffers of state governments?

Or are we just going to hear more nothing, as before? It looks as though Fox News (or someone) may have just answered that question, because the video is quite difficult, if not impossible, to find. Perhaps it is censorship by YouTube. Or perhaps what Whitlock says of the liberal media is equally true for Fox News: "That's not where they want to take us."

None of this is Carlson's fault, though it certainly would be an insult if Fox did indeed take down an interview with a man he praised so highly. Whitlock is the exception whose "canceling" would prove the rule. Perhaps Fox did the right thing, and the video is there somewhere. This would be an encouraging development. Or perhaps the time is not too far off when it'll look as though Whitlock never said any of this, and I made it all up. Whoever said that media blackouts are limited to the left?

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
The Bible has always been clear about one thing, and thats that there are only two sexes: In the day that God created man, He made him in His own likeness. Male and female He created them, and He blessed them. (Genesis 5:1.) The sexual binary is a fundamental truth underlying every subsequent Biblical narrative. However, in both England and Canada, Christian institutions, when given a choice between the so-called transgender narrative versus the Bible, have opted for the former over the latter.

Englands official, state-sanctioned church is the Church of England, which Henry VIII established when he split from Rome. It used to be a standard, Bible-believing Church. Now, though, it seems that things are changing in a big way.

Image: The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise by Giovanni di Paolo (1445). Public domain collection at the Met.

The Church of Englands Bishop in Coventry (a bishop, mind you!) is alleged to have reported a member of the congregation to the police for committing a hate crime. The crime? Opposing gender theory and the sexualization of young children within the church:

Sam Margrave, 40, has been a lay member of the Church of Englands general synodits governing bodyfor over 10 years. Since he put forward a motion for debate at the July 2022 general synod, he has received death threats and faced constant harassment. His motion proposed that the synod, affirming that God loves all people, nevertheless consider[s] that the Pride rainbow flag, activity and events, and what it represents in terms of the ordering of lives and relationships is contrary to the word of God.

Margrave cited myriad Biblical verses to support that principle and then called on the House of Bishops

to state that support for Pride (including use of the rainbow flag; and blessing, participation in, publicising, resourcing and endorsement of Pride events or flags) is incompatible with the Christian faith, its agenda being contrary to scriptural teaching, Church doctrine and Canons of the Church of England 

In addition, Margrave has spoken out on Twitter about the whole universe of Queer Theory. In addition to the usual threats one gets from LGBTQ activists, Margrave got abuse by members of the clergy. But its what the Bishop allegedly did thats the shocker:

In addition, the Bishop of Coventry sent correspondence to Musgrave that said: The Diocesan Secretary has had no option, in view of a number of complaints received, to report your offending tweets to the West Midlands Police and is in continuing conversation with them. They have advised her that they have been able to speak to you but that you continue to deny you have done anything wrong.

In sum, for reciting the Bible to the church hierarchy and asking that the church conform its teachings to the Bible, the church hierarchy didnt merely say no (which is surprising enough). Instead, it turned a parishioner over to the police for daring to advance a Biblically-based worldview. Am I the only one who wonders who a Church is for if it doesnt abide by core Biblical principles?

Closer to home than England but still in the totalitarian, non-constitutional Anglosphere, a Catholic high school in Ontario, Canada, allegedly suspended a student for insisting that there are only two genders and that boys shouldnt be using the girls room under the fiction that, their genitalia and, indeed, DNA to the contrary, theyre really girls:

Since November, Josh Alexander has allegedly been suspended from St. Josephs Catholic High School in Renfrew, Ontario. Alexander was allegedly punished by the school for organizing a protest against transgender students using girls bathrooms. Alexander said he launched the demonstration after two girls at his school confided in him that they were uncomfortable sharing bathrooms with biological males. Alexander, an 11th-grade student, was reportedly barred from attending St. Josephs Catholic High School for the remainder of the school year. Alexander informed The Epoch Times that St. Josephs Catholic High School told him that his attendance at the school would be detrimental to the physical and mental well-being of transgender students. Alexander said the school labeled his beliefs as offensive and bullying because there was a transgender student in his class.

Again, does it strike anyone as weird that a religious organization would choose the delusions of mentally ill people over the word of the Bible? Can you still call yourself a religious institution if you do that? Of what use is a religious institution if it doesnt stand for anything and is willing to take on every fad that comes its way?
Sometimes size does matter.

Taxpayer dollarsand a great many of themare set to be used to construct a gigantic new edifice for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, more commonly known as the FBI. The massive new building/complex will be, at minimum, double the size of the Pentagon, which, until very recently, was the largest office building on the face of the planet. The Bureaus new headquarters will be built on one of three selected sites in suburban Virginia and Maryland, all of which are between 58 and 80 acres in size.

This means that the Feds new building may potentially end up being even larger than the Kremlin, which covers a staggering 66 acres. Take that, Russkies!

The senior analyst for strategy at the Center for Security Policy, J. Michael Waller, notes that, riveted into the colossal new project are woke regulations to ensure that the FBI center will comply with diversity, equity, LGBTQ+, and climate change political goals. I dont know about you, but I already feel safer and more seen.

Sarcasm aside, the size of government departments, entities and structures tells us much about their relative importanceat least as judged by the government.

The fact that the FBI, the U.S.s domestic intelligence and security service and federal law enforcement arm, will soon have a home dwarfing that of the department of defense charged with guaranteeing our national security and protecting us from myriad threats from abroad, speaks volumes about the Biden administration. None of it good.

The FBI, under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), has historically been tasked with investigating (domestic) public corruption and countering terrorism and the actions of foreign intelligence services. Today, it appears utterly uninterested in its erstwhile counterterrorism mission or in countering the actions of foreign intelligence services. And the FBI itself is obviously, and publicly, corrupt.

It is, however, laser-focused on smearing and attacking parents who dare to question their childrens lesson plans or school boards and those who have the temerity to question election practices, laws, and results. And it almost unfailingly marginalizes, demonizes, and threatens Republicans, conservatives, patriots, heterosexuals, Christians, and white males. (It is now unspeakable to be a white, patriotic, heterosexual, conservative Republican who also happens to be a Christian. Those of us in this mold are once again being thrown to the lions, albeitfor nowfiguratively.)

The Obama-Biden FBI is also doing its level best to help brand truthful statements as misinformation while simultaneously characterizing misinformation as fact. A remarkable feat when successful, as it often was in recent years. (See also: Hunter Biden laptop and Trump-Russian-collusion stories.)

Many have claimed that, while the Bureaus leaders are corrupt, the rank-and-file FBI types are salt-of-the-earth, regular guys and gals with the nations best interests in mind. Sadly, there is no evidence that that is the case.

Rather, it appears that, in addition to the fact that power corrupts, the general collapse of Christian belief-- and belief in an objective truth and moralityhas led to those in bloated government departments, such as the FBI, not giving a sh*t about anything but their own power.

Where once fidelity, bravery, integrity was the FBIs motto, a more accurate updated one would read: fascism, bullshit, infidelity.

Image: MattCC716, via Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0
Academy Award-winning actress Jessica Chastain was recently in the news for lending support to the protests in Iran.

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody after being detained by Irans morality police for wearing a hijab incorrectly sparked unprecedented protests across Iran.

Videos emerged on social media showing young protesters, often women, demonstrating in defiance and facing a violent response from the police.

The Iranian government, as they always do, blamed America and Israel for causing the unrest.

Chastain tweeted the following in support of Amini and the women of Iran last September.

#MahsaAmini is an Iranian woman who was beaten to death last week in a re-education center for not wearing her hijab correctly.



Her death lead to thousands of Iranians taking to the streets, demanding an end to violence and discrimination against women. pic.twitter.com/8OEsuLILeI  Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) September 25, 2022

Dozens of these protesters have been killed.



In an attempt to quiet the noise, journalists on the ground have been arrested, and the Islamic Public of Iran has shut down the internet.



But the people of Iran will not be silenced.  Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) September 25, 2022

I stand with the women of Iran and will amplify their voices from afar. When one woman is attacked, it is an attack on as all   Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) September 25, 2022

During a recent interview with Marie Claire, Chastain revealed that the press seems hesitant to cover the crisis in Iran.

"I've done a lot of press recently, and a lot of people want to talk about Ukraine. But when I bring up Iran, no one wants to talk about that."

Chastain was recently on The View when she was asked to reiterate her reasonings about the scant coverage by the U.S. media of the Iranian protests, which began last year.

Chastain blamed it on gender bias.

I really believe its because its a womens-led revolution, and were not used to seeing that.

She blamed it on religious bigotry, too.

I also think that Ukraine is a predominantly Christian country. And its easier for American media, and for us to, in some sense, identify with that.

Finally, she blamed it on racism.

But I think its really important in this world to identify with people who dont look like us, and dont believe in the same religions or dont have the same gender.

Despite that claim, Chastain herself has focused more on war-torn Ukraine. She paid a visit to witness the damage and displacement and even met with fellow actor and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

VIDEO: American actor Jessica Chastain meets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/23YVg7x9pB  AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 8, 2022

Women around the world sing Bello Ciao as they fight for freedom and peace in their homeland  from the streets of Iran to the trenches in Ukraine, their bravery echos through the verses. pic.twitter.com/sAaAKZk0S3  Jessica Chastain (@jes_chastain) September 28, 2022

Chastain hasnt revealed any attempt to visit Iran and join the protestors on the ground. By her own standards, she is a bigot.

So why is the U.S. media more focused on Ukraine than Iran?

The U.S. media and the D.C. establishment are keen to sell the war in Ukraine to the American people. This is another chapter of their anti-Putin narrative that began with the Trump-Russia collusion hoax.

So they lionize Zelensky, compare him to Winston Churchill, and overlook his proclivities toward totalitarianism. They ignore the fact that Zelenskyy misused government agencies to target his political opponents, the Ukrainian news media who ask questions, and even religious organizations, accusing them all of being pro-Russia.

With every passing day, the news media claim that Putin is either ill, dispirited, or on the verge of defeat, but the war shows no sign of ending.

The U.S. has dispatched $111 billion to Ukraine to fight the war.

It is said that foreign aid offers an easy opportunity for legalized corruption. The fact that Sen. Rand Paul's request to add tracking measures to the funds was rejected in the Senate makes it perfectly obvious what the motives are.

The contracts will be assigned to cronies with quid pro quo agreements, and perhaps some members of the media are recipients of the legalized kickbacks.

This is why the media is focused on Ukraine. Religion or race has nothing to do with it. The same media was once focused on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, both Muslim nations with populations of people of color.

Now about the hesitation of the media to cover Iran.

The exiled Iranian-American journalist Masih Alinejad talked about the protests in Iran that began last year.

Alinejad said she grew up in a country where a woman showing her hair could be sent to jail and could receive lashes or be killed.

However Western feminists prevent her from talking about her harrowing experiences under the Iranian regime because they fear being accused of perpetuating Islamophobia.

Alinejad slammed Western feminists who choose to wear headscarves and veils when traveling in Islamic-dominated countries like Iran. She said feminists seeking to be culturally sensitive exacerbate the problem and end up siding with the oppressive regime.

This is also the mindset of most in the U.S. media.

They are petrified of being critical of the anachronistic practices in Iran which are driven by mullah theocracy because it could lead to accusations of Islamophobia, xenophobia, and racism.

The only way they could criticize the Iranian regime is to falsely equate it with Trumps MAGA movement and claim both are driven by misogyny.

Being tolerant of the intolerant promotes intolerance.

But that is exactly what identity politics end up doing.

The race, gender, and religion of the perpetrator take precedence over the tenets of civil liberties and democracy. Instead of focusing on and condemning any violation, the focus remains on the demographic group of the violator.

This mindset isnt just restricted to the media.

The Manchester terrorist bombings in the U.K. that happened in 2017, killing 23 and injuring 1,017 could have been prevented. The security guard on location revealed much later that he had a bad feeling when he saw Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi but did not approach him for fear of being branded a racist.

Lives are lost while liberals have created a climate where the focus remains on the feelings of the perpetrators.

This is the climate perhaps in most Western democracies.

The question is how many lives will have to be lost and ruined before this madness ends.

Image: Gage Skidmore, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0
It turns out that the conservative/populist Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Melonia, widely decried in media and leftist circles as fascist or fascist-adjacent, is a hit with Italian voters a hundred days into office. John Hinderaker of Powerline cites a paywalled London Times article pointing out that she s the most popular leader in the EU.

When Giorgia Meloni became Italys first female prime minister last October her harshest opponents presented her as a danger to her country and to Europe. There were warnings that politicians within her Brothers of Italy party were too openly nostalgic for the days of Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator. Battles with the European Union and the financial markets were anticipated over her economic plans. Critics speculated about how long a leader with little government experience could hold together a three-party coalition that includes two of her biggest rivals on the right. Instead Meloni, 46, has emerged from her unexpectedly smooth first 100 days in office, completed last week, as the most popular leader in the EU.

The corporate US media naturally feared and hated her when she won:

YouTube screengrab

This is of great importance because of what Meloni stands for, as Christopher Garbacz pointed out to AT readers shortly after her resounding victory. For starters, The EU:

threatened sanctions if Italians elected Meloni. Those Italians who put Meloni in office made clear that they were pushing back against the lefts policies: open borders, disdain for Christianity, the complete embrace of the LGBTQ+++ agenda, etc. That matters because America is bathed in the same tidal wave of suicidal societal insanity.

Naturally, Biden dreaded her, as Brian Joondeph noted here:

Politico White House bureau chief Jonathan Lemire claimed that the election of "far-right" Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was met with "deep, if private, worry within President Joe Bidens administration." Going further in Politico, Lemire wrote that despite the White Houses acceptance of Melonis win, they view her recent victory as part of a "concerning trend" of "right-wing wins" in Europe. Concern for the White House means jubilation for most of the rest of us.

Meloni, like Trump, is a fighter, and stood up to Frances PM Emmanuel Macron when he retaliated against her for demanding that France accept illegal immigrants when demanding Italy do so (Monica Showalter explained here). She didnt mess around, she hit back, calling out French hypocritical BS:

This is fantastic. Macron thought he could throw a cordon sanitairearound Melonis Italy, and she is really taking it to him. https://t.co/mmpWeaWagL  Mike Gonzalez (@Gundisalvus) November 19, 2022

Like Floridas DeSantis, Melonia has chalked up a series of actions that are very popular with her constituents, as the London Times article cited by John Hinderaker stated:

A fairly conservative budget passed in record time in December has kept Brussels and the bond dealers sweet, while in the past week she has clinched a landmark $8 billion (6.6 billion) deal with Libya to supply gas and been hosted by the leaders of Sweden and Germany. A trip to Kyiv is expected soon. Her authority over her far more seasoned coalition partners Silvio Berlusconi, 86, and Matteo Salvini, 49, appears unchallenged. An EU summit starting next Thursday could see some sympathy for Melonis tough line on migration, while her approval rating, at 52 per cent, is far higher than that of any of the other leaders who will be seated around the table with her, according to Morning Consult, a US-based global decision intelligence company.

So, congratulations to Italy for electing a capable conservative. Lets hope the American electorate follows suit in 2024.Oh, and by the way, dont expect to see anything about her popularity in the American media, except the conservative wing.
The Milley boys at the Pentagon have come up with a new public relations "save" for Joe Biden and his pathetic indecisiveness about a China spy balloon brazenly traversing the continental United States before it was shot down over the Atlantic yesterday.

According to the Pentagon's website, defense.gov:

The balloon did not pose a military or physical threat. Still its intrusion into American airspace over several days was an unacceptable violation of U.S. sovereignty. The official said Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration.

Predictably, the left has seized on that last line and had a field day:

Yes, Chinese Spy Balloons Flew Over The U.S. When President Trump Was In Office Too ~@Forbes https://t.co/cBTMt81bnD  Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 5, 2023

Donald Trump presided over not 1, not 2, but THREE Chinese spy balloons, none of which he shot down and all of which he hid from the public.



The 3 Chinese spy balloons exposes the emptiness of Trumps tough talk.



Thank you President Biden for walking the walk.  Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) February 5, 2023

Get ready to hold your nose reading these next two:

As Tommy Lee Jones famously asked another actor in The Fugitive, Do you want to change your bullshit story?



We now know Trump let 3 Chinese balloons pass through U.S. airspace without shooting them down.



Whats your story now? https://t.co/lA7wdX1Zdk  Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) February 5, 2023

BREAKING: After Trump & Republicans repeatedly attacked Biden for not shooting down the Chinese Spy Balloon, it turns out that 3 similar balloons from China flew over the US during the Trump Administration.



Biden shot it down. Trump did not.



What a bunch of cowardly hypocrites!  Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) February 5, 2023

You know the press is going to be dining out on this for the next ten news cycles.

There's just one problem, though -- the claim that Trump saw three Chinese balloons traverse through the U.S. on his watch and did nothing is ... deflating fast.

First, we have an explicit denial from someone who would have known.

According to the Daily Mail:

The revelation startled Mark Esper, the former Secretary of Defense, and comes as Trump and other Republicans claimed he would have shot down the balloon while calling on Joe Biden to resign over the stalled attack on the craft.

...and...

Esper told CNN that he was 'surprised' by the Pentagon's statement, saying he was never told about Chinese surveillance balloons entering the US when he served between July 2019 to November 2020. 'I don't ever recall somebody coming into my office or reading anything that the Chinese had a surveillance balloon above the United States,' Esper said, adding that 'I would remember that for sure.'

He wasn't the only one. There's also him:

Tonight, it's been reported that at least 3 Chinese spy balloons crossed the U.S. during Trump's administration.



Yesterday afternoon, Mike Pompeo told Fox News he was not aware of this happening "during our four years in office" to "the best of my knowledge." pic.twitter.com/TczYr9lBXY  Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) February 5, 2023

It should be noted that neither Esper, nor former CIA director and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, are on palsy terms with Trump these days. Esper was fired in some dispute near the end of the Trump presidency and Pompeo is a potential rival for the presidency in 2024. It's not like there's a tag team thing going on with all of them, given that they don't speak with each other. That makes them particularly credible as witnesses.

Here's a third witness:

BREAKING: Former ODNI John Ratcliffe just denied Biden admin claims Chinese sent 3 balloons into US on Trump's watch: "I can refute it. It didn't happen." He said this was first time and "the damage is incalculable." He also suggested Biden & his nat'l security team "compromised"  Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) February 5, 2023

And breaking news, a fourth:

Bidens DoD is shamelessly using an anonymous source to say that Chinese balloons flew over the US under Trump - and the Trump team allowed it.



It is a lie. We never heard this - ever.



Congress should demand @SecDef tell the truth. Shame on @JakeSullivan46.  Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 5, 2023

There's a fifth reason the story is falling apart, too, from journalist Paul Sperry -- that a Pentagon spokesman actually contradicted this report. I can't find the tweet but I will post it when I do.

A sixth reason is a potential self-own from the Pentagon. With Esper and Pompeo denying they ever heard about this, could it be that the Pentagon knew about this and never told Trump or any of his men? That's pretty much their pattern, what with Gen. Milley caught calling up his Chinese counterparts in the wake of the Jan. 6 riots and assuring them that he'd give them good notice should Trump decide to launch a war with them. The insubordination of the Pentagon to any commander in chief is getting to be a significant story.

Here's a seventh one, and again it's breaking news:

FACT: THIS IS BLATANTLY UNTRUE & EXACTLY WHY NO ONE TRUSTS THE AMERICAN LEFT-WING #PROPAGANDA MEDIA!

There Were Incidents Where Chinese Balloons Dtifted NEAR US Airspace BUT NOT OVER THE CONTINENTAL U.S.

100% LIES!!!! https://t.co/WQfZqO0frZ  John Basham  (@JohnBasham) February 5, 2023

The very nature of these balloon flights were close to but not in the United States, which makes this a different kettle of fish. Here's the deets on the one that brazenly went over the U.S. and its most sensitive military installations, from a New York Post explainer that ran in that paper on Feb. 3:

Balloon sightings happen with some frequency. In its January report on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena  Pentagon jargon for UFOs  the Defense Department noted 163 of 366 reports (or 44%) could be characterized as balloon or balloon-like entities, though its unclear where the entities were spotted and from what countries they came. While this is not the first time a foreign spy balloon has floated through American airspace, there are several reasons why officials say this one stands out. First, the timing of the balloons flight is curious, as one State Department official noted: This is the first time its happened on the eve of a planned secretary of state visit to China. It was also spotted the same week the US confirmed a deal to increase its military presence in the Philippines, placing pressure on neighboring China and bringing US forces closer to Taiwan.

UPDATE: And here's an eighth:



Trump calls out Biden on his Chinese balloon "disgrace." pic.twitter.com/ndBJmCF6jG  Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) February 5, 2023

So the whole story about Trump supposedly knowing about and ignoring the presence of three comparable spy balloons from China is falling apart fast. What's being described never happened, and what did happen was not like what happened this past week. It's just spin, another bid to give Joe Biden a public relations 'save' in the wake of the public relations disaster this balloon incident is amounting to, exposing both Joe's and America's weakness.

This incident rather resembles the Liz Cheney-promoted lie that President Trump knew about Russian bounties on the killing of American soldiers in Afghanistan and did nothing. Or the one about Trump supposedly insulting the American war dead in Europe while he was on a trip there. Those stories, too, were debunked severely when the facts came out, and intriguingly, both also came from the Pentagon's lie shop.

Now we are hearing this crap, which is falling apart like a busted balloon overhead overhead and waiting for the press to dine out on the scraps.

Spare us this clown show. Trump never let balloons float overhead from China the way Joe Biden has. The claim is nothing but desperate leftist bunkum.

Image: Twitter screen shot
Is President Trump acting as a sort of proxy president in the wake of Joe Biden's 2020 stolen election?

The China spy balloon incident sure seems to indicate something of that sort.

While Joe Biden was dithering and downplaying the news of a Chinese spy balloon traversing the entire continental United States over the course of days as the public helplessly looked on, President Trump was issuing crisp presidential orders, almost as if he were still president.

Image: Donald Trump / Truth Social

He actually made more than one such statement but I have not found them all.

He even had a cheering section, echoing him on:

If it was Trump, he would have shot down the balloon long ago and sent a bill to China, demanding money      Hassan Sajwani (@HSajwanization) February 4, 2023

Trump wouldve shot down the spy balloon before it even made landfall.  Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 4, 2023

This is what Trumps response to the Chinese Spy Balloon would look like if he was still president pic.twitter.com/jMyqml6hnq  Harrison (@HarrisonKrank) February 3, 2023

President Trump would have never even been faced with the decision to shoot down a Chinese balloon over American airspace because it never would have happened - PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) February 4, 2023

President Trump in 2020: "If Biden wins, China wins."



2023: Chinese spy balloon flying FREELY across U.S.



Trump has been PROVEN RIGHT once again!  Kimberly Guilfoyle (@kimguilfoyle) February 4, 2023

And him, according to the Daily Mail:

Mike Pence, Trump's former vice president, tweeted, 'Shoot down the Chinese spy balloon,' as he then called on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to condemn the surveillance incident at his now-canceled meeting in Beijing.

Which stands as a reminder of what we had in the past, compared with the wretchedly indecisive and hesitant Joe Biden, who's just conveyed to the Chinese that he'd be paralyzed if they were to launch an actual strike on the U.S.

Biden, who was on vacation at Camp David when it happened, eventually got around to ordering the shootdown of the balloon yesterday -- after it had completed its mission, and while its debris rained down into the Atlantic Ocean, where retrieving it would be very difficult. It was almost as if he didn't want to do it. It was almost as if he did it for public relations purposes, which is how he's handled this entire affair.

But there seemed to be another factor: Trump, who was decisively calling for its shootdown. Biden actually seemed to be prompted by Trump, who was issuing those crisp orders that made so much sense to the American people. Trump, by the way, is no yahoo yelling Rambo-like calls to action -- he's a former president now, still with more experience at it than Biden, and everyone knows that he knows how the job is done. It seems unlikely that he would be calling for something that he knew couldn't or shouldn't be done.

So doddering Joe finally shot the plane down, as if to prove to Trump that he was no idiot. There was no weaseling out of it as something that was harmless or something that couldn't be done, as the excusemaking before that was going. Everyone knew that Trump knew the details and what was possible, so it's almost as if Biden was shamed into doing it by this terrifying backseat driver to his failed presidency.

This isn't the first time we have seen this happen. Back when the Bidenites were refusing to go to the border, Trump forced that issue, too, by declaring that he was going to the border. Very shortly after that declaration, Vice President Kamala Harris got a sudden and newfound urge to go to the border herself, just ahead of Trump as if to steal his thunder.

Had Trump not done what he did, the Bidenites would have remained slovenly and inactive. The China balloon would live to carry on another spy mission against the U.S. and/or its allies, and the border would remain unvisited.

Why the Bidenites think it's so important to one-up Trump again and again demonstrates how deeply he lives rent-free inside their heads -- and how Trump is the one calling the shots here, given that everything he does is a reminder to the public about what a competent president once looked like.

They know this, which is why Trump has become a sort of proxy president, the kind of person who can goad the lifeless Biden administration into action, just by saying what he would have done.

Maybe if they hadn't stolen the election, they wouldn't be this Trump-sensitive and Trump would not be like the persistent ghostly figure of shame in Lenny Bernstein's dream as imagined by Tom Wolfe in Radical Chic. But in a ghostlike way, the public can see who the real president of the United States really is when Trump issues his orders -- and it's not Joe Biden.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
Beyonce has taken one step closer to becoming the most decorated Grammy winner of all time, after scooping an early win.

The Crazy In Love singer won her first award of the night for best dance/electronic recording, presented at the awards premiere ceremony ahead of the main event.

The win takes Beyonces total to 29, just two shy of equalling the all-time record by a solo artist of 31, currently held by Hungarian-British conductor Georg Solti.

Some of the music industrys biggest names mingled on the red carpet for the 65th annual ceremony, which is taking place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The show is due to see Beyonce and Adele reignite their 2017 rivalry, as they go head-to-head for the nights top awards.

The Crazy In Love singer won her first award of the night for best dance/ electronic recording at the events premiere show on Sunday (PA)

Both stars are nominated in the three major categories for established artists: album of the year; record of the year; and song of the year, as is Harry Styles.

Beyonce is nominated in nine categories, while rapper and 2022 Glastonbury headliner, Kendrick Lamar, has the second-most nominations with eight.

Adele is nominated in seven categories and Styles in six.

The Isle Of Wight-based rock duo Wet Leg also picked up their first ever Grammy awards at the premiere ceremony, scooping two in a row for best alternative music performance and alternative music album.

This is so funny, thank you so much, said Rhian Teasdale, accepting the first award, adding: What are we doing here? I dont know. But here we are.

This year, the ceremony features five new categories including songwriter of the year (non-classical), giving the Recording Academy an avenue to honour musics best composer.

Comedian Trevor Noah is returning as host while James Corden, Cardi B and US First Lady Jill Biden will be on hand to present the awards at the main event.

Styles, Lizzo, Mary J Blige, Sam Smith and Kim Petras are among the performers confirmed for the night.

The 65th annual Grammy Awards is being broadcast live on February 5 on the CBS TV Network and will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
The installations address more than the need to celebrate and honor the citys Black heroes.

The new Hartford Black Heroes Trail also highlights the lack of attention to accomplishments of Black Americans and concerns about efforts in the country to reject study of Black history.

City Councilwoman Tiana Hercules, who worked with activist Bridgitte Prince to help bring the project to life, noted that it is important and relevant because Black history is being threatened with erasure and muted in some other states, such as in Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened to ban an Advanced Placement course on African American studies.

Its critical. Its evident that there are forces trying to basically erase us out of history. Our contributions to this country are undeniable and its important that our youth do not lose sight of that, because thats what inspires us to go forward, said Hercules.

In Hartford, each of the 19 installations shows a different Hartford Hero with a short description of their accomplishments, according to the projects website. The project was created to honor Hartford residents past and present  who have made notable contributions at the local and national level  it is placed along Main Street for community members to look at during Black History Month.

The idea for the project came from longtime Hartford resident and activist Prince, who said she was dissatisfied with the lack of representation of Black excellence throughout the city.

Hercules said given what is happening in Florida, its evermore important that those of us who live in states that honor Black history [and] recognize its significance, continue to tell the stories and find other ways to amplify those stories.

The model of a life that changes a community

Hercules also said also is important for Black people to elevate their voices and amplify the legacy of their ancestors and she hopes that residents and visitors to the city will take the time to learn about the illustrious and rich history and reimagine how they can be a contributing part of Hartfords future.

We hope that this display will inspire future generations, she said. This project is a powerful way for us to kick off Black History Month, by recognizing the incredible contributions of Hartfords rich history and the work that is currently being done to move Hartford forward. We preserve the integrity of our ancestors, and we do what others think is impossible when we lead with courage and advocate for change.

One of the Hartford Heroes from the project, Travis Dimeer Terry, said that he is extremely grateful and honored to be showcased in his hometown.

I graduated from the illustrious Clark Atlanta University. And to this day, some people still dont know that people are from here. So I am honored to be the representation from my city and to motivate young Black and brown boys like myself that you can be who you are and have impact where you are. And it starts from where you are, he said.

Councilman TJ Clarke II, who also helped with the project, said that the Black Heroes Trails is all about celebrating Black History  beyond the month of February.

Even though we celebrate in this country for the month of February, were going to be celebrating it 365 days a year, because this is what the foundation of our country is built on  our ancestors coming here and paving the way. Were here to celebrate Hartfords heroes and heroines. They have done some tremendous work here in the city of Harford. Some that may be known to us that live here. And some that may be an unsung hero, Clarke said.

Councilman TJ Clarke II speaking during the Black Heroes Trail  Black History Month Celebration and Press Conference.

Mayor Luke Bronin said that he hopes that youths will be inspired each time they walk by these installations and see a Hartford hero that they can look up to.

Much like the statue of Doc Hurley, which sits just around the corner from Martin Luther King School, is a monument that every young person who walks by can see and can celebrate a life well lived, a life of service, a life of commitment to others, he said.

And so those young boys and girls can say, that is a Hartford hero that I can look up to. This same thing is true as our young people walk down the street and see these plaques and installations, they can say, that can someday be me, Bronin said. Thats the model of a life well lived. Thats the model of a life that changes a community, that makes a difference, and it is remembered as a result. And thats an awfully powerful thing.

Prince said that the idea for the project came to her from an article in the December 1982 Ebony Magazine, which featured Hartford as a rising city.

At that time, when I saw that magazine, I was in another country. I was in Germany. So I was able to take that magazine, being the only one from Hartford, because nobody else thought Blacks lived in HartfordSo I was able to open up the magazine and show them Hartford, Connecticut, she said.

That was 40 years ago. So last year, when it was approaching the 40th anniversary. I first reached out to council president Maly D. Rosado, and then the rest of the council. And from that proposal, it kind of snowballed to what it is right now, she said. But thats how the idea was birthed. And thats what came out of it. So theres a lot of history here. Theres a lot of history thats being made. I thank everybody, and I hope it continues.

Prince also said that she hopes that the project will get bigger and better over time  having bigger plagues and honoring more of Hartfords Black Heroes.

Jasmin Agosto, education and community outreach manager at the Hartford History Center at the Hartford Public Library, said that she and her team have been honored to work alongside with the city to make this project possible.

The Black Heroes Trail project also ties into the Hartford History Centers Changemakers program and is intended to continue to add new honorees yearly, according to the project website.

Agosto also said that the work is not really about them, but about serving the entire community.

We dont do this work for ourselves, but rather for our residents. The community, from the babies to the elders, demands this of us. And for the years that we have been working, we are public servants. And so lets continue this work in the name of our families, for everyday folks that are living in our city  looking for hope, for dreams, for visionaries among us. So, that there is possibility, there is a future, she said.
A British family whose ancestors had slaves in the 1800s is to apologise to the people of a Caribbean island and pay reparations.

One of the family members, a BBC reporter, said the Trevelyan family is apologising for the role our ancestors played in enslavement on the island of Grenada.

The family had more than 1,000 slaves there in the 19th century and owned six sugar plantations, the broadcaster reported.

Grenadas capital St Georges was visited by Charles and Camilla in March 2019 (Jane Barlow/PA)

BBC News journalist Laura Trevelyan, who is based in the US, tweeted: The Trevelyan family is apologising to the people of Grenada for the role our ancestors played in enslavement on the island, and engaging in reparations.

The family intends to donate 100,000 to establish a community fund for economic development on the island, the BBC said.

Ms Trevelyan said seven family members will travel to Grenada this month to issue a public apology.

The reporter, who visited the island for a documentary, told the BBC the experience had been really horrific and that she felt ashamed on seeing the plantations where slaves were punished and the instruments of torture used to restrain them.

The Trevelyans will provide 100,000 for a community fund for Grenadas economic development (Jane Barlow/PA)

She said: You cant repair the past  but you can acknowledge the pain.

A television screenshot of BBC World News America anchor and program host Laura Trevelyan.

She said the Trevelyans had received about 34,000 in 1834 for the loss of their property on Grenada, which is thought to be the equivalent of about 3 million in todays money.

She acknowledged that giving 100,000 almost 200 years later could seem inadequate, but added: I hope that were setting an example by apologising for what our ancestors did.
A controversial gender critic has thanked the Scottish Government for waking up the country after the row over the placement of a double rapist in a womens prison.

Standing for Women, headed by Kellie-Jay Keen  also known as Posie Parker  staged a protest in Glasgow on Sunday against the Scottish Governments gender recognition reform proposals, which were passed by a majority of MSPs in December but blocked by the UK Government.

Speaking in George Square, Ms Keen also attacked the Scottish Government over the case of Isla Bryson  who raped two women when she was a man called Adam Graham before transitioning.

Bryson was imprisoned in segregation at Cornton Vale womens jail near Stirling upon her conviction, before being moved to the male estate after a public outcry.

Speaking to the assembled crowd, Ms Keen said: Nicola Sturgeon said it would never happen and all of us knew it was already happening and then along came Adam double-rapist Graham, who said it absolutely happens all the time and look at me.

The event was organised by controversial gender critic Kellie-Jay Keen (Jane Barlow/PA)

I just want to thank the SNP for waking up Scotland, and to all the Scottish women and some of you men who have been campaigning about this for the last five years.

She added that those attending the rally were here to be counted and we will be seen.

Ms Keens group has called for the repeal of the Gender Recognition Act, the current legislation that allows transgender people to obtain a gender recognition certificate the Scottish Governments Bill was attempting to reform.

Hundreds also turned out for a counter-protest against the event (Jane Barlow/PA)

She told those at the protest: In your own lives, you cannot be heard you feel like you cannot speak, adding that women have told her the state is gaslighting them.

She added: The watershed is finally here.

From this moment on, we are not afraid, we will not be quiet, we will let women speak.

A slightly smaller counter-protest staged by pro-reform advocates and dubbed Cabaret Against the Hate Speech took place just metres from the Standing for Women event, with both sides separated by a police cordon.

Trans rights activists danced and sang just metres from the Standing for Women rally (Jane Barlow/PA)

Attendees waved flags, danced and sang in support of the right to self-identification.

A representative from the LGBT charity The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence read aloud the Dylan Thomas poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, telling the crowd: Rage against the dying of the light  thats what we have to do here today.

We do not have to show our rage with insults, we will respect you the more you put us down, we will show you love, because that is what our community is about  showing love, respect and tolerance.

We will not go gently into that good night, we will be here and we will be dancing.
The Governments legacy Bill is not the way to deal with Northern Irelands past, commissioner for victims and survivors Ian Jeffers has said.

Mr Jeffers also called for a reconciliation process to be brought about on the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

The controversial Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is currently making its way through Parliament.

It has been almost universally opposed by victims groups, political parties and the Irish government over its proposals to provide immunity for people accused of crimes during the Troubles  as long as they co-operate with a new truth recovery body  and stop future court processes.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris (Brian Lawless/PA)

Days after Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris announced a public inquiry into the 1998 Real IRA atrocity the Omagh bombing, Mr Jeffers paid tribute to the families who had campaigned for it.

But he said it was a sad thing for victims that the Omagh families who campaigned for a public inquiry effectively forced the Government to act by taking a case to the High Court.

In 2021, a High Court judge in Belfast recommended that the UK Government should carry out a human rights-compliant investigation into alleged security failures in the lead-up to the attack.

The announcement by Mr Heaton-Harris last week prompted calls from the families of those killed in the Provisional IRAs bombing of two pubs in Birmingham in 1974 to also grant them a probe.

Mr Jeffers said the Government is looking at the Omagh bomb separately because it happened after the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and does not fall into the period covered by the proposed Bill.

I think there is a concern among the victims groups with the legacy Bill now making its march through Parliament that it will get passed potentially, and they wont have this opportunity to get effectively truth and justice, and thats something we shouldnt deny any of our victims, he told the BBCs Sunday Politics Northern Ireland programme.

This is why the Government has said it will do Omagh because in effect it was after the date of the Good Friday Agreement so it has to be looked at separately, the legacy Bill wouldnt take that.

But the legacy Bill does close the route for justice particularly.

Mr Jeffers said he shares the disappointment and anger of victims at the legacy Bill.

He said from the moment he took up the victims commissioner post last May, he has been campaigning for the Bill to be scrapped.

But the Government has shown that it is determined to push the Bill through, Mr Jeffers said.

It is to some extent listening, it has taken on board some amendments, potentially, time will tell if they actually adopt those amendments to improve what is a terrible Bill.

But we still stand by, along with many other groups, that the Bill should disappear tomorrow, it is not the way to solve the past here.

The Government has had two election manifesto pledges where they would effectively introduce an amnesty for veterans, and that is part of this, without a doubt. Theyd effectively remove the opportunity for prosecution for anybody in a Troubles-related offence, if they exchange information.

Thats something that we fundamentally disagree with.

He added: I think the Government will try and push this through  that will then give us a further challenge of how, if, do we engage, are there legal challenges to be had if people dont get the opportunity for justice, and well have to see how that progresses.

In the middle of this, remember there are victims. Were 25 years into the marking of the Good Friday Agreement and we havent addressed the legacy of the past, and the Bill isnt the way to do that.

This has to be a negotiated thing, it cant be a Bill that is just foisted upon victims and survivors.
An assistant Metropolitan Police commissioner has said she is truly sorry after the force let down the victims of sacked PC David Carrick who has been unmasked as one of the countrys most prolific sex offenders.

Speaking on the eve of Carricks sentencing on 49 criminal charges including rape, Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said: He should not have been a police officer.

Carrick, 48, served as a Met officer for 20 years. He was sacked from the force for gross misconduct after admitting 49 criminal charges  including 24 counts of rape against 12 women over an 18-year period.

Ahead of his two-day sentencing hearing at Londons Southwark Crown Court, Assistant Commissioner Gray, the Mets lead for professionalism, said: I am truly sorry for the harm and devastation he has caused them.

We let them down and we failed to identify a man in the ranks of the Metropolitan Police Service who carried out the most awful offences.

He should not have been a police officer.

She also warned: More detail will be provided about the cruel and abusive nature of his crimes and about the impact they have had on the tremendously brave women who came forward to provide evidence against him.

Last month David Carrick pleaded guilty to the most appalling offences against 12 women, committed over almost two decades. Ahead of his sentencing, which begins tomorrow, Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray has released this statement: pic.twitter.com/VPpv1x9qmU  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 5, 2023

Carrick has admitted to the most appalling offences against women and this sentencing period needs to be about his victims as they truly deserve to have their voices heard and see justice done.

She added that the Met is determined to root out those who corrupt our integrity.

The harsh spotlight thrown up by Carricks crimes has seen the Met speak out about its genuine and urgent commitment to address the systemic failings within the force, she added.

These have been identified by the Metropolitan Polices own reviews and by His Majestys Inspectorate and Baroness Casey.

Last month, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said that two or three police officers are expected to appear in court each week to face criminal charges in the coming months as the scandal-hit force attempts to reform.

He told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee on Wednesday that more painful stories will emerge as moves progress to remove hundreds of corrupt officers who are thought to be serving.

After Carricks guilty plea nearly three weeks ago, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said more disturbing cases involving police officers could be uncovered in the short term.

A new Met Police integrity hotline has received tens of calls a week, leading to new investigations, Sir Mark said, a third of which relate to other forces.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley (Yui Mok/PA)

In the wake of Carricks conviction, around 1,000 previous cases involving Met officers and staff who were accused of sexual offences or domestic violence are being reviewed to make sure they were handled correctly.

This is expected to be completed by the end of March.

Sir Mark told the Assembly that as well as these, in the coming weeks and months he expects two or three officers per week to appear in court charged with offences linked to dishonesty, sexual offences, violence or domestic violence.

Sir Mark has spoken of his commitment win the trust of Londoners by delivering high standards in the police.

Efforts to try to make this happen include investing millions of pounds and increasing the resources in the Directorate of Professional Standards.

The aim is to identify and investigate wrongdoing and more officers with specialist skills and experience have been brought on board to do this work.

The Met also said that a dedicated domestic abuse and sexual offending investigation team has been set up with more than 50 experienced investigators targeting any officer or staff member who may be engaged in domestic abuse or sexual offences.

There is also a new anti-corruption and abuse command which is proactively investigating and identifying officers and staff who abuse their positions of trust whether on duty or off duty, in person or online.

The Met also says that a thorough audit of national police systems, specifically the Police National Computer and Police National Database, is being undertaken to seek out intelligence and information about officers and staff that may not be known by the organisation.

All closed cases from the past decade where officers and staff were reported to the Directorate of Professional Standards for involvement in incidents ranging from using inappropriate language in the workplace to allegations of the most serious sexual offending are being reviewed.

The Met said it expects most cases should have been dealt with appropriately but it knows it has previously failed to identify patterns of behaviour and consider prior offending or incidents.
Nurses leaders have issued a direct appeal to Rishi Sunak to intervene in their pay dispute as the NHS faces its biggest day of industrial action in its history.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen said that a meaningful pay offer from the Government could still avert strike action.

She drew a comparison with his swift action sacking Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi after he was found to breached the ministerial code in relation to his tax affairs.

Royal College of Nursing general secretary Pat Cullen has urged Rishi Sunak to intervene in their pay dispute (Danny Lawson/PA)

As shown by last weekends fast-paced changes in Cabinet, big decisions can be made by you at any point in the week in the interests of good government, she wrote.

I am urging you to use this weekend to reset your government in the eyes of the public and demonstrate it is on the side of the hardworking, decent taxpayer.

There could be no simpler way to demonstrate this commitment than bringing the nurse strike to a swift close.

Her appeal comes as tens of thousands of nurses and ambulance staff in England are set to walk out on Monday in what is expected to be the biggest strike in NHS history.

The nurses are due to strike again on Tuesday while ambulance crews and call handlers will return to the picket lines on Friday.

In contrast, the RCN and other unions have called off similar action in Wales after receiving a new pay offer from the Welsh government.

With negotiations also continuing in Scotland, Ms Cullen warned Mr Sunak that his Government was becoming increasingly isolated.

As a result, the strike action for England next week remains, with tens of thousands of individuals losing wages to ensure you hear their voice.

It must not be in vain, she said.

It will be the biggest day of industrial action in the 75-year history of the NHS.

Nursing staff find that a sobering realisation of how far they have been pushed to protect patient care and secure some respect for the nursing profession.
A missing aristocrat and her sex-offender partner are believed to have been camping in the Sussex countryside with their newborn baby as police appealed directly to them to get in touch.

Constance Marten, 35 and from a wealthy family with connections to the royals, has lived an isolated life with her boyfriend Mark Gordon, 48, since they met in 2016.

The couple and their newborn went missing in early January and none of them have had any medical attention since then.

A 10,000 reward has previously been offered in the hunt for information on the trios whereabouts and the Metropolitan Police said that is still on the table.

The force has reiterated its appeals for information, stating that concern for the wellbeing of all three continues to grow.

In an update in the early hours of Sunday, the Met said they believe the missing trio have been camping out in the Sussex countryside.

The police service said it had received around 300 calls in the operation to find the pair and their baby, but sadly they have not led to the couple and their baby being found.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said: While we are very grateful to everyone who has already called, we still need to hear from anyone who has seen the couple since Sunday, 8 January and we are offering a reward of up to 10,000 for any information that leads to the family being found.

I am appealing in particular to people who may have spent time in the countryside near Newhaven and elsewhere in Sussex to think carefully as to whether they may have seen Constance and Mark over the past four weeks. Given the time thats passed they may have travelled on, so I also need to hear from anyone who may have seen them further afield.

Aristocrat Constance Marten has been missing since January (GMP/PA)

Addressing the missing couple directly, he said: Constance and Mark, your baby has spent the first month of its short life exposed to the elements when it should be safe and warm and, most importantly, seen by medics.

After a month you must be running low on cash. Please pick up the phone and let us know, at the very least, that you are okay. We are ready to come to you and see that you and the baby get medical attention.

He also insisted that members of the public should not feel concerned about coming forward with information and appealed to people to do the right thing.

He said: We know that the baby was still alive on 8 January and finding the baby remains our top priority. Maybe you have information but were reluctant to come forward to help us find the family. It does not matter why you did not speak to us earlier, what matters is doing the right thing now for the good of this highly vulnerable infant.

If you have seen the family, if you gave them directions, if they got into your taxi or came into your shop to buy food, drink or nappies  no matter how small a detail it may seem  please do get in touch.

Please also be assured that if they have paid you to provide a service, a lift, somewhere to stay or something else, you are not in any sort of trouble, we just need you to tell us what you know so that we can find them and make them safe.

Ms Marten has lived an isolated life with her boyfriend Mark Gordon since they met in 2016 (GMP/PA)

The police search for the family was sparked when officers were called to a burning car on the M61 in Bolton, Greater Manchester, on January 5.

It emerged that the couple had abandoned the car when it broke down and took a taxi to Liverpool, and from there to Harwich in Essex.

Since then they have been seen in east London, before travelling to north London and then on to Newhaven, East Sussex.

In east London they bought camping gear and had a pram, but dumped the buggy in Flower and Dean Walk near Brick Lane shortly before midnight on Saturday January 7.

Anyone with information can call the incident room on 020 7175 0785 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Business Secretary Grant Shapps has said he is concerned that the planned strike by ambulance staff on Monday will put lives at risk.

Thousands of nurses and ambulance staff in England are due to strike in what many predict will be the biggest strike day the NHS has ever seen.

Mr Shapps said the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has very responsibly told the NHS about where they will be striking and therefore enabled emergency cover to be put in place, but claimed ambulance unions have not provided such information.

His comments came as he sought to justify controversial anti-strike legislation currently making its way through Parliament.

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill seeks to ensure there are minimum working standards during strike days across six sectors, including health and transport.

Mr Shapps, asked if the industrial action will put lives at risk, told Skys Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: I am concerned that it does, if you have a situation which has been happening so far where you dont have co-operation between the back-up services  typically the Army  and the people who are striking.

We have seen the situation where the Royal College of Nursing very responsibly before the strikes told the NHS This is where we are going to be striking and they are able to put the emergency cover in place.

Unfortunately we have been seeing a situation with the ambulance unions where they refuse to provide that information. That leaves the Army, who are driving the back-ups here, in a very difficult position  a postcode lottery when it comes to having a heart attack or a stroke when there is a strike on.

We cannot have that situation. That is why I am introducing laws for minimum safety levels.

Unison union head of health Sara Gorton, during strikes last month, said all the services involved had emergency cover which, as a rule of thumb, saw all life-threatening incidents  also known as category 1 calls  responded to.

Category 2 calls, which can include heart attacks and strokes, would be assessed and if there was risk to life and limb ambulance staff would leave picket lines to respond.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said neither Prime Minister Rishi Sunak nor Health Secretary Steve Barclay are prepared to discuss pay.

(PA Graphics)

She told the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that Mr Barclay is not telling the truth when he says there is dialogue going on.

Ms Graham added: I can tell you categorically that there has been no conversations on pay whatsoever with Rishi Sunak or Steve Barclay about this dispute, in any way, shape or form.

Theyve danced around their handbag, they danced around the edges but they will not talk about pay.

To me, that is an abdication of responsibility (as) the dispute is about pay  so how can they say they are in talks?

RCN director for England Patricia Marquis appealed to Mr Sunak to come to the table for pay talks in order to avert more strike action.

She told Times Radio: Where there are genuine negotiations with a view to seeking a resolution, then we will call off the strikes  and that view has not changed.

Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds suggested Labour in power would not be able to offer double-digit pay rises to public sector workers.

Asked if his party would give nurses a 10% pay rise, Mr Reynolds told Sky News: Realistically the top opening offer, we probably wouldnt be able to meet that but we would negotiate.

And fundamentally we have a much more compelling message about those workload problems because weve got that plan to abolish the non-dom rule for the super-rich and therefore use that revenue  over 3 billion  to vastly increase the numbers of doctors, nurses, midwives in the system.

So that would be part of the negotiation.

Mr Reynolds said he jokingly tells his children to behave as they havent got time to go to A&E under a Tory Government.

Asked if as a parent he worries about NHS strikes, he said: I think any family does, anyone in the country does.

But Ive got to say I feel worried now at the state of the NHS every day.

Sometimes well joke to the kids youve got to behave, we havent got time to go to A&E under a Tory Government, thats the kind of thing well say in our house because we know the pressures its under.
Educator and community activist Ted Victor was outraged when he learned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had decided an Advanced Placement African American studies course his daughter planned to take significantly lacks educational value.

No educational value, like something you can discard, something you can just throw away, something that says you are not as important as other people, said Victor, who is Afro Latino and has taught for 25 years at the middle and high school level, and college.

The son of a Cuban father and an Haitian mother, Victor was born in the Dominican Republic and was raised there, in Brazil and Brooklyn. He was a 17-year-old in college before he understood that he was part of the Black diaspora. His family emigrated from the Dominican Republic Learning this from another college classmate led him to switch his undergraduate major from math and computer science to African American studies.

How can you label a people and their history of no value?... How is it my daughter can take world history, U.S. history, European history and there is no question? In other words, she can study your ancestry, but my ancestry, her ancestry has no academic value? he asked.

DeSantis crusade on diversity and race comes in a state, colonized by the Spanish, where the intersections of Black, Latino and Indigenous culture and history abound. The first Generation Z member of the U.S. Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost, is a Florida Democrat who identifies as Afro Cuban.

Its also a state where, like elsewhere in the U.S., Afro Latinos still struggle for recognition of their place in American history and culture, while grappling with discrimination  even within the Latino community.

In prohibiting the AP African American studies course, DeSantis said it was not education but indoctrination. He said the courses segments on intersectionality  the understanding of how race, gender, class, sexual orientation, for example, can marginalize people  reparations, mass incarceration and the role of Black queer theory were a political agenda and not education.

DeSantis pushed back on criticism that his rejection of the course prevents the study of Africa American history.

The state already requires the teaching of African American history, all the important things, DeSantis said last month at a news conference.

But the AP course is not African American history, it is African studies, which touches on culture and intersections of identities, said Brandt Robinson, who holds a masters degree in African American studies and is in his 26th year of teaching.

A lot of the people in Florida who are Latino, are Afro Latino. For a lot of people who are Latino, that is intersectionality  hes demonizing a term that is quite descriptive of a lot of Americans, Robinson, who is white, said of DeSantis.

"It just reveals that what we really need is to do a better job in our education system," he said.

Paul Ortiz, who wrote the textbook An African American and Latinx History of the United States and is a University of Florida history professor, noted that this month 28 Florida state college presidents issued a statement saying theyd eliminate any academic requirement that compels belief in critical race theory or related concepts such as intersectionality.

What an insult," Ortiz said. "If youre an Afro Latino, your entire life has been intersectional. You live, you bridge, culturally, visibly these different worlds.

Desantis office referred NBC News request for comment to the Department of Education, which had not responded by late Friday afternoon.

The College Board released a revised version of the course, stating the changes had been planned long before DeSantis' criticism. The changes were in the areas DeSantis had blasted, including the section on intersectionality, the Black Lives Matter movement and reparations; they are now optional study materials.

Fordham University law professor Tanya K. Hernandez, author of the book "Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality," called DeSantis' recent moves "an attack on racial literacy."

Hernandez, whose book uses legal cases to show the persistence of Latino racism against Black Latinos and its impact in areas such as education, housing and employment, disagreed with the College Board's revisions, which made some of the contemporary topics optional.

"Censoring out some of the most important issues we confront as a society also impedes the ability to understand the great extent to which entrenched racial disparities result from systemic barriers and not the presumed moral failings of subordinated racial and ethnic groups," said Hernandez, who is Afro Latina.

"Impeding the ability of students to understand the racialized world they live in undermines their ability to gain the knowledge required for making our world truly inclusive and just," she said.

Usually, students who have scored well on standardized tests take the AP courses that give those who complete them exposure to college level instruction and college credit they can take with them to a higher education institution, said Christopher Busey, a University of Florida associate professor in the Teachers, Schools and Society program and a faculty member of the Latin American studies and African American studies programs.

In his research, Busey, who is Black and whose children are Afro Latino, has called for better treatment of Afro Latinos in the K-12 curriculum. He wrote in a 2017 analysis of U.S. high school world history textbooks that educators could no longer allow for history textbooks and other social studies materials to limit Afro Latino representation to race mixing, racial hierarchy and enslavement. Afro Latino history is complex and multilayered, he wrote, and warrants extensive treatment in kindergarten through 12 grade narratives.

Stanford University research has found that even non-AP ethnic studies courses have had positive effects on students, including those at risk of dropping out.

As Republicans like DeSantis have sought to restrict instruction on race and diversity, academics and teachers like Busey and Robinson have felt the backlash.

Busey said he has been avoiding speaking to the media, while Robinson said he had to submit all his teaching materials to his school board when a parent accused him of being a Marxist, alleging a book he was using was aligned with the 1619 Project because it had the year 1619 in its title. A review committee cleared him.

DeSantis recently announced that he plans to block state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, and on critical race theory.

Jose Vilson, executive director and co-founder of EduColor, an organization dedicated to race and social justice issues in education, said DeSantis' criticism and rejection of the AP course provides a template on how other class standards can be pushed down," creating a chilling effect on other race studies classes.

If you can go after AP African American studies you can go after that whole standard more generally, he said. This isnt just for Black, Latino or Afro Latinx people, this is for everybody, because our white students also need to learn this rich history, especially because of the density of Cubans and Americans and Puerto Ricans (in Florida)  many of whom adhere to their African ancestry, he said.

Nancy Raquel Mirabal, an associate professor in the American Studies program at the University of Maryland, has published research on the Afro Cuban Community that migrated to Ybor City and Tampa, Florida, to work in cigar factories at the same time that the American Revolution and the writing of the Constitution was taking place in the U.S. colonies.

Black Cubans as early migrants worked with white Cubans because of the language, because of the shared experiences. But as time goes on white Cubans separate themselves from Black Cubans, she said. The segregation then leads Black Cubans to create a more African American diasporic identity, said Mirabal, a daughter of Dominican immigrants.

Florida does such a massive disservice because it has such a large Latinx and Black community there. This idea that their history is not important is a slap in the face to its early migrants, said Mirabal.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last month announced the appointment of six conservatives to the board of trustees at the New College of Florida, a small campus overlooking Sarasota Bay. (Thomas Simonetti / For the Washington Post via Getty Images)

The campus was on edge, with more than a dozen police officers and a bomb-sniffing dog on patrol and rumors spreading that far-right militias were on their way.

Outside an auditorium, a few protesters held up signs declaring: NO HOSTILE TAKEOVER!

The focus of the controversy was Christopher Rufo, the most prominent of six conservatives recently named trustees at New College of Florida by the states governor, Ron DeSantis, as part of his war on woke.

In a hyper-politicized age in which conservatives push for more control over what students are taught, this small college overlooking Sarasota Bay looks set to become a pivotal battleground in the war over the mission of public universities.

Rufo, best known for his activism against critical race theory in American education, had come to the left-leaning liberal arts school to hold a pair of town halls, one for faculty and the other for students.

Minutes before the first meeting was to start, the provost announced that she had decided to cancel it because of a threatening email the school had received a day earlier. It was directed at another new trustee who was also scheduled to speak, Jason Eddie Speir, the founder of a nearby Christian school: MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A FLAK JACKET ON.

Rufo and Speir refused to leave.

This is the problem at your school, you know that, right? Rufo said, pointing at the provost, Suzanne Sherman. Youve created an environment in which the most intolerant and the most aggressive people who threaten violence can veto you, can veto the president, can veto any changes.

We are closing this building, sir, Sherman said.

No, were not, Rufo said.

Rufo has vowed to scrap diversity, equity and inclusion programs and hire new faculty with expertise in constitutional law, American principles and what he calls family values. Speir recently floated the idea of terminating all contracts with faculty, staff and administration and then immediately rehiring those who fit in the new financial and business model.

Education experts worry that the true aim of the new board is not academic freedom or diversity of thought but turning New College into a model for conservative education.

Many of the schools 698 students fear that their professors will be banned from discussing topics such as race and gender.

Right now, everyone is super scared, said Ellen Benedict, 18, a marine biology student who identifies as nonbinary and is considering a transfer to another school, probably to somewhere in New York, in case DeSantis goes after other colleges in Florida.

This is bigger than here, Benedict said.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo speaks to faculty at the New College of Florida in Sarasota on Jan. 25. (Thomas Simonetti / For the Washington Post via Getty Images)

Keith Whittington, a political scientist at Princeton University and author of Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech, said New College could become a real laboratory for how much, and in what way, state governors might intervene in how universities operate.

A majority of U.S. professors identify as far left or liberal  60% in 2017, up from 41% in 1990, according to surveys by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. And there has been no shortage of cases of universities disinviting conservative speakers, disciplining professors and policing language.

Whittington has long been concerned about what he sees as the homogeneity of ideas on college campuses and the mounting conservative backlash. But he said that meddling with the hiring of faculty or the curriculum or ruling certain subjects out of bounds  as some of the new trustees at New College of Florida have vowed to do  crosses a red line.

Its appropriate for politicians in some of these states to be worried about the direction their public universities are taking, he said. The question is: How do you attempt to reform them without seriously damaging them in the process?

: :

New College began as a private institution in 1960, an era when legislators in Florida were purging purportedly subversive civil rights activists, communists and gay people from state institutions. Its founders envisaged it as a bastion of free thought.

The college turned public the next decade because of financial troubles, but it maintained a quirky, anything-goes vibe. In 1992, the Sun Sentinel newspaper described the campus like this: Shoes are optional. Grades are obsolete. Attitudes are open.

But not entirely. Four years ago, the colleges then-president told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that a study commissioned by administrators found that some students were leaving because the political atmosphere had become too hostile.

Rufo, 38, says he wants to change that. On the day he was named a trustee, he shared his agenda on Twitter.

We are now over the walls and ready to transform higher education from within, he wrote. Our all-star board will demonstrate that the public universities, which have been corrupted by woke nihilism, can be recaptured, restructured, and reformed.

A view of the New College of Florida campus in Sarasota. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times)

By the time Rufo set foot on campus late last month, many faculty and students were vowing to boycott the town halls. Some were wary of giving Rufo publicity. Others said they felt unsafe.

Rufo and Speir prevailed in their standoff with administrators, and about 200 professors, college staffers and community members poured into the auditorium.

Were going to liberate the campus, Rufo told reporters. Were going to liberate administrators. Were going to liberate faculty from the cultural hostage takers!

Groans filled the room as Rufo said enrollment was down and the colleges finances were so strained that some lawmakers wanted to shut it down.

New College, he said, had a culture problem.

We have an echo chamber here, where only one orthodoxy is allowed, Rufo said. It doesnt reflect the breadth of opinions in the state of Florida; it doesnt reflect the breadth of opinion at a good liberal arts college.

He cited as evidence private conversations with unnamed faculty and staffers and a 2019 report commissioned by administrators to study low enrollment that found the college had an extraordinary focus on social justice and that  based on a survey of applicants who were admitted  the phrases most strongly associated with the college were politically correct, druggies and weirdos.

Many in the audience dismissed his take, sighing, booing and heckling.

You are the problem!

Please stop!

Liar!

When it came time to pass a mic around the audience, a psychology technician grilled Rufo about statements he had made that appeared to link LGBTQ individuals with pedophilia  a question that Rufo said misrepresented his beliefs.

The universitys chief diversity officer, Yoleidy Rosario-Hernandez, asked how the new trustees would ensure that liberals were also welcome and people like myself will maybe not be fired next week?

Rufo said that nobody should be intimidated, but he offered Rosario-Hernandez no assurance that her job was safe.

Diego Villada, a theater professor who wore a rainbow-colored flag over his shoulder, told Rufo and Speir that they sounded crazy in media accounts, but that he found them more reasonable in person.

Today I feel like I understand the words that are coming out of your mouth, he said. I feel like they are earnest.

Still, Villada said he did not see evidence of a restrictive left-wing academic culture.

How does one gauge a stifling orthodoxy through the anecdotal evidence that you all are gathering? he asked.

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Students at New College acknowledge that they and their professors tend to lean left. But several said in interviews that they were exposed to a wide range of ideas.

And though the schools conservative critics have singled out classes such as Queer Studies and Feminist, Queer and Trans Theory, the college offers a broad spectrum of courses in the sciences and humanities.

"Doing a full 180 and making it conservative or traditional or classical is not going to help anybody," said Rocio Ramirez Castro, who studies anthropology and Spanish at the New College of Florida. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times)

Rocio Ramirez Castro, a 21-year-old studying anthropology and Spanish, said she feared that conservatives might block future students from pursuing the kinds of coursework that she did: East African anthropology, Afro-Caribbean drumming and a senior thesis exploring the cultural and folkloric significance of cockfighting in her native Puerto Rico.

Doing a full 180 and making it conservative or traditional or classical is not going to help anybody, she said.

At the town hall with students, Rufo insisted he was simply upholding the colleges founding principle of free inquiry.

My goal is not to say, Lets replace the left-wing orthodoxy with the right-wing orthodoxy, he said. My goal is to say, Lets expand the bounds of public debate.

The students were skeptical. During questions, one said Rufos appointment to the board was already damaging the school.

Are you aware that the colleges admissions office has already reported students calling to un-enroll and request deposit refunds? the student asked.

When the meeting ended, Sam Sharf, a 22-year-old international politics student who is transgender, walked up to Rufo and accused him of trying to instill some sort of dogmatic conservative ideology.

Do you support the banning of classes that teach a serious history of racism and misogyny? she said. Because that doesnt sound like freedom.

Rufo responded: I dont think you can have a classical liberal education, for example, without grappling with Marx. But I think we get into a problem when it is left-wing liberal activism masquerading as neutral scholarship.

Christopher Rufo speaks with Sam Sharf, a 22-year-old international politics student, after a town hall meeting at New College of Florida on Jan. 25 on the college campus in Sarasota. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times)

A few students said in interviews that they felt the college had become an echo chamber for liberals.

Jesse Hudson, 33, entered college wanting to study philosophy but said he was disappointed that even classes on long-dead German philosophers had a political bent as they veered into modern-day issues such as disability and pregnancy.

Edmund Husserl mentions nothing about any of that! Hudson said. I wanted to study Hegel, Marx, Heidegger, Husserl without trying to tie it into what I view to be a kind of academic activism  talking about the phenomenology of race, the phenomenology of gender, the phenomenology and politics and philosophy of trans studies.

He wound up focusing on math, because it felt less political, he said.

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Widely seen as a contender for the Republican presidential nomination, DeSantis has elevated his national profile by branding his state a place where woke goes to die.

In spring, he signed legislation to limit discussion of race, gender and sexuality in universities  restrictions that were struck down in November by a federal judge who called them positively dystopian.

Undeterred, the governor announced a sweeping plan last week to eliminate ideological conformity in public higher education by eliminating diversity programs, weakening tenure protections for professors and focusing the curriculum on the history and philosophy that has shaped Western civilization.

He also promised to work with legislators to immediately spend $15 million to overhaul New College, including recruiting new faculty.

Hours later, the new board of trustees met for the first time, offering clues of what that overhaul might entail.

More than 100 protesters held signs that said NO BIGOTS ON THE BOARD and chanted: Racist, sexist, antigay. Ron DeSantis, go away!

But his six new trustees  along with right-wing scholar Ryan T. Anderson, who was appointed last month by Floridas Board of Governors  give conservatives a controlling majority on the 13-member panel.

Students attend a "Defend New College" protest in Sarasota, Fla., on Tuesday. (Octavio Jones / Bloomberg)

Over the objection of protesters, Rufo moved swiftly to advance a motion abolishing the office that oversees diversity initiatives and adopt a policy drawn up by the Manhattan Institute  the conservative think tank where he is a senior fellow  to restore colorblind equality.

Diversity, equity and inclusion sounds great, Rufo said, but in practice divides people and offers separate judgments on the basis of race and identity.

Your opinion doesnt matter, someone in the audience hollered.

My opinion does matter, actually, Rufo said.

The crowd booed, but the board voted to study the issue and draft a policy based on Rufos recommendation.

Then the board moved on to its next agenda item. Protesters pleaded with the colleges president, Patricia Okker, to fight to keep her job. But she knew that would be futile.

My deepest apologies, but Im going to say publicly: I do not believe that students are being indoctrinated at New College, Okker told the board as the audience whooped and cheered.

After ousting Okker, the board installed an interim president: Richard Corcoran, a former Republican state House speaker and staunch DeSantis ally.

As for what will happen next, the new trustees have sent conflicting signals.

Mark Bauerlein, a professor emeritus at Emory University and an editor at the Catholic magazine First Things, said banning subjects out of hand would be anti-academic and contrary to free and open inquiry.

He proposed looking at how senior thesis projects have changed over the last 30 years to make sure there was no intellectual deterioration.

Speir said he would absolutely consider removing subjects such as gender studies from the curriculum.

Everythings on the table, he said.

There are no sacred cows.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
On Feb. 3, 2017, the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park Boundary Revision Act was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, officially setting in motion a plan to expand and protect the Ocmulgee Mounds under federal law.

Six years later, supporters of the initiative are wondering when Macon will get its long awaited national park.

This community has waited. Weve been calling for this, frankly, since 1934, Seth Clark, Macon-Bibb County mayor pro-tem and executive director of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative, said. This is a project thats been 100 years in the making.

There is no certain timeline, but the director of advocacy for the initiative, Tracie Revis, said there are a few more steps in the process.

Revis said the park is in the end stages of a National Parks Service (NPS) study ordered by Congress. Areas must undergo this study, which NPS has three fiscal years to complete, before they can gain an official designation.

The designation would put the Ocmulgee Mounds under NPS protection. A National Park designation should also drive more tourism to Bibb County.

These studies assess whether an area contains natural or cultural resources that are nationally significant, constitutes one of the most important examples of a type of resource, and is a suitable and feasible addition to the park system, according to the Congressional Research Service.

It has been reported that these NPS studies are piling up, but this is not expected to impact the Ocmulgee Mounds since its nearing completion already.

Folks behind the initiative are also waiting for a bill to be drafted in Congress. This bill would focus on three primary factors, Revis said: redesignation of Ocmulgee Mounds as a national park, expansion of the boundaries of the park and co-management involving the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. According to both Revis and Clark, this step has contributed to the project stalling.

While there is a hang-up, its also important for the public to understand that Congress creates national parks, and if it is the will of Congress to create the 64th National Park in the 56 river miles between Macon, Georgia and Hopkinsville, Georgia, they can do that, Clark said.

The support for raising the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park to national park status is bipartisan  Rep. Sanford Bishop (D) and Austin Scott (R) and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D) and Jon Ossoff (D) are all in favor of the initiative. Also in support is the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee [Creek] and Seminole Nations), which has been in support since the initial act was introduced.

Clark expects to have a national park in Macon this year despite frustrations with the long process. In the meantime, he said, supporters of this initiative are encouraged to tell Congress.

We made a deal with Congress three years ago, he said. And we kept our end of the bargain.
Whats more romantic than a dance?

Two of the areas leading ballet companies have created passion-infused, party-friendly performances that capture the allure of a moonlight dance.

The inspirations range from Hollywood classics to tangos and records by Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson  and the events are enhanced by dance classes, champagne and roses.

Love will be in the air, and on the stage, from the weekend through Feb. 14.

One Night in Hollywood

This is definitely our pre-Valentines Day show. Bring a date!  or dont!, says Stephanie Dattellas, the artistic director of West Hartfords Ballet Theatre Company.

For the companys winter show, Feb. 11 at West Hartford Town Hall, Dattellas decided to spotlight movies that feature dancing. Her selections include twists on some of the most likely candidates. Instead of picking something from Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, shes gone for a duet by Fred Astaire and his later partner Cyd Charisse, Girl Hunt Ballet from the 1953 musical The Bandwagon. Dattellas notes that Charisse was a trained ballet dancer.

The Bandwagon has always been one of my favorite movies, she said. My grandfather was a drummer and tap dancer, so I grew up seeing Fred Astaire movies.

For a more recent dance movie classic, Dattellas picked Dirty Dancing.

Im choosing some of my favorites, exploring the music, the choreographer says.

Were not a jazz company, or a tap company, Dattellas says, so to include a full range of movie-friendly dance styles she reached out to two other local companies. Stop/Time Dance (the resident company of Playhouse on Park) will tap dance to Singin in the Rain, while Hartford Underground, which holds regular vintage swing dances on Arbor Street, will put on Puttin on the Ritz and also lead a swing dance class.

Were always trying to find a way to include other mediums and other groups, Dattellas says. I gave full artistic freedom to the other companies to do the dances they wanted to do.

Every piece is lively and entertaining. She doesnt want to give away any surprises but makes a mysterious mention of some filmic surprises in the show.

One Night in Hollywood is set up as a fun night out on the town. Besides the 40-minute performance and Hartford Undergrounds swing dance class, there will be an open dance floor with a DJ, complimentary hors doeuvres, a cash bar stocked with local spirits from Waypoint Distillery, beer and coffee from the Weha Brewing and Roasting Company, confections from the Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery and more. I wanted to keep it locally driven, says Dattellas.

The audience is encouraged to dress up in Hollywood styles. Youre not sitting in an auditorium watching a performance, Dattellas says. Its set up like an old Hollywood club or a speakeasy. Its an atmosphere where you can move around.

The next Ballet Theatre Company show is right around the corner, the troupes annual Up Close: Spring concert on March 4 and 5, featuring a fresh take on the Pas de Trois from Swan Lake and the premiere of Por un Cabeza. That intimate performance will be in the companys own Ron and Nancy Compton Studio space on West Hartfords Jefferson Avenue. In April, BTC will be at The Bushnells Belding Theater with its new version of the ballet Cinderella.

One Night in Hollywood has a single performance Feb. 11 at 7 p.m .at West Hartford Town Hall. Tickets are $40, $35 in advance. More information is at dancebtc.org.

A romantic turn from Ballet Theatre Companys Feb. 11 event One Night in Hollywood at West Hartford Town Hall.

Be My Valentine

Connecticut Ballet has been looking for love in the city, in the wide open plains, on an Elizabethan balcony and under a full moon. The company is based in both Hartford and Stamford, so its presenting its Be My Valentine program on Feb. 13 at the Stamford Palace and on Feb 14 at The Bushnells Belding Theater.

The wide-ranging romantic program includes a dance to the Bruce Springsteen song New York City Serenade, choreographed by Connecticut Ballet artistic director Brett Raphael. We first did it in the 1980s, Raphael says. I danced it myself. The song is largely instrumental, not well known. (Its the closing song of Springsteens second album, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle.)

Raphael says theres a magical circumstance regarding this revival: The gentleman doing the lighting came to us after hed just worked on the new Springsteen tour, which reunites the E Street Band.

Boys Will Be Cowboys, scored to the Nick Sublette song Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other, will be a highlight of Connecticut Ballets Be My Valentine concert Feb. 13 at the Stamford Palace and Feb. 14 at The Bushnell.

Also on the program: Boys Will Be Cowboys, choreographed by Alexander Tressor to Willie Nelsons rendition of Nick Sublettes gay country song classic Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other and last done by Connecticut Ballet in 2014; Full Moon, a dance created by Footloose film choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett with music by New Age icon Paul Winter; Babar Layar, with choreography by Marc Spielberger and music by Colin McPhee; and the balcony pas de deux from Prokofievs Romeo and Juliet  without the balcony, says Raphael, who choreographed it. The closing number is Hora Zero, based on an Astor Piazzolla tango and choreographed by Dardo Gallotto. The tango piece is a world premiere, putting a ballet spin on the Argentinian dance style. Were doing it in point shoes, Raphael says.

Raphael says shows like Be My Valentine are a good chance to catch an emerging generation of new principal dancers who will soon be starring in full-length Connecticut Ballet performances. Dancers from this concert may be seen in the companys May production of Coppelia.

Like Ballet Theatre Company, Connecticut Ballet wants to loosen up its audiences. Following each performance, the audience is invited onto the stage to take part in a champagne toast to the company do a little dancing themselves and receive a rose to mark Valentines Day.

Yes, its still about going to the ballet and attending the grand Bushnell, but were also having a party. And youll be walking out with a rose. Were hooking up, so to speak, with our audience.

Be My Valentine has two performances: Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford ($50-$80; palacestamford.org) and Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. at The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford ($58-$76; bushnell.org).

Reach reporter Christopher Arnott at carnott@courant.com.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, right, Pope Francis,left, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland Iain Greenshields meet the journalists during an airborne press conference aboard the airplane directed to Rome, at the end of his pastoral visit to Congo and South Sudan, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. (Tiziana Fabi/Pool Photo Via AP)

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP)  Pope Francis, the head of the Anglican Communion and top Presbyterian minister together denounced the criminalization of homosexuality on Sunday and said gay people should be welcomed by their churches.

The three Christian leaders spoke out on LGBTQ rights during an unprecedented joint airborne news conference returning home from South Sudan, where they took part in a three-day ecumenical pilgrimage to try to nudge the young countrys peace process forward.

They were asked about Francis recent comments to The Associated Press, in which he declared that laws that criminalize gay people were unjust and that being homosexual is not a crime.

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalizes homosexuality, 11 of them with the death penalty. LGBTQ advocates say even where such laws are not applied, they contribute to a climate of harassment, discrimination and violence.

Francis referred his Jan. 24 comments to the AP and repeated that such laws are unjust. He also repeated previous comments that parents should never throw their gay children out of the house.

To condemn someone like this is a sin, he said. Criminalizing people with homosexual tendencies is an injustice.

People with homosexual tendencies are children of God. God Loves them. God accompanies them, he added.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, recalled that LGBTQ rights were very much on the current agenda of the Church of England, and said he would quote the popes own words when the issue is discussed at the churchs upcoming General Synod.

I wish I had spoken as eloquently and clearly as the pope. I entirely agree with every word he said, Welby said.

Recently, the Church of England decided to allow blessings for same-sex civil marriages but said same-sex couples could not marry in its churches. The Vatican forbids both gay marriage and blessings for same-sex unions.

Welby told reporters that the issue of criminalization had been taken up at two previous Lambeth Conferences of the broader Anglican Communion, which includes churches in Africa and the Middle East where such anti-gay laws are most common and often enjoy support by conservative bishops.

The broader Lambeth Conference has come out twice opposing criminalization, But it has not really changed many peoples minds, Welby said.

The Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshields, the Presbyterian moderator of the Church of Scotland who also participated in the pilgrimage and news conference, offered an observation.

There is nowhere in my reading of the four Gospels where I see Jesus turning anyone away, he said. There is nowhere in the four Gospels where I see anything other than Jesus expressing love to whomever he meets.

And as Christians, that is the only expression that we can possibly give to any human being, in any circumstance.

The Church of Scotland allows same-sex marriages. Catholic teaching holds that gay people must be treated with dignity and respect, but that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
An injured man evacuates with family members from a residential building which was hit by a Russian rocket at the city center of Kharkiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Five people were injured in Russian rocket attacks Sunday in the center of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, officials said.

Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said four people were injured when a Russian S-300 missile fell near an apartment block and another was hurt when a missile hit a higher-education building. Local media reports said the building hit was the National Academy for Urban Economy, about 700 meters from the city's central square.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting continued in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, one of four regions that Russia illegally annexed last year even though its forces do not fully control the region. Donetsk governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said five civilians were wounded in rocket attacks during the night in the city of Druzhkivka and that the town of Avdiivka and its outskirts were also fired on.

In the Black Sea port of Odesa, workers labored to connect temporary generators shipped in to try to restore electricity. The city and surrounding area were plunged into darkness over the weekend following a large-scale network failure.

Grid operator Ukrenergo said that the failure involved equipment repeatedly repaired after Russias savage strikes on Ukraines energy grid, and that residents should brace themselves for lengthy blackouts.

As of Sunday afternoon, about 280,000 customers remained without power, said prime minister Denis Shmyhal.

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Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
The PM was addressing participants of Jaipur Mahakhel via videoconferencing

Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the 'Khel Mahakumbh' being held in Jaipur, via video conferencing, in New Delhi, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. (PTI)

Jaipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said nothing is impossible for the youngsters of India and they are being encouraged to pursue a career in sports. He was addressing participants of Jaipur Mahakhel via videoconferencing.

The Jaipur Mahakhel (mega sport) is being organised by Lok Sabha MP from Jaipur Rural and former Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

The event, which focuses on Kabaddi this year, started on National Youth Day on January 12. It has witnessed the participation of more than 6,400 youths and sportspersons from more than 450 gram panchayats, municipalities and wards of all eight legislative Assembly regions of Jaipur Rural constituency.

Nothing is impossible for the young generation of young India. We are encouraging youngsters to pursue a career in sports. Initiatives like TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) are benefitting the youngsters in preparing for major sporting events, Modi said.

Jaipur Mahakhel is a celebration of sporting talent and such efforts increase curiosity for sports, he said, adding that Rajasthan is known for the enthusiasm and potential of its youth.

Modi will be visiting Karnataka on Monday to inaugurate India Energy Week 2023 in Bengaluru, during which he will launch E20 fuel, a blend of 20 per cent ethanol with petrol, and dedicate to the nation the HALs helicopter factory in Tumakuru.

He will also lay the foundation stone of various development initiatives during the visit. This will be Modis third visit to the poll-bound state in less than a month.
The challenges facing India today but also concrete steps to accompany in faith, in the message released by the Conference of Latin Rite Bishops at the end of their Plenary Assembly held in Bangalore. "Based on the common faith of all Christians, let us avoid all fundamentalism and tell together the story of love, justice and human fraternity."

Bangalore (AsiaNews) - The 34th Plenary Assembly of the CCBI, the conference that brings together the 132 Latin-rite dioceses of India, concluded in recent days at St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore. The theme of the session - which was also addressed by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples - was: "Telling the story of Jesus in Our Context: the Synodal Way" In the final message- released Jan. 30 and published below - the Indian bishops write that even in the challenges Christians face in the country today, not the least of which is hostility from fundamentalist groups that in some contexts as we know also results in violent attacks, "the story of Jesus must be told in an even more courageous, creative and authentic way," continuing to witness that "God loves everyone unconditionally."

The Church, as the People of God, is the icon of the Holy Trinity, called to live in communion of love by participating in the one mission which emanates from the Triune God. The Apostle John testifies: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life ... we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life  (1 John 1:1-2). This calls for a personal encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ, which itself urges us to live and joyfully share the Good News in our context. Christ commissioned his Apostles: Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation (Mark 16:15). The Church continues this mission, living it by her words and deeds. This Good News is Jesus Christ himself, in whom Gods love in all its fullness is manifested to the whole of humanity. The Church, in the midst of her ups and downs, lights and shadows, successes and struggles, has striven to be faithful in bearing witness to this love of God in our beloved Motherland.

Down the centuries, millions have been attracted to the person of Jesus Christ and his salvific message and have become his followers. Through them the story of Jesus is told and retold, fulfilling what the Church has been proclaiming from the very beginning: Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him (Acts 10:34-35).

This love of God is lived and experienced first and foremost in the family, where the story of Jesus is recounted by grandparents and parents to their children in various ways, by reading Bible stories, praying together and participating in popular devotions. The faith life is further nourished and sustained in the larger family of the parish, where the celebration of the Holy Eucharist occupies the central place. The proclamation and the breaking of the word play an essential and prominent role in all the liturgical celebrations. The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament in which the community is being transformed into the body of Christ, where There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

The story of Jesus is read, lived and shared in a dynamic manner and in a synodal way in the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC). The Gospel sharing in the BECs (also known as SCCs/BCCs) strengthens the bonds of communion and leads the members to bear witness in society.

Witnessing to the love of Christ, the Church in India has substantially contributed to nation-building, especially through her engagement in the fields of education, healthcare and social uplift. Standing firm on the teachings of Christ, the Church has always upheld the dignity of the human person, stood for a just society, promoted peace and harmony and cared for the weak, the suffering and the deprived sections of society.

From the very beginning, ordained ministers, along with women and men in consecrated life and ably supported by catechists, have been serving their communities both within and outside the Church, through committed pastoral care. The participatory bodies and lay associations foster communion and involvement of the members of the body of Christ in the mission of the Church.

The Catholic Church in India recognises the changing circumstances and growing challenges she has to face, but has never ceased to tell the story of Jesus. A few challenges have been identified:

Changing social conditions and the excessive use of social media, mobiles and internet have placed enormous pressure on the harmonious life of families.

Addictions to drugs, alcohol and pornography are ruining the lives of many young adults, causing disruptions within families and in society.

Poverty and inhuman living conditions deprive a substantial part of our population of equitable opportunity and dignity of life, creating uncertainties about their future.

Massive displacement of peoples, loss of land and fishing rights in the name of industrial and corporate development result in forced migration, dispossession, loss of livelihood and further marginalisation.

Greed and consumeristic life styles are eroding the life of faith and centrality of prayer.

Some civil legislations and policies often seriously hamper pastoral engagements of the Church in India.

Misuse of anti-conversion laws in some States and false propaganda about forced conversions are discouraging and hindering the life and service of the Christian community. This calls into question the Constitutional rights of the minorities.

The growing culture of intolerance, hatred and even violent attacks on Christians in some quarters is a matter of grave concern to Christians in India.

In the present context, the story of Jesus needs to be told even more courageously, creatively and authentically, considering that the Good News is to be proclaimed in season and out of season (cf. 2 Timothy 4:2). Assured by the words of Jesus: I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33), we continue to tell the story of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that God loves everyone unconditionally.

Following the Synodal Way, let us:

Accompany youth and families so that faith is deepened, family prayer is nurtured, and the bonds of communion are strengthened; also, foster respect for life from the moment of conception to natural death.

As grandparents, parents and elders, continue to transmit the story of Jesus to the younger generations.

As pastors and consecrated persons, take more seriously our responsibility to care for families, individuals and all to whom we are sent.

Promote, foster and sustain BECs in all our parishes.

Utilize the occasion of celebrations of the Eucharist and Sacraments to catechize and tell the story of Jesus in a meaningful way so that the people may experience the Lord in their lives.

Stand in solidarity with those affected by persecution, displacement, discrimination and marginalization.

Make it our mission to protect and preserve mother earth (which Pope Francis has described as our common home in Laudato Si), by employing all means at our disposal to promote eco-friendly lifestyles at all levels.

Basing ourselves on the shared faith of all Christians, shun all fundamentalism and unitedly tell the story of love, justice and human fraternity.

Join all our brothers and sisters, irrespective of caste, creed and language, to continue building our Nation, based on our Constitutional values in which justice, liberty, equality and fraternity reign supreme.

Make efforts to uphold the secular ethos of our Nation with a preferential option for the deprived sections of our society, to ensure the integral development of all.

As we journey towards the celebration of the Synod in 2023-2024 and look forward to the Jubilee Year 2025, may all our efforts help us to be credible witnesses of Jesus Christ, while we continue joyfully to share his story.

On the occasion of the 74th Republic Day of our Nation, we pray for Gods abundant blessings on our Motherland India. May Mary, our blessed Mother, who received, treasured and shared the Word, never cease to intercede for all her children.

(Nirmala Carvalho cooperated)

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A behavioral health provider with headquarters in New Britain has entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments to pay $384,322 to resolve allegations it overbilled the Connecticut Medicaid program for certain behavioral health services. according to federal authorities.

Community Mental Health Affiliates, Inc., has 10 locations Connecticut and at Harvest House in New Britain, CMHA runs a group home for clients with serious and persistent mental illness, according to federal authorities. The government alleges the company submitted claims for Medicaid Rehabilitation Option services to Connecticut Medicaid for certain clients for certain months at Harvest House and were paid the monthly fee for those services, but failed to document at least 40 hours of covered MRO services per month for the clients in question, according to federal authorities.

MRO services are designed to help clients who have functional disabilities secondary to serious and persistent mental illness achieve maximum functioning in self-care and independent living. In order to receive monthly MRO payments, a behavioral health provider, such as CMHA, must furnish clients with at least 40 hours of MRO services per month and document such services in accordance with Medicaid requirements, federal authorities said in a statement.

To resolve the governments claims, CMHA agreed to pay $384,322, which covers the time-period from January 2015 through December 2019, according to federal authorities.

This investigation was initiated through a complaint filed under the whistleblower provisions of the federal and state False Claims Acts, federal authorities said in the statement. The whistleblower will receive 15 percent of the settlement, in the amount of $57,648, the statement said.

People who suspect health care fraud can report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Photo: SpaceX

Photo: SpaceX

Photo: Netflix

At least, thats the hope Gates holds onto, as evidenced by his recent chat with the BBC. These past few months, Gates has been doing the media rounds to raise awareness on a variety of issues that hes either directly involved in or deeply passionate about, from vaccines and sustainability measures, to clean energy. The question of how much value Musk places on these issues was bound to come up, especially against the background of his endeavors with SpaceX, aiming to colonize Mars.To those not within their respective circles (so, basically 99.9% of the world) Gates and Musk have only two things in common: their desire to help save humanity, and their billions , which theyre willing to use to achieve the former. They also share an equally-passionate dislike of each other, so make that three things they have in common.Whereas Musk is convinced that humanity needs to become an inter-planetary species so we can have a backup plan in case the proverbial number 2 hits the fan on Earth, Gates is more of a short-term problem-solver kind-of guy. Naturally, Musks funneling millions into SpaceX is not sitting well with Gates.Put it in much simpler words, Gates believes Musk would be doing far more good for our planet if he spent his billions on stuff like vaccines, instead of on space exploration. It seems pointless to try to colonize a new planet when your current one is on fire, more or less. He says this much in the interview: It's actually quite expensive to go to Mars. You can buy measles vaccines and save lives for $1,000 per life saved. And so [that] just kind of grounds you, as in  don't go to Mars.Gates also expresses his belief that Musk will become a philanthropist eventually, and will invest some of his money into earth-bound problems. The time will come when he will see them as a priority. But at the end of the day, I don't think, other than going to Mars a few times, which might cost a little bit, I don't think he'll want to spend it on himself, he explains with a smile.Musk has not yet addressed Gates obvious jab (pun intended). Hes been quite active on Twitter recently, so maybe he believes he doesnt need to. The debate is already live on social media as we speak, and by the looks of things, his supporters seem willing to wage this battle in his name.The possibility that Musk is simply too busy or lacking the energy to address Gates comment doesnt exist. Along the years, Musk had proven quite sensitive to criticism of his space program and / or the way he chooses to spend his money, especially when said criticism comes from people with a large platform. You need only look at his reaction to the comments of United Nations World Food Program (WFP) director David Beasley, in November 2021, for an example.Back then, Beasley argued that it would take only $6 billion from the worlds richest persons to avoid several catastrophic humanitarian crises in several parts of the world if only they were willing to part with that kind of money. Beasley got specific too, calling out Musk for not giving away 2% of his billions to literally end world hunger in 2022. Musks response was quick: provide a detailed and transparent plan , and he will do it. He also asked Beasley to address 2015 reports that UN officers in the Central African Republic withheld food from people, asking for favors in return.The issue of solving world hunger or, even more, of saving our planet, is not a black and white one. If it were that easy to solve, theyd had been solved already, and maybe Gates himself would have donated the money for it.Were free to discuss, debate and disagree with either stance. What a person does with their money is their business, and public opinion wont influence that. Musk believes hes helping humanity by pushing for electric transportation on Earth and paving the way for the colonization of Mars. On the other hand, Gates is convinced that vaccines make a difference in this seemingly-impossible quest.Instead of focusing on who is right, we should see this for what it is. Its a petty  but entertaining  feud between two billionaires trying to outdo each other. We could all benefit more from Musk and Gates respective efforts if they worked together.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

According to documents filed with the, an oil channel hadnt been correctly drilled on a small number of cam carries. The Jaguar Land Rover assembly plants in Nitra and Solihull promptly initiated a stop-shipment in November 2022.Certain vehicles had gone beyond plant control. An investigation was opened into the cam carrier issue in December 2022 by the Product Safety & Compliance Committee, which requested the Supplier Technical Assistance Team to define the scope of the problem. Based on initial findings, the Engineering Team was requested to assess the issue reported by the supplier.The consequences were presented to the Recall Determination Committee in January 2023, which  as implied  determined that a recall should be conducted. In addition to a potential oil leak, the concern presents an unreasonable risk to safety. No accidents, injuries, or fires resulting from oil leakage have been reported to date.J6P3-6J011-AF is the part number of the suspect component. The cam carrier oil gallery may not have been fully drilled by the aforementioned supplier. This error may result in a blocked oil channel, which leads to oil accumulation against the pressure control valve rubber membrane. An oil leak or an increase in oil carryover into the air intake system is noted in the document attached below, comprising two campaigns for the U.S. market. Jaguar estimates that 229 vehicles produced for the 2023 model year between October 2022 and November 2022 may have been equipped with the suspect powerplants. The only nameplate affected is the Jaguar F-Pace, which is available with four- and eight-cylinder mills as well.Based on Land Rover s production records, no fewer than 6,644 vehicles sold under the Land Rover and Range Rover brands are called back. The list kicks off with 2,306 examples of the Defender, 107 units of the Discovery, and 631 copies of the Range Rover Velar.The Range Rover Sport and Range Rover are called back to the tune of 2,520 and 1,080 vehicles, respectively. The British automaker will instruct U.S. dealers no later than February 16 to inspect the engine cam carrier. If incorrect machining is found, the service technician will duly replace it with a correctly machined cam carrier.There will be no charge to the owners for this repair because the vehicles are still under warranty and because the defect is attributed to a Jaguar Land Rover supplier. Last but certainly not least, affected owners may expect to receive a branded envelope no later than March 31.
Photo: Airbus

Bring It On, Boeing

Photo: Wikimedia User tjdarmstadt - Own Work

Impressive Performance, Unmatched Refinement

Photo: Wikimedia User: Don-vip - Own work

Dethroning the Undisputed King

After Boeing acquired their rivals at McDonnell Douglass in August 1997, Boeing's effective monopoly on the American airliner space wouldn't be challenged for the next quarter century. But that monopoly only applied to the western hemisphere. Over in Europe, a multi-national group of aviation engineers quietly assembled a team to one day challenge Boeing's dominance of the airliner space.As far as narrow-body, single-aisle airliners, the true book-end to Boeing's unrivaled dominance came in the form of one plane; the Airbus A320neo. A descendant of one of Airbus's first smash-hit jetliners in North America, the A320neo takes a format as old as airliners themselves and brings a level of refinement that redefined cheap domestic air travel. But to understand how this Airbus changed American skies forever, we need to know the story behind the formation of the company itself.With offices in the Netherlands, France, Spain, and Germany, Airbus added Withcita, Kansas, to its list of global HQs in 2002. It was able to do so because back in 1972, a collection of languishing European aerospace contractors agreed to pool together their collective resources. All in the effort of taking a crack at challenging the alphas of the airliner space. Dubbed Airbus Industrie GIE in 1970, national barriers soon became a non-factor in the effort to drum up enough resources to create an aerospace juggernaut.Even before its formal organization, executives of European aerospace contractors agreed more or less that collaboration was all but essential to keep up with Boeing as early as the 1965 Paris Air Show. Among the companies who'd eventually be absorbed into the Airbus monolith included Aerospatiale of Concorde fame, the Matra company, famous for their Magic-series missiles, and Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm, the final evolution of Willy Messerschmitt's old company from World War II. Also involved with this new European super group were the British Hawker Siddely Company, designers of the original Harrier Jump Jet, and the French-state-run Nord Aviation, among others. At a meeting between the founding parties, a concept for a 260-seater, wide-body airliner was devised with twin turbofan engines and a range sufficient to make cross-Atlantic travel practical. After further details were fleshed out between French, British, and German ministers, the design was finalized for what would become the Airbus A300.With French engineers Roger Beteille and Henri Zeigler heading the project, the A300 laid the foundations for the entire company when it made its debut with Air France in 1974. In 1988, the A300 was joined by the A320 family, consisting of the A318, 319, and 321. Sporting two CFM International CFM 56-5 turbofan engines, these units generated a minimum of 22,000 lb (97.9 kN) of thrust each, depending on the specific variant.In the A320, this equated to a top speed of Mach 0.82 and a range with 150 passengers on board of 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km). As of 2022 to the present day, over 10,000 variants of the original A320 series were flying with airlines on every continent, including Antarctica. So when the A320neo family hit the skies first with Lufthansa in 2014, consider it like striking while the iron was scalding hot indeed.Though Airbus claimed the A320neo shared a 95 percent airframe commonality with the OG variants, that five percent that which wasn't made a profound impact. The biggest change, as often happens with updates of legacy airplanes, came in the form of new engines. With a choice of CFM International LEAP-series turbofans or American Pratt & Whitney PW1000, depending on the specific order, no plane in the A320neo family flies sporting less than 24,000 lbf (106.8 kN) of thrust from each engine.In some instances, as with the extended A321neo, these engines made as much as 33,110 lbf (147.3 kN) each with Pratt & Whitney PW1133G-JM engines. Though it's pretty difficult to make any headway in the speed department on an airliner, the A320neo and all its variants could maintain that Mach 0.82 top speed of its predecessor while having a range between 6,500 km (3,500 nmi) in the A320neo up to 7,400 km (4,000 nmi) in the A321neo. With dimensions of 123.2 feet (37.5m) in length with a 117.4-foot (35.8-m) wingspan, the A320neo, like its predecessor, sits in the Goldilocks zone of not too big for regional service and not too small for longer routes.With a layout that can swap two in-flight lavatories for one all-accessible toilet as needed, it allows the A320neo to accommodate more passengers without decreasing seating space or cargo capacity. Couple this with some impressive economy-class legroom regardless of the operators and a spacious business class with four-abreast seating. It's no wonder that over 2,500 orders for this class of airliner have been fulfilled. With a backlog of over 6,000 airframes still to be built, don't expect these birds to leave service any time soon.With regards to Boeing, the leviathan Airbus has been battling since the 1970s, the A320neo was nothing short of disastrous to their bottom line. The very same month that the A320neo entered service with Lufthansa, Boeing's 737 MAX also entered the fray. But after two fatal accidents in 2018 and 2019 that killed more than 330 people combined, investigators found the reasons to have been largely preventable in nature. All 737 MAXs were then grounded pending an investigation.As many as 1,000 Boeing aircraft due to be delivered by the start of the 2020s were removed from the order list after these incidents. Loss of credibility in Boeing's quality control and trust in the 737 MAX airframe was cited as the aggravating factor leading to this decision. Meanwhile, not a single A320neo class airliner has been lost in accidents taking place in the air or because of inherent design flaws in the airframe. Only a single loss of hull incident currently mark's the A320 NEO's permanent record with no passenger fatalities and four ground fatalities.In the end, the results of the A320neo vs. 737 MAX fiasco played a pivotal role in shattering Boeing's domination over the airliner sector. Today, a true duality exists between the two aerospace companies. Depending on who you talk to, some might even argue that for the first time ever, Airbus, not Boeing, has the upper hand going forward. If you had told people this would be the case back in 1970, they'd have probably laughed in your face.Well, it's funny how half a century can change things. If there's one thing this teaches us, it's that what you really need to challenge Boeing in the airliner space it's a whole jet-load of patience and 50 years' worth of time for them to make their own mistakes. It's a formula that's seen Airbus grow to be a leviathan. A strategy that works like a charm, as it happens.
AWD

Now let's meet our contestants. First off, there's the commentary section favorite, the Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400. This daily driver has a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that can produce 400 hp (405 ps) and 350 lb-ft (474 Nm) of torque.It has a seven-speed automatic transmission and weighs 4,020 lbs. (1,823 kg). A 2022 model costs around $61,000, whereas the more modest 300-hp (304-ps) Q60 Pure version has a price tag of $42,250.Next, the Holden Commodore VF or Chevy SS with Holden badges has a sweet 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 that can deliver 415 hp (420 ps) with 415 lb-ft (563 Nm). It also has a six-speed automatic transmission, with a curb weight rated at 3,975 lbs. (1,803 kg).This RWD muscle-sedan was in production for only four years and was put to rest back in 2017. The owner, who came all the way from Connecticut, managed to grab the undercover beast for $46,000.Finally, the Acura TLX Type S came equipped with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 engine that can output 355 hp (360 Nm) with 354 lb-ft (590 Nm) of torque. It has a 10-speed automatic transmission, drives all four of its wheels, and comes in at 4,200 lbs. (1,905 kg). A brand new 2023 TLX Type S build would put a $57,000 dent in your bank account, give or take $255.As for the actual race, let's see who was crowned champion of the 1/4-mile drag strip. During the first attempt, the Infiniti launched like a bat out of hell. The SS was second off the starting line, while the Acura was dragging behind them both.They all finished in this exact same way they started, with the Q60 winning by bus lengths ahead of the SS, which in turn was way ahead of the TLX Type S. During the second try, nothing changed much in terms of their performance and finishing positions.Seeing as there was no point in doing another drag race, they switched to a couple of roll races. In the first one, they floored it upon reaching 31 mph (50 kph), and surprise, surprise, the Infiniti came in first place again.The second roll race had them going from 50 mph (80 kph). Interestingly enough, it turned out to be a draw between the Q60 and Chevy SS. The poor Acura finished last yet again. After all was said and done, the $61,000 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 AWD more than deserved the praises it got.This 1/4-mile drag race was put together by Sam from the "Sam CarLegion" YouTube channel and took place at the Dunnville Autodrome drag strip from Ontario, Canada.
Photo: Studio Supra-Simplicities

Photo: Studio Supra-Simplicities

The tiny house / downsizing movement took roots in the early aughts and has seen an incredible boost in popularity since. Over the past couple of years, tiny houses and mobile homes have moved out of the novelty niche, as people of all ages and from all walks of life embraced the switch to the new lifestyle.Mobile houses, unlike their brick-and-mortar counterparts, offer more freedom of movement, a reduced footprint and reduced living costs, and the chance to live more intentionally . Their more compact form factor doesnt limit creativity of expression, as weve seen in the countless units weve discussed here, too. Mobile houses, whether theyre tinies or van conversions, overlanders and even larger RVs, are brilliant examples of creativity and skill, and can even offer more functionality than a standard home.But what about standard homes, what does the future have in store for them? If this concept is any indication, they might embrace some degree of the mobility of mobile homes, as well as the more compact footprint in a bid for more sustainability credentials.This is 3 Scenes of a Home, a relatively new concept for a micro-cabin from international design collective Studio Supra-Simplicities. Unveiled publicly earlier this year on the occasion of Buildners 2023 MicroHome Competition Edition, this concept earned the studio an honorable mention by the jury. Us non-jury folk can look at it as a home from a potential alternative future.The micro-cabin is a mobile home, but unlike tinies and van conversions, it doesnt change location as it moves. Instead, it spins in place  not just to keep the residents entertained and make them dizzy but to reveal access to any one of its three main living areas. These would be the same ones as in a standard home, and of comparative size: the kitchen and dining area, the bedroom, and the washroom, but they now go by the moniker scene. Hence, the name of the concept.The micro-cabin is actually a wooden cylinder divided in two parts, Front of the House and Back of the House. The names really do say it all in terms of the nature of these spaces, so the only mention still needed here is that Front is well-lit and open-aired, whereas Back of the House is dark and hidden from view. The Front of the House is a shoebox-like volume bathed in natural light, doubling as entry point by means of a simple ladder. Since this micro-cabin is a cylinder, the main living area floats above the ground.At the center of the cylindrical volume (the house, that is) sits a rotable three-scene mechanism similar to a theater stage. The spinning platform holds all three scenes, bringing each one into the light by the rotation movement. When one scene is brought forward to the Front of the House, the other two remain in the Back, hidden from sight and inaccessible to the residents.According to the design studio, there is reason behind the apparent madness of creating disappearing spaces inside a home  and no, its not to make the residents crazy dizzy . The idea is to do away with transitional spaces like corridors and hallways that are otherwise useless. At the same time, the design aims to achieve the smallest footprint possible, while infusing a very distinctive and dynamic character to the home. This way, the micro-cabin gets maximized internal mobility and flexibility of living, but with the smallest footprint possible.Weve seen rotating homes before, and even rotating floating hotels , but this one puts a more dramatic spin, if youll allow the pun, on the idea of alternative housing.The 3 Scenes of a House is focused on sustainability as well. The designers highlight the rainwater harvesting and collection system on the roof, which is propelled by gravity and comprised of a holding tank, a vortex filter, and drainage pipes. Reverse-osmosis ensures that collected water is drinkable, and as such, usable for all three scenes of the home. Wastewater goes into an underground septic tank, for storage and further treatment, possibly for later use.This being just a concept, other specifics havent been detailed as of the time of press. The study could benefit from further development, if only to specify just how fast the revolving movement would be. Its not the most important aspect about the micro-cabin concept, but its definitely the most eye-catching. Heres to hoping its nothing close to the speed of whats in the GIF below. That would be pure torture.
Photo: Rivian Automotive LLC

Very good products, poor planning, tough market

EV

Photo: Rivian Automotive LLC

AWD

Make way for the Enhanced Dual-Motor

SUV

Photo: Rivian Automotive LLC

dual-motor all-wheel drive  over 600 hp (608 ps), 600 lb-ft (813 Nm) of torque, zero to 60 mph (97 kph) in 4.5 seconds;

enhanced dual-motor all-wheel drive  around 700 hp (710 ps), 700 lb-ft (949 Nm) of torque, zero to 60 mph (97 kph) in 3.5 seconds;

quad-motor all-wheel drive  over 800 hp (811 ps), 900 lb-ft (1,220 Nm) of torque, zero to 60 mph (97 kph) in 3 seconds.

Testing our Dual-Motor AWD, projected to deliver 600+ horsepower & 600 ft lbs. of torque w/ 0-60 time as quick as 4.5 seconds. Enhanced version projected 700 horsepower & 0-60 as quick as 3.5 seconds. Both standard and enhanced maintain R1Ts 11,000 lb. towing capacity. pic.twitter.com/qovrKGQHey  Rivian (@Rivian) December 20, 2022

Last year, Rivian was in a bit of a pickle. It figured out that parts were getting more expensive with each new acquisition, and the cost of churning out the quad-motor R1T and R1S units was not letting much room for sustainable profit margins. So, it decided to hike prices for everyone, including pre-order holders. That, understandably, angered many who believed they were going to drive all-electric pickup trucks or SUVs coming from Normal, Illinois.With no bells and whistles on, the R1T used to cost $67,500 and the R1S $70,000. These were deemed as incredible price points for what both Rivian units were capable of. They have impressed nearly everyone lately, apart from some unlucky customers who went through some problems with charging or software issues.But Rivian quickly came to its senses after the backlash, apologized for the rash decision, and even allowed those who canceled their pre-orders to reinstate them at the original price. However, the shenanigans weren't about to stop there. A couple of months later, the automaker announced everybody that something had to change.So, Rivian decided to cut the entry-level Explore Package altogether in August 2022. And it did so for everybody - even the early backers. R1T and R1S pre-order holders had to go back online and reconfigure their vehicles. They had to pick the better-equipped Adventure Package, which added a minimum of $5,500 to their vehicles price.At the time of writing, the cheapest R1T (Adventure Pack, Dual Motor, and Standard Battery) costs $73,000, while the R1S is $78,000. So, you can even get the EV tax credit for the automakers vehicles which makes the idea of buying one today pretty enticing. Most of those who got their hands on Rivian's products are not disappointed. That alone is enough to convince prospective buyers of the startup's seriousness.But before jumping on the criticism bandwagon, you shouldnt forget that Rivian was struggling with everything related to production (and the last two years were a true struggle!) while some lucky early owners were flipping their R1Ts for over $135,000. Some asked for even more than that. So, you can see why the young automaker was dealing with a frustrating issue.Still, the company had $17 billion to burn in 2022, so things weren't that gloomy. They werent about to go bankrupt. For investors and the future of the company, however, the decision to hike prices was the right one to make.But pricing wasnt the only issue. Rivian also announced that it won't deliver the R1T with the mega-cool camp kitchen cleverly hidden in the pickup truck's gear tunnel. It's going to be available eventually, but nobody knows exactly when. Besides that, according to customer reports from last year, some of those who gave up on the nifty add-on managed to scoop up a unit faster. This came as a disappointment because themaker already gave up on including the tank-turn capability, something that's left for the new EQG to debut next year.Then, the power tonneau cover issue appeared. Those installed from the factory broke down for thousands of owners, so Rivian decided to stop offering them and announced it's preparing a redesign. To this day, a replacement has not been offered.On top of all this, Rivian decided to change its plans and hurried up the cheaper dual-motor units that were initially scheduled to debut in 2024. To add salt to the wound, it removed the option to buy the quad-motor versions of its vehicles together with the biggest battery pack. If customers want the longest range, they must now pick the Dual-Motorvariant.But now, the carmaker decided to pull a Tesla- or Mercedes-like move and added a middle option for the drivetrain.Today, you can either pick an all-electric Dual-Motor R1T/R1S or a Quad-Motor pickup truck or. For both vehicles, the upgrade from two motors for each axle to four motors with one for each wheel costs $8,000. The Irvine-based manufacturer thought this wasnt enough.So, it debuted the Enhanced Dual-Motor option, which sits between the Dual-Motor and the Quad-Motor Rivian vehicles. Its only a software change, and, per the company, it should go live this month.Right now, the situation regarding the drivetrain options is as follows:Keep in mind that this is data submitted by the manufacturer. Actual figures might vary depending on the spec of the vehicle, the tires, and the state of charge.In an email sent to a couple of existing and prospective customers, Rivian said that the upcoming enhanced dual-motor all-wheel drive option is just a software upgrade. Besides changing the horsepower and torque figures, nothing else is different. " Off-road driving dynamics, including front-to-rear torque vectoring and independent brake actuation at each wheel, are identical between Dual-Motor and Enhanced Dual-Motor options, added the company in that message.So, customers will be able to pick the middle drivetrain option straight from the factory or pay for it separately since it just adjusts the settings via a software change that can be done over the air. Right now, pricing has not been disclosed. We will soon learn how much Rivian will charge for giving its customers the right to use their cars' drivetrain to the maximum.Now, should Rivian be left off the hook with this new change? Well, I would dare to say yes. A pickup truck or an SUV with 600 hp is great for almost everything you might want to do. Nobody needs that one second shaved off of the naught to 60 mph time in real life. If what you are after is zero-tailpipe emission and offroad capability, then the quad-motor is the best drivetrain option for the R1T or R1S Finally, if a dual-motor customer may want to unlock their vehicles maximum potential for whatever reason, they can pay for it. Arguably, this can still be a little upsetting. Knowing that you cant make use of your cars entire power output unless you spend some more might nag some people. But lets hope this feature wont be locked away under a yearly subscription for those who didnt pick the Enhanced version from the factory. In such a scenario, my opinion would do a 180.